#trc rewrite

Or more accurately "Creating the Dream Pack" because there's so little about them (except for K, but still). If I was writing the story, I would make them and Kavinsky more of a presents and not just appear once and never comeback.

Ilya Prokopenko

short, blond hair; blue eyes; fair skin

looks young (around 15/16), sticking-out ears, uneven shoulders

wears quite standard clothes (e.g. hoodie, graphic tees, snickers)

has Ukraine roots

son of Mr. Kavinsky's subordinate

knew K only for few weeks before his death, spend summer vacations together

died in a car crash, after an argument with K (drove after drinking and never get to his destination)

his body was hid by K, to cover-up his death

first human K dreamt, he needed to improvise with his character (ideal friend)

often spaces out

rarely eats, doesn't need to

stays in a static state of existing (unknown if he's going to age)

at the start, doesn't know he's a dream, but sometime before the story events, after heavy party drinking K in anger screams the truth to his face

after sometime, K tells the Dream Pack about Proko

his favourite subject is biology

has only his father, before attempting Aglionby, lived with him

good at running, member of the running team (doesn't get tired, learned to pretend)

alcohol nor drugs have a effect on him

the group's nanny

the only one to stand-up to K, knows when he lies

listens to K's problems, feels than something isn't right

born on the Christmas day

gets nervous in cars, doesn't knew why

after story idea: after K's rehab, together they finally decided to "let him go", Proko gets a funeral and Kavinsky goes to retrieve real Proko's bones and after ceremony sneaks them into the coffin

Blake "Skov" Skovron

curly, brown hair (takes good care of it); light brown eyes; light skin with freckles

tall and lean

looks natural in the uniform

usually wears flannel shirts, simple T-shirts and one pair of expensive shoes (bought them to fit in with the group, fearing he would be rejected by them, instant they joked about it)

his great grandfather was polish, feels disconnect with his culture, tries to connect with it

the smart one

middle class, mother has high expectations

has a younger brother

moved to Henrietta for school from a big city

new to the party and drugs life

got to Aglionby by accident (send his application papers for shits-and-giggles)

room-mates with Swan (got into the group through him)

every Sunday, his mother calls him

has a scientific mind, his favourite subject is chemistry

almost fails Latin

careful with money

doesn't know what to do in the future

responsible and practical

has a sweet-tooth, loves baked goods

attends cooking classes

the Pack chipped in to buy him his Mazda RX-7 for birthday

Benjamin Swan

shaven, black hair; dark brown eyes; brown skin

well-build, high-cheekbones

even on normal days, wears dress shirts with designer jeans and elegant shoes

the heir of a huge fortune (doesn't want to be)

rebels against his parents (wants to have a normal life, not the one his parents made for him)

decided himself to go to Aglionby

room-mates with Skov

moody

invited himself into the Dream Pack

writes for the school newspaper, member of the student council wants to improve and get rid-off the case of xenophobia in school

hard to get drunk, but easily effected by drugs

favourite subject is english

protective

voice of reason

after one party, wakes-up with a earring in one ear, later goes to get the other (hides them from his parents)

Marcus Jiang

medium, black hair, often tied-back; hazel eyes; light brown skin

the shortest, tooth-gap

mostly wears hoodies, track pants, beanies/caps and a bandana around his neck (uses it to cover his face)

half-asian (Chinese, through his mother)

Henrietta native

beginning tattoo artist

got into Aglionby through an Art Scholarship

the legendary graffiti artist, often "vandalises" the school buildings, nobody knows it's him

the art teacher suspects him, but has no proof

his mother is a famous artist, his father was never in the picture (resoled of a one-night-stand)

has a girlfriend but doesn't want her to know about the Pack

likes urban-exploring, found the abandoned fairground

fantastic at arts but horrible at "science subject", Skov's helps him out

the photograph of the group, catchers every embarrassing moment

besides party photos, most photos on his phone are lizards and bugs

Joseph Kavinsky

short, black hair; dark brown (looks black) eyes; tan skin

skinny with his bones visible; heavy-lidded, sunken eyes (hides them behind sunglasses)

outside of the parties, often wears leather jackets and designer jeans

son of Bulgarian immigrants

his mother didn't knew Mr. Kavinsky was a mafia boss, before marrying him

his father physically abused him, at first his mother tried to protect him

a few times, he dreamt stuff for his father to sell on the black market

when he started to refused, his father started beating him (after another refusal, he tried to kill him)

killed him in self-defence by accident (hit him once but it was fatal), he was 15/16 (after accident with Proko)

got addicted to drugs and alcohol, after discovering it numb his pain

Mrs. Kavinsky know he killed his father

he dreamt a dream copy of him, which later died in a fight with another gang

feels guilty for Proko's death, but drowns it in alcohol

self-destructive tendencies ("Because he deserves it")

made-up and spread the rumors about himself

often uses white lies

moved to Henrietta with his mother for hers sake, loves her very much

"your mama" jokes all the way

easily learns new languages, then angry often switches and mixes

with time, develops an obsessive crush on Ronan

thinks Ronan is the person to understand him, likes the idea of destroying their lives together

he's always ready to help out the Pack in any moment

afraid of spiders

loves racing, can’t imagine his life without them

If you have any questions or opinions to share, please send me an ask.

Why? Because The Raven Cycle is a mess. From the setting, through characters and to the plot, everything is a mess on a foundations of good ideas. It feels like Margaret took three to four different drafts, stitched them together and switched around events, e.g. things that should be in book 1 are in book 3, etc.

So, here is my attempted to rewrite the Gangsey.

Blue

curly, damaged, black hair kept short; brown eyes and light brown skin

short and stocky, with a big eyes; untamed, arched eyebrows; and round nose

1/4 black, 3/4 white (Maura is 1/2 black, and Artemus is welsh)

her father, Artemus, was a history professor, focusing on British Isle (especially Wales)

when she was 14, her father's ghost appeared on Saint Mark's Eve, he suddenly died few months, leaving Blue devastated

was very close with her dad, didn't forgive her mother for not trying to save Artemus

straightens and clips down her hair to make it resemble hers dad's

owns a pink switch blade, which was once red, she stole from her father's stuff, uses it mostly to cut plants

knows a lot about plants, helps cultivated and collect them for the family business

interested in and actively looks for paranormal (magic, cryptids, you name it), interest seeded by her parents

went to public school, but after middle school was pulled out for homeschooling

works two part-time jobs, as a waitress at Nino's and a dog-walker, to have her own money

a psychic but her power makes it impossible to work as one

makes and remakes her own clothes, isn't good at it but she loves it

loves knitting sweaters for her friends and family

wears colorful, often clashing outfits with a lots of accessories

loves color blue, always has something blue in her outfit, even if only as an accent color

vegetarian

knows Adam from middle school, keeps warm relations with him (introduced her to his friends)

spends her Sundays with her family (e.g. hitch-hiking with her mother, helping with Calla, making sweater and clothes with Persephone, painting nails with Orla)

know few phrases in Estonian, thanks to Persephone

opinioned, independent and bold

environmentalist

Gansey

tousled, always preciously styled, brown hair; dark brown eyes, light skin

average but quite square built (looks stiff), straight nose, shadows and bags under eyes, often has pieces of mint leaves stuck it teeth

the shortest guy of the Gangsey

born with a silver spoon in his mouth

at ten, almost died from wasp stinks but survived thanks to "Glendower", obsessed with finding him ever since

insomniac, his grands and health suffers from it

was in the rowing team, until he slept through training and hit team-mate with a oar

has the power to commend people, but it's weak

loves mint-flavor things, borders on obsession

owns five different types of mint plants (Ronan named them)

makes mistakes in his research and normal day to day actions from lack of sleep, needs help of others

his mom buys him clothes

doesn't understand the value of money, mostly throws it around and leads people with no need to return it

needs glasses but often losses them (even worse with contacts), in the beginning of the story he's on his seventh pair

doesn't have friends outside the "Gangsey"

awkward about feelings and crushes, can't deal with them

has slit ADHD, needs to do something with his hands

perfectionist, fixes mistakes of others, brushes problems off

good at social interactions but horrible at maintaining relationships

after his grands suffered too much and his search for Glendower effected his school life, his parents cut him off from finances as a punishment

with Adam's help, found a job as a cashier at a grocery store, actually loves it

needs time to remember people's names

Ronan

curly, dark brown (almost black) hair, always shaven; blue eyes, pale skin (burns easily)

tall (tallest of the Gangsey) and quite muscular, angular face, narrow eyes, multiple scars on arms and few on face (oddly proud of them)

he's a copy of his own father, Niall Lynch (looks like a younger version of him)

shaved his head and got tattoos, after he discovered he's a copy, to resemble Niall as little as possible

dresses in what his father would never wear

has only one real tattoo, a Celtic cross on the back of his neck base, the rest of his back is dreamt up

the dream tattoo always changes, reflecting Ronan's mental/emotional state, but always has motifs of wings/feathers and branches twisting into Celtic knots

tried to stop dreaming up stuff multiple times, but it caused him headache and nausea, eventually ending in physical harm, went the dream "gets out"

confused about who or what he is

self-destructive, has no regards for his own safety

has a very strain relationship with Declan, envies his "realness"

vegan, loves animals and hates people who harm them

loves speed and racing, oddly proud of his speeding-tickets

believes for a long time, only Kavinsky understands him, but their "friendship" is complicated

doesn't allow anyone to touch Chainsaw (dream creatures are very personal to a dreamer)

tries to figure out what HE likes, and find his OWN path (even if it means craving it out)

touched starved

loves nature, can spend hours outside just sitting and thinking

acts and speaks before thinking, got himself in trouble for that many times (gets physical quiet often)

helps in the family "dream trade" business, doesn't want any of his creations near him, Chainsaw is the only exception

feels drawn to Cabeswaters, but he preferably would just burn it

knows Irish, speaks it when frustrated

before Niall's death, trained tennis and played on bagpipes (uilleann pipes), but stopped after his father's murder hates boxing

Adam

short, self-cut, light red-ish brown hair; grey eyes, tan skin with a lot of moles and freckles

skinny, deep-set eyes and a downturned lips

has only a backpack of his own stuff and a bike

deals with Gansey's antics only for a chance to escape his father and his living situation

lives with Gansey, Ronan and Noah in Monmouth

prioritises his education over his friendship with "Gangsey"

very frugal, keeps a "change jar"

mostly wears his wash-out Coca-Cola t-shirt, he bought with his first pay

the most sceptical about magic, still very cautious of it

hates loud sounds and physical contact

hates taking money from people and having money spend on him, but he knows he needs it

has three part-time jobs, including his favourite at the garage

loves cars, dreams about buying his own one day

afraid of heights and flying, childhood trauma

opportunist

highly values his independence

never refuses food

sacrificed his "hands and eyes" to Cabeswater, not only to wake the Ley Lines but also to escape his former life for good, seeing it as the only way (partly tricked by the forest)

deaf on the left ear but hears Cabeswater whispering to him through it

actively "fights" with Cabeswater for control (his way or the high way)

owns a old Nokia phone, only bought it to stay in contact with Gansey knows how to sew and dress a wound

Noah

messy, pale blond hair; light blue eyes, pale skin with a dark spot on the left side of his face

faded and lean; small, lively eye; bright, wide smile

kept him pretty much the same, but also add

sarcastic with a dry (and sometimes dark) sense of humor

"I'm the oldest one, so you should listen to me sometimes."

his Aglionby uniform always looks crinkled and dirty

doesn't remember most of his "living life"

gets his memories back from seeing/visiting people/places he knew

his emotional state effects his corporal form, e.g. strong negative emoticons make him less visible

music helps him stay visible

still loves Blink-182 (Ronan pirated him all their albums, including those he missed)

misses skateboarding, swimming, spending time with his old friends and family, and filling the weather

doesn't remember his death, only the pain

likes to wander around Henrietta

likes anything glitter, reminds him of his sisters

gave Adam permission to take his old Mustang, "If you can bring it to live, Parrish."

his disappearance is still a talked subject in Aglionby

sometimes mumbles or swears something no one understand, took Gangsey time to figured out it was polish

+ Bonus

Chainsaw

Ronan's first dream creature (or at the time Ronan believes so)

quite small for a raven

senses Ronan's emotions, always tries to comfort him by burying into his neck or "grooming" him

can speak single works but they sound very corrupted, e.g. "kerah" is a corrupted version of "cara" (irish for "friend")

at the beginning called Ronan Greywaren, but with time it change to "creātor" (creator), "somniator" (dreamer) and finally "cara" (friend), reflecting Ronan's own view of himself

likes to collect and bring Ronan small things, e.g. pen caps, leaves or pieces of newspapers

gets close only to people Ronan likes and/or trusts

If you have any questions or opinions to share, please send me an ask.

Part 3 of my K analyses is slowly eating me out, not in the “Oh, I can’t deal with this~“ but more writing block. While looking through material, I found this scene to the rewrite stuff I was doing. Like “You’ll be fine“, this was a removed scene I was writing for fun. It’s noting big but it plays with character dynamics.

Context: It’s somewhat beginning of TDT and the gang (minus Blue) is trying to figure-out something about the Cabeswater problem, until someone is mentioned.

Ronan loved the idea of summer vacations. To stay all night and watch the stars, to races until the engine over heats, to live, to burn, to finally be. Not school to bug him, no Declan to nag him. Just him and his dreams.

But the last thing he wanted, was to stay late into the night and think about the Cabeswater problem.

They sat around their crooked table, covered in the chaotic mess of Gansey's research and plans. Crinkled maps and strings tied and knotted into a web of secrets yet to uncover, crumbling books and tapes holding up their whole world. Gansey's world. Everything was connected and yet, nothing was.

Lighted only by the few small lamps they had moved from their rooms, the only non-artificial glow in the Manufacturing, they seem almost ancient but real. Too real for Ronan’s taste.

Above the scratched wooden surface, Gansey in his old-man's pajamas, tried to draw on the map of Henrietta a straight line for the fourth time. One and erase, two and erase. His fingers banged on the table between each try, just to do something productive.

Ronan's eyes followed the previous attempts, now faint on pale colors from erasing, trying to understand Gansey's thinking. He slouched down in his chair, burying his head and arms inside his oversized sleep-hoodie. He looked up at Gansey, tired and barely standing from lack of sleep.

One more attempt. A smile spread on his friend's face.

- Here. - he finally said, he's voice almost a whisper.

Skov gets a crush on a girl from his cooking class, the boys make fun of him but encourage him to ask her out. Still too scared to do it.

Ilya feels bitter and guilty about not having the real!Proko’s memories. He feels awkward around his father’s house, seeing photos and things he should remember but doesn’t. He still cares for his father and knows he’s doing his best.

If Jiang sees a bug or a lizard, he’ll stop whatever he’s doing to take a photo. Even if he’s in the middle of a conversation, he just needs to photograph the cutie.

Kavinsky on bad day, just cuddles to Proko’s side and starts rumbling about everything. Proko would just listen and nod, because he understands, how he feels too well.

K hates when people call him Joseph and especially Joe. He would threaten others over it. The only ones who can call him that are his mother (although she uses Yosif), Proko (only calls him Joseph when angry with him), Ronan (calls him Ron and Ronek to piss him off) and Adam.

Whenever somebody at school makes a xenophobia comment at the gang, Swan is the first to “make them apologies“. Also he loves when anyone of the pack talks about their heritage.

During working on “Dream Pack“ and reading The Raven King through the phone with my friend, a short scene came to me and I had to write it down. It’s not fantastic (or too well written) but it’s something I missed/wanted to see in TRC.

Warning: angst, some gore, Rovinsky hints (but not really???)

Context: It’s few days after the Fourth of July, Ronan is checking on the Albino Night Horror in a barn.