#i just love that quote SO MUCH

[aleksanderscult]

Can you do the scene "he was my monster too"? That complete dialogue

Yeah, sure!

I love that line and scene (as every Darklina fan) because it really describes their dynamic. It's basically their relationship in just a few words and I'll explain to you why.

I'll start from here.

The Darkling used various means to get her to his side in that scene. First he bargained, then appealed to her loneliness that drew him to her every time through the tether, then pointed out that Mal couldn't understand her and now she knows it, then used Genya to show her what happens every time she leaves him, then tried to make her understand that they could save more lives together and kinda chastised her for the fact that she's stuck on the Novokribirsk murders and doesn't look beyond that, towards the persecution that's happening on a global scale for so many years.

Did he use various manipulative techniques to get her here? Yes.

Did he also mean the things he said? Also yes.

The Darkling sees in her the very thing that first separated him from other people too so many years ago: the rare powers they both have and can't find someone else to relate to.

Also, the fact that he has been proven correct ever since he witnessed Alina growing distant from Mal and feeling more and more alone makes him believe in that line even more.

Who else has rare Grisha powers? The Darkling

Who else is immortal? The Darkling

Who else has been "separated" from all others because of these great powers? The Darkling

Alina knew it all along but has been denying it to herself, clutching desperately on Mal in hopes that everything will go alright between them. But now, when Aleksander speaks these words, she realizes how true that is. There is the person that in terms of power and needs she can match and relate with.

I always believed that he wasn't only excited about having Alina's power in his hands here but also for the fact that she finally decided to willingly come to him. This is the first time that is happening ever since she left him on the Winter fete since she fought him every other time.

Her power is for his plans.

But her willingness and resignation are for him. He awaited this moment and wanted it for so long.

The connection between Aleksander and Alina existed long before the latter got the collar. So I bet that the collar and the nichevo'ya bite only enhanced that connection.

They can "touch" each other's powers. Reach out and feel it. They're connected in such a deep and strong spiritual way. I don't think any other Grisha have ever experienced that with another of his kind. They truly were unique.

Now these are the lines that are the basis of my "Alina feels embarrassed for her dark side and therefore afraid to admit that she wants the Darkling" philosophy and I will die on this hill.

Aside from the fact that this makes her an unreliable narrator, this is a major flaw of her character that Bardugo never fixed.

Alina, as every other person in the world, has light and darkness inside of her. But she's too afraid to admit it and, more importantly, even more afraid of embracing it. And that pushes her back. Instead of having this character accept her dark side and even using it at times on a moderate scale, we have her running away from it, never fully accepting it and presenting it as something disgusting inside of her.

Leigh could use this scene as the basis for her development. This and the "She would make herself a reckoning. She would rise" could be excellent premises of a girl becoming a strong woman and warrior, determined to save and lead her people and unite them with the otkazat'sya. Willing to become Queen just so she can make a change for the better and learn from the Darkling's actions and mistakes. Instead in R&R we got the same Alina. Again.

Alina had darkness inside her long before the Darkling did something. For example, when she let those people die on the skiff. The Darkling just put the kind of darkness inside her that made her connected to the volcra, the Fold, the nichevo'ya. There's a difference here.

Now. About that line.

I've said it before that Darklina is a ship of contradictions: man and woman, light and dark, good and bad. They're two sides of the same coin and therefore complete each other. In a way, one cannot live without the other. And they each have a piece that the other lacks and still wants.

The Darkling has darkness and Alina is a creature of light. But she still seeks that darkness in him and when she used it, it felt right and powerful and not at all strange.

Alina has light and the Darkling is a creature of darkness. But he still searches for her light because, to his great surprise, he likes the feeling of it.

You can see this aspect of them in their following quotes:

‘And he was my monster too.’

- Siege and Storm

‘Because with her he was human again.’

- Rule of Wolves

Both of them don't want to admit it. They recoil from it but Alina can't help but feel drawn to his darkness, to his "monstrous" side just as much Aleksander can't help but be enticed by her light, by her humanity. They bring out a wave of emotions and needs to each other that upset them.

But if only Alina kept believing in that line and if only that relationship and this aspect of it was explored more. It's so painfully interesting that I can't believe how the author chose to spend her trilogy talking about Malina.

Like seriously? Them over THIS SHIP AND THE WAY THEY WORK??

WHO ON THEIR RIGHT MIND---

[yallstar]

"...I'm not done telling you all the things that I wanted to say; there's still so much. It's been so long since anyone listened to me talk. Won't you stay?"

Heaven Official's Blessing, Vol 8

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

mai and zuko bestieism is so important to me

(ids in alt)

[godsfavoritedumpsterfire]

[platoapproved]

The building had been crawling with gentle humans who noticed not a thing as they’d stolen the clothes they now wore, uniforms of the young, and left by a broken door into an alley. Not my brothers and sisters anymore. — QUEEN OF THE DAMNED

[butyouaremymess]

Polin Bonus Week: Day Four

♡ Favorite Show Quote

S03E04: Old Friends: " They do seem upset, do they not? Eros and Psyche, battling it out."

[incorrecthatchetfield]

Incorrect Nerdy Prudes Must Die 4/?, but just the OT4

[newdruid]

I understand the controversies around the change in Robin and her animation style, however,

Have we considered - her face softly rounds out as the show progresses. Have we considered this may be because the strawhats made her comfortable enough to eat more? Maybe the personalities and the friendships and the food Sanji makes are all so good for her that she allows herself to have a better relationship with food?

I don't know, I'm imagining her sitting across from Franky, who is CHOWING on a burger, kay? And Robin has been munching gently on the fries, her burger has one bite out of it. It was such a good bite. Until tonight she honestly couldn't tell you the last time she had a burger. Crocodile didn't like burgers.

So she reaches down and picks up the burger, and then she takes a big ol' chomp outta that burger. Franky looks at Robin over his sun glasses as she picks up a napkin to dab the ketchup on the side of her mouth.

"that was a decent bite lil lady."

[irisbaggins]

In rewatching the season, I'm noticing how clever Aabria and Brennan were in crafting Tula's story. How well thought out everything was.

Specifically, the bear. It's been mentioned so many times before, but with the context of the completed season, I cannot help but be in awe at the skilful storytelling at display here. The way in which the Blue is described to appear wrong only in reference to Tula and her heart, the way in which Tula talks about curiosity and and having experienced knowing someone who died because of it. Of how Aabria describes to Izzy how Tula looks when she heals the bear, of how Aabria specifically points out that Tula recognises the commonalities between herself and the bear. These breadcrumbs that mean little in the beginning, that tell everything at the end. It's amazing, stunning, masterful storytelling. I am in awe.

[robntunney]

TV Appreciation Week '24 Day 7 : free choice: a character that I miss | LEXIE GREY

The depth of grief that you felt with all the losses… it’s because of the depth of love. As long as you’re alive, you get to feel it and you get to do something about it. Everything changes all the time when you’re alive, and all the time, you fight the change. You cling onto what you have and what you know, like that’s how it should always be.

[benevolenterrancy]

(Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett) I think Shang Qinghua and Ponder Stibbons should have tea and compare notes about somehow accumulating so much behind-the-scenes power by doing menial jobs no one else wants that they could basically run the show if they wanted...

meanwhile we have Shen "meh good enough" Qingqiu

[theotherbuckley]

Incorrect tweets pt 19/?

[justaz]

merlin (immortal) giving arthur (pendragon) the only blade that could kill him

[gentlenotes-moved]

hey, you guys. life gets so much more fun when you let yourself enjoy the small pleasures of life, love your friends loudly and wholeheartedly, and let yourself be loved.

[kiwikiwiandkiwi]

HARRY BEING HARRY ON TOUR — Love on Tour: UK + Europe Leg, 2023

[magicandmundane]

Hunter: Fuck it. Let’s go back to Kamino and adopt that kid.

Wrecker, Tech, and Echo: Adopt—? Yeah okay, we’ve done weirder shit.

Crosshair: With all due respect, which is none at this point, what the fuck is wrong with you