I Think Now I Am Losing My Mind, Noticing All These Parallels Between Kaz And Inej.

I admit, while reading , I kept forgetting that they are 17 year old teenagers. And it was because of scenes like this one, where that realisation came back to me in a huge wave.

This confusion in Inej's heart and mind. Her thoughts, her doubtfulness , her questioning herself. I have also doubted myself when it has come to matters of heart. And I think everyone does.

But even beneath her confusion, I can see a sign of maturity there. I know that they were all forced to grow up and mentally mature earlier due to their past. And by her maturity, I mean, how she understands, that just like her, Kaz has also gone through unexplainable stuff. The need for his armour. The need for her own armour. And it's not like she turns a blind eye to the things Kaz was trying to do for her. The net. She noticed it. Even though she had accepted and even tried to make peace with the fact that maybe she will never have him like she wanted to. She didn't shut him out.

I think all these little things, they talked to me more about her character. They made me live her and absorb her character more.

ALSO, there’s a difference between stanning Joost - who was an innocent boy who literally didn’t mean to harm anyone and was just caught in the crossfire of an experiment gone wrong - and stanning an entitled white woman who wanted to harm a girl of colour because she thought she would find glory in her death. 

Basically: Dunyasha stans don’t try to excuse away your bad behaviour and learn reading comprehension 🙄

Cruel prince reader here: NOPE can't do it! Valerian forced her to the ground and made her eat fearie apple which makes her lose control of her body and mind. Sound very similar to date rape drug. Like I know it's called CRUEL prince but I figured the way everyone was stanning Jude and Cardan that he wasn't gonna be too bad. Sure he wasn't the 1 who did that but some shit just crosses the line and he has to be help responsible for the actions of friends trying to impress him. Tumblr is fucked up

Okay. 

I’m going to start with the Faerie apple scene, and then I’ll discuss Cardan and Jude.

Faerie is a dangerous world, right? So dangerous for mortals, in fact, that they cannot eat the food without salt, they can’t eat certain apples, they must go around with rowan berries to avoid charms, etc. etc. The world Holly Black creates is scary, and cruel, and one you would not want to live in. 

However, this is Jude’s home. She’s been forced to grow up here. She’s been forced to live and survive despite the cruelty around her, and she’s survived. In fact, she’s incredibly brave for not only learning how to live in this world, but also standing up to those who aim to hurt her. 

And Jude, for so long, has been keeping herself safe. This moment of eating the Faerie apple, then, while horrible, reminds Jude, and by extension, us (the readers), that Faerie isn’t a safe place. Any safety that Jude had felt up to this moment is gone. She’s vulnerable and can’t stand up for herself and it is cruel. Horrible. Terrifying. It’s a reminder that this world is not meant for mortals, that dangers lurk in every crevice, and even out in the open. It’s a reminder to us, too, that Jude isn’t invincible. She’s human, just like us. 

Now, onto Cardan. 

I’m not just going to say ‘Faeries are cruel,’ because sure, they can be, but Cardan does need to be held responsible for his actions. He and his behavior shouldn’t be written off. 

He’s a bully. He causes pain. And yes, when Jude and Taryn were thrown into the river, he does try to end it sooner. If I’m not mistaken, too, he does try to get his friends to stop their actions in the Faerie fruit scene. But yes, he is cruel, and treats mortals terribly, and treats lots of people terribly, actually, but he was also abused. Is abused. That’s not an excuse for his behavior. Don’t get me wrong: he treats others with immense cruelty at times, and that shouldn’t be ignored or excused. But, it is all he knows. There’s more about why Cardan’s the way he is in the sequel, The Wicked King, but the little moments we catch of how he’s treated by Balekin helps to explain his cruelty. 

That all being said, I think the characters of Jude and Cardan are very dynamic, and as the book (and sequel) show, they aren’t just the badass and cruel characters that we originally met. They are both vulnerable and have been through traumatizing and horrible experiences and that does, inevitably, shape who they become. Ultimately, though, it’s not who they have to be. And I think that both Jude and Cardan are learning that. Particularly Cardan. 

So yes. There are incredibly cruel moments in the book. I think that was going to be unavoidable, particularly when Holly Black’s created such a dangerous world. But those moments don’t necessarily undermine the rest of the book, or the series. 

“I’m not freaking out I’m freaking in”- Po

Same Po same

(Kung Fu Panda 2)

When people talk about tfota they always mention Jude and cardan and sometimes heather and vivi but they never mention…

They make me feel things

@sixofcrowsnet heist: tragedies

“wylan understood then that he would never reach the school in belendt. he’d never been meant to. there was no secretary. no account in his name. no one was expecting his arrival. the supposed enrollment papers in his pocket might say anything at all. wylan hadn’t even bothered to try to read them. he was going to disappear, just as his father had always wanted, and he’d hired these men to do the job. (…) black spots filled wylan’s vision. he thought he could hear music”

six of crows by leigh bardugo

canon things that Kaz has said/thought about Inej that I always forget about until I reread:

she is his greatest weakness

“I’m going to get my money, Kaz said. And I’m going to get my girl.”

his breath catches EVERY TIME that he looks at her

“I couldn’t bear to watch you fall”

he imagined watching her braid come uncoiled and wrapping it in his hand and rubbing his thumb over the pattern of the plait

he has had thoughts of Inej that involve moonlight and silk and hair

he trusts her and knows she is the one person who would never betray his weaknesses

he would die to see her smile /that way/ again

he bought her a warship (I haven’t forgotten this part but I couldn’t leave it off the list because the Bastard of the Barrel literally made her dream possible even though it means she will be away from him)

“say you’ll return” (!!!!!!!!!!) (I always, ALWAYS forget this line and it kicks me right in the gut when I reread it. He. Said. THAT.)

“IS MY TIE STRAIGHT”

No cause what if Locke had a crush on Cardan the whole time

Kaz is such a fucking SOFTIE deep down, it cracks me up every time. “My mother is the harbor, my father is greed” and then turns around to make sure the flowers they use in their escape are Inej’s favorites. Gets Jesper’s guns back for him even though he doesn’t have to. Allows and in fact encourages Nina to embrace her new powers. Goes out of his way to mentor Wylan. Asks Matthias to keep Mrs. Van Eck calm and comfortable even though it would’ve been easier to torture her. Essentially said he *missed* Jesper. Like??? What a soft little murderous gangster.