#helnik ff

[qqueenofhades]

I would like a newly reunited Helnik figuring out what their new, non-child-soldier winter traditions are going to be plz and thnx

The condensation on the grimy windowpane drips slowly onto the scarred wooden sill, the Ketterdam winter light slants like iron and frost from the high garret windows, and as she sits on the bed and watches Matthias wrestle with the embers in the dirty fireplace, Nina wonders timidly if she should get up and help him. Not that he needs it, not in the least. Aside from the general ferocious competence, she can't fathom how anyone could grow up in the frozen boneyard of Fjerda and not know how to make a decent fire. Of course, it's not as if Ravkan winters are a basket of roses, but Fjerda has always seemed much colder to her, in any number of ways. Yet it's the principle of the thing, one of the thousand tiny struggles and questions she's been left with ever since their fraught reunion and Matthias's eventful extraction from Hellgate. Does he want her help, or would it seem patronizing, pointless, stupid?

Uncharacteristically paralyzed with indecision, Nina doesn't move until Matthias utters a sound of triumph and gets to his feet, regarding the restored fire in the hearth with satisfaction. Saints, this is excruciating. They've been shut up in the attic for two days, waiting out the aftermath of the prison break, and Nina has a feeling it will either repair their bond in a surprising fashion or sunder it for good. Kaz probably also wants to see if they're going to kill each other before he really commits to anything, or a further employment of their services. For which it's hard to blame him, but --

"There," Matthias says. He doesn't turn around, but his voice is likewise somewhat less cold than before. "That's better."

"Yes," Nina says, after a fraught pause. She watches the glow limn the fine blond hairs on his arms, the scruff of his beard, the back of his neck, the roughness and the scars that she doesn't remember from before, which must be another poisoned gift of Hellgate. She doesn't want to ask too closely, even though she should. They've spent much of the time so far like this, in lapses and pauses, walking on eggshells and flashes of guilt and anger alike. He knows he should be grateful to her and the Crows for getting him out, but when it seems like just another manipulation, another necessity, using him worse than Jarl Brum ever did and not even having the decency to admit it --

"Matthias," Nina says convulsively. His name tastes odd in her mouth, sharp and dry, and he looks up with a bit of a start. Do you hate me, will you hate me forever -- the only question she wants to ask, the only one that seems to matter, but she can't get her tongue around it. Instead, as he looks at her expectantly and her words fail, she gropes for an acceptable, less-world-ending alternative. "It's almost the Winter Fete," she says, as if what either of them really have on their mind is the holidays. "Is there -- do you want to do anything for it?"

Matthias's mouth twitches in something almost like amusement, but he duly ponders the question, more than it deserves. She can't fathom what a celebration might be like in Fjerda, or even if they allow such things; it seems like it must entail hours of prayers on cold stone floors and the penitential consumption of lutefisk. Or maybe there are parties for the common people, but not for the drüskelle. Not for an orphan boy raised in the Ice Court, a child soldier just like -- well, just like her. Back in Os Alta, Nina might have had the benefit of a lavish party in the Little Palace, feast and merriment and festivity, but it would all be under the watchful eyes of Tsar Pyotr (well, Tsar Nikolai now) and General Kirigan (well, before Alina Starkov killed him) weighing them up and deciding where to send them into the field, as soon as the winter snows melted enough to start the spring campaign. Nina can't remember any time when that awareness didn't shape her entire existence, and how little she thought of it, at least until she did. Until she decided that it was profoundly wrong for Grisha to be bound in lifetime service to anyone, and took the job as a freelance intelligence agent. It gave her the illusion of freedom, that way. The illusion of choice. And with Matthias, for such a short time, the illusion of love. But that's the thing about illusions. They're not real. They never were.

"We... didn't do much," Matthias says at last, half to himself. "Prayers, mostly. The winter solstice is a moment of great importance for Djel. Was," he corrects himself, as if he too doesn't know what's next, what he believes in, any of it. "What about you?"

"I don't know." Nina looks down, twists the worn quilt between her fingers, forces herself to speak. "Well, we did have a party, in -- in Os Alta, but I don't think either of us would be up for it now. The old traditions all seem a bit... empty."

Matthias considers that for a long moment, unhurried and remote, implacable as a glacier, tall and solid as stone -- still there, still unbroken, still him, even after everything, and it closes Nina's throat. Then at last, he moves over and sits on the bed next to her, not too close, but just enough for their fingers to brush. The silence aches, all the space and all the hurt between them, the way they fell into each other's arms and then fell out almost as quickly -- Ravkan and Fjerdan, Grisha and drüskelle, ancient enemies by right and yet just two scarred lonely children who just didn't care about that, not really, when they were desperate to take hands and walk together. Nina aches with her whole being to take his hand again now, but she doesn't. After what she did, she has no right to presume.

"Well," Matthias says at last. He gets up, digs around in the wardrobe, and finds a pair of candles, which he sets on the mantel. Gets a taper and lights them -- a small flame, especially compared to that in the hearth, but still a beacon of simple and quiet hope, a moment of truce, the first one they've really had. "We'll have to start somewhere with making new ones, won't we?"

"Yes," Nina says. She means it more than she can possibly express, tangled and torn-up, somewhere in the ruins of her chest and the darkness of her mind -- but there too, in the bleak midwinter, another flame is burning, and perhaps, this time it will stay. "We do."

#silverbirching #ask #helnik #helnik ff #sab ff #winter prompts

[sprnklersplashes]

poly!crows, flufftober day 8: rainy day (ao3)

When October comes to Ketterdam, she announces her presence with smoky grey skies and buckets upon buckets of rain. It’s quite an abrupt announcement too; one minute, Nina gets up and leaves her laptop to go make a cup of tea. Two minutes later, she returns with tea, a generous handful of biscuits and sleets of rain pelting the window. She doesn’t take her eyes off it as she sits back down. First comes disbelief, then comes Kaz’s voice in her head reminding her that she’s in Kerch now and the weather is about as reliable as anything else.

She remembers her partners are all out, and she sighs. Then she cheks the weather app and finds the rain is due to carry on all evening, and she sighs again, harder this time.

After firing a quick message to the group chat, she tries to return to her work emails, though they hold her attention even less than they did before. Her phone lights up, then fades, then lights again, coming alive as the Crows give their various reactions.

wolf boy (but not in a furry way): oh wow! thank djel I have the car :p 

wolf boy (but not in a furry way): who changed my nickname again?

Llewellyn: couldn’t have been me!

Llewellyn: who still uses emoticons?

Matthias Helvar changed his nickname to Only Sane Man

wylan van fuck: matthias is never beating the furry allegations

wylan van fuck: but I do second the oh wow!

wylan van fuck: @ matthias since i’m ur favourite ur still picking me up from work right???

Only Sane Man: we don’t have favourites, wy. but yes I will still pick you up.

wylan van fuck: yay!

Llewellyn: gay

Only Sane Man: driving cars is gay now?

Wraith: so does that make jes straight?

Llewellyn: I’M BEING HATE CRIMED?

Llewellyn: BY MY PARTNER?

Llewellyn: IN THE QUEER POLY GROUP CHAT?

Llewellyn: WITH OUR OTHER PARTNERS?

wylan van fuck: how in the fuck did we get here?

Only Sane Man: put two kurge in the swear jar when we get home.

nina beana: well given the weather, mayhaps we use the swear jar money for pizza tonight???          to warm us up????

nina beana: wylan’s treat, apparently.

wylan van fuck: shit yea the weather

Only Sane Man: four kruge. 

Llewellyn: I love pizza!

Llewellyn: especially when its paid by wylan’s swearing

Llewellyn: @ wylan, say more cuss words so we have more pizza money

wylan van fuck: *send a voice message* 2:30

Wraith: this would go so hard at an open mic night. 

Nina snorts into her tea as she replays Wylan’s message. In her mind’s eye, she can see the others’ reactions, Jesper dancing to it, Inej laughing, Matthias’ silent mortification and prayers to Djel. She presses herself into the couch and carries on with her emails, the rain drumming steadily and relentlessly against the windows. 

Twenty minutes later, her phone buzzes again, and this time she finds a picture of a completely drenched Kaz, looking at the camera and managing to be both supremely pissed off and completely unaffected. 

kazzlus dazzlus: *sent a picture*

kazzlus dazzlus: its raining. 

She spits her tea out at that.

Inej is the first one home, her workplace less than twenty minutes on the bus. Nina opens the door to find her sopping wet on the porch, white coat turned brown and her neatly-styled hair now frizzy and tatted and curling at the bottom. She practically yanks the girl in through the door. 

“You okay, love?” Inej’s hands are like ice beneath hers, as is her cheek when she pulls her into an embrace. 

“Other than the typhoon outside, I’m good,” she replies, gently returning Nina’s squeeze. She lets out a gasp then, immediately dropping her bag and pulling her sodden coat off her. As Nina shuts the door, Inej pulls the tie from her hair and shakes it out. “Remind me again why I don’t work from home?”

“Because-and I quote- you’d never get anything done with the rest of us running around.”

“Ah, that,” she says with a roll of her eyes. She plants a kiss on Nina’s cheek before darting to the stairs, her movements as nimble as if back on the high wire. “I’m hitting the shower. When are we doing pizza?”

“Not until the rest of them get home,” she replies. Inej nods and carries on two-at-a-time up the stairs. Nina lets her eyes linger on her small frame before turning back towards the living room, a wry grin curling at the corners of her lips.

“Save me a cookie?” Inej’s voice calls from upstairs. Nina chuckles warmly, blows a kiss towards the stairs, and the jar is moved from the cupboard to the coffee table.

Really, Inej didn’t have to ask.

The rest trickle in steadily over the next few hours. Jesper alerts them with a knock at the window, their eyes so wide they take up half their face. They all but barrel into Nina when she opens the door, other hand reaching out to grab the expectant Inej. At first they’re delighted, basking in their partners ever-persistent affection. And then the seconds turn into minutes, and realisation dawns on the pair of them with incredibly precision.

“You’re using our body heat aren’t you?” Inej asks.

“Yep!” The two rolls their eyes, exasperated and slightly shivering against Jesper’s cold hands, and it takes both of them to shove him off.

“Hot shower, “ Inej tells them with a poke to the chest. “And then maybe Nina will share her cookie stash.”

“Uh, they have to earn the cookie stash!”

Jesper comes down ten minutes later, clean, warm, grinning like a madman, and wraps Nina in a tight embrace that sweeps her off the ground. Apparently, it was enough for a cookie. 

It’s around half an hour later when the blue blur of Matthias’ car appears at the window, obcusred by the heavy fog covering the glass. Minutes later, a flash of red hair that can only be Wylan emerges and sprints to the door, followed by Matthias rushing up the path. Jesper is at the door and opening it before Wylan can even get his key in the lock, wrapping the two of them in a tight hug that lasts until Nina appears at his shoulder and reminds him gently that cold air travels through open doors. 

The smiles don’t fade though. Matthias pecks her cheek before half-jogging up the stairs, making a show of trying to beat Wylan to the shower but moving suspiciously slowly for a guy who runs marathons for fun. The three of them, Nina, Inej and Jesper, can hear Wylan’s laughter reverberate through the bathroom door, answered by a groan that sounds anything but frustrated. Nina grins, initially to herself, but like a flame it jumps to Inej and then to Jesper and they’re chuckling, softly, under their breaths.

Then Matthias is on the stairs, shaking his wet hair over them. Inej delicately steps aside and pulls Jesper into her spot, letting him take the full force of Matthias’s storm. Their reaction is suitably dramatic.

When Kaz finally turns his key in the lock, his coat is so soaked it’s basically a second skin and his dark hair clings to his face like seaweed against a rock. The edges of his coat drip, drip, drip along the floor as he makes his way down the hall, alerting them to his presence with the rap of his cane against the door and a raised eyebrow. The four of them (Matthias now in the shower) have crammed into their small kitchen; Inej and Wylan are sitting on the counter leaning over Nina’s shoulders, while Jesper is atop the table with his feet pushing one of their mismatched chairs outwards. The rumble of the dryer can be felt through the brick and the counter sways like the little boats that dock on the harbour in the summer. 

“Brekker, settle a fight,” Nina asks. “We’re ordering pizza. We’re getting a veggie for Inej and Matthias and a plain one for Wy. Do we get a Hawaiian as a third?”

“If you do, that delivery guy will have to step over my corpse to get into this house,” he replies, gasping slightly as he pulls of his wet coat. He hangs it on the back of the door, the black tweet slipping in amongst the other coats of their house.

“Chicken and sweetcorn it is then,” Nina announces. Kaz runs a gloved hand through his hair before stopping beside Jesper, his arms folded over his chest. “Still bad out there?”

“No, Zenik, I just fancied a dip in the canal.” Inej throws Kaz a tea towel and he catches it expertly with one hand. “What sides are we getting?”

“Cheesy bread,” Nina replies. “And wedges. Anything else?”

“Springing for two sides?”

“The swear jar money covered it,” she replies. “Didn’t you listen to Wylan’s voice note?”

“No, on account of the fact I never open that chat unless I get to say something.” His voice is mumbled, half-hidden by the yellow towel over his face. It’s a lie, of course. Kaz Brekker can deny anything to anyone (and he has, many times) but screenshots don’t lie. And Nina’s phone is almost backed up with the amount that show ‘seen by Kaz’ beneath several of their messages. Not to mention the times she’s caught him half-smiling at his phone just seconds after someone put something in it, and all the things he’d only know if he checked it regularly. His ‘Dirtyhands knows all’ act can only go so far. 

Still, she doesn’t say anything, and all of them let Kaz’s rickety wall stay where it is for now. In any case, his gloved hand is resting over Jesper’s on his shoulder as the five of them talked in hushed, soft tones about their work days and the storm and what movie to watch tonight.

“May I make a suggestion?” Jesper asks innocently.

“We’re not watching the Bee Movie again,” comes Inej’s reply, her voice soft and her eyes hard and unflinching when Jesper pouts.

“But it’s the greatest movie ever made!” he protests. “It’s a masterpiece. It’s a witty deconstruction of the capitalist system. It challenges us to think about the importance of those in society we brush off. It tackles our preconceived notions of relationships-”

“By that he means, she fucks the bee,” Wylan replies.

“She loved the bee! She and the bee had a consensual adult relationship!”

“Is Jesper debating the merits of the Bee Movie again?” Matthias appears in the doorway, hair tousled, clad in sweatpants and one of his old hoodies. The dark blue brings out his eyes. “Because I am not willing to sit through it for a third time.”

“Insert joke about furries here,” Kaz mutters as Matthias ducks through the doorway. Matthias rolls his eyes, a retort ready on his lips. But then he looks around the room, surveys each of his partners in turn, and Nina can practically see the wheels turning behind his eyes. 

“Jesper is that my hoodie?” he turns to Inej, Wylan and Nina, all three of whom stand silently, repressing giggles and burrowing into the impossibly soft fabric enveloping them. “Are these all my hoodies?”

“In our defense,” Jesper begins. Then, he pulls his hands into the sleeves and lets the end flop around, a grin crackling across his face. “They’re comfy.”

“Very comfy,” adds Inej.

“Collosally comfy,” Nina continues.

“Well, shit, I was just going to say ‘really very comfy’,” Wylan adds. A chorus of “swear jar” comes to his reply, and to that he just scrunches up his face and laughs. Even Matthias’ indignance at the hoodie theft seems forgotten as he drags a hand over his face, eyes landing on semi-worridely Kaz.

“Go get out of those wet clothes, Brekker,” he says. “And help yourself to any of my jumpers sicne they’re all free anyway.”

“You’re good, Helvar,” Kaz says before leaving. His gait is slightly stiff with the rain, and Nina doesn’t have to say anything before Jesper flips on the kettle. They’re all too aware of how the cold can affect Kaz’s leg. Wylan will have a hot water bottle down in approximately sixty seconds.

“Matti,” Jesper says as he leans against the table. “Really, you should take the sweater theft as a compliment to your skills. You make them so soft.”

“There’s this magical thing,” he replies. “It’s called fabric softener. You should use it sometime.”

“There’s also the fact that you’re the biggest one here. Ergo, your jumpers fit all of us,” Wylan says. He holds up his arms, completely lost in the cavernous sleeves. “I mean, I offer my collection of jumpers with sheep on them all the time, but they never fit anyone so no-one takes them.”

“Sure,” comes Kaz’s voice from the stairs, slow and stretched out. “That’s the reason.”

Wylan’s reaction comes in three parts. First, he blinks like a deer in headlights, trying to search for Kaz’s meaning. Then realisation dawns on him, slowly, and they all watch as his mouth falls open in the kind of offence usually reserved for when family members are insulted. And for the third part, he looks down in abject horror, and the rest of them alternate by assuring them his sheep jumpers are lovely and also trying not to wet themselves from laughing so hard.

Saints, Nina has never felt so lucky.

In a crushing five-to-one defeat, they don’t watch the Bee Movie. Jesper makes a show of how disappointed he is, insisting that none of them have the same intellectual taste in film that he does. Instead, they go for Labryinth, followed by The Princess Bride and maybe Sharkboy and Lavagirl if there’s time. And for all Jesper’s whining, he is the first to start dramatically quoting each film as they set up. As Nina pulls the warmed blankets from the dryer, she can hear Matthias reluctantly playing the Buttercup to Jesper’s Westley and Kaz chiming in with a quote here and there to keep the scenes moving. She rolls her eyes and sighs “boys”, but the smile on her face is unshakeable.

The smile blossoms when Inej rises her her tiptoes and kisses the back of her head. 

Arm in arm, they return to the living room with arms full of blankets just as Jesper is answering the door. As they enter, they’re greeted witha cry of “piggy back time” and the visual of Wylan rocket-launching himself onto Matthias’ back. Their partner gasps, stumbles and just barely rights himself before he bellows out a laugh and adjusts Wylan’s hold on him. Kaz sits on the couch, Wylan’s hot water bottle tucked against his bad leg and funnily enough, Matthias’s sweater over his pyjamas. Between gloved hands, Nina spies the familiar gleam of Kaz’s phone, and underneath Wylan’s giggling she hears the unmistakeable click of the camera. He pulls it back as soon as Jesper returns, face obscured by the mountain of food boxes he carries. 

“Gentle reminder that the paper plates on the coffee table are to be used,” Kaz announces. “Because I am not cleaning tomato sauce out off the cushions again”. That comes with a pointed look at Nina, and she just shrugs before dumping the blankets in the middle of the room and announcing that its a free-for-all. Her preferred one, a white fluffy number Kaz got her last year, is already securely wrapped around her shoulders, and so she’s happy and comfy and seated for the night. Ergo, her partners may fight to the death if they please.

Secure in her blanket cocoon, she plops down on the sofa. Matthias descends on the pile, Wylan on his back, who announces their presence by sticking his fists in the air and yelling “blankets!” like his life depends on it. Laughter buzzes in the air as they all watch Matthias lowerself down, Inej punctuating it with a growing ‘ooooooooh’ and a ‘heck yea’ when he makes it without dropping him. Wylan grabs one for himself and one for Matthias as well, pressing the fabric into his free hand before returning his hands to Matthias shoulders and declaring “Onwards my noble Fjerdan!”.

“Here,” Matthias sighs. “Go be Jesper’s problem. I’ve had enough of you.” His words are annoyed but his tone is anything but, and Wylan lands in a giggly heap on Jesper’s lap. 

And that’s it. Jesper straightens up against the couch, content for a moment, but then Kaz taps his shoulder and he scoots into the spot between Kaz’s legs. Wylan’s is curled on his side, his head in Jesper’s lap with Matthias next to him, rubbing circles into his back. With a slice of pizza in one hand, Nina runs her hand through Matthias’ hair, enjoying watching how his cheeks grow when he smiles. She presses her finger to one of his dimples and scratches against his cheek, and something warm bubbles in her chest. 

Somehow, Inej managed to sneak in and situate herself on the couch without anything noticing. Her hand is intertwined with Kaz’s, and he dips his head and whispers something to make her laugh. When Nina looks, she sees Kaz’s free hand petting Jesper’s hair. 

And it’s this. It’s just the six of them, and messy combinations of limbs and pizza and soft words and bad jokes. It carries them through, just like it always has. 

The rain keeps pelting the window, unending, determined to be let in. But inside its them, and the movies on the TV, and the soft, fuzzy peace that glows openly between them all. And for Nina, and for all of them, it’s enough. It will always be enough. 

#six of crows #six of crows ff #poly!crows #nina zenik #jesper fahey #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #helnik #kanej #wesper #wylan x matthias #kazper

[starlightandmagic]

Honestly what Netflix did to Shadow and Bone was vile but what they did to the Crows was even worse, I still can’t believe how they butchered their storylines and for WHAT if we’re not even getting a resolution for their plot

#shadow and bone #netflix shadow and bone #six of crows #grishaverse #six of crows spin off #shadow and bone tv #i’m foaming at the mouth #never love anything especially if it comes from Netflix #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #mathias helvar #nina zenik #kanej #wesper #helnik #crooked kingdom #they left Matthias in hellgate ffs #they let Inej leave her found family without even being captain of her own ship #we don’t know where Wylan came from! #don’t even get me started on the absolute erasure of Inej’s trauma #they left kanej broken up without ever even dating like I’m screaming

[agathena]

Dear Reader, as the rowboats set adrift, so do the fates of our characters. Amidst the rhythmic strokes of oars and laughter echoing against the water's edge, secrets surface, tensions linger, and the dance of emotions unfolds. Will the journey down the river lead to newfound understandings or unforeseen complications? The waters hold more than meets the eye, and the quiet moments might just be where the most significant revelations occur. New chapter arrived! Have you ever wondered how The Crows would act in the world of Bridgerton? I did, So I am writing a fic about it. Please come and join me on this silly journey.

#six of crows #soc ff #soc fanfic #six of crows fic #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #nina zenik #kanej #wesper #soc x bridgerton #bridgerton au #kaz is giving mr darcy vibes #so does matthias #helnik #helink is kathony coded change my mind #zoya is my fav badass ice queen #jordie lives and is serving #fluff and fun

[bookishbunnies]

Okay, now that the two series ppl have mixed up again I'm gonna chill a bit and do an episode at the time, coz before I was kinda switching when they switched between crows and s&b

Episode 5

Oh Jesper, you're so fucking adorable, doing anything to stay near Wylan

Omg David and Genya are perfect for each other. I'm so in love with them.

Okay, every scene with Wesper is making me laugh, and every scene with Denya is making me cry, heck

Omg Tolya giving Jesper dating advice 😂 Jesper, let the man recite his poems dammit

Omg dammit, this scene is the perfect set up for the notbjust girls scene but it doesn't work now and I'm so mad but so happy. How dare this show give me such conflicting emotions.

'Warm. And wet'. Wow Kaz, it's like I can taste the tea myself.

Omfg. Waffles. Holy shit. Nina needs to be in charge of nicknames till the end of time

'Kerch are more affectionate' well that explains Jesper and Wylan 😅😅

'If you want the blade, you'll have to steal it' alright bet

Oh damn, wow this is a brilliant callback to Kaz telling Inej that most people aren't smart enough to look for his real weakness. That Shu woman real fucking smart

Oh gods the amount of Kanej we getting is amazing

And Wesper. I feel so sorry for the Helnik shippers, getting absolutely fucking robbed

Tho, it is good that Matthias is still in hellgate. Gives me some hope for getting further soc shows with the ice court

Yus! Time for a heist! Gods I can't wait to see Jesper and Wylan work together

Omg Jesper 'why do you think we're here?' 😂

Ooooh, yes. Pekka in Hellgate, I wonder how many seconds he'll last 😂

Oh ffs, let Matthias at him dammit

Pekka, Kaz destroyed you. You have nothing to offer, shut the fuck up

Omg is Hellgate filled with fucking idiots

Okay, I am loving the shared hated enemy that Kaz and Matthias now has. And that I know both of them would hate to know they have something so major in common 😂

Baghra is so fucking real and I love her so much for it

'In what sense' bitch in the sense that no one fucking wants you around.

'He's never walked away from me like that before' Alina you heckin yelled at him

Okay I am loving Nikolai and Alina. Not as romantic partners, but as besties

Oooh, Wylans lil bag. I'm so excited, we've had a badass Jesper scene, is it time for a badass Wylan scene? To to be fair, Wylan jumping on a guys back to save Jesper was also pretty badass

Jesper, honey, you are digging yourself the biggest hole in the world

Aha!! I fucking knew it. Jesper, you knew Wylan is smart. You literally just told him so. And you're surprised he knows you're Grisha??

Also the parallels of them both hiding the big main thing they're ashamed of from each other, failing to hide it, then sucking at accepting the fact that they can't hide it from each other? Beautiful

Wow Jes, thanks for stating the obvious. Brilliant

Omg. The imagery. Brilliant. Beautiful. We'd seen him go into the water, but that fall was just magestic

#shadow and bone season 2 #Shadow and bone season 2 spoilers #sab2 spoilers #episode 5

[mearcatsreturns]

Helnik + “Weddings are supposed to be romantic as fuck but you’re wearing your tie wrong, we ruined the cake and I just said fuck.”

Whoo! #20 from this list is DONE!

&&&

“Weddings are supposed to be romantic, Matthias, but you’re wearing your tie wrong—”

“Nina, it’s fine. Jesper can fix it.”

“Jesper is the groom. Well, one of the grooms.”

Matthias kisses the top of her head. “He’ll help me if it’s bothering him or Wylan.”

“We also knocked over the cake.”

“A waste of cake, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Nina buries her face in her hands, groaning. “I also made a joke about how loud their fucking is in my toast. And I said ‘fuck.’”

“Okay, so Wylan didn’t look happy about that, but Jesper laughed.”

#helnik #shadow and bone #six of crows #grishaverse #sab #electricbluebutterflies #sab ff #helnik ff #nina zenik #matthias helvar #nina/matthias #wesper #jesper/wylan

[somekindofflowergirl]

Helnik (figure they're probably safe right?) + “Your clothes are warm and it’s freezing.”

Saints, Nina hopes Matthias finishes splitting that firewood and gets back soon. In desperation, she finally gives up and huddles inside his coat. It’s warm, and that’s what matters. Even if that warmth is from his body, which he seems determined to never let her feel again. It doesn’t matter that it smells so strongly of him that it makes her heart ache at all the space between them. 

He’s here with her and she misses him more than ever. The wall between them is as sturdy as before, thanks to her mistake. He’s never going to forgive her for saving his life.

Protect her, run with her, feed her, sure. Forgive? If Fjerdans even have that word in their vocabulary, it’s one of the few neither of them ever learned.

The door to the hut swings open and she jerks defensively toward the door. It’s him. She guiltily starts to shrug out of his coat, but he holds up a staying hand, too annoyed for words, apparently.

“Your clothes are warm and it’s freezing.” She has to stop making excuses and apologies, it’s doing no damn good. But she can’t quite help herself, even if he’s as pigheaded as ever. 

He drops the wood by the open fireplace before painstakingly stacking and lighting it. Finally, he looks at her, blue eyes meeting hers for the first time since he got out.

“Keep it.” His eyes dart away. “I am trustworthy. I did say I’d keep you warm.”

#prompt fill #helnik #helnik ff #shadow and bone #sab ff #matthias helvar #nina zenik #mine #I gave it a shot! #I have not read their books so this is solely based on the show #post season 1 #and yes they are safe

[herinnerwolf]

see i’m not a fan of shows changing book plots but in this case i’m begging them to

PLEASE NETFLIX SAVE MATTHIAS

#take my blood whatever you want but keep him alive PLEASE #matthias helvar #nina zenik #helnik #he deserves a happy ending not that cruel shit FFS

[rebelside]

Me:I shouldn't have feelings, it's bad luck

Shadow and bone: helnik, the fuck

I didn't ask. For this. Make it better Netflix.

#Sab #I didnt want helnik #But there it is #Ff community #I trust in u

[hithelleth]

Shadow and Bone S1

Okay, FFS, I've been trying to meta for a week but my brain has been mush from the heat and everything.

I was spoiled (did it myself, intentionally) both about the show and the books and the author's opinions and I’m not sure whether I would have liked it better if I hadn’t spoiled myself or even less. I’m leaning towards the latter.

So I've been trying to clarify my mixed feelings and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that what I liked is fandom/fanon + some elements/parts of the show. But on the whole, it was so-so.

(BTW, the books were on my TBR, but I decided I’m not going to read them. I am not here for LB's BS.)

I need to give a shout-out to thank @electricbluebutterflies, who made me ship the ship before I even started watching the show for the second time (the first was bellarke. Oh, boy, do I (or should I say we) have a TypeTM.) There were other people who ‘helped’, but you were the first I saw posting about it on my dash. ;)

(Hmm, I should probably refrain from comparing bellarke and darklina, because that will end nowhere near well. (Or maybe I will in another post if I feel particularly masochistic.))

Anyway, I was bothered by stupid last names’ endings even before watching the show, because LB apparently didn’t take two minutes to google it, or maybe she decided to turn them around for a ‘twist’. Eh.

LB’s world-building also felt cheap and lazy; she basically just copied things from RL and camouflaged them with different names (and badly at that: I mean Ketterdam is obviously Amstedam, Fjerda Finland, and by her own confession Ravka Russia ) while leaving RL attitudes/issues (anti Asian racism being in particularly blatant) intact (with added ‘unique’ feature of prejudice against Grisha, who are basically just a spin on witches, so not so unique at all.)

Also, Slavic ‘representation’ left me lukewarm.

I suppose since nowadays it is distasteful (for white American authors in particularly) to use POC such as Black, Indigenous, and Latino people and their cultures for exoticism, us Slavs are fair game. Oh, well. I guess I should be happy we are no longer portrayed only as gangsters and prostitutes.

But, like I said, the visuals were pretty.

I love Darklina, but I think there’s been better meta than I could write already written about both Darklina and the Darkling, so I’m not even gonna try (though I did unload quite a bit in back and forth messaging with @vesperass-anuna) and rather reblog some.

I also really liked Helnik, except the end. It’s perfectly reasonable that Mathias came to the conclusion that Nina played him for revenge, but I did not like his back to ‘you evil witch’ reaction. I guess it’s also reasonable, but it is not the only possible reaction for him, it is what LB chose and that (as other things) says something about her writing.

Mathias is supposedly Fjerda’s best tracker, so he shouldn’t be dumb as a doornail (though it is canon that he’s very prejudiced and apparently he doesn’t grow out of it (so far.))

The other option for the ending would be that he figures she got her vengeance over him and be like, ‘fair enough, I deserved it.’ (Because he does.) It’s been done in other shows and came across much better than the self-righteous first option. And let’s not get into that if it was two men, LB would probably go for the first option, because when a man gives his enemy a taste of his own medicine, it’s lauded, but women are for some reason supposed to be above it, to be ‘better’. Fuck that.

I really liked the crows and would love more of them (but, like I said, I’ve been spoiled about the books, apparently the crows duology also ends badly so I’ll stay away from it.) And I also low-key ship Kaz and Inej (there wasn’t enough of them to do it high-key). Well, there wasn’t enough of the crows, period. They are really intriguing characters and I hope S2 explores them more.

That’s it, I think?

I’m going to stick with fandom/fanon.

#wow i've finally managed to write it #Shadow and Bone #shadow and bone meta #my meta: shadow and bone #more like #notes to self #so i don't forget #i'm going to start reblogging pretty things #just so you're warned #;)

[qqueenofhades]

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Shadow and Bone (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky, The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov, Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik Characters: Ivan (The Grisha Trilogy), Fedyor Kaminsky, Alina Starkov, The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova, Nikolai Lantsov, Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Inej Ghafa, Zoya Nazyalensky, Genya Safin, Jan Van Eck, Jarl Brum, Mei Kir-Azaan (Original Character) Additional Tags: Shadow and Bone (TV) Season 3, Or What It Would Have Been, Post TV Canon, Obligatory Fuck You Netflix, Ice Court Heist (Six of Crows), The Darkling Is Dead But Doesn't Let That Stop Him, Future Fic, Mad Queen Alina, Lots of Fivan Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Crows Shenanigans Series: Part 2 of Shadow and Bone Seasons 2 & 3

#shadow and bone #sab ff #helnik #helnik ff #fivan #fivan ff #in the land of snow and shadow #new chapter! #we may even have semi-regular updates #what a thought

[ninacarstairss]

Asgdjflsla I'm tired so y'all suffer ig🤷

Helnik fic again where a group of untrustworthy Ravkans take him for an enemy and while Nina is gone they burn down their house and Matthias goes ka-boom. Just cuz he was a Fjerdan who fell in love with a Grisha

WHAT—

IZZY FFS A WARNING WOULD BE NICE

pls go to sleep kensksn your reaction to being tired is making me cry 😭😭😭 why all these helnik death tropes lately?? my poor babies 😭😭 and this one is just cruel dkdnksjsn poor matthias he is just in love why does he have to die??? it’s not fair jansknsks

#i wasn’t ready for this one 😭😭 #helnik #izzy <3 #asks #asks answered

[if-th3n-else]

Ok... some Shadow and Bone thoughts....

I really loved that the chore of the Dregs personality stayed true even with a different plotline than in the books. All 5 of them are just themselves, so it's cool. They get to have romantic storyline but also thank god, friendships. It's one of the reasons why I loved SOC. They are not all powerful, they are not good characters or villains, they are more than just one characters trope. But they are the most important of them all: found family. I'd kill for that trope. Jesper X Inej was so cute. I really can't wait to have Nina join them and to have Helnik angst (or maybe not ouch) and please let them have the wonderful 'how to steal a man wallet' exchange. It is the fucking best. And of course I absolutely cannot wait for Wylan. The lack of him... I know they can't have everything at the same time but I'm yearning for him. Also I can't wait for Kaz background story and the upcoming endless hours of tears. Bye. And Nina bonding with Inej... Yeah basically I'm just here for the Dregs, as you can see.

Now for the TGT part, considering I haven't read the books I can't say how it is faithful to characters or not. But I do have some thoughts... Honestly even though Alina and the Darkling are interesting characters... It just is basic YA storyline (in my opinion ofc) plus with a boring love triangle. Idk what level of controversial it is, but idc, to me both ships are not working. Like sure I love Alina x Darkling dynamic on many points, equal and opposite at the same time (I'm basic too and I love darkness and light) and the alchemy of both actors is great. But it's more for the aesthetic than anything else lmao. And personally I don't like the childhood friends to lovers because I tend to see people who grow up together as... Siblings??? Idk, everyone I knew for a long time seem like family and I couldn't imagine a romantic relationship that way??? I mean for now they technically haven't said or done anything directly romantic but I know it's gonna happen. Even though truth to be told I thought there was a third guy, Nikolai?, But I'm biased by the people I follow. And I'm not sure want one more drama like this lmao. Also, I really hope Mal is gonna have another plotline than just being centered around Alina for the whole time cause that's not giving him enough recognition, he could have more than just being the bff love interest. I mean, we all are annoyed when the girl is the love interest of the hero, but that's equally annoying the other way. Let characters having other stories to tell ffs. Also stop with the all the guys yearning for the chosen one girl. It's ultra annoying and boring. But of course as usual the side characters seems more interesting and less black or white than the main characters... I mean Genya and Zoya seems to have more to offer. But of course it's me always falling for the side characters that get no screen view lmao. Now even though in term of character Alina is not the most original one, I think it's the actress she added something I'm not sure it is in the book. Also I kinda hope she's too is gonna feel some magical corruption or anything that doesn't make her just the pure innocent heroine. Basically I just hope next season is gonna be more grey for the good characters, less full of stereotypes.

Now everything else was very great. All actors were spot on. Amita Suman and Kit Young are my favourites. They are so on character. The music is great, the set and costume and all very good. I'm just annoyed about the epic fight scene being shot in the dark, oh convenient (they never think about gif makers don't they lmao).

#Shadow and bone #shadow and bone spoilers

[qqueenofhades]

Might I request Helnink sharing their country’s winter/holiday traditions with each other?

"I don't care how traditional it is in Fjerda," Nina says warningly, putting her hands on her hips. "I am not eating lutefisk."

Matthias gives her a slightly hurt look, as if they're finally reunited (well, mostly) and working on actually reconciling, and the first thing she does is go and slander his country's terrible, terrible food. The winter solstice is an observation of particular significance to Djel -- something about the renewal of the year, the holy light returning to the fallen world after an eternity of darkness, and so forth -- and Nina would think there would be more joy and cheer to it, but of course, Fjerdans are suspicious of anything that looks too much like fun. There are other traditional foods, to be sure, some of which she might even voluntarily consume. But when it comes to lutefisk, no. She is putting her foot down.

"Fine, then," Matthias huffs. "What do they do in Ravka, then?"

"We have lots of things," Nina informs him, "that people actually like to eat. Babka, kalach, sochivo, peljmeni, tvorozhniki, just to name a few. I'd cook some for you and we could have a contest, but that might throw you into terrible religious disfavor."

Matthias throws a sour look at her, as if to point out that by virtue of deserting his homeland and his calling, his military training, his order of humorless witch-hunters and all the rest, and taking up in carnal cohabitation with a Grisha demoness, that pretty much does for any scrap of his religious favor anyway. Nina laughs, then bites her cheek, feeling slightly guilty, and pads over to put her hands on his chest. "I can, if you want," she adds. "And I'm even willing to take a stab at some Fjerdan food, but no lutefisk. What else?"

He thinks about it. "Pinnekjøtt," he says, after a moment. "It's a special rack of lamb. Same with juleribbe. And there's rice pudding with sugar and cinnamon, risengrynsgrøt. Marzipan, apples, almonds, hot spiced wine." He pauses, eyes going briefly distant. "My mother used to make marzipan candy. A long time ago. It was one of my favorite things about Yule."

"Well, then," Nina says briskly. "We'll just have to find Fjerdan marzipan somewhere in Ketterdam. If we did make a whole dinner, do you think Kaz, Jesper, and Wylan would want to come?"

Matthias snorts. His opinion of their new cohorts remains unavoidably low, though there's a grudging and very unspoken respect between him and Kaz. Jesper is always up for any party anywhere, of course, and Wylan will perforce tag along. Nina's up for eating most things, and even despite her intransigence on the issue of lutefisk, she does want to do something to make the holidays special for Matthias. They're not quite as tentative around each other as they used to be, but after how long he spent rotting in the guts of Hellgate -- it's the least she can do, that's all.

"What else?" she says. "Is there a service? Do you have to go prostrate yourself for hours in front of some frozen ash tree, or -- ?"

"Some of us," Matthias says with considerable asperity, "do still take the gods seriously. What about you?"

"Ravkans go to church, usually. Kneel in front of the icons of the saints and ask for their blessings." Nina hasn't been religious for as long as she can remember, and frankly, after what she saw the so-called Sankta Alina do in the Fold, the way she used black merzost to bring back her defunct otkazat'sya lover, she's especially suspicious of anyone or anything proclaiming to be pure and holy as sunlight. "I don't think I'll be doing that this year, though," Nina adds, half to herself. "I've never really wanted to."

Matthias briefly looks as if he is about to deliver a stern sermon on her lack of pious sentiment (truly, why does she like this man so much?) but then sighs and gives in. "All right," he says -- and look at that, the big bad druskelle, actually making compromises. Maybe there is hope for them after all. "As long as we get the food."

"Oh." Nina rises on her tiptoes to kiss him -- just on the cheek, but still, and at last, he does not flinch away. "When it comes to Nina Zenik and food, you can always count on me."

#anonymous #ask #helnik #helnik ff #sab ff #winter prompts

[qqueenofhades]

For Drabble List #2: 40,42,69 (: (wouldn’t mind terribly if it were set in the Phantomverse 🌚🌚🌚)

40. "Hard cash is a girl's best friend."

42. "You live to annoy me, don't you?"

69. "You do know that we're in public, right?"

Nina Zenik-Helvar is a woman who is, it cannot be denied, used to getting what she wants at all costs. It is either a serious character flaw or her chief strength, depending on how you look at it, and she is certainly prepared to admit that it has gotten her into plenty of trouble in the past. This, however, is not a matter of life and death. Not really. That doesn't make it any less irritating that Matthias, as is also his wont, is being unreasonably, stupidly stubborn about it. God forbid anyone make an unscheduled luxury purchase and live a little. His boring, sensible Scandinavian brain might actually explode.

"No," Matthias says again, for emphasis. "We need to pay the berthing fees -- there are also daily docking charges, we need to fill up the gas tank, and get some food before the storm hits. If it's bad, we won't be able to get on shore again for several days at least, and then -- "

"Matthias," Nina interrupts. "Darling."

He glowers at her. "What?"

"May I remind you that this is my own money that I am proposing to spend, and kindly ask what, exactly, you are contributing to the effort?"

Matthias harrumphs in patent disapproval. They are currently living on a houseboat in Bridgetown, Barbados, their most recent stop since leaving Norway and bopping itinerantly around the world, and while Nina is still working for the Crows from afar, Matthias's own employment options have been far more limited. He is mostly stuck with working day jobs for under-the-table cash payment; he is tall, he is strong, and he can carry heavy things without complaint, so there is that. Their budget can definitely get fairly harrowing at times, and it's not like Nina has forgotten about everything else they need to pay -- most of which will also come from her, as the chief breadwinner -- but still. She picks up the necklace again, letting the luminous black pearls trickle through her fingers, then turns to the stall owner, adopting a tone of no-nonsense brass tacks. "How much?"

He names a figure that Nina absolutely does not intend to pay, so she spends the next ten minutes haggling him down to a more reasonable number. While Matthias stands nearby with a resigned look, they finally reach agreement, Nina peels off several colorful Barbadian dollars, and takes the necklace, fastening it around her throat. "There," she says to Matthias. "What do you think?"

He sighs deeply. "It's nice, but if we can't pay the berthing fees and get thrown out in the middle of the night, I'm blaming you. Besides, where did you get all that cash? Aren't you usually paid virtually?"

"Hard cash is a girl's best friend." Nina flutters her eyelashes and takes her husband's arm. He sighs again, but doesn't say anything else, and they stroll down the cobbled street, under the waving palms and market awnings, the island breeze laden with the damp scent of the incoming storm. "Besides, I think it's your turn to buy the groceries for once. And a pair of barbecue tongs."

Matthias blinks at her, utterly baffled. "Barbecue tongs? Why?"

"You know," Nina says sweetly. "To pull out that stick that is still, somehow, stuck all the way up your ass."

Matthias groans. "You live to annoy me, don't you?"

"Maybe." Nina grins angelically, snuggling closer. He's so damn tall that she has to reef him in like a sailboat, pull him down to get close enough to kiss, and she does so, until she's good and ready to stop. Matthias squeaks, performs an aborted attempt at a struggle, looks around furtively, and then gives up and kisses her back. His hair has turned very blond in the tropical sun, and he smells like male sweat, ocean salt, and big dumb boy. Nina loves him so very much.

"You do know," Matthias says prissily, once they pull back, "that we're in public, right?"

"No, I totally didn't notice." Nina rolls her eyes. "Come on, you moron. Let's go find some dinner. And you are paying for it."

Matthias eyes her up and down. Despite all his protestations, he is clearly imagining how she will look while wearing nothing but the necklace. "All right," he says, and offers her his arm again. "I hope you're in the mood, yet again, for fish."

[fic prompts]

#sab ff #helnik #helnik ff #phantomverse #pel asks #fic prompts #bluepencils #ask

[qqueenofhades]

If you need some distraction - helnik + coffee shop AU? (If its not your thing, I'd gladly read any and every helnik prompt you feel like writing. 💙)

Everyone says New York is big. The songs, the movies, the popular culture, the overall zeitgeist -- that's what it is all about, the size of it, whether mentally or physically. The skyscrapers, the subways, the noise, the people, the way you can travel all over the world within the span of a few blocks, give as mathematically incalculable amount of a shit as possible and have the oddly comforting realization that everyone else will do the same. And sure, yes, it is big. Nina got lost three times on her first day attempting to navigate it alone, and while she can read English just fine, the insistence of New Yorkers on speaking a thousand miles a minute often leaves her trying to ask if they could just repeat themselves please, slower. Since the one thing the Big Apple hates is having to go slower, or realizing that the entire world does not run at the same manic pace they do, they usually sigh or roll their eyes or otherwise grumble about it. Thanks, guys. Helpful.

It could be worse, though. At least Nina has a place to stay, even if that is renting a tiny apartment with three other Russian girls -- Genya, Alina, and Marie -- in a recently privatized project on the Lower West Side that proudly flogs itself as "the next generation of affordable housing for New York City." (Is it really? Maybe, if you squint.) She stayed with Ivan and Fedyor down in Brighton Beach when she first landed at JFK with not much more than her backpack and the clothes she was wearing, but it's an hour-plus on the subway to get into midtown, and she wanted to get out of the Russian enclave, stretch herself, meet more American people. And maybe not be reminded every day about having to flee for her life, and not being sure if she can ever go back to her homeland. That would be nice too.

In any event, Nina has managed to get a job at a small cafe in Hell's Kitchen, tucked somewhere among the eighty thousand Irish pubs and coffeehouses, and she's working about thirty hours a week, trying to save enough for her share of the rent and figure out what the hell she's doing next. It's a nice place, homey, with an old Italian espresso machine and mismatched wooden tables, full of light in the morning, the kind of place where people come with laptops and books and settle in for the long haul, periodically buying another flat white or muffin to pay rent on their space. Nina served her time as a barista in the trenches of Skuratov Coffee back in Russia, as a student, and it's comfortingly familiar. Easy. Comfortable.

Of course, if it wasn't for Matthias fucking Helvar.

This tall blond paragon of paramount irritation turned up on her third day working there, and even more to her annoyance, he's a regular, so she can't get rid of him. She isn't sure what he does when he's not driving her crazy -- she knows something about a graduate program in international development at NYU, because he never fucking shuts up about that, but half of her thinks that he might be making it up just to sound like all the other pretentious hipster dipshits pounding the keys in midtown Manhattan. He does have a stack of books vaguely on this theme, and a Norway flag pin stuck to his backpack. Those clean blond athletic good looks make sense, then. Of course he's Scandinavian. Probably planning to Run Out And Save The World TM.

At any rate, it's a snowy evening in February, and Nina's working the late shift, the white fairy lights glowing behind the bar. There are only a few people in the cafe, and one of them, of course, is Matthias. Evidently considering that what this otherwise-pleasant situation really needs is his input, he gets up and makes toward her, handing over his empty cup for another refill of the house blend. "And make sure it's hot, please," he adds bossily. "Last time it was barely lukewarm."

Nina grits her teeth. "I just brewed the new pot," she informs him, charitably neglecting to add that she is happy to dump it over his head to check that it is warm enough for Mr. Perfect's tastes. That would definitely get her fired, and she needs this job. As if he doesn't know, she adds, "That will be a dollar fifty, please."

Matthias digs in his jeans pocket (she does not notice that they fit him rather well, absolutely not) and comes up with the exact change, as usual. He's like if IKEA made a person. Nina snatches it out of his hand and puts it through the register, takes his cup, and fills it up. She knows not to leave room for cream (too fattening) or sugar (the large-scale cultivation of processed sugar is responsible for many of the geopolitical evils in world history). Is Matthias here all the time because he's a horribly boring square who doesn't have any other friends to hang out with? That would explain a lot.

For half a moment, Nina finds herself teetering on the verge of sympathy. She knows, after all, what it's like to be alone in this city, floating along on the human tide, wondering if you're ever going to put down roots, or stand your ground, or matter. Then she shakes it off, vastly annoyed with herself. The reason that Matthias doesn't have any friends is because he sucks. Case closed.

"Here," she says curtly, handing his cup back. "It's hot."

"Thank you." Matthias's hand brushes her as he takes it, and for a moment, his eyes meet hers a little too long, a little too meaningfully. (He really is distractingly tall.) "I'm... sorry," he adds belatedly. "I'm just a little stressed. I have this big exam coming up at -- "

"NYU, yes, I know." Nina rolls her eyes. "We've heard. You are the Tesla owner of NYU attendees, Matthias."

He blinks. A little pink comes into his cheeks. "Oh," he says, almost shyly. "You know my name?"

"You come in here five days a week. How could I not?"

"Oh." He considers that, then smiles crookedly, and it does something absolutely awful to her insides, which they will never speak of ever again. "Thank you. Nina."

Nina is relieved when he retreats to his table, and picks up the rag to wipe down the self-service bar, even though it doesn't entirely need it. Just for a moment. Just to catch her breath. No reason at all.

Good thing she is never, ever going to like that guy a bit.

#anonymous #ask #helnik #helnik ff #fic prompts