#verse: alternate siege and storm

[sankta-alina-s]

@summonshadcw

This was not how she imagined her night would be going.

Word of an uprising in favor of Nikolai reached Os Alta days ago, leading to a small contingent sent to put it down.  With her spouse in Kerskii, Alina was left on her own for a handful of days. 

 Alina had suffered through a single social engagement that afternoon, a luncheon for some of the wives of the First Army officers.  It was no secret that the overthrow of the previous regime and the installation of two Grisha unsettled many otkazat'sya.  Small gestures such as the luncheon were meant to build bonds, however superficial Alina believed them to be.   Pasting on a smile for a bunch of people she didn’t want to make small talk with was a Herculean feat. 

Her obligation over for the day, Alina thought an early night was well earned.  That was until Tolya and Tamar burst into her bedchamber.  She hadn’t seen either of the Heartrender twins since the masquerade and, although glad to see that they were alive, she was shocked at their presence.  

Her mind reeled as she tried to process their tale: a joint mission with the Apparat’s followers was the source of her deliverance.  They’d been the ones to stir up trouble in Kerskii, thereby drawing the Darkling from Os Alta. 

Indecision warred within her as they stole along the darkened corridors.   She’d promised to concede to Aleksander for the clemency of the Grisha who followed her.  Saints, she’d even sworn both otkazat'sya and Grisha vows to him.  

Was this worth the risk?

Their exit was to be through the servant’s hall.  The trio was barely into the room when Alina suddenly stopped.  The bite upon her shoulder throbbed, her face draining of blood as realization set in.  “Stop,” she whispered harshly, hand grabbing onto Tolya’s cloak.  A scream reached their ears followed by the sound of horses upon the road.  

The band of the Apparat’s followers who’d been waiting beyond the palace gates had evidently run into someone. 

[awanderingmuse-ficrec]

Always Trust Sokka’s Instincts Series

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: Thisisentertaining

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Violence, Child Abuse, Imprisonment, Strong Language

Word Count:188,824

Characters: Sokka, Jet, Zuko, Smellerbee, Longshot, Pipsqueak, The Duke, Katara, Aang, Chey, Jeong Jeong, Gan Jin leader, Zhang Leader, Canyon Guide, The Gaang, Yue, Pakku, Arnook, Iroh, Zhao, Aunt Wu, Meng, The Fisherman, Zhao, Teo The Mechanist,  Bato, June, The Sun Warriors, Ran and Shaw, General Fong,  Song , OCs, Chong, Lily, Mai, Azula, Ty Lee, Tom-Tom, Mai's Parents, Bumi, Gansu, Sela, Sensu, Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong's Parents, Lee, Jet's freedom fighters

Tags: Jet is crazy, Sokka's instincts, Season 1 Ep 10, Hurt Zuko, Captivity, Non-Graphic Violence, No pairings, Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Zuko and the Gaang bonding, Avatar: The Deserter, Fire Nation, Canon Divergence, Friendship, Bending, Fire Days Festival, Fire Flakes, The Great Divide, yeah that episode, Canyons, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Claustrophobia, Northern Water Tribe, Water Tribe(s), Fighting, Zuko does not like being locked up, Canon-Typical Violence, canon typical sexism, Badass Katara,  Just found that as a tag, That seems repetitve, Episode: s01e19-20 The Siege of the North, Pai Sho, the fortune tellerS1 Ep 14 The Fortune Teller, Sokka is dobtful, Zukos destiny, Basically a character, Ozai's A+ Parenting, Sokka and Zuko Friendship, Firebending  World, bending, Volcano, Avatar: S1 E12Avatar: The Storm, Boats and Ships, Backstory, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, The Blue Spirit, Atla: Season 1 Episode 13, Pohuai Stronghold, Yuyan archers, The Yuyan, Zuko doesn't know how to be good, but hes trying, the northern air temple, theatre nerd!zuko, Angry!Aang, Discussion of destoying relics, Destruction of the air temples, Hurt/Comfort, Bato of the Water Tribe, Daddy Issues, ice dodging, Pouting Aang, Discussions of dead parent, discussions of child abuse, The Avatar State, The Firebending Masters, yup, Two episodes in one,  Kinda, Dragons, Ozai's A+ Fire Lord-ing, Worldbuilding, Sun Warriors, Secret tunnel, season 2 episode 2The Cave of the Two Lovers, Zuko suffers as usual, White Jade Tea, ostrich-horses, Return to Omashu, Omashu, Discussion of contagious disease, Pentapox, The bumi box, Episode: s02e04 The Swamp, Episode: s02e07 Zuko Alone, Episode: s02e05 Avatar Day, Episode: s02e06 The Blind Bandit, The Swamp, Zuko kicks butt, Zuko Alone but he isnt alone, Episode: s02e08 The Chase, Pursuit, Slight Mai/Zuko, Girlfight, Tea, Blue Spirit, Sleep Deprivation, Arguing

Instinctual

Sokka's instincts had screamed at him ever since Jet showed his smarmy, smug, wheat chewing face, but without evidence he couldn't convince Katara and Aang to listen to him. Honestly, as time went on and he couldn't find anything to support his unease he started to doubt it himself.

Then Jet let him in on the Freedom Fighter's biggest secret.

Sokka should have known better than to ignore his instincts.

Divided Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse - Please read that first.

The last thing Zuko wants after years of being stuck in that cave is to see any more rocks. Unfortunately, he hadn't had luck since the day he's been born so here they were, staring at world's largest canyon.

Oh well, at least they're flying over it and he won't actually be surrounded by rock walls, right?

...right?

Instincts to Guide in the Storm

Maybe it's the possible impending doom.

Maybe it's the novelty of having someone to tell who might care.

Maybe it's just that kind of storm. The one that makes you want to curl up around a fire to tell stories, and he and Sokka aren't exempt from that even on a perilous ship.

Regardless of the reason, Zuko begins to tell the story that the Freedom Fighters never bothered to even ask about.

A Spirit’s Instincts

Aang should be the one taking care of a sick Katara and Sokka, not Zuko, but the airbender insisted that he be the one to find the medicine.

Now it's been hours, and Zuko is painfully aware that there is a Fire Nation Stronghold nearby that he hadn't been able to warn Aang about.

When the lights of Pohuai light up in victory, he knows without having to be told that Aang has been captured.

Now Zuko has a decision to make.

Could he allow his maybe-friend to be captured by the Fire Nation?

Or was he ready to be the traitor his father had branded him as.

A Fortune Teller’s Instincts

Zuko may be free from Jet, but he is struggling to earn the full trust of the Gaang.

More than that, he isn't sure what do do with his life now that he is no longer crown prince and is no longer facing a life in chains. He used to know his destiny, now he has no clue where his life should go.

Maybe the famous Aunt Wu will be able to help.

Bato’s Instincts

Katara still hates him.

Sokka is following some Water-Tribe-Father-Figure around with stars in his eyes.

Aang is pouting because his friends are paying more attention to the Water-Tribe-Father-Figure than him.

Oh, and there is a Water-Tribe-Father-Figure now. And Zuko has a wonderful track record with Fathers.

Overall, this is a /great/ time to be Zuko.

A Deserter’s Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse, please read that first.

It had been weeks since Sokka had freed Zuko from Jet's clutches, and Zuko... he still can't make a spark. He's spent every available moment in the sun, and while his chi is growing stronger, he can do no more than manipulate an existing flame. He's trying not to let on how... concerned he is, but since Sokka maintains that he's a 'terrible liar', he doesn't think it's particularly effective.

He knows that going to the Fire Days festival was probably a bad idea, after all there is a whole wall of wanted posters featuring them right outside the city wall. But honestly, if Zuko never made a bad decision, he'd never do anything, and he wants a taste of home so badly.

What's the worse that could happen?

The Instinct’s of the Airwalkers

Zuko wasn't sure what to think about the tales of modern day figures living and flying in the Northen Air Temple. His people are... thorough. He doesn't want to let Aang down, but he finds it hard to believe that anyone not stuck in an iceberg had escaped the eradication.

When he got to the temple, he hated being proven right. What's more, he hated seeing Earth Kingdom strangers destroying what little of Aang's heritage survived the attack of his people. But the day that the Fire Nation launches a second attack on this once idyllic temple, Zuko hates the most that he has to finally make a clear choice.

He'd thought he'd made this choice already, thought he'd made it several times over, but the question remains when he'd least like it to: Is he willing to fight against his Nation?

Cold Hard Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse, please read those first!

Zuko is glad that he had started getting his bending back before they hit the frigid North Pole, but it turns out that the Northern Water Tribe doesn't feel the same way.

They hadn't even gotten close to the city yet and he was half frozen in a block of ice, freezing and bound as his captors ignore Katara, Aang, and Sokka's protests. He really should have known something like this would happen, but as usual he'd underestimated his luck and now he had to come up with a way to convince the Northern Chief to allow a firebender to walk free in his village.

He HAD to, because he wasn't going to let himself become a prisoner. Not again.

The Instincts of the Sun Warriors

Zuko... may have been hasty, when he got on that raft instead of finding his friends and at least seeing if he needed to pull this disappearing act. It was day three of sitting of a raft in the middle of the ocean though, and a little too late for him to do anything about his regrets.

He had other stuff he could focus on, like perfecting the Dancing Dragon and trying to figure out why Uncle was steering them to the northern tip of the Fire Nation.

Meanwhile, the Gaang have left the North Pole and are on their way to pick up Bumi and round out the gaang, they just had to stop and talk to the General Fong guy first. This shouldn't lead to any complications, right?

The Instincts of Healers and Nomads

Zuko is, surprise surprise, on the run once again. At least this time he has Uncle, someone to watch his back and someone he can trust to know absolutely everything about his past, his identity.

Now he just has to find his friends before they do something stupid.

He isn't holding his breath.

Especially since apparently, Uncle is no better than him at identifying what plants are good to make tea out of, and which ones are poison.

Instincts in Omashu (not Bumi’s instincts)

Being on the run is bad enough, but at least they have an Ostrich Horse now. Unfortunately, that doesn't help them make money, and Zuko has to endure begging with Uncle on the streets and put up with jerks who swing swords at (seemingly) defenseless old men.

Or does he?

Meanwhile, the Gaang is braving a very different Omashu than they remember. Aang is faced with the realization that his last old friend had fallen to the Fire Nation, just like everyone else he had remembered. He does have new friends now though, and new promises. He told Zuko that he would remember that the Fire Nation soldiers were people too, and as much as he didn't want to, this was a good place to start.

Zuko’s Instincts

Zuko and the Gaang are separated.

Yes, Zuko knows that it's his fault. Now though, he is travelling with Uncle throughout the Earth Kingdom to find them, all while trying to avoid the sister hunting him down. The way is treacherous and littered with friends and enemies alike. The hot headed teen is faced time and time again with danger, both natural and born of his own making.

At least he isn't alone.

The Instincts of the Chased

Katara thought that Zuko was one of the most stubborn, heard headed people she'd ever meet.

Enter Toph Beifong.

Meanwhile Iroh is trying to figure out how to approach his nephew about his habit of running off alone, which would be easier to do if the younger firebender hadn't run off alone the instant he saw a bit of bison fur.

[cywscross]

Any recs from fandoms you don't follow that closely or just fandoms you've only read a few fics from?

Hmm.. some. I can rec a few fics from a handful of fandoms.

LUCIFER

Devil's Bargain by WolftheForsaken (WIP)

Trixie gets kidnapped. Lucifer disapproves.

-0-

NIRVANA IN FIRE

implacable tide by forbiddenstars for One_Hundred_Zeros

When Lin Shu turns ten, he is fostered into the household of the Empress. Jinghuan grows up alongside his new, irrepressible foster brother. This changes everything.

Like Thunder Under Earth by troubleinmind

"Once I have my official post in the military, I will ask General Mei to appoint me as your personal guard.”

Lin Chen at Meiling in four portraits, and a long apology.

Events As They Happened by aboxthecolourofheartache

Xiao Jingrui and Yan Yujin get themselves into a scrape. Lin Chen saves the day. Mei Changsu brings everyone back from the edge.

-0-

JURASSIC WORLD

Pushing Boundaries by Macx (WIP)

Owen Grady had always had a talent for animals. Like his grandfather. It was a talent that ran in the families.

Masrani Global recruited him to train raptors. It was an intriguing, novel idea, something only a crazy or insane person would attempt.

Owen wasn't crazy or insane. He knew he could do this.

He just didn't know how deep he would get into it, how strong the connection to the pack would become, how close... they, the four of them, would become to him.

His grandfather had always warned him: don't get too close. Don't let them connect. Well, it was too late for that now.

-0-

KUROKO NO BASKET

Designation: Miracle by umisabaku (WIP)

It's been three years since seven human experiments, called "Miracles," escaped Teiko Industries, alerting the world to the presence of super-powered children. Now they're finally integrating into society-- going to normal high schools, playing basketball, falling in love-- and trying to find out if it's possible to truly escape their past.

-0-

LOG HORIZON

Begin and End by Rikkamaru (xHP crossover)

This is how it begins: a boy rejected by his family, a boy reunited with his brother by his sister-in-law's intervention. A boy who found a family in an online game. But how will it end?

-0-

X-MEN

your head caught in a waking dream by addandsubtract

in which charles is sent to a mental institution as a child and by the time raven breaks him out, he's irreparably damaged. because this is me, there's also a road trip involved.

and these, from atoms by kay_cricketed (WIP)

Five years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Charles and Erik find themselves in a situation where they must rely on each other for survival. Trapped in a coal mine deep beneath the earth's surface, and having lost his wheelchair to a disaster, Charles fights the nature of his physical limitations while Erik struggles to remain distant. Ironically, in the dark, it is impossible to hide your heart.

-0-

GOOD OMENS

Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see by Azzy

For some entirely unfathomable reason, after the end of the world hadn’t happened, Crowley didn’t go back to his flat for a solid month.

-0-

THE MENTALIST

the dead outside my window by pprfaith

In one world, the lie Patrick Jane tells is, "I am not a psychic."

-0-

GINTAMA

Pandemonium by Xparrot

The Yorozuya trio gets an unexpected reward. They really should've checked their daily horoscope before accepting: Beware of old women bearing gifts, don't count your lizards before they're hatched, and be careful when life seems too good to be true, because it might be a sign that everything is soon going to go very, very badly.

-0-

HAMILTON

177(6) by ashilrak, lol-phan-af (lol_phan_af)

Reincarnation is normal in this verse.The Hamilsquad is at college guys, and guess what, they all fucking remember lol

-0-

DELTORA QUEST

On Paths Unseen by lovelyleias

It was supposed to be a temporary secret, but it tore them all to pieces.

(Or; what would happen if Faith was real, and Lief and Doom knew).

-0-

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

The Saga of Kollr by oneiriad (xVikings crossover)

One minute Leonard Snart is standing with his arm deep in the Oculus, waiting to die in a temporal explosion. The next he's stuck in the Scandinavian winter at the beginning of the 9th century.

-0-

HUNGER GAMES

The Avalanche And Little Pebbles by Dyce (WIP)

What if someone else caught the eye of the public and the revolution before Katniss? When a boy from District Seven wins the Games and captures hearts everywhere, the revolution comes when Katniss is only fourteen. Tiny, poor District Twelve may be an afterthought for everyone during and after the revolution, but to Katniss, it's all that matters.

-0-

K-PROJECT

Building Up Walls by DarkrystalSky (WIP)

Deviates from episode 7: Shiro decides to let himself to be captured by SCEPTER 4 at the stadium, in a twist of events that will bring him face to face with the Gold King himself.

-0-

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

Arthur in the House by taywen (WIP)

The AU where the Trustees decide to raise Arthur.

-0-

CRAZY RICH ASIANS

Siege by Ashling

“Either you meant it when you asked me to marry you,” she says, “or you didn’t.”

Love and loyalty, war and witchery, Nick and Rachel.

-0-

XXXHOLIC

The Professor's Wife by foolish_mortal

The students all said that Professor Doumeki had a wife who made him lunches and impeccably pressed his shirts. Watanuki found this hilarious. For the wtfholic fest prompt: "The only people who can see Watanuki are customers with wishes."

-0-

TWILIGHT

Swansong by pprfaith

She's Swan and she's just passing through, accumulation of all you never knew.

-0-

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE

Hearts and Their Consumption by setepenre_set (SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS TBH)

Wizard Howl eats hearts. This isn't just a metaphor.

-0-

TEMERAIRE

All True-Hearted Souls by mardia

"For God's sake, if someone doesn't talk Laurence out of these constant heroics, I wouldn't bet a farthing on his chances; no, and not ours either.” Four times that John Granby helped save William Laurence's life.

-0-

ME BEFORE YOU

but I'm not ready to say good night by violentdarlings

Before Louisa has to face a world without Will, Will has to live in a world without Louisa.

Or: bizarre twist of fate = happy ending. Happyish ending.

-0-

THE MARTIAN

i'm coming home by kearlyn (WIP)

Mark Watney never manages to make contact with Earth and NASA never realizes that he survived the storm and evacuation on Sol 6. So, needless to say, the crew of the Ares IV is incredibly surprised when they land on Mars to find a scruffy, malnourished, mentally unbalanced, but still-alive astronaut waiting for them.

These are the stories of Mark's long journey home and the lives of the people he touches along the way. (Mostly told from not-Mark POVs.)

-0-

FAST AND THE FURIOUS

Along the Way by nightrider101 (WIP, very very old, prob long abandoned, but this was my first F&F fic I ever read and I loved it)

Dom has questions. He hopes Brian has answers.

The Next Quarter Mile by astolat

“We going to get somewhere anytime soon?” Dom said.

Brian was staring out the windshield. “Do you trust me?”

“What the fuck kind of question is that?” Dom said.

“If you say yes, I’m going to take you on the worst fucking ride of your life,” Brian said. “Do you trust me?”

-0-

KINGSMAN

Care and Custody by esama

Eggsy takes out the medal in slightly worse circumstances, asking for a miracle.

-0-

HIKARU NO GO

Watch and Learn by Trial and Error by esama (wip/abandoned)

When God gives Hikaru his wish, he begins his journey again with a new goal in life, to prevent Sai from fading.

-0-

STAR WARS

Re-Entry by flamethrower

Re-Entry is an alternate universe epic that spans time and possibility. Obi-Wan Kenobi, while still a young Padawan, suffers an injury and wakes up with all of the memories, experience, training, and Force-strength of Old Ben Kenobi. It isn't long before the Jedi discover that Anakin Skywalker, a five-year-old slave from the Outer Rim, has undergone the exact same change. Obi-Wan and Anakin bear the scars of harsh lessons learned; those who love them must learn those lessons quickly, before the mistakes of old are repeated.

-0-

YOWAMUSHI PEDAL

One of the Better Days by heihua

Based off the anime post-ending scenes: Imaizumi, tired of having to watch Love Hime but unwilling to hurt Onoda’s feelings, ends up asking Onoda for anime recommendations. Everything goes downhill from there.

[cxncordia]

                                                Rotating Universes - December 2019

                                            The Frozen Lands

Happily ever after didn’t last long for us.

Ten years ago it began. Under the excuse that Paradiso needed defense from the invaders, King Frederick III went on a quest to obtain a power that would set us all free... the reality was that what he found enslaved him first and then all of the Kingdoms. Sieged by blizzards, every Mage or Witch had their magic dampened and the spirits of the people waved in the storms. The harvest were destroyed by the cruel winds and people began to kill each other for scraps. It was only a matter of time before King Frederick’s armies came and trampled over us.

Those who survived, fled to the forests and the uncharted territories in seek of Hope.

Those who didn’t joined the army of King Frederick, enslaved by the Crown that he had brought with him, the very same wretched artifact that he went to obtain in a quest. Even in dead the  corpses were raptured by his malignant will.

And our bodies may have broken, our fingertips may have been frostbit, and the flame in our spirits almost flickered out...

...until the cries of revolution spread all over the world. Towns were being liberated by the sons of the former royalty, whispers of men who could turn into animals and fought the revenants with the power of nature have became more common just as mages who once held the knowledge of the Gods are now teaching ushow to weave fire to fight the putrid corpses. And to the East the rumors about Elves finding an object capable of breaking the Crown are becoming louder.

The embers in our spirits may be small, but they are shining brighter than ever.

New Alternative Universe for my muses that will take place during December 2019. You wanna join me? Well, come forth! You can find all the new information displayed on the current verse page and find the muses joining the revolution at the new available muses page.

Still unsure? Hit me with your DMs and let’s plot a story about revolution.

[kiarazuri]

Cover Appreciation: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy / Grisha Verse by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

(Shadow and Bone, Goodreads)

My least favorite is Ruin and Rising while my favorite is Siege and Storm.

Question: I haven’t read this series so I don’t know if this has a narrative reason but, why does book 2 have a different palace than 1 and 3? Shadow’s palace being smaller than the other two bothers me because it gives the cover a lot more empty space than the others.

Siege and Ruin both have a background that gives the illusion of light coming from behind the palace like the sun’s about to crest it but Shadow, doesn’t? It’s not bad it just bothers me because it makes the background of Shadow really flat compared to the other two.

That. Font. *heart eyes* I don’t know what the font is called but it’s beautiful and the way they’ve manipulated it, adding the wisps that look like smoke/shadow and curl around to dance with the rest of the design elements is brilliant. The wisp that swirls around the spire of Ruin is my favorite part of that cover. (Why is the “and” on Ruin so awkward? They should have had the swirl on Ruin’s “R” take up more of that empty space so the “and” didn’t look so out of place.)

The covers all follow a gray+black+white+red format EXCEPT for the yellow on Ruin and I think that’s one reason why it bothers me so much. I think if the other two had their own accent colors I’d be less put off by the yellow bird, like if the waves at the bottom of Siege had a blue tint. Something that wouldn’t make the phoenix so out of place, yknow?

I like the above covers more than the new covers but I’ll show them anyway.

Again, Ruin and Rising is my least favorite. I don’t know why but something about the bird really bothers me. I’m sad that they changed the font because the original font is one of the best aspects of the original covers. Of these new covers Siege is my favorite, the teal-blue looks gorgeous against the black (why are the other two not perfectly black backgrounds like Siege? They would look SO. MUCH. BETTER.)

Indigo has some alternate color versions of the main covers as well. Personally I prefer the gray Shadow cover (above) and the blue Siege cover (below).

This series has a lot of nice foreign covers as well:

The Hebrew covers from א' ניר are really great. They have one of my favorite Ruin and Rising covers.

They’re so perfectly coordinated and insync, it makes me extremely happy. I like the minimalist and cut-out aspects of them as well as the use of very simplistic design elements, the stereotypical waves on the water and flames. (I also really like that the phoenix’s flames aren’t the same as the flames at the bottom)

The Vietnamese covers from Nxb Trẻ:

I don’t know why the first cover doesn’t look like the second and third (AT ALL) and I KNOW this isn’t a complete set because of that but I liked the second and third covers so much that I couldn’t NOT include them. They’re just, so great. I wish the first book had a matching cover.

The Polish covers from Papierowy Księżyc:

Did anyone see The Nutcracker and the Four Realms? (It was terrible and I kinda loved it) The palaces on the Polish covers remind me of the palace from Nutcracker.

My favorite covers, tho, are the Japanese and French, which both feature illustrations of people in very different styles but with light as the main focus.

Here are the Japanese covers from 早川書房.

I love these. My biggest issue is that Ruin is black instead of white like the other two but that works for the book itself (from what I know) and I can’t be mad at it.

The French covers from Milan Eds are also really great too. My biggest annoyance is the Six of Crows banner on book 1.

That’s all for today! If you have a series with covers you really like let me know!

Side Note: Does the Phoenix in the original cover kinda look like a muppet with those shaggy wings? Why is it so weird?

See ya next time!

- Kiara

@tcstu @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales @brynwrites

[starlsssankt]

“there  will  always  be  a  part  of  me  that  loves  you  no  matter  what.  ”- alternate siege and storm/rulers of ravka verse?

𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑, it was like those words hit him hard. Harder than the Darkling thought it was even possible. He's left speechless, just for a moment, before the mask slipped back into place.

❝ You make it sound as if you'd rather it be any other way, Alina, ❞ he murmured, but there's an edge to his tone, a razor-sharpness that he can't completely take away. ❝ No matter what? ❞ Aleksander raised an eyebrow at that clarification. ❝ How am I take that, when I know you want nothing more than to run from me? ❞

mention // @sankta-alina-s

[sankta-alina-s]

@courtofmuses

The Darkling- for how could she ever call him Aleksander again?- could be marching upon Os Alta any day now.  The city should be fortifying, the Grisha should be training non-stop.  Instead, the Grand and Little Palaces were thrown into upheaval by the Tsar’s asinine masquerade ball.  If Alina could have throttled the man without risk of execution, she certainly would have upon learning of his plans.  The Tsar spun the event as a way to show their enemies, both domestic and foreign, that life continued on in Ravka.  Alina thought it simply another excuse for the Tsar to indulge in his love of excess and pomp.

The Sun Summoner was torn from her duties the week before the ball to engage in dance lessons.  She’d protested when the ‘offer’ was given to her, knowing that her time could be spent better elsewhere.  Yet she would need to attend the masquerade and interact with those guests that the Lantsovs deemed ‘important’.  

The night of the masquerade saw her twirled from partner to partner; at one point she’d even danced with the Duke of Keramsov, who ‘recognized’ her now that she was the Leader of the Second Army and not one of his countless orphans.

Her feet were growing sore and her calves were straining from the heeled shoes she’d been strapped into.  At one point Alina caught her reflection in one of the gilded mirrors in the ballroom; she wasn’t fooling anyone with her golden gown and embellished mask.  Her ensemble had been delivered to her by care of the Tsaritsa, brooking no argument as to how on the nose her costume appeared.  The Lantsovs clearly wanted their guests to know who exactly the Sun Summoner was.

A brief respite in partners allowed her a moment to scan the ballroom for the familiar sight of her oprichniki.  She’d spotted Mal somewhere during her last dance, but couldn’t spy him again.

Finely an opening appeared for her to sneak off the dance floor and retreat to an ornate pillar to rest (hide) behind for a few moments. 

[sankta-alina-s]

“Better to destroy everything than surrender you.”

"Don't say that."

Alina felt a curious sensation of butterflies in her stomach despite the threat behind his words. Of course, the threat wasn't aimed toward her...

She looked up from the map table to meet Aleksander's gaze. Too much was riding on her, too many lives depended on her.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

[sankta-alina-s]

@xdarklingx

The Darkling- for how could she ever call him Aleksander again?- could be marching upon Os Alta any day now.  The city should have been fortifying, the Grisha should have been training non-stop.  Instead, the Grand and Little Palaces were thrown in upheaval by the Tsar’s asinine masquerade ball.  If Alina could have throttled the man without risk of execution, she certainly would have upon learning of his plans.  The Tsar spun the event as a way to show their enemies, both domestic and abroad, that life continued on in Ravka.  Alina thought it simply another excuse for the Tsar to indulge in his love of excess and pomp.

The Sun Summoner was torn from her duties the week before the ball to engage in dance lessons.  She’d protested when the ‘offer’ was given to her, knowing that her time could be spent better elsewhere.  Yet she would need to attend the masquerade and interact with those guests that the Lantsovs deemed ‘important’.  

The night of the masquerade saw her twirled from partner to partner; at one point she’d even danced with the Duke of Keramsov, who ‘recognized’ her now that she was the Leader of the Second Army and not one of his countless orphans.

Her feet were growing sore and her calves were straining from the heeled shoes she’d been strapped into.  At one point Alina had caught her reflection in one of the gilded mirrors in the ballroom; she wasn’t fooling anyone with her golden gown and embellished mask.  Her ensemble had been delivered to her by care of the Tsaritsa, brooking no argument as to how on the nose her costume appeared.  The Lantsovs clearly wanted their guests to know who exactly the Sun Summoner was.

A brief respite in partners allowed her a moment to scan the ballroom for the familiar sight of her oprichniki.  She’d spotted Mal somewhere during her last dance, but couldn’t spy him again.

Another dance partner appeared before her and offered his hand, which Alina forced herself to accept graciously.  A familiar wave of surety passed through her, tinged with a hollow feeling of longing, when her skin met his.  Alina’s head shot up, meeting the eyes of the Darkling through his mask. 

[sankta-alina-s]

Wish List Addition: Alternate “Siege and Storm” #1

The Tsar throws an ill-time masquerade ball.  With the threat of the Darkling looming ahead, Alina believes such an extravagance to be an utter waste of time and resources.  Many disguised court gentlemen wish to dance with the Sun Summoner, yet Alina knows the identity of her newest partner as soon as she touches his hand.  

[sankta-alina-s]

“ you could be so much more, you know. “ either canon, or like, any of our verses? or something where he seeks to 'corrupt' her, idk.

Alina scoffed as she looked to the Darkling. Sometimes her guilt, her grief, weighed down on her so heavily that she couldn’t bear to do much at all. Today was such a day.

When the ladies that saw to her every need arrived that morning to prepare her to attend the court hearings beside her spouse, she’d sent them away without explanation. Alina spent her morning in bed and had planned to remain there until his visit disrupted her.

“I have no desire to; you have enough ambition for us both.” It wasn’t entirely true but he didn’t need to know that.