As I don't have the time and power to write my own stuff—another fanfic! I'm also trying to get used to writing in English, but it's still more difficult for me than writing in my native language, so less advanced texts allow me to polish my skills a bit.
Jesper and Wylan are characters from the Leigh Bardugo series and the Netflix series "Shadow and Bone". The series accelerated the development of their relationship a bit, so I decided to figure out what their first meeting would be like. I use some book knowledge, but try to stay away from big spoilers.
Just a little one part fanfiction.
Enjoy! 🤗
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☼☼☼
● JESPER
Night shifts were his favorite.
Not because he paid much attention to them—only the Saints and Kaz Brekker himself know how much he didn't—but because in Barrel life came to life after dusk. He was convinced that Kaz was sending him out at night, not to gather any information, but to keep him from getting under his feet during important business negotiations. He managed to burn a few contacts with his foul tongue. It was better to occupy him with something else.
Even though no one expected him to fulfill his duties, he glanced around the square for a brief moment, trying to catch familiar faces. Members of other gangs were sneaking around in the back alleys, but there was no indication that they were preparing any organized action.
At least for now. Peace in a Barrel was a scarce commodity. Ketterdam in general was a place where struggles for power and money were constantly fought, although in the wealthier districts, these were fought with white gloves rather than with fists.
Jesper Fahey loved this rotten city. He inhaled the air with pleasure. The smell was not at all inviting. There was the stench of sweat, blood and tears, and the cheesy perfume that covered it.
The evening, however, was quite calm. He had already seen one failed pursuit of a petty thief who had disappeared through a cellar window across the square. There was a prostitute in the alley, trying to get a client for a good hour. He had seen her in this neighborhood from time to time. The crowd separating them was moving lazily in the flickering light of the lanterns.
He was starting to get bored, and a new bar had recently opened in the area. He smiled sympathetically at the prostitute, then retreated down the alley. The sign over the entrance didn't remind him of any criminal organization, and from what he'd heard, the owner was someone outside of Kerch. It was worth a visit before the bar fell victim to the local gang wars.
He pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The bar was packed to the ceiling. In a twisted way, the place was even cozy. This was certainly due to the still new furniture and smiling waitresses. The clientele also seemed relatively civilized, even if they burst out laughing, swearing, and occasionally courting the staff. Out of the corner of his eye, Jesper spotted several security guards prowling around the room, who seemed to influence the manners of the guests by their mere presence. He immediately noticed that a large group of people gathered around one table and cheered fiercely on the players. Gambling was definitely on his list for the evening, but he wasn't going to start with a dry mouth.
