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#inej ghafa imagine
thesuntomyshadows · 1 month
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Jesper: Hey, mind if I hide out here with you?
Inej: *Moves up to make room for him* Why are you hiding?
Jesper: Y/N is passive aggressively doing the chores they asked me to do yesterday. It isn’t safe in there anymore.
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pregnant-piggy · 1 year
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The Trap
part one of THWARTED
Six of Crows x fem!reader
word count: 3.2k
summary: Someone keeps outsmarting Kaz Brekker, snatching his jobs right from under his nose, and he will not sit idly by and watch it happen. He sets a trap, but what he finds almost seems like too much trouble for its worth.
warnings: being knocked out, light panic, reader has killed someone (this series deals with quite a lot so let me know if i’ve missed anything!)
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The doors of the Slat slammed open, but the anger was sizzling in Kaz’ ears and he didn’t even hear it. His leg was throbbing and he was leaning on his cane more than he liked but there was no time to dwell on it. There were bigger issues that needed to be taken care of. 
His eyes found the lanky sharpshooter he was looking for easily. “Jesper. Upstairs. Now.” 
Maybe Jesper was in the mood to obey or maybe he heard the barely contained anger behind Kaz’ voice, but he got up and followed without a word. 
Kaz limped up the three flights of stairs, his body protesting against every move. He’d barely slept in three nights while preparing for this job. He had taken care of everything—the plan had been faultless. And yet… 
Up in his office, Inej was already waiting, leaning against the wall. She shared a glance with Kaz, as if asking if she should stay. He gave a single nod. 
“Not that I don’t appreciate you calling me up here,” Jesper said as he stepped inside, “but I’m guessing it’s not to have a nice cup of tea?” 
Kaz sank down in his desk-chair. An almost imperceptible sigh slipped from his lips as he stretched his leg out and he caught Inej sending him a worried glance from the side but ignored her. This wasn’t the time for pity. 
“It happened again.” 
The vault had been empty. Nothing. Not even a trace of someone else having been there, but all that Kaz had wanted had been gone. 
Jesper whistled through his teeth. “What’s that now? The third time?” 
“How?” Inej asked. 
Kaz folded his hand together. That was the thing—he didn’t know how. Someone had been thwarting his plans and he could not for the life of him figure out how they did it. Or why. Why they only picked some of the hardest jobs while there were easier and more profitable undertakings they could have chosen. 
There was a pattern, Kaz was sure, but clouded by his vexation he couldn’t see it. The gambling den on East Stave. The store in the Exchange. The vault in the councilman’s office. Something was connecting those three workings but he didn’t know what. 
“We have to take different measures,” he said, ignoring Inej’ question. “Somehow, someone is aware of our plans and keeps beating us to them.” 
Jesper frowned. “Any idea who? That’d make shooting them a little easier.” 
“No one will be shooting anyone.” But at Jesper’s pout Kaz added, “Yet.” 
Hands already resting on his guns, Jesper flashed a smile. Then he turned grave. “Do you think it’s Rollins?” 
Kaz bit back the red haze of anger. “No,” he said. “No one would do this so silently unless they had something to hide. If Rollins had done this, the whole Barrel would’ve known. Besides, the Exchange job would be stealing from his own pocket. A whole lot of trouble for nothing.” 
“He’s too lazy for that,” Inej added. 
“So who then?” Jesper asked. 
“Yes, who then?” Kaz pulled out a map and let his finger wander down the streets of Ketterdam. “That’s what we’ll find out.” 
No one outsmarted the Bastard of Barrel, and they sure as hell wouldn’t attempt it from the shadows. If whoever was hindering him didn’t want to show their face, he’d put the spotlight on them himself. 
Inej and Jesper shared a glance. 
“Scheming face?” 
Inej nodded, stepping closer to the desk. “Most definitely.” 
Kaz gave his bad leg a stretch and rolled his shoulders. There’d be time to rest later. “Let’s set a trap, shall we?” 
-o-o-o-o-o-
You hid your face in the collar of your coat as a group of workers passed you. One of the men laughed loudly and you shrunk together even more, pulling your hat closer over your face. The men walked past you without taking notice, but you didn’t dare to breathe out until you’d turned the corner.
Between the constant stadwatch patrols and the dark, solid storehouses, the Warehouse District wasn’t exactly one of your favourite parts of the city. That it was the best secured place in Ketterdam also didn’t work in its favour. Not when you were there to steal something. 
At exactly eleven bells you turned into the street that served your destination. You glanced around, but there was only silent nighttime around you, and took your hat off. Keeping your hands in your pockets, feeling the lockpicks in one hand and the small handgun in the other, you walked until you reached the door under the third street light. 
Everything had almost been ridiculously easy. The man that had boasted about the cheque he’d gotten from his latest shipment had almost been too loud. When you’d checked whether the shipment was real it had almost gone too smoothly. And the street was almost too empty, too silent, too dark. 
But you needed the money and with the way you figured the man had earned it, it wouldn’t be too much of a loss if he never got to spend it. Honest work didn’t exist in Ketterdam and you really did not want to go back to living on the street. 
At the door, you dropped to your knees and let the lockpicks slip into your hands. If anyone were to walk by you could pretend the ties of your shoes had come loose, but the lock clicked before you’d seen anyone. After one last glance at the dark street, you slipped inside. 
The storehouse was no different from any of the other ones in the Warehouse District. You entered an entrance hall that was shielded from the vast space of the warehouse by wooden panels. On your left there was a table and some benches for the workers and in the darkness you could make out a discarded coat and a stack of newspapers. 
The silence of the warehouse gave you chills, but you shook them off. You were here for a simple thing and you’d be out quickly. It was easy, just like stealing those authenticity papers on the jurda shipment at the Exchange had been. 
But all sense of confidence left you as you saw the faint light coming from the office up in the corner of the storehouse. In a single move you had pulled the gun from your pocket and felt the dagger slip from your sleeve to your palm. 
You should turn around and leave—that was the sensible thing. But when had you ever been sensible?
Slowly you walked through the stockpiles, keeping your footsteps as soundless as possible. You could hear nothing, no voices, no movement, but the light shouldn’t be burning. The most fortuitous explanation would be that someone had left it on, but you’d learned the hard way that luck was only for those who could afford it. And, considering you were here to steal money, you clearly weren’t one of those.
At the bottom of the stairwell up to the office you halted and listened. There still was no sound. You crept up the stairs, glancing over your shoulder once you were halfway. From up there you could see the entire hall of the storehouse, but it was empty. 
You went on and at the top, you nudged open the door with your elbow, keeping both the gun and knife ready in your hands. The door opened with a squeak. 
There, on the desk in the middle of the office, stood a single lantern, illuminating the entire room. The rest was empty. With a relieved sigh, you stepped inside, lowering your weapons. 
“Wrong choice, darling.” 
The door closed. 
You spun around. 
There was a flash of silver before something hard hit your head and you went down. 
-o-o-o-o-o-
It was a trap. 
Of course it was. You should have realised that, but you’d been on a winning streak lately and you’d overestimated your own abilities. A little confidence had never hurt anyone, but this shouldn’t have happened. You couldn’t afford missteps. 
Your head hurt so much that you couldn’t open your eyes just yet. The pain spread from your left temple and it came in waves. 
Upon trying to move you found your wrist stuck in ropes and you tried not to panic. Apart from the pain in your head, you seemed unharmed and you tried to take relief from the fact that whoever had bound you at least hadn’t killed you. Yet. 
What if they had found you? Had they come for you like they had all those years ago?
Your breaths grew ragged and your chest felt like it was the part of your body bound with ropes. There was something acidic in the back of your throat, the sense burning behind your eyes. Your heart was pounding, sending the blood through your veins in wavering shocks. 
You needed to open your eyes. You needed to breathe. You needed to get loose. You needed out. 
Between your fits of panic you heard a door open and behind your eyelids you noticed the faint hue of light. In a reflex you opened your eyes and then quickly turned your head away. 
The room you were in was dark, but in the weak light you could see a stone floor and heaps of what you presumed was cotton. You told yourself to breathe. 
One step at a time. Eyes, breath, wrists. 
Once you had gathered your breath, your panic stilled. Instead, resolve filled you. You had seen worse situations, had lived through more danger—you could get out of this. And perhaps, you thought as you slightly lifted your gaze and caught two pairs of feet and the tip of a cane, there was even something to gain. 
It was time people paid their debts.
Eyes, breath, wrists. You took one final deep breath and looked up. The pain in your head was distracting but you bit it back. There was no time for weakness. As soon as your eyes landed on the person standing in front of you, you grinned. 
“Well, well, well. Kaz Brekker, as I live and breathe. To what do I owe the pleasure of being kidnapped by the Barrel’s bastard?” 
Kaz Brekker didn’t move a muscle as he stared at you. “Councilman Frederiksen recently lost his opal-inlaid family crest. It has disappeared from his vault, along with documents proclaiming his investment in the business of another esteemed councilman. Slootmaekers, I believe his name is.” He blinked. “Whoever has stolen the crest seems to have disappeared with it. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?” 
Brekker’s dark glare was piercing and you felt a shiver run down your spine. Out of all people that could have come for you, he was the last one you’d expected. But it did bring forth a fortunate opportunity. 
Maybe luck hadn’t given up on you after all.
“I’m afraid not.” 
“No, of course not. Let me try again. Maybe this will ring a bell: A week ago, a shipment of jurda came in from Novyi Zem. Quality stuff, rumoured to have been handpicked and to last longer than any other kind on the market right now.” 
You pursed your lips. “Sounds like a pricey investment.” 
“It was one. You can imagine the investor’s fury when he found out someone had stolen the papers declaring the jurda’s authenticity. Without those, not only did the jurda lose its value, so did the investor his credibility. Almost as if the thief had wanted that to happen. You do not, by any chance, know something of it, do you?” 
“Can’t say I do. But it sounds like an impressive job.” 
“I must admit that it was.” He flexed his gloved fingers on the head of his cane and you saw he was narrowing the edge of his composure. “Allow me to try one more time. Mr. Jim Albert. Ever heard that name before?” 
You froze. “What about him?” 
“Hm.” A ghost of a smile passed Kaz Brekker’s face. “He disappeared three weeks ago, right before he was supposed to meet new investors. I’d know, because I was one of them. We waited two hours but he never showed. The next day his body was found in his gambling den’s backalley.” 
The game was over and you had lost. You knew and so did Brekker. He tilted his head to the side and looked at you. “I suppose you don’t know anything about that either?” 
You started to laugh, simply because you didn’t know what else to do. 
“Very clever. The crest and jurda I would have left unclaimed easily, but” —you let your laugh die out— “Albert’s death is mine. And if you want an apology for your failed investment, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.” 
Kaz raised an eyebrow. “I never expected it to pay off anyway, but I admit it would have liked some power after his bankruptcy. No, keep your apologies to yourself—I was curious as to why.” 
“I was trying to find a new hobby. Spice things up?” 
The person next to Brekker barked a laugh and you moved your gaze. “You’ve brought your loyal companion, I see.” You flashed a smile. “Jesper Fahey. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, although the circumstances under which would not have been my first choice.” 
“You know me?” Jesper asked. 
“I do my homework.” You looked around, silently noticing that you hadn’t left the Warehouse District, judging by the cotton storehouse around you. “So, now you know I stole the crest and documents, and I killed Albert. What do you want?” 
“I want to know why.” Brekker took one step closer. “You have cost me time and money, so you better make it worth it. Who do you work for?” 
“Work for?” you scoffed. 
“The Razorgulls? Black Tips? Did Geels hire you? Or is it Rollins?” 
The anger got to you before you could stop it. You surged forward with a snarl. If your hands hadn’t been bound, you were sure Brekker would have been a heap against the wall now. 
“How dare you? How dare you suggest I work for that lowlife asshole?” You heard the soft click of a gun being loaded and when you looked aside you found Jesper’s gun pointed at your face. You turned back to Kaz. “Choose your words better next time, Brekker, or even that poor cane of yours won’t be able to help you walk anymore.” 
You sunk back in the chair, fingers clutched around the rope on your wrists. Jesper lowered his gun. 
“So not Rollins,” he said. “Noted. Kaz?” 
This one was staring down at you with a strange, dark expression on his face. It lasted for a second, then it cleared and he was back.
“I work for no one,” you said, trying to keep your voice from trembling. “It’s just me.” 
“Why those jobs? Where did you get the information?” 
“Word is all around, you just have to listen to the right things.” You gestured around with your head. “Of course, not everything pays off.” 
“That doesn’t answer the question.” 
“You asked two questions at the same time, that makes it rather hard to answer.” 
Kaz squeezed his eyes. “Why did you kill Albert before the meeting?” 
“Albert gambled off children in his club,” you said. Upon seeing Jesper’s shocked face and even Kaz’ shadow of disgust, you added, “Yes, quite the secret, isn’t it? He deserved the ending he got. They say death is like falling asleep, but I made sure Albert got haunted by some nightmares first.” You shook your head. “If I had known there’d be money to be earned with his death, I would’ve chosen a different time, but I do not regret killing him.” 
In the back of your head you could still hear his screams and your own hysterical laughter. Cruel, but you weren’t lying. Albert had thrown you into this life so it was only fair he got what he deserved. 
“I see. And the jurda job?” 
“It was an easy one,” you shrugged. “Anyone in their right mind would have done it. You tried too, but I suppose you don’t care to tell me why?” 
Brekker stroked a hand over the lapel of his coat. “Same reason as you, no doubt. What about Frederiksen?”
You huffed. “Do you expect me to reveal all my secrets, Brekker?” When he said nothing and just kept watching expectantly, you turned to Jesper. “Is he always this relentless?” 
“You learn to deal with it,” Jesper said, giving you a light grin. 
“I doubt that.” You looked at Kaz. “The crest is worth a lot. Of course there are easier ways to get money, but where’s the fun in that? Getting into the mansion wasn’t the problem but the vault was a puzzle. Took me three nights to figure it out, but I guess there are worse ways to spend your evenings.” You felt the rope in your hands. “Like being bound to a chair.” 
“And the documents?” 
“They were… a lucky surprise.” You thought of the papers under your mattress, the effort they had cost you to get to them, and the rage which with you had almost torn them apart. Even after all those years, that name still did that to you. “A nice way to stir things up.” 
Jesper laughed. “I like her, Kaz.” 
You smiled at him. That was one. But with just Jesper’s support you wouldn’t get far. 
“So,” you said, tilting your chair back. “What more do you want to know?”
Brekker stared at you for a minute and you had the strange feeling he could see through your act. “One more thing.” 
“Let me guess: Why tonight?” You shrugged. “A girl’s gotta eat, not? I hate to admit that you had me fooled so easily, but you did.” 
“No.” Kaz pointed with his cane to you. “I want to know why you are still here when you have freed yourself from the rope minutes ago.” 
Eyes, breath, wrists. You held out your unbound hands in front of you. Then you looked up; Jesper was staring at you with an impressed look on his face but Kaz seemed unfazed. 
“The same reason you haven’t killed me yet, if I judge correctly.” You crossed your arms and leaned back. “You’re interested. So am I. We could work together.”��
Brekker said nothing but you could see on his face that you’d guessed right. You truly hadn’t wanted to ruin his jobs, it had been a coincidence. And now he knew, perhaps there was a chance here. An opportunity to finally get your revenge. 
“We could still kill you,” Jesper offered, but there was a smirk on his face. 
Brekker wasn’t so merry. “One wrong move and it’s over,” he said. Then he nodded, “What do you have?” 
You straightened, the excitement of a new job filling you with that familiar tingle, and grinned. Time to get to work. “Oh, it’s got it all. Money. Danger. Fun.” 
Revenge. 
Once, you had vowed to bring them all down, to never rest until you saw their bodies lowered into the ground. For years you had been nurturing your rage, preparing for this moment, when you would see them fall one by one. 
You would come for them as they had come for you. 
- - - - - - -
six of crows taglist:  @xxinvisiblexx​ @awritingtree​​
MASTERLIST
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ೃ⁀➷ Shadow and Bone Masterlist
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Blurbs, Headcanons, and AUs
Shadow and Bone Chronicles, part 2, part 3, part 4, part5, part6, part7, part8, part9, part10, part11
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Series
Find My Way To You( Kanej x Healer!MoonSummoner!TheMother!Reader)
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Eye of The Storm ⛈| Six of Crows Imagine
Takes place during the events of Shadow & Bone S2
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My Masterlists
Characters & Pairings: Crows x Squaller/Saint!Reader (platonic), Kaz Brekker x reader (slight/eventual)
Content Warnings: fighting, blood, profanity, cannon divergence | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4.9k
Requested 📨: yes/no
Premise: As the Crows make their way back to the Slate following their climatic dethronement of Pekka Rollins, they are ambushed by his supporters with no plan of action to escape. As they slowly accept their fate, what was once a clear night is rained upon with lightning and thunder in its wake. Having beat the odds of meeting one living Saint in their lifetime, the Crows are stunned when their savior, a player in the ever unfolding drama in Ravka, is the legend in stories of restoring life in the world when all hope was lost.
Note: although the Saint name I give is not Y/n, it’s still a reader insert and explains more at the end (it’s not an OC) also I know Zoya is called Sankta Zoya of the Storm but I have yet to get to her arc so for this the reader has powers equivalent to her
————————
The sirens had finally seized, concluding the hysteria in the streets of Ketterdam once it was revealed the Firebox outbreak was a hoax. Constructed by none other than the Bastard of the Barrel and his thieves amongst men, the Crows. After years of heated tension, and guided vengeance, against Pekka Rollins, Kaz Brekker succeeded in his plans of putting down the Lion that had ruined his life. Constant mental torture as he manuevered his players on their chestboard now able to rest.
“Where were you?” His voice was raspy, face still painted with his blood from the beating as he addressed Inej when she appeared from the shadows. They had been making their way back to the Slat. Nina, Wylan, and Jesper were flanked beside him, the dimly lit street light shining down on the group. Inej had been the only one not accounted for, flooding Kaz with anxiety mixed with anger that she strayed from the plan.
“I--.”
A gloved hand came up, stopping her. “Actually, I’d rather not hear what you have to say.” he wanted to shout. Reprimand her for being so foolish. Voice how her actions could’ve gotten her or one of them hurt because they had no idea where she was.
Despite these desires, the pain in Kaz’s body was too much and he was in need of a strong drink. Inej narrowed her eyes, but the man brushed past her leaving the others to send her looks of sympathy. Falling in step, the group followed behind Kaz, making note of how empty the streets were at that time of night. It was eerie. Yeah they may have caused an uproar with their little stunt, but they assumed there’d still be people out and about.
Dance halls and clubs are empty. The markets closed for business. Not a soul in sight. Wylan was the first to speak, “I’ve never seen it this quiet.”
“Very odd if I must say,” Jesper agreed, unconsciously letting his hands fall to where his guns strapped to his belt. His intuition was picking at his brain at the feeling that something wasn’t right.
“Wouldn’t be surprised if someone’s plotting now that Pekka is gone,” Inej made note of their surroundings. They were only a block from the Slat. Soon they’d be in the comfort of their home, able to bask in the relief they pulled their task off. A warm cup of tea by the fireplace before it came time for bed. Inej was looking forward to it.
But unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Nina suddenly froze, “Stop,” all movement seized, heads turning to the heartrender. Unease consumed them as they took in the sudden paleness of her appearance. “I hear heartbeats.” There was a subtle gulp, the woman adding in a low tone, “a lot of heartbeats.”
Tensing, they were met with the sounds of footsteps approaching from every angle. Inej pulled out her knives, as did Jesper with his guns. Wylan clutched his satchel to his chest, thinking of what he could use to help them out of this situation, though the odds were not looking good. Meanwhile, Kaz reversed his steps while the others spun around, the Crows forming a circle with their backs to one another, Kaz keeping space between him and Jesper. Allowing them a full view of the square.
They watched the herd of men step into the light. Revealing themselves with menacing eyes filled with vengeance. Kaz tensed, recognizing them as Pekka’s men.
Well the ones still loyal to the King of the Barrel. Several had already pledged their support to Kaz or took the chance to ditch town while they had the opportunity. Yet, here was a group of at least twelve, likely part of Pekka’s inner circle who’ve taken the actions of Kaz more personally. Those who refused to kneel. The young criminal should’ve known better than to expect a sudden shift in power would come easily to him.
“We have no business with you, gentlemen,” Kaz spoke with a level of calm that surprised even him. Deep down he was consumed with nerves seeing he and the Crows were severely outnumbered.
“Oh, but we do,” a gruff voice replied. Kaz’s eyes drifted to the owner, who’s hand mavuevered over his gun. “See, some of us are not too pleased with your little show tonight, Brekker. And we’ll be damned before claiming you as the King of the city.”
Jesper tilts his head slightly, whispering under his breath, “What do we do, boss?” Beside him Wylan was visibly freaking out. Nina raised her hands, ready to counter any attacks while Inej tightened the grip of her knives.
“This is it,” Kaz thought, clutching onto his cane. No ideas surfaced to help them escape. Accepting his time was up. Though he was going to fight for his Crows, the Bastard of the Barrel was ready to come to terms with his fate.
But before anyone could make the first room, a crack of lightning followed by its booming thunder shook the ground. Several flinched, including the crows, some of the Dime Lions stumbling by how close and sudden the element was to them. Rainfall began to pour down the once clear sky. Dark clouds covering the stars and skies.
The rain was thick, drenching everyone from head to toe. Their clothes became heavy. Had it not been for the skewing of their visibility, making them struggle to see where they were, they’d be annoyed by their state. But there were more important things at stake.
The storm made it hard to see. Only getting a glimpse of shapes and figures when flashes of lightning in the near distance hit the earth. Coupled with its thunder. Kaz barely could make out the enemy, bringing his cane up for any sudden attacks.
“What’s happening?” Wylan shouted, gurgling when the water hit mouth. “What do we do?”
“I-I--,” Kaz stuttered, the feeling of nausea swarming him at the cold, wet, rain hitting his face. It brought him back to the worst days of his life. Floating on top of cold, wet, bodies in the harbour, begging the Saints to save him. The man wanted to crawl away and hide. Yet the fear of not knowing what waited for them when the rain stopped kept him from falling to his knees in a panic.
“Hey! You there!” the same man from before shouted, Kaz squinting his eyes to see him raise his gun only to be thrown back by an invisible force of wind. His partner beside him went down next, though what hit him appeared to be a beam of light.
Kinda like a lightning bolt.
“What the hell was that?!” Inej shouted over the thunder.
‘A Squaller?’ Kaz thought to himself, watching another bout of wind sweep his oncoming attacker off their feet. He had not heard of another Grisha roaming the streets of Ketterdam. Surely if a squaller were inhabiting the area he’d know.
Using the butt of his cane Kaz knocked him out unconsious. When he glanced back up, his eyes landed on a cloaked figure standing on the roof of a nearby building. The rain made it impossible to make out their face. But judging by the way they moved their hands, and the fact his enemies were being bombarded by gusts of air, their savior was in fact an Ethereaki.
But what kind exactly?
At first Kaz believed they had to be a Squaller due to the wind. Yet, he then witnessed the rain shift direction, and water from a puddle shoot up to hit a man about to attack Wylan. A Tidemaker would better fit that description, however Kaz wasn’t aware of a Grisha able to control both air and water.
“I don’t know,” Jesper responded, shooting at an assailant he saw racing toward them, “But I’ve never been so happy for a thunderstorm as I am now.” At that moment Kaz realized nobody else noticed the mysterious person on the roof. His attention turned to Jesper beside him, oblivious to the help he was getting from a fellow Grisha. Turning back to the roof, expecting to see the cloaked individual, but they were gone.
As the fight commenced the storm ensued. Thunder overpowering the sound of pelting rain and gunshots. The Crows fought for their lives as the number of Dime Lions against them decreased. Nina managed to incapacitate several as did Jesper and Inej. The fight came to a climatic end with the last one standing was, quite, literally, hit with a lightning bolt causing the Crows to freeze where they stood.
Smoke filled the space, and when it cleared they were met with the mysterious being. Rain pelting down on them, however they seemed to pay no mind. As though it were a natural occurrence. It was still hard to see them. The streetlight candles had been blown out from the rain and wind, and the moon was covered by the clouds. Both those combinations obscured the face of their savior.
Nina raised her hands, ready to defend the group but Kaz motioned for her to stop, causing confusion amongst the rest. Who was this person and what did they want? And why was Kaz not doing anything?
“Well,” their voice, a feminine one at that, breached the once silent square. “That was entertaining if I’m being honest. Been a while since I’ve squabbled with angsty men,” she chucked, “but I was in dire need of practice.” Now hearing the woman speak clearly, they were able to identify her Ravkan accent. For Nina, her heart nearly stopped.
“I know that voice.” she felt the eyes of everyone, including the woman, on her. Hands lowering to her side, Nina's face etched into pure astonishment. Adding more confusion to the group who were at a loss of who this woman was.
“Oh!” The woman chuckled, not commenting on Nina’s words, “Apologies for the storm, let me just--,” they watched in stunned silence as her right hand rose, displaying a motion before the rain slowed and stopped altogether. Then with two fingers, she waved them around causing the clouds above to dissaperate, allowing the moon to shine down.
“Did she just--.” Jesper whispered to Inej, who’s expression resembled that of witnessing a miracle. “Can squallers summon thunderstorms? I thought that was a myth.”
Inej blinked rapidly, voice so low the others barely made out her reply. Tone in absolute awe, “Only one can.”
“One?” Kaz repeated, feeling a wave of unease beneath his skin.
Water from puddles splashed as the woman walked forward, stepping into the ray of light. The Crows, now able to see her fully, were greeted with her (y/h/c) hair and bearing dazzling grey eyes like the storm clouds she’d summoned. She appeared to be slightly older than the group, possibly by a few years. Then again Grisha were known to age slower than regular folk. For all they know she could be in her 50s. Look at the Darkling, who passed as a man in his early 40s to the naked eye but had lived for nearly 400 years.
Adorned in a deep grey kefta, the white and blue embroidery etched on resembled lightning bolts along with tiny drops of rain. It was unlike any kefta the Grisha wore. Those in the Ravka’s Second Army, with the exception of the Darkling, wore certain colored keftas and embroideries to signify their order. But to the knowledge of the Crows, no Grisha wore grey.
“Saints,” Nina gasped, jaw dropping slightly, causing the woman to smirk.
“Now, now,” she playfully tsked, “I’m not above swearing, but considering that applies to me….” her smirk never faltered, “I’m sure you can understand.”
Jesper’s head spun, looking between his comrades to see they were reacting the same way, “I’m sorry, are you saying that you’re--.”
Nina beat him to it, “Sankta Imber of the Drought.” Inej gasped, as did Wylan. The former repeated the name in wonder, falling to her knees in respect, “Sankta Imber….”
Kaz tightened his grip on his cane, mind racing to remember the tale behind the name. Who’s story was passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Who, like the Darkling and the Sun Summoner, was said to be either myth or once lived but suspected of perishing long ago.
Legends say that Sankta Imber of the Drought had been born in the century following the creation of the Fold. A farmer's daughter in the region of East Ravka, her family lived through the period where the country was stricken with a severe drought lasting over a hundred years, beginning not long after the Black Heretic disappeared. With no rain bringing water to the crops came a deadly famine. Hundreds of people and animals were lost, not only due to starvation and dehydration, but also illness. The economy in all of Ravka crumbled. Both States were fighting against each other for resources, as the food supply from East Ravka to West was now scarce. An increase in fires and dust bowls destroyed a lot of ecosystems, further deteriorating the country.
What was left of it that is.
There was little to no hope, with even prayers to the Saints to help them becoming meaningless words. Those still worshiping begged for a savior. The one who would bring the rain and storm. Ending the drought. Releasing them from the famine.
The idea a Squaller could summon a powerful storm was unheard of. Being able to bring forth powerful winds, rain, and possibly lightning and Thunder? Surely a Grisha of sorts would be only known by folklore. Especially given Tidemakers were the ones to control water.
Yet, it all changed one day as the 104th year of the drought approached.
“You’re more powerful than you think, Imber,” Baghra's stern voice echoed in the cave. Sitting opposite of her, with her head down and tear stains painting her cheeks, 15-year-old Imber Egorova made a sound Baghra could only assume was a whimper. “Denying it will do you no good. It will do this country no good.”
“How do you know?” The girl whispered, voice hoarse from crying following another gruesome 12 hour training day. “What makes me different from any other Squaller here?” She referred to the 20 other Squallers residing on the Little Palace grounds. Though some trained with the renowned Gisha teacher, none experienced the level of intensity Imber did.
“No Squaller here has shot someone 80 yards by their power during an exercise,” Baghra rebutted, causing Imber to wince at the memory. The reason why she was suddenly called to Baghra’s cave in the first place. From then on Imber barely got a lick of sleep or time to eat a proper meal.
The older woman gave a pointed look, “nor have they been able to summon electricity.” Ignoring Imbers stunned expression, she continued, “yes, girl, I know what you did when your sister’s heart stopped before you came here. Why your family was so willing to let you go after the testers proved you were Grisha,” Baghra leaned back in her chair, face void of emotion. “Ravka has not seen more than a few inches of rain since this drought began. No storms. And with the famine,” there was a light pause, “It’s claimed more lives than the Fold.”
Imber shuddered at the mention of Ravka’s darkened entity. Not wanting to think about its black abyss swimming with volcra.
“The point is, child,” Baghra captured her attention once more, “Besides the Sun Summoner, you could be the one to end part of Ravka’s suffering. But that will not happen if you cannot believe it yourself.”
Weeks shy of her 16th birthday, Imber received a letter from her father, which would change not only her world, but the one around. After contracting a bacteria from contaminated pond water, her mother and sister succumbed to a deadly illness after only a week. Her father had buried them on their land by the dead oak tree where they used to have picnics before Imber was taken to the Little Palace.
Distraught and riddled with unbearable pain, Imber collapsed to her knees in the middle of the courtyard, crumbling the letter in her hands. Her peers were silent, staring at her with sympathy. Unsure of what to say to the grieving teen, despite many knowing the exact feeling Imber was feeling.
Sorrow, anguish, regret. Never having the chance to correct wrongs or make memories with the loved onces they longed for. The cries of the Grisha filled the otherwise silent courtyard.
Suddenly, a rumble came from the sky..
Imber didn’t hear it over the sound of her sobs. Her companions, however, drew their attention upward, where they were greeted by a sight unimaginable. What once was a clear blue canvas, barely any clouds to begin with, transformed to that of a dark shadow. Wind, so powerful they thought a Squaller was responsible, nearly sent them off their feet.
“What’s happening?” A girl shouted, though they had difficulty hearing her due to the mix of rumbling overhead and breeze of wind.
“I don’t know!” the boy, a Tidemaker, beside her squinted, “Imber!” He lifted a hand to protect his eyes while focusing his view on the kneeled Grisha. A flash of light where her hands were plaed on the ground had him flinching. ‘What in the---.’ The spark occured once more. Chills filled his entire being as his eyes became saucers, falling to a whisper. “Saints above.”
Witnessing the sparks, an Inferni moved closer, ignoring the warning sent by the Tidemaker. “What is she doing?” His answer came by being blasted back by a gust of wind.
Imber let out a broken scream, head tilting back toward the sky as bolts of lightning released from her hands, igniting bouts of thunder in its wake. Gasps and shouts echoed around the Squaller from fellow Grisha and palace guards. The group behind her ran to find cover as the wind became too much, sending barrels and crates flying. Lightning and thunder, the duo reuniting as lost friends.
A sight to behold.
As the tears rolled down Imber’s cheeks, heavy rain soon replaced them. Drenching the lands of East Ravka for the first time in a hundred years.
For hours the girl remained kneeling on the grounds of the courtyard. Alone as everyone had seeked shelter within the Palace walls, letting the water from above coat her. The kefta she bore grew heavy. She paid no mind to it.
It wasn’t until she began to shiver from the freezing atmosphere that Imber retreated inside. Coming face to face with the reality of what transpired. As two guards escorted her to the throne room, Imber barely took notice of her peers watching the storm draw on from the windowsills. Some glanced at her in a mix of wonder, awe, and fear. Fear at the unknown, but wonder at what will be known.
Entering the throne room Imber was greeted by the King, Queen, Baghra, and the General of Ravka’s Second Army. Whereas the country’s monarchs were visibily bewildered at Imber, Baghra appeared impressed in comparison to the General’s excitement. Nerves consumed her on top of the immense grief Imber was experincing. Rain continued pelting the windows and roof of the Little Palace. Every once in a while, the occupants in the room flinched at the crack of thunder.
Upon making eye contact with the King, Imber bowed her head, curtseying as best she could with the weight of her soaked kefta. From there she underwent an hour of intense interrogation at the hands of the King and General. Baghra was questioned as well. Admitting she suspected the scale of Imber’s power but decided to stay quiet until the time came. The General, while pleased to know the world’s most powerful Squaller was among his ranks, voiced concern at the possibility of their enemies discovering her.
“Ravka has been praying for the day storms finally wash over her,” his tone was calm, almost haunting. Imber couldn’t look away as he moved toward her, tear stains painting her cheeks. “To save them from this wretching drought. Bring an end to this famine that has wiped away countless lives. Rain has touched grounds for the first time in over a century, Miss. Egorova. The people of Ravka are going to celebrate you. Erect statues on your name for being the hope they prayed for all these years.” he halted directly in front of her, keeping hold of her gaze it sent another wave of chills not relating to the cold clothes Imber wore.
“You are now the symbol of this dark period coming to its end. You are Sankta Imber of the Drought.”
“The storm lasted a fortnight, dispersing across Ravka’s lands until every inch had been touched by lightning. Yet the rain continued for months on end after the winds disappeared,” Nina recited the story etched into her brain. The crows silent as they took in her words. “Many say it was the raw grief of Imber losing her family that the storms were so strong. The constant rain marked as a symbol of her time in mourning.” The crows familiar with loss could relate. Kaz, Jesper, and Inej looking elsewhere than the Grisha.
Nina let out a breath, “Now whenever a powerful storm appears in Ravka, locals believe it to be Sankta Imber reminding them they will never experience a drought again. Famine will never touch their lands so long as she remains. Rain will be their protector, and she will be its champion.”
At the end of the Heartrender’s tale, Imber clasped her hands behind her back. “Nice to see my reputation still precedes me after all these years.” Chuckling, she took another step toward the group, “Still odd to hear myself spoken like a myth when I still live and breathe the same air as you.”
Again, no words could describe what the Crows were feeling at that moment. No one however was more shocked than Nina herself. And her reasons were far more than just being in the presence of a living Saint. “But you…”
Imber’s smirk turned to a soft smile, “Been some time since our last acquaintance, Nina Zenik.”
All eyes turned to the brunette, Kaz the first to speak, “What?” Not only was his mind racing, but now it was full of questions and doubts. They knew each other? But judging by Nina’s reaction, it was not all that meets the eye. She was stunned beyond belief like they were. “Care to explain, Zenik?”
Tensing by the tone of his voice, Nina sent him a light glare, “I don’t know her as Sankta Imber,” her eyes returned to the Grisha, this time showcasing betrayal as the memory of the woman in a blue kefta like her fellow Squallers appeared in her mind. “But as Commander Y/n Tempestasov of the Second Army.” Everyone felt the shift in the air at the mention of the Darkling’s army.
Why was one of the Darkling’s soldiers, a Saint at that, coming to them in the middle of the night? Traveling across the sea and saving them from Pekka’s men. There had to be a reason.
Kaz tightened the grip he had on his cane. Thinking back to events of the past several months. He would’ve recognized Imber, or Y/n, whatever she wanted to be called--at the Winter’s Fete. The kefta was unique; it would've captured anyone’s attention. As a powerful Squaller, Kirigan surely wanted her close to his side. Yet the Grisha had not been present on the skiff nor did Alina mention anything of meeting another living Saint.
Then there was the fact that the legends of Sankta Imber of the Drought were from nearly 300 years ago. It was believed she had died or dissapeared roughtly 20 years after she brought the storm to Ravka.
Meaning she’s been hiding in plain sight for centuries. A ghost among the living. Playing the role of a Second Army soldier under a false name to preserve her identity.
Another chuckle brought Kaz out of his thoughts, “Allow me to fill in the blanks, Crows,” Imber smirked at their reaction, “yes I know who you are. Do not doubt Nina’s loyalty--the last time we saw each other I was a different person. Roughly eight years if I’m correct,” bringing a hand to her chin, the Saint acted like she was deep in thought, “You’d only just arrived at the Little Palace before I escaped.”
“Escaped?”
Imber retained her posture, more serious than the initial laid back she had presented, “You’ve witnessed the evil General Kirigan is capabale of first hand.” they stayed silent, but each of their expressions faltered. “I discovered the scale of it a long time ago, after he made me a prisoner of the Little Palace under the guise of a trainer.” Nina bowed her head, the memory of Commander Y/n paroling the grounds where the Etherealki trained. She always appeared detached, but was kind to the young Grisha who had not yet succumbed to the corruption of the Darkling. “He was responsible for everyone believing I had died or dissapeared. After instilling fear in me at the thought of being captured by enemies, he had me locked in the caves of the Little Palace.” Inej let out a gasp, face consorting with sadness.
Imber shrugged, “sooner or later people stopped searching for me. Unaware I was close the entire time despire my storms becoming a blanket over Ravka for years. I was all but the myth you’ve heard.” Turning her head to Nina, Imber offered a soft smile, “It was years before he let me out. When he did I was named Commander under a false name and trained Grisha for centuries. Changing my name each time he did because someone asked too many questions and we had to clean up his mess. Y/n Tempestasov is the recent name of the many I’ve gone by. Frankly it’s my favorite if I’m being honest.”
“Would you prefer it if we called you that?” Wylan raised his hand, resulting in a side eye from Kaz at his formality. The Saint, however, smiled at him, “I’d like that. Imber Egorova…” she trailed off, connecting her gaze with Kaz as though she read him like a book. “She is of the past.”
Ignoring the weight on his chest, knowing damn well what the Saint was refering to, Kaz changed the subject. “Enough sentiment. You still haven’t said why you’re here.” The sound of his cane echoed on the pavement when he moved closer to her. “The Darkling might be dead but how are we to trust you’re not doing his bidding.”
The woman scoffed, obviously offended by the assumption, “Believe me, I hate the man more than anyone. Probably more than you and Alina combined.”
Jesper made a face of shock, voicing what they all thought, “You know Alina?”
“She sent me,” Y/n mused, shocking them more when she added, “And Kirigan is alive.”
“How is that possible?” Inej wondered aloud, unable to grasp the news.
“Turns out his own creation did not kill him after all. Instead he used merzost to create shadow monsters. Monsters that can only be destroyed with a certain blade that, like me, is also a legend.”
“Neshyenyer,” Kaz narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to call bluff. Y/n smirked in response.
“That is where you come in. We have some mutual friends, and they sent me to retrieve you lot to find the sword. Said you were the best of the best.” Hand going into her pocket, she removes a rolled parchment tied with a ribbon. “For your cooperation, the King of Ravka plans to generously compensate you.” She held it out to Kaz, “For you, Dirtyhands.”
He ignored the name, deciding not to question the depth of her knowledge on him and the Crows, and instead took the parchment. Once unfolded, he read the message inked onto its surface, detailing the extent of the mission and amount of kruge to be paid. He stopped at the name signed at the very end, ‘Nikolai Lantsov.’
‘Mutual friends,’ he remembered she said. Intuition telling him it was not only Alina and Mal the Saint referred to. Only person Kaz recalled that could likely be said aquaintance was a certain privateer.
Footsteps wandering away had the man look up, finding Y/n to take her leave. Kaz and Jesper flanked to his sides, the whole group watching her depart. “Come along, Crows,” she called out, the playfulness returning. “A storm is approaching.” light rain began to fall once more, followed by the sound of thunder in the distance. Kaz pictured the smile on her face by the tone of her voice. “And we’ve got work to do.”
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serpentthecrow · 2 years
Text
Sleepy time with the crows
the crows(separately) x reader🖤
Summary: just some fluffy headcannons with our favourite gangsters
Warnings : big fluff, cursing, plushies
A/n: wrote this instead of a Jesper confession fic that got deleted. I also included the plushies each of them have, so enjoy!
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Kaz:
One might assume there will not be much to say, it's not true however
If Kaz finds u trustworthy enough to even sleep in the same room with you, consider urself lucky af
Kaz doesn't really sleep much, just for a couple hours, it's assumably another trick of his, how he wakes up
When he ACTUALLY needs sleep, he drinks Camomile tea
I picture Kaz's bedside table is actually a stack of books, and there are several more stacks on the other side of the bed, so he reads quite often
He's genuinely scared to fall asleep due to his nightmares sometimes
After getting comfortable with you, he will slowly inch by inch move your beds closed to eachother everyday, until you notice
Whispers 'fuck u ' to the moon when it shines in his window
Just lays flat on his back and sleeps (how?)
Secretly has a crow plushie he got from Jesper under his bed
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Jesper
The biggest cuddle bear ever
He will wrap you up with his arms and legs like a rope, and will not let go even under the use of a fucking crowbar
It's his routine to kiss his revolvers good-night before going to bed
Not before checking himself out in the mirror to look good and ready for a night intruder
REFUSES to buy a bit bigger bed, no matter if your savings could buy a bed that even majesty King Nikolai.*million titles*.. could hardly afford
The secret meaning is that Jes doesn't want you escaping from him to the other side of the big mattress
He'd rather fall off the little cot you have
Forgets to take off his rings
HAS a goat plushie
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Inej
Inej is pretty straightforward- lay down, sleep if you can
challenge: try not to stab urself in the eye by the knife she has under her pillow while turning in ur sleep
Could use some protective cuddles if she trusts u
Prays before going to sleep
Bed time= heaven time. Main reason?she lets her hair down when going to sleep
Be prepared to do some careful and slow comforting for her at 1am
U will get urself stabbed if Ur not careful
Light sleeper, can be out like a light tho, after a whole day of climbing roofs
Fuzzy socks.
Has a teddy bear
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Nina
U won't fall asleep with her. I swear
Is the type of person to talk and talk and talk about random things for hours
And when u think she's already asleep, ur suddenly hear "I would never kiss a dude who eats dogs"
Eats a ton of food before bed
*cough*like me*cough*
Loves bedtime stories and singing lullabies in Ravkan- recieving or giving, doesn't matter to her
Back tracing
Has an assortment of plushies all around her side of the bed and if one is missing, she will start a war
Sleeps on her stomach
Or on u
Sleeps naked by choice
Cuddly little witch
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Matthias
Wrapped around u for 'protective' reasons
Tells u stories, myths and traditional legends from Fierda
Also prays to Djel, even tho he wipes his hands after finishing and exclaims he doesn't have to really
Drinks weird amount of water
Sometimes lays in bed with shoes on - sinner
Never saw a book in his life
Normal duvets? What is that? Did I hear fur?
Wake him up. I dare you. Try it.
Extra vulnerable before bed
Don't make him sad at the time pls
LOVES when it rains at night (I think they all love that, except ONE)
Owns a tiny white wolf plushie, it's under his pillow if u wanna know.
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Wylan
Certified cutie
The adorable matching pijama sets he wears
Will probably draw.
No need to say he won't read before bed
The little spoon
Warm milk with honey melted in it is his to go drink for bed(try it, knocks u out)
The bed hair(not so different from his normal hair lol)
Has a dinamite plushie he sleeps with all the time
Is the one who doesn't like when it rains, because what If the rain turns into a thunderstorm?
ABSOLUTELY HATES THUNDERSTORMS
They scare the shit outta him
The sleepy mumbles... Help
whispers good night back and forth with u until one of u fall asleep
fluffy and smol bean
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A/n: Ahh turned out better then I first thought. Lemme know what u think! If you'd like to requests something, my requests are open, please read my pinned post before requesting, there you'll find rules but also the fandoms I write for ❤️❤️
944 notes · View notes
bookishdream · 11 months
Text
SIX OF CROWS MASTERLIST
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KAZ BREKKER bastard’s wife - inej and jesper wonder where kaz goes at night
blackmail - reader gets kidnapped by the Crows
cold hands - reader helps kaz lick his wounds 
closet - when the job goes wrong because of kaz’s stubbornness, reader is there to comfort him
for the first time - reader and kaz’s first kiss
helpless - in order to save their family, reader is forced to work for another gang
kaz the crow - reader has their own pet crow
nightmares - reader suffers from nightmares, but kaz is there to reassure them everything is okay
skin contact - both you and kaz have your traumas, but you find comfort in each other
something he wants - kaz and reader are on a mission 
spark - kaz asks reader to show their powers to him
wooden swords - kaz teaches reader how to fight 
wounded - reader gets injured and kaz is there to provide his own kind of support
underwater - reader thinks the heist went rather smoothly, however an unpleasant surprise waits for her and the crows
untitled - reader overhears kaz’s talk and goes to visit her friend, unfortunately nothing goes smooth 
untitled - reader shares their feelings with kaz brekker 
untitled - platonic, kaz is impressed by reader’s way of interrogating the suspect 
INEJ GHAFA
stitches - reader is wounded and inej helps her stitch her wound
MATTHIAS HELVAR
flame - matthias and reader have a heart-to-heart talk
flustered - matthias gets kissed for the first time
safe haven - reader finds her kind of safe haven with matthias and the crows
JESPER FAHEY
job - reader comes home wounded and jesper gets worried
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lady-ashfade · 2 months
Text
With Care Imagine
Day 15 of celebration marathon
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-ᱬ ask: Could you do a Kanej × male!reader who has been really sad recently bc of some reason or other? Just like really fluffy Imao
-ᱬ hope you like it! This is a Imagine because I didn’t have thoughts for a slightly longer fic.
-ᱬ warnings: Poly relationship, fluffy, sad reader, kaz being okay with touch, but truly nothing to be warned about.
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“I shall bury you in the covers,” her voice was soft but playful as she pushed you under the blanket herself. you laid on your bed as your partners watched with worried eyes, almost as if you’d run out the door when the took their eyes off.
“Truly I am fine,” you groan. you tried to look at kaz to help you out but he shrugged his shoulders. he wasn’t on your side.
“and let your thoughts run wild again? You need sleep, rest up.” he leaned down to lightly brush over your forehead. your eyes still looked drained from crying earlier in their arms.
“we care for you. it is okay to take a breath once and a while, and we have no blame for you, our boy needs rest.” her words made your cheeks begin to heat up and smile. she was so caring at times like this— she was just caring.
“I will have someone watch that door if you try anything, you are only allowed to be here? Got it.” You knew not to fear his harsh tone since he meant well, honestly you were flattered by just words.
“Fine, but I want pie.”
the both smirk at your demand, kaz takes your hand and kiss it while Inej kisses your cheek.
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talesofesther · 1 year
Text
between shadows
Inej Ghafa x Reader
Summary: You tend to show up at the most inopportune times; yet Inej always hopes you do.
A/N: Just a small thing for me to try my hand at writing for her; also because I've been insanely busy, but hopefully next week things go back to normal. I hope it's somewhat good anyway. Requests for her are open. <3
Masterlist
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It was a stormy night in Ketterdam, though the rain pouring down from the skies did nothing to soothe the havoc of the town. Bars and clubs were filled to the brim with gamblers, drinkers, and dancing girls; music mixed with loud voices and the occasional gunshot.
Inej moved with the shadows, skipping between alleyways and away from the street lamps; destination fresh on her mind.
She headed for a merchant's house; recently bought by a man who came from across the sea, blissfully unaware of what he was getting himself into. The perfect opportunity for a job. Especially when he's in the possession of the papers that hold the information about when and where the next ship holding his cargo would arrive. Easy money.
The mansion stood proudly by the end of the street, illuminated by the one faint light on the porch and partly hidden by tall trees.
It looked like no one was home. Perfect.
Inej made her way in through a window on the second floor. Her feet with the weight of a feather made no noise at all as she stepped foot into the house. The room she was in seemed to be an office of sorts; with a large wooden desk in front of a tall bookshelf and a red rug under her feet.
She made a beeline for the desk, opening drawer after drawer in search of the documents.
Until she found one that had a lock on it. She smirked. So predictable. Picking the lock was child's play, and sure enough, the papers were there.
"Long time no see, Inej."
The Suli girl was quick to draw one of her blades upon hearing the voice, briskly turning around to see who else was there. Though she had an inkling already.
You emerged from a dark corner near the door, the black of your clothing blending with the darkness and a teasing smile playing on your lips as your face remained half-hidden by shadows.
Inej huffed indignantly, lowering her blade but not putting it away. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same, no?" You clasped your hands behind your back as you chanced a step closer to her. "For all we know, this could be my house."
"I know the house is not yours," Inej rolled her eyes half-heartedly.
You hummed, "yeah, it's not."
"Why are you here then?" She pressed again. Taking hold of the papers she came for before following your lead and closing the gap between you just a step more.
Honestly, Inej is not sure what your deal is most of the times she bumps into you, or who you work for — if you work for someone at all. What she knows is that you're always showing up when you're not supposed to.
"Maybe I had a… guess," your lips hovered as you came to stand before her, the moonlight being your friend and casting a silver glow over Inej; you could see the shining of her brown eyes, the few loose wisps of her black hair. "That you would come here as well," you finished in a lower tone.
Inej frowned, her eyes looking you over against her own volition. She could almost hear the way her heart rate picked up; in the quietness of the dark room, she wondered if you heard it too.
You raised a hand to her, tentative, almost timid in a way that didn't seem like yourself; "maybe I just wanted to see you again," your fingers brushed her cheek when you pushed away a rogue strand of her hair.
And Inej hated the way that her breath got clogged up in her throat; that all she could see, feel and hear was you.
She found it in herself to clear her throat and avoid your eyes. "Stop with the games."
You shook your head, running your tongue over your bottom lip, "no games, everything I tell you is always the truth."
Inej snapped her gaze back to you, trying to keep herself impassive as her breath ran shallow. "Then, that night, when you-"
There was a sudden creaking outside, the main gate being opened. Both you and Inej glanced towards the window, where you could see the silhouette of a man walking the gardens outside.
"I suppose that's our cue," you quipped, taking hold of Inej's arm and sneaking your fingers down to her hand.
The touch raised goosebumps through Inej's skin. You tugged her closer, stealing a kiss on her cheek before looking into her eyes one last time; "I'll see you around, Inej."
Before she could get a word in, you were already out the window and nowhere to be seen. Inej stood glued to the floorboards, her heart trying to leap from her chest in order to follow you.
She gulped, gentle fingers coming up to touch the place on her face your lips had just kissed. Only then did she notice that the papers she had been holding in her hand were gone.
"You're insufferable," Inej chuckled to herself, before sneaking out the window with the mission to find you first next time around.
⋆* ☾ ⋆*・゚:⋆*・゚
Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment if you want. <3
Inej’s taglist: @milkiane @bookfrog242
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writing-havoc · 1 year
Note
I can't STOP thinking of an idea for inej ghafa x fem!reader so here you go (let me know if I'm freaking you out or if I need to stop, please!). i've read several kaz fics where he gets jealous of r very close relationship with some crow, so imagine that except with inej, where r is kaz's childhood best friend and they are a duo in the eyes of practically everyone (some even consider them a couple). r and inej have been mutually interested in each other for a long time, but r doesn't do anything because she's afraid of the consequences if the information gets out and inej doesn't try anything because she's in doubt whether r likes girls the way she (inej) does. maybe after a heist gone wrong r narrowly escaped death and now inej can't stop thinking about what could have happened if something worse had happened and r had died so the two talk privately and both admit what they feel one for the other. I can't get this idea out of my head and now I want to know how you would write about it. love inej and would like to see more of her point of view on her. oh, it would also be really nice if there was a spotlight on the platonic kaz x reader relationship. something like "we have a problem" and "no you have a problem, I have a problem friend". I imagine too much kaz rolling her eyes at every involuntary sigh of r for inej and at the end when r goes to tell her and inej getting together, kaz just like: "really? and the sky is blue?" but secretly glad her friend and the wraith are together. just inej and r being crazy about each other and kaz turning a blind eye (no romantic feelings for either of course)ssalto que deu errado r escapou por pouco da morte e agora inej pode ' t parar de pensar sobre o que poderia ter acontecido se algo pior tivesse acontecido e r tivesse morrido então os dois conversam em particular e ambos admitem o que sentem um pelo outro. Não consigo tirar essa ideia da cabeça e agora quero saber como você escreveria sobre isso. amo inej e gostaria de ver mais de seu ponto de vista sobre ela. ah, também seria muito bom se houvesse um destaque na relação platônica kaz x leitor. algo como "nós temos um problema" e "não, você tem um problema, eu tenho um problema amigo". Imagino demais kaz revirando os olhos a cada suspiro involuntário de r para inej e no final quando r vai contar pra ela e inej se reunindo, kaz tipo: "sério? e o céu tá azul?" mas secretamente feliz por sua amiga e o fantasma estarem juntos.
Fist bump
♡ Summary: Inej contemplates whether her feelings for you are reciprocated. A nearly fatal injury throws all apprehensions out the window.
♡ Pairing: Inej Ghafa x Fem!Reader, Kaz Brekker x Reader (platonic!!!)
♡ Fandom: Six of Crows, Grishaverse
♡ Warning(s): Gunshot wound, says y/n three times
♡ WC: 5.4k
Hello!!
Thank you for the request. It was nice getting to write for Inej again. While I've only written for her once before, I feel confident that I'm closer to getting her character right
Kaz is slightly ooc imo. But I feel it comes with the territory of him actually having a lifelong friend instead of being completely alone. So be prepared for that!
Hope you enjoy it regardless <3
Please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes
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"What the hell am I looking at?" You ask, frozen in place.
Kaz sighs from somewhere deep within his throat, tone riddled with annoyance. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Inej takes a moment to stare. Her mouth might be open as she squints at the scene, but that's... the least of her worries.
Jesper and Wylan were currently flirting with eachother on the ground floor of the Crow Club, not even at any specific game. Every once in a while pieces of their conversation would float to her ears, and it was just plain horrible.
It's honestly surprising. Jesper has no problem attracting anybody of any gender, but with the way he's talking to Wylan right now she finds it truly unbelievable that Jesper was able to pull anybody at all.
What's even more unbelievable was that Wylan was actually enjoying it.
Seduction tactics don't really interest Inej. But even she is able to distinguish between a good and bad pickup line.
The moment she hears something about a fruit she makes it a point to stop listening to them completely.
"Whatever it is they're talking about I don't think its wise for us to listen anymore." Inej turns away, body facing towards you.
"Agreed." You scoff, turning a little towards her too. "I'm not all that into exhibitionism."
Kaz's eyebrows raise. "Surprising."
He's mocking you, which you immediately recognize and shoot a glare at him, knocking your heel into his cane. "Budge off, limpy."
"Oh no. Not my limp. Anything but the limp."
It's really only funny because Kaz isn't bothering to fluctuate his voice at all. It's monotone, and his eyes remain half lidded and he hoists his cane up and brushes off the dirt you got on it.
Inej smiles, holding back a chuckle as she watches the crowd around her, people steering clear if only for the fact that Kaz is nearby.
"Yes, the limp. Your worst fear." You giggle when you watch his eyes roll.
Nina comes in, standing below the railing where you stand, eyes flickering between you and Kaz.
"How are the lovebirds doing?" She jests.
It sends a little pang through Inej's heart.
Your closeness with Kaz has been a topic of interest within the crows since they joined the little inner circle. And it's not all that surprising.
You have known Kaz the longest out of any of them. You were with him when he joined the Dregs, when he climbed his way up the ladder until he became floor boss and when he managed to secure fifth harbor. You even own a share in it, taking the risk and knowing full well Kaz would have gotten it up and running.
He let's you closer than anyone else, his trust intrinsic to the fact that you have been with him through thick and thin. Inej can tell something big happened an your guys' past, small looks shared here and there, pursed lips when someone mentions a niche topic.
But with the way you hang around eachother, when you sigh with a far away look and Kaz wacks your shin with his cane just gard enough that it aches, when you can have a conversation with just a glance, it's only natural that people assume.
"In his fucking dreams." You chuckle. "This lump of coal is my best friend and nothing more, we've told you this."
Nina smirks, looking between you two once more. "You tell me and yet I can sense your heart beating like crazy, my dear Y/n."
Inej watches as you prickle, flustered, but her gazing is interrupted when you turn your body completely away from her, focusing solely on Nina.
"Hearts can lie, Zenik." Inej watches as the smile falters slightly on Nina's face. "There are people who have mastered the art of lying without any spikes in heartbeat because of grisha power. Unrelated, im simply inebriated and just witnessed the most foul and frankly disgusting conversation between Jesper and Wylan."
Nina groans. "Oh don't even get me started on that. They walked right next to me and let me tell you, I learned more about Wylan than I ever needed to know."
And just like that the topic is dropped, but Inej's mind was still gripping it, trying and failing to squeeze any sort of meaning beneath your words.
Because that conversation between those two boys hadn't flustered you in the slightest. You made jokes, voice and posture lacking any semblance of embarrassment.
You like someone. If not Kaz, then someone else. Someone you know. She takes the little hope that bubbles in her heart and gently pours it into a bottle, corking it and putting it away.
Hope is dangerous. But not unnecessary.
She'll look at it later. When she has time to feel what she needs to feel.
"Well that's a delicious specimen." You purr, watching a man in a bright yellow-green suit walk into the club.
Nina looks where you do, Inej and Kaz following your gaze.
"5." Is all Nina says.
"James Denker." Kaz relays. "Dirt poor, dressed in an attempt to impress."
"Ugly suit color." It wasnt, but it clashed horribly with the reds and blacks the club adorned. He stood out like a sore thumb.
You groan. "You're all the worst."
"We're simply saving you from having the worst time of your life." Nina downs a glass being cleaned up, Rotty taking it back once it was dry. "Speaking of, I need to go find Matthias."
"To torture him?" You lean into the railing, resting your head in your open hand.
Nina hums. "Torture is not on the menu tonight."
Kaz rolls his eyes, immediately leaving to go elsewhere as Nina strolls away, off to find her burly boyfriend.
You stay planted exactly where you are, looking out at the little tide pool of people rolling dice and flipping cards.
"Everyone's so obsessed with sex today." You remark.
Inej raises a brow. "You literally just called a man a 'delicious specimen'."
You chuckle. "I wasnt actually going to do anything. I would never go for a man dressed like an unripe lemon."
She hums, coming to rest her hands on the rail next to you. Out of the corner of her eye she sees you begin to track someone, a smile pulling at your lips. She follows your gaze, and sees a women in a dark blue dress, low a-line revealing her stomach. A feather boa rests on her shoulders, a matching dark blue bandana pinning her hair back in a mass of curls.
"Men tend to have the worst fashion taste."
Inej looks at you, your face relaxed and pupils wider than she's ever seen them.
The girl comes up to the railing, looking up at you. You give her a toothy smile, allowing her to take your hand and give it a kiss.
It squashes her heart and shocks it all at once.
You're so gentle with the woman below, who introduces herself as Femke, at it pains Inej that it's not her, but also uncorks that bottle she had just put away and pours it all over her.
She feels it in her hands, the way her eyes avert as you giggle at eachother with your hand in the safety of your pocket, the way her feet want to run and jump between the highest rooftops.
Kaz was incredibly right. Hope is dangerous.
"I have to go, but it was lovely conversing with you." You say politely, giving Inej a look she knows is begging you to follow her.
She does so, taking an alternate route out of club, pulling up a mask and throwing the hood of her tunic over her head.
She heads out a side door, melding into the shadows of an alleyway as she begins to scale the side of the building, fingers still electrified. Balconies become footholds and launching points and gutters become ledges to hoist herself up.
You're a bit further behind, but not terribly. You opt for a ladder placed on the back of a building two addresses down. You hop along the top of the curved rooftops, bouncing between the dormers and sliding down gabled edges whilst Inej followed, a grin pulling her mask up until you both reach a flat roof.
The view below is rather pretty compared to the rest of the Barrel. The distance you had crossed places you closer to East Stave, the wide canal full of boats and gondolas.
Lamposts were beginning to turn on, the lamplighters going around and lighting them. People began to bunch up, drawing their coats around their shoulders.
She looks at you, then. Worn out, the thinnest sheen of sweat making you glow. She wants to know just how warm you are.
She stays where she is.
"You're rather popular tonight." Inej begins, biting the topic in the ass.
"Hm?" You ask, catching your breath. "Oh, Femke. I guess."
Inej quirks a brow. "It didnt go as planned?"
You chuckle. "You were standing right next to me, Inej." Her name sounds like sweet treats her parents used to get her coming from your lips.
"The moment felt private."
"Femke was pretty, yes. She was... fucking gorgeous." You laugh, a kind of manic one when you remember her features. "But I couldn't be with her even if I wanted to."
Your face turned a little more solemn, eyes glancing around Inej's face.
"I'm sure she would have agreed to a night together if you showed interest."
"Thats not the problem. But thanks for the vote of confidence." You turn away, hopping onto the edge of the roof, hanging your legs off the side.
She walks to the edge, prefering to stay where she could quickly flee, hands resting on the concrete. "Do you want to elaborate?"
She hopes you'll say yes. Hopes you'll let her in.
You swing your feet, lip sucked between your teeth as you tear off the skin.
"I have... a rather quiet appreciation for the attractiveness of women." You say, staring out at the open street full of people. Inej cannot help but think of how romantic this all could be, if the day had been different. The topic lighter. Your words bobble around in her mind relentlessly. "Aside from the fact that me being with someone could compromise their safety, women get enough people who will yell how pretty we are with the caveat that they'll hurt us if we take it negatively in any way. I wanted my love for women to be quieter, out of personal experience, but there all the same."
It feels like Inej's mind is playing tricks on her, some sort of intoxication manifesting in auditory hallucinations. But when you look at her out of the corner of your eye, mouth upturned so perfectly, she knows in her wildest dreams she couldn't have thought of something even half as stunning.
She looks where you were just looking, seeing parades of men with their arms slung around eachother stumbling down the road, women hooking their arms through the other and talking quietly into the others ear, families tugging their kids close and loners standing on the corners of buildings with blunts and cigars resting between their fingers.
She understands. "You've got a beautiful soul."
She'll treasure the way she could hear your shoulders relax, hand coming to rest right next to hers.
-----
"Kaz!! Kaz Kaz Kaz Kaz-"
Inej was startled from her perch in the window when your voice boomed up the stairs, door to the office flying open.
You were slightly out of breath, and your hair was a mess of strands flying in random directions, like you'd been running your fingers through it. Pulling it even.
Kaz didn't seem worried in the slightest though. In fact, she wasn't even sure he recognized you were there until he said, "What is it now, Y/n?"
"We have a problem."
"No we don't. You have a problem. I have a friend who is obsessed with making them." He looks up from his desk, not even bothering to set down the pen from his hold. "What happened?"
Your lip wobbled, and Inej was quick to tag it as fake when you threw yourself into the lonely chair that sits across from Kaz's desk, body melting into it. "There's no more Kvas."
He sighs. "Of course there isn't." His fingers find the bridge of his nose, pinching it just slightly.
"We had four bottles left yesterday." Inej notes. "Was there some sort of celebration?"
"No. All jobs that took place yesterday, while necessary, wouldn't have warranted a celebration like that. I'll order more tonight."
Immediately you brighten, face splitting open as you hop up from the chair, a giggle spilling from your lips. "Thank you Kaz!"
"What's the ocassion?" Inej asks. Her heart stutters when you turn that wide grin towards her.
"Remember that businessman Kaz had you spy on a few days ago?"
That got both her and Kaz's attention, the both of them staring at you. "I do."
"Well, I happened to run into him today and had a chat with him when I realized he was wearing a pocketwatch of the same type that my father used to wear." The mention of your family only makes Inej more interested.
You and Kaz never talk about where you came from, not unprompted anyway. The only tidbits of information that Inej has been able to scrounge up and overhear was that your family was very close friends with Kaz's, and that both of your parents, judging by how you talk about them, are either dead or too busy to bother contacting you.
"And this is meant to mean... what? Exactly?" Kaz prompts, a bit of caution dripping from his tone.
"I'm getting to it! Anyway, we had a rather long conversation about it and how useful they can be. Which of course led into talk about businesses and meetings and the such- he mentioned that there was about to be a huge rise in, like, 4 different stocks because of something going on over in Ravka. I have it written down, um, here!"
You root around your jacket, taking a card out of one of your inner pockets and handing it to Kaz. Inej stood up and walked over, taking a look at the writing.
There 5 stocks written down in your own messy scrawl, the card itself being the man's business information. One of the stocks she recognized as being really low from when Kaz talked about it the day she had to spy on him.
"I also managed to nab his wallet. You would not believe the stuff this guy keeps in here. There's a deed and tons of other interesting things." You take a wallet from your pocket, leaning forward and dangling it in front of Kaz's face.
He grabbed it from you, opening the leather receptacle.
"Aren't I just the greatest bff you could ask for?" You posed, going out of your way to exaggerate each one, sending a wink Inej's way when she eventually made eye contact with you.
"Annoying, is what you are." Kaz remarks.
You two were incredibly confusing sometimes. He treats you differently than he would everyone else. You make fun of him and tease him and get closer than anyone would dare, and he takes all of it in stride, turning your teasing right back on you, pulling you around by your waist with his cane when you particularly annoy him or when you're about to run into something.
But maybe that's just a statement of your friendship. In a way, Inej doesn't think anyone will ever be able to get so deep beneath Kaz's walls like you have. Kaz deserves to have that someone that he can just be who he is around. There's some semblance of a boy within that bloody battered exterior.
And who better to bring that out than you? The person who came here with him and who holds so much compassion that it's truly a wonder it hasn't been beaten out of you yet? You hold a certain appreciation for life that brings a balance to the apathy Kaz likes to exhibit and uplifts others.
It makes Inej remember the little moment last night. The way you looked so calm and the way the lights of the lampost made your skin glow.
You... you really like girls. And it makes Inej feel so giddy and hopeful. It translates as a smile that you return.
Kaz sighs. "Inej, I need you to return this once I look at everything."
She glares at him. "We've talked about this."
"Dearest Inej, will you please return this once I'm done?"
"Can I come?" You ask.
"Unfortunately for you, no." Kaz gives you a glance. "Youre needed with Jesper and I after I do this."
Your eyebrows snap together, mouth opening to say something before the whole expression fades into realization. "Oh yeah." You drag out the words. "For that thing near the lid."
Kaz neglects to answer, still going over everything in the wallet. He pulls out a few bills of kruge, which he immediately stows away into his shirt pocket. Everything is taken out and placed methodically around his desk, any wet papers being skillfully avoided.
"That thing is a ten thousand kruge job. So you better remember what it is."
There's a silence for a few moments, your wide eyes trailing towards Inej. She shrugs, and you cup your hand around your mouth, a stage whisper exiting your lips. "I don't remember."
Kaz drops the wallet, scratching his chair against the floor as he says "of course you don't, filthy lovebird" and walks to a drawer in a dresser, pulling out a blueprint.
'Lovebird.' Inej thinks the same time you whine out an 'I'm sorry' but Kaz ignores it, shoving the paper into your hand. You quickly unroll it as Kaz starts going over the plan once more, eyes flickering to find the starting point.
"It's simple. You will use your curse of an ability to start conversation with complete strangers and distract the guard at the west point by asking for a bathroom..."
Inej remembers this. Kaz had briefed her for it as well before realizing her presence, for once, wasn't all that necessary. You were acting strange that meeting, half of it you were off staring into space at Inej.
She remembers her collar feeling a little stiff, heat making her sweat under your gaze.
Kaz ended up sighing and knocking the metal head of his cane against your forehead, making you yelp. He had to go over the plan again, Jesper laughing at your pouted lip.
"I don't need anything else from this wallet." The conversation fades back into focus. "The kruge and the stock card are all I need. Inej." He holds out the wallet to her, which she takes and immediately pockets it.
"How long will you be gone?" She asks, eyes flickering to you.
"No more than four hours." Kaz stands and takes his cane, heading to the coat rack to collect his outer wear. He gives you a stern glare. "If everything goes according to plan."
Your eyes roll, landing on Inej. "No faith. Absolutely none."
"Faith isn't in his vocabulary."
Kaz walks out the door, leaving it wipe open.
Inej expects you to follow, to jog to the door and disappear beyond into the darkness of the staircase with nothing but a 'see ya' yelled at her.
But you turn to her instead, hand rubbing over your stomach as if to quiet it. You wet your lips, her eyes following the movement. She stands a little straighter when you approach.
"No mourners, yeah?" You extend your fist.
Inej smiles, heart beating faster as she tentatively bumps her knuckles into yours. "Yeah. No funerals."
With a nod, you chuckle and leave, leaving Inej alone with her thoughts and a cold wallet pressed into her tunic.
You'll be fine. Jobs like these were routine, and Kaz and Jesper were two people she'd trust with your life any day.
But that doesn't stop the anxiety from bubbling in her gut, acid gnawing at the walls as she leaps out the window.
The chance for something to go wrong is never zero.
-----
They should be, though.
A loud, booming "Move" startles everyone away from the door. People dive out of the way, a cane flashing by their faces as Jesper carries a body down to the makeshift hospital beneath the Slat.
Inejs heart sinks, Nina rushing in after them.
There's only one person that could be.
She hops down the stairs, weaving through people like a needle and thread and swinging the door open with such a force that it bounces off the wall and squeals shut behind her.
"Guys please it's not that ba- OW!"
"You don't get to say it's not that bad when you lost nearly a quart of blood." Jesper hisses, grabbing at his head.
"What happened?" Inej demands, a rumbling in her chest as she does so.
Kaz nearly threw his cane down, chunks of his composure swiftly falling away. "Plan A failed, we had to resort to Plan J."
Inej wants to tug out her braid, to tug his hair out, "Which was?"
"Fucking book it." Jesper slumps into a chair. "Which we did, but one of them got lucky and hit her in quite possibly one of the worst places you can get hit."
Inej starts going through a catalogue of major arteries, sick intrusive images of your neck blown open and chest reduced to a gaping hole shoving their way into her mind.
But that's not the case. You were talking, sitting upright, protesting.
Now you're laid down, your nails carving crescent moons into your forehead as you shove the heel of your palms into your eyes, teeth gritting.
Nina's using her heartrending to look over your hip and thigh area, and Inej realizes the predicament that the novice healer has to deal with.
There's an artery that runs through the inner thigh. If it's hit, it's almost just as deadly as the side of your neck being slit open. The bullet managed to hit within that area, and a tightly bound blood-soaked piece of fabric was keeping pressure on the wound. Probably the only thing keeping you from bleeding out.
"It's been nicked. But the bullet seems to still be in you. I'll have to do my best to heal it while also trying to direct it out of your body." Nina doesn't even give you a moment to process it, immediately loosening the fabric.
Blood begins to gush from your wound, and Inej wants to scream.
Jesper follows your lead and digs his palms into his eyes. Kaz stands a good few feet from the table, watching the whole thing unfold. And Inej is...
She walks up to the side of the table, reaching out and brushing her finger through your hair.
"It'll be done soon, yeah?" She asks thought not really expecting an answer, watching your temple flex and your skin turn red as you held your breath. A rough scream escapes your lungs when you open your throat, gulping in as much air as possible before you go back under.
A small tink sounds against the table, bullet out. But Nina is sweating, glowing under candle light as she stitches everything she can back together.
"The bullets out. The only thing you have to do is wait for Nina to be done putting you together again and then you'll be done."
Healing, while ever so helpful, was far from painless. You're speeding up your body's natural process, your skin, muscles, veins being stitched back together on a cellular level.
A highly trained grisha healer could probably numb you while doing so. But Nina is not that.
Inej wants to be mad at her for being so inept when it comes to this. For not having the ability to just repair you with practiced ease and get this over with.
But she can't. She can't be mad at Nina for being who she is.
Instead she's grateful that Nina is here at all. Otherwise you'd be-
Saints, she doesn't want to think about it.
"What went wrong?" Inej asks, taking your hands away from your eyes when beads of blood build on your forehead. "This was supposed to be simple."
You grip her hands tightly. She squeezes them right back, hoping she's providing some sort of relief as she prays for your life.
"Simple doesn't cut it when your intel becomes outdated." Kaz snarled. "They changed the guard postings on the inside. We got found out shortly after retrieving this."
He pulls out a rolled up painting from a tube slung over a chair. It's a landscape of what looks to be from Fjerdan territory looking beyond towards Ravka. The Shadow Fold is missing, and in the distance she can see the artist took some creative liberties and drew the Ravkan palace.
"Supposed to be worth over ten times what we were getting paid for." Jesper uncovers his eyes, opting to cover his mouth and nose. "Doesnt really seem worth it for this."
He glances at Kaz, but Kaz looks at her, and in those dark brown eyes she feels like they come to an understanding. Kaz knows things that Inej hasnt bothered to voice to him outloud. He knows how she feels about you, and is probably just about the only person that on some level could come close to feeling the way she does now.
You're way too important to lose.
Nina let's out a deep breath, hands becoming slower and less steady. "I've got this mostly patched up, but for now the artery is pretty weak. I've got most of the muscles around it to heal to protect what it can but rest and the least amount of movement as possible while I monitor this for the next few days is whats needed."
Inej feels you relax, hands no longer squeezing the life out of her own. Your elbows knock against the table, foot wiggling on your injured leg.
You swallow. "Okay."
Inej has never heard you sound so small, which is surprising.
This isn't your first time getting injured like this, though it has been a long time. But even now she can remember you fighting them every step of the way when you were asked to rest.
Now you're more compliant than ever. You're not even making a move to sit up.
Kaz clears his throat. "Jesper, Nina, out."
Inej can hear Jesper get up from the chair, all too ready to get away from the situation. Nina, however, is less ready to vacate your side.
"I want to check over the rest of her for any other injuries you may have missed in your getaway plan." She places her hands over your head, slowly moving down your body.
"There are no other injuries. It was just the bullet. Out."
Jesper is already up the stairs, probably to find Wylan. She knows he'll come back later, once he's calmed down and can properly look you in the eye after being faced with your mortality. Nina gets down to your feet, and sighs.
"Just wanted to make sure your girlfriend-"
At the same time, you and Kaz state that you're not together. Your voice is a lot sharper than Kaz's, which is enough for Nina to whip around and give you a look.
You're sat up now, propped up on your elbows as you glare at her.
"I would really appreciate it if you stopped pushing us together, thanks."
Your hand squeezes Inej's, and it's like her heart gets zapped with a little lightning.
Nina eyes you for a moment, expression a little hurt but otherwise reserved as she searches for something.
When she looks at Inej, it seems she found it.
Her eyebrows shoot up, and her mouth falls into a little 'o' as she backs up. "How could I have missed that?"
Before Inej can silently ask what that means, she's smirking and basically running up the stairs.
Kaz collects his things, then gives Inej and you a nod before following.
The door above clicks shut, and a bound of wild creaking from above tells her that a few people were crowding around the door and waiting for news.
You squeeze her hand again, and Inejs attention is all on you.
"How bad is it?" You ask.
Inej swallows, then looks down. There's a mess of reds and purple around where the wound is. It's smaller than before, skin a little malformed where Nina put everything back together.
"It looks like you got shot."
You chuckle, moving to sit up completely. Inej helps you were she's needed, letting you use her to pull yourself up and position yourself without using your leg.
Silence followed. Your hand was still holding Inej's, your thumb going over rough spots on her palms. Your finger would stop, finding a spot that was particularly rough, and then smooth over it as if you could make it disappear.
"Thank you."
Her brows scrunch. "For what?"
"For staying."
"Of course."
You take a deep breath, exhale coming out shaky. Before Inej can ask what was the matter, you begin talking.
"I like you." You say. "I like you a lot, and I have for a while. Long enough that I can't be in a room alone without automatically looking for even though I know you won't be there. Enough that about half the time when I feel like you're watching me I'm right, and I can pick you out from the crowd."
Inej is smiling. She can feel it on her face, eyes pricking and ears ringing just a bit.
"Kaz has gotten so sick of me talking about you to the point he actually has resorted to knocking his cane against me when I sigh too loudly or when your name comes out of my mouth for the tenth time in a minute." A chuckle comes out of your mouth when you go to rub at a bruise on your shin. "He doesnt mean to be harsh but I think he forgets how solid his cane is sometimes."
She's laughs, the same as you do when she pulls your hand towards her and presses it against her chest, heart saying everything and more.
But words matter too.
"I like you too. For what sounds like just as long as you have. Believe me if I had known you liked girls I wouldn't have let you torture Kaz for as long as you did."
"What do you say? Girlfriends?" You let go of her hand and hold out your fist.
She bumps her fist against yours. "Girlfriends."
She loves the way your eyes brighten.
However, she does not love that the door to the room comes open again.
The distinct sound of metal on wood tells the both of you immediately who it is. While Inej's annoyance only slightly decreases, yours disappears immediately.
"Kaz!"
"Y/n."
"Look!" You gently offer your hand, and Inej slips her fingers between yours, interlocking them. "We're dating. Inej likes me back."
He rounds the corner, looking at the both of your hands. He puts up his shoulders, raising an eyebrows.
"And im actively disabled. Dont waste my time with the obvious."
You chuckle. "Thanks, Kaz."
While Kaz mulls over whether it's worth it to stay down here, Inej helps you off the table, easing your leg down to the ground where it remains limp.
"Oh my saints, twinsies."
Inej looks between you and Kaz. Your limp leg is the same as his.
"If I ever hear you say twinsies again, you will lose me as your friend."
"Impossible."
Kaz takes that as a challenge, and moves up the stairs faster than she has ever seen him go.
As you call out to him to get his ass back here, Inej takes a moment to think about how perfect everything is.
Your leg may be out of commission, but you're happier than she has ever seen you before. You asked her to be your girlfriend, and still you're gentle and wait for permission. She's giggling as you do when you trip a little and catch yourself on the step.
She's so incredibly happy to be where she is today. And even more excited to figure out where the both of you will go from here.
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Tags:
@xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @kylie18 @morrigan-crowmwell @venomsvl @milkshake0
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seleneprince · 3 months
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My works
Six of Crows:
The Ballad of Lions and Crows (re-telling of what could've happened with the characters of Filip and Saskia Hertzoon from the books):
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Pairings: Kaz Brekker x fem! oc, Inej Ghafa x male! oc (wether platonically or romantic it's up to you)
Contains: Six of Crows typical violence, mentions of sexual assaults and abuse, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope (well, more like fake friends to enemies), enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope, misogyny, children going to extremes for survival. You'll see the rest.
Magische Linten (Magic Ribbons) - Kaz/Saskia centric
Grote Broers (Big Brothers) - Filip/Jordie centric, male oc!/Inej mentioned? coming soon...
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Hogwarts verse:
All The Young Snakes (The Marauders era but from the Slytherin gang's POV):
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Headcanons:
Fem! Severus Snape headcanons
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bytaylorswift · 10 months
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an unwilling shadow.
pairing: inej ghafa x fem!reader summary: when dirtyhands’ most trusted spider returns to ketterdam, his new informant seeks to size up her predecessor. word count: 1.06k
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y/n’s always been very aware of the standard she has to live up to.
kaz brekker didn’t seem to trust a person more than he trusted inej ghafa. his wraith, his spider, his friend.
but now the girl's away at sea, freeing indentures and being a hero, kaz brekker needs a new informant.
kaz never called y/n his spider. it was something she felt grateful for, but it didn’t stop others from doing so. and as much as y/n - and kaz - tried to ignore it, the impact of the words still seeped into the roof she perched on, the crates she hovered behind, the windowsills she scaled.
and the pressure was getting to her.
y/n had slit one too many throats. scraped one too many injuries. missed one too many messages. all thanks to her getting in her own head about inej ghafa.
and so, when her inside man from fifth harbor informed her that a young suli woman, small and silent, was to arrive in ketterdam that morning, y/n knew this was her chance to scope out inej.
she did not realise inej was going to be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
y/n almost bailed right there and then, from where she lingered in the shadows at fifth harbour, too stunned to move. and then inej began to slip through the crowds and she remembered why she had come in the first place.
she tailed the girl through a number of alleyways, learning her pacing, the moments at which she'd speed up or slow down or melt away into the shadows.
and when she had begun to learn inej's pattern, she allowed herself to seep into the open. y/n timed the moments right; the flash of her jacket showing when inej's eyes darted to the left, scuffing her shoes when she paused to listen for followers, crossing wide around corners and matching every change in inej's pace.
and so when y/n followed inej around yet another corner and the girl was nowhere in sight, she knew her plan had worked perfectly. she stopped dead still in the middle of the alleyway, fighting away a smile and dragging her eyes across the rooftops to try and glimpse the wraith.
knives were unsheathed from behind her and y/n whipped around to find inej stood directly in front of her. she had no idea how she managed that.
y/n felt something in her chest flutter as their eyes met. and then inej’s gaze sharpened.
“you’ve been following me.”
y/n bowed her head forwards ever so slightly, holding her hands up in surrender.
“you caught me.”
y/n couldn’t help but hide a smile at the glint of triumph in inej’s steady gaze. inej straightened up and as her long dark hair fell over her shoulder, y/n felt the same fluttering in her chest.
“here’s a tip: if you want to follow someone without being caught, you need to-” inej trailed off as a smirk slipped onto y/n’s lips.
inej’s shoulders slumped slightly but she maintained the hard look in her eyes. “you wanted me to notice you.” she realised aloud.
y/n shrugged a little. “maybe i wanted to meet your pretty face.”
“i wish i could say the same.”
inej's eyes widened as she realised what had slipped from her mouth. she hadn’t meant the girl didn’t have a pretty face too, simply that she wasn’t intending on any spontaneous meetings on her trip to ketterdam. but the damage was already done.
“you’ve a mean tongue, inej.” y/n winced.
“what business?” she demanded, willing away the warmth in her cheeks.
"no business, just curiosity." inej's eyes narrowed at that, but y/n continued. "your reputation precedes you."
"what's that supposed to mean?"
"it means i'm your-"
“-inej,” a rough voice cut the air, and y/n had to force back a sigh at her boss's timing. “i see you’ve met my new informant.”
inej’s eyebrows shot up, barely, the only sign she was surprised at that information. but y/n was watching her so closely she could see every morsel of expression in her face.
kaz's cane hit the ground as he settled a few feet away. neither one had heard him approaching. although, y/n wondered if she hadn't heard him because she was simply distracted by inej.
“i have.” she replied, matter of factly, in such an endearing way that y/n couldn’t bring herself to be mad.
"this is y/n." he introduced, tilting his head to indicate the girl.
"that's why you were following me, y/n?" y/n thought her name sounded like honey on inej's lips. "were you sending someone to spy on me, kaz?"
"always good to know what you're matching up to." y/n answered before kaz could, with a shrug. "no spying. well, none beyond the spying i did do."
inej's expression gave nothing away. kaz's eyes narrowed at her then, and she felt the urge to shrink away, knowing what was to come next.
"y/n, my dear, when were you going to tell me inej had arrived?"
"i was just on my way to the crow club." she chimed back, not convincing herself let alone kaz, but he surprisingly let it slide.
"we should get back to the club. we have business awaiting."
inej bowed her head to him, then looked to y/n. a flicker of delight and amusement crossed her face as she tilted her head to y/n too and then turned away into the shadows to head to the crow club.
the quiet creaking of a drainpipe - only heard due to the deafening silence between dirtyhands and his informant - indicated that inej had turned to the rooftops for the remainder of the journey to the crow club.
neither y/n or kaz moved nor said a word. and then, when y/n felt like enough time had passed for her to continue after inej, her boss's voice sounded out.
"y/n."
there was an unfamiliar tone in kaz's voice that jolted y/n. it almost sounded like genuine, friendly amusement.
"were you flirting with my wraith?"
there it was again. the genuine, friendly amusement.
kaz was biting back a laugh as y/n's face flushed violently red and she craned her head up to look at the rooftops to see if the other girl was still hiding away in the shadows.
"kaz brekker."
"yes, y/n?"
"i am going to murder you."
a/n: okay so originally i thought this was really cute but now i’m starting to think it’s not. let me know what you think! all i know is inej is the love of my life and she deserves far more love than she gets on here.
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thesuntomyshadows · 6 days
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Jesper: How are we going to tell them?
Inej: They’ll be devastated.
Kaz: I’ll find a way.
Little Y/N: Look! I drew a picture of all of us!
Jesper:
Inej:
Kaz: Scribble out the dog.
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if you could please do something with inej x reader, maybe reader taking care of inej. thanks and have a great day!
Rest and Relaxation
Request: if you could please do something with inej x reader, maybe reader taking care of inej. thanks and have a great day!
Hi! This is my first time writing for Inej, so bear with me while I try and figure out the best way to write her character. Sorry if it’s a little rusty, and sorry for the wait. I love her character so much, thank you for sending this request in. I hope you enjoy it!
(Warnings: none? let me know if i missed anything)
You marched into Kaz’s office before closing the door, not stopping your advance until you were leaning over his desk, your hands pointedly resting on top of it. You cleared your throat, impatiently tapping your foot on the floor. 
“Hello, Y/N,” Kaz said without looking up from his papers. “I seem to remember a door knocker being installed quite some time ago on that door. Use it.”
You ignored his reprimand, intent on doing what you came to do. “Must you send my girl out so late? She should have been back by now.”
Kaz sighed, putting his papers down to look up at you. “It’s her job. Inej sees her duties through to the end, no matter how long it takes her.”
“Why send her alone? You could have asked me to go.”
“You’d just distract her,” Kaz argued, leaning back in his chair. “We all have our roles to play, Y/N. The Wraith acts alone. You should know that by now.”
You let out a frustrated sigh, fear written on your face. “I don’t like her being alone this late, Kaz. I wish you’d understand that.”
Kaz nodded, standing to open his window. “She isn’t in any danger. You have my word. I wouldn’t send her into peril alone. She’s just looking into a matter for me. Sticking to rooftops and window ledges.”
“You better be right,” you said anxiously.
“I always am,” he mused, and suddenly, Inej was climbing in through the window. “See?”
“Inej,” you sighed in relief, your shoulders relaxing. “I was beginning to worry.”
“Why?” She asked, taking your hands as you helped her hop down to the floor. 
“It seems Y/N has begun to question my confidence,” Kaz said, already back at his desk as he looked over his papers. 
You rolled your eyes, pulling Inej out of Kaz’s office. “Only when it’s regarding my girl. Someone has to. She can report to you later?”
Kaz sighed, waving you off. “Go ahead. I know you won’t be able to focus if I ask you to stay, anyway.”
You quickly thanked him, pulling Inej out of Kaz’s office before he could change his mind. You whisked her away to her room, determined to give her a night off where she didn’t have to focus on her duties. You opened the door to an already turned down bed, and a hot bath, sending steam wafting towards you. 
“What’s this?” She asked, squeezing your hand in hers. 
“You deserve a good night's rest,” you said, giving her a smile as you closed the door behind you. “Go ahead, darling. I’ll come back in a bit. Call for me if you need me.”
“You didn’t have to do this,” she murmured, beginning to remove her knives from her waistband.
“You’ve been rubbing the back of your neck, like it hurts. And I’ve seen the bandages you’ve been sneaking past me for your feet. I’ll have to tell Kaz to lay off with the rooftop climbs for a bit.”
Inej sighed, shaking her head. “It’s my job, Y/N. I’ll do it properly.”
“I don’t doubt that,” you smiled, cupping her cheek. “I can’t force you to rest…but, please. Just for tonight. If not for yourself, then for me.”
Inej placed her hand over yours, pressing it into her cheek. “Fine. For you.”
You grinned, pleased with yourself and her answer. “Enjoy your bath, darling. I’ll be back soon. Maybe I’ll ask Kaz to consider getting you a nice new pair of shoes while I’m gone.”
“Y/N,” she groaned, and you laughed, shaking your head. 
“I’m kidding, love. I’ll leave him be, and I’ll leave you be so you can relax. See you in a bit,” you smiled, letting yourself out. 
You returned to your room after a bit with a tray in your hands, nudging open the door with your foot just enough so Inej could hear you. 
“Sorry, my hands are full. Can I come in?”
“Yes,” you heard Inej say, and you entered, setting the tray down on a side table. 
Inej was sitting in a chair by the window, her hair down as it fell around her shoulders. You smiled, closing the door behind you. You approached her slowly, laying a hand on her shoulder. 
“You’re very pretty, you know that? I don’t tell you that nearly enough.”
She smiled, tilting her head back to look up at you. You leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. As she looked back forward, you ran your fingers through her hair, smoothing out any knots you found. 
“Having trouble?” She mused, making you chuckle. 
“No,” you replied, continuing to run your fingers through her hair. “Give me a minute. You have a lot of hair.”
“I can just braid it—”
“No! I can handle this, thank you very much. You just sit there and look pretty, alright?”
Inej smiled, leaning her head back so it rested against your stomach. “Alright, my love.”
A/N - Hi! Sorry this is a little short, and I hope it’s not out of character. Inej is a bit hard to write for. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this :)
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The idea of writing healer!moon summoner!reader with Kanej... GET OUT!
I was happy with my little bubble of Harry Potter, where the fuck did Shadow and Bone come from and completely took over my brain?
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system-to-the-madness · 6 months
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Cooking - Inej Ghafa x Reader (Drabble)
Pairing: Inej Ghafa x Reader Genre: drabble, fluff Word Count: 944 Warnings: Food, implications of Inej’s past but nothing explicit Summary: Inej lerns how to cook
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I’ve seen a few head canons a while back, that Inej cooks a lot. I want to propose another angle: she wants to but doesn't know how.
She can't find the right spices, and every time she cooks something she lacks basics (like how you add a little salt to cake dough), because nobody ever taught her. After all, those are not things you figure out all on your own. At least not when you’re as young as Inej is. So it never tastes like she wants it to taste, and eventually she gives up because it brings her more disappointment than joy.
You, living in the Slat with the rest of the Crows, notice this of course, and start cooking whenever Inej is hanging out in the kitchen. Trying to encourage her to continue her search for recreating the recipes she saw her mum cook, you always ask her for help.
At first it’s little things, like cutting veggies (she’s good with knives after all). And over time you begin carefully guiding her into trying things herself. It’s small things, little encouragements so she doesn’t realise what you’re doing and won’t hide away from the pain of making mistakes again.
“Can you add a pinch of salt to the soup?”
The first time you ask her this, she looks at you with her deep brown eyes widened, as if she didn’t consider herself capable. But she does it, exactly the way you showed her just the day before yesterday, and you quickly turn away from her, so she doesn’t see your fond smile.
“Try this. Something's missing but I don't know what. What do you think?"
By the time you try holding up the spoon to her lips to let her try a soup you made, she already built some more confidence in the kitchen. Of course, you know what spices are missing, but you want to teach her, and she’s exceptionally good at figuring out what else needs to be added to achieve the usual taste.
Slowly, over several weeks, you build Inej's confidence in her own instincts and taste buds with local Kerch spices that are cheap and easy to come by, so Inej doesn’t start suspecting what you are doing.
Until one day you bring home an array of spices imported from Ravka (very expensive imports, which you may or may not have paid for, but what do you have Kaz for, right). By the time you do this, Inej is already a pretty decent cook when it comes to Kerch dishes.
So when you hand her the box with the different spices – spices she remembers from her childhood, spices she can’t all name, but she knows the texture and taste of each one of them – her eyes light up in something akin to disbelieve and she… promptly kicks you out of her the kitchen.
That night she creates the most amazing dish for the Crows. You swear it tastes like heaven. Sitting around the kitchen table, everyone digging into the delicious food, Inej talks about her childhood. She rarely shares her memories of that time, but as candlelight flickers over all of your faces, Inej sitting so close to you that you are almost tempted to scoot just a bit to the side to sit pressed against her, she tells you of her family. You almost think you can smell the firewood (no, that wasn’t one of Wylan’s experiments gone wrong) and hear the melodies she tells you of.
For hours you sit in the small room, plates long empty, and you all talk about everything and anything. Even Kaz laughs a little bit that night. All thanks to Inej’s wonderful food. Eventually you get up, stiff from the hard, wooden chairs and benches, and together you clean up the pots and dishes, before you bid each other good night, and retire to your rooms. But you already know, taking a last look at Inej through the closing gap in your door, that you’ll see her in just a few minutes again. And you do. She knocks on your door only seconds after the last of the other doors got shut, and you immediately let her in.
The happy smile she had been wearing throughout the night is gone, but you’re not surprised. You know her better than most people after all. Tears rise into her eyes as she thanks you for gifting her the spices that remind her of home. And then she really cries, confesses that she misses her family so much.
You want to hug her, but you don’t, knowing she doesn’t always like to be touched. She thanks you again, this time because you took the time to teach her how to cook, because just as you know her she knows you, and obviously she picked up on your effort. In a burst of courage, which not even she can explain, she quickly leans forward and pecks your lips before embarrassedly escaping into the night through the window without another word. She doesn’t see the way your face heats up, or how you reach out to keep her from running away. And she doesn’t hear how you mumble to yourself about your feelings for her.
In the morning, when she comes down to the kitchen, you're already waiting, a plate with freshly baked waffles sitting on the table for her, arranged in a heart shape and decorated with her favourite fruit. She takes a look at you, then the plate, and looks back to you, you with this small, shy but hopeful smile on your face. That's when she knows that her heart landed true.
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swanimagines · 2 months
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TAKING THE LEAP | INEJ GHAFA
Summary: Inej accidentally confesses her feelings to you, who she has a crush on, but flees before getting a response. Maybe the situation can still be fixed.
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Inej Ghafa had always been good in moving gracefully and silently, being The Wraith for Kaz. But the moment she had laid eyes on you the first time, her other side appeared, she turned into a bumbling mess, tripping over her words and blushing at the slightest of glances. Over time, she had became more comfortable with you, but today had been the day she had finally messed up - your frown at her blurting out her feelings by accident made her flee the moment you looked away after a customer called for you.
So here she was, at the roof again, watching a rainstorm rage over Ketterdam. The rain pouring down Ketterdam’s gloomy sky fit her mood like a glove, reflecting the turmoil in her heart as she replayed the embarrassment in her head over and over again. You would never look at her the same, she had ruined the friendship you two had had.
“Oh there you are!” Jesper’s voice snapped Inej out of her thoughts, and she turned her head slightly towards Jesper as the sharpshooter came to stand beside her. “I thought you had melted through the floor.” 
Inej sighed, turning her head towards the street again. “I had plans to do that but then I called them off.”
She almost heard Jesper’s frown from how the boy fell silent, and then shifted. “Is it about our lovely barista perhaps?”
Now it was Inej’s turn to frown - she had been sure she had kept a low profile on how much she adored you, and even Jesper wouldn’t notice despite claiming he’s the expert of love.
Then Inej realised that you probably had told him. She sighed, gripping the railing in front of her a little tighter. The metal makeshift roof made a little creak every now and then as rain weighed on it, and the sound only served to amplify her feelings of shame.
“I accidentally told them I like them,” Inej mumbled. “They didn’t answer, they just blinked at me twice.”
Jesper scoffed. “To me it seemed that you said it and in two seconds you already disappeared, you didn’t even give them a chance to reply.”
“What difference would it have made? They will turn me down anyway.” Inej stated and looked down at her hands, interwining her fingers.
Jesper sighed, leaning over the railing himself now. “Unbelieveable.”
“What?”
“You push me and Wylan together, trying to convince us how you had seen how we look at each other but then you don’t see how they look at you.”
Inej pursed her lips. "Even if they do look at me in a certain way, it doesn't mean they feel the same way I do. I don't want to make things awkward between us by asking."
Jesper was serious for once, understanding how Inej needed a friend right now and not a Cupid. It almost felt weird in contrast of his usually bouncy and cheery self. He leaned against the railing, looking at Inej with a small smile. "I get it, Inej. It's scary to put yourself out there, but you'll never know unless you try. You might be surprised by their response."
Inej bit into her lip, thinking Jesper’s words over. It was true she had been wondering it for a while - would you ever have a future together? Then she sighed, pushing herself off the railing. “I’ll talk to them later, when their shift ends.”
Jesper pushed himself off from the railing as well, clapping his hands together. "That's my girl!" He said with excitement, a wide grin spreading across his face. He leaned in closer to her, a smirk on his face as he added, "But I’ll take the credit when you’re together." He winked at her, his grin still wide, and it made Inej smile too.
Maybe today wouldn’t be that bad after all.
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