#writing zoyalai!!!! exciting

[whatbusiness]

ahead of the s2 release, here are a few incoherent thoughts based on absolutely nothing while i have some time to jot them down during my snow day: (gv book spoilers ahead, so skip for now if you’re a show only fan!) 

above all else, i’m just excited to have these characters back in new (and yet still familiar) ways 

i do not need this to be a perfect season. it won’t be. no one should be expecting that. speaking entirely right now about the crows and their duology, we have two perfect books to go back to. nothing that happens in this show could “ruin” anything from SoC or CK because they are two different entities

i am scared of the kaz and jordie flashbacks in a way that i have never been scared of anything in my entire life. there is sheer terror coursing through my veins right now.

i know. i just know. that genya’s arc will end my entire life this season. if i hear the words “i am not ruined. I am ruination” delivered by daisy within the next 48 hours i will be ascending to another plane of existence

whatever kanej content we get this season WILL cause a medical emergency for me and i know this

wylan. that’s it, that’s the tweet. wylan. 

trying to prepare for my helnik brain cells to be beaten to shit this season

remembering that we also get jesper flashbacks just made me doordash tissues to my apartment 

just know this. any zoyalai interactions will have consequences that range so far. that are so intense. the shockwaves will be felt far and wide. 

i want unhinged kaz this season and i had better get it. just absolutely wild. cane beatdowns left and right. merciless. irrational. ruthless. give it to us. 

i am wholly unprepared to see nikolai living the persona he enjoys most. knowing what’s ahead for him and how much he yearns for these moments in the future. not ready for THAT! wait. if this season covers books 2 and 3 are we going to see demon!nikolai. oh FUCK. oh fuck oh fuck. why did i not consider this before literally right now. 

in summary, we are fucked. good luck out there everyone. NMNF. 

[zoya-withthepoodlesalready]

(one of my) current works in progress: zoyalai celebrity fake dating au. So excited to write out the idea that has haunted my every thought since I came up with it

[mortal-maebh]

"Someday, someone is going to sweep you off your feet so hard, you won't know what hit you."

The foreshadowing is unbelievable in this scene. Nina calling Zoya out on her walls, her unwillingness to let anyone in, and how we see her devotion to Ravka above everyone and everything else - such a simple line from Nina holds such powerful significance given what we know about Zoya's relationship with Nikolai, and how it redefines everything she has ever believed about needing to seal herself off from love.

"Well, that one's a mess. But I could fix him."

Again, I'm literally floored by the foreshadowing - the innocent, joking phrasing of this completely changes in meaning when you frame it in consideration of Zoya's role in helping Nikolai through his demon problem in KoS, and how she is his lifeline through so much shit from this point onward.

This is the type of early stage Zoyalai content that I was hoping for from this season, and if this is any indicator of the potential writing quality of the rest of their relationship on screen, I'm so excited to see where they go next.

[thebubblesoutlet]

People are definitely going to disagree with me, but I actually think s2 of S&B is narratively stronger and MUCH more thematically cohesive than the og trilogy. I'm excited to see what the show has in stock for the Ravkan characters going forward. This ending makes a lot of sense if you view it as a separate body of work from the books. Obviously, it's unfortunate that parts of the crow's storylines were sacrificed for it, but as long as they're the focus of the next few seasons, we get to see our favourite scenes adapted and Zoyalai+Kanej are well developed, that should NOT be an issue.

P.S- we STILL have time to develop the ships we didn't see much of this season. And there's lots of new doors opened that I've only seen in fix-it fanfic. The writing is annoying sometimes but this was good, better than expected even.

Tl;dr- as a self contained work, season 2 is fab

[shelbbswrites]

In an effort to drum up more buzz around Shadow and Bone Season 2 on here and on Twitter, I'm reposting all of my articles.

I wrote about how Shadow and Bone Season 2 characterizes Sturmhond AND Nikolai Lantsov SO WELL — down to the VERY exciting potential for Zoyalai.

Patrick Gibson couldn't have been more perfectly cast in this influential role in Netflix's Grishaverse.

As always, if you like the article and want to support me in writing more like it, please click the link above and this one to engage with my tweet. It's REALLY helpful!

[laurore-stormwitch]

hello to whoever is still following me 💖 this account has been inactive for so long. It was born out of my love for the grishaverse and for writing, and has helped find so many wonderful people, some has remained long distance friends and some has become my closest friendships in real life. Then life did i what life does; I stopped studying, started working in a profession i adore and supporting myself, I needed time to dedicate to my relationships and some other not so nice stuff I had to deal with. After years tho life got a little slower again, and hear hear: I’m finally writing again! Event tho my love for fandoms is going strong, I finally took the courage to work on something original of mine, very slowly. I still don’t know what I will do with this account; probably use it for writing in general, still to enjoy a variety of fandoms, and maybe to share some snippets and ocs of my wip (which I already love so dearly) if any of you would like to share the amazement and excitement of writing. So hello again and don’t get scared if you don’t see as much zoyalai as usual (maybe still some of them lmfao), love to you all

[sleepless-crows]

🤍 welcome to my blog 🤍

♤ you can call me Lynnea

♡ i'm a minor

◇ i do not tolerate any sort of discrimination on this blog

♧ if i ever say something harmful or incredibly stupid, please correct me

🤍my interests🤍

op is a swiftie lol. i love taylor swift, she is mother. my favorite albums are fearless and evermore

you can tell from my popular posts i love the grishaverse. my favorite ships are kanej and zoyalai. my favorite characters are also kanej and zoyalai. let's talk about kanej and zoyalai. i love the sab cast but i do not love the show

those are my two main fandoms that you'll see on here. if you're part of both, we should definitely be mutuals!

i've also read all the riordanverse books and am a casual fan. but you can bet that this blog will have more pjo once tsats releases. my favorite character is reyna, my favorite book is the last olympian. and i'd be glad to have more riordanverse mutuals and talk about any of the books too

have you read the lunar chronicles? you should read the lunar chronicles. it was honestly my favorite book series before i read six of crows. there's an animated movie coming and you should really, really read it. i recommend it so much

i am currently, impatienly waiting for the 3rd book in the once upon a broken heart trilogy and i really need more people to read this. it's so good and the 2nd book is so heartbreaking, you will love it, please read it

sometimes i'll also reblog stuff about marvel, willow, and lockwood & co. other fandoms i'm a part of are super casual

i won't tell you to stream shadow and bone, but i will tell you to watch lockwood & co because it deserves another season so much more

🤍my favorite authors🤍

leigh bardugo – i love the grishaverse so much. i haven't read ninth house or that wonder woman thing she wrote. but i have read sab, soc, and kos. and i am just in love with her characters, her stories, and her writing. i could talk days and days about how much i love her books. i really recommend the grishaverse to anyone and everyone

marissa meyer – i have read all of her books except one i am still reading. i've read the lunar chronicles, renegades, heartless, instant karma, and gilded (minus the second book because i'm still reading it). i really recommend reading any of her books, i just love each and every single series or standalone she writes, regardless of the genre. you can ask me for recommendations if you want! my personal favorite is the lunar chronicles, next is probably heartless. i just fall in love with whatever she writes, no matter the genre, just like i do with taylor lol. please read her books, they're so, so good

rick riordan – i've read all novels in the riordanverse, there are too many side books that i'm not sure if i've read all books. i really, really love his books, and i'd recommend them to anyone regardless of age. my favorite series is the original percy jackson & the olympians series. next is probably magnus chase & the gods of asgard. my favorite character is reyna and i'm so excited for the sun and the star

[oretsov]

text me when you’re free ; part 1 (ao3) 

Alina and Zoya go on a blind double date. Unfortunately, chaos ensues.

[ as told through texts ]

Monday, august 1. 14:23

A: Zoya :)

Z: what

A: what would you say if i came to you with the proposition of a lifetime

Z: I would say blink twice if you’re in a pyramid scheme

A: That hurts

A: That you think i could be roped into one

Z: anything is possible

A: :(

Z: .

Z: I would consider buying tainted mlm vitamins from you

A: :D

A: mlm vitamins. the vitamins are in love

Z: As they should be

A: In love with keeping me healthy

Z: …..You arent actually in a pyramid scheme right

A: asjdkf; no but i do have a proposition

Z: and this concerns me because

A: Because it’s a good proposition

Z: Sound reasoning. continue

A: Yes so you know how i went on that date sunday with blondie

Z: I do recall the swipe for blondie. How was it

A: It was good!! Pretty solid, he’s super nice. We just got brunchy drinks but nothing crazy it was like 2 pm

Z: That’s never stopped you before and we both know it

A: Well the man was not shoving bloody mary’s down my throat now was he

Z: YOU ordered your fourth on your OWN volition

A: I did no such thing

Z: And YOU were the one who invited our server on a booze cruise

A: I do not recall

A: I suddenly cannot read

Z: Smh

A: Also we are actually friends with tamar now so that was a W

Z: W

A: W

Z: W

A: W

A: asdfj; STOP DISTRACTING ME. let me continue. We got drinks

Z: You got drinks

A: And a topic of our app conversation was brought up, re: the picture I have of us two together

Z: A good picture

A: The best

A: Well the caption is ‘she’s single too’ and he uhhhhhh suggested a double date

Z: Pffffft

A: That’s what i said at first but then realized a. I did have that pic/caption so I should have expected this and 2. I know you think he’s cute and c. he has been one date vetted and is not a weirdo

Z: Who would he bring

Z: Wait i thought you liked him though

A: He’s on like a local club volleyball team, and said one of those guys. I think his name is Aleksander? But nikolai said he was nice too and they play together basically every other day

A: And ugghh i dont know maybe. Maybe more of a friendship vibe

Z: no cheeky little kisses for nikolai?

A: it’s early days

Z: i’ll drink to that

Z: also are you coming over later for love island

A: is the sun hot

Z: word

A: but would you be interested? Blind double date?

Z: I suppose

A: i see you faking nonchalance and i acknowledge that you are instead of calling you out on it

Z: how considerate of you

Z: what day are you thinking. Friday and saturday will probably be out for us

A: yeah i figured. Thursday after work?

Z: can’t. I have a happy hour with the newbies

A: be nice to them

Z: no

A: lol

A: I mean. Tomorrow? Is drinks on wednesday night too outrageous?

Z: eh maybe a little but who cares

A: it’s no thirsty thursday that’s for sure

Z: wet wednesday

A: i meaannnn here’s hoping?

Z: keep it in your pants

A: only if you keep it in yours!!!!!

Z: i want to say no promises but. Blonde

A: i feel like you’re lying to yourself you said he was hot

Z: for a blonde

A: -_-

A: i hope you fall in love . i’ll spend my speech laughing into the mic for ten whole minutes

Z: barf

A: :))

Tuesday, august 1. 15:08

A: Hey! Thanks again for Sunday, I talked to my friend and she is interested!

Nikolai - bumble: Awesome, sounds good! Aleks is really looking forward to it as well

A: Glad to hear! Does 6:30 work for you guys?

Nikolai - bumble: Yep that should be good

Nikolai - bumble: Have you guys ever been to little palace? I think it’s between our places of work, they have a pretty good happy hour but they’re still a pretty nice establishment

A: Yes we love it there!! Let’s meet there

Nikolai - bumble: Sounds good, see you guys then!

Wednesday, august 2. 19.58

A: ZOYA

Z: ALINA WHERE TF ARE YOU COME BACK IDK WHICH FORK TO KILL MYSELF WITH

A: HE FOLLOWED ME INTO THE BATHROOOMAF A

Z: HE WHAT

A: HE FOLLOWED ME. AND WALKED INTOT HE EMENS ROOM AND WAS LIKE LETS’ GO AND I WAS LIKE. WHOMST IN THEE FAFUCK

Z: WHERE IN THE FRESHEST HELL DID THIS GUY SOCME FROM

A: NO I’M NOT DONE AND I SAID NO I HAVE TO PEE AND HE

A: WALKED INTO THE LADIES ROOM

A: AND INTO A STALL. AND SAID OKAY

A: AND I WAS

Z: AHAHAHHAHAA WHAT THE FUCK

A: I WAS LIKE I’M NOT GOING TO FUCK YOU IN THIS BATHROOM STALL OF THIS FUCKING FAMILY RESTUARANT YOU ABOSOLUTE HEATHEN AND I LITERALLY HAD TO PUSH HIM OUT OF THE BATHROOM

Z: BROOOO WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING

A: I HATE IT HERE

Z: wait but he’s not back at the table

Z: come back. Pls

A: i’m peeing talk to nikolai

Z: he went to the bar

A: why go to the bar when we have our waitress WHICH BY THE WAY ALSO WHAT THE FUCK

Z: WHO HITS ON THE WAITRESS WHEN UR ON A DATE

A: IN FRONT OF ME AND ME CHIPPIES

A: AJSD;F THIS FUCING GUY APPARENTLY

Z: omg alina i found him

A: oh no don’t tell me

Z: HE’S AT THE WAITRESS STAND TALKING TO LIKE THREE OF THEM AHAHHHAHAHAAHA

Z: LITERALLY I AM SHOCKED AND SPEECHLESS AT THIS MAN LIKE???????WHAT?????

A: NAURRRRRRRRRRR

A: WHO THEE FUCK DOS NIKO PLAY VOLLEYBALL WITH LIKE WHAT IS THIS

Z: I GUESS ANYONE CAN JUST SIGN UP TO PLAY LOCAL VOLLEYBALL THESE DAYS UNREGULATED AJSD;F

Z: oh christ he’s coming back i honestly cannot spend five minutes alone with this grandpa

A: AJDK;F A GRANDPA IT’S TRUE

A: SURE GRANDPA LETS GET YOU TO BED

Z: OK HE’S WALKING I’M RUNNING TO THE BAR DO YOU WANT ANYTHING

A: MARG PLS

Z: LET IT BE KNOWN THIS IS THE FOURTH AND YOU ARE ORDERING WITH LITTLE TO NO FORCE FROM ME

A: IT IS KNOWN

Z: NORMAL OR SPECIALTY

A: WHAT AM I A HEATHEN!!!!!!!! THE SPECIALTY

Z: OKAY

Z: POOP FASTER COME BACK SOON PLS

A: BE THERE ASAP

Wednesday, august 2. 20.17

HINGE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ALINA AND MAL

*Alina invited Mal to start the chat*

Mal: hey

Alina: do you like nuts

Mal: sure they’re alright

Alina: what kind

Mal: I like cashews

Alina: what about your dick nuts

Mal: um

Alina: those are my favorite

Mal: oh

Alina: sorry im a LADYY. Obviousliyf im not going to begin this conversation with sexting right

Alina: asdjf; WRONG so abot those nuts malyen

Mal: are you okay

Alina: i want to gobble them up like a thanksgiving gravy

Alina: that makes no fukcinga sense because i wont gobbel gravy itts turkey you idiot

Alina: i’m not gobbling anything. Keep your hands to yurself MAL

Alina: if that’s even your nAME

Mal: It is?

Alina: do you swallow

Mal: uh

Alina: what that tongue do

Mal: it does fine

Alina: i’M NOT LOOKIGN FOR JSUT FINE

Alina: MAL I KNOW YOUR’E BETTER THAN THAT

Mal: uhhh I’m sorry I don’t really know what you want me to say here

Alina: i’m saying that i awnt you to lick that pus*sy with the ferocity of a starving man

Mal: not sure the asterisk really helps

Alina: AR E YE STARVING OR NOT

Mal: if i’m being honest i’m mostly just confused

Alina: MALLL MAL mal mal mal. Read the signs im hard up we both like cachews and it does fine enoughojd;a

Mal: uhh

Wednesday august 2. 21.24

GROUP CHAT: the slutty nunnery

A: genyaaaaaa

G: hey ladies

A: no more ladies. Just me

G: oh?

Z: dont listen ot her

A: ZOYA YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

Z: AHDFHAHHAHAH

A: YOU ARE DEAD TO ME

G: are you guys still on the date??

Z: the boys left but we are putting something in our stomachs that is not alcohol

A: chippies

A: NO CHIPPIES FOR YOU ZOYA GENYA DO YOAU KNOW WHAT THIS BITCH DID TO ME

G: oh boy

A: HER AND NIKOLAI

A: WHO FIRST OF AL WAS ALL OH NAURRR I’M NOT GOANN LIKE HIM HE’S BOLONDE IM ZOYA I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST HAIR AND NIKOLAID’S HAIR THREATENS IMINE

Z: i dont sound like this

G: eh

A: they take my TELEPHONE while aleksander tries to swoon me

A: AND THEY GO ON MY HINGE

Z: honestly i stand by this aleks was a shit date for you

A: ADN THEY START SWIPING AND THEY CONVERSE WITH ONE (1) MAL

G: ... does that name sound familiar

A: YES IT ADOES BECAUSE HE’ S UMY FUCKING WORK CRUSH GENYA AND HE’S AOS CUTE AND I WAS GOING TO ONE DAY ASK HIM OUT PROBABYLY NOT BUT NOW I NEVER CAN

Z: pffttt sure you can we just sped along the process if anything

A: NO I CANT BECAUSE YOU TOLD HIM I LIKED HIS DICK NUTS

G: ahahhahah

A: NO GENYA DON’T LAUGH HTIS IS NOT LAUGHING

G: i’m sorry i take it back

A: i thought i was having a love island girl summer and that WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HAPPENED OTNIGHT

G: what about nikolai?

A: PFTTTT YEAH ZOYA WHAT ABOUT NIKOLAI

Z: he’s fine

A: he is not just fine they were canoodling and he had his ARM around her WAIST and they kept PUSHING AND SHOVING EACH OTHER OVER MY PHONE

Z: he kept texting dumb shit at least i had some class

A: the first thing you asked him was if he liked nuts

Z: you like to snack alina it’s good to have common interests

G: she has a point

A: DONT CHANGE THE SUBJECT ZOYA

Z: I’LL DO WHAT I WANT

A: they were fools genya. Fools

G: ooohhhh nothing i love to see more

Z: he was the only viable option

G: wasn’t it literally a double date

A: barely grandpa was straight up not doing okay

G: ...GRANDPA

Z: genya this man was 39 years old and literally showed up piss drunk

A: at 6:30 on a wednesday

Z: yeah and when we ordered drinks he ordered two at the same time and alina and i were like oh haha okay

Z: but then he hadn’t finished those and then ordered TWO MORE

G: girl what…...

A: he was a literal mess i’m still speechless that a man SHY OF FORTY can act this way asj;df

G: ewww what omg stay away from us get a job what??? Is this allowed???

A: on a date with THREE PEOPLE IN THEIR TWENTIES NO LESS

Z: tbf he didn’t ~look~ old but yeah he literally acted like a sixteen year old which is somehow worse

A: HE KEPT FLIRTING WITH ETHE WAITERS

G: LMAO WHAT

A: yeah he literally had his arm around me and was flirting with our waitress and did that multiple times

Z: it was honestly wild to see

G: ew i do not miss being single

A: BOOO

Z: HISS

G: hehe sorry

G: are you guys stil there? Are you okay to get home do you need me to get you?

A: our chippies just came but i think we’ll be okay thanks babes

A: unless you want to come eat with us wait until you hear about what this mans did in the bathroom

G: ….

G: terrifying sentence. I’m on my way

[sanktnikolais]

hMMM

[dregstrash]

a last chance

on the journey to get my writing muse back, my brain came up with this free-write drabble.

Nikolai and Zoya are just about to enter the final battle with the Fjerdans. Zoya is going off to oversee the Grisha, and Nikolai has to handle things on his end. They stand watching as the Fjerdans come closer, and Nikolai can’t help but say a few words.

Tagging: @kestrel-of-herran

-

He was familiar with this feeling-- this heart-fluttering, gut-clenching, bitter tasting feeling. He felt it the first time he went into battle for his country when he joined the army. He felt it when darkness poisoned his blood and turned him into the demon he always feared he was. He felt it again right before he turned to face his inner monster, and the woman in front of him deigned him worthy of touching her face. It was the feeling of seeing a small boat looking out into a hurricane, wondering if it will survive the waves.

The Fjerdans flags were approaching their frontline in a slow and steady march. Nikolai noted the lightening sky, and the shifting of thousands and thousands of his soldiers as they caught sight of the enemy. He looked out of the people ready to die for their country, and he felt a certain kind of pride settle over him. Ravka may have once been the drowning man, but for all it was worth, he learned how to swim.

“I always did imagine my death to be grand,” Nikolai mused aloud, “The rising sun, a formidable foe, a country to fight for.”

“You’re not going to die, Your Majesty.” Zoya said from beside him.

“I’d like it noted that each epic poem written about my death has to have a full verse dedicated to my hair-- I spent such a long time on it this morning,” He continued. His nerves spilling from his guts into his mouth.

“My king--”

“And when it comes to the part of my jaw, please have it noted that its strong but not squarish. It’s very important that--”

“Nikolai,” Zoya snapped and grabbed his wrist with a strong hand.

He turned to her, and tried to give her a small smile of comfort that he did not feel. Zoya was riding her horse close to his, her kefta arranged beautifully on the stallion, and her hair braided back to avoid getting caught in her armor under the blue robes. Her usually serious expression had darkened into a ferocity that was barely being restrained. She was death and grace all wrapped into one.

“Just trying to think of the practicals, General.”

Her grip tightened right where his bracer ended, “You. Are. Not. Going. To Die.”

Nikolai realized he could have moved to break the contact with her hand. He could have smiled placidly and continue with his teasing, but the Fjerdans outnumbered them two to one. Their Grisha were strong, but if Nina’s intelligence was correct, even that might not be enough. Nikolai was confident, but not that confident. So he thought it was alright, if he turned her hand into his own, and allowed himself the small pleasure of intertwining their fingers-- feeling a peaceful satisfaction in the fact Zoya let him. 

“You don’t know that, Zoya.” He smiled again, knowing that it was a little sadder and a little softer.

“I do.” She stated, as if speaking it into the universe would make it true. “Because I can predict the future, remember?”

Nikolai did. He remembered the carriage ride, the feeling of her collected in his arms, the pretty lies he told her to tell him. He remembered it well. 

“You.” She said, boring her eyes into his, “Are going to survive this and lead Ravka the way you were meant to. You’ll marry Princess Ehri. Sire an heir fit for your throne. And then you will die with everyone you love surrounding you. Today will not be your end.”

His thumb had started to draw patterns against her hand, and taking a deep breath, he reached over with his other hand and cupped her face gently-- like he had in a place that should never have existed, where their world had flipped upside down. 

“Change my future, Zoya.” He whispered. They were surrounded by far too many people to have a true intimate moment. He couldn’t kiss her the way he so desperately wanted to do. He couldn’t run his hands through her hair as his last dying wish. He couldn’t do much except hold her face delicately, and try to tell her what he’s been denying himself for months. “Change my future, so that you may rule Ravka right beside me. Make it be that I get to wake up next to you every morning without worrying for the other shoe to drop. Make it so there is no one but you.”

The pair stayed like that for a few more heartbeats-- the knowledge of needing to pull away tugging at the fringes of their minds. 

“Survive today, Nikolai.” Zoya finally breathed, releasing herself from his grip, “Survive today, and let’s worry about the future, later.”

The sun was peeking over the valley. Their enemies closer. The hum of battle singing through the air. 

“I’ll see you on the other side, then?” He asked, his smile a little lighter as he drew his reins up.

“Until then, my king.” She said back and rode off.

Nikolai sighed as he watched her join the platoon she was overseeing. He would do this. He’d make it through this day. For Ravka. For himself. For her.

[wafflesandkruge]

46 for zoyalai 😊

“I’m in love…shit.”

B99/cops au?

@dregstrash not sure if this would fit in your detective au

—————————

“Alright, another one Nazyalensky. I’ll catch it this time.”

Zoya rolled her eyes, but obligingly fished out another peanut from the bag and tossed it towards Nikolai. He opened his mouth wide and tried to move under it, but he forgot how tight their space was and smacked his head on the steering wheel. An obnoxious honk pierced the night. The car filled with a string of creative curses and Zoya threw her head back and let out a racous laugh.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the self proclaimed most brilliant detective of the Ravka PD.”

“Very funny-” Without warning, he suddenly shoved the car door open and took off running down the street. The locks clicked shut behind him. "Suspect spotted! You snooze you lose, Nazyalensky!”

Snarling, Zoya pulled the car lock, not caring about the earsplitting alarm. She started sprinting after him and the fleeing suspect. “Fuck you, Lantsov!”

“You offering?” With a cheeky grin thrown over his shoulder, he disappeared into an alley.  

Zoya wondered why a comment like that from Nikolai didn’t quite rub her the wrong way like they used to when they’d first met. Even the slightest hint of his crooked smirk had her bristling and ready to shoot someone. But now...she came to a sudden halt, suspect momentarily forgotten. 

“I’m in love...shit.”

[dandeliononthemoon]

If you're still doing prompts, #27 for zoyalai with a bit of #1 and #43?

Thank you so much for the request, anon <3

This has become hurt/comfort, when I actually just planned comfort for you lol but well

Anyway i had fun writing and i hope you enjoy!!

p.s.: I kid you not anon, when i was writing this i realized i had dreamt this, that i was writing this fic, and i got even more excited so i really hope you enjoy it

Fandom: Grishaverse

Pairing: Zoya Nazyalensky x Nikolai Lantsov

Prompt(s): 1. Small kisses littered across the other’s face, 27. Kisses exchanged while one person sits on the other’s lap, 43. A kiss pressed to te top of the head

Words: 970

number(s) + pairing = drabble for you!

i still take requests up until 4 dec, so if you have been wondering about a certain kissing headcanon, i could fulfil your dream by writing it!

Most days, Nikolai felt as confident as he showed it on the outside. Some days, he didn’t.

On those days, he compensated for it by being over confident. People often enough didn’t see the difference, so he knew that it worked.

Today was one of those days.

His whole life he had spent not quite fitting in. Not quite receiving as much love as he thought he deserved. Except for Dominik and later Zoya, he never had someone who he could feel so deeply for, and had been on the receiving end of that love.

Sometimes, the insecurities crept in. He wondered often when Zoya would leave, for someone better, maybe more deserving of her affections. He always anticipates her not staying the next day, but she always does.

Today, as he was sitting on the chair of their dressing table, he watched Zoya getting ready for a dinner party they had organized.

She was wearing a sleeveless deep blue velvety gown, with a mermaid shape that beautifully accentuated her curves. The dress goes on to pool around her feet.

He knew, that everyone was going to stare at her, just the way he did now. There might even be someone, who is more charming, nicer, funnier than him that Zoya would probably go with him. And he would gladly let her, if she wanted that.

Right now, she was looking in the big mirror on their closet, trying to fit her diamond earrings.

Zoya noticed Nikolai staring at her through the mirror. “What are you thinking?”

Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times before quickly producing a convincing smile, he hoped it was convincing. “Nothing darling, I was just thinking how beautiful you look”

“That is not nothing” she smirked and turned around, having finished putting her earring into place.

“And that is not what you were thinking”

She proceeded to go sit on his lap, putting her arm around his neck and placing the other on his face, making him turn his face towards her. He put one hand on her back and one on her thigh, distractedly rubbing circles with his thumb. He did that when he was thinking about something. Zoya also noticed his eyes drooping and his smile not exactly radiant, which it was every time he genuinely smiled. It was too bright. There was some weariness in his eyes.

“Are you okay? Should we cancel the party” Zoya looked into his eyes with concern.

“Oh no, you shouldn’t cancel the party on my account. Besides, there is not even anything” he waved his hand as if to brush away her concern, with a too bright voice.

“Honey, we have been together for so long and have gone through so much. I think I know when you aren’t in your best mood”

She sighed. “They say it is good to share concerns, it lessens the burden” she implied.

“But of course you don’t need to talk about it just yet” Zoya was brushing over his cheekbones.

Nikolai looked downward and took an uneven breath.

“I-“, He exhaled and started again. ”It is quite stupid, but I can’t help and feel that someday, you will choose to not love me anymore”. He turned his head away as he said it. “As so many others did”, he added with a small, soft voice, a blush creeping up on his face.

Her heart twisted.

“I mean if that did happen and you chose to walk away, I would not stop you. Saints, I can’t even believe you have stayed for as long as you did”, he looked down again, “I just-“ he got cut off by a soft pressure on his lips.

“Okay, first of all, you are stupid”, Zoya said with a hard voice and an equally intense look. She couldn’t believe he was still thinking this way. Not that she could exactly blame him, with the family he had and the life he grew up in, it was hard to let go of this anxiety. It make her feel a rush of emotions for him, all in one second.

“Second of all, I am never leaving. I thought we vowed on that”

“People can easily break promises”, he interrupted softly.

“I wasn’t done”, she huffed.

“Third, I love you”, Zoya emphasized every word.

He looked up at that.

“What? You are surprised? D’you want confirmation?”, she asked with some annoyance.

She then kissed him on the forehead, with as much tenderness as much anger she spoke in.

Her lips trailed around his face, leaving little pecks along his forehead, going on to his temple, moving to his cheekbones and the hollow of his cheek, to his jaw, chin, all the way around. Then she hovered around his lips, ”I love you, okay you dumbass? I love you”

Zoya brushed her lips on his, softly grabbing his upper lip and kissing across it, kissing the corner, going down to the lower lip, leaving kisses across there as well and the other corner.

His hands moved around her, possessively curving around her waist and pressing himself against her. Zoya had often enough said ‘I love you’, but whenever she did, his heart would make a jump, not quite believing she means it. But she does. And she’s proven that many times. As she was doing now.

They pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other.

“Thank you”, Nikolai whispered.

“You are welcome, but why?”

“For sticking around, for staying with me, for loving me”

He could feel Zoya’s smile and she gave a quick peck as she said, “You can thank me properly later, but for now we need to get going, we don’t want to upset our guests”

He smiled now too, feeling a little bit more confident.

“Yes, let’s go”

[nazyalenskyism]

Not The Time!

Summary: Nikolai and Zoya have the worst timing.

A/N: Because I procrastinate everything including sleep, here’s a 2.4k fic I started at 1am last night because I saw a clip from a movie on twitter and thought, ‘hey, what if Zoyalai did that?’ This ended up a lot longer than originally planned and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I hope you enjoy! ❤ Thanks for reading! Ao3: Not The Time! “We’re outnumbered,” Tamar yelled as she flung her axes in quick succession at a cluster of oncoming soldiers. “What do we do?” “Stay alive and figure the rest of it out as you go,” Zoya growled, heaving her arms to summon yet another wave of icy wind to push back the advancing Fjerdans. “Excellent advice, Commander,” Tolya cried, running his sword through, “if we survive based on your advice, I’ll write an ode in your name.” “I prefer ballads” Genya called out, flinging another canister of the concoction she had made that instantly knocked out their opponents into Nadia’s awaiting gust. David didn’t look up from the contraption he was fiddling with at the base of the dysfunctional airship, “the poem isn’t for you, dear.” “If we survive, I’ll knight you all,” Nikolai grunted, firing his pistols. “Make holidays in your name, paint royal portraits of your likeness, the whole works.” Zoya scoffed, “you can’t knight people, that only happens in storybooks.” “If we die today, I doubt it will matter!”

The battle was raging on and as the minutes slipped by, the Ravkans found themselves increasingly overwhelmed. Nikolai had known that their chances were slim, but he would not be the Lantsov king who saw his country drown without trying everything in his power to save his people. A passionate rallying speech to his soldiers, a thanks to his family for choosing to stay at his side and to go down for a country who had never given a damn about them, and one last look at the possibility of a future encompassed in the blue of Zoya’s fluttering hair ribbon had been all he’d been able to do before they launched themselves into this fight. Nikolai scanned the battlefield for any sort of reprieve and instead found a slight hole in the Fjerdans’ formations. Were the Ravkans making a dent? He fired off a pistol and inspected the gap further, they could break through the ranks there, they would be able to get to the top of the ridge and perhaps neutralize the battlefield with Genya’s sleep potion...Then the remaining Ravkan soldiers behind the lines could turn the Fjerdans’ hands to surrender… and then, they might win this battle. He might save his people and his friends. But first he had to get to the top of the ridge, and he needed a Squaller for dispersal. He glanced around at the group around him, he couldn’t throw any of his friends, Adrik, Nadia, or Zoya into harm with him, not when he was sure he would probably die trying to get there. He watched as Zoya pulled out her sword, a weapon she was now comfortable using thanks to Juris’ training in the Fold, and wield it like the warrior Saint she’d become, a fearless protector of the people, a queen. All around him, his friends stood out to him like burning embers on the battlefield and he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep them alive. He had to take the leap now, if he had any chance of saving them all. He yelled out to his friends, trying to outline his plan as quickly as possible, but his proposition of completing the task alone was met with raised voices.

Zoya was the first to admonish him, “you’re not going alone, you’ll barely make it past the first three Fjerdans.”

“What other choice do I have? We need to end this battle before we’re overwhelmed.”

“Oh, your plan is fine,” she said, glaring at him, “you’re just not going alone.”

“I can’t risk--” “You’re not risking anything,” she shrugged, “if you die, then the rest of us will probably end up dead too, and I’m sure as hell not letting you die alone on the battlefield. You don’t have a choice, I’m coming either way.” “I can’t let you--” “I’m coming with you, brother.” Tolya objected. “If you’re going, then I’m going too,” Tamar cried out, but her twin gripped her shoulder. “We can’t all die today. Genya and David need you. Nadia needs you. We will be back before you know it.” Her eyes flashed, “if you’re not at the top of the ridge in 20 minutes, we’re all coming after you.” “Fine,” Nikolai said, squeezing her other shoulder, “we’ll give you the signal from the top. He nodded to David, squeezed Genya in a quick hug, “let’s go.” Slipping through the gap in the defenses at the edge of the battlefield was easy enough, but working their way through the remaining number of Fjerdans, though there were fewer than at other points in the formation, was proving to be an issue. Tolya moved through the crowd with one hand exercising his Heartrender’s capabilities, the other tight around the hilt of a massive sword. Zoya was a force to be reckoned with, her new abilities to access all Grisha orders allowed her to summon multiple elements in quick succession, bright lightning seemed to be wreathing her every movement. Nikolai was managing well enough on his own, his pistols were in constant motion, preventing more soldiers from reaching them. He began to walk backwards, facing Zoya as she moved forward, checking her back and preventing anyone from following them.

Zoya suddenly dove, and for a second he thought she was trying to impale him, only to hear a thud from behind him, she’d taken out an assailant he hadn’t seen. She was standing a breath away from him, her chest heaving and her eyes alight with a cackling energy. He hoped it was out of adrenaline and not because she was about to decapitate him. If that was the case, it would make his next words very awkward. She pulled back and turned away, but Nikolai’s hand shot out and grasped her arm. “Zoya!” he yelled over the clamour of the fight, “will you marry me?” She stared at him openmouthedly, whirling around to parry an oncoming sword, “Nikolai, now is not the time!” He turned, shooting at two figures behind her back, “now may be the only time!”

Momentum from his movements pushed him forward and then they were grasping each others’ forearms, “I love you,” he whispered, before turning to disarm a figure from the corner of his eye. They fell back into one another, “I know what I want Zoya, do you?”

Zoya struck someone down behind his shoulder, the use of her powers causing her hair to lift in the wind, highlighted by the blue electricity. She glowered at him for a second, before hitting his chest with her fist, “Tolya! Marry us!” Nikolai grinned, brushing his fingers against her perfect face for a brief moment before kicking someone in the chest, sending them flying. “I’m a little busy at the moment,” the man roared, tossing someone into an oncoming group like the world’s most ruthless game of bowling. “Tolya, now!” Nikolai yelled. “Fine then!” He clenched his fist and a whole cluster of Fjerdans fell to their knees. Nikolai reached out, drawing Zoya in by the waist as they continued moving through the Fjerdans. She glanced up at him and Nikolai found himself near giddy at the understanding of what they were about to do. They may only have a few moments left in this world and he wanted to spend those moments by her side, as her husband, something he had never dreamed would be possible. He wanted the rightful Queen of Ravka at his side for as long as she would have him, whether it was on the battlefield, at a state function, or as it looked more likely by the second, buried beneath the earth.

“Friends, or lack thereof, we’re gathered here today to witness the union of the two people in Ravka with the worst timing.” Zoya turned from his grasp, flipping a Fjerdan over her shoulder before taking his hands in hers, her ferocious eyes trained on his. Nikolai tucked her hair behind her ear, “Zoya Nazyalensky, do you take me to be your husband, your king, your demon fool?” He had never seen such visible excitement on her face as when she replied, “I do.” “Fantastic,” Nikolai hummed, ducking down as she blasted someone back with a scorching flame. With their hands still joined, they pulled apart, Nikolai drawing his own sword from its scabbard and slashing mirthlessly, the mirror of Zoya’s ruthless movements behind him. “Nikolai Lantsov,” she turned her head back to look at him. “Do you take me,” they were facing now, as if they were bound in some sort of strange dance for which no one else could hear the music to. “To be your wife?” Nikolai twirled her under his arm, “in sickness and in health? With health looking less and less likely by the second?” Zoya ducked an oncoming blade, falling against him, and he wrapped his arm around her, taking out another assailant with a pistol. “I do.” He said against her hair, holding onto her as she used a gust of wind to propel them towards the base of the ridge where Tolya had reached. “I now pronounce you king and queen,” Tolya grunted, but he was smiling. “You may kiss, though I advise against it until we’re in the clear.” Nikolai dipped Zoya down but before he could do as Tolya said, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck, yanking her up and she launched herself at an approaching warrior. “You may kiss,” Tolya yelled again, knocking out another group of Fjerdans. Nikolai spun, taking out a few stray soldiers behind both Tolya and Zoya before taking her hand in his and pulling her back towards the ridge. “Just kiss!” Tolya said. Nikolai pulled her into his embrace, relishing the way her arms wrapped around him as he finally, finally kissed Zoya, the press of her mouth against his nothing short of electric.

They broke away all too quickly, the trio scrambling to the top of the ridge, occasionally blasting back those who tried to follow them. At the top of the hill, Tolya unloaded the pack full of Genya’s potion as Zoya rubbed her palms together in tight circles, the scent of a storm descending upon them. “Are you ready?” “Don’t have much of a choice,” Zoya huffed, her eyes shut tight as thunder rolled over the field, “my husband’s stupid plan better work.” “I don’t know if I should be worried more about you or the Fjerdans if this doesn’t work out.” “Me,” she said, her eyes flying open, flashing silver, dragon’s eyes, “always me.” Nikolai backed up, winding his arm up as Tolya did the same launching canister after canister into Zoya’s awaiting gust of wind. He called out direction, telling her where to aim and he could see the sweat breaking across her brow as she maintained the storm and controlled its wind.

When the last of the potion was dispersed, Zoya stumbled backwards into him, sinking to the ground as they watched the people below fall into unconsciousness. “If we make it back to the capital, I want a ring,” she whispered. “When we make it back to the capital, I will give you much more than a ring,” Nikolai laughed, seeing the blush rise in her cheeks. She squeezed his hand tightly, letting out a soft exhale of exhaustion. A flurry of movement caught his eye from below, the flapping of a white flag from the Fjerdans, the sight releasing an audible sigh from Nikolai’s chest. They had done it. Zoya turned to him, her head still resting against his shoulder, “we did it… we won?” “Don’t sound so surprised,” Nikolai teased, smothering a grin as she got up on her toes, bringing his mouth to hers. Once again, the moment was cut far too short when Tolya pulled them both into a bone crushing hug, refusing to let go until Nikolai reminded him that Tamar would kill him for not coming back down as soon as possible. They limped back to the battlefield with Tolya taking the lead, Nikolai with his arm around his General’s waist as she leaned into him, her arm around his neck. They helped up soldiers as they went, Nikolai clapping hands and thanking them, until they finally managed to make it back to their friends. He knew there would be terms of settlement and a million other things to discuss in the coming hours, but for now all he wanted to do was embrace his friends and let the feat they’d managed to achieve sink in. Their friends were bruised and scraped, Tamar had a wicked cut on her forehead, and David had somehow lost a shoe, but they were alive. They were all alive.

“What happened out there?” Genya asked, embracing Zoya, “we lost track of you once you got to their ranks.” ‘We just fought our way through,” he replied, the weight of Zoya against him felt unimaginable, but he refused to let her go. Not that she didn’t seem content where she was, leaning against him just enough that it looked like nothing more than the king supporting his commander. “We fought our way through, knocked out a ridiculous number of Fjerdans, saved the day, and oh yeah, Nikolai and Zoya got married.” “You what?” Genya hissed, turning on them, “you what?” “Looks like David will have to perform an opera naked in the shadow Fold after all,” Zoya shrugged, letting herself fall completely into Nikolai, there was no need to hide from their friends anymore. Nikolai rested his chin on top of her head, taking in the absurdity of the moment. They had won the war, they hadn’t died, and most mind blowing of all, he was married to Zoya, and for once she didn’t seem to be on the verge of throttling him. Was it too early to call today the most ridiculous day of his life? “What?” David said, glancing up at them from the ground in alarm. “You got married without me there?” Genya shook Zoya’s shoulders. “It was very spur of the moment,” Nikolai offered, “we thought we were about to die.”

“Do shut up, your highness. You really thought I hadn’t noticed you asking to access your mother’s old sapphire tiaras, looking for a stone to make a ring with? This was anything but a spur of the moment plan.” Zoya raised a brow, “interesting.”

“Is it really?” Nikolai winced, scrubbing a hand through his hair as the rest of the group turned to him, demanding answers while his queen curled up into his side, her knowing smirk making the barrage of questions that much easier to face.

[itsdelicaterosi]

You Are In Love is the perfect song to describe Zoyalai

Okay, first of all I'm a huge huge huge YAIL stan so I was so excited when I listened to it again and realized that e v e r y t h i n g in it screams Zoyalai

One look, dark room

Meant just for you

THIS right here!! Both Nikolai and Zoya know more than anyone else all about the fuss and the charades and all the grand public things some people do to either win their favor, in Nikolai's case or try to court them, like in Zoya's. So THIS part that tries to remark that they're not doing it for the show, they are doing it for EACH OTHER and each other ONLY

Time moved too fast

You play it back

Buttons on a coat

Light-hearted joke

No proof, not much

But you saw enough

Do I need to explain this? This whole part is basically Nikolai during the whole two books. It always says that instead of going in deep waters and talking about their feelings, they just always keep it chill teasing each other and if light-hearted joke is not a great summary of 96% of Nikolai's dialogues with Zoya, I don't know what is

Small talk, he drives

Coffee at midnight

Of course they both would drink coffee at midnight and think it's a good idea (they would probably only drink tea because Ravkan babies and work past midnight anyway)

The light reflects

The chain on your neck

He says, "Look up"

And your shoulders brush

No proof, one touch

But you felt enough

I can't remember any mention of a jewelry piece in any of them, BUT if we change the chain on your neck for the dark blue ribbon on your hair that has the unfortunate effect of making him want to untie it

You can hear it in the silence, silence, you

You can feel it on the way home, way home, you

You can see it with the lights out, lights out

You are in love, true love

You are in love

Maybe it's personal, or maybe it's because it is one of my favorite quotes of the whole dang book but Her romance with Nikolai would never be bouquets of flowers and pretty declarations of love. It lived in the quiet they’d found in each other, in the hours of peace they were stringing together one by one is the WHOLE FEELING Taylor is trying to say in the chorus AS IN YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE SILENCE AKA THE QUIET THEY'D FIND IN EACH OTHER

Morning, his place

Burnt toast, Sunday

You keep his shirt

He keeps his word

Before even admitting romantic feelings, they both had SO much domestic fluff vibes, like Nikolai just casually remembering which horse was Zoya's favorite and why and always making sure she had them

And for once, you let go

Of your fears and your ghosts

One step, not much

But it said enough

This part could be about both of them individually, but I don't why it reminds me more of Zoya. Almost half of her journey on the King Of Scars duology is about "opening the door" or something like, which meant to learn that being vulnerable and loving wouldn't make her weak, and that she didn't have to be perfect all the time. Also, can we talk about how traumatic it'd be to almost being sold off?!?!!! Because I don't see people acknowledging that enough. So in the end we see how she tries go past her fears of getting hurt and letting someone love her

You kiss on sidewalks

You fight and you talk

I can't express enough how important it is to me that before anything Zoya and Nikolai were colleagues, and then friends, and then close friends who have had to work with each other for a long time and they communicate and I know their relationship would be full of healthy communication!!!

One night he wakes

Strange look on his face

Pauses, then says

You're my best friend

And you knew what it was

He is in love

Don't you dare to tell me that after one particular long night of writing letters and reading treaties and traveling in between little towns, they both fell asleep in the table and Nikolai doesn't wake up startled and does this exact same thing DON'T YOU DARE

And so it goes

You two are dancing in a snow globe, 'round and 'round

And he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown

And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars

And why I've spent my whole life tryin' to put it into words

I don't have any proof but neither doubts that in his next years without having to be king and with peace in his country, Nikolai would honor one of his best friends dreams and dedicate his relentless and creative mind to make beautiful things such as an snow globe. Plus obviously he would have a photo or painting of Zoya in his lab just to spite her (although he would really love to see her when they're apart, and even Zoya would be secretly pleased with the whole thing)

And the whole understanding about love would obviously be Zoya realizing that the "that's what love does" saying of her mother couldn't be more wrong, as in [love] was a single, fragile thread, which grew stronger through connection, through shared hardship and honored trust

And thank you for coming to my rant about how Zoyalai and you are in love are perfection :)

[lunaajade]

Everything You Need to Know about “Shadow and Bone” on Netflix (*UPDATED: POSSIBLE LANGUAGE OF THORNS ADAPTATION INFO)

 Since it’s recently been confirmed that we’d be getting S&B content in a few days (finally!), I thought I’d compile and summarize as much info as I could to refresh everyone’s memories! Please spread the word/share this post to those who aren’t up to date! (I’ve seen some people online who are worried about how it’s going to turn out, and I’d like to be able to hopefully reassure those people)

Now, there’s a LOT of stuff, so there’s always the chance I missed/forgot something. This post will be split up into categories based on type of info, so here we go! I went back and listened to/watched both of the big live streams (NYCC and the S&B Charity Competition), went on the Grishaverse Reddit, etc. to find as much (extra/bonus) stuff as I could. (If I missed anything/got something wrong, please feel free to leave a comment!)

Update: A lot of people have been asking where it was confirmed we were getting content soon. I found out from one of the update accounts I follow.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

General/Key Info About the Show

-This first season will be adapting both “Shadow and Bone” and what has been dubbed a “Book 0″ (most likely meaning prequel/backstory/set-up) for “Six of Crows” -In relation to the above point, the timelines are being brought together for the show. (Normally in the books, the two series are set two years apart)(We don’t know how exactly or what this means for the story, but I have a really interesting theory that I thought up in relation to this, message me if you’d like to hear it.) -Leigh acknowledges and understands that some of us have doubts and are worried about the show, but she has publicly assured us (numerous times) of how much she loves the show and cast, how well she thinks the crew/writers did in bringing the Grishaverse to life, etc. See a later point below in the Facts/Tidbits section -The first season will have 8, one-hour long episodes -Alina has been made half Shu (half Asian) for the show! Leigh stated that was decided on after she and Eric had a lengthy discussion on Alina’s character. -The main cast (as in confirmed to be in all episodes) is comprised of Jessie Mei Li (as Alina), Archie Renaux (as Mal), Ben Barnes (as the Darkling), Freddy Carter (as Kaz), Amita Suman (as Inej), and Kit Young (as Jesper) -Wylan and Nikolai are NOT in the first season. (Nikolai didn’t appear until the second book, and Leigh confirmed that at this point in the story, the Crows had not met Wylan yet.) -Other cast members include Danielle Galligan (as Nina), Calahan Skogman (as Matthias), Daisy Head (as Genya), Sujaya Dasgupta (as Zoya), Luke Pasqualino (as David), Julian Kostov (as Fedyor), Simon Sears (as Ivan), Zoe Wanamaker (as Baghra), and more! -The Darkling will also be called “General Kirigan” in the show. From what we know, The Darkling will be the “enemy” to Ravka (so in essence, General Kirigan is his alias/fake persona (what he’ll most likely be referred to for most of the show), and no one knows that he’s actually their enemy. (Meaning it’ll most likely a super big moment when they learn their general was actually the Darkling in disguise)). -The show was shot on location in Budapest, Hungary. (And additional filming took place this past fall in Vancouver) -In order, the 8 episodes are titled the following: “A Searing Burst of Light”, “We’re All Someone’s Monster”, “The Making at the Heart of the World”, “Otkazat’sya”, “Show Me Who You Are”, “The Heart is An Arrow”, “The Unsea”, & “No Mourners”.

Other (Fun) Facts/Tidbits About the Show

-Upon seeing Jessie’s audition, Leigh loved her audition/portrayal of Alina so much that she apparently stated that she wanted her to play Alina or she’d be out of the project. She was sent five auditions to watch, Jessie’s was the third, and she said she didn’t bother watching the rest of them. -Leigh stated that she and Eric Heisserer (the creator of the show) said they were on the same page from the first meeting. All other past meetings with producers and companies about possible adaptations had left her with a bad feeling, but she said they’d had the same ideas about inclusion, story, staff, etc. She said she’s loved the respect he’s shown towards the work (and, in a way, to us the fans) -Netflix apparently also has the rights to adapt “The Language of Thorns” , though we’ve gotten no info on that adaptation yet. (UPDATE: I just watched a Leigh Bardugo event from Feb 2019 (a few weeks after the show was first announced, I think): As of  that day, she said that she thought that they were going to use LoT more for "texture” (IMO that might mean worldbuilding?) in the show. And I don’t know if she was talking about LoT specifically because she was very vague, but she said that there were certain things in the show that she thinks readers will be really excited about. Again, this was over a year ago, back when they were still in pre-production and stuff, so don’t take my word for it. Besides this, I couldn’t find anything else relating to a possible LoT adaptation. Maybe they’ll have the stories from LoT appear as actual folk tales told in the show, and that’s the “adaptation”? IDK. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpHnw8Ygw5c&t=1906s)) -Leigh is an exec. producer on the show! I’m no expert, so I don’t know how much say/power she had in the process, but she definitely had some. -There is a RAVKAN edition of the “Shadow and Bone” book that Leigh says makes a cameo in the show! -Jesper’s guns had custom etchings done on them by a Hungarian antique gunsmith! (And they were so good that Leigh and Eric said that it looked like it belonged in a museum--they were also described to be quite heavy!) -Eric Heisserer is the creator of the show, he is an award-winning writer, well known for “Arrival”, “Bird Box”, and more. (If I remember correctly, Leigh said that he’d reached out to her about making the show!) -A DeKappel painting (maybe the one owned by Van Eck?) was confirmed to be in the pilot episode. -Pekka Rollins and Tante Heleen have been confirmed to be in the first season, but their casting has (up to this point) not yet been revealed. -Bo Yul-Bayur is confirmed to be in the show! (Though Kuwei has not) -Leigh will have  a cameo in (I think) Episode 5! She will be wearing a Materialki kefta and will be opening a door, if I remember correctly. -A lot of the crew was also extremely passionate about the project and fans of the books -The “Lives of Saints” book that was published in October is an actual book/prop that is appearing in the show! -I’m personally fine with Mal, but Leigh says that Archie is going to change everyone’s minds with his portrayal! -The costume designer for the show is Wendy Partridge, known for her work on “Thor: The Dark World”, “Pompeii”, and more!  -The composer for the show is Joe Trapanese, known for composing for “The Greatest Showman”, “Straight Outta Compton”, “Lady and the Tramp”, and more! At the NYCC Grishaverse panel, they revealed a little bit of the score (”Grisha Theme”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFxIEbsHKJA 

Fun Cast/On Set Stories/Facts

-The cast all loves each other, and are all extremely passionate about this show, which is great! (Leigh said that on her second visit to the set, she heard them singing together) -Leigh says that Ben Barnes once snuck up behind her on her first day on set and scared her by whispering “Fine, make me your villain” -Freddy’s favorite Grishaverse book is “Six of Crows”, but most specifically the first line of chapter 2 (”Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason.”) -Jessie would apparently come to set on some of her days off to support the cast and crew! -Sujaya has stated that her favorite Grishaverse character is Nikolai! (#Zoyalai) -Freddy has become famous/popular with the fandom, one of the reasons being because he often comments on posts/live streams asking something along the lines of “What was it like working with Freddy Carter? xoxo” -Danielle loves Nina and her journey in “King of Scars” -According to a Tweet, Freddy and Leigh said that there had been a scene with “a very pesky gate”--Freddy said that it “wouldn’t be proper to tweet the expletives [he] used that day” and that he thinks he “scarred” Amita and Eric. -Amita’s favorite thing about Inej is her silence, and her favorite Grishaverse book is “Six of Crows” (as of May, where we learned this during a live-stream, she said she’s read it three times and listened to the audiobook twice.) -There was a waffle truck on set on the last day of shooting! -Calahan says that if he could play any other Grishaverse character, he’d want to play Nikolai! -While she did work with the trainer to get more physically fit, Amita learned most of her knife techniques by herself! -Leigh said she cried a lot while on set! (She said there was one scene they were shooting that she has a very clear, vivid memory of writing many years back--based on the context of which she was talking about it, if I had to guess, I’d guess she’s describing the Winter Fete.) -Leigh also said that on one of her first days on set, it was funny/weird to see all the extras in First Army uniforms chilling on their phones, drinking coffee, etc. -One of Calahan’s favorite character dynamics in the books is the dynamic between Kaz and Matthias -There was a moment where Amita was fully in costume and doing amazing, graceful knife work, only to trip and fall when she’d finished. -Amita and Jessie and Sujaya were best friends on set. -Sujaya loved everything about playing Zoya. (Especially her confidence) -Leigh says one of her favorite props was Kaz’s cane, especially because of what it meant to her and the story. -If he could be any Grisha order, Calahan says he’d want to be a Corporalki -Calahan loves Matthias’s journey/arc. -Kit’s favorite Grishaverse book is “Crooked Kingdom”!

Links

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X65iI1YXrbU (NYCC Grishaverse Panel) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHou5rVs6o0 (S&B Talent Show Charity Live Stream ft. the S&B Cast!--the IG video got taken down because Archie deleted his IG account and switched to a new one) -https://www.netflix.com/title/80236319 (”Shadow and Bone” on Netflix!) -https://twitter.com/shadowandbone_ (Official “Shadow and Bone” Twitter!) -https://www.instagram.com/shadowandbone/?hl=en (Official “Shadow and Bone” Instagram!) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRh-Pmbynww (Annoucement made by cast when filming wrapped! (can be found on the social media accounts, but here’s a link to YT)) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bpY8uLtyB4 (A S&B Cast Crack video by HeartPhantom--it highlights a lot of the inside jokes and memes that we’ve gotten to witness among the cast, and also just generally shows off how hilariously chaotic everyone is (this cast is the definition of chaotic good, lol))

[hiloshudons]

I need to get this off my mind, here are a few things I hated about row.

Well, first of all I expected the plot to be a mess but not that much of a mess, I thought it would make some sense at least. It wasn't even that bad but went downhill in the last 25%.

Nikolai giving up the throne, I understand it I really do and I didn't even mind it but it was done so quickly without any real build up just one or two hints and a monologue. I'm glad he is happy but these sort of things deserve a whole book.

Nikolai didn't have an arc, he didn't have a story in his own duology once again.

I love the idea of Nazyalensky dynasty really do but people just accepting her as queen because she turned into a dragon (also genuinely wtf was that) was lazy writing.

What is Nikolai's title now? He is still Co ruling with Zoya from the sounds of it, so what is exactly his job now? What does he do I wish that was made more clear in his last chapter instead of focusing on darkling

Nikolai was barley in the last chapter? Zoya had moments with everyone but him, the last chapter was used as soc3 buildup. We were robbed of a sweet epilogue or any zoyalai moment alone. Nina and her love interest spent their last chapter in each other's arms why didn't Zoyalai get the same treatment?

The last chapters being dedicated to Darkling, Nikolai's last chapter being about Darkling pissed me off. It was possibly the last time we were in his head, I wanted to know more about him, how happy he is now. What his job is now. Where his damn bedroom chambers are but no instead we had to see Darkling going into a fucking tree.

In the last chapter Zoya had moments with everyone but Nikolai, you cannot tell me he wasn't more excited than her for her coronation. Zoya got moments with Nina, Genya, Alina and even Inej for crying out loud but barely any moments with Nikolai.

Zoyalai fans deserved a better goodbye than that, Bardugo doesn't even plan on going back to grishaverse soon so why couldn't we get a Zoyalai epilogue? Just two of them sitting in the quiet peacefully next to each other. Like Zoya defined their relationship.

Was there really any need for Mayu chapters and for them to be so long? Those chapters also could've been gone to Tamar who we already know and love. The Darkling chapters were useless, I feel like more time could've been given to Nikolai's character instead of those unneeded povs.

The last chapters have left me so disappointed. Nikolai I'm so sorry wish your author could've seen your potential. Zoya and Nikolai deserved a better book.