#suli traditions

[hauntedrollercoaster]

I am obsessed with thinking about the scene where Inej’s parents come home. How does Kaz act? How does he introduce himself? What are they told about the city/Inej’s job?

More importantly, Inej’s father clocks him immediately. This man, who loves his wife so dearly, recognizes love in others too. He sees it in the careful distance Kaz keeps as Inej is raced her parents. He sees it behind the mask Kaz puts up.

Kaz may not have any physical tells, but I choose to believe Inej’s father can sense things beyond what’s there.

I need more from these characters. From this world. I need to see the master of romance watch his daughter be in love.

[hauntedrollercoaster]

Young Inej Ghafa camping in a ravkan forest and playing hide and seek tag with her cousins. She asks one of them to count, then scurries up the tallest tree as fast as possible and staying there until she wins. Once she wins she climbs down to rejoin the group. Soon the next person starts seeking, and she climbs up again immediately to the exact same spot. Some of her cousins try to convince her that she’s won and can come down already, but this is Inej so she doesn’t fall for it, opting instead to stay in her corner of the sky.

[hauntedrollercoaster]

Thinking about Inejs family.

She’s an only sibling with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her parents probably struggled with infertility. She was a miracle to them, born after years of trying.

When her father sees her up on the high wire for the first time and has terror in his heart, not wanting to loose his little miracle.

His father going back into the caravan after Inej still wasn’t up in 20 minutes, not seeing her. Realizing she was gone.

Inej. Their little miracle. Born of prayers and love. Inej. Gone with no trace. Lost for three years. Thought dead, probably.

Yes, I headcannon that Inej means something like “miracle,” “blessing,” “promised by God,” or “gift of God.”