#you MIGHT enjoy this book if you like soc

[soulprompts]

"𝙎𝙃𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙒 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘽𝙊𝙉𝙀" - 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙏𝙎.

hi friends!! basically, i watched the teaser trailer for season 2 of shadow and bone, got excited, began to reread the soc duology, and then these happened! or rather, i found an ancient unpublished fic i wrote after the first time i read the duology, and decided to make that a problem for everyone else! i hope you all enjoy these, you don’t need to have seen the show nor read the books, i actually think many of these are fairly fandomless! i just wanted to explain my inspiration! DON’T ADD TO THIS LIST! i’ll make more lists like this one! ily all, bon appetit, go forth and write or read or nap or watch tv or something!

" my goodness, you're not nearly as stupid as you look! "

" you have all the answers right in front of you. you just need to look at it differently. "

" don't presume that you know me just because you've heard a few rumors and read a few articles. "

" there's certainly more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? "

" i urge you to remember exactly who it is you're talking to. because while others might appreciate your tone, i assure you, i do not. "

" i'm concerned that you mightn't understand what discreet means. because the path of chaos you've just created is exactly the opposite of discreet. "

" you owe me a favour. i'm here to collect. "

" i thought it was a good time to pay you a visit. it's been so long, after all; and we have so much to catch up on. "

" you are not your father/mother/parent's child. not by anything other than blood, and that's not even on the spectrum of importance. "

" i was wrong about you. "

" you know, i was warned not to get involved with you. people insisted it was a fool's decision. but i held out hope that you'd prove them wrong. now's your chance. "

" i'm not the sort of person to fuss over hurt feelings. you're either of value to me, or you're worthless. so prove to me that you're not the latter. "

" you honestly think i don't know where you go each night? i'm not blind nor an idiot. i just trust your ability to return home unharmed. "

" have you told anyone else about this? "

" there are no children anymore. only survivors. childhood and innocence are luxuries afforded to the privileged. not us. "

" i offered you an opportunity once. to build a better world together. we both know how that turned out. and now, you come crawling back, begging for... what? mercy? forgiveness? "

" i'm with you. always. no matter what happens, i will be right by your side. do you understand? "

" we're a team, aren't we? teams stick together. even when the leader is being a prick. "

" ...i was really worried about you, you know. you scared me earlier. and i'm not saying it to make you feel bad, it's just... promise me you'll tell me if things get bad again? "

" i can't pretend to understand all this stuff you've got going on. but i do promise that i'll be here to help you through it all. alright? "

" there's a job that needs to be done before we get to work on the big task. that's why i'm here. you'll be helping me/us to complete both jobs. payment upon completion. "

" you and i aren't as different as you want to believe. that must be why you're so angry. because looking at me, all that i've done... it's like looking in a mirror. isn't it? "

" people are scared. they need a leader. and right now, like it or not, they're looking to you. so go on. lead us. "

" you've come up with some really insane plans over the years, but this is just defying any amount of belief. "

" look. i don't care if people underestimate me. i actually enjoy it. they see me as an idiot, they drop their guard, the end. but i need you to know that i'm not an idiot. okay? "

" people have died. we can't let that go unpunished. "

" the world is changing. and if we don't get ahead of it, then they'll be the ones to decide what it changes into. "

" right! what's the plan, then? and god help the lot of us if you don't have one. "

" not all of us can afford the luxury of a conscience. "

" don't make the deadly mistake of presuming my actions reflect weakness. too many have made that same presumption. and not a single one of them lived to tell the tale. "

" you're scared. i can tell. the shaking, the look in your eye... you want to run. don't. you'll waste precious time and energy, and you'll need it all if you want to live. "

" everything is gone. it's all smoke, ruin, obliterated. is that our legacy now? our reputation? destruction, devastation, death? is that who we are? "

" we've fought against powerful enemies before, but this is beyond that. if we want to get out of this alive, we need to be smarter, stronger, better than we've ever been before. "

" don't forget why we're here. there's far more at stake than our lives if this goes wrong. "

" you're the only person here i trust. we need to stick together, watch each other's backs. just because everything's changed, doesn't mean we have to, too. "

" i can't think of anyone i'd rather be doing this crazy, ridiculous, nearly definitely lethal mission with. let's go out with a bang, eh? "

" you people are completely insane. but you're also insufferably good at this sort of thing. so let's go save the world, shall we? "

" why are we fighting so hard to save the lives of people who hate us, anyway? "

" you're the best there is at this sort of thing. i'd hate to see the one who got the better of you... "

" look at them all. going around, fussing over money, clothes, land... do they ever realize what's going on around them? do they ever see the bigger picture as we do? "

" you're clever. good. it's nice to have a challenge. but you should know now, you'll want to be a hell of a lot smarter than that if you want to go up against me. "

" you and i both know the risks. we both know what people like them are capable of. tell me it's all okay, and i won't question you. but if it isn't... we need to be ready. "

" it's lonely and vicious at the top. i can handle that. but you... you wouldn't survive five minutes of this life. "

" you can't survive in this world without growing a thicker skin, and erasing that naive belief that you can trust anyone you meet. least of all me. "

" if you're knocking on my door, i can only imagine it means you're here to collect. and by your demeanour, it's one hell of a favor you'll be asking, too. "

" i understand your anger. i've lived with that sort of rage for many years of my life. but you need to set it aside, understand? we need you calm if we want to get out of here. "

" oh, don't get all sentimental. i saved your life because you're worth more to me alive than dead. it doesn't signify any degree of care or affection. "

" you have one hell of an inflated ego, you know that? we were told this job was impossible. that's not a challenge. that's a fact. it is not possible. even for you. "

" i've heard it all before. one more job. one more mission. one last heist. but there's always more. it's like some sort of obsession for you. searching for another thrill. "

" enough! this is it! don't you see that?! we almost died! you almost got killed! if the saints are kind enough to save us today, it's only so we can quit while we're ahead! "

#rp meme #rp prompts #rp memes #rp prompt #roleplay prompt #roleplay prompts #roleplay memes #roleplay meme #writing prompts #writing prompt #dialogue starters #dialogue prompts #dialogue prompt #rp starters #roleplay starters

[lydscare]

ponyboy curtis dating/relationship headcanons

warnings/notes: ponyboy is a softie; no warnings 🙌 (pony is a little insecure, though)

a/n: yooo 😃, it’s been a hot minute; sorry school drama is being a b*tch right now and has been exhausting me from writing 😭 [why do guys gotta be so immature!?] anyways, “the outsiders” hyperfixation kicked in and made me write this, enjoy!!

reader is gender-neutral / my masterlist 

he’s a sweetie :))

he likes to calls you sunshine or hun

he LOVES taking you to watch sunsets. (he was probably watching one with you when he realized that he was in love with you–)

discussions with him can be so funny when taken out of context. they can go from goofy not too serious questions to an entire exsistensial crisis about the universe

“do crabs think we walk sideways?”

“...pony–”

he is the first to say “i love you”

being close to him allows you to get to know his witty (and kinda smartass) side. 

he also loves being able to make you laugh with any of his sarcastic remarks

“if mr. ray gives us another homework assignment i’m to go to dally for some help.”

*yn laughing*

*ponyboy trying to hide the proudest smile on his face :))*

pony loves, loves the sound of your laugh too

it’s just comforting to him :’)

i also think that after ponyboy comes out of his shell more that he’d 100% be the type to gossip (and never get caught) mainly stuff that he heard from two-bit, dally and johnny tho/tbh

y’all can communicate with no words, (it’s honestly sometimes pretty creepy); y’know through you eyes and facial  expressions and whatnot

he learns to read you really well. your body language and everything, so he’ll know that if you’re uncomfortable and he’ll try to get you out of whatever situation as soon as possible

he gets jealous a bit (he’s a little more insecure though) but he tends to wallow quietly in loathing, giving them the stink eye and what not

you go to his track meetings, just sitting on a bench nearby. he’s so happy that you’re there and supporting him :’)

if you cheer him on loudly tho, he will sink into the floor. out of embarrassment or just being overwhelmed by your love and support, who knows? 

if you guys are walking to his house later at night (or anytime, really) and a soc car drives up next to you guys, he’ll block you from their view so you hopefully won’t get catcalled. (in general he walks on the side of the street near the curb) 

if the group of socs does catcall you from their car or make you uncomfy he’ll tell them to shove off (protective boy fr fr)

also likes to kiss you all over your face

forehead kisses <3

passing notes in class

i don’t know why but i kinda feel like he’s insecure about his smile, so please reassure him that you love him whole :’)

he’s a great listener

ends up stealing a lot of you pencils because he’s always losing them 😭

sketches u <3

random deep talks at 3 in the morning 

recommending books and movies to each other

while he reads a book you recommend to him he writes little annotations of what he thought of the book (you do this for him also) 

has defiantely drawen both of your initials in a heart 

draws on your hands, lets you draw on his

he feels happy seeing you walk around with his little drawings on your hand 🥹

people honestly think that you guys are just really close friends; which is a  fair assumption, there isn’t too much pda with him/you probably don’t do anything too sterotypically couplely in public

he’s 14 (anyone who’s 17+ and reading this, 😐 wtf–) and you’re proably the first relationship he’s ever been in, so he kinda is trying to see how it goes + is always a bit afraid he might be overstepping (at least early on in the relationship)

pt.2 here cuz apparently i went over the word limit :'))

#lydscare; #the outsiders #the outsiders imagine #the outsiders x reader #ponyboy curtis #ponyboy x reader #ponyboy curtis x reader #ponyboy michael curtis x reader #ponyboy imagine #ponyboy curtis imagine

[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

[some-of-us-watch-the-sunset-too]

ooo darlinggg, you should do when the gang meets reader (us) for the first time and they are in love w us at first sight 😭😋

A/N: i really enjoyed this! i did write the reader as a soc and Darry might be considered a bit rude in this but it’s just cause i was feeling like writing a slight argument ok?

———————————————————

“Hey guys!” Steve said with a smile. “This is Y/N. They stopped round the DX a while ago and we got friendly.” He turned to look at Sodapop. “‘n before you start teasin’ me Mr. Pop, no we aren’t dating, we’re just friends.

Soda let out a dramatic gasp “I can’t believe you think i’d tease ya! I’m your best bud! i feel betrayed!” he flopped onto the sofa to emphasise is ‘pain’. “Y/N laughed at the middlest Curtis brothers antics and turned to face Ponyboy. “You must be Pony, right? Steve mentioned you.” They smiled and sat on the floor beside where the youngest greaser had been sitting reading. “That’s me.” he replied, not looking up from his book. Deciding that Pony wasn’t very chatty, Y/N then greeted each of the boys one by one. They got to Two-Bit last “And you must be Two-Bit.” They exclaimed. lStevie told me you’re the wisecracker of the bunch! i think we’ll get along swimmingly!”

Steve noticed that Darry was standing off to the side with a particularly disapproving look on his face. “Steve. Kitchen. Now.” He ordered as soon as the two made eye contact. Steve leaned up against the counter and looked at Darry. “What’s your problem?” The oldest Curtis just looked at him almost to ask if he was serious. “Steve- do you not realise how dangerous it is for us to have a soc around?? if their parents or friends found out that they were here do you really think it’d go down well??” Steve looked at the floor and stayed silent. Darry continued “it’s just not a good idea for us to be friends with the socs. most of the time they befriend or date us as a joke or out of pity. do you really want that?” He sighed. “I’m only trying to protect you.” steve looked up “and you don’t think i can protect myself?! Y/N is a nice person, they care about everyone and everything, i know they wouldn’t do that!” Steve sighed. “Look Dar, i know you’re only trying to look after us, but i’m 17, i grew up on these streets same as you did. if i didn’t trust Y/N i wouldn’t have brought them here.” He walks out, leaving Darry alone.

Y/N and Soda had been debating about whether Elvis or the Beatles had the better music. “Y/N i can’t believe you would think that the Beatles are tuffer than Elvis!! And i thought we could be friends!” Y/N just gives him the middle finger as they walk over to Steve. “You alright Stevie?” They asked, slightly worried. “Yea i’m ok. Wait Y/N- don’t you have to go to your piano lesson now??” Y/N’s smile dropped. “Shit.” They run out and hop into their red corvette before driving away as fast as possible without breaking the speed limit.

“Stevo? You really not datin Y/N?” Sodapop asked slowly. “Surprisingly, given my track record. No” He replied. Soda looked at him seriously. “I need you to set me up with them. They’re a gift from god.” Steve laughed “Sure thing bud, i’ll try my best!” He saw Darry’s still disapproving look out of the corner of his eye and gulped.

#the outsiders #ponyboy curtis #dallas winston #darry curtis #sodapop curtis #johnny cade #steve randle #two-bit mathews #dallas winston x reader #ponyboy x reader #darry curtis x reader #sodapop curtis x reader #johnny cade x reader #two bit x reader #steve randle x reader

[jccatstudios]

You're so talented! I love your comic adaptation of SoC. Wishing you all the luck in completing whatever you're aiming for. True hero's work 🤍

Thank you so much!!! As someone who read the first book just less than a year ago, I’m really honored that so many people, especially those who have been fans much much longer than I have, are enjoying the comic. All of your support and kind words have meant the world to me as I continue to develop my skills as a comic artist.

Since I’ve had a few people message me to ask, I’ll clear up my plans so far. Chapter 2 will absolutely be done before the year ends (unless something really disrupts my schedule). If I’ve counted it right, there are 11 more sets of pages until the chapter ends. Once it’s done, I’m planning on making a pdf free to download of the comic chapter, along with some bonus content.

After that, nothing is set in stone! I might take a short break to work on whatever school work I have, other comic work, and the like. I also want to take a short break to work on my backgrounds. This project has definitely made me better at them, but the next chapters will have a lot more environmental detail I want to do justice (especially the slat and the crow club).

Thanks for reading! Time to get back to inking page 20.

#soc comic adaptation #asks

[glass-adeptus]

Another S2 Wesper opinion no one asked for:

Honestly if they tried to slowburn it I might have died.

Yes yes the inevitable "they could cancel so I'm glad they gave us what they did" opinion but also I just don't think I could do slowburn for all three crows ships at once.

Pacing wise in SoC I find that Jesper and Wylan really don't have a lot of interactions (just them/not regarding heist plans) until we're actually in the ice court. There's a few one off comments (usually from Jesper) but we're not getting like in depth conversations until after they're out of the prison sect really.

So since they didn't adapt the ice court heist yet what do you think they would have given us if they were saving it for then? It would be like episode 4 or 5 of whatever season or spin off we get to get any real interactions ("just girls?" Scene perhaps) so would the slow build up be that season only? What would they do for the 8 episodes of SaB S2? Would we really get any crumbs at all until they adapted more of Crooked Kingdom?

I don't even think they're true pining slowburn as much as they just don't get the chance to talk to each other very much in the first book (more concerned with not dying and all). Like if we consider their kiss to move-in timeline its like. A day.

So considering that of course Kanej is gonna be slowburn and Helnik don't even get to talk to each other I would have gone fucking nuts seeing them do basically nothing with Wesper too. Sure maybe they could have kissed later than ep 4 but I also think the things they did with them were humourous and cute and hard to be mad at since I enjoyed every scene.

So far they're handling the characters and the ship with respect and that's all I could possibly ask for.

#i tried to keep this one short but I'm rambling again #honestly i could go on #i could write an essay #people are just so quick to call it bad because its not the same #blorbo posting #blorbo analysis #sab s2 #shadow and bone season 2 #soc #six of crows #wesper #grishaverse #wylan van eck #jesper fahey #sab #six of crows wylan #six of crows jesper #crooked kingdom

[chaserofstars11]

✨Intro Post ✨

me

heeey! i'm lea, (pronounce lee, lee-uh, lay-uh, or wtv idc it's not my real name ;)). I pretty much go by she/her, but all pronouns are ok!!! (so are all gendered terms, including girl/guy) I am bi, and super accepting/open. dms and asks are totally welcome! i live in north carolina (US), so EST. i've just started writing fic on ao3 so link: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaserofstars11 i'll make a masterlist once i write more i have a gorgeous goldendoodle so there are goldendoodles in the photos <3 (not mine tho :( )

music/books/movies/shows

i love renee rapp, taylor swift, conan gray, queen, paramore, mo schulte, phoebe bridgers, lana del ray, maneskin, yungblud, acdc, honestly basically anything

fav books are: harry potter ofc (but fuck jkr), six of crows/grishaverse (leigh bardugo is a goddess i luv all of her creations), age of legends trilogy, little women, lockwood & co, divergent, the hobbit, the book thief, carry on, becky albertalli's books, literally so many more

shows/movies: i love/have watched friends, the office, parks & rec, the good place, ncis (literally my fav), shadow and bone, young royals, heartstopper, good omens, and other stuff

ngl taladega nights is my comfort movie (so james of me, ik) but I also love harold and maude, mean girls, and any cheesy romance movie ever

that was long, so picture break! these are all from pinterest, not mine :)

fandoms/ships

I am mostly just in the marauders and soc fandoms, but also a bit of golden trio and pjo

I love most marauders ships esp starchaser, rosekiller, pandalily/marylily/pandamarylily, and dorlene (dw, i like wolfstar too) My favorite fics are Art Heist Baby, crimson rivers, anything by damagecontrol, anything by MesserMoon (esp kyd and ohb), anything by maladaptivewriting, anything by Solmussa, and anything by lynxindisguise (PSA i have not read atyd. ik, ik, i'm just not mentally prepared yet. same reason i haven't read choices)

my fav golden trio ships are luna/ginny, harry/draco, and ron/hermione

soc ships are obvi wesper, helnik, and kanej (plus zoyalai ofc)

dni

if ur mean/disrespectful/homophobic/misogynistic/sexist/transphobic/racist/or have anything bad to say/or are creepy

otherwise, i love to interact, have chains, be tagged, or anything. i am kinda new to tumblr tho, so not sure how everything works. I won't interact outside of tumblr or ao3 unless i actually know you

thx for reading <333 i hope you enjoy the weird shit i post :) I might end up posting my art... I dont know if im brave enough. but you can read my writing!

#intro post #introductory post #blog intro #the marauders #jegulus #wolfstar #rosekiller #starchaser #dorlene

[locklyle1kanij]

I wrote this whole review for good reads but i also wanted to post it here. I’m hoping that someone who either hasn’t heard of the books of hasn’t been convinced to read the books yet will find this!

I wanted to come here and write a review on all the books because i hope at least one of my reviews will convince someone to read these books.

Okay so i’m a pretty big reader and my favourite series before i read Lockwood And Co was Six Of Crows, which is still one of my favs but like i would just say if you read and enjoyed SOC i can almost promise you that you’ll like Lockwood and Co it’s got a lot of similarities like the found family which by the way this book series does amazingly, found family is my favourite trope, tell me a book has found family in it and i’m most likely gonna read it. But the found family in Lockwood And Co is definitely hands down my favourite found family! Like the characters dynamic with each other is just so perfect, and i’m obsessed with, as the series goes on the found family only grows larger!!

Also another thing i’m obsessed with in this book series is the plot. I don’t like ghost stuff, it’s not my preferred genre, but with Lockwood and Co i absolutely love the spookiness of it all. The cases that the characters take with the ghosts are always so interesting and the way Jonathan Stroud (the author) made different types of ghosts that all have different weaknesses and strengths!! I will never not be obsessed with just the world of Lockwood and Co in general especially since it’s British, I love books taking place in Britain! Also i just wanted to say the books only get better the farther you read into the series, like for me my favourite book of the series in the fourth one. So if you liked the first one but your not sure if you really want to continue this series i would say at least read till the third one then choose if you wanna keep reading.

Okay if your one of those people who feel like they can’t read a book without at least a bit of romance, me too honestly. If someone ever try’s to tell you Lockwood And Co doesn’t have romance in it, send them to me because i’m more then willing to educate them okay. I love books with a good romance sub plot and this book is in no way a disappointment in that. If you like slow burn like i do (Like Kaz and Inej or another fan fav, Percy and Annabeth) i can tell you, your definitely gonna fall in love with Lucy Carlyle and Anthony Lockwood! They’re slow burn is DEFINITELY a slow burn but it’s pretty obvious that even from the beginning that they’re not just friends or even colleges. Even the author confirmed in multiple times and even if he hadn’t i was already confident that they were a relationship that’s gonna last a lifetime. You know when you read books with a cute little romance in them but once your done the book your like, Ya no that’s not gonna be a long term relationship right there. Well this book series is not like that. Lockwood and Lucy are there for each other, always there to protect each other with their life if necessary but not only that, but something i will never get over from these’s books is how even though they’ve been through all they have in life it’s not about dying for each other, but it’s about how they fight to LIVE for each other and you see more of that character growth together through your the series as they grow up into the people that they are at the end of the series, and i just think that’s super beautiful.

Even though this book series was, at least at first marketed to the youth, i think any age can enjoy it. I was worried at first before i read the books (I watched the show first) that i wouldn’t be able to enjoy the books as much as if i was reading them when they first came out but honestly now after reading and rereading all the books i think i can honestly say that i might have enjoyed the books more. Some of the points of the books very lightly skim over some more serious topics that i don’t think i would have noticed if i was younger while reading these books. I’m not going to give any specific examples because i want this to be a spoiler free review but just know that i have actually examples i’m thinking of right now while i’m writing this. So i’m not just making it up on how it, even thought it’s not marketed to an younger audience, does touch on some deeper topics.

If you read this all, first of all wow that’s a lot of writing to read lol. I’m sorry, i’m a pretty big fan girl over this series. But everything i wrote here i believe whole heartily. I would go on for longer honestly, but i’m afraid if i write much more i’ll start spoiling the books so I’m just gone leave it here. Please Please just try out these books. You’ll be doing yourself a huge favour. Also right now a comic book is in the works for this series so you should read the books before that comes out! Byeee thank you for reading my rant!

#book recs #found family trope #slow burn romance #character development #book series recs #amazing main characters #book review #save lockwood and co #british books #READ IT #spoiler free review

[capinejghafa]

what did you think of them putting soc/ck moments into s2?

I mean, at first I was a little confused because we just genuinely didn't know how much of the soc duology we were getting this season.

Kaz - I think as soon as I realized about 7 minutes in that they were getting the Pekka storyline I was onboard. I love Kaz, a lot (I know very surprising, we are all shocked). And for whatever reason, every time I'm reminded of his backstory, I become an instant Kaz defender... it's happened the same way after I read the first book.

So from that perspective I enjoyed it. I know some people thought it was "too fast" but the general problem with that statement is we were introduced to that conflicted back in 1.01/1.02. So, even if we as book fans wanted to be mad it... it was already a problem that Kaz was going to have to deal with whenever he got back to Ketterdam. What I'm saying is extremely unpopular, I know. But that conflict had to resolve itself as a result of the events in s1.

Inej - I think the very minute Amita said/accidentally spoiled her ending I knew vaguely that this was going to take something from CK's ending... I think days prior to the premiere I was like if they split up the crows, I'm gonna be so mad because we literally just, you know, got 5 of the 6. They come as a set... at least until the end of the duology lol So, Inej's plot is something I keep coming back to... I have some unpopular opinions because I do think the writers have hinted at what happens since 1.07... and I personally don't think Inej is as open with her struggles as people want her to be? So, I loved that Inej is learning slowly about herself.... exactly like she does in the books.

Matthias and Jesper - There were things the show elevated, specifically on Matthias and Jesper. The problem with Matthias in the books is that we never actually get to see his struggles (we do get to read about his final fight, but just the general vibe of his everyday life? Nope.). Actually, I love the fact that we got to see this man struggle because Matthias needed the reality of what prison life does. I do love Matthias lmfaooo but I do have to remember that he was a druskelle and all the internal bigotry that comes with that. And I loved that Jesper embraced his gifts quickly... because we don't get to see that in the books ever (not even in ROW). We got to see him and his mom (or a version of his mom). That scene ended. me.

Wylan - I have no notes for Wylan because I fucking love Wy. But his story is slightly different from the books so we might get to see more??? *cross fingers*

Nina - Tbh Nina's arc was the one I was most worried about? Because I didn't know what elements from the books they were gonna use. And actually one thing I will say... maybe unpopular? But Kaz and Nina's friendship in the books was a bit hit or miss for me? So to have them have mutual respect and just generally vibe well? Like I loved that change so much. I don't know why but this fandom treats them like they legit hate each other, so it was nice to see them just chatting like regular normal people. If that makes sense.

(Also, don't hate me... but I do think Nina ended up having stronger bond with Kaz than with Inej? And that was strangely unexpected lol)

Also, this is me thing, but I went in with shockingly low expectations for this season. Like I was like this is fanfiction, I call the sab writers unironically sab fanfiction writers. They know what fan service looked like and went with it. Did I love the overall product? No, but I did have a lot of fun watching.

#noitsbecky127 #reply #idk if this made sense but i had thoughts adasda #sab spoilers #shadow and bone #the crows #soc

[digitalagepulao]

"as i get further into my study of chinese culture/beliefs i have come across stuff that most western folks might balk at" genuinely curious but would you be up to sharing? im not chinese but i am east asian and i've dealt with a fair share of.... western fans who were NOT respectful, let's just put it that way :') so now im curious what examples you've seen! but also if you don't wanna open that can of worms i completely understand. thank you for being respectful of other cultures, at least!

no problem at all anon!

yeaaah, respect comes in all shapes and sizes nowadays, to put it... mildly xvx for what it's worth, I do very much enjoy looking at other cultures and learn their different values and how that shows in their traditions and rituals.

one big example off the top of my head is cannibalism. I'm reading "Oedipal God: The Chinese Nezha and his Indian Origins" rn, and in the first few chapters, the author Meir Shahar goes at length over some old customs of cannibalism throughout Chinese history, both as an act of filial piety ("cutting the thigh" to serve an ailing parent as medicine, as giving back the body they gifted you to heal them) and as a display of the height of ambition (like armies ceremoniously eating the flesh of the fallen enemies). some of the stories he focuses on, however, are explictly tales in which a father consumes the flesh of their sons, though the context in which this happens varies a lot.

there's also certain shamans in folk religion who go through acts of self-flaggelation after encarnating the spirits of gods. the blood that comes from those wounds can be used in exorcising or healing rituals!

most western folks have a severe aversion to topics of cannibalism and autophagy in general, and I can easily see many people pointing at these examples and wanting to call them "savage" or "barbaric", without looking deeper than the surface of why such situations and rituals arose in the first place. and I think that's to the detriment of everyone.

the matter of respect and understanding from western fandom spaces have been... let's say lacking, and I think that really needs to change before even more harm comes from these mentalities. I myself try not to engage with soc media fandom spaces for my own sanity but I've heard several disturbing stories from the grapevine and yeaaaah it's.... discouraging.

I'll likely continue doing my liveread of the book and others, so I can better keep track of interesting tidbits I come across. I'm a beginner student on the topics after all, and I think this blog can be a good way to journal my studies and learning and share them with others!

#cw self-injury #cw cannibalism #cw anthropophagia

[fantastic-nonsense]

As an expert on Six of Crows, do you recommend reading Shadow and Bone first? Six of Crows sounds really good but I don't think I'll enjoy Shadow of Bones but idk if I'll miss a lot if I just jump right into the sequel series

All I can tell you is that I read the Six of Crows duology last summer with only the bare minimum knowledge of the Shadow and Bone trilogy that I was given while watching the first season of the show and I didn't feel like I missed a thing. Actually my full disclosure is that I still haven't read the SaB trilogy nearly a year later: I've skimmed bits and pieces of both Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, but otherwise most of what I know about the trilogy comes from the show and fic.

There's very little connection between the two series besides them taking place in the same universe: there are some vague references to the events of the SaB trilogy you might not get and a couple of characters who cameo near the end of the duology that you might go "Why do I feel like these guys are supposed to be important?", but the duology absolutely stands on its own as a series. Everything you need to know is explained in those books. So go forth, read the SoC duology, and enjoy!

#now if you want to read the Nikolai duology....that's a different story lmao #asks #six of crows #shadow and bone

[mermaidsirennikita]

ok so there's a petition to bring back s&b but it's not really getting much traction (unsurprisingly). however! there's now a theory going around twitter that netflix stole the plot of the soc spin-off and gave it to their witcher spin-off and that's why they cancelled the soc show and their evidence for this is that one of the s&b directors is going to direct episodes of the witcher spin-off....despite the fact that the witcher books and by extent those characters were written first and that they share only surface level similarities like both having a group of 6 criminals. anyway i know you probably don't care but i just thought this was so fucking funny and had to share.

Lmaoooo Shadow and Bone fans WOULD think this. That fandom (for the show, that is--I don't think all book fans liked the show... I don't really know how you could genuinely like that universe and those characters and enjoy the show, it's such a pale imitation) always struck me as a bit out of touch with reality. The show was never that big, and then they sloppily put two books together to write off one of the only characters anyone outside people who watched the show already MIGHT have known about due to Ben Barnes's relative popularity, never mind the clear budget cuts, and then... you expect a third season? Okay now.

But of course The Witcher, a much more popular series (however much it may not work for me) with a much more vast collection of content to draw from, would crib from Shadow and Bone, a show far fewer people watched, with even less critical acclaim. Of COURSE.

I don't read The Witcher books, but it's pretty clear from discussions I've seen by heavy fantasy readers that they had their own late stage influence, and I wouldn't be shocked if they indirectly influenced some S&B stuff. I mean, who knows. This theory is just really funny to me, because it not only vastly overestimates S&B's impact, but like? The degree to which Netflix thinks ahead? Because a defining issue with Netflix is that... they do not.

[kate1028]

❗️Spoilers for Shadow and Bone Season 2 ❗️

Okay so over the last two days I’ve seen a lot of different opinions on Shadow and Bone Season 2 and honestly I don’t know what to think of it. When I first watched it I just enjoyed it and thought it was pretty cool, apart from the ending there I wasn’t that pleased with it from the beginning. The more I see other opinions, the more unsure I get, because I can understand the criticism and see why people think that, but nonetheless I still don’t think of this season as bad. 

Something I learned over the past year is to accept the books and their movie/ show adaption as two coexisting storylines in the same universe. Therefore with that opinion I watched the show and couldn’t get disappointed. 

I know that some of you were expecting more. Especially with the Crows, but honestly what were you expecting? The show is still called Shadow and Bone, it’s a privilege to even have our Crows in there because in the original books they don’t appear yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love that they are in the show and just do their shit while everyone kind of does something to defeat the Darling while they are just there doing Crow stuff, but still I wasn’t expecting to have their story from the books in there. I was curious in how they will make room for them in the show but I didn’t expect to be anything from the books there. (I already got more than I expected) So on that part I’m pretty satisfied. 

When it comes to the storyline from the Grisha-Trilogy it gets a bit more complicated. The SoC Duology is definitely my favourite and the Grisha- Trilogy my least favourite one from the Grishaverse but I’m still not a big fan of changing too much from books. I get that they needed to cut things out, especially after shoving two books into one season with new characters who didn’t even appeared in the book, but changing the end so drastically? No, I personally don’t approve that. 

About why they were shoving two books in one season the reason probably lies with Netflix. If you think about how many shows got cancelled by Netflix over the past time and then them just getting a second season at first, not already the confirmation of a third one, made them put all of that into one. They wanted to complete the story, but weren’t sure if the show will get another season. A lot of story was missing from the original books (the most I felt was missing the Soldat Sol but also the Apparat) and there will never be a time I won’t be mourning for it but I can see why they made that decision. 

But through that decision some things felt kind of rushed in the show and that maybe makes it hard to understand some things. But maybe I also just feel that way, because I have read the books and know what big story is behind some of those simple scenes. Maybe I also just thought of it being rushed because I was used to everything developing slowly in the books. 

About the characters:

Let’s start with Wylan, because he is my favourite character in the Grishaverse and therefore I’ve been looking forward to see him on screen. Honestly I love the way Jack portrayed Wylan and I think he really is the perfect cast. I could see the Wylan from the book but also Jack’s own version and that fit just perfectly. Without knowing his background story from the books, it might be hard to understand the deeper meaning behind some of the scenes but apart from that he really slayed. He was this little shy and somewhat insecure demolitions expert but still putting up with the others and fitting into the group. About his relationship with Jesper: I will always prefer the books because I’m kind of a sucker for slow- burn but I also liked what happened in the show. Even though it kind of felt like a FanFiction to me (probably because I read a FanFiction ones where they met before and had a One night stand and then met again when Kaz set up the group) I really appreciated that. I might not have been ready for them suddenly making out but I’m here for it. 

I also loved how we got some of Jesper’s background story and the way we got to see more of his powers. 

Kaz was really just himself in that season, really seeking that revenge. I’m not yet sure what to think of it, that they included it already but it was so good. I also loved how we got to see Kaz vulnerable side, his trauma he got from his past (also very cool too that we got his background story) and what that made with him. 

About Inej she really slayed but I still kind of think that her past should be taken a bit more seriously and what actually trauma she got from that (as an example, her also having problems with being touched by others, especially men). 

I also just love that we got the “I will have you without armour or not at all” scene because that was such a precious moment between them. 

About Helnik: I loved how they were in the first season and that really got my hopes up for season two but I got kind of disappointed. I was kind of disappointed, that Matthias was basically in Hellgate all the time, but on the other hand I think it was important for his story if we get a season three, because Matthias time in Hellgate really made something with him. 

When talking about the Grisha-Trilogy characters it’s a bit harder for me to judge. I just read the books ones whereas I read the SoC- Duology more than three times. 

But I felt like the fight Mal and Nikolai had with each other because of Alina wasn’t really there and therefore Alina marrying Nikolai in the end… didn’t really appreciate that but I kind of enjoyed Mal becoming Sturmhond. There was just something so cool about that, I can’t quite put it. Furthermore I kind of think that something about Nikolai’s character was missing, I mean Patrick did an amazing job and I can really see him as Nikolai, I really do, but some of the depth was missing. But maybe I also just feel that way because I’ve read the KoS- Duology and obviously we get a lot more of his character etc there so… 

Back to Mal and Alina for a moment: In the books I really was a Malian shipper, so it kind of hurts that they didn’t got their ending  like they did in the books. Their small and quiet marriage, but like I already said I also enjoy the fact that Mal has become Sturmhond and with him marrying Alina, it wouldn’t have worked. So I don’t know which version I actually prefer….

About Tolya: Hoenstly I don’t remember that much form the books of him, so I won’t comment on it in case I might say something wrong. But what I want to say: I kind of loved how he got kind of pulled into the Wesper relationship and being an advisor to Jesper. 

About Tamar; I also don’t remember that much about her either but a bit more than about Tolya. I loved how she was portrayed in the show. I also loved how we got to see her relationship with Nadia developing in the show, because in the books they suddenly were just together. (Even though I was kind of expecting that, when I read the books. The whole time when they appeared at the same time I was like: They have chemistry and when they kissed I was: Yess.!) But I’m still kind of mad that we didn’t got a kiss because I was hoping for it so much. Just let my lesbians kiss (but if you think about how Netflix treated lesbian shows in the past *cough*) 

What I’m also still mad at that they killed David. Like no, he and Genya were supposed to get married. He died too early (even though there’s still a little bit hope, because there was no body) and I really loved their relationship in the books… 

So generally I don’t really know what to think of the season. I personally enjoyed it quite much but I will always love the books more, they will just be the best. Maybe I also don’t feel that negative about the season because my expectation were quite low, I was prepared for changes and differences so I didn’t even got my hopes up in the beginning. I also think, seeing the show and the books as two coexisting valid storylines in the same universe helps a lot too. 

And in the end it’s nearly impossible that no one gets disappointed when film/ show adaptation of one’s favourite books air because no one imagines the same things and even the characters are seen a little bit different from reader to reader, but that is the beauty of reading books. So in the end we will always get what is most saleable to everyone (including the non-readers who will watch the adaption)… 

Well you’ve reached the end now, if you got that far. Thank you, for getting through that rather long text (:

#grishaverse #shadow and bone #six of crows #sab season 2 #King of Scars #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #wylan van eck #jesper fahey #matthias helvar #nina zenik #alina starkov #genya kostyk #david kostyk #tamar kir bataar #malyen oretsev #nikolai lantsov #tolya yul bataar #nadia zhabin #my opinion

[phoebebuggers]

the more i think about it, this season was honestly disappointing for me. i enjoyed watching it, and there definitely was some stuff that i did like, but overall as a fan of the books i feel kind of betrayed. i'm okay with canon non-compliance when you stay true to the characters and the feeling of the original story, but some of the things this adaptation did really rubbed me the wrong way. it felt like they were doing the absolute most for the crows to have as much screen time as possible because they know they're the fan favorites, but in turn messed with their individual arcs and just the way they were characterized a lot. i'd almost rather have had them be in the show less and kept an air of mystery (especially within the context of a possible six of crows spinoff adaptation.) there was absolutely no need to use important quotes and scenes from soc/ck this early, and as a book fan it felt glaringly out of place.

inej's character was just botched overall, not in characterization (amita did a great job) but in the acknowledgment of her trauma and her past. having nina remove her menagerie tattoo pissed me off so much, because having it be scarred and unclean is so symbolic of her trauma in the books. i also felt like they just ignored the fact that she has trauma overall, and it was never hinted at, in the scenes with kaz or ever. this is part of why her leaving ketterdam to hunt slavers holds so much weight in the books (especially with the epiphany scene she has climbing the incinerator shaft in soc) but in this scenario it felt very weakened. and don't give me any of that "saving it for later" bullshit, her trauma is not a plot point to bring up in a future season. also tante heleen dying so early and so unceremoniously didn't sit right with me, considering she's sort of meant to mirror pekka rollins for inej in a way, and the strive for revenge is so important to both of them. like FUCKKKK HER but it felt a little soon

kaz on the other hand i actually thought was fairly well done. freddy carter gave the performance of a fucking lifetime go king go (tbh all of the acting in this show was phenomenal, sucks that the writing was so shitty!! anyways.) the acknowledgment of his trauma and his haehephobia was continuous and shown really well in a lot of scenes. i saw someone say it felt like it was focused more on his survivors guilt (which is the lesser part in the books) than his haehephobia, which i wouldn't disagree with but it wasn't a glaring issue for me. the scene with the poison hallucinations, the one in the streets of shu han where inej had to comfort him, and even at the end with the "i will have you without armor" scene were all very well done. the dregs fight was way too soon and not as climactic as it needed to be but i don’t want to talk about that (im fragile)

wylan's characterization was...it was there?? it felt a little off but i can't fully articulate why?? they did a good job with showing his talent and just like value as a demolition man, with the scene where he rescued everyone in shu han and in the end with the bomb saving nikolai and the others. i'm going to use this as an opportunity to talk about wesper because they speedran them so fucking much, and i was lowkey here for it?? they weren't *my* wesper but they were entertaining?? it makes sense to have them get together in the context of the whole show, as a side plot romance to keep it engaging. they also have the least incentive to not be together i guess? like everybody else is going the fuck through it and they have their issues but i guess they have like, less stopping them? i don't love the idea that they hooked up beforehand but i can accept it tbh.

outside of wesper, jesper's characterization was pretty good, i love kit young as him sooo much omg. it might have just been me but i felt like his sarcasm and like little quips with the crows and stuff wasn't as good as it was in s1?? the hallucination scene with his mother made me cry a little even though i feel like his development with being grisha was definitely too early and rushed (as is the theme with this season apparently!) also the way his relationship with wylan happened and their interactions were fairly in character for jesper imo.

nina, no offense, where was her personality?? nina in the books is so out of pocket and iconic and i felt like we got almost none of that. they made her entire character center around matthias which was so inaccurate to who she is. like yes matthias is important to her in the books but it never felt like the sole part of her personality. we deserved more nina and inej interactions bc i love them a lot.

i honestly liked what they did with matthias even though the perks rollins crossover was kind of ???ok anyways. bro was going the fuck through it but every scene with him felt a little redundant like, we got the point. i honestly thought they were going to get him out of hellgate and i was prepared to be salty about it but i was pleasantly surprised that they kept at least one thing book accurate and in line with the set up for six of crows.

as for the plot, honestly the crows being so involved in the ending was a fanfiction crossover fever dream. i don’t even want to talk about it. i don’t have too much to say on the shadow and bone plot because i honestly don’t know those books as well and haven’t read them in over two years. overall i feel like part of the reason i’m so critical is because i know six of crows by heart and those characters are so untouchable to me, it hurts a little to see them. i’m ok with changes to s&b plot because we all know those books are not that good, but six of crows?? if it’s not broken don’t fix it guys. i loved tamar and tolya, genya was great, lowkey i loved malina even thought i like their book ending better (that might be an unpopular opinions idk.) nikolai was kind of meh, he could have been a lottttt more interesting and his personality was lacking. every scene with the darkling in it was boring. maybe that’s why they included the crows so much. did i mention i love genya??? i’ve heard people say zoya was out of character but i don’t even know what in character would be for her so i can’t comment on that. i loved the keftas and the costuming overall, i still don’t like how alina’s summoning looks (i feel like it should be more warm??), we were robbed of i am become a blade

honestly, if they do adapt six of crows i want them to start over from the beginning, ignore the show but use the show cast. but that is not going to happen and they already used so much of the dialogue and scenes from ck . so .

#they definitely just threw in stuff from crooked kingdom to fill out the plot & keep the crows interesting without anything new #but honestly whatever at this point #grishaverse #shadow and bone spoilers #shadow and bone s2 #shadow and bone netflix #shadow and bone #six of crows #crooked kingdom #s&b s2 #s&b season 2 #s&b spoilers

[shesmyplusone]

oh boy.

So, I've watched all of S&B season two in less than a day. And let me tell you...I'm very disappointed!

As a show, there were things I liked. I'll start with some of those-

the acting: Really good! I really took to all of the new actors- especially Nikolai and Wylan, who have always been two of my favorites. Strong seasons from Daisy Heard, Jessie was great as always, and really came around on Nina's actor too.

Costumes: I enjoyed about 90% of them (not Zoya's dress at the end of the season. but that's a whole other can of worms). Jesper looked great!

The Darkling: He was shown to be as pathetic and sad as he's always been. Him dreaming about Alina and her stabbing him was wonderful. Happy Genya and Zoya helped put him in the ground, at least for now.

Zoya/Nina: I was actively really upset when Zoya wasn't sending Nina off on her mission before season 1. Their dynamic means so much to me and the narrative, but I had assumed we were going to have to sacrifice Zoya's SoC storyline to allow her to build her S&B storyline! But we weren't! They got to interact. I wish it had focused more on Nina leaving in the middle of the war, and what it was like for her to come back, but there were just too many different characters and moving pieces to get in depth focus on that, and I understand that.

Jesper!: He was great. he's always great. Zero notes! Loved him a Wylan having a past. It made up for the other Crows reallyyy going through it with their love interests.

And the bad things:

As an adaption: Really rough. Like I understand the desire to get through both S&S and R&R. but they completely butchered my favorite book in the trilogy (maybe the whole series!) to do it. They took the Apparat out entirely. They lost most of the Sun Summoner cultists and Alina granting her power to them on the Fold. Nikolai did not become the monster and spend half of the season chasing the crew around. No firebird hunt! Alina lost her little trip with her friends, lost the comradery that came from traveling up and down Ravaka with Mal, David, Genya, Zoya, Nadia, the twins, and Adrik. No Oncat at all!!!! Alina never thought she had more to lose because she never realized she even had it!!!!!!!

They rushed her into wanting to save Ravaka, pulled her away from the girl who wanted peace to herself and to help children like she was.

I understand they didn't want to lose Jessie, Archie, and Ben at the same time. (Debatable about Ben. but that's for later). The set up and destroyed so much of the story for the hope they might get a season 3 (with Netflix's trackrecord, i'm not hopeful).

But man. they lost so much of what i loved about the trilogy. I know most folks don't love it. even going through the tag I can see most people are mostly here for the crows. Where was the huge awful civil war!!! one battle!!! with a rip-off Zoya (bangs and all). And a different squaller got to do lightning before Zoya!!! I'm grumpy.

and there is a slim chance that we get a season 3 that ends with Mal and Alina on their little farm. but man, i don't want to take that bet. What a waste!

Matthais: i love the boy, but man, ever single one his scenes at hellgate were like pulling teeth for me. insane he had a whole arc to himself while zoya was shoved whereever the writers needed her to be.

Nikolai's Monster: So happy they snuck it at the last second. But man, it should have happened earlier. My favorite R&R Zoyalai scene is not the ones with Alina, but when Nikolai turns back into a man and Zoya catches him falling out of the sky, a scene that is paralleled in RoW. I get it, yet again, that the viewers barely knew Nikolai, so turning him into the monster halfway through the season was silly, but they could have done it in episode 7 and i think it could have worked.

DAVID!!!!: Are you kidding me!!!!! I know he could alive, as there was no body, but we already went through this one. GENYA already goes through this once. this happened solely so the triumvirate could be Alina, Zoya, and Genya. But when Zoya said the world I literally burst into tears. It's supposed to be David :( Alina's "oh we don't need the orders anymore" is supposed to come from Zoya figuring out in KoS/RoW that the lines are not so neatly drawn. David has to help Nikolai with his inventions!!!! Like!!!! Who's going to chain up the monster!!!

Mal: he should not have fucking left. that speech he gave about being happier on the ship with Strumhund is NOT his story. it's Nikolai's. He would never leave Alina!!!!

Zoyalai: I'll just get to it. It feels like the writers were baiting me specifically. "Let's let Nikolai interact with literally ever other character in the universe. but Zoya!" And at the end, when i thought we might get something with Alina telling Inej to tell him where Zoya was. Nothing! (Well, Elivabeta's Bee was a nice touch) but! not a single conversation! Alina's going "comfort him" while he's king. She's still in charge of the second army, while Zoya's just "in charge of training". They're still engaged!!!! I literally thought she was stopping the engagement when she gave the emerald back. but nope!

i have no faith there will a season three, and honestly. not sure i want one. what a mess. if these showrunners had wanted a crows show so badly, they should have just fucking done one. the trilogy is not perfect, but had a solid, good storyline with characters with arcs and purposes and and it's really hard to see how they redeem that.

#booo no oncat. and other long complaints in here. #the writers killing marie way before they should have should have been a sign #a big fat warning sign #this is a fucking mess and is unedited but i just wanted write this down #anti darkling #just to cover that #shadow and bone #grishaverse

[esotericdescent]

I have some Headcanons for Kaz to share in reference to his trauma / haphephobia. A couple of them involve vague mentions of ~intimate situations.~

It's never really explicitly mentioned in the books, but I suspect blood is one of his triggers—although fresh blood isn't as much of an issue as I think it has a lot to do with scent rather than the physical sensation of it. It's the sickeningly sweet, rotting coppery scent and if he's stuck with it on him long enough, it can easily lead to a panic attack and/or a fainting spell. It's also very likely the reason why the only time he gets someone's blood all over him is either when it's a last resort or when he just .... loses his cool, which doesn't happen very often ( I mean, he doesn't particularly like killing people anyway, but yk ). In SOC when he rips that guys' eye out, they change POV after Kaz goes bellow deck to clean himself off and stuff and like ..... I think about that a lot. Might write a drabble abt it some time, who knows.

When/if Kaz gradually starts to work through his touch aversion issues in order to be able to physically touch someone casually or intimately, he strikes me as someone who is ... extremely intense once he's comfortable. Because of his aversion, he's also very touch starved, which becomes immediately obvious very quickly in that case.

I think, when it comes to kissing someone, that is likely one of the easier things to work through for him simply because of how stark the contrast is. Like, the heat of someone's mouth, the intimacy of being able to hear and feel someone's breathing, feel how very much alive they are. And for that reason, it becomes pretty immediately apparent how much he enjoys it once he gets there.

One of the ways he keeps himself grounded during these situations is being able to feel someone's pulse, which he can do by either feeling for it by resting his hand on their throat / pressing his thumb against their pulse point there, or doing the same on their wrist(s).

However, something important to note; it will absolutely take a lot of tries, trial and error, for Kaz to be able to work through these things. He is probably going to have several panic attacks along the way and it's gonna be a rough start; it's especially going to be complicated and very, very meaningful for him to allow someone to be anywhere near him when that happens too, so it'll require a ton of thorough plotting. I don't mind skipping ahead, as long as we thoroughly discuss and establish the difficulty in Getting There.

I will also say that, as someone on the asexual spectrum myself, I am 5000% very, very flexible about what intimacy would mean for him. Smut does not have to happen for Kaz to be intimate with someone; literally him letting someone hold his hand is a very huge indication of intimacy for him okay. There's a part of him that deeply, deeply struggles with shame regarding his trauma and limitations because of it, so. Someone eventually knowing What Happened and insisting on giving him the space and patience that he needs and/or being like "you don't actually have to Ever btw" despite his stubborn attitude sigh lmao is 👌👌

Kaz's struggles with touch will never fully be gone, no matter how much he works through it. There will still be days where he can't handle physical contact and there will be days where he's handling things just fine but the slightest thing twists the wrong way and he has a panic attack or can't touch anyone for hours or the rest of the day, ect. It's always going to be there in the back of his mind, being considered with everything he does. And, even with working through it to be able to touch Certain People or Someone In Particular, he still won't be able to deal with it casually, with people he doesn't know well or trust. It's especially Bad if it's not anticipated from someone he doesn't know well or trust.

#( CHARACTER STUDY; KAZ. ) #( CHARACTER META; KAZ. ) #the depth and complexity of Kaz's touch aversion is one of my favorite things about him so I have a lot of feelings about it #I've honestly never seen it written like his; where not only can he easily have a whole severe panic attack bc of it #but he can severely struggle to remain conscious??? #i love how seriously leigh takes it and explores it and how she's like 'this trauma is severe and it's not gonna be easy to work thru' #and how I always get the vibe that no matter how far he comes with it it's not something that will ever fully leave him #anyway #in the words of freddy carter reading that one person's tweet; #'i would die for kaz brekker and he would let me' lmao #( QUEUE. )