Ok I Need To Rant About This, Rn-

ok i need to rant about this, rn-

THE WORD "MENAGERIE" HAS A LITERAL MEANING!! LIKE, HOW COULD I NOT KNOW?!

Menagerie: A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition.

Like, when Inej was referred as the — Suli Lynx

And the Fjerdan Wolf, the Zemeni Fawn, the Kaelish girl is known as the mare for her red hair, the Ravkan Fox, the Shu Serpant in the Menagerie

THEY WERE ALL REFERRED AS ANIMALS !! LIKE, THAT'S WHY THE ANIMALS' NAMES NEVER CHANGED!!

During the Ice Court Heist, when Inej dressed up as the Suli Lynx, initially she was not held back, because no one other than Tante Heleen knew about the true identities of the girls!!

And the fact that no one even suspected a thing about the Kaelish switch that Nina did, really makes me question whether Heleen even bothered to keep a track of all the girls or not...

So, Heleen knew about Inej because Kaz invested in her?

"I can help you." Those were the first words she’d spoken to him, standing in the parlor of the Menagerie, draped in purple silk, eyes lined in kohl. She had helped him. And she’d nearly destroyed him. 

Game Night With The Crows

so @padfoot-lupin77 i am still a bit confused about the whole re-blogging thing (since i joined Tumblr, quite recently-) but the idea caught me and grew in me like the most resilient disease *starts blabbering about Inception* *please ignore* ... well, anyways .... here i am!

Hope you like it!!

.•°☆°•.

Summary: The Crows take a break from their usual schemes to play a game of Monopoly, in which without a doubt, Kaz dominates.

***

The Slat was unusually quiet. The kind of quiet that always put Jesper on edge. Kaz was in his office, working through a stack of papers, while Inej sharpened her knives at the corner table. Wylan and Nina were huddled over some new schematics for a job, and Matthias stood guard by the door, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of trouble.

Jesper, unable to sit still any longer, wandered over to Kaz's office and knocked on the open door. "Kaz, we need a break."

Kaz didn't look up from his work. "A break?" he repeated, his tone flat.

"Yes, a break. You know, something to take our minds off the constant scheming and plotting." Jesper leaned against the doorframe, his usual grin in place, "how about a game night?"

"Yes! Monopoly, to be precise. Let's see who really knows how to make a fortune," Jesper suggested with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Kaz glanced at the papers on his desk, then back at Jesper. After a long moment, he sighed. "Fine. But only for a couple of hours."

Jesper's grin widened. "Perfect. I'll get the others."

Jesper practically bounced back into the main room, where the others looked up curiously. "Guess what? Kaz agreed to a game night!"

Nina laughed. "You actually convinced him? This I have to see."

Matthias looked skeptical. "The demjin playing a game? I’ll believe it when I see it."

Wylan lan's eyes lit up at the mention of Monopoly. "I’m in. It’ll be nice to do something normal for once."

Inej smiled softly, her curiosity piqued. "I’ll play."

With everyone in agreement, they gathered around the largest table in the Slat, clearing off maps and blueprints to make room for the game. Jesper spread out the Monopoly board while Nina and Matthias brought waffles from the kitchen.

Kaz emerged from his office, looking slightly bemused but not entirely displeased. He took a seat at the head of the table, watching as the others chose their pieces.

"I'll be the thimble," Inej said, picking up the small metal piece.

Jesper grabbed the race car, of course. "Vroom vroom, here comes the winner!"

Nina picked the dog, Matthias took the hat, and Wylan chose the boot. Kaz, with a resigned air, took the battleship.

"Let's get this over with," Kaz muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

The game began with its usual mix of excitement and strategy. Jesper was the first to land on Boardwalk, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Looks like I'm building an empire!"

"Not if I can help it," Wylan said, eyeing the other properties strategically.

Nina and Matthias engaged in playful banter as they moved their pieces around the board. "You always pick the dog," Matthias observed.

"It brings me luck," Nina replied with a wink.

Kaz played with the same ruthless efficiency he brought to everything else, quickly accumulating properties and planning his moves several turns in advance. "Luck is for amateurs," he said as he landed on Park Place, solidifying his hold on the board.

At one point, Kaz bought up a whole block of properties, and Jesper couldn’t resist a comment. "Looks like Brekker’s Investments are expanding."

Kaz glanced up, "It's all about knowing where to invest your resources," he said, his gaze briefly flickering to Inej, who rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

His eyes lingered on to Inej...

Inej...

Her quiet strength, the way she held herself with such grace and confidence, always struck him. Her dark hair fell in soft waves, framing her face perfectly. When she smiled, even the most hardened part of him seemed to soften.

She was more than just an investment.

Her eyes caught his, and for a fleeting second, the world outside of their little circle ceased to exist.

Her smile was like a rare glimpse of sunlight in the dreary streets of Ketterdam, and Kaz found himself caught in its warmth. He wondered —

Nina’s voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. "Kaz, are you daydreaming about Inej’s strategy or just imagining your next romantic move? It's your turn," she teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Kaz blinked, realizing he had almost missed a crucial move. He quickly rolled the dice and made his play, landing on a property he had been eyeing for several turns. With swift precision, he bought it up, adding another piece to his growing empire.

As the night wore on, the board became a battlefield of hotels and houses. Kaz, unsurprisingly, was in the lead, but the others put up a valiant fight. Jesper, true to form, made a few reckless moves, much to Wylan’s dismay.

"You’re supposed to be good at this!" Wylan exclaimed as Jesper handed over another stack of cash to Kaz.

"I’m good at making things exciting, merchling" Jesper replied with his usual grin.

As Kaz placed his final hotel on Boardwalk, sealing his victory, Jesper groaned.

"Next time, we’re playing something that doesn’t involve you bankrupting us all."

"We’ll see about that."

Even in victory, Kaz allowed himself a rare moment of relaxation, knowing that sometimes, even the sharpest minds needed a break.

Because why not?

Feel free to argue but-

Kaz. Inej. Nina. Matthias. Jesper. Wylan.

Each of them are the main characters.

Matthias Helvar, The Druskelle

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

Jesper Fahey, The Sharpshooter

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

Wylan Van Eck, The Artist

A runaway with a privileged past.

Inej Ghafa, The Spy

A spy known as the Wraith.

Nina Zenik, The Heartrender.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

Kaz Brekker, The Thief

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist.

The End.

Kanej || HOPE

masterlist // prologue // next chapter —>

---

Kaz

There was a knock on the door.

' What business? '

' It's me, Anika. '

Ever since Inej had left, Kaz had been alternating between Anika and Roeder as his new spiders. Neither were half as good, but he's had to do. They tried their best, but their best was not what Kaz needed.

    Especially tonight.

Unwillingly, he had, weighed his options and sent both Anika and Roeder, praying for their safety. If only Inej had been here.....

   His thoughts wheeled back to Inej..

Inej.

   He could have given her a reason to stay. He could have told her how she always managed to surge his adrenaline, make his heart thump...how she always managed to bring a smile on his face. He could have done so many things...

  Sankta Inej.

She was his Saint.

The saint he worshipped every damn single day, Praying, cussing, Shouting for her to return. But you don't worship a living saint. She would never know his pain. How lost he felt without her. How much he loved her. He could have told her—

     damn it! He could still write her. But formal letters containing information about the slaves were all he sent. Pages after pages lay helter-skelter in his study. Letters he wrote in the middle of the night calling her back, begging her to stay... telling her how he loved her... But he would never send them. If only, he could let go of his ego, his pride...

  'Open the door, boss. I have got some information.' The voice jolled him from his not-so-pleasant reverie, back to reality.

   'Focus, Kaz' , he willed himself.

 'If I didn't tell you come in, there must be a reason. I don't hire impatient spiders.'

    The voice behind the door tensed.

 'Come in.'

    The door creaked open, revealing a harrowed silhouette bearing the weight of a blood-stained, inert form in her arms.

   Blood was slowly dripping from her lips.

The easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch.

WHAT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO STEAL A MANS WALLET??