#and the keftas done well @ god

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- mentions of blood and the attacks of the nichevo'ya

A/N- I literally WAILED while writing this😭😭 So, have a god time reading it. And lemme know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist!

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n @marauders-wife

Ch-43 ~The undesired girl~

Anaya’s body numbed at the sight infront of her. It was as if her mind was unable to comprehend the situation. The world had blurred out and she could not move, speak or hear anything except the steady beating of her own heart. She somehow dragged her feet words and before she could take further action, her knees gave away and she fell to the ground.

She was infront of her, her pale blue kefta soaked in red. She was still, in the way the immensely energetic girl had never been. Her face gleamed in the moonlight, her blue eyes shone, she was never given the opportunity to close them. 

Anaya gently placed her trembling palm to her cheek, she was gone, her Rabeah was gone. Her best friend, the person who supported her in everything, who believed in her even though she did not believe in herself. She was the compassionate girl who became friends with her even though she was merely a girl with a tattered soul. She'd failed to save the one person who’d healed the part of her that had been broken for too long.

Anaya Nasrazeen, the girl who only ever brought misery, the girl who only ended up breaking the whole thing when she attempted to fix a crack. Anaya Nasrazeen, the girl who nobody would ever need.

Just then, she saw two massive shadow monsters hurl towards her. But she did not move, she no longer cared. She no longer had anything worth living for.

She gazed at them numbly, making no efforts to move. Then she felt a sudden gust of wind pass through her, making the monsters fall backwards. She felt a sudden grip on her wrist and was jerked up.

“Come on” she turned around to see Zoya with blood splattered on her cheek.

Her senses came back to her. Then she realized that she’d have to leave her.

“No, no I can’t leave her. Let me go” she pleaded as she attempted to rush forward. But Zoya wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her backwards.

“She’s gone, we can’t do anything anymore” Zoya spoke in a trembling voice

“No, no I have to try, please. I have to try” her voice reduced to a whisper as tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Zoya pulled her away, leading her through a row of trees. 

They saw the grenatki exploding high above them. Anaya could see people manning Nikolai’s guns, sending torrents of bullets into the mass of shadow. The other disk still remained.There was a sudden blaze of light that split the sky overhead. Alina had managed to reach the disk.

A single pure beam of light blasted from the mirrored surface of the disk. Even without the second dish, it skewered the sky, slashing through the nichevo’ya as they burned away to nothing.

“Come on” Zoya held her hand and rushed her towards the hall of the Little Palace.

Nadia, her brother Adrik and David had managed to reach the hall at the same time as them. Zoya and Nadia were attempting to heave broken bits of furniture towards the upcoming nichevo’ya when Alina and Mal burst in through another door with an utterly shaken Sergei. 

Alina raised her hands, and the light swept forward in sizzling cords, tearing through the nichevo’ya one by one, until they were gone. Zoya dropped her hands, and a samovar fell with a loud clang.

At every door they could hear thumping and scraping. The nichevo’ya were clawing at the wood, trying to get in, searching for a crack or gap to seep through. The buzzing and clicking seemed to come from all sides. But the Fabrikators had done their work well. The seals would hold, at least for a little while.

Anaya sat in a corner of the hall with her hands around her legs. She gazed at the hall bathed in blood. The walls were smeared with it, the stone floor was wet with it. There were bodies everywhere, little heaps of purple, red, and blue. She appeared dazed.

“Are there any others?” Alina asked with tremor in her voice.

Zoya shook her head. “We were at dinner,” she said. “We heard the bells. We didn’t have time to seal the doors. They were just … everywhere.”

Sergei was sobbing quietly. David looked pale, but calm. Nadia had made it down to the hall. She had her arm around Adrik, and he still had a stubborn tilt to his chin, though he was shaking. 

Alina’s gaze drifted to a side of the hall. That was when she saw Anaya, knees buckled to her chest. She’d never seen her like that.

“What happened to her?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper

Zoya gazed at Anaya with a concerned expression. “Rabeah”. Anaya could hear her speak in a whisper.

Alina realized that she wasn’t able to make it. Perhaps she’d now understood how much the girl had meant to Anaya.

There were three Inferni and two more Corporalki, one Healer and one Heartrender. They were all that remained of the Second Army. 

“Did anyone see Tolya and Tamar?” Alina asked. But no one had. They might be dead. Or maybe they’d played some part in this disaster. Anaya did not care anymore.

“Nikolai might not have left yet, we could try to make it to the Kingfisher.” Mal spoke

Alina shook her head. “The Darkling concentrated his forces here, we can make a run for the upper town and try to fight our way out from there.” she said.

 “We’ll never make it,” said Sergei hopelessly. “There are too many of them.” 

From somewhere in the distance, they could hear a rolling crack of thunder. “He’s coming,” moaned one of the Inferni. “Oh, Saints, he’s coming.” 

“He’ll kill us all,” whispered Sergei.

 “If we’re lucky,” replied Zoya

A slow wave of daze began to creep up Anaya. Their voices began to fade away as she drowned in her thoughts. If only she’d seen her leaving, she could’ve stopped her, or went along. If only she was strong enough to do something. She had failed to save the very girl who’d saved her in countless ways.

Just as the memories of her came flooding back to her, she heard her a distant call of her name. It grew louder and she was then jerked back to reality.

“Anaya!” Zoya held her shoulders with her hands. “We have to leave, come on”

“No, no just…leave me please” she pleaded

“Have you gone beserk!? I can’t leave you here!” Zoya’s anger had immense concern in it

“There’s, I can’t do this anymore Zoya. Just go” she looked down 

“Do you think she would’ve wanted this!? For you to just, give up? You have to do this, for what’s left now. We need you to. I need you to, Anaya” Zoya’s voice had a tremor to it

Anaya met her gaze, then finally nodded.

“Come on” Zoya helped her to her feet and they rushed outside with the others

[lassieposting]

God though

There are multiple references to "the General" building the Little Palace as a safe haven for Grisha. As in this General, General Kirigan, not a previous persona of Aleksander's from a long time ago.

So the Little Palace must be fairly recent? Within Kirigan's believable lifetime. So it hasn't really been that long since Grisha were living in hiding, or in tiny hidden villages, or whatever. Outside of his time in the army - throughout various lives - this is probably the most people he's ever had living and working and learning around him at one time.

And. If the Little Palace is where all the new baby Grisha are brought to grow up and study, and it's also where he lives and works most of the time, he's going to cross paths with the children a lot.

I love the idea that sometimes he's just. Accosted, by small Grisha. In the hallways or the gardens. Because the Little Palace is safe, and they're too young to remember how it was before, how dangerous it would've been for them. And the Black General is feared and respected and hated in equal measure at court and across the borders, but these children, growing up under his protection, have no fear of him at all, even as a near-stranger. To them anyone in a kefta is part of their family.

And like. This is bizarre beyond belief for him - for all the adult Grisha who grew up before he made a deal with the King - at first. Baghra beat it into him young that he should never trust anyone, not even other Grisha, for desperate men will do terrible things to survive. Always a litany of rules to keep him safe, to stay one step ahead of the otkazatsya. Don't tell them your name. Don't summon where they might see you. Don't wander too far or the Druskelle will snatch you. Don't let anyone touch you, or they'll kill you for your bones. Love no one, boy, it makes you weak.

And now, suddenly, that is over. These children will never know that fear, will never understand what it is to be hunted for existing, with nowhere safe to turn. They will always have a bolt hole to return to, in the Little Palace. And he finds that he doesn't really know how to deal with that - with how much more trusting it makes them.

A procession of small children passes him in the corridor as he's talking to Ivan, and a little girl at the end of the line stops to tug at the sleeve of his jacket. When he looks down, she holds up a tiny flame cupped in her hand like she wants to give it to him to hold. Her front teeth are missing. I can make it by myself now, she announces through a thick lisp. Every instinct he has is screaming at him to close his hand over hers, quash that flame and hiss at her the same reproach he'd always get when he used his abilities somewhere he could be seen, where he could've put them both at risk. He has to remind himself that that was a different world, and a fear this girl will never truly understand. He blinks, and his throat feels dry and scratchy when he manages to choke out, Well...well done. Keep, uh. Practicing. As the child darts away after her classmates, he meets Ivan's eyes, as wary and mistrustful as his own, and can tell he's thinking the same thing.

He loses count, over the decades, of the number of children who shyly sidle up to him to ask him questions. He's used to being the subject of curiosity, at court. He's used to being feared, too. Hated. But these young Grisha, their curiosity is untainted, friendly even. You're General Kirigan, aren't you? Is it true you can summon shadows? What's your horse's name? How many battles have you won? My pa's First Army, an' he says he would'a never come back from Ryevost if you didn't come help 'em, so...thank you. Do you really get to go to the Grand Palace and see the king?

Alina finds a drawing hidden among a stack of papers in the top drawer of Kirigan's desk - a smiling boy surrounded by a sea of happy people in blue and red and purple, and a single figure in black. The words My Famlee have been painstakingly scrawled in a top corner in a very young child's shaky hand. The parchment is yellowed with age and battered around the edges, the colours have faded - this picture is old, certainly old enough that the child who made it must be a child no longer. She's never thought of Aleksander as someone sentimental enough to keep a child's picture; she's far too young to have any idea how it twisted up his insides, a bittersweet kind of grief, to see young Grisha feeling safe and happy and valued as he never had. The precious result of a lifetime of struggle and sacrifice. A reminder of what he'd achieved for his people, made for him by a boy with no idea of the trauma he'd been spared.

Fedyor tells Alina a story over drinks one evening, about the time a misplaced toddler from the creche wandered into the war room, and Kirigan conducted half of a morning briefing while valiantly trying to ignore their attempts to climb onto his lap, before giving in and spending the other half stiff-backed and tense with the little wretch on his knee, happily colouring in a map of Ravka so messily it had made the muscle in Kirigan's jaw twitch. Does him good to get pushed out of his comfort zone once in a while, he tells her. Reminds him he's human.

A kid falls over in the courtyard and starts to cry, and Alina goes over to pick them up and dust them off and give them a hug, because she's done her share of helping out with the younger kids back at the orphanage. She's no stranger to a scuffed knee. Aleksander follows behind her to hover at her shoulder, like he doesn't know what he ought to do, while the child sniffles into their sleeve and Alina tidies their hair. She feels him move behind her, and the child suddenly bleats out a laugh, high and delighted. He's crouched down like she is, his hand outstretched, and a little horse figure made of shadows is gambolling in the air inches above his palm. The child is transfixed, scraped knee forgotten. He glances over at her, eyebrow raised, and she gets the strangest feeling he's looking for her approval, confirmation that he reacted correctly.

You make me a better man, he told her once, as though she was the only person ever to have that effect on him.

She isn't. She sees it, even if he doesn't. The Grisha he's protecting make him a better man, too.

Just. Local scary shadow-summoner army general completely bewildered by friendly kids, more at 11

[doyouknowwhoyouare13]

Nyx reads Six of Crows (pt. 2)

SO I kinda ran out of images for the last one so I have to start this one now

part 1

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

starting on chapter 30

JESPY BOY

short chapter

EW PIECES OF THE KEFTA?

THAT'S HORRIBLE

oh his dad :/

HELP I LOVE HIM AND WYLAN TOGETHER

AH WYLAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING

WHY DO YOU BOTH HAVE A DEATH WISH

GO JESPER AND WYLAN!!!!

WOOHOO SLAY

I still can't believe they're actually doing this rn 💀

chapter 31, NINA!!!

another short one

EW WHO IS THAT MAN

WHAT

HE'S ALIVE?

chapter 32 JESPY BOY AGAIN

AHHH I LOVE THEM SM

WOOHOO THEY DID IT!!!!

33, INEJ

these are all so short

BIG BLOND LUMP 💀

OH THAT SNITCH

UH OH

chapter 34, Nina

my god she's so good at this

BETTER FOR HER!!!

GO NINA

ew don't call her that

I hate him

EW

UH OH UH OH UH OH

MATTY?

I CAN'T WHAT

chapter 35...matt.

he's disgusting

WOOHOO MATTY BOY!!!!

WOOHOO HE WAS TRYING TO HELP

I KNEW HE WASN'T A BAD PERSON 😍

YAYY

chapter 36, JESPY BOY

Idk why they don't just give Wylan a chapter

EXTREMELY short chapter

OMG THEY'RE SO POWERFUL WTF

AH WYLAN

OMG HE KILLED THEM

chapter 27, Nina

AWW THEY'RE SO CUTE

OMG I'M GONNA CRY

OMG OMG OMG I LOVE THEM

OMG HE'S DEAD

aww his son is cute though

AHHH WHAT

WTF IS GOING ON 💀

28, KAZZLE DAZZLE

been a while since you my friend

EW WHAT

YOU SWALLOWED THEM??

OMG KAZ YOU'RE INSANE

LITERALLY INSANE

OUCH

how tf do you accidentally ingest kerosine

HELP THE TALKING TREE JOKES

Omg

once again

Kaz is a fucking genius

this chapter is about to make me cry

OMG HE WANTS HER TOUCH

HIS ONLY EXCEPTION

AHHHHHH

omg I'm gonna cry

AHHH NO KAZ YOU NEED TO THANK HER

I NEED THE EQUIVALENT OF RAIN RN

OBVIOUSLY NOT ACTUAL RAIN THAT WOULD NOT HELP

BUT SOMETHING TO MAKE HIM KEEP GOING

PLEASE

I'M GONNA SOB WTF

39, INEJ

WOOHOO JESPER AND WYLAN TO THE RESCUE!!!

A TANK?

I LOVE THEM 😭

OMG WYLAN IS ADORABLE 😭

Chapter 40, Nina!!!

"I. Should. Let. You. Die." MATTY IS HILARIOUS WHEN TALKING TO KAZ 💀

YOU SHOULD HAVE DROWNED

MATTY 💀

ONE OF WYLAN'S SCHOOL PALS 😭

AWW KAZ

uh oh...many tanks

YESSSS!!!

YES NINA AND MATTY NEED TO STAY WITH EACH OTHER

oh fuck come on they were so close

WHAT

NINA.

omg she's insane.

literally insane.

she better be ok istg

chapter 41, Matty boy

AHHH WHAT

SHE'S SCARY

aww Matty and Nina

AHH MATT

oh thank god

Nina to the rescue!!!

HELP VERY BALD

THEY DID IT!!!!

WOOHOO!!!

Chapter 42, Inej

WHAT DID HE SAY TO HER???

HE TOUCHED HER!!!

AHHHHHH

omg Kaz I swear to god

Chapter 43, Nina

we're almost done :/

oh Nina I feel so bad

OMG 😭

gonna cry

AHHH ISTFG.

she will not die. and you know why? BECAUSE I SAID SO.

44, Jesper

I'm gonna cry.

like actually

JESPER IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT PLEASE

OH THAT BITCH HE HIRED PEKKA

me thinking kruge were coins this whole time

I'M NOT THAT GOOD OF A LIAR

KAZ I CAN'T

AH WHAT

AHHH THIS BITCH.

"only now Kaz was old enough to know better." OH KAZZZ 😭

HE'S JUST LIKE PEKKA.

OMG WYLAN HAD TO GROW UP WITH THIS BITCH

smart move?

OMG THAT'S HORRIBLE. WTAF IS WRONG WITH HIM.

AHHH SO SMART

omg. istg.

AHH WHAT

NO INEJ

what.

Jesper?

No way.

oh he was just bragging he didn't like actually

oh god Kaz is gonna go crazy

DEMON AGAIN

MY GIRL.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

starts crying

last chapter :/

46, PEKKA ROLLINS? EW DISGUSTING

OMG KAZ LET HIM OUT?

WHAT ABOUT THE BLOOD?

oh god that's more money than he asked from the actual merch

NO WHY WOULD HE DO THAT

well I guess anything for Inej

THE AUDACITY OF THIS MAN NOT TO REMEMBER KAZ

ugh I hate him

OMG HE STOLE EVERYTHING 💀

I'm finished :((

Is it bad I feel a bit empty now? Like I know I have Crooked Kingdom but god

ANYWAYS AMAZING BOOK!!!!

[fangirlfreak08]

Episode 7 thoughts

NO HES IN THE MEADOW

Oh god darkles sparkles and mal

Not mal tryna kick him out 😭 minor slay

Okay major mal slay

We really love Nikolai and alinas friendship

Actually loving Dominik, hope he doesn’t die

Not Dominik calling Nikolai out on his crush on Alina

OH GOD IF THEY’RE KEEPING THE NIKOLAI GETTING SHOT BIT THEYRE PROBABLY GONNA KEEP THE DOMINIK FALLING NEVER TO RISE AGAIN BIT AREN’T THEY

We love mal and Nikolai bring friends rather than mortal enemies

Gemstone fact. God I love them

TAMAR AND NADIA

Omg Matthias Is back. It’s been a while

NOT MATTHIAS ATTACKING PEKKA CAUSE MADE HIM THINK OF NINA

NO WHERES DOMINIK

OH THANK GOD HES OKAY

Tamar telling everyone to run away from the fold versus Nikolai telling everyone to run to the fold (they’re both tryna get to the one they love)

It’s been like-okay I was gonna say where are the crows but INEJ IS HERE

AAAAHHH ALINA AND INEJ BEING BESTIES

Loving Nikolai and Tamar friendship too

Why are they doing the haka?

DOMINIK DOMINIK NO STAY DOWN I AM NOT LOSING YOU IVE ONLY JUST GOT YOU

Slay adrik and Nadia

Slay tolya

Bestie nikolais doing all this for Alina and she’s not even still there

NOOOO DOMINIK

I KNEW IT WAS COMING BUT STILL

NO SHUT UP DOMINIK AND NIKOLAI HAVE HAD MY HEART FOR MONTHS AND NOW HES DEAD AND NIKOLAIS UPSET AND IM UPSET AND HOW COULD YOU

I THOUGHT HE WAS SAFE AFTER HE SURVIVED THE CRASH

Genya and David have my whole heart. Cannot believe he’s gonna die at some point

Omg no he’s tryna sacrifice himself?!

GENYA YOU POOR BABY

DAVID YOU BETTER NOT DIE AS WELL NOT RIGHT NOW

YESSS THE CROWS DRAMATIC ENTRANCE

NOT JESPER FINALLY FINDING OUT STURMHOND IS NIKOLAI

SINCE WHEN HAS JESPER BEEN WEARING A SKIRT

OMG YES JESPER SLAY SHOW HER NOT TO ASSUME YOU AINT GRISHA JUST CAUSE YOU AINT WEARING A KEFTA

THAT ENTIRE SCENE WAS SO SLAY

AND WELL DONE NIKOLAI FOR KILLING DOMINIKS KILLER

TAMAR AND TOLYA MY BELOVEDS

All my favourite girls holding hands

Darkling die challenge

Nikolai hasn’t been attacked yet…does this mean they’re not doing it? Or just that it happens next episode?

OMG NINA NO

[marvelmusing]

I posted 884 times in 2022

That's 704 more posts than 2021!

553 posts created (63%)

331 posts reblogged (37%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@becauseicantthinkwritings

@dreamlandcreations

@marvelmusing

@stardustmorozov

@dearmantis

(my mutuals ❤️ and myself)

I tagged 814 of my posts in 2022

Only 8% of my posts had no tags

#billy russo - 390 posts

#billy russo x reader - 321 posts

#ben barnes - 321 posts

#billy russo the punisher - 247 posts

#billy russo imagine - 240 posts

#billy russo x female reader - 224 posts

#billy russo x you - 220 posts

#billy russo x y/n - 220 posts

#the punisher au - 191 posts

#aleksander morozova - 184 posts

(can you guess who was this year’s hyper-fixation?)

Longest Tag: 111 characters

#this man faces centuries of his people being killed for existing and i’m supposed to be happy when he fails????

(⬆️ of course this is me ranting about Aleksander)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

His Smile

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Agent Madani expresses too much interest in your boyfriend for your liking. Billy unknowingly provides you with a reminder that he’s yours.

Word Count: 644

My Masterlist

“Have I done something to you Agent Madani?” She glances up at you briefly before returning her interest to the files in front of her.

“Not that I can recall, why?” You press your lips into a hard line, slipping your hands into your pockets.

“The unthinkable happens. Homeland security runs out of snipers, and you pick a civilian consultant to assist in your op?” She sets her file down, finally meeting your eyes.

“So this is about Mr Russo.”

See the full post

702 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

#4

Like Calls to Like

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x Shadow Summoner!Reader

Summary: After an unsuccessful skiff journey through the Fold, you’re brought before the Black General.

My Masterlist

A prickle of discomfort crawls over your skin as the small group of Grisha stare at you. Their bright, neatly pressed kefta’s are a stark contrast to the remains of the bloodstained First Army uniform you’re wearing. There’s a war table in the centre of the tent, and standing in front of it is the infamous Black General. The Darkling that your mother always warned you about. Because you were a Darkling too.

He turns, and you’re struck by how dark his eyes are. His gaze sweeps over you briefly, though you feel the heat of his eyes, before he glances around the tent.

“Who actually saw what happened?”

You look around the tent as well, waiting for someone to step forward.

See the full post

793 notes - Posted May 4, 2022

#3

Fear and Dreams

Pairing: Morpheus x Fear Spirit!Reader (gender neutral)

Summary: Morpheus has reclaimed his sand, and his helm. His ruby has fallen into the hands of a being capable of driving humans to madness. But you’re not what Morpheus expected.

A/N: Phobetor is actually the name of a Greek god but I’ve decided to alter it so that Phobetor’s are beings of fear (like how Erotes are the beings of love)

“So,” Matthew starts, fluttering his wings as he settles in front of Morpheus’ feet. “What now?”

The King of Dreams glances down at him,

“My ruby. It was stolen from a mortal by a Phobetor.”

“Pho-what?”

“A Phobetor.” Morpheus observes the landscape of Hell that surrounds them as he speaks, “Something mankind has often called a Frightener. They are known to filter into the human mind and create terrifying visions.”

See the full post

946 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

#2

White Picket Fence

Pairing: Billy Russo x Fem!Reader

Summary: Billy and you have to go undercover as a newly married couple in the suburbs, and you’re certain your house is bugged so it’s 24/7 of you two acting like a married couple.

Warnings [18+]: smut, unprotected sex, breeding kink, little bit of wife kink

A/N: I wrote this very quickly so sorry if there’s loads of mistakes, also there might be some more from this AU at some point??

My Masterlist

“Come on sweetheart, cum around my cock.” Your grip on Billy slips, as your mind goes fuzzy, and you lose yourself to the sensation of Billy fucking hard into you. “Nice and tight so I cum inside you.”

Your body is practically folded in half, with your entire pussy exposed to Billy as he thrusts into you.

“You gonna hold my cum inside you sweetheart? Gonna be a good little wife for me and make sure it takes?”

See the full post

1,045 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Flower Crown

Pairing: Morpheus x GN!Reader

Summary: You spend some quiet time with the Lord of Dreams, and make Morpheus a flower crown.

A/N: this could be seen as a follow up to my other Morpheus fic A New Start

My Masterlist

Out of all the places of beauty in the Dreaming, Morpheus’ throne room is one of your absolute favourites. The glorious colours of the outside sky reflecting through the three large windows that run down the length of the wall behind Morpheus’ throne. The cathedral-like features that give the palace it’s sense of majesty. But your favourite aspect has to be the smooth marble steps which lead to Morpheus’ throne.

You love sitting there during the day, whether that’s with your head buried in a book from Lucienne or just observing the folk from the Dreaming that wish to visit their King.

Morpheus is also particularly fond of the steps, and often joins you. It’s instances such as these that you find yourself longing for, as Morpheus tends to favour the lower steps, meaning that you can admire him without attracting too much attention.

See the full post

1,848 notes - Posted September 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thatbluebox]

me, still unable to to stop thinking about a grisha netflix series:

[klbwriting]

Unexpected Allies - Chapter 19

Fandom: Six of Crows

Pairing: Kaz/female!Reader

Summary: Just...sorry

Notes: This was just the worst

Taglist:  @mcntsee @amwitherspoon @cxlpxrnia @fcvcritecrime​ @aysegust​ @sagewrites111​ @spawn0fsatan​ @itsemy01 @thedelusionreaderbitch

It took nearly another week for the Shu army to arrive, a day after that the Frejdans arrived and Kaz felt his plan falling into place.  He had told Jesper that the next morning he had to make sure that Y/N was away from the Darkling, get her out of the Little Palace.  He promised chaos so that the sharpshooter would have an easier time getting her out.  Kaz didn't what would happen next but he knew there was no other way to get her to save Ravka like she wanted.  The Darkling would never stop, only Y/N could stop him.  Inej noticed his mood getting darker as the day before the start of the war ended.  She sat next to him by one of the fires and waited for him to acknowledge her. "Its going to hurt her," he said softly.  Inej nodded. "You are doing something noble Kaz, it has to be the end of the world," she said.  Kaz sighed and shook his head. "What have I become?" he said, leaning his head to his cane.  Inej reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.  He noticed once again that touch wasn't bothering him much anymore.  He could thank Y/N for that, but of course he couldn't.  He knew she liked what he sent her, Jesper reported that she wore the necklace everyday, but that still didn't make him feel better for what happened.  After tomorrow who knew if he'd ever get to apologize to her.  He didn't have a contingency plan, if this didn't work it was all over.  He stood finally.   "Kaz, you're a good man," Inej said.  He glared at her.  "That look doesn't quite scare me as much as it used to."  He scowled and walked away but secretly he was pleased.  He could be both a ruthless killer and a good man.  He hoped this would be enough.  

Y/N wasn't sure when the fighting started.  She was woken up by the Darkling himself coming into her room and dragging her from bed, pulling her into the hall where she heard shouting and saw Grisha running everywhere.  Jesper came running and handed the Darkling a saber made of steel.   "Thank you Fahey, take Y/N to the roof, I am going to take care of Mal before dealing with the rest of the resistance," he said, face full of rage.   Y/N felt genuine fear as her chain was given to Jesper.  Jesper was about to take off when another Fabrikator joined them.  "Make sure they get there Rege."  He nodded and followed them.  They turned towards the roof but stopped just short of the stairs.  Rege ran up a few steps before realizing they stopped.  He turned, about to yell when a loud bang rang out and he collapsed, a small hole bleeding from his front.   "The kefta, they're bullet proof..." Y/N said, turning to Jesper.  He winked at her. "I may have been working on something fun just for the Grisha," he said.  She smiled at him.  He took the chain and shackles off her but wasn't able to remove the collar.  "Come on, let's go, Kaz told me to get you out of here." "Jes, what if he gets killed...I can't lose Kaz..." she said as they headed through another of her tunnels towards the east side of the palace.  They could flank on that side, take some of the Grisha by surprise.  Jesper stopped just before the went out the door. " Y/N, I promise you that you will see Kaz again.  You'll be with him by the end of the day, I swear it on my guns," he said.  She nodded and hugged him again.  "Now let's kill the Darkling, you know to use a machete?"  He held out the weapon that was leaning on the wall, ready for her.  She took it and nodded.   "He remembered it was my specialty," she said and Jesper nodded as they exited and ran out.  Most of the Grisha on this side of the palace were distracted by the Frejdans that were attacking so Jesper and Y/N slid into the action easily.   Y/N was quite capable of handling herself without her powers but she couldn't deny that the weakness she felt from not using them was taking a toll on her fighting.  She kept having to remind herself of what she was fighting for to keep going.  She kept an eye on Jesper, and he on her, working together to make their way to the center of the fight where the Darkling was commanding a small group of shadow creatures, clearly trying to get to Mal.  Mal was commanding the resistance fighters well, shooting his rifle and taking out anyone in his way, Matthias was using his druskelle training to keep the Grisha at bay, looking like a true warrior.  Jesper caught sight of Wylan throwing bombs from behind a garden wall and he started to make his way over there.  Inej had somehow climbed to the roof and was taking out Grisha along the torrents, the Inferni firing from above dropping to the ground, throats slit before they fell.  The only person Y/N couldn't see was Kaz.  She was trying to keep an eye out, hoping he stayed  back, had planned the attack and let the others take their time to battle.  She didn't want to be powerless to protect him.   The Darkling was approaching Mal so Y/N fought harder than she had before, getting to her brother in arms and facing off against the creatures the Darkling made, striking them down with the Grisha made steel they held.  It seemed to reflect the actual sunlight in such a way that it destroyed the shadows, making the Darkling create more instead of just making them reform.   "Glad you could join us," Mal said as he shot a creature behind her.   Y/N turned and sliced a Grisha before they use the wind against her friend.  "Is that collar still a problem?" "Yes, I can't use my powers at all with  it," she said.  "And the Fabrikator disappeared before I could get him to take it off." "O we've been handling it, Kaz and Nina have figured something out with him," he said.  She almost stopped but then a Grisha hit her with a water sprout and she swiped out, taking off the Grisha's arm.   "Kaz is here?" she asked.  Mal shook his head. "No, they're hoping you can do this yourself," he said.  Suddenly the Darkling was there, swatting Mal aside, sending him off with his  creatures. "Mal!" Y/N screamed before the Darkling was on her, hand around her neck. "I see that you tried to trick me puppy...but now I think you've shown how useless you really are," he said, throwing her to the ground and moving to cut her.   "STOP!" she heard his voice and turned.  So did the Darkling.  He finished the cut and Kaz fell.  Suddenly everything stopped for Y/N. "KAZ!" she screamed.  She looked at the Darkling and screamed out her agony and the collar broke.  She felt everything rising in her, all her pain and anger came out, darkness engulfing everyone.  Only she and the Darkling were here now, facing each other.   "Impossible...how did you..." She started firing fire at him, no gloves needed, the fire just appearing.  She shot wind at him, knocking him back.  Tears were stinging her cheeks, creatures trying to tear her apart but she felt none of it.  She was shattered, her soul destroyed, what did she have holding her back now?  The Darkling looked at her in awe as she squeezed her fist.  He was able to  send a creature to knock her off balance.  He dove at her and she pushed a tide against him, throwing him to the side. "This is the power you have...you are so strong.  Your love is dead, give in, this darkness is who you are.  Imagine if I could teach you how to truly use this power," he said.   Y/N stopped for a moment and the Darkling rose, watching her. "I am darkness, but I'm not just darkness," she said.   "But you should be, Y/N, imagine what we can do together, we can take the world and make it how we want it," he said, approaching her, taking her face in his hands.   Y/N slid the hidden knife from her sleeve, another gift from Kaz.  She stabbed up, aiming between the ribs where he had shown her, making sure to pierce the heart. "I want Kaz in my world," she said, pushing the dagger further up, the tip poking out the other side.  She yanked it out and the Darkling fell dead to the ground.  She fell to her knees, the darkness still all around, it was spreading.  This Fold she was creating was going to keep going unless she pulled it back.  But how could she?  What reason was there for light anymore?  Kaz was dead, why should everyone else get to live.   " Y/N, this isn't you," she heard his voice in her head.  "This, this is my darkness.  Well, at least, the darkness I thought was in me.  You brought out the light in me." "I can't Kaz...what is the point of light if you won't be there when I bring it back?" she whispered. "The point love, is that someone has to lead the Dregs, are you going to let Jesper do that?  Or Inej?  God Jesper would never have money for them to eat and Inej is going to disperse them to be a diplomat now," he said.  She laughed and felt some light struggling to come out.  "I love you Y/N, just remember that, I love you for being the light in my life, don't let me down.  Don't give up on me."   "I love you too Kaz," she said to the darkness.  She fell to her knees as she pulled back the dark and released the light.  The fighting had stopped, no one sure what had happened.  Once the light was back it took only seconds for the Second Army to see that their commander was not only dead but now they were outnumbered.  They fled.  The resistance stopped, looking at Y/N on the ground.  She let out a strangled sob as she crawled to Kaz's body.   " Y/N..." Mal said, moving to pull her away.  She shoved him back. "Please...Kaz please!" she begged even though she knew there was nothing to be done.  The cut had hit home.  She leaned over his face, forehead to his as she sobbed on him.   " Y/N...I'm so sorry," she heard Jesper say. "You promised!" she yelled at him.   "I know...I...I'm just sorry." Inej came over then, putting her arms around Y/N who finally fell to sit back.  Jesper joined Inej in hugging her. "I'm so sorry for this Y/N," Inej whispered, "so sorry."

[desidarling123]

Reviewing the Grishaverse Couples (Canon and Non-Canon/Alternate Universe) just because I can, here we go:

These are not based *strictly* on the books, but rather the Netflix show, which appears to have spawned ✨all the ships✨ as of late.

DISLAIMER: I don't hate any ships! And I won't tolerate any slander. Creativity is the core to all fandoms, and that's what shipping (canon or otherwise) is ultimately all about. Cool? Cool.

CANON COUPLES:

Darkling/Alina aka DARKLINA: What I came for TBH, though not necessarily what kept me watching through the end (damn you, episode 5! you got me so confused! ahhh but also corruption arc for Alina? hmmmm) Jessie and Ben have chemistry in spades, and Ben emotes well for an ancient asshat. These two have great fic potential.

Mal/Alina aka MALINA: Sweet! A little boring to me initially tbh, but much better on rewatch. They are each other's safe haven, and there's something really lovely about that. I like them together.

Kaz/Inej aka KANEJ: GOD TIER. THEY'VE RUINED EVERYTHING ELSE FOR ME. NOTHING EVEN COMES CLOSE. THE FUCKING PINING BITCH. HE LOVES HER. SO SO MUCH. 1000000000/10.

Full disclosure: I came for Darklina, but stayed for Kanej. And, at this rate, will happily suffer countless seasons where the most they do is maybe hold hands but also Netflix please let them heal their trauma together and kiss at least once for my poor shipper heart PLEASE

Nina/Matthias aka HELNIK: They're cute. Almost a little too on-the-nose with the tropes for me, personally, but the actors make it work.

Jesper/Stable Boy: Honestly? Good for Jesper. The only person on the show who actually managed to get laid onscreen. He deserves it.

Genya/David: Also very cute, though they don't necessarily occupy much brain space. I like that David is this awkward little dork but he's just. So good for Genya. It's very pure and she really needs that.

Darkling/Zoya: Zoya, baby, you deserve better. That said, I wish the show had explored their backstory a bit more. These two would clearly put the T in toxic (Aleksander largely being the one to blame here, of course).

Ivan/Feydor: As someone else put it, these two can be summarized simply by -- be gay and do crimes. They're real cute. If only they weren't Team Darkling.

NON-CANON/ALTERNATE UNIVERSE:

AKA time for some ✨multishipper controversy✨

Darkling/Inej aka DARKEJ: I am extremely biased since I've written for them, but honestly? I would like to convert you all. This pairing has POTENTIAL. The sinner and the saint, the immortal and the ordinary. Also they both have this elegant, shadowy grace to them. Bonus points? Kaz getting a whiff of this nonsense and meticulously planning how to cut up Aleksander into a million tiny little pieces lol.

Darkling/Kaz aka DARKAZ: Sexy. So so sexy. Not in a physical sense (for obvious reasons' on Kaz' end, unless you go AU with that aspect, too) but more a battle of brains. Would inevitably end with Kaz slitting the Darkling's throat, somehow as he should, lmao.

Kaz/Alina aka KAZALINA: I didn't understand this, initially. They barely interacted and Kaz seemed more the type to drag Alina by the kefta than woo her. However, I saw a bunch of people on TikTok attacking someone who made a fantastic AU video edit, (and by a bunch I mean at least two attack videos amassing 10K+ likes total) -- so now I ship it purely out of spite, LOL. It only works in an AU where Inej doesn't exist or Kanej is somehow still endgame, but you know what? The saint and the nonbeliever has some potential. I dig it.

Kaz/Jesper aka KESPER: There's some basis for it in the books. I do prefer them as friends (and come on! Wylan!) but again, I get it.

Jesper/Inej: I... want whatever y'all are smoking bc it must be AMAZING (I kid, I kid). While I can't fully claim to understand it, I love both characters, want nothing but the best for them, and am not entirely opposed to it given the right premise. And Jesper did say he'd kill a man for Inej pretty much without hesitation...

Kaz/Jesper/Inej: OT3 vibes. I haven't read anything with these three just yet but I think, done right, it could be absolutely perfect.

Inej/Alina: I feel like Inej's piety would actually get in the way of a true relationship but I think it's cute as a one-sided crush, Inej on Alina.

Mal/Inej: This one is probably the most random of the Inej ships, but I'm team "Give Inej All The Love" so I'll let this one slide. Also, Amita and Archie low-key have crazy chemistry off-set so again. I get it.

Mal/Kaz: ... does this even exist? Lol I think Mal would definitely drive Kaz up the goddamn wall

Mal/Darkling: Objectively hilarious to me on several counts LMAO (that fight scene at the end of episode 8 PLS). BUT there's a fine line between love and hate... maybe it's not Alina they were after but each other all along

Alina/Genya: Again, god-tier. Also, makes Genya's later betrayal of Alina extra tasty in my opinion. So yeah, add in a dash of heartbreak why not?!?

Alina/Zoya: Enemies to lovers excellence. Though Zoya clearly has some internalized self-hatred to work through (baby WHAT was that half-breed comment?), I don't hate it. Maybe some day...

[lover-of-trash-and-people]

bittersweet netflix shadow and bone finale (s1 e8) rewatch; accoutrement: white wine with ice cubes in it (no YOU'RE a mom drink shh)

my wine's like fruity I love her

light and darkness title card we love to see it

Inej looking at Alina before she goes below deck to hide <3

okay that 'what can you really do on your own' was like not fun that shit hurted

okay but Jesper's 'not enough'? <3

oh no my baby Zoya's first inkling that Darkles does not really care

omg Helnik just appeared and I remembered how much heartbreak I have to face in this episode

gods I love Danielle as Nina so so much

'this can't be it' said she with her pleading smile with downturned eyebrows MA'AM I-

don't break my dumb little heart

I might hate Calahan's little accent but they're making me tear up

oh gods I literally cannot keep a hold on myself when Dani's accent bleeds through with full force, it's like she comes more alive or smth

'I will keep you warm' SIR WHAT-

I am surprised they showed a leaning in for a kiss so soon but I'm not mad about it

her little eyebrow twitch at 'what are waffles'

when that rando said 'i hunt slavers now' a dread settled into me because I knew what was about to go down

Matthias looking somberly at the stuffed wolf's head </3

I am so incredibly entranced by this exchange between Fedyor and Nina and what it represents, it's very interesting that they pushed up their storyline to match with the timeline

damn it's kind of jarring to be back in the Fold

'REMEMBER WHO'S DRIVING'??!!!! *you better stop* meme, *i am, disgusted* meme, *oh wow, oh wow* meme

Mal you fucking idiot you could never take the crows by surprise

the music rising as Kaz starts explaining his thought process, fucking perfection

haha Mal bitchass Inej caught you

'Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew, he's with ours' WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED

'And why would we destroy the Fold? It's the greatest weapon we've got' valid point at the moment but you know I don't necessarily agree with your methods

the use of the light tunnel in the show instead of Alina just being a super flashlight in the books is quite an interesting addition as well

is this an inappropriate time to point out how pretty Ben Barnes is

okay I kind of love the depiction of the shadow powers okay sue me

'they are traitors who tried to kill you' why are you suddenly making valid points despite having kind of committed low scale genocide

'i never said I was smart' YES MAL BE THE VOICE OF HIMBOS EVERYWHERE

Kaz's face going from 'can you believe this idiot' at Mal to 'fuck me I'm gonna do the same thing aren't I' at Inej

'For who would oppose us now?' *himbo romantic rival appears out of nowhere and shoots at him* god I love this show

him standing calmly in his ridiculous all black attire after nodding at his soldier to stop the himbo in his tracks, i fucking can't

could she summon light without the Darkling making her after he put the collar on her until the uhm moment in the books? idts but in the show she can hmm

'only because I'm not in the game' you tell him Jesper

not me snickering at 'you'll be seen not as a saviour, but as a heretic' LMFAO

'Shame. I'll have to give that speech again now.' THIS SHOW IS A FUCKING COMEDY AND YOU CAN'T PROVE ME WRONG

YES LET'S FUCKING GO SULI SOLIDARITY

Darkles casually whipping the Cut out like a shuriken or a throwing knife at Jesper because he shot at him lmao I can't

INEJ FUCKING GHAFA STABBED ONE THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THAT WORLD AND THAT IS VERY TELLING OF HER POWER

that moment where you actually think that affected him despite having read the books and watched the show

and then he has to go and fucking say 'it will take more than this' and I can't be help but be a little bit impressed at this old fool's resilience

throwback to when he said 'the king is a child' sir you make some valid points sometimes and it does make it difficult to hate you

I would just like to inform everyone that it is currently 6:09 am IST and I am sipping my second mug of wine while watching netflix sab for the second time instead of doing my three papers that are due tomorrow

I'm sorry but Inej jumping to check on Zoya after she gets knocked over by the volcra? first class display of solidarity and sisterhood as well as Inej's inherent kindness

Kaz jumping in front of a FUCKING VOLCRA AND STABBING IT WITH HIS CANE to save Inej, you best believe love is true, kids

god the volcra are so ugly and gross, they did such a good job with them

they kind of remind me of these creatures (I think they might have been called Hollows or smth) from the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children movie

STAG VISION TIME

despite my dislike for the callous nature with which the stag plotline was handled, I kind of dig the stag vision scene

'It's just me and you now, Alina. And we're all we need, anyway.' I actually feel bad for this old fool simping for this wonderful gorgeous powerful woman despite lying to her and manipulating her and exploiting her power

okay 'I never needed you' *stabs the bone fragment out of his hand* beautiful power move I fucking love you so so much

alright ben looking like ✨ that✨ not only in physical pain but also emotional pain at what the Darkling clearly considers another betrayal from this girl he wants to give the world and maybe? loves? maybe? or at least has feelings for makes my fucking heart hurt while simultaneously soar at Alina taking back control and reclaiming her power as her own and stepping into her own

'how do you claim such power' okay could have had better dialogue there writers

the fucking score lifting as she says 'you cannot claim what was not given to you' good people my heart is full

one day I'll talk about my defense of the chosen one trope because god damn I kind of love it

hmm I wonder was that brief hesitation that we saw on Alina's face due to her thinking about the 'you chose to betray our people' comment or the 'i was trying to save us' comment because that will define some of her actions in the later seasons (hopefully god if we get some, I honestly don't know what with this stupid brownface debacle)

I'm not saying talking about brownface and pointing out that it is wrong (for further context, I am actually brown) and harmful is stupid btw I'm talking about the incidents involving brownface in question

I don't wanna talk about this anymore but I might feel like I need to and end up posting about it idk

goodness Ivan actually believing in this cause makes me so sad because he too has been victimized by the system that ostracizes Grisha and he has every right to feel the way that he does

Ben actually fighting in that ridiculously heavy cloak and kefta when he's about to turn 40 this year makes me super impressed because I as a 19 year old sometimes wake up with muscle pulls after weeks of inactivity it's weird idk

also I understand that this Mal Darkling fight is completely fanservice and serves nearly no purpose to the plot in general but like I? love it?

'I don't have to kill you Darkling. Your past will do it for me' YES HIMBO GO OFF YOU TELL THAT OLD MAN GODS THAT WAS SEXY AS FUCK

maybe it's because I know Darkles will survive and will come out of it more powerful but I can't get myself to feel bad for him at the moment

Inej and Mal tearing up at Alina's condition made me almost feel something despite it being super obvious she was gonna be fine and save their asses at the last moment

HER POWER

a solitary Kaz in spotted on the western side of the newly expanded fold in his signature all black emo boy look

okay but the crows with zoya and malina is such an adorable team? I literally love them so much?

INEJ'S FUCKING SMILE AT ALINA GIVING HER THE DAGGER AND KAZ LOOKING AT HER AGSGSGSHSJSJSK MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE

SHE KNOWS JUST WHAT TO NAME IT WELL GIRLIE I KNOW IT TOO AND MY FUCKING HEART IS LITERALLY GONNA BURST

okay I know they had one interaction but Mal and Jesper would be besties in another universe

Kaz glaring at Jesper when he answers ''course not' to Alina's 'will you still be trying to kidnap me?' tell me one fucking adaptation that got the dynamics between characters this perfectly

okay why do I love that Alina kept the jewellery as maybe a small nod to she has the wits to, um, you know, I don't wanna say steal, but, um, yeah, steal it because she knew she would need money to survive on the run

oh Jessie I love you so much I wish you hadn't said those things on you ig story about the brownface

it's like every single celeb I grow attached to god's like nope that one is going to do or say something problematic (hey btw im not reassigning blame to god for stuff people have done out of their own free will, 'twas a joke)

AAAAAAAH them saying 'the deal is the deal' in the show even though they didn't have to but like they did and I love them for it

Inej literally not being able to not stare at Kaz's face and smile after this <3

'I didn't expect it to burn at all. But it can be destroyed in the end. Just like him' babe you're not wrong but like um just you wait

god Mal being on supportive boyfie mode is well, absolutely adorable, obviously, but I wish we got to see more of him as a person outside of his attachment to Alina

kaz my little demjin I wish you hadn't have had to suffer so much to meet the crows and find your calling

fastforwarding Zoya's arc is also an interesting choice to me

I wish the hug hadn't been done though, it didn't feel earned

maybe Alina awkwardly and half-heartedly (remember, at this point the alliance is fresh and they still don't entirely trust each other) reached for a hug and Zoya avoided her? and then the rest of Zoya's lines followed? that would have made more sense to me at least

I love Sujaya as well, she brought life into Zoya with whatever little screentime and scraps of writing she got

inej asking kaz 'what's your angle?' beep bop bleep morp I sense another incoming embarrassing love confession

'but we do need you' *stares at her face intensely* 'I need you' ah look at the clock, look's like it's time to screech and flap your arms like you're a volcra because you're incapable of containing your emotions

NO YOU CAN'T GO DIRECTLY FROM KANEJ PROGRESS TO HELNIK BREAKUP (TEMPORARY, MIND YOU)

helnik my loves you don't deserve this I'm so sorry for both of you

Matthias fucking smiling ruefully while he says 'this was... just a cruel joke all along' THIS IS NOT FUCKING OKAY

omg hellgate

AAAAAAAAH NINA IS ON THE SAME FRAME AS THE OG CROWS I CAN'T HANDLE THIS

CAMERA PAN FROM KAZ SAYING 'JUST HOW THIS ALL STARTED... WE'RE GONNA NEED A HEARTRENDED' TO NINA OVERHEARING HIM AND LOOKING OVER?????!!!!!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING THIS TO ME?!

Nina genuinely being curious as to the status of the sun saint because she obviously still cares

Also, 'But she is a Saint' okay Kaz trying to earn brownie points you have succeeded

DID THAT SAILOR JUST SAY 'GOED MORGEN FENTOMEN' TO MALINA BECAUSE I AM NOT OKAY WITH THEM JUST THROWING THAT IN MY FACE ALL OF A SUDDEN

gods I know I'll probably see them again but my heart is full of sorrow as my eyes drink in the sight of my crows for the last time for a while

I know people were annoyed at the meadow flashbacks but guess what? as a darklina, I loved them

'now that the Darkling is dead' could have phrased that a little differently my dudes that line needed to hold more weight

am I glad that they showed Darkles in this state with his nichevo'ya as a tasty little cliffhanger despite not being entirely true to the source material? maybe but only because Ben Barnes saying 'follow' and the nichevo'ya doing exactly so sent a chill down my spine

well, that's it for now, I'll have to move on I guess, get back to my real life which I'm obviously not ready to do

thank you to whoever actually read these things

I probably should have just made reactions or commentary videos instead but I'm lazy

my tumblr will probably go into inactivity once more as I emerge from my stint in the grishaverse

it was quite short (less than 2 months), considering the length of my other obsessions but it was definitely more intense than the other ones

[tricewithaz]

THOTS ON SHADOW AND BONE

Hello everyone! it is I, Trice, and i come with my thoughts on the Shadow and Bone show cause ive got many

I'm gonna divide this in what i liked, what i disliked, and what i think could have been better but didn't really bother me. Feel free to send your opinions too!

As a whole, I really liked the show and I think it's a great adaptation that both fans and newcomers will enjoy. It's super well done! and every episode had me glued to the tv even though I knew what was going to happen.

Beware this is long

To start,

What i liked

Mal and Alina

I never really liked Mal in the books, mainly cause he had like, nothing going on for him, and not having his pov made him no favors whatsoever. Alina's perception of him was everychanging, two factors that didn't make him unlikeable necessarily, but that made me not want to read about him. In the show he's way more likeable and even though he still doesn't have a lot going on for him, you can see that he's always trying to protect alina, and you also see a bit of his demeanor through Archie's acting. I think he made a great job at portraying him. And Alina! Alina who in the books was essentially a y/n sort of character (although she did get better over time), her character, likes, dislikes, her DRIVE was incredibly portrayed in the show. Also Jessie (loml, marry me) and Archie have incredible chemistry together and they sold their yearning SO WELL (and so did the kid actors portraying them as children oh my GOD)...yall...i cried when they held hands. My favourite scene was definitely when Alina took care of Mal's wounds (a favorite trope of mine). And the HURT in their eyes whenever they thought the other was in danger....i saw the show dubbed but I'm sure their voices made it beyond incredible as well, their face acting was just on. point. Overall the show rEALLY makes me root for them both individually and together which is something the books didn't manage to do.

The Darkling

AAAAA i really enjoyed the Darkling omg, incredible charisma, Ben does such a great job (and so did his voice actor in Spanish oh my GOD). His acting was just as I imagined it in the books and i loved how he could be as sweet and mysterious as he could be menacing. In fact! i liked him more than i did in the book, and i think it was a great choice to make him more human. I'm not sure if this was Ben or the writing, but i could really see his yearning for an equal, for Alina, his loneliness and his thirst for power and control too. Great love interest, even greater villain. And his wardrobe was phenomenal. I also really liked how they implied that The Darkling was a name given by other people, it was very believable that people would call someone who literally controls shade something akin to "son of the dark" or something of the sort, instead of it being a name he gives himself or his job title (both if which are incredibly pathetic and cringy to think about).

Jesper

No comments. He was just great. I love Kit.

Nina

Omg Danielle did SUCH a great job at portraying Nina, it's exactly how i imagined her in Six of Crows.

Helnik

THE. YEARNING. THE. CHEMISTRY. I didn't love their scenes at the boat but once that was over I was practically screaming at the screen to jUST KISS ALREADY. Calahan and Daniell have such good chemistry together and the few changes they made only served the story better. I did wish they had development over more time cause Matthias' change of mind felt too quick, but i get why they had to rush. Because of how good their chemistry was, their fallout also was incredibly painful.

Inej's fear of the Menagerie and her morals

Amita's portrayal of Inej's hurt, devotion and her refusal to kill (and later hurt cause she has killed) is incredibly subtle but so SO effective. She's so talented really and truly sold Inej's feelings throughout the show.

VFX

Man.....the fold, the volcra, the grisha powers.....kudos to the animators and overall artistic team cause they were incredible. Also seeing the different title animations in each episode was such a tiny detail that made me so excited and they all looked so good.

Ketterdam

Again, kudos to the artistic team, everything about Ketterdam felt so alive (and weirdly moist), truly sold a kind of aesthetic and life that is so characteristic if the Barrel, even when i didn't imagine it that way in the books.

David

He appeared like, twice, and both times were so cute and charming I can't wait to see more of him both on his own and with Genya.

The Wardrobe

So, at first i hated the keftas. I thought the looked tacky and costume, but when you see them on screen they're just perfect (although i have to say the patterns on some of the keftas were kind of...cheap looking? and the training keftas were just kinda boring. My favourite was the Darkling's. Aside from that, i really liked Kaz's and inej's clothes too. Very distinctive and recognizable (although it was kind of weird seeing Inej in teal instead of purple lmao).

And the queen's dresses. Chefs kiss.

It's...so cheesy (affectionate)

The whole show felt like the kind of movies I would watch as a kid like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. The writing was stylized enough to make it incredibly dramatic and overall there was just so much heart behind all of it. Definetely a show to watch again and again and feel all of it, cause that's what it being so cheesy managed, to make me actually feel for it. It feels like something to watch on a rainy afternoon after a bad day....it's great okay i really enjoyed it, even (specially) the most unbelievable parts of it. And here's the thing, it's something that i think a lot of newer tv and film have lost, so this is good.

What i didn't like

Zoya

Mostly cause of the writing. Originally, in the first book, i didn't like her, neither as a character (stereotypical mean girl with no other motivation than to bang the love interests....all three of them....what's new i still think it's an incredibly sexist trope) or a person (hey at least this was intentional), but over time i grew to LOVE her (mean girl turns out to have a good heart and actually respects the mc and decides to fight alongside her cause it's what's right, without necessarily liking her or giving up her character??? AND she has strong motivations??? now THAT'S new). In the show, i hoped they would keep her mean girl nature while foreshadowing her depth, but all they did was turn her into a petty seductress with barely any screentime, and that only makes her not even a bad antagonist but just a boring character to watch. Not only that but they took away a big part of her character that needed to be developed in the next books. I wanted to watch her rivalry with Alina, her unjustified venomous tongue too, I wanted to be entertained by her and I wasn't. This was also a problem cause when she finally changed teams, and when she hugged Alina, it was incredibly unsatisfying, it would have had a way stronger effect if we had seen her being Ruthless Zoya with a big ambition. I also didn't like how we were told that she didn't like alina, or that she had a family, instead of it being shown on screen. Just from the show, all i can tell you about her is that she likes to bang people and she has a good moral code i guess. Yall, I'm so petty about this.

Kaz

So, I didn't hate him, in fact i think I would have enjoyed him if I hadn't read the books first, cause the two things that bother me about him were two essential characteristics of him in the books. FIrstly, he seems so strained, instead of the seemingly laid back, almost chill looking (even though we know he's not chill at all) Kaz we see in the books, the Kaz that always knows something that you don't. Show Kaz doesn't seem to always be in control, to always have the last word, the last laugh. Instead he seems strained, all the damn time. And I think this is mainly a writing and directing issue. And he also seems weak, something Book Kaz would never do. This is also an issue cause because he doesn't have the same presence he has in the books, the times where he is weak, don't seem as effective. Sure, Pekka Rollins has essentially reduced him and humiliated him, but I haven't seen enough of Kaz being actually dangerous for this to be shocking and for Pekka to seem even more hateable (and, i really liked Pekka, loved him as an antagonist more than i did in the books). Idk, Kaz was so charismatic and just fun and engaging to read in the books that his portrayal in the show felt lacking.

Alina's power's VFX

The little suns were cute and all but the light coming from within her was just ugly I'm sorry.

SFX

A lot of the sound design was just too stylized for the tone of the show i think. I particularly remember the sound of Mal's punches....what's that about.

What i think could have been better, but didn't particularly dislike

The Crows' storyline

And i think part of this is a consequence of Kaz not being as witty as he was in the books. Where's the incredibly complicated heist moves? the even more unbelievable C and D plans when something goes wrong? I didn't like that them getting Alina was essentially just luck, cause i didn't see enough of them being smart and quick on their feet. I also think it was unnecessary to have their storyline mixed with Alina's, i would have enjoyed watching a different heist, maybe in Ravka as well, and them incidentally crossing paths with Alina, more than i liked this storyline. ironically enough, the heist was the part i was least interested in

Genya and Alina

I just feel like her relationship with Alina wasn't strong enough, and i think it's because the show tried to make us believe they were much closer than they were without spending the necessary time in them.

Overall, I really really enjoyed the show, i will be watching it again (particularly cause i want to watch it in English) and i cannot wait for the second season omg (although i have to say, I'm scared for Nikolai)

I think that's all! I would also love to read yall's opinions and have a conversation.

[ladymelisande]

Shadow and Bone, Episode 5

Finally.

Go away, Mal, I don't give a shit about you.

Beware of powerful men bullshit cautionary tale scene.

Oh, they are morons, they are gonna get the wrong girl, imao

I love this guy.

God, why they have so much chemistry. It would be easy to just ignore it.

This dork was gonna say "you mean a lot to me" and he dropped everyone in the last second.

Kiss!

Jessie can blush at cue.

LOL, what are these two doing, awww:

Hey, sweetie, close your mouth or flies are gonna get in:

LOL, he is angry about his own reactions.

The black kefta is so gorgeous.

Bedroom eyes, Alina:

Inej looks so happy. Awww.

Damn, Ben Barnes's voice technique, how long he went with that "I beg you pardon?!

Oh, boy, poor Marie.

IMAO, THEIR FACES.

Honestly, who gives a shit if he got the flowers by asking Mal, imao, as if no one has ever asked their intended preferences to othe people.

Also, I don't care if he hurts Mal, tbh.

This is like the fourth time that Mal escapes death, why can't he fucking die?

That scene is hot and the swelling of the music is perfect.

Well, Baghra the Bardugo mouth piece it's here. Goodbye, people, I am going to just watch his flashback and done. Everything else it's probably gonna be ma/lina bullshit and that fucking meadow one million times more.

[neverhaveieverheardkazbrekkersay]

Gloom and Glare - Chapter 1.1

𝔬𝔫𝔢

Kaz

Kaz Brekker needed his reasons. Sentences to substantiate his actions. Something to tell others when they asked. He always needed reasons. And he always had them. Though they were not essentially good ones at most. And they always were not truly his.

Most commonly dripping from his mouth were the words “Money is good”. It is what had him do most things. Money is good. Greed is your god. But this was the reason all people from the Barrel gave. He had picked it up on purpose. To fit in, to not attract unwelcome attention.

Second were the reasons his clients gave him. To get revenge, help a poor man, make investments. Replicating their words was more of a lie than a reason of his. But he did not care. It kept him out of unwanted trouble. Away from people who asked too many questions.

Third were the Dregs. The gang he had joined when he was just fourteen. New to these corners of Ketterdam. They kept him afloat in his first year. Then he turned the wheel around. Bringing them up to where they were now, and he kept them at their size and importance. Impossible to substitute.

The jobs he gathered found their way to him through them. No one would know the name Kaz Brekker this well if it was not for the Dregs. Not by now. It was sure he would have built his reputation without them the same. It would have taken longer. But Dirtyhands would have risen as he always did. Destined for a higher place.

In between all these, there was one thing that the reason for was not a fabricated one, chosen carefully, to please and reassure. The one was truly his and he was glad he never had to give it. No one ever asked. They did not know. But even if they did, they would be too scared. No messing with the Bastard of the Barrel.

The sound of his cane on cobblestone had been bouncing off the wet walls. Fifth harbour was always damp. The sea leaving stains on all the walls it could reach. It belonged to them, the Dregs. He had gotten it for them. It had not been the most impressive thing he had pulled from his pocket. He had tricks more dangerous and helpful than the ones he had used for the job. Still. They were proud and it made them ruthless. Ruthless enough to pat him proudly on the shoulder. Wincing under his gaze like scared dogs when he had looked at them. Leaving him be, not daring to close in on him again.

By now Kaz had gotten used to pats on his shoulders. He was too successful to always escape them. So, he had let them touch him as they pleaded as long as there was cloth between skin, and they did not mishandle their privilege. He had been closed to chopping off fingers before. The crow head of his cane had broken enough hands.

He had heard the soldiers who dared to come to the Barrel brawl. They were drunk, like always. It was a mystery how they had managed to get into the first army. How why they had been selected to be the ones coming to Kerch. And how they had gotten through the fold alive. They had crossed just a few days ago. A supply-run. The only one out of ten in the last month that had made it. And the only one carrying Ravkan ambassadors.

Now, these soldiers were getting drunk. Gambled in the clubs. Behaved like pirates more than soldiers. If they would have been Kaz’s men, he would have gotten them to sober up. He would have hung them upside down over a canal until they were clean. The more they drank the longer they would hang.

When they came to him that day. In the middle of the night, he had wished them to be drunk. Just as he had wished to be quicker. Fifth harbour had been the last place he had suspected to get attacked. His thoughts had been trailing off. To Inej, a small Suli girl he had started working with over the last few weeks. He called her wraith; the Dregs called her his wraith. She was like a tiny invisible spider, catching secrets in her web. Disappearing in shadows as though she was part of them. The darkness seemingly following her. She wore it like a cloak. It suited her.

It had been useful to him. To get secrets out of people unexpected. To have someone in his back pocket who was ready to defend him at all times. No one saw her. No one saw her coming. Just like he did not see them coming. He had wished for Inej to be there. To escape the shadows to help him. Lend him a hand. He had wished them to be drunk. He had wished to be quicker.

Now he is trapped. Hands tied behind his back. His legs strapped to a chair. His bad one hurting more than on average days. Kaz thinks he might have slammed it against something when he had tried to escape one of the soldier's grip. He hoped it to have been one of the other soldiers but judging by the pain it had more likely been a wall.

He was inside a tent. Outside were voices. Footsteps of people passing. Occasionally the smell of unwashed bodies and a cigarette or two reached Kaz’s nose. From far away there was the sound of waves crashing against stone and wood. He was at the temporary Ravkan military-like camp just outside Ketterdam they had persisted to build. Next to the coast facing their eastern one. And closer to Ravka and the fold than he favours to be.

He despised the fold. The big wall of darkness splitting Ravka into two. It had been there all his life and he begged for it to be gone. The creatures inside disgusted him and there was no way of getting around or through safely. He had done his best to avoid it, but it did not change what had him hate it. Even if it were gone, he would still see himself as from the other side. What he most despised about himself and anything else. Nothing coming from the other side was effective in his eyes. It was weak.

A man in a red kefta sat in front of him. The surface of a simple table, covered by paper and quills, the only thing between them. If Kaz freed himself, he would easily be able to spring across and tackle him. The heartrender would not have time to act his magic. He would be too surprised to be attacked by a cripple who had been bound to a chair just seconds before. Kaz could overpower and beat him within seconds.

The silver head of his crow cane was peaking over the table, leaning against it on the heartrender’s side. If Kaz worked flawlessly, like he always did, he could get to it and kill the heartrender. The feeling of a scull smashing at the contact with his walking stick would make Brekker smile. It would always be one of the best feelings at last.

“Oh, look who’s awake,” the heartrender noted monotonously. His eyes lifted from the paper in front of him and locked with Kaz’s. He was not scared. Not like most people were when facing Dirtyhands himself. But of course, he was not. You are a cripple tied to a chair, Kaz reminded himself.

The heartrender’s eyes bored into his. Reddish hair falling into his forehead. This one looked drunk even now but Kaz was sure he was sober. He had been writing when Kaz woke and Kaz did not think someone would write with a head full of alcohol. But the white in the heartrender’s eyes was dipped red and he slurred his words. The second might be caused by his thick ravkan accent as well.

Kaz had not heard many people speaking with an accent like this. The Grisha coming to Kerch tried their best to not show theirs. It would give them away too easily. Luckily Kaz had never had this problem. If anything, he would be having a Kerch accent when trying to speak Ravkan.

The heartrender did not speak again. His blue eyes kept on Kaz, something raging behind them. The paper in front of him stayed abandoned and the feather in his hand hung limp.

After some time Kaz had enough of silence. “What business?” Reciting the familiar words, he had said to many people in his life, he leaned forward as far as he could. He wished to seem natural, he did not want the heartrender to suspect him to be feeling the ties around his wrists and ankles. Looking for their weak spots. Ready to get free at any given moment.

“Who are you,” the heartrender rejected. Kaz knew he was avoiding telling him what this was all about. Kaz guessed to know what it was, but there was no way that they knew.

“None of your business,” Kaz replied. Rocks scrapping together with every syllable. Harsh and uncomforting. Kaz liked his voice.

The heartrender lowered his eyes. “Kaz Rietveld.” Kaz groaned when he heard his old name. “Known as Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, Bastard of the Barrel. Seventeen years old. Born in East Ravka, fled to Kerch at a young age. Part of a gang called the Dregs with his own little crew of special people. Got the gang from the reputation of just a few thieves up to one of the better-known ones. Competing in the streets of Ketterdam with other gangs.”

Slowly, every of the heartrender’s spoken word got Kaz more uncomfortable. He shifted in the chair, still trying to untie himself. With time he was thinking he might not manage it in time. Those knots were good.

“You claimed fifth harbour, created the crow club and did much more for these Dregs.” The blue eyes fixated on Kaz again. “All in three years.”

“I’m a good businessman.”

“You’re a thief and a cheater, not a businessman.” Kaz scoffed, leaning back to get another perspective on the room and his binds. He had heard these words before. They did not bother him anymore. He knew what he was and nothing of what they said was right. They called him so many names but none of them get close to what hid behind his furrowed brows and cold eyes.

Again, Kaz leaned forward. The heartrender mirrored him. Resting his elbows on the table, loosely folding his hands. “If I am just a thief, a cheater, a barrel thug, one of the worst. Then what do you want from me?” With every moment facing the Grisha, Kaz got more suspicious. What if they did know what he thought no one knew.

It was one other thing he hated about himself. It belonged to Ravka and reminded him, always, that he did too. If he could, he would have cut this part out of himself. No matter the bleeding, the pain. He hated it more than he feared the consequences.

“We’ve been tracking your every step, Mister Rietveld.”

Kaz growled. “Brekker.”

“Mister Brekker.”

The heartrender grabbed the quill and scribbled something onto the paper. Kaz watched him, fiddling with the ropes around his wrists.

“We’ve had suspicions for you to be someone we’re looking for,” the heartrender continued. “We aren’t sure if you really are this.” The heartrender’s unbothered gaze caught Kaz’s. “I personally think this is a waste of time. But the Darkling has an eye out for you. She wants to test you, to be sure.” He got up. His sleek long fingers gathered the few things on the table.

Now was the time. Now Kaz should escape. He could, the ropes on his wrists were loose, the ones on his legs would not make much of a problem. He could grab the heartrender’s collar, slam his head into the table until he was unconscious, or better, dead. This was the perfect moment to escape. And yet he did not.

He watched the red-headed heartrender slide the papers and quill into a slender bag. When his hand hovered over Kaz’s cane he froze. Kaz guessed him to be considering if he should take it but then he felt her too.

From the entrance of the tent black spread across the cloth. With a smooth motion, the heartrender grabbed the bag and stepped away. To the side of the tent. His head lowered. Not in fear, Kaz realized. But in respect.

All the people he had heard talk about the Darkling feared her. Why didn’t he? The others had not even met her, he had. Why wasn’t the heartrender scared of someone as powerful as her?

In the black entrance, a silhouette appeared. Dark robes, seeming to float around a surprisingly small figure. The Darkling.

Kaz knew her by many names. The black Heretic, General Ghafa, shadow summoner, witch. But he had never seen her. Not many had. Not outside the second army. She was like the shadows she controlled. Everyone knew she was there, they feared her, speculated about her real face whenever they thought she was not there. But only few knew this real face.

He would see her now. She was standing there.

The darkness pulled into her. It formed the sharp silhouette of the girl, still leaving her in shadow. Then out of the shadow stepped, Inej.

Tagging: @man-cardoor-honk-sand (If you want to join the tag list just tell me) 

[galiifreyrose]

Ok I’m halfway through Shadow & Bone and I am LIVING for this show, first off, I’m really really enjoying it but I have THINGS I need to SAY!!!!!

Spoilers below the cut for episodes 1-4

Oh man where do I begin. 

I have so many good things to say.

- The cast is amazing. Everyone TRULY understands their characters and encapsulates the entire book’s worth of characterization in just the way they carry themselves, the microexpressions, everything. Genya, Nina, Jesper, and Baghra all really stand out amongst the “side” cast to me as just... stellar. Beyond stellar. 

- It’s so close to what I pictured that I could cry tbh it’s a JOY to see this play out on a 55″ screen

- The Crows’ prequel story is rEALLY FREAKIN CLEVER in my book. I think it’s a genius way to blend canon and new content and turn it into something new and exciting. That scene with crossing the Fold in a goddamn train?? Inspired. I didn’t know I wanted to see Jesper shoot a Volcra in the face but goddamn am I glad I got to witness it

- Especially in ep 4, I’m so impressed with the editing and the subtle acting, to weave Alina’s loss of faith in Mal in without just hitting you with tons of exposition. I truly enjoyed watching it from a film standpoint

Now I’m going to launch into my rambles mainly around how much simply can’t be conveyed from the book and some Narrative Drama Feelings:

One thing I’ve really noticed is how much I do lean on my knowledge of the book canon. Without KNOWING everything that’s going on in the Shadow & Bone trilogy, I feel like a lot of the weightiness is lost. For example, Alina’s relationship with the Darkling, and all of the inner turmoil that comes with it. All of her internal monologue around Mal, and losing faith in him. The small scenes spent in the Little Palace adjusting. They do as much as they can, but I find myself wanting to re-read the books already.

Now, I personally love the Darklina ship. I know I don’t NEED to explain myself, but I will - because I started shipping it before it was revealed he was the villain, and also because I absolutely love exploring both Alina’s morally gray area as well as his last shreds of humanity, and what could be salvaged, what a redemption could even begin to look like. It’s written to be a polarizing, fascinating relationship, and it is.

HOWEVER! I really, really like how they’ve written Mal in the TV series. I feel like I like him more because I get to see more of his happy, goofy, loving moments. With the flashbacks, with his interactions with other people. Not to say I didn’t like him before, but somehow he’s much more relatable and lovable in the way they’ve done this on TV. 

Now... what kills me is how much time they’re spending on that freakin field flashback scene to Mal and Alina’s childhood, and how much they’re SLEEPING on all the times Alina and the Darkling spend together. Because the bond the latter develop over the course of the books is what MAKES his big reveal and betrayal so good. I think they’ve done a good job setting him up as a confidant, and someone who cares, and given him the stakes of wanting to reverse the curse of his forefathers, but my lord you could have done SO MUCH MORE with the time allotted. I would love to see a whole extra episode! I don’t know! Just more screentime please! And I don’t even say this because hurr hurr I ship it, it’s because it’s what gives so much of the story weight - to have Alina torn between Mal and the Darkling.

It really sings for me at the end of ep 4, when she’s having Genya tailor off the scar and looking at the black kefta, while Mal is narrating a letter to her. I think that juxtaposition of scenes works really well, and they capture a lot of Alina’s internal monologue without actually saying a word. HOWEVER. If you haven’t read the books, sooo much of the emotional gravitas is lost. As is true of any adaption I suppose.

Related, let’s talk about Jessie Mei Li’s facial acting!! My god!! I need to gif it but the conflict, the hope, the intrigue, the fear, the slightly-smitten look on her face all at once when she meets the Darkling in the map room - it’s flawless. She captures EVERYTHING Alina is thinking all at once with that array of expressions and frankly, where’s her oscar. She’s so incredible.

I feel badly because all I’m doing is picking apart things I don’t like but whatever - I also wish so badly they hadn’t revealed the Darkling’s name so early. Because I remember that scene in Siege and Storm:

The Darkling responds simply that he needed to ensure her loyalty, then moves on to talk about Nikolai and Mal, trying to provoke Alina. She asks why he has such disdain for otkazat’sya, and the Darkling replies by asking her what she thinks will happen to her when Nikolai grows old and dies and she remains young, how people will treat her once those who remembered her sacrifices were long dead and buried. Alina realizes that she never thought about it that way before, of how long her life will be and what it might mean to live so long. He tells Alina that she was meant to be his balance, the one who could rule with him and keep him in check, but Alina asks who will do the same for her, pointing out that she might end up just like him. The Darkling is surprised by her answer, but instead of pushing the issue, he tells her his real name, Aleksander, and asks her to say it. The word on Alina’s lips draws them both together, and the Darkling urges her to let him go further, but when she rebuffs him he turns angry and sour, and informs her that he is planning to cross the Fold and attack West Ravka. He claims that David left “secrets” behind at the Little Palace and that after he destroys Nikolai’s only ally he will hunt Alina down like an animal.

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME. THAT YOU WENT AND SHREDDED UP MY FAVORITE SCENE IN LIKE, THE ENTIRE SERIES, JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE HER CALL HIM IT CASUALLY BY EPISODE FOUR??? So I’m. I’m bitter about this. Not even as a shipper, but as a lover of dramatic stakes in a story.

Ok. That’s my take on the first four episodes. I’m really enjoying it and I can’t wait to watch more. For what it is... it’s amazing. And I’m really, really happy with it and so thankful they haven’t massacred it on screen lol

[goatsandgangsters]

it is Finally Goddamn Friday which means it is finally time for “Things I Am Screaming About In Episode 5 of Shadow and Bone”

this post was going to be “Things I Am Screaming About In Episodes 5 and 6 Shadow and Bone” but then I screamed about too many things and this post would have been too long so I’m making two posts 

side note: it’s only been a week?? this show only dropped a week ago??? god it feels like ages. I have been clawing my face off waiting for Friday so I could watch more. ANYWAY IT’S TIME NOW, I’VE EARNED IT.

how is EVERY single person on this show uTTERLY ADORABLE like JESUS. Genya and Alina’s EVERYTHING. D a v i d. Alina’s little “you like david, don’t you squidward” face :3 TWO HATS. alina and everyone else is SO! GODDAMN! CUTE!

FEDYOR! ALSO EXTREMELY CUTE! DOING HIS IVAN IMPRESSION! ALSO ARE THEY BOYFRIENDS????????????? There has absolutely never before been a point in my life where I said to myself “you know what? Fedyor and Ivan should be boyfriends” but now that this has been presented to me, Fedyor and Ivan Should Be Boyfriends. holy shit. the pairing I never knew I needed but how did I live without. 

I

do not have

the vocabulary

for the next thing I want to scream about

I AM!!!! TOO SOFT!!!!!!!!! I AM TOO SOFT AND TOO TRAPPED IN DARKLINA HELL TO HANDLE WHAT THEY’RE GIVING ME JESUS CHRIST I HAD TO LIKE. PAUSE. AND TAKE A BREAK. AN EMOTIONAL BREATHER. I’m done, it’s fine, we can all go home, good episode, good season, good trilogy, it ends here right and nothing else happens ever

the fucking…….. I don’t think I have ever iNAHLED SO LOUD in my LIFE as I did at her put. putting on. helping him put. I’m sorry. helping him put on his kefta. literally what kind of rEGENCY BULLSHIT are these two ON oh I am so

low-key going into this, I was like “you know. I hope they let him smile At Least Once in this show. it’s a big ask, I’m not sure it’ll happen, but I hope.” good god I am fucking YELLING. just, like, hold on bro I need a minute. I NEED A MINUTE.

OH I REWOUND IT TO WATCH AGAIN AND HE HAS A FUCKING HORSE STATUE IN HIS BEDROOM. THERE’S A HILL THAT I’M DYING ON AND IT’S THAT THE DARKLING IS A WEIRD HORSE GIRL AND I AM VALIDATED TONIIIIIGHT. fuckin nerd. 

I’M NOT AGAINST THE OCCASIONAL LIGHT ROLEPLAY !!!!!!! every man I have ever loved is a chaotic bisexual and an absolute bastard

Inej’s face during the Sankta Alina scene was So Much

AH. WELL. POOR MARIE. I GUESS IT… UH, COULD HAVE ENDED WORSE, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. BUT POOR MARIE, ALL THE SAME. COUNT ME SURPRISED AT THAT. also genya kicking ass HELL YEAH

oh the ANGST OF THAT LAST KISS, BECAUSE Y O U  K N O W  W H A T ‘ S  C O M I N G. like REAL GOOD KISS, because I was like “oh noooo and that’s the end of th—oH ONE MORE! OH ONE MORE. oh goddddd one more :((((“ fUCK!!! OH I’M SOFT!!!! AN END THAT NEITHER OF THEM KNOW YET IS AN END fuck I’m gonna d i e, I told y’all I was too soft for this

god zoe wanamaker is SO terrific. in the book that scene felt like an... exposition dump? but OOF she’s bREAKING my hEART and really bringing out the emotion of it. not just alina’s, but baghra’s as well, instead of it just being like i’M HERE TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG and then fuck off into the night. (tho admittedly I feel like baghra’s life motto is actually “move the plot along and then fuck off into the night”) 

y’know, you’d think ben barnes would have learned his lesson by now about leaving paintings lying around that prove you’re immortal, eternally youthful, and also evil. now he’s got two nickels which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.

OHHHHH INEJ KILLED A MAN FOR HIMMMMMMMM

jdfhgskjdfhgsjkdfhgk JESPER JUST WATCHING ALINA FUCKIN CLIMB IN THE KSDFHGKSDJHFG fantastic

OKAY THAT EPISODE WAS AMAZING. like I enjoyed the first four a lot because I was already invested from the jump and In Too Deep but I felt like the pacing of the earlier eps was a little wonky, whereas this episode I’m like. They Found It. Their Rhythm. They Found It. God that was A REALLY FUCKING GOOD EPISODE. I’m gonna go run around the bLOCK it is 10 PM and I am in a batHROBE BUT LIKE WHO WANTS TO SPRINT INTO THE NIGHT BECAUSE I SURE DO!!!!!!!

The episode was so good that my quesadilla got cold before I finished eating it because I was That engrossed  

[tinumiel]

Thoughts on Shadow and Bone

obviously, spoilers, ALL THE SPOILERS BELOW....

What they nailed:

Alina Starkov. I really loved Jessie Mei Li as Alina. She’s fresh, genuine, and she has the cutest smile ever. I’m usually not a fan of adding elements that aren’t in the original material, but I loved how they incorporated Jessie’s ancestry into the story and made Alina half Shu-Han. Not only does it make 100% sense, with Alina being from an area with a lot of Ravkan/Shu-Han interchange, but it also respects both the actress and the story rather than saying “Oh yes, Alina’s looks slightly asian now”. I loved how she was portrayed, I felt like she was a blank canvas that slowly filled with color as her story progressed, and Jessie really brought her to life.

The Darkling. First things first. I love the Darkling, in case that wasn’t already obvious. And I love Ben Barnes, in case that wasn’t obvious either. For some reason, it seemed like the show creators really wanted to rub the “he’s the BAD GUY” powder in my face, but joke’s on them, because Ben Barnes portrayal really added to the tragedy of his character, to everything that he’s been through and to the corruption of his ideals. How he went from an outcast wanting to stand up for himself and his people, to a tyrant fueled mainly by vengeance (if they wanted to make him less sympathetic so badly, why on earth would they include that flashback scene? How lonely he was, how manipulating, how driven. Also, how plainly hot he is.

Darklina. On the same note, the chemistry between Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes is insane. There were only a couple of Darklina scenes, but they were so powerful, that I find it hard to believe even non darklina shippers didn’t feel it. To be fair, I’m a Darklina fan (I’m actually a Nikolina fan, but Darklina is my second favorite), so I guess there might be a slight bias on the subject. Just as they were trying too hard to state the Darkling was evil, they tried too hard to make Darklina less appealing (like, they took away the whole Darkling’s real name element, what was that about?). But the actors had such good chemistry that despite whatever attempt the creators might have had to make it clear Darklina is “wrong”, it flopped. They had the best romantic chemistry. Even when they were fighting. Shivers.

The Crows. Flawless. Perfection. Chef kisses. Every single one of my traumatized teenager found family members was perfectly introduces, portrayed and everything was perfectly set up for Six of Crows storyline. Kaz Brekker? Flawless. Freddy Carted had all the aesthetic. Maybe they could have shown more signals of his phobia to being touched, but I guess we’ll see more of that next season. The scene of Kaz vs. Darkling? Didn’t even know I needed it. Of course the one person that could have outsmarted the Darkling would be the Bastard of the Barrel. Kick his shadow summoner ass, baby. Inej? An absolute queen. Her devotion, her faith, her skill. She was simply perfect. Amita Suman is gorgeous and she’s exactly how I pictured Inej to be. Kit Young? He brought the personification of chaotic energy that is Jesper and elevated it to a new plane of existence. Jesper was perfect. His loyalty, his cockiness, his skill, but also his weaknesses, his addiction, his playful side. God, he was amazing. 

Nina and Mathias? Nothing to say other than I love them your honor. I loved that they stuck to Nina’s body type and casted a curvier actress. And Mathias? All tall and blonde and stubborn? My sweet, dumb himbo. Their chemistry was amazing too. The scene in the whaler’s cabin? Even better than I imagined it in the books.

The visuals. The Fold. Ketterdam. The keftas, Os Alta, Tsybeya. It was all so beautiful. Ketterdam was almost just as i imagined it. The fold was even better. I think the one mark they missed was the Little Palace (where’s the golden dome?) and Bahgra’s hut (which wasn’t a hut, it was a cave). The Grisha power. The shadows controlled by the Darkling, the light controlled by Alina, Genya’s tailoring, the Summoners in general. It all looked so cool

Special shoutout to Milo the goat. You brought all the cuteness to the Crows.

What they missed:

Mal. Yes, yes, I know a lot of people are very defensive of Mal because he’s the “good guy”. But my thoughts regarding the character and how lowkey toxic he is belong to another post, because this isn’t about Mal in general, but about Show Mal. I think Archie Renaux did great with what was handed to him, but he was handed a pretty dull deck. I had the feeling I was going to like show!Mal much more than Book!Mal. In fact, I didn’t even think it was possible for it to be differently, but it was. I was rolling my eyes at Mal more times in one season of the show than I did in all three books. I saw none of his charming scenes, his womanizer moments, his sarcastic comments that landed so well with the situation. Mal’s sense of humor was one of the key factors that make me like the character to some extent in the books, and I felt none of that in the show. They wanted so badly to show him as this Mr. Right Person for Alina, that it was like that was his only personality trait. They really did Archie Renaux dirty because I’m sure he could have done wonders if the writers had included just a little more of Mal’s humorous side.

Malina. Kind of goes hand in hand. Just like with Mal, I won’t go into why I dislike the ship as a whole, but why I felt like the show missed the mark on it. It felt so incredibly forced, like they were trying to shove it down the audience’s throat. The actors had great chemistry portraying best friends, but I felt 0 romantic chemistry. Look at Kaz and Inej, they never once adressed their relationship directly, and yet the chemistry was still there. So then it seemed like they tried to compensate that by throwing in all those flashback scenes, but you can’t construct a ship solely on that, because we are not following that story, we’re following the present story. The thing about Malina in the books, is that the readers could actually decide for themselves whether they liked it or not, while in the show they were pretty much forcing you to. Also, I felt like they missed Alina’s initial crush on Mal while he didn’t really see her that way at first. If they had included that, maybe it would have seemed a little bit less forced rather than having Mal make heart eyes at her from the first moment.

Zoya. I was low-key disappointed of her because I missed a lot of ehr coldness, her superiority and her elegance. Zoya was this powerful, ambitious grisha, proud, cold, charming, sassy. While they gave her most of her lines from the book, I felt like the show reduced her to simply a local mean girl pinning for the Darkling, with little self control over her emotions, when we know in truth no one had a better control over her emotions than Zoya, and that it takes a lot more than two punches to trigger her. I wanted to see more of the #Queen and less of the #Meangirl

That was pretty much all. The rest of the secondary characters were all good, I just didn’t mention them because I focused on what really popped out to me. I’m excited for season 2, especially to see the Ice Court Heist, and, of course, to see the arrival of our lord and savior Nikolai Lantsov (all though I am terrified of his casting because he’s just one of those character you NEED to be perfect).

[booksforevermore13]

Sherry Lips and Crystal Stars (Part III)

Summary: 'So, when they break away, and he looks at her, green to brown, she knows that he's the one. That in the end, he had always been the one.'

Ginny Weasley works on a strict owe-to-owe basis, but it's one person she can never fully repay. And she's always running from him. Always. Until Kaz Brekker needs her to recruit him for a highly coveted kidnapping.

Again, no knowledge of Shadow and Bone is required to read this :)

Part I is here.

Part II is here.

Read it on Fanfiction or AO3 if you prefer!

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PART III

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ix.

Three Squallers.

Two Inferni.

Three Heartrenders.

And the Snitch. Which in their case, is the Summoner.

Quidditch wasn't a game for the people.

It was also a game where when the victim's safely bound and gagged, it's considered complete. 'Safely' was a debatable term though.

"The Squallers are yours, the Inferni are mine," Ginny says, double knotting her boots, while staring pointedly at Harry. "The Heartrenders are among the best in the Palace, so we'll take them together."

Harry doesn't answer, and she knows he's mad.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

It's then Harry looks at her, and she doesn't need to look at his eyes to know she's right. He's mad. The furious kind of mad. If she didn't know him better, she'd have been almost scared of him.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he says finally, and she can't help but flare up at that again, because it's awfully hard to not do something she had done for half her life.

"I guess you just have to see for yourself," she says angrily, finishing up her boots, and glaring at him. She feels like a bomb with a constantly ticking timer, just waiting to go off.

Ginny doesn't wait for an answer. She takes her knives, takes the ammo, and leaves the room they'd rented for the while.

She doesn't wait for him to follow.

x.

It's just the slightest sliver of evening, but it's dark, and it was the quintessential time for people like her.

She'd chosen a spot from where she could see the gate, and she could see the room they'd be entering, but the guards, they couldn't see her.

She has the pistol armed at him before she even makes a sound.

"Harry!" she hisses, and she lowers the pistol, putting it back in her holster again.

"Careful."

"I could have blown your brains out."

"Lucky you didn't or you'd be a man less."

She glances at him, shaking her head in exasperation. He's bending down beside her, an hour after they'd had their argument, and like her, he's peering at the guards, watching their every move, observing their every line of sight. It's what he's best at, adapting to the situation, and it's something that's saved his sorry ass (and hers) from too many situations to count.

"What are we waiting for?" she whispers to him, to which he motions her to shush.

"They are leaving, one by one. Coming back in intervals."

"And?"

"And, they're following a pattern. And every pattern coincides so that at one point of time, they'd have to go at once."

"Meaning we'd have a….."

"Exactly."

"And how do we know when that happens?"

It's then he looks at her, because sure, he might have spotted that pattern, but he wasn't very good at solving them. She was.

"We don't." Harry smiles, and it's the glint in his eyes which worries herm which lets her know what he's planning to do. Ginny's eyes widen, as she raises her hand as warning.

"Wait, Harry, no-"

She ducks as he throws a bomb, and he's pushing her up, pulling her good arm to make her follow him, and while the guards have their pistols up and running, they slip in right where they'd had a weak link, and when they come out the other side, Ginny can't help but laugh.

"Didn't know you had that in you, Potter."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly as much of an idiot as you think I am."

Ginny chuckles, shaking her head, before realizing her hand was still clasped in his. They let go at the same time, but they're still smiling.

"The Sqaullers are mine," he repeats. "Inferni's yours."

"Damn right."

"And remember, fire crackles before it lights. Same with Inferni. So…..listen."

She laughs incredulously, shooting hima mirthful glance, but before he turns away, Ginny stops him.

"What's this?" he says as she hands him a black sleek cylinder, capped on both ends.

"Use this when it's bad," she says seriously. "Like, really bad. Like raining hell bad. That cap there, open it, throw and run."

"Cap, Open, Run. Got it."

"You better."

She turns again, and then stops. "Wait," she calls, "wait, wait, Harry, don't die on me, okay? Don't do it."

And then it's the first time that evening, she's seeing him grin, that grin that makes his eyes light up in a way that she's always loved.

Wait, saints, what?

"Noted ma'am," he says and laughs, and she's left standing and thinking what the hell she's thinking, before realizing she had to go too.

Maybe she was liking him a bit more than she had planned to.

It wasn't as terrifying as she'd thought.

xi.

Ginny hears them before they strike. She hears the familiar crackling of fire, like Harry had said, before she's ducking and leaping behind a pillar. She smells a distinct burning, looking down to see they'd singed the ends of her hair off.

"Don't have much time left now, do we?" the Inferni mocks, and she makes it out to be distinctly feminine.

"Now, now Aila, perhaps the little girl wanted a glimpse of our Sun Summoner."

"Well, too bad she won't be getting one."

She barely misses the next fireball sent her way, and she jumps over a wall, and into the courtyard.

"Hey!" the girl, Aila yells, and Ginny looks around frantically, before finding a chandelier and focusing on it, finding the glass to be exceptionally easy to manipulate compared to stone.

"Show your face!"

Yeah, no.

"Or maybe a coward is all you are!"

The girl's nearing, the boy's not far behind, and when the girl's merely a feet away, Ginny steps aside, letting her coat catch fire, and yelling loudly. She hears the girl laughing behind her, the boy too, and she feigns falling on her knees, yelling out louder.

The girl steps nearer, and when she's right beside her, Ginny blocks out her voice and the boy's and wills the glass hinges to fall apart.

It's the atoms she works upon, because brittle they might be, but they're Fabrikator made, made by her own kind. It isn't meant to be fragile, but everything has a weak link, and that weak link is all it takes.

And then the glass shatters. As quickly as it does, she brings out her dagger, slashing part of the girl's kefta off and pulling it over her head. Then she lunges behind a pillar, feeling the hot flames licking up her feet. In a bold and foolish move, the boy had aimed a fireball at the chandelier, and it was only because she was a Fabrikator she knew, that glass heated at high temperatures would explode at any given part of the world.

Ginny runs, runs as fast as she can, and leaps over the wall she'd come from, and as the glass chandelier explodes behind her, she's pushed forward by the force of the blast.

If the kefta hadn't been over her, she'd have died from impact alone.

Ginny isn't nearly up on her feet, before she hears Harry yelling, and then she grunts, yanking out a glass piece from her thigh, and pressing on it as she gets up.

"Run!" she hears him yelling. "Run, Ginny, go!"

Ginny grunts, wrapping the kefta over her thigh. It's not deep, but it could bleed out if kept unopened. She can see Harry running, and can't quite make out what she has to do. Her head's pounding, and she's breathing heavily, comprehending only what she can see.

Run?

And then she sees him, the Heartrenders behind him, running as fast as he was. He's managed to keep a safe distance between them, but the moment they're cornered, she knows they are done.

From the distance, she can see that he's managed to tie a piece of rope around one's arms, while the rest of them are sporting huge, ugly bleeds, but they're still running as fast as ever.

They're trapped, and she can't find anything to snap, or break over them, and she's not strong enough to break the wall down, like she'd done back in the Manor. Besides, she knows the wall would only ever add injury to them, and that'll just make it easier for the guards to finish them off.

Ginny steps back, ready to climb the wall, but raising her daggers to fight, but then Harry's yelling at her to run again, and she puts abkc the dagger and waits until he's reached her, before she jumps, grunting at the added strain on her sides, and wincing as she drops down on the other side.

Ginny hears Harry behind her as she starts running, and then the click of the cap, and then in a flash, they're on the floor, his body shielding hers.

And then things do quite literally go to hell.

xii.

Ginny coughs as she snaps her eyes open. She sneezes, rubbing away the dust from her nose.

"Harry," she calls hoarsely. "Harry, get off of me."

He makes no sound, and she grunts, pushing at him, growing increasingly worried, as she manages to roll out from under him.

"Harry. Harry," she calls and she scrambles up, ignoring the ebbing pain in her thigh, while she looks down at his body for injuries.

"Oh, god. Shit, saints. Fuck." There's blood trickling down his back, pooling on the floor. She turns him on his side, and tears away his shirt, her eyes widening as she sees his open back.

"Shit," she curses. "Shit, shit, shit, god!"

There's shrapnel littering his back, digging into his skin and there's blisters running down his spine, and she doesn't know how much damage his back has taken, but she needs to fix this.

I need a Healer, she thinks. He needs a Healer.

She can't fix him.

Ginny looks around frantically, and then presses the cut Kefta onto his back. Harry groans in pain, and Ginny takes out her lockpick, putting it on the ground.

"Gin," Harry whispers. "Gin."

"Shh," she says, and she's got her hand on his, and he's clasping it tightly, as if his life was tethered to that.

"I am here, Harry," she says, "I'm right here."

She focuses on the lockpick, and suddenly, she can see the metal in it, lined up in perfect concentric circles and she presses those, forcing out a few strands off the pattern. Ginny wills them into shape, long and thin, and then when she lets the strands fall, she's glad it's turned out the way she wanted. Ginny takes the newly formed tweezers, and then a piece at a time, she's taking out the shrapnel from his back, second after second.

She's baiting time. But she knows there is no other choice. If the shrapnel stays in his back, he'd not make it out of here.

Ginny works quickly, but it still feels as if hours have passed, and when it's finally done, she dabs the blood away, and wraps his back with the Kefta.

"Harry," she calls again. "Harry."

"You…." he chuckles weakly, "you didn't leave me."

"Of course I didn't."

"But now you have to."

Ginny looks at him in surprise, before she's shaking her head and pulling him up with every bit of strength she has left. He's too heavy for her, and he slumps over her, as they collapse on the ground.

"No. No. Get….up"

"Gin, this," Harry wheezes out, "this was an ambush. Kaz set us up. They knew we were coming and the second they see the guards gone they'll come running here. This was a trap. It was a distraction."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You have to," he says, and Ginny's just barely holding back tears. "There will be hundreds of them here, any second. I'm only going to slow us down, Gin, and you know it."

She's still holding his hand, but she can't bear to look at him. But when she does, it's his green eyes that take her aback. They've always had. Always.

"Go," he whispers, and she can see he's tired but he's still smiling. It's a genuine one this time, and she knows he really does mean it.

So, she does what she's always done.

She lashes out.

Ginny lets go of his hand, and suddenly, her lips are crashing against his, begging for him to stay, begging for him to hold on. For a second, she wonders whether he'd pull away, but then he's kissing her back with equal passion, and suddenly, they're the only ones there, in the middle of the ash and dust, in the middle of all the blood, they're the only ones there.

His lips taste of sweet sherry and dust, and they're rough over hers, and she holds on to him as if she's never letting go.

She isn't.

And then she's pulling him up, holding him upright, and as she breaks off the kiss, they're wheezing, exhausted, but they're alive. And standing.

Distraction can do great things. He'd taught her that.

"Gin…."

"We're both getting out of here. Or we're not leaving at all."

He looks at her, his eyes holding a passion she's never seen before. Ginny holds him up as they start walking, through the courtyard, away from the hole, away from the crowd, away from the Grisha and the grenades and the blood and the dust.

But she's glad they're leaving together.