#like I understand six of crows comes after this but I MEAN

[neptune-scythe]

The reason I take issue with people sexualizing Kanej or portraying them in a way of being physically intimate is because doing so takes away valuable representation that they provide

Representation for asexuals, for people who have touch related trauma, and people who simply don't like or want touch

There is so little representation for us, as is, and people are (unintentionally or not) taking away this too

Especially for Kaz

Yes I want him to heal, but giving him the desire for or action of physical touch, especially within the canon timeline where he still is unable to have that, is erasing representation for haphephobia and touch aversion

And if we're being honest (because I know the haters are gonna come after me and say the only way for Kaz to heal is to be super touchy), if it's between Kaz healing and losing that representation, or remaining crippled by his trauma but keeping the representation, i would take the representation any day

Of course I want Kaz to heal, and unlike the acephobic haters that keep coming after me, I am aware that Kaz can heal and still not want touch

But Kaz is a fictional character, his healing, while important and something we all want, is not in the greater scheme of things more important than the representation his trauma provides in the real world

Especially for me, I had no idea haphephobia was a thing until I read six of crows. I thought I was just making up my dislike of skin to skin contact based off my parents focus on modesty growing up, and my not wanting to violate or intrude but touching People's skin ... not realizing it was my own dislike until I read six of crows.

That's why I fight so hard about this

Because it's not just about the character, it's about what they're providing in the real world. It's important, and needs to be talked about.

And I'm sure someone will come on here and say I'm making a huge deal out of nothing and that they're just fictional characters, but some things are a huge deal, and representation is.

And if you're having a hard time understanding, let me use this example

It would be as if Wylan suddenly could read, yes he is technically "healed" but the representation has been erased

Or if a healer fixed Kaz's limp, yes hes technically healed but the representation is gone

Those two examples would be weird right? You would have a problem with it, with erasing a big part of who these characters are and what they mean to people, even if it does give the characters an easier or better life

That's the same for Kaz and Inej's touch aversions. It is representation, it's part of why they mean so much to me ... and why this topic is bigger than just book characters

Touch aversion and haphephobia deserve to be acknowledged and treated as valuable representation that needs to be preserved and handled with care

It's not just a casual thing that is light and no biggie

It is a big deal to me and likely a lot of other people

And I will never stop talking about it and fighting for it

#six of crows #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #grishaverse #dirtyhands #the bastard of the barrel #the wraith #kanej #kaz x inej #representation #ace representation #asexual representation #touch aversion #touch averse #touch aversion representation #touch averse representation #haphephobia #haphephobia representation

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Hey!! What do you think about the recurring joke in the SOC duology, of Kaz asking a question, everyone giving answers, and usually a quip at the end? Do you think there's significance in it, or is it just a fun way to show the crows' dynamic?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Rule one: there are no stupid questions.

Although these conversations might seem like a relatively surface level aspect of the novels, I think that their significance is in the very way they teach us about the Crows dynamic and tell us so much about the characters. The duology’s biggest success comes from the intense vibrancy of its characters, and it’s these types of conversations that not only help us understand who they are and how they interact with each other, but also that make us laugh and therefore care about the characters all the more. Take the parallel from soc to ck about Matthias’ character development - in six of crows Kaz asks the group what the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is, and the replies consist of “gun to the back” from Jesper, “knife to the throat” from Inej, and “poison in his cup” from Nina, before Matthias cuts them off and says “you’re all horrible” then in crooked kingdom Kaz asks where the group think he spent the money Pekka gave them for the sale of the Crow Club and 5th harbour, getting “guns” and “ships” amongst his answers and after a pause Nina says to Matthias “this is the part where you tell us how awful we are” but he simply replies “they all seem like practical choices”. This tells us so much about the characters and how they think!!! In the first instance, we don’t yet know the characters very well, so it’s important that we begin to associate the guns with Jesper and the knives with Inej, as well as understand that Nina works with subtle but violent tactics. We learn from this brief interaction that they’ve reached a point in their lives where murder or threatening murder is the easiest way out in every option, and we’ve also arguably learned that they are eager to please Kaz because they are all instantly searching for the answer that will impress him even though he’s sure to just continue on and explain his own thought anyway. We also have no response from Wylan, if I remember correctly at least, which shows the time it takes for him to mesh with the group and his heightened anxiety at the start of the first book. In the Crooked Kingdom interaction, we have a clear transition in Inej’s character from the association of her and knives to the association of her and her dream, a ship and crew of her own, and I’m pretty sure Wylan does reply in that one so it shows his personal progression and how he’s been able to mesh with the group and because more comfortable in his own skin. Matthias’ character development between the two is more obvious and openly commented on in the conversation, but what’s also interesting is that Kaz is there both times with a genuine answer and explanation. Even though he never seems the last to enjoy a joke or quip, when he’s discussing his plans Kaz almost entirely loses the ability to think beyond the job; everything is entirely black and white and categorised by whether it’s relevant, which means it’s what he’s saying, or inessential, meaning what the others are saying.

And what’s possible even more interesting is that you can see this in almost every one of these interactions Leigh Bardugo loves to include (and we love her for, of course). For example, in one of my favourites of these little formulas Kaz asks the group if they know what Van Eck’s biggest problem is. The responses are “no honour” (Matthias), “rotten parenting skills” (Nina), and “receding hairline” (Jesper). This never fails to make me smile; Matthias’ is so quintessentially himself, everything he values and such good summary of why he would be so willing to support anyone, even these thugs and thieves, against Van Eck, Nina’s showcases her dark humour and protective nature, her hatred for Van Eck is sourced far more in his treatment of Wylan and Inej than anything else, and Jesper’s is funny, witty, a genuine ongoing joke (such as Nina thinking that Wylan may need to invest in a hood tonic when she meets Van Eck) and just emphasises his sharp-wit as well as showing growth beyond the desperate need to impress Kaz that he harboured for so long before he properly got to know Wylan. But Kaz’s reply is simply returning to the job, stating that Van Eck’s problem is that he has “too much to lose” and that he revealed exactly how to destroy him by bragging about Alys and their unborn child.

I hope this made sense, it can be hard to tell whether I’ve actually translated my thoughts into the right words haha. Thanks so much for your question!!

#grishaverse #leigh bardugo #six of crows #crooked kingdom #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #nina zenik #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #soc kaz #soc analyst #soc matthias #soc inej #soc nina #soc wylan #soc jesper #soc meta #six of crows analysis #six of crows meta #book analysis

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations: queer adult fantasy romance

This is a relatively new genre. Before, pretty much all YA fantasy books are heavy on the romance, but that's becoming more popular in adult, creating fantasy romance as a genre. I read mostly queer fantasy romance. Unfortunately, there aren't many traditionally published ones yet, I think the top rowin the left picture is all of them (if there are any I didn't know of, please let met know). I've excluded sci-fi romance for this post (which is why Winter's Orbit isn't here).

In indie books, I think there are some more, but I'm not super familiar with the indie market. The bottom three in the left picture are all indie books that also come in paperback (many are ebook only and I don't have an ereader). Most of these books I have talked about before but not all of them.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

This is a prince/bodyguard romance set in a kingdom inspired by the Ottoman empire. Kadou is the queen's younger brother, and after a mistake puts him in a bad situation with his sister and the body father of her child, he has to help her uncover a conspiracy to do with forged money.

He gets a new bodyguard, which in this case has both the task of being a guard and being a personal attendant. Evemer hates Kadou at first. He's very duty bound and thinks Kadou does not take his duties as prince seriously.

But they will have to trust each other if they want to get to the bottom of that forged money conspiracy.

Evemer is a very stoic guy. He doesn't talk much. He can go entire days only saying 'Yes, my prince' 'no, my prince' or simply 'my prince' when he tries to convey he is annoyed or disagrees.

Kadou has very well written anxiety, and deals with this in numerous ways, including at first drinking far too much wine to dull his fears. Evemer is at first very judgemental, but over time he comes to understand Kadou better.

There's lots of discussion of ethics in this book, partially to establish how a relationship between them could happen without there being a power imbalance because of it.

Also by this author: several self published books, in 2024 comes their next trad published book, Running Close to the Wind, which is a queer pirate book pitches as Our Flag Means Death x Six of Crows

A Marvellous Light & a Restless Truth by Freya Marske I've already talked about several time

And yet I'm going to do it again. I love the each book features a different couple structure and I'd love to see this more often. It's a great way to have many different major characters but also give all of them their moment to shine and have properly development instead of trying to balance three romances in the same book.

The overarching plot in the trilogy has to do with the conspiracy Robin and Edwin begin to uncover in the first book, something that threatens all magicians of england.

A Marvellous Light features a himbo x librarian m/m couple. They're the softest, sweetest couple of the three in the trilogy to be sure, and I'm planning to reread soon.

A Restless Truth features a sapphic rake x wallflower couple. They're both very chaotic, and I love Maud's energy, as well as the whole sexual awakening arc she has in here, which is so funny.

The third as of yet unpublished book is a Power Unbound, featuring a couple that I think is grump x sunshine but in a asshole x asshole way and it sounds like it's going to be amazing so definitely keep an eye out for that one coming November.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

This is one I don't think I've talked about before. Before reading this, definitely check the content warnings. There's a pretty graphic rape scene very early in the book, as well as several moments of suicidal ideation. That said, this is a healing story, and the character this happens to is doing a lot better when the story ends.

Vel is a prince who ends up in an arranged marriage to a noble girl from a different kingdom. When his preference for men is revealed in a pretty awful way, his family is ready to disown him. But the envoy of his betrothed's family had a better idea, marry his former intended's brother instead.

But before Vel arrives at the castle of his betrothed, he is attacked and nearly killed by assassins who clearly do not want his marriage to take place.

When attacks keep happening after Vel and Cae have gotten married, they will have to rely on each other to figure out what's going.

I love queer arranged marriages in stories, like in Winter's Orbit, so I was super excited when I first found out about this book. This book ends with everything wrapped up, but there is a sequel coming out this December. Unfortunately, that's still pretty far away, but there has been a cover reveal and blurb. The sequel will feature the same main characters.

Then to the indie books

Prince of the Sorrows and Lord of Silver Ashes

These are the first two books in the Rowan Blood series, which the author intends to be an eight book series in total. But since it's an indie series and the author is a pretty fast writer, they come pretty fast after one another. The first one came out last March, and the second one October, and the author released a different book this February. The next book in this series is schedule for late spring somewhere.

This series is set in a fae world, with a parallel historical human world we don't see much of.

Saffron is a beantighe, which is a human servant who is raised in the fae world after his parents made a deal with the fae. His patron sends all these children back to the human world once they become too old, but Saffron wants nothing more to stay in the fae world. To do that, he'll need an academic endorsement from a fae so he can stay and study.

When he accidentally finds out the true name of prince Cylvan, the two strike a deal, Saffron will help him find a way to remove the power on his true name, and Cylvan will give Saffron an endorsement. The only problem is, Saffron has no clue what he's doing and barely taught himself to read.

In the meantime, beantighes are getting killed one after another by a mysterious person known as "the wolf" and it will be up to Saffron to stop the killer, because no one else will.

The first book ends on a cliffhanger, but the second is a bit more wrapped up so I'm not sure what's going to happen in the next book since there will definitely be more. Fortunately, the wait is not super long, but the release date and covers are released much later than for trad publishing

Last is the Fox & the Dryad by Kellen Graves

This book is set in the same world as the Rowan Blood series, but it is a standalone in the modern time period.

Briar is a ballet dancer, and while he enchants many people on the stage, he cannot get the attention of the one person they really want to notice them. So they strike a deal with a fae lady, if he can perform one perfect dance she'll make him the most enchanting thing on two legs. Of course, a dance is never perfect and now he's stuck dancing for the fae lady whenever she asks him too, despite him getting worn out and injured from it.

Malric is the son of said fae lady and used to be a dancer himself. All his siblings are artists and their mother abuses their talents to entertain people at her revels, all at their cost. Malric left, but he finds out his mother struck a deal with Briar, who is now his replacement. Malric wants to rescue Briar, and tries to help him posing as his new dance teacher in the human world as well as a mysterious masked fey lord at the revels. But then he starts developing feelings for Briar, and he has to ask himself if what he's doing is really helping him.

This book takes place a lot more in the human world than the main Rowan Blood series, which ballet playing a big role which I think was done really well. Briar is a masc enby and uses he/they pronouns, and use alters through the book. I think this is the author's best book so far and if you're not looking to get invested in a long unfinished series yet I would try this one first and maybe start Rowan Blood afterwards.

I'll probably do trans characters next as the Wicked Bargain has arrived and I'll start reading it tomorrow

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @beyondlifebeyonddeath @ikissedsmithparker

#a taste of gold and iron #alexandra rowland #a marvellous light #a restless truth #freya marske #a strange and stubborn endurance #foz meadows #prince of the sorrows #lord of silver ashes #the fox and the dryad #kellen graves

[darthpastry]

Incorrect Quotes of the Kingdom Pt. 2

Link: I'm never donating blood again. The second you walk through the door, it’s just one invasive question after another! ‘Where did you get it?’ 'Why is it in a bucket?’ I mean... do you want it or not?

——————

Revali: Any idiot would know that.

Link: I knew that!

Revali: See?

——————

Revali: Could you be any more annoying?

Link: Definitely.

——————

Purah: Ew, what kind of tea is this?

Link *sipping tea cup with pinky in the air*: I boiled Gatorade.

——————

Link: Ok so, apparently the "bad vibes" I've been feeling are actually severe psychological distress.

——————

Tulin: I’ve become a bread crumb dealer to four crows at the lake. They pay me with a bit of everything. Like shiny things, fabric, or pens. But recently they paid me with a 20 dollar bill they found somewhere. So I decided to buy them some more expensive bread. They loved it. So they understand what to do. Give me money. I’ve probably racked up about 200 dollars at this point. Is it morally wrong though, I mean. They’re the ones who steal the money from others. Or perhaps they just have a big pile laying somewhere. Should I keep on doing this?

Riju: You sound like the start of a Batman villain.

——————

Zelda: What are you two arguing about this time?

Purah: They're always using common phrases incorrectly!

Link: Cry me a table.

——————

Link: Fight me!

Ganondorf: Ha, look at your size! What are you gonna do, kick my ankle?

*Later*

Ghost Sonia: Why is Ganondorf crying?

Ghost Rauru: Link kicked them really hard in the ankle.

——————

Zelda: Please could you go to the shop and get a carton of milk, if they have avocados get six.

Link *coming back from the store with six cartons of milk*: They had avacados!

——————

Link: Rauru, I screwed up big time.

Rauru: Link, given your daily life experiences, you’re gonna have to be more specific.

——————

Link:  *About to do something incredibly stupid*

The sages: I know I can't stop you, but I won't let you go by yourself.

——————

Sonia:  I have been tricked, I have been backstabbed, and I have quite possibly been bamboozled.

——————

Purah: According to the footage here, you shook the vending machine and when the shake alarm went off, you punched the glass and broke it.

Link: ... I was hungry.

——————

Sonia: Not gonna lie, I'm kind of afraid of Link...

Rauru: As you should be.

Sonia: No, for real. They're kind of-

Rauru: As. You. Should. Be.

——————

Ganondorf: Life is like Link. It's short.

——————

Link: Don't worry, I have a few knives up my sleeve.

Yunobo: I think you mean cards.

Tulin: He did not.

Link *pulling out knives*: I did not.

——————

Link: The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math.

——————

Link:  Like they say, "If you can't beat them, curl up in a ball and protect your organs."

——————

Purah: When will Ted himself...finally show up to the talk?

Tulin: The final boss.

Riju: You guys know TEDtalks stands for technology, entertainment, and design talks, right?

Link: I will not let Ted hide behind these lies any longer!

——————

Link: Yum, thanks!

Ganondorf *puts more tape over Link's mouth*: I said, stop eating it.

——————

Purah: Didn't you die?!

Link: That was weeks ago. Things change.

——————

Purah: Wake me up...

Tulin: Before ya go go

Zelda: When September ends

Link: WAKE ME UP INSIDE

——————

Sidon: What if mayonnaise came in cans?

Link: That would suck because you can't microwave metal.

Riju: Good morning to everyone except these two people.

——————

Ganondorf: I've been expecting you, Link.

Link: How did you do that without turning around?

Ganondorf:  Let's just say the first few people I did that to were not you.

#def not a way of coping with no TotK DLC #Revali is just here because I like to imagine if Link talked the two of them would have excellent banter #I think Riju would act like she was done with shenanigans while secretly enjoying them. But also feeling like she has to be the mature one #loz link #totk #zelda totk #loz #totk sonia #totk link #link #tears of the kindom #queen sonia #rauru #zelda #loz purah #ganondorf #totk riju #riju #revali #legend of zelda #yunobo #tulin #totk tulin #loz sidon

[fantastic-nonsense]

It's kind of funny that the "I will have you without armor or I will not have you at all" line is as much about Inej as it is about Kaz in the end

Because there Kaz is, actually being emotionally honest for the first time in their whole friendship and flat-out saying he wants her (that he wants her to stay with him), but Inej doesn't trust his words. She loves him, but her own happiness and healing comes first and she doesn't think he's ready to give her what she needs out of a relationship.

And to her credit, she's right. He's not ready (which I've discussed a little bit before here); but neither is she in that moment. Kaz may be avoiding a solid 95% of Inej's attempts to get him to be truthful about his thoughts and feelings with her during Six of Crows, but she doesn't believe him even when he is truthful. So she throws her own armor up in that scene, and it doesn't truly come down until Crooked Kingdom's epilogue chapters.

We all talk a lot about Kaz's actions during CK and how he does everything in his power to ensure Inej has the ability and freedom to walk out of his life forever if she wants. But even after he saves her from Van Eck, even after the "if I couldn't walk, I would crawl to you" conversation, even after the net, even after the the Bathroom Scene and her paid-off indenture and keeping her at his side when he confronts Pekka, Inej still doubts him to the point where she goes to the harbor prepared to do just that:

Kaz had changed. The net. Paying her contract. She could still feel the faint touch of his lips on her skin, his bare hands fumbling with the knots of her bandages. Inej had seen the scant glimmer of what he might become if he let himself. She couldn’t bear to see him dressed in armor once more, buttoned back into his immaculate suits and cold demeanor. She wouldn’t listen to him talk as if the Ice Court and everything that came after had been just another job, another score, another bit of advantage to be gained. But she wouldn’t ignore his note. It was time to put an end to this thing that had never had a chance to begin. She’d tell him what she’d heard about Pekka, offer to share some of her routes and hiding spots with Roeder. It would be over. She turned down the light, and after a long while, she fell asleep with the note clutched in her hand. -Ch. 44, Crooked Kingdom

She clings to his final letter like a love-struck teenager but puts on a brave face and walks to the harbor the next morning ready to "put an end to this thing that had never had a chance to begin."

But Kaz surprises her by coming to the harbor with bared hands and the Wraith as an offering, and Inej realizes that her own fear and trauma and trust issues have been holding her back from seeing that his progress is real and permanent. He's now the one reaching out, and she's the one backing away in fear of what pursuing a relationship with him would mean. She states during this scene that she "would fight for him, but she could not heal him. She would not waste her life trying" without acknowledging that she's actively pulling away from the possibility of fighting in that moment. Her armor is what's getting in the way now, not his.

And it's fascinating, because her words come from an incredibly valid and understandable place! She's not responsible for Kaz's trauma or for making sure he heals; she's got enough of her own healing to do without taking on the responsibility of dealing with his as well. And like Kaz notes during the "I would come for you" scene, she's right to be wary of opening herself up to him given his previous behavior. She's technically setting an incredibly healthy relationship boundary here, and that should be acknowledged! It's something she should believe!

However, it's important to realize that healthy boundaries can become unhealthy boundaries when you're leaning on them as a coping mechanism instead of using them as an actual boundary...which is what Inej is doing here. She says she's willing to fight for him and their relationship, but in reality she's falling back on behaviors that (like Kaz's) helped her survive Ketterdam but don't necessarily help her create healthy relationships with other people:

When Kaz had brought her to the Slat, he’d warned her that he wouldn’t be able to watch out for her, that she’d have to fend for herself, and she had. It would have been easy enough to turn away when they called her names or sidled up to ask for a cuddle, but do that and soon it was a hand up your blouse or a try at you against a wall. So she’d let no insult or innuendo slide. She’d always struck first and struck hard. Sometimes she even cut them up a bit. It was fatiguing, but nothing was sacred to the Kerch except trade, so she’d gone out of her way to make the risk much higher than the reward when it came to disrespecting her. -Ch. 4, Six of Crows

She went to the harbor ready to strike first and hard only to have the rug pulled out from under her, because Kaz revealing the Wraith helps Inej realize that she's not actually setting a healthy boundary here: she's just closing herself off from him. So she takes a leap of faith, cracks her armor open, and offers him the same vulnerability in return: she tells him she'll come back, invites him to work with her to take down the slave trade, and offers him her hand. And he takes it.

It takes until that moment for Kaz and Inej to truly understand how determined the other is to fight for the possibility of a future together. Inej still doubted that Kaz cared for her enough to be vulnerable around her and trust her with himself; Kaz still doubted Inej cared for him enough to ever come back once she had the opportunity to leave. But then she offers a partnership and her hand. And he accepts both, and Inej acknowledges it as the promise it is.

And when she first sees her parents? That's when Inej's walls finally come completely crumbling down:

Had she really thought the world didn’t change? She was a fool. The world was made of miracles, unexpected earthquakes, storms that came from nowhere and might reshape a continent. The boy beside her. The future before her. Anything was possible. -Ch. 44, Crooked Kingdom

They both need time and space to work on healing themselves, and it's probably going to take awhile. But they've already taken the first steps to dismantle the armor that's kept them both safe and untouchable in the Barrel, and they're also both actively broadcasting that they're willing to put effort into a potential relationship...and that open and visible reciprocity makes all the difference. They've been getting their communication wires crossed since the Ferolind, and it's only at the harbor that they're both able to see and accept what the other is offering: a path forward, together, with knives drawn and pistols blazing.

#KANEJ META PART THREE! #I'm on a roll #kanej #six of crows #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #long post #soc meta #also I will make this fandom acknowledge that Kaz and Inej promised to be PARTNERS in Inej's crusade or die trying lol #otp: on the seas and in the city

[ash5monster01]

Truths of Our Past Part 1

Pairing: Older!Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, depressing thoughts, past trauma, facing trauma, romance, understanding, fluff.

Summary: You had met Charlie in University, were married shortly after, and had become accustomed to a beautiful life together. When you receive a wedding invitation to one of Charlie’s previous classmates weddings you discover that Charlie had a dark past, one he had been trying to forget. In the midst of it all you try to help him through it while finding out that he’s not the guy you thought you married at all. Maybe he’s even better.

word count: 2.6k

Intro ←→ Part 2

Masterlist

10/3/69

Day 1/8

You loved the drive to Vermont. You and Charlie did it at least two times a year and it had never gotten any less beautiful. There was something magical about the scenery turning from giant skyscrapers to deep forests. You always told Charlie it was so romantic, poetic, and all he could ever do is smile at you when you said it. You knew he was uneasy, like always, but a small part of him was still comforted by it. The sad thing about reminiscing was it always held the good with the bad. So every time you made a trip out here you made sure it held more good because even if it didn’t erase the pain maybe it could somehow make it less.

"Recite me something darling" you asked sweetly, sliding across the front seat of the car to be pressed against his warm side. Charlie smiled as his hand curled in your own, resting on the plaid of your skirt.

"What do you want to hear?" he asked as you flew down the country roads, orange leaves spiralling up behind you. You loved the countryside. Especially in the Fall, it was so much more magical.

"Something about the season, how everything is so pretty this time of year" you told him, head coming to rest on his shoulder. You felt his lips brush softly against your forehead.

"O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.”

You hummed in contentment as he recited this to you, the golden sun kissing the tops of the trees as you reached the town of your destination. The beauty of it painted exactly like the poem.

"Robert Frost, how lovely" you told your husband and a small laugh fell from him as he took the familar route to Knox and Chris' large white house on the edge of town, miles of field behind them.

"I love that you know old dead poets" he told you, shifting the car into park, and you leaned your head up to smile at him.

"I love that I married a dead poet" you told him earnestly and his lips met yours in a soft kiss. You only pulled away when you heard the screen door on the porch slam shut. That could only mean one thing. Charlie was out of the car in an instant, helping you out beside him as the six year olds feet thumped fastly against the hard ground.

"Johnny!" your husband bellowed as he squatted down to meet the height of the small brunette boy.

"Uncle Charlie" the boy was squealing right back before launching into his embrace. You laughed as he lifted the boy to his feet, spinning him around and tossing him into the air.

"Careful Charles!" Chris was already calling from the front porch and you snickered lightly at the fact he was already in trouble. It had only been a minute.

"Sorry little man but your Mom would not hesitate to suffocate me in my sleep if you get hurt" Charlie said as he placed the boy down to the ground but the six year old didn’t care before he was already barreling over to you and wrapping his small arms around your legs.

"Hey kiddo" you said, hand ruffling through his hair and he smiled up at you.

"Aunt Y/N! Do you want to see my new toys?" he asked sweetly and your heart instantly melted.

"Of course I do" and then you were holding hands with the six year old and walking forward towards your husband. Johnny reached for Charlies hand as well and you were both swinging the small boy between you as you moved the rest of the way to the porch.

"I hope the drive went okay" Chris said once you were up the short three steps and you smiled, letting go of Johnny to give her a hug.

"Beautiful as always, Charlie recited a poem for me" you grinned and Chris chuckled as she looked to the boy, his hair shorter than the last time she saw him.

"Our boys, such charmers" she grinned and Charlie was leaning over, pressing a sweet kiss to Chris' cheek.

"You tease but I recall a poem or two that Knox wrote you and won you over" Charlie said and she just laughed at the fond memories as Johnny curled his hand back in your own, tugging you towards the house.

"Knox is inside finishing up some work, save him Charlie I beg" Chris said, putting her hands together to convey her seriousness and Charlie chuckled as he let himself into the home and made his way to the study. You and Chris followed Johnny to the living room where he did indeed show you all of his new toys.

"Hey Mr. Lawyer man, work is over" Charlie’s hands clapped down on the shoulders of the boy who sat hunched over his desk, pencil danglng from his lip.

"Charlie, you made it" Knox was turning with a wide smile, meeting Charlie in a hug. No longer concerned about the extra work he needed to get done in his week off for the wedding.

“Yeah well, Todd is getting married and I had to come check for myself that it was actually happening” Charlie said and Knox laughed, reaching to tug his tie loose.

“Yeah, it’s shocking honestly but we’re happy for him” Knox responded, shuffling over to the bar cart and pouring out two scotches for them.

“I hope me and Y/N aren’t intruding. Todd did offer a room if we needed” Charlie said as Knox handed him the crystal glass half full of amber liquid.

“Nonsense, we all want you here. Chris and Johnny would’ve had me hung if I didn’t offer it to you first” Knox said before taking a sip from the glass.

“Either way it’s good to see you, good to be back in Vermont” Charlie said but Knox didn’t miss the way his eyes nervously darted around the study, a shaky hand reaching the crystal to his lips.

“Since when did you start telling me half truths?” Knox asked and Charlie sighed, dragging a hand down his face, gold wedding band glinting from the desk lamp.

“Sorry, it’s just. It’s Vermont, I wasn’t given much choice in leaving and I didn’t have much control of what happened either” Charlie said and Knox gave him a tight lipped smile, hand falling on his shoulder.

“I know, you get used to it though. Take the week and you might find it’s not as hard anymore” Knox said, him and Todd being the only ones to stay in the neighborhood but that was mainly because of family. Charlie stayed in the city after attending Columbia and Meeks and Pitts had an apartment together somewhere in Boston.

“I heard Chris wants Johnathon to be a Welton blazer boy” Charlie said, directing the conversation in a different route.

“She suggested it. I’ve been considering. It’s tough because I know Welton is the better school for him and he’s crazy smart for a kid, but when I start thinking about all these successful things I want for him I worry I’m turning into my own parents. Forcing a kid to conform who just wants to enjoy life the way it is” Knox explained and Charlie nodded knowing exactly what he had meant. Getting older made you realize you didn’t give your parents the benefit of the doubt at the time. Maybe they really truly wanted what was best for you and not just them.

“Listen, as the guy who did not survive Welton maybe give it a shot. I heard that old bag Nolan isn’t in charge anymore and maybe you can attend classes, see the curriculum, determine if they’ve changed the last ten years” Charlie offered a suggestion and Knox’s eyebrows rose.

“I’m surprised Charles, you hated Hellton more than the rest of us” Knox exclaimed and Charlie just shrugged, sipping more of the scotch that made his insides buzz.

“If anyone can be different Knox it would be you. You wouldn’t force him to do anything, if he said he didn’t want to go to Welton anymore you’d let him leave in an instant. You’d actually have him come home on weekends and for holidays. It wouldn’t be like how it was for us” Charlie said reminiscing one too many lonely winters where his parents had yet again sent a gift instead of bringing him home for Christmas.

“I know, which is why I think we might enroll him next Fall” Knox said and Charlie gave him a smile.

“At least you can trust he’ll make good friends” Charlie told him and Knox realized he had agreed with his decision. It was possible Welton wasn’t a soul crushing machine anymore.

“Lifelong friends at that” Knox told him before clinking his glass with his own.

“Boys, dinner!” Chris called for them and Knox gave Charlie a grin before finishing his drink and heading for the door.

“Let’s go Nuwanda, Chris made meatloaf” Charlie was chuckling at his friend, finishing his own scotch before following him out the door.

Vermont made Charlie feel uneasy of course but the five of you sitting at the dinner table felt like the safest place in the world. Even if it had been months it felt like the most natural thing, easy conversation, bottomless glasses of wine, and collectively keeping Johnny from spilling his milk. Charlie realized it was the first place since Welton that made him feel comforted like that. It was funny how the worst of places could be the ones you felt the most comfortable in. So after a short prayer you were all digging in, catching up as if you didn’t call each other at least three times a week.

“Y/N dear, please tell me you brought some copies of the times. I so wish to read some of your latest articles” Chris was saying as she passed the potatoes to Knox who scooped them onto Johnny’s plate. Charlie was the one to catch the milk glass when Johnny hit it with his fork.

“Of course I did, and I brought my famous blondies for Knox” you said, pointing to the man who just smiled wide.

“That’s why you’re my favorite” he told her and the group was laughing again.

“How about you Charles, how is Wall Street, you know stocks, and money?” Chris asked, everyone laughing again at her confusion over Charlie’s work.

“It is so good Chris, our company is doing very well” he informed her and Chris smiled widely, pouring some wine into your glass.

“I’m so glad you all could get off of work for this week, we have so much to prepare” Chris said, starting to dig in to her own meat loaf.

“In layman’s terms that means the girls decorate while we do all the heavy lifting” Knox explained, reaching for a napkin to wipe Johnnys chin that had gravy dripping down it. Charlie leaned over, pointing to his own mouth to which Knox just rolled his eyes.

“He’s exaggerating. Tomorrow my mother will come over and watch the kids and we’ll go over to the Anderson’s to build centerpieces. I think the boys are going over to the venue to start setting things up” Chris explained to you, hand patting your own, and Knox chuckled.

“See heavy lifting” but Chris rolling her eyes at him was enough to shut him up.

“Kids?” you questioned and Chris suddenly beamed.

“Yes! Todd’s older brother Jeff has two, Michael who is eight and Clara who is five. She’s going to be the flower girl, isn’t that so sweet” Chris grinned, eyes blown wide at the thought of so many young kids. After her own complications during Johnathons birth she had been waiting before considering more children but you all knew she wanted at least five more.

“Wow, I bet she’ll be adorable” you tried to beam back but Charlie could see the uneasy look on your face, how you both hadn’t been able to conceive yet. It wasn’t that you were necessarily trying but you were never that careful either.

“Either way I am so excited, the whole week has been planned out. I haven’t been in a wedding since yours and Ginny Danbury’s” Chris smiled, clearly excited, and feeling the love in the air.

“We’re excited as well, I mean Todd. Forget the blushing bride we’re going to be having a blushing groom!” you teased, pivoting the conversation from children as quickly as you could.

“I’ll drink the that” Charlie said to his wife, raising his wine glass, and the group just laughed.

“I’ll serve breakfast at eight and then we can ride together to the Andersons after” Chris told you and you nodded quickly, eager to agree with any terms because she was so kind to have welcomed you in her home.

“This will be a wedding for the books” Knox said before shoving a large bite of meat loaf in his mouth that made Johnny incessantly giggle at the goofiness of his father. This also cause Charlie to follow along and when Johnny went to try himself Chris stopped it, muttering about choking hazards, and you were so thankful for Charlie allowing you to be apart of this life.

“I’m glad we’re here” you told him later that night in the guest room, hanging your dresses in the closet after folding all his dress pants into the dresser.

“Me too, Johnny has grown at least five inches since we last saw him” he said, now propped up nicely in the bed wearing an old Columbia sweatshirt and plaid pajama bottoms. You admired his wife rimmed glasses tucked on his nose and the way his thumb kept his place in his book despite his attention being on you.

“You ever miss it, the countryside?” you asked curiously, closing the now empty suitcase, and reaching for the curlers to put in your hair.

“Sometimes, I forget how quiet it is. I like the quiet” Charlie said and you were smiling, sitting beside your husband. A man of many trades and attributes. Gentle but overconfident. Teenage him must’ve been relentless.

“You do not like the quiet, I think you like that this is still home” you told him, hand resting on his knee from your spot on the edge of the bed.

“Well that’s where you’re wrong dear, because wherever you are is my home” he told you, permanent flirtatious smirk on his face, and you hoped one day he could share everything about this place. The good and the bad, because all of it shaped him into the man you loved today.

“Sweet talker” you teased, leaning forward to kiss him but before you could pull back he was tucking you softly against his chest.

“Only for you Mrs. Dalton” he told you and you couldn’t help the butterflies that flapped in your stomach, there permanently for the last six years.

“Keep it that way Mr. Dalton”

Comment if you want to be added to the taglist :))

#charlie dalton imagine #charlie dalton x femreader #charlie dalton dps #charlie dalton x reader #charlie dalton smut #charlie dalton fanfic #charlie dalton #charlie dalton series #dps imagine #dps au #charlie dps #dps fic #dps boys #dps fanfiction #dps fandom #dead poets aesthetic #dead poets fanfic #dead poets fandom #dead poets society #dead poets honor #dead poets society imagines #dead poets society series #dead poets society neil perry #neil perry #todd anderson #steven meeks #gerard pitts #richard cameron #john keating #gale hansen

[dragonfly0808]

Some of my Top Ships for Valentine’s Day!

This was supposed to be like 5 ships but shit got a little bit out of hand…

In no particular order:

Helia x Flora (Winx Club): they were my first OTP, it’s a classic, we know it, we love it, they invented the word adorkable. They are just… chef’s kiss

Callum x Rayla (the Dragon Prince): they are… my everything. From their very first interaction I was like… oh. They just balance each other out so well and it’s so much fun to watch them fall in love and grow together even if there have been a few… bumps in the road recently… they are my babies.

Runaan x Ethari (the Dragon Prince): WHERE IS MY SPIN OFF?! I NEED TO SEE HOW THESE TWO FELL IN LOVE! They just… the second Ethari was introduced these two had my heart and I just… I can’t even describe what it is about them that just gets me right there.

Lizzie x Daring (Ever After High): I said what I said. No regrets. Should’ve been endgame. You don’t get it, they get to be their real selfs when they’re with each other! The fucking potential! We only got 5 min in the webisodes and like a few dialogues in the books but they will forever live rent free in my brain.

Zuko x Katara (Avatar): …was this one predictable? I feel like this one was predictable, it just made so much sense with their respective characters, story lines and everything about them was just set up so perfectly but just never paid off. But yeah… these two were PERFECTION, up until they didn’t end up together somehow.

Percy x Annabeth (Percy Jackson): Come on, this is THE ship. I apologize in advance for the person I will become when the show comes out cause I’ll only be talking about them for a very long time.

Luka x Marinette (Miraculous Ladybug): You don’t understand how much I mean it when I say that I will go down with this ship. Luka is just… the cutest? And like… Marinette? Being supported? Being loved? Getting to have someone on her side that doesn’t feel like she owes them anything? Is this a potential OTP? Yes, yes it is.

Inej x Kaz (Six of Crows): I don’t think I have to say anything here. These two are just… wow. They would both kill for each other and… I love that it’s not an ‘I can fix them’ relationship, it’s a ‘I will change and be better for them’ relationship and I just…they are the pinnacle of romance.

Raven x Beast Boy (Teen Titans/Comics): Come on… do I have to say anything else? These two were made for each other! They understand each other in a way that almost no one else can, they both have dark sides that could take them over but they fight it, be it in different ways. And I just… they deserved so much more.

Mateo x Rufus (They Both Die at the End): If you haven’t read this book… it’s one of my faves but you shouldn’t read it unless you’re in a somewhat stable mental place ajajjajajja. But these two were just… ugh. I usually despise insta-love with every inch of my being but it worked so well for these two I just- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

Sophie x Gideon (Shadowhunters: Infernal Devices): These two I feel like are underrated in the fandom. Like, come on! In my personal opinion, they have the best love story in Shadowhunters. I’ve loved them since I was 9 and they are just so… they are just so good with each other? I love them. Every single moment of their relationship slaps.

Ron x Hermione (Harry Potter): They invented hesitant friends to friends to best friends to lovers. And they were done so wrong in the movies. Can anyone recommend me fics with them as the central focus? The Harry Potter part of AO3 is a fucking mess and I’ve found like two and I need more!

Luz x Amity / Hunter x Willow / Eda x Raine (The Owl House): How the fuck did a single show give me 3 new OTP’s? I’ve got no fucking idea but somehow they did it. I adore this show, I cannot wait for the finale. All the love stories are just… top tier just… wow. Lumity are the perfect enemies to lovers arc, Huntlow are just… so cute and perfect and of course we have Eda and Raine who are just iconic and IF I DON’T GET A KISS I AM GOING TO-

Wednesday x Tyler (Wednesday): COME AT ME BRO (please don’t), I love when people say they shouldn’t be together cause *SPOILERS* like… this is Wednesday Adams we’re talking about, if anything it makes it better! I love this ship. Their dynamic is just superior to me. Crazy x different kind of crazy? Perfection.

Charles Xavier x Erik (X-men): X-MEN WERE FUCKING COWARDS. That’s all I’ll say about that. I deserved so much better.

Rarity x Apple Jack (Equestria Girls): My fave sapphics, they were girlfriends. Farm girl x fashionista? Fucking genius. The aesthetics and dynamics are just perfect. The heavens open up and you can hear the choir when there’s a plot line revolving around their… ‘friendship’.

Nam-ra x Su-hyeok (All of us are dead): They are just… so fucking precious? He runs towards zombies to protect her and they are both crushing on each other from a distance, trying not to be obvious and it is so cute and so precious and just… I can’t wait for s2.

Stiles x Lydia (Teen Wolf): I’m not watching the movie. I refuse to. These two had 14 year old me in a choke hold.

Barry x Caitlin (The Flash): yes, I’m that person. Seasons 1-4 I still held on to hope. I love these two, just two nerds supporting each other and being THE team. This was truly so much potential.

Sarah x Leonard (Legends of Tomorrow): *sobs* they were just… so unexpected but they also made so much sense?

Hiccup x Astrid (How to Train Your Dragon): They were my obsession for a good while, Race to the Edge gave me way too much serotonin. I cried violently watching the last movie I just- they were so good. Their whole character development in Race to the Edge? Absolute fucking hold.

Winter x Jacin (The Lunar Chronicles): These two are just… childhood best friends to lovers, I’d kill and die for you, we know we love each other but we’ll never admit it and just be teaseful and then when they finally kiss it’s just so intense I was fucking fainting. I love them.

Dominick x Erika (Barbie, The Princess and the Pauper): They invented romance and they are the only insta-love love story that I will accept.

Robin x Regina (Once Upon a Time): I will die angry. Srly, they were just… perfect for each other? The definition of true love and they understood each other, Robin was so good for her and he believed so much in her and they loved each other in such a pure way and just… also they were just hot as fuck together I mean, they had me questioning my sexuality.

Starfire x Robin/Nightwing (Teen Titans/DC Comics/DC Movies): I don’t even know how to describe the amount of serotonin these two give me, they just make sense to me and I love them.

Kid Flash x Jinx (Teen Titans): They had 1 episode and they made history.

Artemis x Kid Flash (Young Justice): …I’m still waiting… fuck me… THEY WERE JUST SO FUCKING GOOD AAAAAAAHHHHHH- The way they annoyed each other but slowly grew to trust each other and then became friends and you can’t even pin point the exact moment they start falling in love because it just happens so naturally and so organically and it’s just- AAAAAHHHHHHHH

Impulse x Blue Beetle (Young Justice): Bart is in love with Jaimie and he is not subtle about it at all. Jaimie is a bit oblivious but you know that he is just as much in love if not even more

Jonathan x Nancy (Stranger Things): I swear yall’ if they really redo the triangle next season, I’m going to riot cause these two, their story is so well done in the first 3 seasons and it’s just like… what the fuck ya know?

Mike x Eleven (Stranger Things): I don’t care what anyone says, I still love them.

Lucas x Max (Stranger Things): …ow? I honestly don’t know what else to say.

Ben x Evie/Harry x Uma (Descendants): YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT, DID YOU WATCH CHILLIN LIKE A VILLAIN/WHAT’S MY NAME?! THE CHEMISTRY WAS LITERALLY DRIPPING OFF OF THEM. HE WAS SO HAPPY EVERYTIME HE SAW HER AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN GOLD TOGETHER.

Lucas x Maya (Girl Meets World): I am so tired… these two were just… so good together, the chemistry, the story line, Maya accepting the ‘bad’ side of Lucas in a way that Riley never did and him just being there for her no matter what ‘I could never hurt you’ I just… why?

Veronica x JD (Heathers the Musical): Listen… hear me out… I know that he was kinda crazy but… they were kind of an iconic duo okay? Freeze Your Brain? Dead Girl Walking? Our Love Is God? Seventeen? Meant to Be Yours? I Am Damaged? Sorry was I… not supposed to ship them after listening to those? I love them. I’m allowed to have at least one kinda-toxic-if-you-think-about-it-ship.

Juliette x Warner (Shatter Me): They created sexual tension. Every single scene slaps and their arc is just perfect and I love them and they are just… they are so intense but in the best way possible.

#winx club #helia x flora #flora x helia #the dragon prince #callum x rayla #rayla x callum #rayllum #ethari x runnan #Runnan x ethari #ever after high #lizzie x daring #daring x lizzie #avatar #zutara #percabeth #percy x annabeth #lukanette #luka x marinette #kanej #kaz x inej #inej x kaz #bbrae #beast boy x raven #raven x beast boy #teen titans #six of crows #Mateo x rufus #they both die at the end #sophie x gideon #Gideon x sophie

[two-hands-toward-the-sun]

20 Questions For Fic Writers!

Thank you so much for the tag, @honeyteacakes!! I loved reading your responses. This was so much fun to do.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

35! Some of them are locked to attempt to minimise AI scraping.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

44,236 holy shit

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I’m pretty deeply embedded in the Sandman-verse. But I’ve also written an AC Odyssey fic recently.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I’m skipping this one because I embedded so many links in this post and I don’t wanna do it anymore. 😂 And people can just filter by kudos on AO3 if they’re interested.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond EXTREMELY slowly, but I make every effort to reply to comments when I have the energy to spare. It means a lot to me when people take the time to tell me what they liked about my stories.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oooh. Good question. It’s either “pour the dirt into our bed” (Ranger’s Apprentice, referencing homophobia faced in a queerplatonic relationship) or “if you want voices in the dark, listen to mine” (Good Omens, after a temptation gone wrong.)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I write a fair amount of tender stories, so there are a lot of possible answers to this one! Potentially it’s “our place in the sun” (Sandman, Lucienne/Calliope domestic fluff) which is all about coming to rest and settling into love. Another option is “throw down that spade and dig up the garden” (Good Omens, Ineffable Husbands) which is about…pretty much the same thing, now that I think about it. 😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully not. I genuinely can’t understand why people leave hate comments on fics. Sure, there’s a lot of things I take issue with in certain fandoms, but I bitch about that stuff strictly IN MY OWN SPACE, I absolutely do not barge into other people’s spaces to do it. I never will and you can hold me to that.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I WANT TO. I’m working on it!! I actually have a smut prompt ask game queued up for next year, when I’ll have fewer writing obligations. As for what kind, I want to write so much femslash smut. There is devastatingly little in the Sandman fandom.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

OHOHOHO. I have written a Los Simuladores/Good Omens crossover and it is genuinely one of my favorite stories that I’ve ever written. “every morning the same big and little words all spelling out desire” is appropriately zany, hopefully sexy, and seasoned with a dash of angst to balance the flavors.

(Shout out to @jlemonster for writing such a glowing post about it, it makes me happy just remembering it.)

Another crossover I’m working on is Johanna Constantine/Mary Poppins. I PROMISE it will make sense when it’s written. …well, maybe. 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!!! As part of Fandom Trumps Hate this year I had two fics of mine wonderfully translated into Spanish by @yourneighborhoodneighbor and it was an amazing experience.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope. I don’t know if that would work with my writing habits, tbh. Maybe someday though, if the right idea and right person come along!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oh GOD. Complicated question!! There are ships I’m currently enamored of, obviously, but who knows if they’ll stand the test of time? I know that Kaz/Inej (Six of Crows) and Irina/Jack (Alias) did something to my adolescent brain that may never be undone, but that’s the closest I can get to an answer to this question.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I’ve got a Good Omens Ineffable Wives AU inspired by Anne of Green Gables that is very dear to me, and has many aspects I’m extremely proud of, but I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it. My interest in Good Omens has flagged of late and unfortunately I don’t know if I’ll complete many of my WIPs for that fandom!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I have a good grasp on characters’ voices! Also, I think I write tactile and descriptive details well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

TRANSITIONS ARE THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I have done it once!!! For the aforementioned Los Simus fic. It was so much fun, and a good challenge for me. The dialogue was in Spanish (with very valuable help from @thisisnotjuli) and I loved writing how the two characters spoke in somewhat differing dialects.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh, lord. Probably Harry Potter? By hand, in a notebook from the dollar store. I was probably about eight or nine.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

They’re my children. My babies. My beloved frogspawn. I can’t give a definite answer, but…two of the stories that I worried my lip over the most for dread of failing to do them justice, the ones I think I put the most heart and consideration and care into, are “it’s an old song (and we’re gonna sing it again)” (Sandman, Calliope & Dream + healing and rediscovery and intimacy and changed but no less important relationships) and “sister dear, bear me away” (Good Omens, a human AU about gender discovery).

No pressure tags: the usual suspects <3 @pyrocephalus-rubinus @fatcatgospel and Juli, as well as @zorawitch @azi-sings-calliope @cosmictapestry, and anyone else who reads this and wants to talk about their creations!!

#sunbreak writes #tag game #i love talking about my writing!!!!!

[lilithfreya]

Six of Crows/Shadow and Bone Modern College AU's

Finally, is Genya and David time. Let's go!!

Genya:

She had a difficult childhood, until she was adopted by a rich and adorable couple who never had children, she goes to fashion and design college and has a promising future with her private atelier that for now only exists on her instagram and when she uses her friends of models for their looks and posts the photos that make hundreds of thousands of people want their clothes. Her best friends are Zoya and Alina, but her best crime duo is Nina, they love to get together and talk about their love lives and play matchmaker, why can't alina not understand like her best friend keeps staring at her and stops everything he's doing to hang out with her and help her always. In addition, there is also Zoya who for months has not stopped talking about this spoiled prince who keeps irritating her, and because of this she goes to investigate, I mean check her friend's well-being and is even more intrigued when she sees him talking to the nerd cute guy from the engineering department, who helped her once with her cell phone and who she likes to talk to when I feel like everything is too heavy or just because she really likes him a lot and he's so cute talking about his inventions. One day she decides to ask him out on a date and he gets all red and stutters but he agrees to go out with her and when they start dating he gives her a bracelet he made himself. She loves hanging out with him in her workshop creating different pieces of clothing and watching him work.

David:

He had a pretty quiet childhood, (I like to think David is neurodivergent and has a hyper focus on building things physically or digitally and that's why he doesn't like to be touched or hugged by strangers), his parents were very good with technology , perhaps being scientists, love hypothesis felings, and supported him when he chose to study mechanical and computational engineering. He doesn't have many friends at the beginning of college, just the lab guys and every now and then he ends up helping people who have problems with their electronics because he likes to figure out what went wrong. And that's how he meets Genya and Nikolai, he thinks Genya is very pretty when he sees her for the first time but I don't quite understand why she keeps coming back to talk to him even without having any real problems and he can't believe it when she finally asks him out that this is for real and he really enjoys talking to him or more hearing about her dreams and goals and she respects him and his needs as well as his time so he is more than happy happy when he realizes that she might like him the same way he likes her. Then one day he meets Nikolai, it was before Genya, he helps solve a lost file problem on his computer and since then Nikolai has been trying to talk to him about the company he's forming and how david would be paid very well and get everything that he wants there, but he doesn't feel that way, he was almost recruited by a company that wanted him but didn't accept his time to work and limited his curiosity so he doesn't know how he felt about it. Until Genya helps both of them and makes a contract that everyone is very satisfied with the norms and legal stipulations, so he signs and ends up meeting very interesting people and ends up getting close to several people like Nikolai and Wylan, he likes their ideas and thinking about how to put them in his creations, and also Alina and Mal, who always when Genya gets too busy with one of his projects keep him company and remind him to eat and take a walk around campus and not get stuck with his inventions in the laboratory. with the money he went on to earn he finally manages to make a wedding ring for Genya and on graduation day he proposes to her with a ruby ring he designed and they live happily ever after.

this turned out a little longer than i planned but with college that wa the best I could do by now on vaccation I have more time, I think the next chapter will be the last so, stay turned for Kaz and Inej part, xoxo.

#six of crows #modern au #shadow and bone #genya safin #david kostyk

[kazscrows]

Six of Crows Reread 🪶

Chapter 17: Jesper

Okay so maybe Jesper’s restlessness was mostly just his ADHD, but I know he was worried about Inej too!!

Only Jesper would wish to be attacked by pirates

I am weirdly excited to see Kit Young moping around the boat just being absolutely annoying and doing the most random things in the background

Imagine he tries to get Kaz to teach him a ✨magic trick ✨

“I’m not a criminal,” Wylan protested. Kaz had cast him an almost pitying look. “No, you’re a flautist who fell in with bad company.”

That quote just makes me laugh

I think we forget that Jesper and Wylan really didn’t get along at first. They definitely find the other annoying in the beginning

“We don’t need a sharpshooter for Kaz’s plan, so what’s your job – other than stalking around making everyone antsy?”

Then Wylan proceeds to cast doubt that Kaz actually trusts Jesper which hurts now because… well I know that Kaz already knows that it was Jesper’s fault they got attacked on the way to the boat

So yeah. Kaz doesn’t trust Jesper

Jesper looks down on Wylan too at first. Sees him as a stuck up rich boy who just must’ve gotten bored and ran away from daddy

And he only ever calls him “merchling” at first and it’s not meant to be endearing

Things will change soon enough though. Jesper just isn’t over Kaz yet—

Ah see? Jesper says that this possibly being the end for Inej had shaken him. I knew he was worried about her

I love Nina and Inej’s friendship

Though have I stated how much I love Inej and Jesper’s friendship already?

Inej is probably the best friend any person could ever have

Lmao poor Jesper isn’t allowed to come to their girls only waffle outing

They like to make fun of Jesper for being a poor gambler, but that doesn’t mean he’s not observant or smart. He picked up on the fact that sickness really truly bothers Kaz after all

I hate Van Eck and his letters that are just a slap in the face to Wylan

“If you’re reading this...” and “I pray that you read these words…” Ugh. He’s horrible.

I never know how to feel about the fact that Kaz might have actually set it up for Jesper to get jumped so he’d feel indebted to him since he saved him…

It feels too similar to what happened to him and Jordie…

So I choose to believe he didn’t. This was just actually a coincidence. I hope..

“Kaz is … I don’t know, he’s like nobody else I’ve ever known. He surprises me.”

“Yes. Like a hive of bees in your dresser drawer.”

Inej and Jesper talking about (and crushing on) Kaz is my favorite

“…I’m the one who can never walk away from a bad hand.”

She looped her arm in his. “That makes you a rotten gambler, Jesper. But an excellent friend.”

I’ve always really liked this exchange. It’s a sweet moment between Jesper and Inej, but it also shows how they both care about Kaz even if they don’t completely understand why. Especially since they compare him to finding bees in your dresser and that you’re likely to get stung instead of receive any honey.

I also just like that Inej reminds Jesper that he’s a good friend even with his faults.

And at least they both know they’re too good for Kaz. He’s gotta put in the effort too!

First | Previous | Next

#these are becoming kind of extensive chapter analysis #huh… oh well. I’m having fun! #six of crows #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #kanej #wesper #shadow and bone #grishaverse #nina zenik #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #reading #books #leigh bargudo #kit young #kazscrows #kazscrowsreadssoc

[phantomasc]

The Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh musical version of  Peter Pan will tour America next year.

this new tour will feature a revised book by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse, who has been brought on to tackle the musical's depiction of Native Americans.

You might wan to see it. I know how much you like the 1954 Peter Pan.

Thank you for being a PHNOMAL friend, and telling me before I saw it in the news. I trust you to listen.

"Peter Pan" was my first Broadway musical, and is one of my favorite musicals besides "The Phantom of the Opera," "Annie," and "Oliver!" When I was six my family and I went to BlockBuster and got the VHS tape of "Peter Pan" my mom had asked me "Do you know a woman named Mary Martin played Peter Pan?" I had seen the Disney version, so a woman playing Peter was special. I liked Peter because he didn't grow up, and he could fly.  I watched the Mary Martin version with my family. My Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, and me. I LOVED it more than the Disney version. Though we lived out in rural New Mexico I saw it as often as I could, my Mom would make the special trip to get the VHS tape all the way from town.

My siblings loved it too: we played this version of Peter Pan my sister made waves and costumes for all of us to wear. We built the house for Wendy with this toy building set we had and sang the song (I was Wendy though my favorite character was Peter) “Tender Shepherd” was sung after “Rock-a-Bye baby” at bedtime (it worked well because there are three of us and three Darling children.) Of course, my favorite part was the part where you would clap to save Tinkerbell. and it was always magical to see Tinkerbell come back to life. Being as young as I was I assumed Mary could see me through the camera and I would make eye contact with her and form an emotional bond with the woman whose name was read to me every time before the movie started. I couldn’t read then. Of course “Oh my Mysterious Lady” made me laugh my head off. The rescue of Peter by Tiger Lily and the Indians on scooters was also funny, the look on Cyril Ritchard's face is priceless.

Then of course came "Ugg-A-Wug" I had been born with Cerebral Palsy and thus had to go to speech therapy so I assumed I was misunderstanding the characters and tried to understand them. The limits of my six-year-old vocabulary meant that all of the words meant "help" except "Ugg-Ugg-Wah" which meant "I Promise" Jerome Robbins' choreography is the reason I can get the meaning of the words

I went to speech therapy as a kid with Cerebral Palsy,  and the I Gotta Crow (Reprise)  I think resembles that because I had trouble with the “R” sound! Mary Martin was a #WomanRoleModel as Peter Pan for me at six years old!  This is really the only thing I remember seeing that was positive and affirming of my disabled identity.

Then my seventh birthday came, and I got my own Mary Martin Peter Pan VHS tape by that time the Cathy Rigby version had come out and my Mom heard about it and got it for me for Christmas. I watched it with almost the entire side of my Dad’s family who was there for Christmas. My sister reminded me of Cathy Rigby, with my CP, my sister seemed like she could do anything. and I  watched both versions on a TV that was above my head. I would look up at women doing what I wanted to do, go to Neverland!  To me a small child they were larger than life and in a way still are. I also felt that I was in love with Mary Martin though at six years old with only exposure to straight romances in children's media coming out was impossible without the language. I also connected strongly with the fact Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby both played a boy. To me it was I can be a boy and a girl at the same time, The basic definition of Genderfluid, was shown, taught, and absorbed without the need for the word. "Peter Pan" makes me feel how II want to think in my AFAB-gendered body, which is neutral!

Then my mom decided that we should perform "I Won't Grow Up" in the school talent show because she thought it was cute and funny.  This led to my VHS being taped over because it was always in the VHS player. I cried, of course. My Mom bought me the DVD, which I still have to this day. The VHS getting recorded over turned out to be a good thing. After all, all our VHS tapes got given away because we moved to Alabama.

I CAN'T see another version with CHANGES, because I HATE CHANGE! I KNOW that makes me a COLONIST RACIST! The most HORRIBLE thing is I don't even care that I'm a MONTER who doesn't deserve to LIVE anymore! #PeterPanLive made that clear nine years ago! I'll be alive ten years from now. “Peter Pan” Is tied to me being TransMasc, Mary Matin was my Trans Role-Model, so it’s Autistic Confort Media, so changing it is TERRIFYING.

#musicals #mary martin #peter pan #Trans Role-Model #Peter Pan on Tour

[daggerpawstudios]

Rosegarden Week Day 7 ❤️💚🌹: Proposal | Will You Marry me...

Years had passed after the defeat of Salem at Vale, but that does not mean her influence had vanished from Remnant completely. Some still lived in fear, while others became worshippers of Salem. Despite the fear, small groups of people were brave enough to face the future and live. The Gods had restored magic to humanity, allowing semblances to become whole once more.

Oscar had returned to Haven and sat in his room, reflecting on his journey. For the past four years, Ruby and he have been traveling while helping as many people as possible. Blake and Yang had retired after the war and started a family together. Weiss had returned to Schnees to help the Atleasians rebuild Atlas and help her brother reclaim the Schnee name. Ruby had even received a letter from her stating that she was also seeing someone now. Nora and Ren were happy, and Jaune was living his dream as a huntsman. His family was proud of him.  

 While the others had relaxed, Ruby and Oscar were on edge. They traveled all over together to ensure that no remnants of Salem existed. On the journey, their feelings for each other grew more. They had revisited Atlas, Vacuo, Vale, and now Mistral. They recalled their journey together and decided to stop at Oscar's house before returning to Vale.

Oscar entered his room and quickly realized he had outgrown this room so much. The dust covered the majority of the furniture in the room. He walked deeper into the room and found the book he was reading before he left the farm. He began turning the pages and started to chuckle to himself.

"How long has it been?" He thought to himself

" I have been gone for six years. They could have at least kept my room clean." He snarked out loud as he waited for a response from Ozpin.

But no response came.

His happy expression changed to sadness as he recalled that Ozma had finished his journey. Ozpin, the chosen warrior, had died after completing his mission and left Oscar with magic power. Oscar missed him dearly. He knew Ozpin was pleased because he could die knowing the future was in good hands.

A knock suddenly came at the door, and Oscar turned around.

Ruby walked in.

Ruby had retired her combat gear and changed into a long black dress with a slit at the side. It went well with her red hood cloak.

" Are you feeling nostalgic?" Commented Ruby as she gently placed her hands in front of her.

"Yeah, I was." Said Oscar.

' It is weird...Everything is so calm, and humanity is finally able to thrive. I feel like I was fighting forever. Even the creatures of Grimm are gone now. " Said Ruby.

"Yeah, it is. I was worried, but I kind of miss Oz." Oscar admitted to Ruby.

Ruby smiled.

" So, you miss yourself? After all, you are the wizard, you know. " Said Ruby as she walked up to him and held his hand.

"Right... I guess. I am just confused by the calmness of everything. Cinder, Tyrian, and Salem are gone." Said Oscar as Ruby gently touched his face and listened to him speak.

" Trust me. I understand wholeheartedly. What should we do now?" Asked Ruby.

"Anything you would like." Said Oscar as he kissed her hand and gently caressed it.

Ruby turned slightly red and coughed.

" Um..."

" You know, Patch is a nice island for settling down. A dusty old crow told me." Said Ruby as he avoided eye contact with him.

" Oh, did he? Would a warrior be fine with domestic life?" Asked Oscar.

"Well....There is no war. Plus, I can always help people locally or take an overseas mission and come back. " Laughed Ruby nervously as she loosened Oscar's grip on her hand and started explaining.

There is also a teaching position open at Beacon. There is a cute wizard that would be perfect for it. It is an agriculture course, his favorite subject. " Continued Ruby.

" Yes."

" Yes to the job?" Asked Ruby nervously.

"Yes to both."

Ruby's face started to turn red.

" Four years have passed since the battle to save humanity. I think it is time for both of us to live our lives." Said Oscar.

Oscar walked over to ruby and gently interlocked his fingers with her, and they touched foreheads.

"Yeah, you are right." Laughed Ruby as they continued to touch foreheads.

Oscar then leaned forward and kissed her. 

#rosegarden #rwby rosegarden #rosepine #rwby #ruby rose #rosegarden week #rg week nov 2022 #rwby ruby #rwby oscar #oscar x ruby #oscar pine

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Been a while since we did this: It’s midnight and I’m thinking about six of crows, so let’s chat. I’m currently thinking about the experiences of Wylan and Inej echoing each other on opposite ends of the spectrum of cruelty created by the environment in Ketterdam, because ultimately it’s a system that favours no-one but the men who created it. Even though Inej is a foreign immigrant brought to the country against her will and Wylan was born to one of the richest families in the country, they both suffer greatly at its hands - arguably even in similar ways.

*Spoilers ahead!!!!*

Ok so this particular thought occurred to me a little while ago, and it was first sparked by the conversation Van Eck has with Inej at the beginning of Crooked Kingdom when holding her captive. He tells her he is not “a brute” but has simply “employed the methods you are most accustomed to - threats, violence” and her immediate response is “He sounded like Tante Heleen”. She goes on to remember Heleen’s words saying “Why do you make me do these things? You bring these punishments on yourself, girl”. So of course there’s this immediate link between them, and I would argue that the parallels are perpetuated throughout the novel as well. Quickly want to add as well that it’s really interesting to see Tante Heleen call her “girl”, because although this denies Inej identity and aligns greatly with the way she sobs at hearing her own name said aloud for the first time in a year when she meets Kaz, it doesn’t come across as immediately dehumanising in the way that other epithets used against her, like “little Lynx”, do. But interestingly enough, I actually think that it still is a dehumanising word when it comes from Heleen - because she does not see “her girls” as human. First of all, whenever the children at the Menagerie are referred to as “girls” it’s always in an entirely possessive manner - “your girl will he returned to you” “where is my girl?” “That is not my girl” (these are literally all from one scene, and there are way more throughout the books) - but the idea is only intensified by Inej’s own sentence: “not really people, not even really girls.”. As if “girls” and “people” are two separate entities. As if “girls” are not human. This is the language and the attitude that she was surrounded by at the Menagerie and is still surrounded by in the city, and what was forced upon her throughout her experiences in the country. But you know what else might be a genuinely horrifying little detail of this????? Inej may have actually taught herself that the words “people” and “girls” are not synonymous. Because when Inej was brought to Kerch she wasn’t fluent in the language, she spoke some of it and quickly learnt the rest through circumstance, so if this was the way she heard Kerch people use the word “girl” this is how she would internalise the definition of it. I hope this makes sense I’m not sure if I’m relating my thoughts very clearly, it’s kind of like how Matthias was forced to learn Kerch because he was in a Kerch prison so he doesn’t know words that would easily come to him in Fjerdan, like the snow goggles, but instead of simply having gaps Inej has actually learnt a false grammar system that defines “girl” as a dehumanising term because it means someone who is less than or someone who is property. Anyway, that was quite a tangent so let’s keep going.

I talked quite a lot about Wylan’s experience with abuse in my post about the similarities between him and Kaz so I won’t go into too much detail here (if you want to read that though it’s on my page, it’s called Kaz and Wylan’s Potential to Become Each Other, I can tag anyone who’d like to be tagged) but I want to mention the way Van Eck has conditioned his son to blame himself for everything he’s been through, rather than his father. Wylan actively blames himself, even after he discovers what his father did to Marya he says to Jesper “you don’t understand, it’s my fault” because he believes that Van Eck needed a convenient way of getting rid of her so he could remarry and have a child that he didn’t view as “defective”.

I want to talk about Inej during the bathroom scene in Crooked Kingdom, specifically focusing on the fact that this is really the moment she is most open about her trauma and reveals herself to be at her most vulnerable. Now I could talk for DAYS about the way she expresses herself in this scene in comparison to Kaz and why their vulnerabilities differ in different moments, but I’m trying to stay on track so maybe I’ll talk about that another time, the focus here is that in this moment when she is her most open with another character about what she went through she tells Kaz that “Tante Heleen wasn’t always cruel” and explains emotional abuse and manipulation that Heleen layered with her physical and financial abuse. It so importantly echoes Van Eck’s abuse of Wylan, because ultimately he was always an emotionally abusive and manipulative person. Discovering that Wylan couldn’t read at age 8 didn’t magically switch him from a loving husband and father to the monster we see in the duology, and it is implied that he was abusing Marya in some form prior to sending her away. But Wylan clings to the things that his father did that seem loving, at least on the surface, and blames himself for any problems in his parents marriage - “they argued a lot, sometimes about me. But I remember them laughing a lot too”. (The quote is along those lines sorry I don’t have my book on me right now). This quote always intrigued me because not only does Wylan label himself as the common denominator in any issues they had, he also quickly jumps in to add defence as if their relationship is never supposed to be touched upon or examined too closely. Wylan also says “My father trusts himself first, Alys only so far”, which is really interesting to me because it clearly implies that there is a limit to anything positive Van Eck shares with his supposed loved ones. I don’t think there’s supposed to be any implication that Van Eck is abusing Alys right now, but if you disagree please let me know if be interested to hear it, but I do think that we’re supposed to be aware that he would begin to do so further down the line.

Ok I won’t lie to you guys I’ve kind of lost track of my point, so I’m gonna leave this here for now and if I decide to add anything later then I’ll reblog to continue. If anyone would like to add anything please do, and thanks for reading!

#grishaverse #leigh bardugo #six of crows #crooked kingdom #inej ghafa #nina zenik #kaz brekker #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #kanej #helnik #wesper #soc jesper #soc #soc matthias #soc nina #soc inej #soc kaz #soc wylan #wylan and jesper #nina and matthias #kaz and inej

[but-ter-flie-ge]

'Ollo

I'm back. Pahahaha. That sounded so menacing in my brain. Anyways it's six of crows time again. Crazy I know.

I reread the first book and had to get some thoughts out of my jelly brain:

Firstly: the last time I read the duology I didn't really get the hype around the first book.

It just wasn't that interesting to me and the whole ice court heist felt very... faulty and too fast paced. Everything was kind of weirdly put together and rushed. Fight scenes. Emotional scenes. Most of it except for the flashbacks and the banter felt too quick.

I couldn't connect with the characters and I feel like I also didn't really understand a lot of them. Maybe the fact that I read it in German changed something as well, probably changed something.

Now being older and rereading it after the show while properly indulging in the fandom I found myself enjoying every interaction between the characters and actually really noticed a lot of their growth. I appreciate them more and while reading I could overlook that the ice court heist still felt weird. Or rather the heist wasn't weird but it's weird to me that people call it an absolute masterpiece.

I think it should just be seen as something that it is: "A bunch of messed up teenagers doing the impossible with the help of luck and a few good tricks."

That's a mindset I ought to keep when musing about the heist, I suppose. I'm not sure if it was intended as such but it is what I gathered from it.

Secondly: I cherish the characters way more than before and that makes a major difference. Since what I've mentioned before and I have been constructing the characters in my brain as who they are and what I appreciate about them the first book became 10 times better.

This point is also related to the fact that everything feels rushed because when you barely know the characters their banter might be funny but it doesn't affect you as much as it does once you know them. Now it feels like you're reading of friends joking around instead of strangers.

Kaz:

During the first read I really despised Kaz. I may said I found him interesting but now I feel more like I just said that out of a want to understand what the rest of the world apparently agreed upon which is that Kaz is phenomenal. He's great he's wonderful and a big player when it comes to book crushes.

What I can say is that the TV series really helped me understand and ultimately like Kaz more. Specifically the second season. In the first season, I don't connect Book-Kaz with the Kaz on screen but the second season did him justice. To a degree. (Idk why he gives Nikolai his cane (please fix that)) Probably also because in season 2 he was in his actual plot and habitat.

This time when I write:"I find him interesting." I mean it. I actually really enjoy watching how his character moves and tada! I now even acknowledge his crush on Inej. Because in my first read I subconsciously never really believed him. He was too much of an asshole to me. But even if I believed him I didn't have any pity left to sympathize with him. Blinded by hate I suppose.

This time I actually had an understanding of his actions, why he takes them, and what they mean to him.

I still view him as a ruthless fucker who only has space for himself when it comes to his friends but it's easier to bear when I actually want to know more about his rage and logical reasoning. The way he gets to where he is.

Inej:

In the first read, I may liked Inej. In the second read, I put her on a pedestal and prayed next to her feet every night.

I don't know what hold me from seeing Inej for who she is in my first read but I know that now I could explode with love for her. It's funny to me because I thought I quite enjoyed reading about her but for some reason, it intensified.

Anyways her character growth and the resolve she finds in herself to say no, choosing what's best for her. Oof-

Also, Danielle Galligan (actress of Nina Zenik) said that Inej is just so authentic she brings other people to be truthful in her presence. I just really loved that statement.

Nina and Jesper:

I still adore both of them as I did when I first read it. Nothing much changed. Except maybe it got worse. But all in all, I'm the same old simp.

Wylan and Matthias:

Matthias I found way funnier. During the first read, I was just hating on him for obvious reasons. And even at the end of it all I wasn't a big fan and I didn't grab a lot of his pov nor what Nina meant when she said that he's just a boy with rage planted inside of him.

Now I understand that better and of course, he's still an annoying stupid big honk that doesn't know shit about the world but at least his confusion and the others mocking him were enjoyable. And the character development will forever make me happy.

I adore him and Nina. They're so sweet together and I didn't think I'd ever say that after my first read. But here we are. What a journey it has been.

It's the same as the first time with Wylan. I loved him but I didn't get any chapters from his pov so I was pissed. The show slaughtered the reveal of his dyslexia which I still don't support but maybe they can make the angst work somehow if there's to be a spin-off.

Also, I was scared that he would be useless throughout the whole book. Because in my memory, he wasn't but maybe that's just my old memory blinded by the pink glasses.

However, I think it's often hard to judge Wylan on this since he operates more in the background and with the few resources he has. Of course, he's still a weight the others drag along during the heist but let's be honest: Wylan was less of a problem than other characters messing up.

Obviously one has to consider that Wylan doesn't get the big jobs to begin with but one can counter-argue that Kaz could've left Pekka alone in the cell instead of taking too long and risking all their lives for his vendetta.

This reminds me: the scene where Kaz exposes Jesper about having told a dime lion he's leaving town will forever make me mad for this exact reason.

Kaz says he can't trust Jesper anymore. He says he wanted to punish him by not telling him about Wylan looking like Kuwei or that Wylan and Nina were actually safe when Van Eck destroyed their ship.

I don't even know where to start. Did Kaz ever really trust Jesper? Don't think so. He just knew how to use him but trust? The only one he ever conceded to was Inej which could be considered a spark of trust. That's it. I feel like he doesn't have the right to speak of trust when all he ever gave were simple orders.

Then his thoughts about punishing him.

Dear Kazzle Dazzle, did anyone punish you when your weakness showed and you collapsed in a prisoner wagon even though you knew this could've happened? Did anyone punish you when you left Nina alone in the corridor of a high-security prison? Did anyone punish you when you sent Nina in a death trap with Matthias and Brum that could've gone very wrong very quickly? It was a gamble and he says it himself. He even says he would be the one to pay for all these "tree jokes". But no Kaz. You wouldn't have been the one to take the brunt of this. It would've been Nina. She would've paid with her consciousness. Worse than death.

Nina was lucky that luck was on your side. I guess the third scenario is still very different from the first and second ones because at least Kaz tried to save her but nonetheless it annoyed me that he made it about himself. I get why but the why doesn't help him.

Thirdly: I have my problems with the writing style and plot.

By no means am I a professional especially not when it comes to English as it is not my mother tongue but I just wanted to describe the feeling I've got from it.

This is a tricky one because I'm not the biggest fan of either. I mean the only reveals or plot-twists that really hit home are the ones not related to the ice court. So the biggest portion of the book I wasn't too keen whenever some grand scheme worked because it didn't seem like a scheme at all. It was a lot of luck.

In the first read that bothered me. In the second read it didn't too much.

The writing style isn't my favourite. I don't hate it though. I feel like some of the similes are pretty damn good and the train of thought of the characters and descriptions are nicely woven together. The dialogues are very strong and the banters may be some of the best I've ever read. Even fanfiction got some serious competition here.

However, as I said it felt rushed and like sometimes there wasn't the right feeling for how the scenes should end. When I first read it I found this even worse than in my second read. For instance, the fight with Jesper and Wylan against the Tidemakers doesn't take much longer than a few seconds to read. But apparently, that fight had a big impact on Jesper. It's never mentioned again in the book but it's the start of him questioning whether he should go and learn about his powers. And since we already don't get any background about him in the first book I feel like this at least could've been a longer struggle.

In conclusion, I know it's not all about the plot and a book can be about good characterization and everything. But I also know that I can love something and still criticise it. Usually makes the media even better.

The characters are where the book shines which means a reread or watching the show and then reading it feels like the smarter option to me. It's worth it and it lets you see things in a different light. That's me speaking from my subjective point of view but it's also my review so. Get wrecked I guess?

#six of crows #soc #leigh bardugo #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #nina zenik #review #very serious specific letter at #kazzle dazzle #we have beef #but its okay #slay

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Have you thought why s2 is so bad? I'm not just talking about darklina but in general. Most fans didn't like It, regardless of who you ship or which character you like. Why did they make it like this? Are they dislike their own project? Or want to be canceled? Or they just want to get a spin-off so bad so they just don't care about main show? If sab cancel they will not see spin off. Also this stupid idea of putting two volumes in one season, I'm just trying to understand why they decided to make the second season the way it came out

I talked a little about this before but I really do think it comes down to a misjudgement on their part. They were super excited to get to a particular plot point from the crows book series. I don't know much about it as I've not read those books but I've seen alot of crow fans talking about hellgate heist I think, correct me if I am wrong. But I think the writers saw that the crow fans were excited for the story to reach that point, they could see that the crows were popular within the series and so they thought because the fans liked the crows and the book readers were excited to get to that point in their story that they could just rush through the grishaverse trilogy and no one would care because they'd just be too hyped to get to the crows story. Basically I think they've overestimated how much pull the crows had on the audience. Yes they are popular but that didn't mean that the audience wanted a rushed mess for season 2, they still wanted the show to take the time to develop the characters and show their journey.

After the backlash the team's response was to say please watch the show so we can get a crows spin off, again hoping that the popularity of the crows would be enough to encourage people to sit through the mess that was season 2 just so they could get the spin off. They didn't promise that if they got a season 3 they would take more care with the story and characters they just again tried to push the crows onto viewers.

The problem is two fold. One is that there are some people, like myself who haven't read all the books, or might not have read any of the books and so don't know what this exciting crow storyline they were rushing to get to is. So all they saw was the carelessness with which the writers treated the characters they had loved in season 1. Another problem I think (obviously I can't speak for the crow book fans so this is just speculation on my part) is that those who were excited to see that storyline from the six of crows books lost faith in the writers after they saw what they did with season 2, why would they assume that the writers are going to treat the crows characters with any care or respect after what they did to the grishaverse characters?

Ultimately they might have utterly shot themselves in the foot and ruined any chance they had at having a season 3 of SaB or a Crows Spin off. Anyone else getting a Benioff and Weiss flashback, rush a perfectly great series to get to a project you care more about only to create a shitshow and a hell of alot of backlash instead. 🤷‍♀️

#shadow and bone #sab season 2

[proudfreakmetarusonniku]

so. had thoughts about a dsmp pokemon au.

Clem is like N from Black & White: she can understand, and even speak to, pokemon.

Dream can't. understand them, per se, but he knows like. body language and stuff. y'know what i mean.

Clem was practically raised in the wild by pokemon, three of which are the rest of SBI (Phil is a Corviknight, because Crow, Techno is an Emboar, because Pig, and Wil is a Zoroark, purely because Vibes). they've also got a Leavanny (i think those pokemon sew, like i remember that being a thing), an Eevee (that eventually evolves into a Sylveon), and a Fennekin (Fundy; Wilbur found him and brought him back).

Tubbo and Ranboo are trainers alongside Clem. Tubbo is a Grass and Steel trainer, and Ranboo is a Psychic, Dark, and sometimes Ghost trainer. they both found a Tepig, and they both care for him (guess who this is :])

here's some various things that happen, some funny and wholesome, and others...less so:

- Clem just wandered out of the woods one day, and she met Tubbo after entering the nearby town.

- Clem will sometimes, mid-battle, tell the other trainer if their pokemon isn't doing too hot, even if this hurts her chances at winning the battle. she cares for all the pokemon; she was practically raised by them, after all.

- so. Zoroarks aren't able to actually shapeshift, but they can practically cast an illusion around themself that functions like shapeshifting, and it can even allow them to replicate human speech. Wilbur uses it to look human, so that Clem doesn't have to get people Losing It over the fact that Clem does, in fact, have a pokemon for an older brother.

- c!Prime stuff does still happen. unfortunately

- literally none of Clem's team like Dream. at all. Wilbur is almost constantly glaring daggers at Dream, as a human and as a pokemon.

- Clem is one of those trainers who doesn't keep their pokemon in pokeballs. yes, this does mean that it's constantly followed by six whole pokemon. well, it appears to everyone else like five whole pokemon plus A Random Tall Man With Curly Brown Hair. because Wilbur's a Zoroark

- due to growing up with pokemon in the wilderness, Clem is a lot more knowledgeable in certain survival skills, and it makes them look a bit weird. for example:

Ranboo, coming across a berry tree: aw man, i don't think we can get any berries :( it's fine, we'll just get to a store and-

Clem, who already climbed up the tree and got multiple berries, and is currently handing some to Tubbo:

- so. funny thing: due to Wilbur being known as Clem's Very Human Older Brother, while also being a part of her pokemon team, makes gym battles. Rather Interesting:

Wilbur, clearly exasperated and mildly injured, coming up to hug Clem after she won a gym badge: Wow Clem, you did so well, i'm proud of you! :]

Quackity, who saw five pokemon walk in with the Crimeboys, and then remembers Wilbur "mysteriously" disappearing right before the battle, and then Clem suddenly had six pokemon:

(yeah, no /r c!TNTduo here. but there is c!Quackcicle though. fun fact: Quackity is a Dark-Flying type gym leader. guess what his gym is based off of)

that's all i can think of atm, but!! i like this au :]

is slimecicle a ditto

also based of you to clearly realise gen 5 best gen