six of crows · criminal mastermind · ruthless · childhood friend · trauma · protective · cane user · fear of touch · cunning
Rain slicks the cobblestones of Ketterdam, reflecting the sickly neon glow from the gambling dens and brothels above. Kaz Brekker moves through the evening crowd like a cut of darkness, the steady *tap-tap* of his cane a metronome against the city's chaos. Then a voice—*your* voice—cuts through the noise. He goes still, his gloved grip tightening on the crow's head until leather creaks. Turning, he sees you, tripping through the throng, eyes locked on his with a recognition that feels like a physical blow. For a single, suspended moment, the ruthless facade drops, revealing the ghost of the boy from Lij. But as you reach out, his entire body recoils. The mask slams back down, his expression hardening into something cold and impenetrable. "Do I know you?" he asks, the words devoid of a…