[beanaroony]

It's a WIP that's taking me forever because I don't remember how to draw things.

[savemefromthepirates]

I couldn't help myself. 😏 I imagine adult Zuko is better at communicating...sort of.

[lotustiled]

zuko and katara attempt to soft parent the gaang (and fail)

[mayskalih]

[nxctern]

Zuko & Iroh

[ink-stained-ambition]

I just saw someone on Pinterest saying that Inej’s response after Kaz’s whole ‘I would come for you’ speech was too casual for the situation, and how Inej had been internally begging him to open up, and they were upset that she only responded with a nod when he finally did. They were saying like it felt like she expected a lot from him and then didn’t appreciate it when he tried.

But here’s the thing. She responded exactly how Kaz would have wanted her to, a way that would be comfortable for him, and that is also very suiting for their relationship.

Kaz doesn’t want tears, he doesn’t want fuss. Major reactions in response to making an attempt to be vulnerable are, for those of us who struggle with vulnerability as is, very uncomfortable. It makes us more acutely aware of how exposed we are, and it makes us want to retreat. So, Kaz wouldn’t want Inej to make a big deal out of his speech (*cough* love confession *cough).

On top of this, this person is misunderstanding their dynamic. These are two people who are deeply connected, who have a deep understanding of each other. Kaz can always find her when no one else can, Inej feels safe enough to sit in his office with him. There is so much trust and understanding there. Kaz knew what her nod meant. She didn’t need flowery words to show him any appreciation she had, or to show she accepted his words. That nod was more than enough for both of them. These two communicate in small ways more often than they do in big ways.

ALSO, this person is to an extent misunderstanding Inej herself. Inej may be softer than Kaz, but she is still gritty (for lack of a better word). She is still not soft, just not as jagged as he is. Throughout no point in the books is she herself one for big speeches. She is also not one to lower her standards. And while this is a very, very good start for Kaz, she is not going to go on her knees and thank him, or throw her arms around him and praise him. She is accepting his speech, and for both of them, in their rough area of life, that is just as big as praise. She is accepting it, while also letting him know that there is still more needed, that she still expects him to keep improving. And Kaz wouldn’t want her to do anything else, either, out of respect for her, and wanting what is best for her.

And we also have to keep in mind everything Inej has been through. Kaz has given her very little outward reason to believe he cares for her up until this point. He does, we as the readers know this, and even Inej does to an extent because they do understand each other well, but it is still very little for someone who can’t see entirely inside his head. In this scene, she is asking him if he cares, if he would still care even if she wasn’t what he needed anymore. That is one of the main points of the scene. And so it would still make sense that she would be uncertain of how to respond to his answer. Even if she accepts it and knows it to be true because of who he is, it would still be hard to trust for a moment.

So, Inej’s nod was exactly the right response to his speech. This person is misunderstanding it as cold or indifferent, but it isn’t, not at all. She of course cares that he is being vulnerable with her, but neither of them are soft people. They are both traumatized and hardened and made jagged by that trauma. For them, her response being simple and not verbal is perfect.

[indestinatus]

Kaz + what was left unsaid about Inej

[liquidyhot]

Thinking about how confusing and conflicting it must have been for Inej when she realises that she’s falling for Kaz.

On one hand, the relief that she’s able to allow herself to feel any semblance of sexual attraction, after all she went through at The Menagerie. That Tante Heleen didn’t take this one thing from her. That even in the pits of hell called the Barrel, all the times she’s imagined leaving this place, that she can allow herself to feel an emotion other than out of pure survival. The realisation that she couldn’t have chosen a worse man (pre-kos) to have fallen for.

[jo-constantine]

Kaz and Inej watching their “Saints” perform miracles (requested by anon)

[fantastic-nonsense]

Kanej fic writers constantly write things that just make me want to make me chew glass and I've never been so grateful in my life for a group of writers who mostly all seem to be on the same page about the emotions they want to evoke in their readers

[fantastic-nonsense]

@amozon28: Saaaame! Id love some recs of these authors u speak!

Ask and ye shall recieve my SoC fic recs list, which is mostly Kanej fics at this point (with some Wesper and gen fics thrown in).

For a couple that I don't think are on that list but I love anyway:

Sea Change, by cameliawrites: “Why drag yourself back to a city you hate? Why not be unbound, unburdened forever? You said it yourself—you’re uniquely suited to life from the perch of the sails…so why come back at all?” Kaz demands.

The answer rushes to Inej’s mind, unbidden and untamable as her beloved True Sea. You, Kaz. You.

In the months following her departure on the Wraith, Inej comes to learn that the sea is as restless as her own heart. Oceans away in Ketterdam, Kaz cannot help but follow her lead.

traveling songs, by crookedverite: Inej returns to Ketterdam after an eighteen month voyage and brings new demons with her.

fate follows suit, by demigodbeautiies: There it was, unmistakeable. A small bird on the curve of his ribs, alongside the same stretch of skin that an ugly, mottled scar now curved on her. [Soulmate AU]

A Safe Place to Land, by insignificant457: Neither Kaz nor Inej ever carry the name “Mother” or “Father,” but they do their fair share of parenting anyway.

forever is the sweetest con, by downn_in_flames: “So you’re…so you’re actually marrying Inej because you love her,” he reiterates. “No, I’m marrying Inej for the tax incentives,” Kaz repeats, as if Jesper is somehow the stupid one here. “The fact that I love her is entirely separate from the fact that Kerch law favors married partners."

[fantastic-nonsense]

Jesper 🤝 Matthias 🤝 Kaz: thinking Inej deserves better than Kaz

[jon-lox]

ok ur couple loves each other but do they even like each other. do they get up to mischief are they little schemers together do they whisper to each other in cahoots. are they sick in the head. do other ppl think they're bad separately but 4x as worse if they're in the same room. do u know something is up if one of them is sat there by themselves laughing and the other has disappeared mysteriously. if your couple isnt giggle whispering bc of some dark jokes that theyre telling one another, theyre boring and im not interested in that romance

[fantastic-nonsense]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[timebomb-4life]

before ekko and jinx fought, ekko imagines jinx enjoying the fight. ready and excited to kill him.

but in reality, jinx was visibly distraught. she clearly didn't wanna fight him.

[blueinsomnia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Hello, Timebomb lovers!  Those of us who both read and write Ekko/Jinx fics have put together a curated list of fics that are specifically about them and their relationship.  One of the biggest gripes about the Ekko/Jinx tag has been the fact there are so many fics that don’t feature them that are still tagged Ekko/Jinx.  Hell, there are some fics tagged Ekko/Jinx where Ekko is never even mentioned in the story.

Well, worry not.  We scoured 800 fics to find the ones that are specifically about them and weeded out the stories where they’re minor players.  We also did not include “Dead Dove” stories or ones with controversial relationships.  We’re also working on including the foreign language stories (there are quite a few that are in Spanish) and hope to have that sorted out this week.

If your story is not in the collection, please check your e-mail.  We sent approval requests to all relevant fics in both the Ekko/Jinx and Ekko & Jinx tags.  If you want your story added to the collection, feel free to add it and we’ll evaluate your story.  We’ll do our best to work as fast as we can.

Also, long fics were the hardest to evaluate, because some are super slow burns where one or both characters barely appear or have few interactions.  A lot of them didn’t make the cut, but we’ll always go back and reevaluate as the story progresses.  The main goal here is to give Timebomb readers a way to find what they’re looking for easily and quickly.

We’d also like to thank all of the authors who have written stories about them and their relationship.  It’s been a pleasure reading all of the creative stories you’ve come up with.  Let’s hope for a bright future and more stories!

[fantastic-nonsense]

Things Kaz canonically does in the two years between Crooked Kingdom and Rule of Wolves:

(presumably) massively expands the Dregs' territory

buys Pekka's old club (the Emerald Palace) and completely renovates it, turning it into The Silver Six

massively expands the Crow Club to the point where it's "three times the size of every other establishment on the block"

builds an underground tunnel that goes from the Crow Club to the Geldstraat, where the Van Eck Mansion is

takes Jesper out on jobs with him often enough that Wylan has jokingly banned Jesper from answering the door when he knocks

learns about Ketterdam's Suli laborers and picks up additional knowledge of Suli culture

keeps up with Inej's whereabouts and helps her take out slavers

expands his information network to the Kerch colonies

is on friendly enough terms with the King of Ravka that he taught Nikolai how to pick locks and Nikolai feels comfortable personally writing him a letter when he needs to steal the titanium from Kerch

disguises himself just to follow people around on the streets

was planning to steal the titanium from the military base anyway just for fun

And that's just the stuff we see from Nikolai's and Zoya's incredibly limited perspectives during their Ketterdam sidequest

I 100% agree with Zoya when she thinks that "maybe Kaz was like Nikolai, a boy with an unquiet mind, a man in perpetual need of challenge" because ROW makes it so obvious that Kaz is bored and incredibly restless in his success. Someone get our boy a new life's purpose and a subscription to a long-running unsolved mystery podcast stat

[fairytalesofforever]

SOC fic masterlist

I can't believe I haven't done one yet, so:

Catch and Release (directly post CK, 2K words/one-shot, kanej)

The two deadliest people in Ketterdam struggle to sit together and learn some things in the process, including, but not limited to, that they will always come back to each other.

the ichor in their veins needs feeding (modern AU, 1K words/one-shot, kanej, helnik, wesper, platonic everyone/found family)

To be young is the nearest thing to being immortal. Or, a modern AU.

the willows' lullaby (verrry post CK [like several decades], 1.5K words/one-shot, kanej)

Her hair is white and her hands are lined, but she wakes up and asks for her knife. Kaz can refuse her nothing. Or, a series of reflections before the end.

The Best Worst Kept Secret in Ketterdam (post CK, 280K words, complete, kanej, wesper, mentions of past helnik, alby rollins/OC, platonic everyone who's still alive)

She’s really not their child, they promise. Unfortunately, she has other ideas: Cue the Parent Trap, but with trauma.

renegades in the ring (circus AU, 6K words/one-shot, kanej, helnik, pre-wesper, platonic everyone, jordie lives)

A magician with a mind as sharp as his tongue. An acrobat searching for her wings. A sharpshooter looking for freedom. A prodigal son with some tricks up his sleeve. A fortune teller looking to love in peace. A wolf trainer starting a new life. What happens in the Big Top, stays in the Big Top.

used to be mine (during and post-books, 4K words/one-shot, kanej, background implied wesper, platonic inej&jesper and inej&wylan)

"The lynx and the Wraith and the girl of the Ravkan fields are bidders in an auction for pieces of Inej Ghafa, whoever that is." A spy, a captain, a Saint; the treasure of a certain criminal king's heart; she has lost everything and more, but she has always been dangerous. songfic to "She Used to Be Mine" from Waitress

we're still in it, but in a minute (post-CK, 1.5K words/one-shot, kanej)

It’s a good night for them. For both of them, actually. “Can I try something?”

To Meet a Monster (pre-canon, 1.6K words/one-shot, outsider POV)

“Just now,” said the boy, “You were sizing me up, weren’t you? Thinking you could take me?” There was a dare in his eyes, a cruel black glitter that begged to be set loose. “I want everyone else to think that, too. And I want a weapon to prove them wrong.” It's hard enough to be a Fabrikator hiding in Ketterdam. It only gets worse when the boy called Dirtyhands wants something from him.

If I went to touch you now (during SOC, 14.5K words, complete, kanej, background helnik, background pre-wesper, platonic Inej&Nina and Inej&Matthias)

"The marks were there, after all, clear as day—some black with destiny, others colored with a fate already found." It seems impossible. After all, the black marks that they bear are supposed to be the first place their soulmate will touch them someday. But Kaz and Inej both have to wonder—who would want to be the other half of a broken soul? Who would dare to touch the untouchable? Why would they obey the laws of fate, determined as they are to break all the others?

all my friends are heathens (modern AU, 6.4K words, WIP, kanej, helnik, wesper, platonic everyone/crows as found family, texting)

"Ketterdam is an unkind place to be young—although, in fairness, it's an unkind place to exist. The Crows carve out a place in the world which never made one for them via road trips, improbable heists, creative insults, and many, many games of cards."