ahhh soft!! i see six of crows on ur fandom list and im on my first readthrough rn and im loving it so much!! i was wondering if u had any headcanons to share?
*SMASHES THROUGH THE WALL INSTEAD OF USING THE DOOR*
I freaking ADORE Six of Crows, my dude, I got the Collector Editions of the duology last year for Christmas, and they're my pride and joy. I've also indoctrinated two of my friends into reading them as well, which is my crowning achievment honestly. I hope you're enjoying the book!! The show was pretty good, though I wish we got that Crows spinoff (never forgiving Netflix, those bastards)
ANYWAY, I am getting wildly off topic here, you've asked for hc's and I shall deliver with some. It's gonna be a mix of non tkls and tkls, and could be a couple spoiler-y things mixed in.
I haven't done headcanons in ages so bear with me;
Non tkls HC's
Kaz is really good with kids; probably not in our society's version of 'good', but he never wants a young person down on their luck to end up like him. Ever. So, he does what he can while maintaining his rep. Inlists their eyes on the streets for a fair charge. Offers jobs in the Crow Club for the lowest risk, but frames it as a challenge to build their confidence. Gives advice thinly disguised as threats and teaches sleight of hand as a demonstration of pigeons intelligence. Jesper once pointed out how proud Kaz looked when one of the ankle biters managed to pull off a pickpocket cleanly. Kaz tells Jesper to shut up.
Inej knows how to sew. I like to think her family was resourceful and recycled materials a lot to make the most of what they had while on the road. There was also her time in the mengaerie where she had to sew stitches when clients got too rough. As a result, whenever one of the Crows has torn clothes, she volunteers to fix them so they won't have to take them to someone else who could possibly be dodgy. She's the only person Kaz trusts with mending his gloves.
Wylan can sing incredibly well (yes, I am basing this on Jack Wolfe's performances in Hades Town). Matthias once theorized he could be a Siren. Nina encourages this gleefully. So does Jesper. Wylan knows about this theory and only adds fuel to the fire when he stares wistfully at the harbour and says he misses swimming. Matthias is convinced the whole team is made of cryptids and Demjins.
Speaking of Demjin, Matthias's insult has become one of Kaz's favourite things. I'd love it if Ketterdam had a version of Ouija boards, and for Christmas (or their version of it), Kaz gives one to Matthias and says, "Call me if you need me to bail you out of jail again, just not on weekends. That's when I'm needed back in hell to help count the souls. We were under quota last week."
Kaz makes "Your Mom" jokes. He does this a lot. He even does it to Wylan when he's feeling particularly peeved.
Nina and Jesper often make shopping trips together, their purchases are bold, vibrant and so unapolegtically them. No one can stop their impulse buys. They enable each other. RIP Nina and Jesper, you would've loved Dangerfield
Kaz and Wylan play chess. Wylan has never won a game. Kaz is sweating cause Wylan is getting better and keeps almost winning. One day, he shall be toppled, and he'll be moping for weeks. (he's compeditive as fuck)
If Jesper had Tiktok, he'd be using ALL of the new slang unapologetically. Matthias has almost strangled him cause he just doesn't understand what the fuck this man is on about. Nina is actively not helping.
Kaz loves dogs. He feeds street dogs outside the Crow Club, but no one can prove it. Inej finds it to be the most endearing thing. She has her crows, he has his dogs.
Kaz has made a game of breaking into Wylan's place, moving something, and then leaving using the front door. As if to say; 'I've done something devious, go look.' Wylan races upstairs to see what the fuck Kaz did, and most of the time it's something completely harmless - like a piece of furniture being put somewhere improbable. How Kaz managed to get a footstool balanced on a feature piece lightshade is beyond Wylan. Then there's the silly stuff, like a knick-knack pretending to be shagging another knick-knack, a little book pyramid, a filing cabinet where the rows have little sticky note drawings of crows stuck to them. Kaz one day felt really devious and moved everything in Wylan's bedroom 5 centimetres to the right. Wylan just wants to experience peace again. (he never will)
Inej and Nina have their version of "Car Debrief". Nina loves introducing Inej to her favourite foods so they find a new sweet treat Inej hasn't had before, find a random spot in Ketterdam, and yap. These conversations raaaaaange man, they can talk about anything and everything due to their different childhoods and cultures. Wylan is occasionally invited for girl talk; he's also a gossipy bitch once he gets going
Kaz and Jesper sometimes have a drink together in Kaz's office. It was made a tradition when one of them was spiralling, and the only solution at the time was alcohol. Now, whenever they're feeling shitty from life decisions, trauma, nightmares, lost morale, or just needing a friend, they'll pop a lid and pour a few whiskies for each other. Kaz is getting better at letting his walls come down and opening up a bit more, and Jesper is confronting stuff he'd usually ignore through gambling. They're helping each other out, albeit slowly, but surely. Kaz is grateful to have a brother again, and Jesper is grateful to be trusted
Tkls
I've seen HC's running around with the Crows before, and I'm jumping on the bandwagon that Kaz has ticklish hands. The bodypart most people fear of Dirtyhands, due to how much death has befallen those palms and fingers, yet the ghosting of nails along the skin has Kaz fighting for his life not to squirm. Inej adores it. I think she's the only one who's seen his hands, and when they reach the point of being able to actually touch each other, it's the first place they initiate contact. It's a lot safer than anywhere else on the body, so it's a good first step. However, due to Kaz's hands being firmly reserved within the gloves and barely touched by even the elements, his sensitivity is ridiculous. The one time Inej once pressed a kiss to the skin, Kaz went bright pink and had to muffle raspy snickers into his other hand
Inej's relationship with touch has changed her perception of tickling. It took a while before she was comfortable with it, but Jesper has been said to be a great exposure therapist. Her neck and arms are the most sensitive places for her - her neck is often covered by wrapping or material to protect her against Ketterdam's weather. Her arms are muscled from climbing, and barely being touched gently has made them quite sensitive as a result. Her laughter is one of Kaz's favourite sounds, so once they've built to a point of being able to touch, he loves trailing gentle lines along her arms, often mapping out routes on her skin of mental blueprints for future heists. Often, Inej will guess which building he's tracing the route for through her giggling, and she's right every single time to his amusement. Even being tickled won't stop her mind from being as sharp as a tack.
Jesper, this man is a certified giggler! He's silly! He loves messing around with people and having a grand old time. I love the idea of him being a bit similar to Kaz and having ticklish palms, but instead, it's due to his abilities. It can get a snicker out of him, occasionally a few giggles, but he's worst on his knees/calves. Tons of jobs with the Dregs has toned his legs into an athletic form, unfortunately (for him) that has heightened his ticklishness. Squeezing his kneecap, innocently brushing a hand over his leg, patting his calf; yeah nah, this boy is bracing himself for a tickle attack while stuttering out negotiations through his preemptive laughter. The other Crows will occasionally use this method to either: 1) Make Jesper pay attention to a job briefing. 2) Stop being a snarky little shit. 3) Bring him back to the present if he's having a smidge of an ADHD spiral. 4) When he's got too much energy (again, linking to his ADHD) and needs to redirect it so he can focus on the task at hand. Each time, it's proven effective!
Wylan is such a cutie patootie who WILL rig a bomb in ten seconds just cause someone challenged him to. He will then throw it through their window while calling, "Have a nice day!" Honestly, due to his neglectful upbringing, I think a severe lack of positive affection has made him quite ticklish as a result. More often than not, a simple prod to his side will have him leaping to the roof of the Crow Club and having to be knocked down with Kaz's cane. He has a very breathy laugh when tickled, but it quickly morphs into something completely undignified and uncontrollable when he really gets going. Hardly befitting of someone of his supposed stature, and that's why the other Crows love it. What do you mean this little merchant is snorting and wheezing like a mule when tickled??
Nina is an icon; she has no fear, and when it comes to tickle fights, she will fight DIRTY to win. However, Matthias is often her opponent, and he's learnt what dirty tricks to use on her in return. Thighs are the one spot Nina genuinely cannot handle before she's tapping out. Squeezing, trailing, kissing (oop), Matthias knows the best ways to get Nina snorting and cackling. It's his favourite thing; who knew taking down Grisha could be so easy? Plus, the satisfaction of winning these fights is outshone by seeing Nina so happy, grinning up at him, and only egging him on more as she refuses to quit. Play fighting is their love language, as is bullying, teasing, and poking fun. They're such competitive shits, I love their relationship so much guys :((
Matthias has a ticklish back. Hear me out here; coming from somewhere freezing cold, he'd need to keep his torso warm always, meaning bulky fur coats and protection from the elements - airgo, his experience with contact in a heavily shielded area is lacking. Contact he would've experienced is his history of fighting, hard blows, and sharp objects cutting into skin. He's much more used to firm contact from his comrades, slapping each other on the shoulders/back as a form of congratulatory. Cut to Nina, this mischievous little minx, who thrives on physical contact and pushing Matthias's buttons. She's not brutish or firm like the people he knew; she's soft and gentle. She flits and flows through physical contact like it's an art form. It's trailing fingertips, soft carresses and gentle lips. Matthias is DYING. He's not extraordinarily sensitive, but when you've been conditioned to expect tougher affection, Nina's form of love is a bit overwhelming. When she attempted massaging his back for the first time, Matthias crumpled into the bedclothes with such rich, genuine chuckles she thought she'd won the lottery. It's her favourite thing to do, watching her beloved go boneless yet remain so tense cause he loves the sensation due to how different it feels, but again, overwhelming
Kaz only trusts Inej and Jesper (for now) to touch him, and this has led to Jesper testing if Kaz is ticklish. It was during one of their Whiskey Nights, and Kaz was more than a little tipsy when Jesper prodded him in the side. The annebreation helped bring his walls down far enough that he didn't mask his reaction. He flinched away with a small chuckle, his eyes transforming him into a boy who was watching their brother, anticipating another attack. It's one of Jesper's most treasured memories, and though he hasn't gone further than gentle poking and a small wiggle of fingertips, hearing Kaz laugh genuinely is worth more gold he could ever steal
Kaz has only retaliated a few times, well within the privacy of his own space and far from the prying eyes of the masses. He finds it to be a bit childish, but will indulge the urge if Jesper is being playful rather than flat-out irritating. If Inej needs a distraction or they have a rare 'safe night' with touch. He even once prodded Wylan in the side with his cane when they were playing chess just because Wylan had spent fifteen minutes second-guessing a move
Inej is a damn ninja. Surprise tickles are a thing, and Jesper regrets the day he ever suggested her trying it on Nina, cause now Inej does it to everyone. Drops out of nowhere, gives a sensitive spot a pinch or spider, and then boom, she's gone. There's no warning, just a result
Jesper is a teasy little shit who loves messing with people. With his friends, he's a menace to everyone, scoping out sensitive spots with bullseye accuracy every time. His common targets are Wylan and Inej, but also Matthias. You ever seen a tall, intimidating Fjerdan leap out of his skin and make a noise seemingly impossibly high for his voice? It's the little things in life that Jesper appreciates
Wylan is underestimated due to his pretty boy genetics, lack of knowledge about the barrel, and moral compass; do not be fooled. This boy is more than capable of holding his own and exacting vengeance. If you've seen the show, when flirting with Jesper he's very straightforward once he knows the other is down. It's the same with tickling; he'll act as though it's an experiment or trial like his demolition equations.
Nina is programmed like Jesper when it comes to tickling; she loves having a good time with people and cheering them up if they're down. She helped Inej grow more comfortable with physical contact, being the first person Inej trusted to tickle her upperbody. Nina was so damn proud that day, and it turns out Inej gets more squeaky the harder she's laughing. The more you know
Matthias uses his size for evil man. If there's something he will never tire of, it's plucking one of the Crows off their feet and digging into sensitive spots and remaining completely deadpan. He was once conversing with Kaz, Jesper ran past in chase of Nina, and Matthias swept him up to scribble at his ribs - all the while never breaking eye contact nor conversation with Kaz. Kaz barely controlled a smile that wanted to come out, hearing Jesper shriek and writhe in Matthias's arms and plead with Kaz for help was the funniest shit he'd seen all day
That's all for now! Haven't done hc's in a hot minute
I love the Crows :D
