#AND THERE'S GRISHA IN IT TOO SO LIKE

[erasercat-official]

I just think Midoriya would benefit from reading Six Of Crows, idk

[veerbles]

I know this is one of those unsexy subjects that fics and fiction novels love to gloss over, but human bodies have needs and I have a need to understand how those needs are met, even if I'd never mention it in a fic. just for realism.

so this is the weirdest poll I ever posted, but I HAVE to know:

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

What would he have made his priorities after being the king? I mean politically? If he had worked at all that is.

GREAT QUESTION it frankly drives me kind of insane that we never get any hint whatsoever about how he’s running the country while he does briefly take over from S&S through R&R. Like what are his POLICIES!! What is he DOING??

But also, realistically, he is not going to cancel wars with the Shadow Fold threat lol. Like that is only the beginning of a really long and drawn out foreign relations catastrophe. I talked about this a little bit in a different context awhile ago but he doesn’t strike me as a character with a firm end goal… ever. There’s always going to be more to do.

But like a civil war is going to fuck up the country no matter what. So I’d assume, regardless, there’s going to be a fair bit of immediate picking up the pieces economically. He doesn’t at all seem like he cares about public opinion, beyond being scary enough so people know not to fuck with him. So he’d probably have no qualms with making drastic and highly unpopular reforms lol.

We really don’t know enough about his stances but he seems to be primarily: a nationalist, an autocrat, prioritizing military strength, distinctly favoring Grisha interests, and also shdhfgfd against industrialization and technological advancement. He also favors the perceived good of the many over the interests and well being of any individual, and is very happy to make sacrifices of many, many lives to achieve fairly petty goals. He's a fantasy fascist basically.

The books somewhat superficially equate him with Russian revolutionary figures. But I don't think there's enough... actual ideology to back that up very much. And rapid industrialization and transitioning the Soviet Union from a primarily agrarian based economy was itself a key part of it? So... he's not much of a Stalin. If we're trying to sus out his policies I could see him being something of an anti Peter the Great, where instead of forced Westernization, you have an incredibly set in his ways immortal autocrat trying to drag everyone back to the values and traditions of his youth. (Which would also make narrative sense, considering Nikolai, as the Darkling-lite foil, seems to have def been based on some aspects of Peter the Great's youth and interest in innovation, if not his personality)

So for example, he seems like he'd favor isolationism. His idea of "peace" is "don't fuck with me or I'll make my monster filled interdimensional rift eat you." And we know Ravka is in intense debt! I could easily see him seizing the nobility's wealth and using it to pay off any debts owed to foreign countries. And then if anything's left over to stockpile resources towards making Ravka more self sufficient. Maybe even melt the gold and silver out of churches to that purpose.

(I forget which historical figure literally melted down church crosses dfghj but that was a thing! iirc incidentally he also stripped the silver from the currency, absolutely destroying its value...)

By RoW he seems to have embraced the entire like religious propaganda side of things. But in the trilogy proper he seems to hate the church. So resources going to it in any way will probs be diverted. And I could even see him gradually trying to repurpose the buildings for other things. They're on the tail end of a civil war, there's probs a lot of displaced people that could be put there for a start.

S&B meanwhile establishes that he has some pretty distinct opinions about how all the Grisha need to pretend to live like peasants so as not to forget their roots or whatever. I think he *would* enact really harsh regulations and reforms on court life just because he hates it so bad lol. Taxes on parties, insane sumptuary laws for everyone but his favored Grisha soldiers. He's had centuries and centuries to hate changing social norms. I think he'd go nuts if given the opportunity to dictate everything. Generally I think there would be a mix of skyrocketing taxes and reforms to an actual purpose (bolstering the economy and stripping material power from the nobility) but also just to be a petty, temperamental autocrat.

Def also criminalizing dissent and making examples of any opposition immediately. Can't have another revolution threatening his revolution. Again, here I'm annoyed by how little the world is fleshed out, because we get nothing about the nobility. Noble families with any sort of longstanding ties or known friendship with the Lantsovs would probs get executed day one. Stripped of titles and lands etc and then taking those and giving them to his own supporters. (Who are they? Good fucking question! He has one Ivan and then even he fucking dies. But realistically... he would have... supporters?)

He'd probs want to get a firmer grip on West Ravka stat, and maybe invest in some military expansion to control more ports. An issue I forever have with the Grishaverse worldbuilding is that it's just so small? There are only like five countries? Trade and foreign policy just aren't going to Look Like That or mimic a nineteenth/twentieth century vibe if there are only five fucking countries dfghjkl but whatever. Whatever.

I could also see him favoring exports over imports. Stopping all trade seems destabilizing af so I doubt he’d go there but seems likely he'd try to decrease any dependency Ravka has on other countries in favor of self sufficiency and isolationism. Maybe taxing imports so bad that it's just not worth it. Regulating the exact details of what can be imported, when, why, etc.

Speaking of the earlier impending foreign relations catastrophe. I think if he’s scary enough he might manage to avoid an all out war on all fronts? Might. Because there’s also a really good case to be made for attacking Ravka while its still weak and reeling from the civil war. But if he’s lucky, the surrounding countries will take a “wait and see” stance. But like there will be consequences eventually. Consider the Shadow Fold an in-universe fantasy nuke in the hands of a power hungry ruler who has zero qualms with any scale of loss of life or just murdering civilians for the lols. He’s proven himself to be unstable and unreasonable so even if there isn’t an immediate declaration of war there is going to be a response to that. No one’s going to be chill!! And like SoC and KoS context tells us that there is parem on the horizon, along with the Grisha super soldiers in Shu Han, the druskelle getting wayyyy more sophisticated and a general trajectory of rapid military industrialization and advancement through out the world. Those are playing pieces that would be on the board regardless, but it’s just going to get so much uglier under those circumstances. And especially with the knowledge and context that the Darkling is completely fucking unreasonable and ready to war crime anyone who looks at him funny.

I guess siding with Fjerda in S&S could hypothetically be advantageous to him here actually? Like we do not know the terms of that alliance at all, and I doubt it would hold for long. But it breaks up the framing of everyone vs Ravka. And opens things up for anyone else to respond by trying to get on his good side against their own enemies. And once again. There are only five countries lmao. So a tense balance of powers situation might be feasible, but I think it would hinge on him not looking like he’s completely insane. Possibly ironic, but the fact that he seems to have only war crimed his own damn country is likely also useful here. Other governments typically don’t care/won’t get involved to a degree of outright declaring war over that. And it leaves some room for arguing that he’s capable of some restraint. So how quickly things go to hell probably depends on whether he goes back on any alliances or makes good on/is cornered into making good on his Shadow Fold threat.

So I don't know, basically I think there's a ton you could extrapolate from his personality, actual world history, and like fascist takeover 101 sdfghj but it's also somewhat unsatisfying to speculate about because it's impossible not to constantly run into thin points in the worldbuilding. But basically I think he would probably rule with an eye for sweeping, harsh reforms, consolidating power, and chipping away at any opposition or potential adversary, with a general decided disinterest in the popularity or lack thereof of any of his policies. And I also think unless someone got him to take a deep breath and chill out for five minutes and relearn the value of diplomacy things would get. how you say. really fucking bad.

This was incredibly unorganized I hope it answered your question at all sdfghj

[waldensblog]

Baghra: My son is evil, manipulative, and cares about no one but himself. Do not trust him.

Her son when it’s just the 2 of them:

The point here being: yes, Aleksander is the villain. That was made abundantly clear in the show. But the show creators, I gather, wanted to bring a bit more humanity to him, and I think they did a good job with that, because... who is this speech FOR? WHO IS HE TRYING TO MANIPULATE WITH THIS SPEECH? 

[liar-or-lawyer]

[whaledocboi]

i wanted to share these wips because i really like how its turning out

[pyporapy]

The heat is gonna kill me have a stupid thing I never posted anywhere….🙏

[localghostgorl]

I love having a big ol’ party with the Vistani because the wine is good but the music is better. Enjoy an Ireena dancing :)

Live Grisha reaction:

I do commissions!      

[glitter500000]

Bruh people need to understand that Baghra and Aleksander are just not good people

[apaise]

❝you don’t have to do this, you know.❞ mai @ robin

she doesn’t have to look up from her buttoning to know nothing in mai’s expression suggests a lie. not because her sister couldn’t hide one -- no, she could utter the most ridiculous fiction with a smooth brow -- but because she means it. if robin wants to withdraw from the plan, her sister would allow her. bea or dru would take up the role instead. but robin knows that would weaken the plan; the ruse calls for someone experienced in the classical arts.

❝ i’ll be fine, ❞ robin glances up when she’s certain her smile is believable, her fingers still trained on the line of pewter buttons. distantly, she wonders who bea stole this garment from, when she even had the time. ❝ it’s no different from a thursday back at the manor, ❞ she tries to joke. except those had merely been art lessons with their tutor, and this would be infiltrating the private orchestra of the barbaric baron.

but she has to do this. they need leverage to keep the crew safe. to keep her sister from chains. mai had kept her from these sort of escapades for the longest time, with robin always working on plots and papers back in the hideout. she used to wish she knew if it was because mai wanted to keep her from harm’s way, or because she didn’t believe robin could handle it.

yet now as robin stands before mai, stomach twisting and turning, she realizes those thoughts were only distracting her from her own cowardice. and she feels ashamed, for having left the burden to her sister for so long. just because mai never looks afraid, it doesn’t mean that’s how she feels. robin should support her just the same.

she manages to still the shaking in her hands by the time she dons the cloak; the wool is whisper-soft but the clasp scratches her throat. ❝ we protect each other, right? ❞ robin reaches out to mai but doesn’t know where to touch, settling for brushing a stray petal from her sister's lapel. 

[fulltimeviking]

what if... don't hurt me... i've calmed down... and don't utterly completely despise this season anymore

[thesixthh0ekage]

finally caught up with AOT as of last night... i really can’t believe eren asked that woman “what am i to you?” and just LEFT the next night like i kinda want his head on a platter omg.

[howtotrainyouragents]

I decided I was never gonna be emotionally prepared for Shadow and Bone Season 2 so I might as well watch it emotionally unprepared and let me tell you THAT WAS A BAD IDEA

[conseille]

[ HAIR ] from marina

as soon as the rowdy group of ravkan soldiers stumbles through the doors, sungtae does his best to keep marina out of sight. he still does not know who had chased marina to their doorstep that night, or why, but -- he needs no reason to protect the girl he had come to see as another granddaughter. by now he couldn’t remember what the mornings were like without her preparing the morning stew beside him, or the evenings without her jests about the customers; marina had been woven tightly into the fabric of their lives.

so sungtae asks marina to tend to the stables tonight, sending her as far from the soldiers as possible. and though it’s only a one-person job to feed the animals . . .  he asks yerin to join her as well, handing her the second bucket of oats. sungtae watches as the girls leave the kitchens side-by-side, hiding a small smile as he hears the girls chuckling about something mugi did.

yerin knows she had been sent to accompany marina to keep an eye out, but -- it’s a struggle to remember duty when marina keeps making her laugh. though yerin had never minded her life of toil at the tavern, she had never truly enjoyed it so heartily as she did with marina now to keep her company. they feed the baron’s majestic steed first, comparing his curled mane and frilly collar to his owner between giggles. as yerin leans to pour the oats into his trough, however . . . she suddenly feels marina’s hand sweeping gently against her cheek, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. yerin nearly drops the bucket in response, the horse letting a huff through his nose in disapproval as she wavers.

❝ oh -- thank you, ❞ yerin sputters as she smiles back at marina, hoping the burning on her face isn’t too obvious in the lamplight. ❝ um -- here, ❞ she digs into her apron pocket, retrieving half of an apple. for an awkward moment, it almost seems like an odd payment for marina’s kindness. ❝ for the horse, ❞ yerin quickly explains afterwards ( then wonders if that sounded even more odd ).  

[feveredblurs]

❛ i was worried something happened to you. ❜ beth to elinor!

@apaise

when the fjerdans break past their defenses, it’s the second army that gets called to the frontlines. they twist and break and shatter, trained to fight until their last breath. elinor trusts every single soldier under her command and has no doubt of their abilities – and yet, she is incapable of leaving them to fend for themselves.

her father had advised her to stay in the war room and oversee operations from there. the general should not offer herself up as a target so blatantly. but harys did not care whether there were grisha casualties, merely fodder in his eyes. these were elinor’s people. she would not let a single life be lost in vain, not without fighting alongside them.

though the ravkan armies rise victorious, the group of fjerdan invaders small and unorganized in comparison, even the darkling does not leave the battlefield unscathed. her dark kefta masks the bleeding on her side, courtesy of a fjerdan that managed to sneak up on her and cut her skin open.

she shows her troops no weakness, a beacon of strength and resilience as always. elinor only lets her stride slow to faltering steps when she’s certain she’s alone. just as she’s coming up on her room, however, she finds someone at her doorstep.

“ your highness. ” her tiredness almost has her addressing beth by name; elinor always forgets herself in her presence. “ i apologize for worrying you. ” her walk grows firm once more, as she makes for the door and motions for beth to follow her inside. a bold move, but who would dare point a finger at the general that led ravka to victory today?

“ i appreciate your concern – but i really am fine. i’ve seen worse battles. ” elinor presents her open hand, conceding the gash across her palm to make up for what she cannot show her. the darkling bled the same as everyone else. but there was no reason for beth to have to see that. “ it looks much worse than it feels, ” she adds with a slight smile, wishing she could let herself collapse in the princess's arms.

[the-laws-of-physics-were-harmed]

I don't trust anyone who liked the ending of Shadow and Bone series 2 /hj