#so he doesn't remember the first time meeting matthias at all

[mattodore]

i need to know how matthias and theodore meet.

please 👉🏻👈🏻

they've had two separate first meetings—one that theo doesn't remember and one that he does :) i'll have to get back to you on this one another day bc it's still being worked out in my little brain and i may have a little edit coming for it... maybe☝️

#river dipping #asks #anonymous #echthroi #theodore doe #matthias evanoff #a burning house to live in #s: echthroi #oc extras #thank you for asking <33 we're holding hands and i'm looking you in the eyes while typing this #but like i took these pics w/ these poses i made and i'm like... this could be their first meeting but at the same time idk if i like it #for the canon of the story or not so i shan't say......... but yea they've had two separate meetings.................. #as you can imagine if u read theo's little backstory i wrote there are times when his memory lapses #so he doesn't remember the first time meeting matthias at all #the second time they meet is with sehyuk there too... if that gives any kind of hint as to how they meet again lmao

[malehypnofantasy]

Aside from Casey, millions of people celebrated their birthday on the same day as him. Some of them celebrated the exact same 21st birthday like Casey. But only one of them also gained the revelation of his power that day, and he's not hesitating to try it on to the masses right away

Jens is working front desk in the local gym of his small hometown just a couple hour away south of Stockholm. He didn't need any messenger whatsoever to work on his power as he's been listening to his family about their respective power when they reached 21 years of age. Jens just tapped into his enhanced inner self right when the clock hit midnight and realized that mind control is his power. He smirked as he jumped from his bed right away and started to affect all his slumbering family member with his power, turning them into bunch of normies as he rewired their brain to never remember about magic whatsoever. His mom would be able to counter such move if only she woke up at that time and started to create protection from Jens magic for everyone in the family, yet she's too tired after preparing all the things needed to celebrate Jens birthday. After practically killing his family by making them normal, he simply walked back to bed, excited for the sun to shine quickly

The birthday surprise turned out to be quite nice and Jens enjoyed it very much, especially with his older siblings unable to ruin it with their powers anyway and just genuinely be happy for him. After all the hubbubs, Jens said goodbye to his family as he headed to the gym to start the execution of his plan

The gym is not necessarily crowded in the early morning, so Jens worked with whoever audience that is already available inside the gym. Without even speaking or anything, a simple eye contact is enough to freeze his target. He's slightly drained from making sure all his family member's mind altered, so he needed this extra step of eye contact for now until his whole power recharged. The first target, Erik quickly forced to stand up straight, his gasping breath instantly normalized as his whole body conditioned to be relaxed yet firm.

Jens then started his rewriting process, infiltrating Erik's mind and rearranging it as he wished. After around a minute, Jens controlled Erik to sit down and then just for the fun of it, start jacking his dick off while Jens continued his round of takeover.

Matthias witnessed the weird interaction and rough transition of Erik from being exasperated to then froze off before jacking his own dick in the middle of the gym, but he's directly in the eyesight of Jens so he also quickly froze, his slack-jawed gaping mouth forced to close by Jens as he doesn't want to get distracted while rewriting Matt's brain

The muscle freak is an owner of an "intelligence-led security company" or basically paramilitary troopers and Jens saw certain potential from him, so a meeting will be set later on the day by Matthias with all of his employees attending the meeting where Jens will do his specialty, hopefully recharged and ready to create further mess and expand his control by that time

Not only Matthias, his working out buddy and spotter, Anton, also frozen as soon as his eyes met Jans eyes.

The former Captain in Swedish Army succumbed all the state secrets within his mind as Jans sees fit while Jans also explored everything that exist within. Jens smirked upon seeing the loving memories of the captain's family, which he quickly erased as he then planted this idea that Anton is nothing but a cum slut for Matthias which Matthias exploited really well for the benefit of his company. Matthias is also the one that dragged Anton to work under Jens service, and it's not like he can say no when his master told him to. It's a rather twisted approach that he took, but Jens cannot help himself but laughing on the irony of it all as Anton used to be sleeping with Matthias ex-girlfriends and were the one causing Anton remaining single until now. Guess he bring karmic redsitribution right away for the douchebag Anton rather than waiting for universe to punish him much later

Nils Andreesen (L), Jakob Ericsson (R) and William Gustafsson (B) also fell victim to Jens mind control as they were in the gym already by the time Jens started his rewriting process with Erik. Jakob is the Vice-Mayor and Jens already proposed several regulation and procedure which Jakob will enforce after his gym session finished and the time to works started. A townhall is also requested by Jens to be held the following week, where he will demonstrate the power he has in an even-larger scale

Based on Nils memories, a guy is already inside the locker room as he came early to the gym. It's the gym owner's son, Leo, and with Leo being in the inner circle of the Prime Minister daughter as he went to the same uni as her and used to fuck her until last winter, taking him over becomes important. Jens rushed himself to the locker room and then quickly searched for Leo. Much to his luck, Leo haven't left the gym premise so he quickly shouted on top of his lung by calling Leo's name. Leo turned around and that was the start of his downfall as he just froze all in a sudden.

Wasting no time, Jens quickly built the basic narrative he built in to everyone that they are nothing but Jens loyal servant and will do anything for him and his satisfaction. And then, upon realizing that Leo is in a call, he let Leo returned to normal for a quick second, ended the call and proceed with the rewriting of Leo's mind.

"We are a very tight-knit bro ever since we were kids. I'm your closest friend and you share everything to me, your sadness, your anger, your pain, even your own free-will. You are nothing but a putty little bitch everytime there's only the two of us, and you are so eager to please me. Heck, you always love to sniff and lick my sweat after my workout right? In fact, that's why you are still here, because you are patiently waiting for me to come and give you your morning nutrient. So, in the count of three, you'll start licking me and worshipping my body until I tell you to stop, okay? One, two, three,"

Leo's dark brooding eyes quickly turned hungry and filled with lust as he's positioned on his knee while Jens sweaty body towered over him, showing him who's the boss in the situation and why Leo is nothing but a dutiful servant to fulfill all Jens desired. As the sweat dropped from Jens chin right to the confined erection beneath his black sweatpants, Leo then goes to town with his tongue as his hand started to slide down Jens pants while sniffing and licking Jens crotch intimately

This is just the beginning of Jens utopia, and he's nowhere near finish

#jens' arc #male mind control #male hypno

[fanfic-corner]

AO3 Wrapped

Happy New Year everyone!! Although 2023 has been hard, it's nice to look back on everything we've achieved over the year before starting 2024. So here are all the fics I wrote this year!

Grishaverse

things we don't say (14k)

Inej's phone has been silent for two months.

OR

Inej and Kaz have broken up. Jan Van Eck has locked Wylan in the house and pulled him out of the university, preventing him from marrying Jesper.

There's only one logical solution to the two conundrums: a heist.

I love this series and this felt like a wonderful conclusion to characters I adore.

meet-cute (3k)

meet-cute

noun

(in a film or television programme) an amusing or charming first encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship between them.

One meet-cute isn't enough for Jesper and Wylan. Here's the story of their first two.

Inspired by the series, I thought I'd write a little bit of wesper fluff, never realising I may never see them again :')

dream of better nights (1k)

Nina hasn't fought so hard and so long to let Matthias stay in Hellgate.

I couldn't leave them apart like that!

Fairytale of Ketterdam (2k)

Kaz has dreamed of seeing Inej again for two years.

He wasn't expecting to find out she's coming home from an idiot. An idiot who's kidnapped him. An idiot who wants to ruin the Feast of Saint Nikolai by destroying Kaz's family.

Luckily, Dirtyhands - for the first time in a long time - has backup.

A little Kaz-centric fic for the Grishaverse Secret Santa!

The Last of Us

hold me close to your heart (2k)

Joel convinces Ellie to come back to Jackson before they rush into a cure. And in the meantime, he's tasked with the very important job of finding her new nickname.

AO3 went down immediately after I finished TLOU and then this happened!

Safe as Houses (7k)

Making it back to Jackson doesn't promise Joel and Ellie safety. But it does offer them one thing the open road didn't: a home.

This was so much fun to write... Joel and Ellie are just Tony and Peter in a different font!

Marvel

the ripples they cause (111k)

There is exactly one person who remembers the name Peter Parker, and that’s Spider-Man. Although the spell prevented the multiverse from tearing itself apart, Peter’s problems are far from over. The number of people calling for his arrest grows every day, and it’s not easy to live your life when you no longer exist.

Luckily for him, the apartment above him belongs to two really good lawyers, and they know every vigilante in the city. With their help — and the assistance of two Avengers intent on rising from the dead — Peter may just be able to find his way in this strange new world.

I started this in 2022, but finishing it in May this year was one of my proudest achievements. To write a novel-length fanfic and finish the ending I wish No Way Home had meant a lot, so thank you to all the wonderful people who commented and egged me on!

what it means to be a person (currently 28k)

Nearly a year after the spell that erased Peter Parker, he finds himself chained to his old mentor. Literally.

Tony Stark has been running from his memories of Thanos for two years, burying himself in work and spending time with the family he nearly lost. But when a cunning new villain kidnaps Spider-Man to get to him, they’ll have to work together to escape with their lives.

But Spider-Man is just a kid. A kid who seems to have the answers to every hole in Tony’s memory. And he’ll do anything to protect the one person who might finally let him rest.

I just love making everyone cry. Both at my update schedule and emotions.

According to AO3, I wrote a whopping 173,000 words this year! Here's to even more fanfic next year 🎉

#love making these posts because I get to actually see all the fics I've written #I'd completely forgotten about some of them! #marvel #spider-man #peter parker #tony stark #irondad #grishaverse #kanej #helnik #wesper #the last of us #joel miller #ellie williams #my writing

[lilisouless]

OK, I remember you once either said or maybe rebloged something that said, inej wouldn't simply walk into the menagerie without being triggered and how her not being able to get revenge on Heleen is a disregard of her trauma.

But, inej is aged up in show, it is possible that, she can control her triggers better now. And killing heleen was necessary to set up the pekka rollins' downfall plotline. Yeah it's messy but, it's not that bad.

I imagine the writers weren't happy with it either, but alas they had to combine the stroylines, cuz netflix didnt think anyone would watch SoC/SaB stand-alone shows/movies

And it's not like inej doesn't get to show any rage, she kills that taxidermist in that fight scene, it was really good and satisfying to watch. She fights alongside aline, who went from being her god to being her friend, she gets to go on her own journey to find her brother and avenge him.

I like 2 think that the show has decided to focus more on inej's growth and overcoming trauma, in a more, self-healing (?) Way. One that isn't related to anger or revenge or violence.

Let’s not pretend Inej’s storyline being toned down isn’t a consequence of Netflix’s massive Kaz preference. Inej’s villain gets killed in favor of KAZ. You exchange her big moment, the equivalent of Kaz vs Pekka with…a mook? A character we just meet? How is that satisfactory compared to Heleen herself?

Sure in CK she gets a glorified mook with main character syndrome as well but by that time she already had her shot against Heleen

“Killing Heleen was necessary” no it wasn’t, the Pekka Rollins storyline didn’t have to be like that, the writers were just too lazy to think on something better than Walmart Crooked Kingdom, i would have been okay with an original storyline like in S1

Speaking of which, the crow’s storyline on the first season was far from good considering they accomplished barely anything but at least there was an attempt to connect it to the main storyline and actually Inej is the only relevant crow (maybe Jesper too, if only as a wild card) on that season, because she does represents people that still have faith in the saints, it matches with Alina being used and having people trying to control her power while Inej needs to create her own power because people had tried to control her before.

In fact let’s check how much the crows actually contribute to the final battle, which ultimately defines their purpose to exist in the show

Season 1

-Inej, trowing a knife to Alina (something)

-Kaz , being there (so, nothing)

-Jesper , a secret weapon aka, gets rid of Ivan (so, it manages to be something)

-Nina & Matthias (nothing)

- Wylan, saving Kaz’s ass indirectly (so, if Kaz does nothing, his thing automatically traslates to nothing)

Season 2

-Inej passing the blade to Alina (something…exactly the same as season 1)

-Kaz , NOTHING

-Jesper & Wylan, secret weapon again (so, like S1 Jesper it manages to be something)

- Nina , red herring (so, nothing)

-Matthias, wasting valuable screentime (aka nothing)

So Inej, relatively the crow that does the most for the main plot, the one that should matter, ends up giving up her main villain for a guy that on a wider view…Adds nothing at all! What was even the point on making Kaz the most centered crow if by the end of the day he ends up having the exact same relevance as freaking Matthias in hellgate?

On that season it’s actually Kaz who gets quite butchered for Inej’s sake, there were critism for both Kaz and Inej’s writing and here’s the diference :

The show crew heard what people said about Kaz and did their best to correct it , they didn’t do shit about the complaints about Inej

Now season 2, they already had a soc spinoff in mind so there’s already a work where Kaz can be the main character, because he is on the book. He has little to nothing to do with the main storyline, but Inej (by being who has the most connection to Alina) and Nina (actually knows and belonged to the first army and on the adaptation is told to know the villain himself) so making them front and center on the crows storyline seems to be the logical choice…but the Kaz boner is stronger than logic because otherwise i don’t get why he has to be the main here, specially if you are already planning a work where you can just put the whole Kaz things there where ,btw doesn’t take valuable time from Alina.

And yes, not every adaptation needs to be the same, but the thing is that the changes have to be equally good or better if you can, otherwise is just like “why did you tried to fix what was never broken?”

Season 1, on the subject of the original Alina storyline i consider was actually better than on the books, before s2 made him a redundant boring crybaby i actually liked the darkling more than on the book, Alina is very diferent too and i liked her better than in the book, and i don’t care if people disagree with me on this one : s1 Zoya is better than the misogyny bait Leigh made her on the first book.

So as you can see it’s not just “changed from the book” it’s the implications and the blatant preference for Kaz , the original author never let her own liking for Kaz (he is clearly her favorite) to get in the way of building Inej nor the other crows

This whole “the crows were aged up” excuse only serves so far, because Inej aged up implies she spend more time on the menagerie than book!Inej did , being older doesn’t mean you magically will heal from trauma. You have the whole picture of Kaz on season 2, you are shown the source of the trauma and the consequences, you don’t get it for Inej. If you don’t believe me, go ask how many people who only have watched the show doesn’t know Inej has very serious problems with touch like Kaz (she is even said to get nervous from having men smiling at her) because the writers certainly don’t

Doesn’t mean Inej is a bad character on the show, she has a lot of saving graces and for what’s left it’s a good character because she still has Inej’s good traits, unlike let’s say Nina (she is the only character i considered to be completely ruined) who is just awful and only gets saved for some comedic bits and the actress but complaining about Inej it’s not being a purist, because mostly it’s about how the preference of Kaz affected her (it affected Alina too but that’s another subject)

The only reason i am not making it a sex thing it’s because 1) some female characters like Baghra,Genya and freaking Sankta Neyar were given more to do and i consider their thing quite satisfying, 2)there were male characters like Mal,David and Adrik that also took a hit, so while there were more women who got hit in favor of men ; Inej , Alina (Kaz) Tamar and Nadia (Tolya) and Nina got it for free, i choose to point out that this was in consequence of having more important female characters than males.

Sorry for the long text, but it was needed. It’s not “it’s bad because it’s different from the book” just for the sake of it, it was because on the book it was like that for a good reason, the show didn’t have a good reason, their reason was elevating Kaz at the expense of Inej.

#netflix shadow and bone #six of crows #leigh bardugo #grishaverse #crooked kingdom #inej ghafa

[vole-mon-amour]

2x02. Now that I started watched s2, how do I peel myself off the screen and do things irl? Lol. I'm already glued to this season.

Alina standing behind Mal's back to kind of shield him is so sweet?

I don't understand though, Nikolai IS the king, no? I remember this pretense when he met Kaz. He was honored to meet the Bastard of the Barrel. But what is going on here & why does no one recognize him? Sure, he worked hard to build him reputation, but I'm a bit confused. (Which won't make me pick up the books about Nikolai again, lol. I was done with it the first time.)

It's been a hot minute & I'm already tired of this Mal/Alina/Darkling triangle. Especially when I remember that Darkling is supposed to be a grow ass adult, way older than Alina, and both Alina and Mal are supposed to be teens. Like, my dude, what did you find there? I'd never want to deal with a teen, and definitely not pine after her. Fast forward, "My Alina." DUDE. WAKE UP. What are you, five?

Hmmm? Hmmm. I can twist it into "He keeps her safe no matter how painful that is for him", which would be fun. The acknowledgment of her being terrified of it all, though.

Genya looks kind of weird this season. I feel like it's the wig.

No but the details. The clothes. Oh, I doubt we'll see the masquerade, but I'd LOVE to see it. It was such a fun scene in the book.

Oooh. That is GOOD. As much as I'd love the crows to have their own show and see CK page by page being shown to us, I didn't think they'll go there. Aside from Jordie giving me Sam Drake vibes, this is a nice visual. Though I believe they were younger in the book?

Speaking of, are we getting Wylan's backstory or? The way he slept in that cold and dirty bed, basically waiting to die? Bc rn Wylan is kind of doing alright? A bit hungry, but alright.

Oooh, Kaz sitting down next to Jesper? I like that. Honestly, if he sees a bit of Jordie in Jesper, it's basically trust. "I'm safe with you. I trust you with my life. You make mistakes, but..."

And THAT is where she becomes Kaz's friend. Their relationship in the book. <3

The "It's not enough to kill him" scene, though. The looks Inej, Jesper, and Nina give him. I rewatched it at least 3 times & WOW.

I love her and her personality SO. MUCH. If she was portrayed by a fatter actress, she would've been a perfect adaptation from books to tv screen.

<3 I am so glad Inej now had Nina. My girls.

Ooooh, Matthias remembering Nina, all the touches, the soft lips. Blaming himself, hating her, but also loving her and wanting her. *sigh* Yeeeah. That's a good adaptation as well. Though I still struggle see Matthias in this actor. Matthias was different.

Oh, that bastard. That expression. :')

Can anyone remind me if this was in the book? Because I am about to say a lot of shit about this. I absolutely HATE the vibe of "You're gonna have to used to me touching you, whether you like it or not" & I don't want to see it in the show, either, Back off, will you? Maybe that's why he sees Jordie in Jesper though? It's safety. No pushing. Jesper waits patiently.

Inej is a badass, but I absolutely hate when she becomes like that. "You gotta tell me. You can keep the others in the dark, but not me." Ughhh.

Lol. Is this a joke? She's twice as lighter as him. What are you doing?

YEP! The "I trust him" trope. Damn it, I love Kaz and Jesper's relationship.

"Long standing". You had to add the 'working', too, otherwise us shippers would lose our minds, huh?

You tell him.

"I don't hate Pekka Rollins cause he's not real." Well, sorry to be you. In moments like this one, especially in the book, it's rage for me. Die, asshole, die. Brick by brick, Kaz will destroy you.

Wheezing. Wylan is so pure. Doesn't know what to do yet. Not familiar with Kaz and his crew yet.

Jesper, you remembered in THIS position? :D What were you doing back then?

<3.

WHAT IS GOING ON :DD

One episode one hour long. I'm gonna need at least 3 days to watch this season, I feel like.

#sabn #natiswatching #kaz brekker #wylan van eck #wesper #jesper fahey #inej ghafa #anti kanej #(just in case) #darkling #nina zenik #malina #kazper

[swans-recs]

CINNAMON GIRL

THIS PIECE IS NOT MINE!!! I was asked to reupload this by my friend @jexnrey as she no more wishes to be part of the writer community but she still wants people to be able to read this. PROOF

DO NOT ASK ME FOR PART 2'S FOR THIS OR THE SORT, BECAUSE I DID NOT WRITE THIS AND THE REAL WRITER DOESN'T WRITE HERE ANYMORE!!

If you're interested in my Kaz stuff, it can be found here. pairings: kaz brekker x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of abuse and brief spoilers of kaz’s backstory.

summary: everyone had their own dark history that formed them into a foreboding person, and kaz was no exception; he had his fair share of demons, but he was itching to discover about yours and why you loathe the feeling of touch as much as he did but seek solace from him.

author’s note: kaz with my favorite lana song?? yes please!! do not translate or paste this on another platform strictly everything belongs to me, do not claim it as yours, do not plagiarize, thank you.

word count: 3.1k

KETTERDAM IS NOT a pleasant and welcoming city. In the filthy, morally repugnant, and dangerous place, battered and wounded individuals on the verge of death, criminals, thieves, and sinners were discovered. The city had corrupted the people with its savagery, where compassion and benevolence are seen as vulnerabilities, and it was irredeemable, tainting the citizens with the city's unrighteousness.

The Crows were no exception. They were also impacted by the darkness that Ketterdam had plagued them with; regardless of how young they were, whether a girl or a boy, they would be painted with the city's malice. Everyone had their own demons, something dreadful had occurred to them—it didn't matter what it was, for the demons and the city had shaped them into a person with a dark heart and a desire for cruelty.

Kaz had personal knowledge with this. He had been altered, like so many others, by the vile city's relentless brutality. With his sinister demeanor, or his lethal cane, where he might break a leg, or change a man's fortune, he was known as Dirtyhands. People feared him, and some had always wondered what had happened to Kaz Brekker to make him so merciless.

Of course, everything remained a mystery since no one dared to cross Kaz, including the Crows who were usually with him. They didn't want to meet death by Brekker's gloved hands just yet, even though they were plainly intrigued about the cunning yet deadly thief. The tragedy that transformed Kaz into the person he is today remained hidden, and others speculated that the city had done nothing to him and that he was born wicked.

They were not corrected by Kaz.

Matthias refers to him as demjin, which means demon in Fjerdan. It didn't bother Kaz; they could call him whatever they wanted; at the very least, they'd know he wasn't someone to tamper with. After all, he had a reputation to uphold, and if people feared him, then so be it. Kaz enjoyed the feeling of authority and domination among fools, and he relished seeing people's terror whenever he was near.

He was certain that he was born with a terribly malevolent nature. That perhaps the shadows had been there all along, seething inside only to become stronger when the feeling of vengeance overwhelmed him after a life full of treachery and violence, after Jordie's death and everything else that had made Kaz miserable before. He had his own darkness, but it was at odds with yours. How did you wind up with him and the Crows in Ketterdam?

Kaz remembered the day he first met you as if it had been scorched into his mind. Your hair was escaping out of its hair tie, framing your face in a frenetic and wild yet compelling way. You appeared to be running, your movements swift and efficient; you seemed to be young, similar to Kaz's age, yet there was still a youthful simplicity in you, one that he had lost a long time ago, buried in the waters and deepest depths of it.

He might have gone about his business; after all, the last thing on his mind was a girl, agitated and wounded amidst the city of Ketterdam's well-known lack of morality. To Kaz, it's a common sight, one that would even amuse him, but when he first saw you, there was something unusual about you. He didn't feel sorry for you but you seemed to be a fresh face, and Kaz Brekker must know everyone in the city. He needed to keep a watchful eye on everyone, especially any potential enemies.

On a dreary night in Ketterdam, where Kaz could hear the same rattling noises and smell the foul stench of blood and sins outside, he focused instead on the kruge on his table. He was counting everything carefully and silently, and when he heard the familiar faint footsteps, he didn't stop. Kaz didn't look up at the person, instead continuing to stare at the kruge as if it were about to vanish from his grasp. After a brief pause, he finally looked up.

He wasn’t surprised to see her. “Hello, Inej.”

Inej approached Kaz, who was standing behind the table, and gave him a distinctive nod as he looked down and arranged the kruge on the table. Her movements were light and stealthy, like the Wraith she was and Kaz suspected she had something to tell him. Inej only came to his office when she had something important to tell Kaz.

“I'm hoping you're not here to waste my time,” Kaz remarked, his voice flat and uninterested as usual. “Any valuable information?”

“It’s about the girl,” Inej started.

Kaz made a gesture of paying attention to her, but he was still gazing down at his money. “Girl?”

He could hear Inej's footsteps getting closer until she was directly across from him. “The one you said I should look into to find out who she is.”

For the first time since Inej went to his office, Kaz looked up with a gleam of pure interest in his dark eyes. “I’m listening.”

“She's a fresh face in the city—I once followed her on her way and discovered she lived near an elderly couple's bakery. She is new here in Ketterdam, and I hadn't heard about her until you told me to keep an eye on her,” Inej stated passively. “But, she is skillful. She was in a frenzy as she realized I was following her, so she became alarmed and attacked me.”

Kaz became increasingly intrigued. “Tell me you didn't kill her.”

Inej's dark eyes were frowning, but behind her mask and the darkness, Kaz couldn't see her entire face. “I didn’t and I wouldn't,” she said bluntly, as if the answer was self-evident. “She's brilliant, and despite being new to Ketterdam, she's already proven her potential.”

“What is her name?”

“Y/N L/N.” Inej replied. “Why the sudden interest in her?”

“Always be cautious of new people; they are unaccustomed with the ambience of Ketterdam, and it is wiser to get to know them before they identify themselves,” Kaz counseled. “She may be destructive, but based on what you said, she's entirely harmless.”

Inej shook her head, disbelieving. “Did the word 'skillful' escape your notice?”

Kaz wore a vacant smile. “I heard you just fine.”

“Kaz,” she said, her voice warning. “What are your intentions with her?”

“I won’t kill her, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Inej's eyes glowed with understanding, and Kaz battled the impulse to roll his eyes; why did it take her so long to realize?

Inej remarked, “You’re recruiting her in the Dregs.”

Kaz only wore a pleased expression.

You had adjusted well once you were recruited in the Dregs. Kaz remembered how, to his astonishment, a gun greeted his temple when he walked inside a small, cluttered space that he knows you call home. He followed Inej's directions, and your small abode was definitely close to the bakery run by an elderly couple. He could still remember the smell of the lingering pastries even in the middle of a wretched place you called home.

Kaz could see the survival instinct you implemented in your small home where there was collected foods, knives placed on the couch, and a blanket applied as a cover for the windows, and he observed his fascination with your cautiousness. You only let go of the gun after he assured you that he meant no harm and that he had a proposition for you.

That's how it all began. When Inej indicated you were competent, she was right. With the jobs Kaz had given you, you were swift and clever, as well as flawless. Perhaps your accomplishments were a way of repaying Kaz for providing you with a secure place to sleep and have a modest shelter. Not only that, but you'd formed close friendships with the Barrel's employees, particularly the Crows.

You were particularly fond of Inej. The one-time attack and brief fight against one another became a laughing memory as you both reminisced about it whenever you had the opportunity. There was no scorching animosity between you two, and you became inseparable as the days passed. Kaz remembered you blabbering your apologies to Inej after stabbing her in the leg when you realized she was following you. Inej could only chuckle heartily.

Matthias seemed to like you, much to Kaz's great shock, and he could see how you both chatted and spoke about things after each heist. Nina had mentioned that it was mundane at job when it was just her and Inej as the girls, and you were a wonderful addition. She had been pushing Kaz to make you a Crow for a while, but Kaz thought you weren't ready. You were only needed on occasion, not every time they pulled off a job.

You bonded well with Wylan as well, but Kaz sensed your apprehension towards Jesper. Kaz was initially perplexed; Jesper was a naturally cheerful person, and everyone seemed to enjoy his company. Not that you dreaded it, rather Kaz could always recall your laughter whenever Jesper cracked a joke—a laugh he grew terribly fond of.

Jesper, on the other hand, is far too friendly, and Kaz would be lying if he said he didn't notice the dread expression on your face whenever someone came close to you or when Jesper put his elbow on your shoulder.

Kaz began to observe you more intently after seeing that, as if he hadn't already. He believed he had made the right decision in recruiting you. You were special, enthusiastic, and the light of the Barrel. Kaz didn't think you'd fit in well with the city's grim environment at first, and he didn't want you to get further corrupted by the violence.

But Kaz had entirely overlooked and dismissed what had transpired to you and how you had landed up in Ketterdam.

Every day, Kaz's inexplicable fondness for you grew stronger. You and Kaz have a contentious relationship; unlike the rest of the Crows, you didn't necessarily converse and blabber to him, nor did you laugh and tease with him like you did with Inej and Jesper, but there was a wordless distinctive connection between you and Kaz.

Your patience and presence were the attributes he admired the most in you. Kaz wasn't easy to talk to or even tolerate–he's closed off and harsh–but whatever nonsense Saints Inej believed in seemed to bring you to Ketterdam to soften his roughness. In his world of darkness, Kaz didn't believe in miracles or light, but you were there, proving that there is still some good in the world. Kaz had intended to fire you at that time.

He had questioned Inej about your misfortune and how you ended up in Ketterdam. Inej only shook her head and mumbled something about your past being none of her business. You were shut off as well, but unlike Kaz, you shine with gentleness and radiance, masking whatever darkness you may have. Matthias would grumble under his breath whenever you greeted Kaz in the morning with a big smile.

Matthias had once growled, “The demjin doesn't deserve such pleasant smiles.”

You only shook your head, as delicate and gentle as you were. “Even if it's seldom or undeserved, everyone deserves a little bit of decency.”

That's when Kaz realized you were mistaken. He didn't deserve such remedy from you—you and him had a routine where you'd read a book in his office or simply admire the moon and stars at night, the moonlight shining in your face and making you look stunning. There was no talking, just stillness. Kaz was always busy making plans and would occasionally glance at you.

Your very presence made him feel calmer, and whenever you came to visit his office, which had previously been dark, was replaced with a strange sense of peace. Kaz was hesitant to make you a Crow for a reason, selfish if it was. He didn't want to expose you completely to his enemies, risking you being wounded or worse, killed. He knows you're talented and all, but he let his vanity get the best of him, and to his horror, his worry.

He valued your tranquility, but he also sought your voice—he wanted you to talk excitedly about anything, and if your silence had soothed him, what more could your voice possibly have done? But maybe it was all one-sided, and you're only there with Kaz because you owe him courtesy, and maybe you've never liked him, and you're just doing this benevolence to him to act with integrity.

Kaz wouldn’t blame you.

Kaz despised weakness, and he knew he couldn't just have you rot in the streets, no matter how he felt—and he questioned why he was feeling anything at all. He was ruthless, but he didn't want to hurt someone who had been nothing but pleasant and selfless. He didn't want to take away your friendship or the comfort you found in the Barrel.

He did not want you to go.

Kaz was disturbed by the thought.

Everyone was fast asleep, exhausted from the job they had just completed, so they chatted and ate waffles—Nina’s suggestion—to calm their anxieties before retiring to their various rooms. Only the Crows were required for the job, and Kaz had assumed you were probably sleeping in your room as he lingered at the table with Jesper, who was elated from the successful completion of the job.

To Kaz's relief, Jesper yawned and stood up, but before walking away, he stopped and beamed even brighter and exclaimed, “Y/N!”

Kaz took a look around and spotted you. You approached them with a relieved expression on your face, a book in your hand, and no indication of drowsiness on your face. You gave a small smile as you met Kaz's gaze, which had not left yours, and then turned to face Jesper.

Jesper shifted his gaze between you and Kaz, then back to you, and Kaz swore he glimpsed a smirk on the Zemeni's face. “I'll talk to you tomorrow, gorgeous,” he says, “I'm exhausted, goodnight.”

Kaz watched Jesper approaching you and saw him about to hug you before deciding against it and giving you a wink before passing you by. It made Kaz frown.

“Aren’t you tired?” you began as you sat across from him, helping yourself to the last waffles.

Kaz noticed this was the start of a conversation - he expected you to be silent as you eat and enjoy each other's company, but you spoke to him, and to his chagrin, a tightrope in his stomach loosened and made him feel relaxed.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Your eyes squinted when the topic shifted, but you shrugged it off. “I wasn't tired.”

“That makes it both of us.”

Kaz sat back and enjoyed your chuckle. The sounds it made were like a stack of kruge tumbling from his table. He was trying to memorize the cadence of your laugh. He shook his head, hating the thoughts that overwhelm him, but he couldn't help himself—it was only you and him, in the middle of the night, and there was no silence.

“No one got hurt?” you muttered as you bit into your waffle.

“We're fine,” Kaz said, pleased as he saw your eyes brighten. “The job was successful.”

Kaz has a keen ability to read people and can tell you were worried, which could explain why you weren't asleep. You had been waiting for their arrival. Or maybe it was just the other Crows and not him and Kaz didn't realize he was staring until you said spoke.

“I know questions are etched on your face,” you said, implying that he wasn't the only one who can easily read people. “What is it, Kaz?”

He was taking a risk, but he couldn't help but ask the question that had been nagging him since the first time he saw you. “How did you end up in Ketterdam?”

You remained silent for a moment, staring down at your waffle, before speaking softly enough for Kaz to mistake it for a faint hum. “I... wanted a way out.”

He almost laughed. “What could be worse than Ketterdam?”

You raised your eyes to Kaz, your expression solemn, the brightness that had warmed him faded. “Believe it or not, Ketterdam has seemed like home to me—it's the closest thing I've ever felt to refuge here, despite the fact that it's brutal. It was the first time I felt secure.”

The first time? Kaz thought.

“The people, too,” you continued, “Inej, Nina, Jesper, Matthias, Wylan. And… you Kaz.”

“What happened to you, Y/N?” Kaz struggled to hide his uneasiness in his tone. “Has anyone ever treated you with such safety and tranquility?”

“No,” you said softly and unsteadily. “You were the first who ever did.”

Kaz noticed tears threatening to spill from your eyes and decided he couldn't bear you being so vulnerable—it wasn't like you. “Talk to me, L/N.”

“When my mother left when I was six, my father became sorrowful, unhappy, and enraged, and he let all of his aggression out on me,” you explained, your voice strained. “He does things to me that no parent should ever do to their child.”

Kaz was filled with a searing and inexplicable rage. But he kept his cool by clutching his cane tightly in his hands, as if striving to maintain composure. He listened intently as you spoke, satisfied that you had put your trust in him to speak about something that had been a lingering memory. He observed you playing with your hands at the table, the waffle long forgotten.

His voice was like a promise of violence. “Why?”

You shrugged, a small, pained smile on your face. “People end up doing things they don’t want to do, but sometimes they can’t do anything to stop it. My father had no one else to release his frustrations on, so he did it to me, and after that, he’d apologize and hug me while crying.”

Kaz felt compelled to say something to you since you had put your trust in him, and it was only fair that he reciprocated it. “I had never been treated with kindness and tenderness by anyone. You were also the first one who did.”

“I owe you, Kaz.”

“You owe me nothing,” Kaz immediately responded.

“You saved my life,” you said.

Kaz locked his gaze on you, seeking to grasp the details of whatever it was he was enamored of. “I'd do it all over again. I can't guarantee you peace or liberty, but you will never be treated the way your father treated you. I won’t let it happen.”

It was then that you both realized that when the day ended and night came, you would seek one other's solace. Two souls that had their own painful memories and had never known serenity before connected and shared it.

---

And again, this piece is not mine! It was written by my friend, read the info above the fic. Do not ask me for part 2's or ask to be tagged into my Kaz taglist etc, I did not write this and the person who did wishes to not be part of the writer community anymore, but the original piece has been deleted with her deactivated blog so she asked me to reupload.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker imagine #six of crows #six of crows fanfic #shadow and bone #jexnrey #oneshot

[emberkeelty]

Continued from this.

I saved this screenshot as "time for damnation".

As I discussed last time, wanting to reduce harm to specifically marginalized groups like the Beastwomen is one of the big reasons someone might choose the egalitarian evil of the Scarlet Chorus over the frothingly racist Disfavored. As I also mentioned, the Beastwomen Tribes are rather aesthetically and philosophically similar to the Chorus, so if there is anything you genuinely like about the Chorus, you will probably like the Beastwomen even more. With that in mind, I think it's interesting that the Stone Sea is invariably quest three of three on the Chorus path of Act II. You can't do it early, and you can't avoid doing it altogether. You will be sent into this having already sunk a lot of costs.

And, of course, as a Hunter Fatebinder, Fireweed has something of a personal stake here.

Up until now, this has all been pretty fun for her! Hunting prey with Kills-in-Shadow, slaughtering Disfavored, doing all sorts of shit Tunon wouldn't normally let her get away with... It feels like freedom. Even running errands for the Voices has been more like a weird, ironic joke than anything truly disturbing. The Censor played stupid games and won stupid prizes--clearly because she wasn't smart like Fireweed, who knows perfectly well what's coming and has all sorts of ideas for how to burn that bridge when she gets to it. Amelia almost got to her with the reveal she'd turned against her father, but then she went and symbolically donned her old Disfavored armor like that was supposed to do anything but make Fireweed want to hurt her more. The baby is... probably going to be more or less okay, eventually. Fireweed went through bigger upheavals as a small child, and she turned out fine! Florian, Sybil, Matthias... what does she care about any of them? What does she care if, as TGEK discusses, she had to trade in on her honor as a Fatebinder? Remember her self-introduction in the biography tab? She doesn't want to be a Fatebinder! Her game here, aside from avenging herself on the Disfavored and doing what she can to give the Beasts of the Tiers some kind of future, is to accumulate power in her own right and define herself by her deeds rather than her office, so she can finally rip out Tunon's throat like she's been dreaming of since she was a teenager. Which, when you think about it, is itself very Scarlet Chorus.

The first thing she runs into in Halfgate is the situation with Left-Claw, but this time the Chorus is still around, and one of them confirms that, yes, this whole thing was a set-up to conscript him, and asks for her help with that.

Key word: asks. He's a Fury, not Nerat. He even calls her "boss". She still has a choice in this.

Some Hunter dialogue with Left-Claw. For the moment, this is still earnestly true.

No fucks given.

This is the kind of moment that makes Fireweed's awful life worth living.

Reporting to Misery, she informs us that the Scarlet Chorus needs to get through the Stonestalkers' camp and has absolutely zero preference whether that's accomplished by killing them or securing their cooperation. This works for Fireweed, who is always happy having freedom to express her own preferences.

She also teases Fireweed about her weird mixed register. It's a well timed comment, since Fireweed spends this quest bouncing around even more wildly than usual between Beast-talk, Chorus-talk, and Court-talk.

What do you think happens when you learn to speak with too many voices?

This is very funny, because when you do bring Kills-in-Shadow to meet Hundred-Blood, it only nets you wrath, not favor. Kills-in-Shadow may be generally sympathetic to her kith, but she is also herself and cannot help mouthing off about the superiority of her own pack. Not exactly great for diplomacy!

Gee, what a fucking mystery.

By the way, see that utterly unhinged-sounding [Betray Alliance] option? Remember that this quest is necessarily the last stop on the Chorus path. The Fatebinder's brain might be turning to scarlet mush.

Ironically, taking that option would be a lot healthier for Fireweed than what she is about to do.

Kills-in-Shadow is more right than she knows about Hundred-Blood's patience. As TGEK discusses in his LP, the Stonestalkers are easily some of the most reasonable people in this game.

And, hey, Fireweed isn't a rot-smelling pest! She's kith! Maybe she can get everyone to play nice together! (Or maybe she's about to trade in on the part of herself that does matter to her.)

CAN'T IMAGINE WHY.

Yep, this is what's going to get her in to speak on behalf of the Chorus. Surely Fireweed will have no reasons to feel weird about that down the line.

As you might expect, there's a lot of Hunter dialogue in the Stonestalker camp. Or "dialogue," as the case may be. (That second screenshot I saved as "what a meaningful conversation".)

Fireweed's official objective in the Stone Sea is to break the Edict of Stone and restore the farmlands. Sounds like that might not be a great thing for the Stonestalkers. On the other hand, is letting the Edict rage forever--possibly getting stronger over time, as Lantry tells us tends to happen--any more sustainable? What happens when all your prey is petrified or starved from lack of vegetation?

Diplomacy! Compromise! Quid pro quo! These are good things, right?

(No, they're not, not when it comes to the Chorus. We saw what happened to Matthias.)

The first time I played Fireweed, I just went ahead and slit his throat because it was funny. Then when I played the rebel path I found out that the way you join the Stonestalker tribe is by resolving this situation diplomatically. And then I vaguely heard that joining the tribe gives you more options in the final conversation with Hundred-Blood on the Chorus path. Maybe that's the secret way to salvage this? So, uh, Fireweed shows some restraint around the Disfavored for basically the first time since the civil war started, I guess to avoid setting fire to the standoff situation here and dragging all the Stonestalkers into a fight.

Again, the Stonestalkers actually have a lot of patience. Maybe more than anyone else.

This might just be the last time it isn't a blatant lie.

After getting initiated into the Stonestalkers and resolving the situation, Fireweed returns to Hundred-Blood.

And there's a new option!

Oh. That's not going to be enough for him.

She warns her. She gets Stonestalker favor for warning her, because the Stonestalkers really are astonishingly reasonable! But aside from that, it doesn't change anything. She already knows it isn't going to change anything. What are the chances Hundred-Blood won't set him off with her fierce pride and refusal to bow and scrape? What are the chances she'll be able to overcome him, strong as she is? Low enough that you can round them down to zero.

The rest of this quest is just Fireweed slowly going insane.

FUCK YOU. Two beastmen are worth twenty average conscripts! If she'd gotten you more, you'd probably have been stupid enough to make them fight to the death! Go jump off a cliff! Sirin, tell him to jump off a cliff!

Fuck yeah, bullying subordinates and using a teenager as a weapon!

(Yes, the kidnapping option is even more horrifying. The Chorus aren't supposed to conscript children! They're supposed to shelter and nurture any children they happen to orphan until they reach the age of majority, and never just take them from living parents! That's one of their only rules! But I guess it doesn't apply to Beast cubs. So much for not being racist.)

Turning in the search and rescue quest after being initiated as a Stonestalker gives you a new dialogue option. It's... weird. But exactly the kind of weird that Fireweed is currently enough of an unmoored, flailing mess to come out with. She's part of a Beast tribe again! That's definitely something real, and not just her going through the motions so she can turn around and take advantage of them! The Stonestalkers are great! Everything is great! Fuck you, human!!!

His final line is even weirder. Previously, I've only seen him say that as a response to Kills-in-Shadow butting in. Even in that context it's kind of an overblown nonsequitor, but what more can you expect from an angry racist? Here, though, it almost sounds like her insistence that she's a Beast made him actually see her as inhuman. Since she's trying to think like an Archon, she is going to go ahead and take that as a sign she is doing something right!

(I'm coming up on the images per post limit, so, cutting off here. One more post! For real this time!)

#tyranny

[hiraya-rawr]

Matthias brainrots. I imagine him not being able to meet his biological parents or something the a family adopts him but they treat him like a servant and when they don't find any use of him anymore,they just throw him out. That's why Matthias is hesitant of calling Y/N and Diluc his parents or something bc he grew up not being able to feel any familial love and that makes him scared of receiving it cause he thinks that he's gonna be abandoned again one day

ANON ANON THIS IS MAKING ME FEEL SOMETHING. To be honest, i've read a lot of drama filled hcs for Matthias and they're all amazing but but—

Matthias under the care of rich noble as a child servant. When they find no use for him anymore, he's naturally auctioned off to other nobles (it's a little taboo but it's not a lost practice) so Diluc, being a non conventional noble with a soft spot for kids, was like 🤨 thats not how you treat a kid. I'mma give him a real childhood.

Now he's in the Ragnvindr household and he's so sure he's here as a servant, trying to clean his own plate, mop the floors, tend to the grape vines–

His new siblings aren't sure why he doesn't exactly "play" with them, he kind of just stands to the side and cleans up after them. MC and Diluc has to remind him time and time again, slowly but surely, that he's their son and that he doesn't need to serve them.

It takes a while for him to stop calling you and Diluc madame/sir/master/lady, and the first time he refers to you as a parent?? 💗🥺🥺🥺 heart melting.

//on a personal note, this kind of concept made me remember something about my childhood.. back then my nanny would bring her kid to help do chores. i remember "playing" with her while she helped with the laundry. she also taught me and my siblings a lot of street games. it's only a few years later did i realize she wasn't exactly my "play date". regardless, im extremely thankful for how colorful she made my childhood! my clearest memory of her was her putting laundry soap bubbles on my hair. sorry for the rant, a little nostalgic aahsjdbwjhs

#hira replies #diluc's big family

[pipershellokittytop]

the way hazel and jason's friendship ended, that's a thing i will hate forever.

the first form of interaction that we have between these two is that the name hazel was one of the five names that jason remembers, isn't that adorable?. a book later we meet hazel and she tells us that jason was the one who integrated her, the one who showed her new rome, the one who made her feel comfortable in this new world completely unknown to her, he was the first person who could consider someone trustworthy (besides nico obviously).

she admired jason and he considers hazel his friend. all of this could have ended in one of the most beautiful and healthy friendships between two teenagers in media. this all changed when jason and percy were swap.

while camp half-blood spent three days without their hero, camp jupiter spent SIX months without theirs. in this time hazel was just with nico, just because nobody wants to be close to a daughter of pluto obviously. then frank arrived, hazel became someone that jason had once been for her, someone friendly. a while later percy arrived, hazel also was friendly with him, this ending of the three went on a mission together. thus making a very strong connection (which ngl was quite ignored by rick in the next books) but still not forgetting about jason, because this girl mentions several times how good jason was.

some time later the seven got together and began their trip, their quest, after many events we arrived at this famous discussion, the said debate between leaving or rescuing nico from that jar.

to refresh your memory, i'll tell you that the person who suggested that nico should be left there to die was not jason, as you all erroneously always mention, it was actually leo, leo fucking valdez, everyone's favorite but frank and piper's hello kitty top's aka me :) when he mentioned this, hazel asked him what the hell he was thinking.

jason, knowing that leo would not know how to explain himself in a good way, decided to speak and take the subject through logic, which actually makes a lot of sense. nico being supposedly part of percy's search team always knew where he was, this boy had previously tried to kill percy before, he asks if he can really trust him knowing this.

honestly, i think they are both right, hazel's reaction was valid, they are accusing the person who rescued her from eternal boredom, her brother, of being a traitor. but on the other hand jason's point is good, are you really going to put in danger the fate of the world for someone you can't trust? nahh he's not going to risk the lives of his friends for someone he doesn't even know. both sides of the argument are valid, that's a fact, so much that everyone thinks about it, even percy himself who has known nico since he was 10 years old god.

all this caused a break in the relationship between hazel and jason. for her he was no longer that kind boy she once knew, no, she sees him as everyone does, as a perfect hero, so perfect that it gives mistrust. he realizes this and is the whole series trying to fix this. which we know very well that he could not do because these two were never like before. this is something very realistic, due to arguments, friendships never return to the way they were before, due to thinking differently than someone else, relationships are broken.

it's very sad, isn't it? i always imagined that these two would have an inej and matthias from soc type relationship, like "you are actually not that bad, i'm your number one fan :)". i always felt like we needed a friendship between the romans, also i always felt that jason would have been very good friends with frank and hazel (i'll talk about frank and jason's relationship in a future post).

the last thing we have of these two is hazel touching his coffin, saying that they and especially piper needed him. i like to think that hazel said this actually because those 6 months he was in new york, thinking she really needed someone like jason in her life.

#hazel levesque #jason grace #heroes of olympus #heroes of the olympus #percy jackson #percy jackson and the heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #riordanverse #camp jupiter #the heroes of olympus #percy jackson disney+ #leo valdez #camp half blood #rick riordan #rick riordan books #nico di angelo #frank zhang #piper mclean #hoo #pjo headcanon #pjo series #pjo hoo toa #pjoverse #pjo fandom #thalia grace #annabeth chase

[emmaannaelisabeth]

THIS IS WHAT YOU DIDNT THINK YOU NEEDED. kaz having a religious experience. or at least how that might/could turn out. (aka me experimenting) and I GOT EMOTIONAL WRITING THIS. TEARS.

kaz closes his eyes. what if i can't be fixed? what if he'll always be this messed up creature that he is?

what if i'll never be unbroken enough to hold a girl in my arms? kaz feels his chest tighten. not just any girl, that girl. my girl.

something wet gathers in the corner of his eye, but kaz ignores it. his hands shake, tremble. the world blurs. what is this? why am i feeling like this?

he sinks to the floor; finds himself doing something he never thought he would do, he finds himself letting the fraction of a prayer flash through his mind. fix me.

a sound, the fluttering of wings, makes him look up. his gaze falls on a crow in front of him. black feathers glisten in the damp light, and the crow tilts his head to the side, looks kaz in the eyes.

kaz tenses, what?

you know what, a voice says. you know who i am. kaz stares at the crow, eyes wide. does it talk? it's not an ordinary crow, it's much bigger, and it holds a golden key in its beak.

"what are you?" he whispers.

the crow moves one of its wings, corrects a feather. who, the voice corrects.

kaz's blood runs cold. jordie? the crow doesn't answer.

kaz swallows hard. "i- i don't know." Ghezen, why can't i...

yes, the voice says.

"what?" kaz mumbles, suddenly feeling his heart start to race.

you called for me, the crow says.

"what?" kaz's eyes widen, he stops breathing. "are you..?"

yes, the crow says. i am. i am who i am.

kaz feels his eyes fill with tears, why, he can't say. "you're.." Ghezen?

the crow nods. and kaz wants to run away. he shakes his head. no, no, you can't...

i can. i am.

kaz stares at the crow, petrified and at peace at the same time. his breaths tremble, what is happening?

you don't need to be afraid, kaz.

he gasps, his lips quiver. what? what?! he wants to scream.

i'm here, i always have been.

kaz shakes his head frantically, feels the tears fill his eyes, then spill onto his skin. "no", he chokes. "no, you haven’t."

the crow tilts its head to the side. some things happen, things i can't control.

"you could have fucking saved him!" kaz yells, sobs, runs his trembling hands through his hair.

no. I could not.

"what do you mean no?" kaz looks up, stares at the crow, stares at Him. "he was thirteen..." kaz sniffles. the crow doesn't answer.

"you let him die!" kaz chokes on the words, his voice breaks. what the hell is wrong with me??

i saved you, did i not? kaz doesn't answer.

didn't i give you your life back? the crow’s voice rises in strength, makes the floor vibrate. didn't i give you strength? kaz shudders. didn't i spare you, by giving you one broken leg, instead of two? kaz tenses, the voice is too loud.

didn't i send them your way? jesper. inej. nina. matthias. wylan. the voice is scraping on his mind, fiddling with his heart. WHAT IS HAPPENING? kaz screams in his head.

didn't i save you? kaz sobs, covers his ears, curls up on the floor.

then, silence. kaz trembles, he's crying. he can't stop the tears.

oh, kaz. the crow's voice is soft now, soft like a sweet summer breeze. you don't need to be scared.

light, there's light, light surrounding him, and kaz looks up, sees the crow stand there, glowing. i'm here kaz, i've always been here.

kaz sobs. you were right, inej. she was right, she was fucking right.

she was, the crow says. kaz looks up.

you know i see all of my children. you know i see their work.

kaz nods numbly. he feels warm.

you have worked hard, kaz. i will answer you.

Ghezen lifts his wings. and then He's flying, grabbing kaz around the shoulders with his claws, digging deep into his flesh. kaz whimpers, but he doesn't fight it. there's peace in his heart.

the world swirls, feathers are all around him, air plays with his hair and clothes, he's flying. then, suddenly, he's back on the floor, in the same room, panting.

he huffs, feels as a wide grin spreads across his face. he pulls a hand through his hair, sobs and smiles. he feels light, he feels free, he feels happy. he wants to run, he wants to jump, he wants to laugh, he wants to...

there's a knock on the door, and before kaz has had the time to spin around, inej stands there and, without thinking, he wraps her up in his arms and spins her around.

inej laughs. "what?" she aks, looks at him, amazed. "what happened?"

"what do you mean?"

"kaz, you're touching me."

he looks down, sees his hand on her cheek. when did i put it there? an amazed huff passes his lips. he can't believe this. he… can do this?

"i..." he begins. "you were right", he says. "they do exist." inej looks like she can't decide if she should smile or frown.

"Ghezen", kaz whispers, smiling. "he's real. you were right."

she closes her open mouth, nods slowly. tears prick in her eyes. "so you do believe", she smiles.

"he..." kaz's face relaxes completely, his mouth hangs open. he fixed me. i- i can touch her, i can...

he looks into inej's eyes. "can i kiss you?" he asks. "can i try?"

inej's cheeks flush with the red of blossoming roses, then, she lifts her small hands to his cheeks and pulls his face gently towards hers.

their lips meet like the first waves that come in towards land after a storm. are one.

remember, kaz, the voice says, echoes in kaz's mind again. Ghezen's voice. i did mend you. i have locked away your fears with this key in my beak.

kaz's heart floods over. thank you.

#kaz brekker #inej ghafa #kanej headcanon #kanej fic #kanej #kaz x inej #six of crows duology #six of crows #soc #leigh bardugo #ghezen #my art

[paradisetemporarilymisplaced]

Book recs: Similar to but less sad than TSOA

Hello everyone! @lordeteams requested some book recommendations that are not as sad as The Song of Achilles so here we go. I read a lot of books and since 2019 I've kept a running list of what I've read so honestly I'll take any excuse to subject people to my interests🤗 List is below the cut, not in any particular order (except from the first entry which is my current favorite), and includes NA, YA, and adult fiction. If you're curious about the distinction I'll refer you to this (sadly, now-deleted) tweet from Maggie Stiefvater:

One Last Stop (Casey McQuiston, NA): This one is brand new and instantly became a favorite. F/F romance in which August Landry, newly transplanted to Brooklyn, meets Jane Su on her morning commute. Turns out, Jane is stuck on the train and has been since the 70s, but has no memory of how it happened or of her old life. Part romance, part time-travel mystery, but entirely a love letter to queer communities everywhere. Found family trope abounds with August's roommates and coworkers, which include drag queens, people of every flavor of queer, and a real life psychic, all of whom are ready and willing to help solve the mystery of why Jane is on the train and how to fix it. In the process, August learns things about her own family, as well as events in American queer history that few people remember today. I really cannot express enough how much I love this book. Please read it.

Red, White, and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston, NA): Odds are, if you've heard of Casey McQuiston, it was because of her first book (this one). M/M romance about Alex, son of the first female US President, and Henry, prince of England. Enemies to friends to lovers, featuring queer self-discovery, coming out, PR/corporate closeting (hello, larries!) and just a delight. This is a very different queer story from OLS - OLS is a romance, but more plot-heavy and the romance isn't the entire focus. In RWRB, the romance is the plot and it reads like fanfiction which is very fun.

The Raven Cycle (series, Maggie Stiefvater, YA): This series is a character-driven, coming-of-age, found family story about a bunch of weird-ass teenagers (affectionate), magic, prophecy, and Welsh kings. This is the rare story in which every single main character plays a critical role in the plot and grows and changes with the story. You will fall in love with all of them and their relationships with one another. Plus, the worldbuilding is incredible and has such an intricate mythology that you'll want to reread just to get the details. Followed by the Dreamer Trilogy, of which two books have been published, but I've only read the first one so far.

All for the Game (series, Nora Sakavic, YA): This is the series that got me back into reading for fun five years ago and as such it holds a special place in my heart. The plot is wacky and convoluted - college athletics, a made-up sport, a kid on the run from his mob boss father - but don't let that discourage you. Hella found family. (Are you seeing a pattern?) I will warn you, this deals with some pretty heavy stuff, including torture, abuse, addiction, sexual violence, and more. Here's a comprehensive list of trigger warnings, with detailed descriptions at the bottom. It's intense, but the friendships and romances make it worth the read imo.

Grishaverse (series, Leigh Bardugo, YA): This is actually three series: the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology (which I haven't yet read). If you've seen Shadow and Bone, the S&B trilogy covers the Alina storyline, while SOC covers Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias. S&B is a chosen one/coming of age story, while SOC is found family committing heists. It's great.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Saenz, YA): Coming of age M/M romance. Set in the 1980s in El Paso, it describes the friends to lovers journey of Ari and Dante over several years, as well as Ari's journey of self-discovery. It is the most beautiful book and one of my comfort reads. There's some themes of homophobia and violence, but with a happy ending.

Carry On (Rainbow Rowell, YA): This is basically Harry Potter fanfiction, but better because (a) it doesn't take itself too seriously and (b) the author is not a violent transphobe. Seriously, this book is so fun. It's a twist on the chosen one trope because Simon, said Chosen One, is just spectacularly bad at what he is supposedly destined to be. Plus you have an enemies to lovers storyline, which is my personal favorite trope. Followed by Wayward Son, which is literally a road trip AU, and Any Way the Wind Blows, which will be released next month.

The Queen's Thief (series, Megan Whalen Turner, YA): Fantasy series centered on Eugenides, who is very proud of being a great thief but also wants to be famous, two goals which are not really compatible. This series is interesting because every novel is told from a different character's point of view in an increasingly zoomed-out lens such that you're seeing how Eugenides' influence grows over time and space. The setting is vaguely based on the ancient Mediterranean region, but with a mythology all its own.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid, adult): This is a frame story in which aged Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo, famously tight-lipped about her personal life, hand selects a young journalist, Monique Grant, to finally tell her story. Evelyn tells Monique all about her life - how she became an actress in the mid-twentieth century, how she got involved (and uninvolved) with all seven of her former husbands, and who was the true love of her life. There are some sad moments for sure, as it's a retrospective on the very long and very full life of an actress at what she knows is the end of hers. But it's such a good story and worth the bittersweet tones.

This Is How You Lose the Time War (Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone, adult): Sci-fi novel told by Red and Blue's letters to one another across time and space. They are on opposing sides of the Time War and as they perform their respective missions, they leave letters for the other to find. Their letters start out as "I'm coming for you, you better run" but then eventually turn to friendship and then love. Ultimate enemies to lovers. It's a short novel but you'll read it again and again to pick up more details. It's so good.

The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune, NA): This book feels like a warm hug. Linus Baker is essentially a child protective services worker, overseeing the orphanages housing magical children. He is then assigned to the most remote orphanage in the system, in which six dangerous children reside, to determine whether any or all of these children are capable of bringing about the end of the world. Once more, with feeling: FOUND FAMILY. Also nice because it's a metaphor for queerness that also features canon queer characters.

#book recs #queer lit #lordeteams #look if you don't know by now that i am incapable of writing anything short then i don't know how to help you #these are similar to tsoa in that they are all queer and/or coming of age and/or chosen one stories #but they are not tragedies #some are kind of sad at times but all have happy endings #here's hoping i've regained your trust lmao #also if anyone out there reads anything on this list and like it you have to come back and tell me #both for the validation and so that i have someone to scream about it with #my recs

[incorrect-ego-quotes]

It's December 1st. Whose screaming Christmas carols, whose baking Christmas treats, whose decorating, who doesn't care, whose putting up mistletoe everywhere, whose shopping for presents every second, who forgot presents, who purposely didn't get presents and whose constantly asking for a puppy? (Sorry this so long, I just kept getting ideas!)

IM SORRY THIS IS DAYS LATE BUT I L O V E CHRISTMAS I HAVE TO DO THIS ONE. ALSO FORGIVE ME THIS IS /LONG AS FUCK/--the ipliersthe jim twins are as excited as, well, a kid on christmas morning. wearing santa hats, candy canes in their mouths, they even decorated their mic in red and green ribbon. the two practically shrieking out christmas songs -- much to everyone's annoyance "CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE--""jesus christ," dark snaps, "can you two knock it off?! it's only the first--""WOULD YOU LIKE A MORE MODERN SONG OF JOY." jim twin #1 asks, holding up a worn book of christmas carols -- the same one they've had since they were 4. passed on from dear old Mother Jim."no! this season is so grossly happy and joyful -- leave me to work--""I, DONT WANT A LOT FOR CHRISTMAS." jim twin #2 starts off as dark covers his ears. why did they have to be the loudest egos? why cant they see how shitty of a holiday christmas is?!"THERE IS JUST ONE THING I NEED, DONT CARE ABOUT--"dark gets an idea and smirks. knowing one way he can get them to leave him alone. "santa isn't real."the two twins share an offended and angry look, mouths open, did he just?!"christmas was a pagan festival of gifts before being appropriated by romans based on the Odin myth."the jim twins cringe, holding their dear caroling book closer -- he...he has to be lying!"who is the god of war and death."the jim twins turn away offended as all hell. jim twin #1 throwing a candy cane in dark's face and hissing. "SHUN THE NONBELIEVER, JIM.""SHUN."they then run off to go do whatever christmas activity next -- dark hoping they won't take this caroling /publicly/.******ed edgar and silver shepherd are cooking in the kitchen. ed is a surprisingly good cook -- especially around the holidays. just ask anyone who's been to his thanksgiving or christmas dinners. silver only tagged along because he was tired of dark being a joy sucker out of the season."now," ed chuckles, "we're gon' need about a store's worth of flour.""...what?! wh--ed, why do we need a store's worth.""uh, /excuse you, youngin'/," ed points at his pink and white apron. almost annoyed, "this apron calls me chef in charge 'round here. you follow, don't question.""ed. first of all, that's wilford's apron. second of all, we probably only need one bag at most for gingerbread cookies. why would we need a--""listen. i'm only making one gingerbread man fo' everybody 'round here -- i take home the rest.""how...much exactly is the rest?""350."silver shepherd sighs, taking off his mask and gloves. ed still smiling away as if his idea was normal. well, no arguing with a stubborn man like ed. he grabs his car keys from the table as ed follows him, "your limit is 50 dollars for the ingredients." he mumbles. "i knew you'd come 'round!" ed wraps an arm around silver, "we're gon' have so much fun with these lil old cookies! i even have a homemade sugar icing recipe! i'll even make a lil cape fo' yours!" he silently doubted it but hey, its a hell of a lot better than spending his free time with an angry and annoyed dark. ******bim tugged the host along, holding onto the sleeve of his trenchcoat gently as he lead him into the meeting room. the tall green christmas tree standing proudly in the corner. decorations of red and green and gold littered the meeting room's table. the smell of pine hits the host before anything -- taking him back to his own cabin in the woods long ago. the trees covering him away from the world as he...the host shook his head. he hated those memories. he hated those dark times. he hated it all."wilford put us in charge of the tree this year," bim smiled to himself, "i know its a challenge with erm...""i'm blind?""yeah, that." bim sighs, grabbing the box of lights and unrolling them gently, handing the ball to the host, who held it with a strange look on his face."w-what's poking me?""lights, silly!" bim giggles. the sound making the host blush and laugh along. any time bim was happy, he was happy. "now, i'm gonna loop around the tree. you just follow along, yeah? tell me if ya get dizzy and we can slow down.""the host nods, holding the bundle of lights close to his chest. ready for the decorations -- reminding him of his most favorite time of year."bim shakes his head and laughs, "you can't ever turn that off, can you?""the host cannot."the two start off steady and slow. the host following bim's footsteps. he could hear the jim twins playing 'i'll be home for christmas' in the next room over -- their office space. "those two can never get tired of christmas, i swear.""the host reminds bim that it's worse for him since his own office is right next door to the twins."bim giggles, "well, hope ya like christmas as much as them." it's when bim giggles does the host wish he had his sight back. what'd he give to see his smile (although, according to dark, it looks like his -- he doubt it. bim was handsome, charming, while his smile held back pain he swallowed down.)in those small moments of thinking and wishing, the host stays in place. the lights tangling as bim gets wrapped up with the host, groaning as the tree falls gently against them. the two tied chest to chest, bim's hands resting on the host's hips. "um..." bim laughs nervously, blushing away, "hostie, bud, we're tangled.""i...is that you against me?""yeah...i'll -- i'll get us out!!"the music drowns out bim's struggles as he pulls at the lights. the host's thoughts screaming at him -- tell him!! now's your chance!! confess!!"i love...i love--""hmm?" bim perks up, "sorry, wasn't listening, what do you love?""t...this song!! i, i love it, it's my favorite christmas song."he stops and hears bim laugh again, humming along, "its a good song."the host goes along with the lie, singing along as bim rests his head on the host's shoulder to get around to the lights behind him. "if only in my dreams."yeah, only in his dreams -- bim had matthias, what did he have? nothing but his dreams of what could be with the two of them. at least, for a moment, he had the courage to change that. maybe that's what he'll ask for this year; courage. ******dark crossed his arms and continued to work in his office. he could smell cookies baking, he could hear christmas songs being sung, and he could see holly being hung in the halls. how stupid -- the other egos should be /working!/ do they think they can take over mark's channel with all this fooling around?! he slams the laptop he'd been using shut and stares out his window. even the fuckin' /city/ was covered in red and green, fake reindeer and sleighs all around, snowmen (who bought fake snow to LA?!) waving in the cold breeze. he face palms himself. a headache coming on. he hated winter, he hated christmas, he hated everything about the holidays.it...brought back memories he didn't want to dwell on. memories of christmas morning...in a mansion of some sort. fuzzy memories of a woman, a man, and that damned mark -- all enjoying...hot chocolate with marshmallows. opening gifts like.../a family/."heeeeey darkidoo," wilford bursts into his office. the jim twins still throwing (sharpened to a point) candy canes at dark's door. "what do you want, wil?""geez," he shuts the door, dark's back turned towards him, "what's up with the jims? ya do something?""other than not engaging them in their childish behavior -- not, i did nothing." he sighs, "did you finish the weekly schedule for this month's programming on Markiplier TV?""gimmie another day--""damnit, wil! stop -- just stop! stop with this foolish nonsense, this holly jolly bullshit! i hate this season and i hate the way it makes everyone--" he stops as he hears wilford set down something on his desk and wrap an arm behind him. hugging him. "dark," he sighs, "just...take it easy, okay? it's december -- at least be happy the year's almost over, and be happy you still got us. hell, be happy some egos are working like doc and google." he smiles, "just...be happy we're all still here to celebrate the season. and nobody's gone."there's silence as dark hangs his head low. "i'll leave you alone for a while. i gotta confiscate the candy canes from the jims. i'll see you at home, dark."he squeezes around dark once more and moves to leave, stopping before he opens the door, "oh! i...i found that while looking for the christmas tree in the storage back home. i...i have a feeling it's yours. broke it in for ya!" he laughs as he leaves. dark turns around to see a black mug with a cursive 'D' on it. an intense emotion of...nostalgia rushing over him despite not remembering the mug. he stares out the window again as he holds the hot mug to him. he looks down to see hot chocolate and marshmallows. he smiles and sips the hot drink. this season isn't so bad after all with people like wilford in his life.--the septiceyesthis...was going to be the best surprise, marvin thought to himself. thanks to a new trick he'd learned -- he successfully figured out how to move the mistletoe to wherever he wanted, as if he had hung them everywhere. he was sure it'd be a laugh to see everyone's reactions. making anti kiss the pizza delivery guy, making dr. schneeplestein kiss whatever old patient he was seeing, maybe making robbie kiss his reflection. it'd be hilarious nonetheless. marvin, the marvelous magician, shall wow and dazzle his fellow egos!!he hid behind the couch in the lobby of their headquarters, where they hold their meetings, and waited.and waitedand waited/and waited/.growing tired as nobody walked by, had they found out about his plan? did nobody just need to come this way?he saw jackieboy man walk by and perked up, using his wand to move the mistletoe closer under him, rushing out the door to call him back as he left."j-jackie!! hey...oh shit," he looked up as he noticed he was directly under the mistletoe.jackieboy raised an eyebrow before looking up. "aha, you want to meet me here?" he smirks, catching marvin's chin in his fingers, flipping down his mask and red hoodie, soft green hair cascading down his face. a blush crossing marvin's cheek."just us two? alone here, the christmas decorations and lights lighting up your face so softly...""um, i mean--""here? under..." jackieboy looks up. suggestive. marvin not knowing if it was humanly possible to blush anymore."jackie...""THE MISTLEFOE?!""wha--" he ducked as jackieboy tackled him, wrestling him to the floor as chase and anti walked by. anti shouting as chase winced."get the magic nerd!! get the magic nerd!!" anti shouts"THE HELL IS A MISTLEFOE?!" marvin yells as he taps out with his wand from jackieboy man's headlock. ripping away his cat mask."pssh, the mistlefoe!! put two people under that," jackieboy points to the mistletoe, "and have 'em duke it out, fight and stuff. you dont know about the best winter tradition?""erm...its actually meant for the two to--" chase is cut off as marvin uses his wand to seal his lips shut, chase giving him the middle finger and pointing to his lips.marvin used his magic to burn the magic mistletoe attached to the doorframe. cringing as jackieboy man helped him up. helping him walk to dr. schneep's office"better luck next year, magic boy!!""....i hate working here," marvin coughs as he waits for the doctor. this, was going to be a very long winter. ******the doctor clocks out early, waving goodbye to the other egos....at 10 am, after working for 45 minutes."dude, ya can't just up and leave!! we need help with decorating!! and baking the cookies!!" jackieman boy yells as chase nearly stumbles carrying in the tree. "i must!!" the doctor yells, "chase, you are in charge until i get back at...well, just know you're all working late tonight!"chase gives a thumbs up, pointing at anti as he walks by, already directing them all.the drive to the mall isn't too long, he runs towards the opening, still in his doctor uniform. this time of year was perfect for his giving heart. already having a mile long list of gift ideas for every one of the egos in his pocket, his credit card with his savings from all his paychecks since last year loaded onto it -- no price limit for anyone!! and he finally healed from his injuries after black friday and cyber monday!! (hey, those internet shoppers are no joke)he practically skips into the mall with glee at the decorations. giant christmas gift boxes, fake snow, even a 'winter wonderland' with a fake santa -- wait...was that his patient bobby dressed up? bobby with the bad smoking habit?"i hope he cleaned up for the kiddies," schneep says to himself as he rushes into the first store -- a new camera for chase on the top of his list!!he gets everyone everything -- new knife collection for anti!! a new tux for marvin!! every single marvel movie for jackieboy man!! stuffed animals and candy for robbie!! a top hat for dapper jack!!and that's just for the first day of december, he plans to do this all until christmas eve, already having different wrapping for each ego's gift. until he sees it. his own personal wish. the 35 book set of medical mysteries -- all in order, and all for him.until another hand touches the set too. dr. iplier staring at him from the other side of the shelf. downright glaring. "henrik.""edward."the two stare back in spite -- no, schneep /needed this/. he worked too damn long this year to be bested by some quack doctor ego."aha," schneep laughs, obviously fake, "what are you doing here?""shopping for christmas. i was just looking at this book set i wanted for myself."fuck. schneep tugs on the set. dr. iplier's hand not going away. "oh, really?" he smiles coldly, "so. was. i."dr. iplier tugs, schneep tugs, the two turning into a tug of war before schneep pulls him against the wooden shelf in the bookstore, yelling as they fight it out. the early morning shoppers crowding around them, recording as schneep hold dr. iplier in a headlock. "THOSE BOOKS ARE MINE, YOU PRICK.""OVER MY DEAD BODY, QUACK.""OH THAT CAN BE ARRANGED, BITCH.""TRY ME, YOU ASSHOLE."schneep pulls out the scalpel he keeps in his pocket. the two fighting more, knocking displays over and taking it outside to the winter wonderland exhibit. children running and screaming as they crash into santa's sleigh. finally -- they're broken apart by santa (bobby). schneep grabbing his items from the bookstore and rushing out the mall. not wanting to deal with police or security. wiping away tears as he drives back. thankfully -- good old smoking santa (bobby), his faithful patient, was head of security at the mall. "its christmas," he later told schneep on the phone (and dr. iplier), "just...stay outta the mall for a good two days and i'll pretend not a single thing happened"schneep wiped away tears as he layer learned -- hey, the bookstore had tons of copies of the book set they were fighting over, that was just a display!he, however blushes as chase, anti, and robbie crowd around chase's phone. the video from his fight going viral online. "doc!! you're trending under #ThoseBooksAreMine!! that's awesome as hell, you'll be a meme!!" chase praises. schneep shakes his head. nursing the black eye he has. he knows it'll be worth it when he sees their laughing and happy faces on christmas day.because he knows damn well, marvin would forget presents and anti would die before he got presents for anyone else.******"a puppy!!" chase smiles as he walks into their ego headquarters with anti. heavy coats and scarves on. a smaller dog being walked by a young boy trotting on. "ew." anti drinks the starbucks chase bought him, "dogs are gross--"chase gasps, "i...am offended on behalf of all dogs, dude!!" "what? its a dirty animal that tracks mud and barely listens.""sure you're not describing yourself, dude?" chase jokes as anti rolls his eyes. "how could you want a little disgusting creature like that?""they're cute, they're playful, they cuddle up to ya when its cold, they bark!!" chase goes on and on, sitting down in the meeting room as they wait for the others, "they keep ya company, they nip at ya when they're hungry, they...they love you unconditionally...they...won't be taken away from ya," he stops, sniffling. tears forming in his eyes, memories of christmases long gone hitting him. seeing his son and daughter excitedly wake up him and stacey to open gifts. going ice skating. baking cookies.shit."...chase?"chase shakes his head and wipes a tear, "sorry, bro. i...i'm just caught up in my feelings. this time of year and, missing my kids."anti looks down into his coffee cup. damn, chase has been through a lot. he's the only ego who keeps it together -- not like him who just...glitches out at emotions. "...it's fine." anti grumbles under his scarf, "i'm sure this christmas will be...okay.""really?" "...yeah, really. even with that stacey keeping the kids, this christmas will be worthwhile. i mean, we got...decorating and shit to do today. that'll take your mind off it, right?""y-yeah, and the kids are suppose to call after school...and, and stacey's letting me come to their christmas play!! you're right, for once, anti!!" chase smiles and hugs him, anti awkwardly patting back. "okay...hug's been too long, don't push it chase.""sorry."...everyone had called chase a dumbass to give a copy of his apartment keys to anti. everyone had doubted anti would show any spirit in the season. everyone had doubted chase would get anything he really wanted for christmas, even schneeplestein.anti snuck into chase's apartment that christmas eve. chase down for the night in his bedroom. a small 4 foot christmas tree decorated in lights and ordainments in the corner of his living room. a letter from his kids (that anti skimmed through) on the table. "let's prove all those dicks back at hq wrong," he whispers to the bundle in his arms. setting it under the tree. it'd been absolute hell to get anyone to allow him to take home chase's gift. grunting as he sat on the couch and nodded off into sleep. the dalmatian puppy slept too, a red collar around it's neck, tail wagging in its sleep as it was thankful for anti for getting him out of the cold shelter. excited to meet his new master in the cold christmas morning.