Pekka Rollins - Tumblr Posts

Imagine Jesper Fahey with a machine gun.

RIP the pigeons.

AND ANOTHER DETAIL

I’ll admit, the first time I read SOC and I realized Pekka Rollins failed at infiltrating the Ice Court, I was like, “but the teenagers with decades less experience managed it?” And THEN I read the final chapter of Crooked Kingdom, where Inej threatens Pekka like the queen she is.

(Me when Inej does anything: WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO STAN).

Anyways, I got to these:

“He realized how long it had been since he’d felt real pain. No one had dared lift a hand against him in years” (534), and

“He’d gotten comfortable and found that he enjoyed it” (535).

Kaz defeated Pekka--and Jan Van Eck--because they were too rich, too comfortable, and too used to getting their way. Kaz is always working to stay on top and alive. Our introduction to him is someone holding a gun to his head and him fighting his way out of it. Kaz always expects things to change or go wrong, and his enemies keep failing, all the way back to Geels in chapter 2 of SOC, because they assume they’re dealing with an egoistic, angsty teenager instead of a criminal mastermind who’ll work for a decade to take down one supposedly invincible man without ever letting him know he’s doing it.

For that matter, none of the Crows have it easy, physically or emotionally. They’re used to adjusting, living in hard circumstances, and being defeated and having to try again. Pekka Rollins barely remembers what pain is like. So he was smart enough and strong enough and rich enough to beat anybody else, but he was beat because he was too confident in his position and never imagined it could change.

Shadow and bone season 2

Contains spoilers.

 Shadow and Bone was never going to be a perfect adaptation of the books; we knew that from the start, when they put together the S&B and SOC storylines/characters. LB herself has said that it’s basically high-budget fanfiction. Let’s stop expecting 100% book accuracy. Thank you.

Also, I haven’t actually read the S&B trilogy, only SOC and KOS. So I can’t speak for those characters.

Let’s start with the cons and end on a positive note.

Purely from a writing standpoint, shadow and bone season 2 was way too rushed. There’s very little time to sit with things as they are; you just have to kind of go with it. There’s no suspense, because you know you’re just going to be rushed on to the next thing. I know we were all expecting them to go with the Siege and Storm storyline, but I know they defeat Darkles at the end of RUIN AND RISING. So they just threw two books together and it’s...rushed.

As for the Crows...no.

Listen, the actors are all the literal embodiment of their characters. Freddy Carter this season? AWARD-WORTHY. BOOK!KAZ IN FULL FORCE. But these moments hit so hard in the books because of their build up! We had two books to learn about these characters, their backstories, their motivations, etc. To build up their relationships with each other, Ketterdam, the world around them, Grisha powers, their pasts, etc. We had two books of seeing why Kaz and Inej want each other, why Nina and Matthias want each other, why Jesper and Wylan want each other. Why Kaz wants revenge on Pekka Rollins. In the show, we don’t even really know who the hell Per Haskell is. Why should anybody cheer for Kaz taking the Dregs the way we did in the books? In the books, Kaz gave everything to the Dregs (for his own gain, but still), and they turned their backs on him until he showed up to take them back by force. “I recommend a cane” SLAPS partly because we’ve seen people sneer at Kaz for his disability--including members of the very gang that profits so greatly from his reputation, which includes his limp and cane. They should’ve either given them the season to build up to the Pekka Rollins stand-off, or waited for the crows’ spin-off.

Also, why is Tante Heleen dead? That revenge belongs to Inej. Wtf.

Matthias’ storyline is boring. Could’ve used less of it.

And another thing--when Nikolai is announcing his and Alina’s engagement and Alina announces that she’ll take command of the Second Army and Zoya’s like “wtf?” and everyone else’s like “SO YOU WON’T FOLLOW HER, THEN? >:( like...I wouldn’t! Alina was a MAPMAKER in the FIRST ARMY. Sure, she watched the Second Army from afar, being jealous of their grape bowls. She doesn’t know how to lead an army!

She definitely should’ve talked to Zoya after the feast and been like “hey, yo, want to help me out?” Zoya was the Darkling’s, what, second-in-command, for YEARS. She’s been in charge of at least parts of the Second Army for way longer than Alina’s even known she’s a Grisha for. She’s a commander and General in KOS. She has actual military experience and knowledge of the Second Army, not to mention having actually fought and lived alongside the people within it. It would have been a great way to further utilize Zoya’s character, and provide some bonding between her and Alina. And for the shippers, we could’ve gotten some zoyalai crumbs if they ever needed to discuss strategy and shit. The point is, I would’ve had Zoya’s reaction, too, if I’d been in her shoes.

Oh, and also, why is Kaz’s trauma always what’s being focused on? I know the fandom tends to hyperfixate on it, but Jesper’s ADHD? Wylan’s dyslexia? INEJ’S PAST IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE BOOKS AND HERE IT’S JUST LIKE, “Oh, that sucked for her, anyways” LIKE GIVE THEIR STRUGGLES THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE. MATTHIAS AND NINA TRYING TO UNLEARN THE NATIONALISM THEY’VE BEEN FORCE-FED THEIR WHOLE LIVES?

AS FOR THE GOOD STUFF:

As I said before, FREDDY CARTER AS BOOK! KAZ. RENT WAS DUE. HOLY SHIT.

“Please. I’m begging you.”

“Are you?”

I HAD TO TAKE A BREAK. HOLY F*CKING SHIT.

Also, the scene with Jesper and his mom? I don’t usually cry at movies and shows, but when she called him “little rabbit,” I BAWLED.

Personally, I thought the flashbacks to Kaz’s past could’ve been done less in-your-face, let’s-talk-about-his-trauma, but the transitions were top-notch and the casting was, as usual, amazing.

ALL the casting was amazing, actually. They ARE the characters. We couldn’t have gotten anyone else. We had our reservations about Patrick Gibson, but he NAILED Nikolai. Flawless performance on everyone’s parts.

I know Wesper wasn’t for everyone, but I thought it was a nice, fanfic-y take on a more adult relationship between them. Also, they were cuties, and still seemed to have some emotional depth. Good.

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” Good

Nina sneaking into Hellgate to see Matthias. Good.

Also, the part where we’re led to believe that Nina handed Kaz in to Pekka Rollins, but then we get a flashback to them plotting it out because no way in hell was Kaz Brekker going to be fooled that easily, which is what I was screaming at my scene when I thought he’d just...gotten captured like that? The man who talked himself out of being shot with a loaded gun pressed to his chest?

Yeah, that was great. Really made him feel more like the mastermind he is in the books.

I also loved that they kept Pekka’s son, and Kaz’s bluff about burying him alive, and Wylan’s “you can’t kill him for who his father is.” I LOVED IT ALL.

I also loved Jesper casually referring to Alina by her first name, and Mal casually talking about the Crows like they’re all buddies. We love to see it!

Overall, while this season did have some flaws, it was overall a fun and enjoyable watch, and I hope we do get a season 3 and a Crows spin-off, and that the writers will listen to the fans’ criticism and improve the main problems (which are honestly mostly a result of trying to cram like, 2-3 books into an 8-episode season. If they let themselves slow down the plot just a bit, I really think the quality would go up by like, 90%).

Any other thoughts?

Rollins: I will make you regret the day you were born!

Kaz: Too late, I already do.

Rollins:

Kaz: ……I mean, I will ruin you!

Pekka Rollins really just should’ve put a scarecrow in Ketterdam it would’ve worked

SHADOW AND BONE SEASON 2 EPISODE 1

I have miXED FEELINGS

After a long wait, I finally get to see my comfort characters (Comfort characters being angry hat boy and daddy darkles) and I am HAPPY

BUT I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND I WISH TO NOT BE HATED FOR IT

The first episode was great, but it seemed quite...

...

Forced

Don’t get me wrong! it was good but it felt that they were rushing everything and I don’t understand why. 

Like, I’m pretty sure nobody would mind having a few extra episodes of everybody just being happy for a little while

Here are things that I don’t get:

1. Why is Jesper’s mother alive? I feel that her death was very important for Jesper’s character development. In the book, she was dead and even though it was painful we could see the positive influence her memory had on Jesper.

2. Why did they kill Tante Heleen!? I wanted to see my girl Inej steal the diamond necklace from her and it was also necessary for Inej to be able to confront her without being afraid of her. 

3. Why do Jesper and Wylan know each other? I really wanted to see the evolution without the backstory they have now. I really wanted to see them grow and fall in love with each other. Besides, Wylan would have NEVER had a one-night stand with anyone. PERIOD. 

4. Nikolai’s entry felt so stupid! I wanted a very dramatic entry for him, one that suited his dramatic little heart. I feel disappointed even though I loved the little interaction between him and Kaz. 

5. Why is Kaz smiling so much? I don’t like it. Give me my boy back. 

6. AS IF KAZ BREKKER WOULD ALLOW PEKKA ROLLINS TO BE THE OWNER OF INEJ’S INDENTURE. HE WOULD HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE PLAN AND UNALIVED PEKKA RIGHT THERE AND THEN. 

That’s pretty much it. Yeah. 

Now things that I was not ready for!: 

1. Tolya and Tamar pulled their freaking guns out to Ravkan’s while Tolya screamed “Ravka wants a war”. I was giggling the whole time. 

2. “I promised you freedom” and then you can literally see his heart skipping 5 beats when Inej said, “I’m not leaving you.” I saw Kaz rethinking his whole existence. 

3. Inej not realizing Nina was following her? Like, as if. 

4. THE EXPLOSION OF THE CROW CLUB. I WAS NOT READY FOR IT.

5. THE FLASHBACKS OF KAZ. I WAS NOT READY FOR IT AT ALL. 

6. I know Imma to be weird for saying this, but...I felt tension between Genya and the Darkling. Like, I blushed and then had to mentally slap myself for it. 

7. “Follow”. I saw what they did there. I hated it. 

So yeah. That’s it. Now recommend me Kdramas

I was just thinking about how Kaz built this heartless persona for himself and how everyone falls for it to varying degrees: He's widely regarded as a monster and as "not made right"; Inej thought he wouldn't come for her and that once she was useless to him that he would discard her; Jesper never knows where exactly he stands with him; Nina "doesn't want to know what dark hole he crawled out of"; Wylan calls him "the most vengeful creature he had ever met"; Matthias believes he's a demon. But in reality his true motives for most things are love and grief and loss of family.

Kaz only wanted money for revenge, he didn't want to try and build a meaningful connection with Imogen because she would distract him from pursuing his vengeance, he only mentions how Pekka conned them out of money to explain how they ended up on the streets, how it was never about the money but about Jordie.

Kaz says that he and Jordie were such easy marks because they missed their dad. Kaz's biggest gripe was not just the loss of Jordie but the illusion of a home and family that Pekka had snatched away before the plague snatched Jordie away too.

It all always leads back to Jordie and his loss and avenging him and about never wanting to be that vulnerable again. Kaz created Kaz Brekker to protect himself, to hide his vulnerabilities. His grief is hidden behind a fake name, his naivety is hidden behind violence, his touch aversion is hidden behind the gloves.

Kaz pushes people away because he fears what will happen if he lets them in. He gets mean when he's vulnerable to hide said vulnerability. He did it in the clocktower, he did it in the bathroom. After he accidently calls Jesper Jordie he lashes out verbally and physically, when Inej asks about Jordie and Pekka's involvement in what happened he recounts how he tortured someone. In both incidents it's again Jordie that he's hiding, that is causing him to be vulnerable. It always leads back to Jordie. Even with Van Eck! He's again angry that he fell for what he fell for before, the thing that made him lose Jordie making him temporarily lose Inej.

In both the Jesper and Inej examples he hides behind violence - by brawling with Jesper and recounting a time when he tortured a young boy. He does this because he loves Inej and Jesper, and it scares him, and he doesn't know what to do with it. Because everyone he's ever loved has died in horrible ways (his father was torn apart by a plough, his brother died from a horrible sickness) and he doesn't want to go through it again - especially since he still hasn't let go of Jordie, although it has been eight years.

Kaz is a person who loves so deeply. Who is mainly motivated by love. Who, when Pekka asks him what he wants, replies "Bring my brother back from the dead." because he never cared about money, nor power, nor anything else. He just wants his brother. All he wanted this whole time is his brother, and since he no longer has him he lashes out, all hurt and grieving. He's hurting so badly that he destroys everyone even mildly involved in what took Jordie away from him. But he only did that because he loved Jordie. It wasn't revenge for the sake of money it was for the sake of love. It was for the sake of Jordie.

Kaz loved Jordie so much that he became the most feared person in Ketterdam, that he took down the King of the Barrel and a merchant from one of the oldest families in Ketterdam (because even if his gripe with Van Eck was unrelated, it's because of Jordie's loss that life snowballed into their interactions and the consequent betrayal and destruction of everything Van Eck held dear). Kaz loved Jordie so much that it changed the entire course of the narrative.

If not for Jordie's loss the heist wouldn't of happened, all of the Crows lives would've been different, some of the Crows would even most likely be dead, and this extends even further to much more major things. The King of Ravka managed to steal the titanium because of his help which will aid Ravka in wars, the path to jurda parem is no longer in the hands of the Fjerdans and a cure is being safely developed in Ravka because Kaz rescued Kuwei, Wylan took over the Van Eck empire because Kaz tampered with Van Eck's will and papers, Inej is working on taking down the slave trade which is only possible because Kaz freed her from her indenture, Nina became the queen of Fjerda because of things that Kaz started (her joining the Dregs instead of being indebted to the Dime Lions, him freeing Matthias, him organising the heist, Matthias dying in the aftermath, her going to Fjerda to bury Matthias and the results which ended up being her and her new lover on the Fjerdan throne trying to fix prejudice against grisha, and women, in the most conservative country).

All of it leads back to Kaz. And he did all of it for Jordie. It all always leads back to Jordie. Jordie and Kaz's love for his big brother and his grief over having him snatched away from him.

Kaz Brekker Headcanons

Cat entering her hc era thanks to my maid of honor @x-liv25 . Please go read her TIG headcanons!

MASTERLIST

Kaz once said "you shouldn't make friends with crows," "why not?" "they don't have any manners." I headcanon that he tried to feed a crow and actually be nice to it but it bit him so now he forever holds the grudge

He has a stack of makeup in his desk drawer in case he needs to change his face up a bit for a job and he's excellent at it

At some point, when he was still struggling with finding a job after Jordie's death, he stole someone's purse and found bronzer/contour that he used to draw himself abs to look strong and "hirable".

He doesn't mind touching animals without his gloves

He realized that when he tried to save an abandoned kitten in the rain when he was younger

He felt bad for it because it reminded him of him and Jordie

He saw it as a debt-ish to Jordie to save the kitten

It once brought Kaz a mouse as a gift and Kaz genuinely appreciated the gesture

Kaz POV: "What a distinguished gentleman who knows I'm worthy of great gifts and appreciation"

Kaz knew he couldn't really keep a cat in his line of work, it'd be a weakness, so when it was old enough, he snuck it into Pekka's office and watched the vicious little feline tear Pekka's stuff to shreds

"A cat after my own heart"

When Kaz got the Dregs tattoo, he didn't want the artist to touch him, so he tattooed the logo himself. It was a bit shaky but then he hired a Tailor to fix the edges without touching him

Alternative solution to the bad edges: He fixes them up with stolen foundation whenever he isn't wearing long sleeves or something that would cover it up.

They day he first saw Inej and she snuck up on him, he had a panic attack but hid it well

At this point in his life, he was used to being in control, to knowing everything. Having Inej sneak up on him (and knowing that she could have potentially killed him without him having time to retaliate had she been trained) freaked him out. He felt weak, Kaz Rietveld again.

Kaz spends half an hour every other day locked in his office without his gloves, lathering his hands in hand cream.

Whenever he'd grab someone by the collar or any form of violence with contact, the last thing the victim could think about is why his hands smell nice. Nobody ever lived to tell the tale.

He's a sucker for a good chocolate cake.

He absolutely HATES ice cream. It makes too much of a sticky gooey mess for him.

He also probably has a sensitive throat so he doesn't really eat cold/frozen stuff or drinks

Once he made a deal with Nina which resulted in him going to a café to buy her a pumpkin spice latte. Once he sniffed Nina's, he quickly bought another one for himself and chugged it before he could get back. Obviously he did that in a dark alleyway so that nobody could see him and use it as blackmail.

Once he used (obviously stolen) paint to decorate his very own set of cards.

He then made another elaborate plan of his and managed to auction them off for a grotesque amount of kruge.

Probably forged DeKappel's signature on the back of each with perfect precision

For those that forgot, DeKappel is some famous painter in the series. Kaz stole a DeKappel oil painting from Van Eck.

Help I didn't realize how fun HCs were, I could make a thousand of these

Crooked Kingdom spoilers!!

Being a grishaverse fan that’s read the books is so satisfying because I already know exactly what season 2 is about…trust me show-only people…it’s gonna be so good🥴

Possible spoilers for Shadow and Bone season 2

Seriously guys, if you don’t want it spoiled and you haven’t read the books, scroll please

Anyway

Sturmhond’s ship⚓️🏴‍☠️

“STURMHOND”!!!!🥹💙

when he’s not a readhead😤

THE CROWS!!! 5 of crows🤨

getting matthias??👀

The Darkling😳

the gold in the kefta😅 oh boy

c o n n e c t i o n t o A l i n a ? 🫠

he angy

WESPERRRRRR CONTENTTTTT

💞💚💗💛❣️💛❤️‍🔥❤️💜🤍💜🧡🤎❤️💖💛❤️‍🔥❣️💖💕💞

my boys

when wylan isn’t a readhead either🫤

The best twins fr

when one of them likes poetry and the other is a badass but it’s not who you’d expect🥰

MATTHIAS

shirtless😳

IN HELLGATE😳😳

Hellshow?👀 I’d pay to watch that🐺

also no reason to mention Matthias in hell hate if he’s not getting out…and he doesn’t need to get out unless…🧊🏰

KANEJ😩😩😩

the intimacy without them even touching dude

gonna tear me to shreds

more protective Kaz+++

Malina :)

so cute

wonder if that’s before they get hunted lmao

also can’t wait for white hair Alina omg🤍

How much time did it take you to make these? How much time do you spend online? You are so hot for making these. 😍 You got them all on point 👉

shadow and bone season 2 but it's just memes

(season 1 version)

Everyone talks about "maybe I liked your stupid face" when talking about Wesper, but is anyone going to comment on the fact that Jesper literally thought Wylan looked like a prince who had fallen into the wrong story. Like he took one look at him and thought he looked like a prince.