#;; baghra morozova ;; mirror

[its-tea-time-darling]

things i did NOT like about shadow and bone (netflix):

the darkling looks Old. he's supposed to look the same age as all the other main protagonists. this highlights alina's future of staying the same & young where everyone around her dies. it also blurs the line between good and evil more bc 'oh he's the older bad guy' is just such an easy solve. also while ben barnes is a snack imo the darkling was supposed to have a more alluring, youthful magnetism.

making genya's scars barely a few scratches. she's supposed to objectively have lost her former self perfected beauty!!! this is a thing!!! she doesn't just have some deep scars, she's supposed to look hideous at first sight, where is show adaptation teams' courage to show characters that are supposed to be mutilated as just that???? i promise audiences can survive on literally everyone else on the cast being very stereotypically pretty/handsome 🙄🙄🙄🙄

changing wesper's storyline so that they had a one night stand before canon sets in??? what kind of bullshit is that??? fucking robbing me of the "just girls?" -"not just girls" gay ANgST will they won't they, does jesper like him too, will they ever - BAM. KISS. !!!!!!! succession??? making wylan cute and awkward does NOT compensate their book storyline At All what were those show writers thinking??? 😭😭

this one i will forgive but i still rly liked it in the books so im a tad sad they didn't manage to include it: that alina has a time where she thinks she is morozova's second daughter's descendant. in many respects she has learned she is Special, and the shame she feels when she realizes this isn't another one of these cases, this isn't a way to finally show her A Path, that in this respect she is ordinary and mal is tied to fate that way, that's just such a good touch.

malina going seperate ways. what happened to "they had an ordinary life full of ordinary things--if love can ever be called that."????? "choice is true north" my ASS 😤😤😤😤 malina have always been in love and will always be in love idc abt the firebird amplifier thing that was just sth they had to do they've always been people and they've always loved each other there is no way around it

things i DID like about shadow and bone (netflix)

david and genya. specifically the delivery of the lines "I … I don’t understand half of what goes on around me. I don’t get jokes or sunsets or poetry, but I know metal. Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing. You don't need fixing."

genya telling the queen how she poisoned the king, and genya spitting at nikolai how his apologies are of no use and that he needs to prove a better king. generally just genya. 💞

nikolai sending his mother away + what he says to her.

all the malina flashbacks to the meadow <33

malina last night together 😳😳 they love each other sm!!!!!

the scene at morozova's home. baghra sharing her past, all the reveals happening there, and of course the darkling weeping over his mother's body. "know that i loved you. know that it wasn't enough." like OkAY.

sankta neyar's speech. so deeply touching, and doesn't just apply to immortals but to all of us who have been hurt and suffered loss before.

the darkling begging alina to let him be her monster. A+ delivery.

"How will you have me? Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch? I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all." generally the entirety of kanej in this show. inej's hallucination. the mirroring to the last scene. breathtaking showstopping flawless.

little rabbit.

#shadow and bone #that's all for now #who is late to the party by several months? it's TEA 😃🎉🎉🎉🎉 #txt #shadow and bone netflix #sab #six of crows #soc #wesper #malina #kanej #long post

[stromuprisahat]

Disgusting old man, pure innocent heroine and the boy she’ll end up with

As mentioned here, I’ve read Angela Carter’s variation on Bluebeard’s wife and some passages remind me of how are we supposed to perceive Darklina, Alina as a heroine and her amazing endgame:

His wedding gift, clasped round my throat. A choker of rubies, two inches wide, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat.

~> Morozova’s collar anyone?

And I saw myself, suddenly, as he saw me, my pale face, the way the muscles in my neck stuck out like thin wire. I saw how much that cruel necklace became me. And, for the first time in my innocent and confined life, I sensed in myself a potentiality for corruption that took my breath away.

~> Heroine corrupted by a piece of  jewellery around her neck?

And there lay the grand, hereditary matrimonial bed, itself the size, almost, of my little room at home, with the gargoyles carved on its surfaces of ebony, vermilion lacquer, gold leaf; and its white gauze curtains, billowing in the sea breeze. Our bed. And surrounded by so many mirrors! Mirrors on all the walls, in stately frames of contorted gold, that reflected more white lilies than I'd ever seen in my life before.

~> Don’t forget girls, if he wants to fuck you on a huge bed in front of a mirror, he’s secretly evil.

I lay in bed alone. And I longed for him. And he disgusted me.

~> Alina’s feelings for Aleksander in a nutshell.

I could not take refuge in my bedroom, for that retained the memory of his presence trapped in the fathomless silvering of his mirrors. My music room seemed the safest place, although I looked at the picture of Saint Cecilia with a faint dread; what had been the nature of her martyrdom? My mind was in a tumult; schemes for flight jostled with one another ... as soon as the tide receded from the causeway, I would make for the mainland--on foot, running, stumbling; I did not trust that leather-clad chauffeur, nor the well-behaved housekeeper, and I dared not take any of the pale, ghostly maids into my confidence, either, since they were his creatures, all. Once at the village, I would fling myself directly on the mercy of the gendarmerie.

But--could I trust them, either? His forefathers had ruled this coast for eight centuries, from this castle whose moat was the Atlantic. Might not the police, the advocates, even the judge, all be in his service, turning a common blind eye to his vices since he was milord whose word must be obeyed? Who, on this distant coast, would believe the white-faced girl from Paris who came running to them with a shuddering tale of blood, of fear, of the ogre murmuring in the shadows? Or, rather, they would immediately know it to be true. But were all honour-bound to let me carry it no further.

~> Less chaste Winter Fete with no Baghra in sight. The monstrosity of her spouse is discovered by the heroine herself.

The door slowly, nervously opened and I saw, not the massive, irredeemable bulk of my husband but the slight, stooping figure of the piano-tuner, and he looked far more terrified of me than my mother's daughter would have been of the Devil himself. In the torture chamber, it seemed to me that I would never laugh again; now, helplessly, laugh I did, with relief, and, after a moment's hesitation, the boy's face softened and he smiled a little, almost in shame. Though they were blind, his eyes were singularly sweet.

~> Gods, I wish this was Malina. This girl’s better choice is shy, sweet, blind piano-tuner. She’s a pianist btw.

He took my hand; he pressed his arms about me. Although he was scarcely more than a boy, I felt a great strength flow into me from his touch.

~> Little comforts between the endgame couple.

'Oh, madame! I thought all these were old wives' tales, chattering of fools, spooks to scare bad children into good behaviour! Yet how could you know, a stranger, that the old name for this place is the Castle of Murder?'

How could I know, indeed? Except that, in my heart, I'd always known its lord would be the death of me.

~> “In my heart, I knew that Baghra was right.” The Darkling also has a reputation full of horrors.

I pulled the curtains close, stripped off my clothes and pulled the bedcurtains round me as a pungent aroma of Russian leather assured me my husband was once again beside me.

'Dearest!'

With the most treacherous, lascivious tenderness, he kissed my eyes, and, mimicking the new bride newly wakened, I flung my arms around him, for on my seeming acquiescence depended my salvation.

'Da Silva of Rio outwitted me,' he said wryly.' My New York agent telegraphed Le Havre and saved me a wasted journey. So we may resume our interrupted pleasures, my love.'

~> Good thing we have Baghra to save us from this. Shadow and Bone never even got to pleasures...

'Go and get them.'

'Now? This moment? Can't it wait until morning, my darling?'

I forced myself to be seductive. I saw myself, pale, pliant as a plant that begs to be trampled underfoot, a dozen vulnerable, appealing girls reflected in as many mirrors, and I saw how he almost failed to resist me. If he had come to me in bed, I would have strangled him, then.

But he half-snarled: 'No. It won't wait. Now.'

~> Unfortunatelly Alina lacks agency and could never openly use her sexuality as a weapon. Closest we get is when she uses the Darkling’s longing for company at the end of Siege and Storm, but that's very chaste, suicidal alternative.

The evidence of that bloody chamber had showed me I could expect no mercy. Yet, when he raised his head and stared at me with his blind, shuttered eyes as though he did not recognize me, I felt a terrified pity for him, for this man who lived in such strange, secret places that, if I loved him enough to follow him, I should have to die.

The atrocious loneliness of that monster!

~> The Darkling... do I need to explain?

'You do not deserve this,' he [the boy] said.

'Who can say what I deserve or no?' I said. 'I've done nothing; but that may be sufficient reason for condemning me.'

'You disobeyed him,' he said. 'That is sufficient reason for him to punish you.'

~> The irony of Alina’s true sin being “I’ve done nothing.” and certain people claiming it’s disobedience... 

My lover [the boy] kissed me, he took my hand. He would come with me if I would lead him.

~> You are my nation, you are my flag..

On her eighteenth birthday, my mother had disposed of a man-eating tiger that had ravaged the villages in the hills north of Hanoi. Now, without a moment's hesitation, she raised my father's gun, took aim and put a single, irreproachable bullet through my husband's head.

We lead a quiet life, the three of us. I inherited, of course, enormous wealth but we have given most of it away to various charities. The castle is now a school for the blind, though I pray that the children who live there are not haunted by any sad ghosts looking for, crying for, the husband who will never return to the bloody chamber, the contents of which are buried or burned, the door sealed.

~> Once the monster’s slain, they life of charity and caring about others.

No paint nor powder, no matter how thick or white, can mask that red mark on my forehead [done by magical tainted key]; I am glad he cannot see it--not for fear of his revulsion, since I know he sees me clearly with his heart--but, because it spares my shame.

~> At the end of the trilogy, Alina remains physically untainted. Unlike the piano-tuner, Malyen had no problem feeling disgusted by Alina’s involvement with the Darkling, although the retcon tried to persuade us otherwise.

#The Bloody Chamber #parallels&references #Grisha trilogy #grishanalyticritical #Alina Starkov #The Darkling #Darklina #The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories #Angela Carter #Shadow and Bone (book) #Leigh Bardugo #anti Leigh Bardugo #Malyen Oretsev #anti Mal #anti Malina #V #Morozova's collar #Baghra Morozova

[tirkdi]

SPILLLLL who was aleksanders half brother in shadow of war?? was it the soldier creeping on alina at the president's ball??

You know what, I think this is the first time I've been asked! I had thought I might at some point write a drunk-history-style Morozova backstory for that fic, but it's been eight years so it may be time to admit that it's unlikely to happen ...

His half brother is the Fjerdan ambassador we meet in chapter 21, Ambassador Visser. When I wrote it, I'd meant to not hit people over the head with it since Alina didn’t make the connection herself, but when I mentioned it to my beta reader they were shocked — turns out it was way too subtle, lol. I mention their similar colored eyes and facial resemblance once or twice, and it turns out that's not enough for people to divine an entire familial relationship and backstory! Who knew??

Part of it is that there's a lot more going on with the general and Fjerda than Alina is aware of until reeeeeeally late in the story, and that the reader is never told: he was born in Fjerda, the Fjerdan ambassador to Ravka is his half brother, he got the scars on his face while he and his mother escaped, etc. The conversation Alina and the general have shortly before meeting Ambassador Visser is not talking about revenge for only Baghra's death:

... "But I would be careful about leaving children while killing their parents. Children who survive grow up to be adults who seek revenge."  Her pulse sped perceptibly, and she wet the corner of her lip with her tongue. "Like me," she whispered.  "Like you," he agreed, tucking a stray strand of hair into the folds of her head wrap. His eyes dipped again to the reflection of her ring in the mirror, and his mouth set firmly. "Like us."

... but also what they did to her while she was alive.

(It's worth noting that Aleksander knows the ambassador is is half brother, but Ambassador Visser (and pretty much everyone else) is completely unaware of this relationship)

#the shadow of war #this was fun I spent like 18 months of my life on that fic I could talk about it for years lol #portrait of a writer #an ask! #anonymous

[starsspin]

        ❛    STARSSPIN   ❜     //  ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ᴅᴇᴀʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ; There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio. Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

    AN INDEPENDENT & SELECTIVE  multi muse. ――  featuring muses from starz’s spartacus, tolkien's legendarium, star wars, leverage, bridgerton, grishaverse, original characters & more. ――    est. OCT 2020         //    produced by katie ; 25+ ; she/her.   //     heavily affiliated with: @jedimastre​, @fleetcaptian​​ & @starssung​

┊┊*ੈ✩‧₊˚          CARRD // MUSES // temp rules

blogroll: @wornkindness​, @insufferablygood​, @heartcarried​, @starscrowncd​,

updated muse list under the cut:

muses are organized alphabetically by fandom, then name ** secondary muses

original characters elanoreth of dol amroth - fc. marina moschen mereliss of rohan - fc. clementine nicholson & jodi comer

a song of ice and fire eddard stark** - fc. chris pine

bridgerton edmund bridgerton - fc. jeremy northam & rupert evans violet bridgerton - fc. ruth gemmell

csi vegas: gil grissom - fc. william petersen

grishaverse baghra morozova - fc. synnove karlsen & zoe wanamaker lada garin** - fc. madeleine madden

haunting of hill house hugh crain** - fc. henry thomas & timothy hutton  olivia crain** - fc. carla gugino theodora crain** - fc. kate siegel

inheritance cycle brom holcombsson** - fc. adrian bower garrow cadocsson** - fc. jeffrey thomas marian edithsdottir** - fc. caitriona balfe murtagh morzansson - fc. freddy carter roran garrowsson - fc. mark rowley selena kendrasdottir** - fc. amy manson

leverage harry wilson** - fc. noah wyle james sterling** - fc. mark sheppard maggie collins - fc. kari matchett parker - fc. beth riesgraf tara cole - fc. jeri ryan

night at the museum octavius** - fc: steve coogan

spartacus gannicus - dustin clare ilithyia - fc. viva binaca laeta - fc. anna hutchison mira - fc. katrina law naevia - fc. lesley-ann brandt & cynthia addai-robinson quintus lentulus batiatus - fc. john hannah spartacus - fc. andy whitfield & liam mcintyre saxa - fc. ellen hollman sura - fc. erin cummings

star trek agnes jurati** - fc. alison pill chakotay** - fc. robert beltran guinan** - fc. ito aghayere & whoopi goldberg philippa georgiou (mirror) - fc. michelle yeoh una chin riley - fc. rebecca romijn

star wars bail organa** - fc. jimmy smits captain rex** - fc. temuera morrison commander cody - fc. temuera morrison jaro tapal** plo koon** qui-gon jinn - fc. liam neeson shmi skywalker** - fc. pernilla august

tolkien’s legendarium arondir - fc. ismael cruz córdova amrothos** - fc. mena massoud elboron** - fc. aramis knight elfwine - fc. avan jogia elphir** - fc. dev patel erchirion - fc. gregg chillin faramir - fc. mahesh jadu finduilas** - fc. indira varma imrahil** - fc. naveen andrews ivriniel** - fc. tba rosie cotton** - fc. angel coulby

#&. A PINNED POST

[starsspin-a]

b.aghra hitting a.lina with her cane { mutuals may reblog; personals do not touch }

#this needed to be made tbh #so i made since no one else was going to #'hey katie this psd looks different' yeah it's one i use on normal edits sometimes #cause im tired and the lighting is trash #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; rel: aleksander morozova #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;

[thebadgerclan]

Disapproval

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x reader

Summary: Your parents have never approved of your marraige...

Y/F/N is your father’s name

Anxiety filled you as you fastened your black kefta, looking into your own eyes in the mirror.  Your parents, who you hadn’t seen in years, had turned up at the Little Palace’s gates, asking to see their daughter.  Your relationship with them was tense, to say the least.  They disliked that you were Grisha, but learned to accept it, corresponding with you while you were in school at the Little Palace, welcoming you home when you visited.  But when you’d started seeing Aleksander, they hadn’t hidden their disdain for him.  And when you got engaged, they were furious.

“He is a heretic, Y/N!” your father had shouted, your mother sobbing.  “He is dangerous!”  But you knew their prejudice was blinding them, and when they sent back the wedding invitation, unopened, you were hurt but tried not to linger on it.  You’d spoken to them a few times via letter since then, but the hostile, disapproving tone remained.  And now, they were here, in your home, wanting to see you.

Aleksander came behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders.  “Are you alright?” he asked, voice concerned, brows knitted together.  You breathed deeply, the facade of the general’s wife falling into place.  “I think so,” you said, running your hands over the wool of your kefta, the black fabric embroidered with Y/G/C thread, lined with soft fox fur.  Your husband turned you around, wrapping his arms around you.  “You can do this, lapushka.  You are strong, there is nothing you cannot do.”  You leaned into his chest, letting your husband hold you for a moment.

When you righted yourself, you nodded, and Aleksander smiled.  He offered you his arm, which you took, and he led you from your rooms.  Your parents had been shown to a drawing room, and you felt your heart in your throat with every step you took towards them.  When you reached the door, you paused, hesitancy filling you.  “Y/N?” Aleksander asked, resting a hand on your shoulder.  “Will you hold my hand?” you asked, feeling ridiculous.  But Aleksander took your hand in his, pressing a kiss to your knuckles.  “Every second, my love.  I won’t let go.”

Once you nodded, steeling yourself, Aleksander opened the door, confidently striding in.  Your parents looked up at the two of you from their seats on a silk couch, not speaking and unmoving.  “It would be courteous to stand,” he said.  “But we save the bowing for the king.”  Aleksander stepped forward, offering the hand that wasn’t holding yours to your father.  “Aleksander Morozova, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  Reluctantly, your father shook his hand, then your mother, who looked outright disgusted.  

Your husband led you to an adjoining couch, keeping his hand in yours, sitting only inches from you.  Closer than would be considered proper in company, but these were your parents, and Aleksander didn’t give a damn what they thought.  “So,” you said, keeping your nervousness out of your voice.  “What brings you to Os Alta, mother?”  Your mother bristled, as if offended by your simple question.  “Can’t we come to see our daughter?”  “You can,” you replied.  “Of course you can.  But I haven’t seen you in years.  We’ve hardly spoken, you didn’t come to our wedding-”

“Oh, of course you bring that up,” your father said, rolling his eyes.  “Why does it always come back to that?”  Aleksander squeezed your hand, both to comfort you and keep his anger in check.  “Y/N was crushed,” he said.  “She wanted her parents with her on her wedding day, she was devastated.”  Your mother scoffed, crossing her legs and sitting back.  “Y/N knows perfectly well how we feel about… this.”  She gestured between the two of you, her features those of disgust, and your heart fell.  

Aleksander, though, felt his temper rise, and he leaned forward, still clasping your hand.  “And what do you mean by ‘this’?”  “Your marriage,” your mother said, as if it were obvious.  “When Y/N turned out to be Grisha,” she said the word “Grisha” like it was poison, “We were tolerant, we put up with her freakish powers, we let her come home in that ridiculous coat, show off her pathetic powers, we were kind.  But when she told us she was getting married, to the Black General no less, that was where we drew the line.

“Our little girl, however flawed, marrying a heretic.”  The word sent a chill down Aleksander’s spine, and he grit his teeth.  “Y/F/N and I have always despised you, and now our daughter has gone and muddied herself with you.”  Aleksander stood, still holding your hand, shadows pooling in his free palm.  “I would choose your next words very carefully,” he said, voice dangerously low.  “You are speaking to the second most powerful man in all of Ravka, and I do not take lightly to people insulting my wife.”

“Y/N is our daughter,” your father said, though his voice trembled.  “And I am her husband,” Aleksander countered.  “She chose me, she loves me, and I love her.  I would happily lay down my life for her, sacrifice anything she asked to see her smile, and I don’t think you could say the same.”  The tension in the room was palpable, and you stood, tears pricking at your eyes, and Aleksander wrapped an arm around your shoulders.  “Something to say, Y/N?” your mother sneered, and you drew yourself up to your full height.  “Never come back,” you said, letting your sorrow show.  “Leave, and never come back.  Leave me and my husband alone.”

Aleksander didn’t wait for your parents to answer, he gently led you from the room, hurrying down the corridors back to your rooms.  Tears were blurring your vision, but your husband steered you in the right direction, and when you heard the door click shut, you broke.  Their words were cruel, yes, but they were your parents, and deep down, you loved them.  Aleksander pulled you tight against his chest, rubbing your back as you cried.  

He led you to sit on the sofa before the fireplace, pulling you into his side, still keeping his arms around you.  “I know,” he said, rubbing your back and kissing your forehead.  And he did know the disapproval of a parent, Baghra had shown him more than his share of that.  “Shh, milaya, I’m here.  You’re alright, let it out.”  You sniffled, tears slowly subsiding, nuzzling deeper into his embrace.  “Can you look at me, beautiful girl?”  You lifted your head from your husband’s chest, turning your tearful face to his.

“There we are.”  Aleksander cupped your face in his hands, wiping away your tears with his thumbs.  “My Y/N, my love, I’m so sorry.”  He tipped your chin up to kiss you sweetly, wishing he could take your pain away and carry it himself.  “I know it hurts, my darling, but you will get through this.  You always do, because you are strong.  And I will be here for you, always, Y/N.  My love, I am yours for eternity.”  

You only nodded, snuggling closer to your husband, and he smiled, pulling you closer yet.  “I love you, Aleksander,” you whispered, and he tipped your chin up to kiss you again.  “As I love you, my beloved.”  You sat in comfortable silence in your husband’s embrace, his arms around you, your head on his shoulder, hand rubbing your side soothingly.  Your heart ached, your parents’ words still ringing in your ears, but you knew the pain would fade.  It would take time, but as long as you had Aleksander, you’d be alright.

#aleksander morozova x reader #shadow and bone reader insert #the darkling x reader #general kirigan x reader #shadow and bone fanfiction

[cheekygreenty]

Little Witch- Part 11

The Darkling x Reader

I’m backkkkkkkkk besties 🥰🥰

The rest of the day was spent doused in the work the Darkling had given you earlier, so the time you would have spent otherwise mulling over his plans for the stag had to be pushed out of the way.

You had plenty of time left until the evening's dinner, where you would be formally announced as Deputy General to the Grisha of the Little Palace. You had already signed off on official letters to the camp commanders and First-Army leaders stating your position, but you doubted there would be any fuss from them.

Your own Grisha is who you had to be worried about. They didn't do well with change. Especially not when it came to a mysterious all-powerful Grisha coming and taking control of an army they'd never seen them be a part of before.

Nonetheless, this was happening whether they wanted it or not. Ravka needed to present a united front and adding another person to strengthen said front was essential. All you hoped for was a peaceful transition, no blood-baths. To hell if they whispered or rumored, you could handle that, you've been handling it.

You had a list of ever-changing priorities in your head, and on top of it was always Alina. You cared for your Grisha, no matter how much they hated you or how much you disliked them, and Alina wasn't any exception. You felt a pang of guilt flow through you at the thought of Aleksander using her against her better conscience but you shoved it away quickly. There was nothing you could do but talk to him and question him about the plan.

The plan. The stupid plan. You called it stupid because you didn't know anything about it and against your better judgment, it made you doubt his trust. Was it so bad, so cruel, that he couldn't tell me? Before you came to the Little Palace, you told yourself you wouldn't blindly trust anybody anymore. Aleksander had to be held to that standard too.

Your door was left slightly ajar, you were sick of the knocking at this point so when you heard a feminine voice call out your name you looked up instantly, ready to be hit with more reports.

'Ms.Y/L/N? I have been sent by the General to see if you wish to use any of my help' The red-haired Grisha looked at you with her bright blue eyes. Her white kefta pressed to perfection.

'You must be Genya' You stood up and welcomed her in.

'Sorry about the room, as you can see I don't have a proper desk yet' you laughed and watched her closely as she studied you. 'What do you do exactly? It's been years since I heard of a tailor and I've never had the pleasure to meet one.'

You noticed a look of surprise at your black kefta. If she had any questions, she most certainly didn't feel comfortable asking, he probably told her not to ask.

'I do all sorts of things, change the color of your hair, get rid of pesky scars, anything you don't like about yourself really..... well except your character, there's nothing anyone can do about that' She waved off and sat you down at your vanity, carefully pushing papers to one side.

'So? How about it?' She looked at you through the mirror and you pondered.

'Maybe the eye bags need to go?'

She nodded deeply, 'Definitely' you couldn't help but feel a little offended, but mostly amused.

'What do you propose then, Genya?'

'Hmmm, the eyebags for sure, put some color on your cheeks,-' She combed her hands through your hair and bit the inside of her cheek '-the hair needs something too, perhaps some shine?'

'Perhaps' You mused.

'I shall get to work then' she smiled.

****

After your pampering session with Genya and prying her open (more like soothing her) to talking about life at the Palaces and her life, you came to the conclusion that you would die for her. She was so kind and strong, no wonder she and Alina were always seen together, they were two peas in a pod. Her humor and wittiness, like yours, was refreshing, a breath of fresh air in the stiff and formal palace.

You didn't bother changing. The truth was you were tired already and a full day hadn't even passed of your new job. How did I do this for so many years? But still, you managed to put on your bravest smile and walk in the domed hall with your head held high and your black kefta on a show like a trophy.

Unlike the other time you and Aleksander dined together here, he was already sitting in his chair. Ivan was standing, ready to announce any war news and casualties. You could see Alina looking at you with a confused look on her face, but she still gave you a welcoming smile.

You sat down and cleared your throat in the deafening silence. Ivan began to speak but you heard none of it. Your head too full with thoughts on how this situation could go. You felt Aleksander move his hand to your thigh in a calming manner. You looked over to him and shot him a tight smile, before looking back to Ivan who was sitting down. Here goes nothing.

You stood up with Aleksander. The Grisha in the room couldn't understand what was going on, who was that person, wearing black nonetheless, sitting at the right side of the Darkling, on her own custom chair. The list of anomalies was never-ending.

He spoke first 'Today is a monumental day for the Second-Army, for all Grisha, for Ravka. Y/N Y/L/N has returned to the Little Palace and will be reprising her role of Deputy General, Second in Command of the Second Army.'

Nobody spoke but if looks could kill, I would be halfway into my grave by now.

'Ms. Y/L/N will play an essential part in our fight for freedom and justice. She is an outstanding leader, sometimes even better than I am, for she leads with compassion and understanding for all. She deserves nothing but the utmost respect and loyalty. If you for one second doubt her abilities, you might as well put cuffs around your own wrists, for disrespecting her is disrespect for me. I put my full faith in her.'

He turns to you and sits down, giving you all the attention.

'None of you will remember my reign as Deputy General, but I assure you I know what I am doing. The Little Palace and your lives are of most importance to me. I am here to protect and care for you, yes I will be giving commands, but rest be assured they are in your best interest.'

'I don't represent one order of Grisha, I represent and unite all of you-' You look towards the Etherialki '-I can summon the strongest of gales and light the Palace's fires-'

You turn your head toward the Materialki '-I can bend any metal, bleed fabric of its color-'

Your eyes meet Fedyor's '-I can soothe a heart and crush every bone in a body-'

You stand straighter '- and I can summon the shadows, call the darkness. With me at your side, I will make the Grisha kind loved once again, we will not be hunted or enslaved. Ravka's borders will be peaceful. I am putting my trust into each and every single one of you to help me achieve our utopia'

You sit back down and only then do you notice your shaking hands. You don't dare look up out of fear but a calming hand on your back almost forces you to. And you're glad because almost every Grisha in the room is looking, no, worshipping you. Their eyes glazed over and their mouths open in shock. Even Zoya looked astounded.

He leans in to whisper in your ear 'I'm so proud of you'

*****

You ate amongst the other Grisha that night, feeling a sense of belonging and confidence pulsing through you. It went down way better than you'd expected. Nobody threw a fit or tried your life. And you were happy. The sleep you had that night was the best you'd had in years.

The next morning, and the morning after that, was taken up entirely by work. Aleksander went away and so you were left with the runt of the jobs. But you had made yourself extremely comfortable in his quarters. At first, you only came to make use of the war room, then you sat at his desk to drink your tea and concentrate on work, and ultimately fell asleep in his bed, enclosed by his scent and those forgiving black sheets.

There was so much work to do and only so many hours in the day, and Aleksander decided to make life that much harder by renewing the search for Morozova's stag. You couldn't keep up.

You were waiting on a certain somebody. You had instructed the oprichniki to bring her here right after she was done with Baghra, no later. And so you stood there, inspecting the war table when a gentle knock echoed throughout the room.

'Come in'

'Deputy General' She addressed you with a curt nod.

'Please Alina, call me Y/N' you looked at her from your place at the table, hands resting on the map. She looked slightly uncomfortable but way less scrawny than when you'd first seen her. Her hair was filler and her skin glowed. She looked healthy now. Aleksander must see this too.

'I can see using your powers has affected you in more ways than one.'

'Oh-yes umm.. my appetite's grown so much since I got here it's rather funny' She was growing more comfortable.

'That's completely normal if you're using your powers more often' You smiled and walked around to her. 'I thought we could have a cup of tea or two, and you could tell me all about yourself Alina, and the things that are troubling you. I don't want you to feel like you're all alone in this place.'

'Dep- Y/N I assure you I am most certainly fine. There’s no need t-’

'I was once like you… and I can sense a troubled soul with my eyes closed.'

She stared at you with her defensive walls up, not letting any emotion slip though the cracks behind her eyes.

‘Alina… I mean you no harm. I’m just worried. Isn’t it nice to have someone worry for Alina and not the sun-summoner for a change?’ You cracked a sad smile and walked over to the tea the servants had brought.

‘Sugar?’

Part 12

Taglist (tell me if u want to be added!!)

@theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @0-artemis @lostysworld @xceafh @fire-in-her-veinz @patdsinner33 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @wizardwheezes @aleksanderwh0r3 @tomhollandisabae @hotleaf-juice @justmesadgirl @exo-1204 @houseofdupree @oberonpascal @eireduchess

#shadow and bone #grisha #imagine #the darkling #the darkling x reader #alexander #alexander morozova #fanfic #alina starkov #ben barnes #black general #black heretic #general kirigan x reader #general kirigan #kefta #shadow summoner #little palace #one shots #keftas #one shot #series

[jomiddlemarch]

I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself

“You are not alone.”

“You are special.”

“You were perfect.”

Aleksander knew Alina thought he was praising her, encouraging her because she had come to the Little Palace so late, perhaps too late, because Botkin narrowed his eyes and shook his head and Baghra cursed and threatened with her open hand, her birch rod, the other Grisha turned up their noses or gossiped about whether the Darkling had finally made a mistake, that she could not control her power and would never be able to, that she had the manners of a peasant and the skin to match, no matter what Genya wrought, but it wasn’t that, though he did not begrudge her any consolation she found in his words or what he let her see in his eyes. He was trying, so very hard, to understand her. Despite his age and experience, she defied, most marvelously, his comprehension.

She reminded him, fleetingly, of Luda whom he had loved, of how she lifted her chin and held his gaze. She reminded him of women before and after, of Kadri from the north and Rusudan who had had something to do with dreams, calling them forth the way Alina called forth the light, from nothingness and everywhere. There had been no guild for her, rejected by the Etherealiki, baffling the Durasts, but dreams summoned are not companions to shadows; when she left, he could not consider her lost as he would Alina. It was not her power that puzzled him. He recognized how it was with her, how it had been once with him, the sense of a still pool and of the tide, of a wave and a boundless world below. He had never been as hesitant as she could be but his Grisha mother had raised him and hers had not. Even so, there was in her a force that spoke to the power, coaxing it when necessary, reveling in its crest and appetite. He Summoned shadow and she light, but they were two similar to trouble him.

It wasn’t that she was fearless, for she wasn’t and it wasn’t that he didn’t grasp what it was she feared but how she managed it, that meadow she kept as a refuge when it had been nothing but grass and sky. It wasn’t that she was lonely or sad, for he’d seen both in any number of people, and in himself, but Alina’s eyes could not become darker than they were and that sweet, pretty mouth of hers was no less sweet, no less pretty for the tears she shed and those she swallowed. It wasn’t her persistence in learning Botkin’s lessons or her wonderful irritation with Baghra or even the way she would be late to dinner because she was reading in the library, fiddling with the end of a braid, brushing it against her lips.

He kept telling her about herself, hoping he was right. He kept listening to the songs she hummed under her breath, her favorite about a girl who wore a falcon on her wrist and sent it off to hunt; she sang low as though she also heard a boy’s heart-breaking tenor. He found her sketchbook, opened to the drawing of the great Morozova stag, but leafed through the rest of the pages and saw Genya as she Tailored and David watching her, Fedyor’s straight back, a half a dozen portraits of the wounded tracker she’d have spent herself saving if she could, and Aleksander’s own face, again and again, in mirrors and against snow, the angle of his jaw and the darkness of his beard against his cheeks, giving way to his throat, a picture of how she’d wished to turn in his arms as they’d ridden at a punishing pace for Os Alta. There were his hands on her, cutting her to show the light and gesturing towards the royal dais, holding a bouquet of irises, his shoulders squared, his kefta swirling around him. There was a terrible, tender drawing of him sleeping, something she’d imagined or dreamt or somehow seen without him knowing it possible, his lashes long and dark on his cheeks and his mouth soft. He’d heard her describe herself as a mediocre mapmaker and had held his tongue, wanting her to think of herself as Grisha, knowing that she was wrong; he’d never seen such exquisite maps of the soul as Alina’s work in pencil and ink and very rarely, some detail picked out in a vivid color, the iris petals, David’s eyes, the rare blue sheen on his own black hair. He wanted to keep the book but she’d miss it and ask. Whether or not she was told, she’d figure out that he was the only one who could want the book and keep it from her and that wasn’t something he could wrap his mind around. He’d already felt her hands on his back as she’d helped him into the kefta as if she were any wife and he any husband, he felt her touch his arm when he’d spoken of the past, the taste of her lips from that one, brief, tormenting kiss; these were secrets he could keep and still see her moving through the halls, still imagine her within the Fold with all her light to command.

And then she drew him to her in the War Room, her hands on his face, asking him with those smoky dark eyes and then answering him when he gave her leave; her mouth on his, lips parted, taking him as no one ever had, giving him her longing, making him beloved who had only been feared and admired for time past counting. He could not hold her close enough but it wasn’t because she wanted coaxing though she trembled in his arms as he kissed her deeply, desperately. He could not understand her but he wanted to understand the Aleksander she loved; when they broke apart, his hand on her thigh, hers at his throat, he looked at her and gave up trying to know any better. She was Alina, milaya, and he was not alone, not because she claimed him or controlled him, but only because what she saw when she looked at him was her heart’s dearest desire, a mystery he couldn’t solve but only live with.

#shadow and bone #darklina #darklinadaily #darklinaweek2021 #headcanon #soulmates #free choice #threefer #alina x aleksander #praise #alina's sketchbook #yes #this is a thing I do #write about characters drawing #darklinafic #aleksander morozova #MOAR BACKSTORY #darklinafics

[greensaplinggrace]

What Is There To Celebrate About the Darkling? (Part 3)

1 2 3 4

His shadow powers are so badass, literally how could you not celebrate him for that alone?

Villain wears black trope REPRESENT.

The way his cloak billows dramatically in episode one before Alina enters the Fold.

The way his cloak billows in general.

His little face in the background after his and Alina’s first kiss as he tries to compose himself.

Him knocking on the table in episode five when he gets back to see Alina. My mans was so hopeful that he’d finally get to third base with the love of his life. RIP.

Large hands. Very tall.

The way he literally cannot tear his eyes away from Alina during the entire scene where Alina dresses him and they have their first kiss.

The softest looking hair I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe Alina got to run her hands through it and she still left him.

How he urgently looks around for Alina outside after she leaves in episode five, right before he confronts Baghra. He’s very frantic and panting and clearly concerned and not being subtle at all about his emotions.

Also the way he walks when he’s leaving Baghra, with his hands stuck out to the side and his fists clenching and unclenching as his form grows smaller in the distance. He looks like a tiny penguin waddling away.

Son’s evil dastardly bastard plans once again thwarted by own mother. Can you imagine living for an eternity and never being free of your parents? Fuck all that other shit, no wonder he went darkside.

“She is all that matters now, not me. She is the future. She is the one-” SIMP

His little smile before he goes to answer the door after they kiss. The way his hold on her lingers as if he can’t bear to part with her. Forehead touch. They are giggling.

The way he runs back in for another kiss. This man is so gone it’s not even funny.

He calls her to him in the books and she spends the entire time agonizing over how upset he’s going to be. The man literally just wants to ask her about her day.

Defends Alina to Baghra after he witnesses her getting harassed. Defends himself to Baghra after she treats him like shit. Love that for him.

“I made something.” / “Let me make a mark on this world before I leave it.” / “It’s my own name I’m afraid of forgetting.” / “He understood then. The Grisha lived as shadows, passing over the surface of the world, touching nothing. Forced to change their shapes and hide in corners, driven by fear as shadows were driven by the sun. No safe place. No haven.” / “There will be, he promised the darkness, words written upon his heart. I will make one.”

Him offering Alina his kvas. They drink from the same glass.

Sasha “no thoughts head empty only Alina” Morozova having to look away and calm himself when Alina licks her lips after drinking his kvas.

Literally his entire confrontation with Kaz. Absolutely hilarious. Local centuries old Black Heretic gets bested by a teenager with one (1) flash grenade.

“I never intended for it to be the blight it’s become.” - Genuine regret. A+++.

Asks Mal what Alina’s favorite flowers are and then gives them to her. Was it manipulative? Yes. Was it awful? Absolutely. Was it the funniest and smoothest shit I’ve ever seen? 100%. I laughed my ass off.

Alina: *enters the fete dressed in the black kefta* *Darkling.exe has stopped working*

This man takes one look at her lack of guards and goes: what’s more important than how beautiful the wifey looks? her safety. *protective bf mode initiated*

He admires how pretty he appears in the mirror of his room with absolutely zero shame and 100% pride. We stan a vain icon in this house💕. Also the mirror is in front of the bed?!?! 👀👀👀

His knife ring.

“You looked like you needed saving,” as fire plays across his features and he looks at Alina with an expression that makes my soul want to splinter into pieces. The implications, the pain.

Will display his complete and utter adoration for Alina in front of the entire Court including the King and Queen despite the fact that that is the worst thing he could possibly do in the political environment.

“No ordinary tracker. No ordinary girl. Orphans of Keramzin reunited. AdOrAbLe.” - How do you say you have issues without saying you have issues?

The way he eclipses Alina when he’s stepping down from the dais. The inherent romantic symbolism of the eclipse and what that means for him.

Him getting excited about the stag to the point where he’s eagerly rummaging through the maps on his table and urgently asking Mal tons of questions.

The five second delay in his thoughts as he processes that Mal isn’t cooperating. Poor guy really thought that everything was finally coming up Sasha for once.

He constantly uplifts Alina after Baghra’s emotional abuse. He constantly helps her with her self esteem and reassures her that she’s doing well and that she just needs more time.

“Yeah I don’t know what Baghra’s summoning ability is,” he said, like a liar.

Even after Baghra suggests that Alina left he doesn’t believe it. He has to hear it from Kaz after searching for ages before he finally begins to believe it.

“You smuggle Grisha out of MY PALACE!”

Titty grab during the kiss scene.

He lifts her up onto the table!!

Local whipped dark overlord gets excited that Fedyor has found Alina and has to suffer through the embarrassment of acting like a lovesick fool when he learns it’s just about Nina.

His relationship with Nikolai.

The fact that Alina’s scarf blows past him before they even meet.

The way he nods with such an understanding expression when the Conductor is lying his ass off as if he sympathizes with everything the other man is saying and isn’t secretly planning his elaborate murder.

Puppy dog eyes all the time.

Every time his smile is forced and ingenuine and he looks like he’s about to stab someone.

Every time his smile is genuine and he looks super soft and loving.

“You have no chance, ShAdoW mAn.” Literally how is he ever going to recover from this.

His hands motions when he summons. I just think they’re neat.

He kills the Conductor. Hated that guy. And he looked sexy as fuck doing it.

He hates the Druskelle, he hates the Ravkan monarchy. I can relate.

He’s NOT a bootlicker, unlike some.

Dad mode gets activated when David raises his hand. Aleksander just goes along with it like an exasperated father.

Ben Barnes nose scronch.

He begs for Luda’s life.

“Merzost feeds on us. I forbid it!” two seconds later *frantic rummaging through notes on the merzost* *reading the Forbidden Knowledge™ without any hesitation* *Immediate Disaster Occurs*

“Mom look what I made!” “Your art is atrocious and you’re no longer my son.”

His history was written by the victors. The tale of the Black Heretic is straight up propaganda by the corrupt monarchy.

Immortal old man caught in a young adult love triangle: I read your letters. Malyen “what the fuck is happening on this here day” Oretsev: ??!?!?!!! who even are you??

Aleksander admitting he needs Alina.

Darklina hand holds.

He did not have to make that episode eight hand-hold on the skiff so sensual but he did it anyways.

The way he hides under his cloak like a turtle when Jesper shoots at him.

He looks so awkward and isolated at the fete surrounded by all of those colorful nobles.

He’s always ready to murder a bitch and honestly I respect that.

Would kill for his gf.

That entire scene where he kisses Alina in the snow in the books like the most awkward motherfucker and then goes “wtf just happened?! Darkling out” before fleeing the scene of the Emotion.

He’s eternally confused by his feelings for Alina and it’s hilarious.

“Looking for trouble, and if I cannot find it I will create it.”

He’s basically just a moth attracted to a fatal light. RIP.

The way he throws open double doors like a man on a mission.

“Follow.”

He’s utterly precious and I would die for him. 🖤

#the darkling #aleksander morozova #shadow and bone #sab #grishaverse #the grisha trilogy #darklina #alina starkov #sankta alina #ruin and rising #alina x aleksander #alina x kirigan #the grishaverse #the grisha series #grisha netflix #darkling slander sunday #myramblings #mymetas #sab meta #alina x darkling

[amiramorozova]

Dual Summoner x The Darkling pt. 24

As I stayed in my room while it was getting dark I looked at myself in the mirror. I questioned if I was humoring the idea or was I really falling for him? I shook my head at the thought I knew the truth, I was falling for him every time I saw him. I could tell that he had been in a relationship well that was a lie I knew he had. Baghra mentioned that he was in a relationship with his healer before the fold.

Am I setting myself up to get hurt in the end? Does your heart still belong to your first love and you hide that pain of several thousand years to look at me as new hope?  I thought 

I went to bed figuring that it was best not to dwindle on things I could not understand. All of this was new to me. I was laying there in bed for only a few minutes when the door opened and I grabbed the dagger preparing to fight when I stopped seeing Marie and Nadia. I put it away as I felt tears falling and wiped my eyes.

Marie and Nadia came over sitting by me as they were my new guards now. I had my best friends as my own guards that I smiled at them. I knew that I had so many secrets buried within me I didn't know if I could keep them in for much longer.

"Why are you crying?" Nadia asked, "Did the general call off the engagement?"

"No, Aleksander did not call off the engagement." I said"

"who?" Marie asked

"General Kirigan, he allows me to call him that when we're alone. I know so much that I wish I could tell you." I said

"Tell us what you can?" Marie said 

"Baghra is our General's mother, she is the best teacher there will ever be. She's trained, my father and my mother. When she trained my father she made this arrangement for his daughter born with the sun to marry her son." I said, "There is a stag, Morozova's stag that when it's found I have to go after it or it could be bad for me." 

"Then we'll help you with the Stag." Marie said

"We'll need a tracker. If it's found we have to get Nico to help." I said

"Nico?" Nadia asked

"Nicolas, I asked him to come find me if he finds the stag." I said

"Have you invited this dashing boy to come to the little palace?" Nadia asked

"No. I don't have that kind of authority." I said, "and with Aleksander heading to the north I can't risk it." 

Marie and Nadia nod at my words as I reached for my father's locket holding it close. I knew that more Sun summoners were alive possibly. I'd never met my grandparents so if I could meet them someday it'd be a blessing.

We all ended up staying there passing out on my bed for the night. The next day was the usual except he wasn't here so I didn't have to feel like I needed to hide from anyone. Days passed and over time I realized that I did miss him. I'd heard summoners also talking about Soulmate initials starting to show up on their wrists as I checked my own.

nothing. I thought 

I didn't want to overthink it knowing that my parents were soulmates so I just had to stay positive. I hadn't heard of these things before about the Initials and most people wanted to talk to me for the wrong reason. Some Summoners thought I was going to be promoted to the General's right hand side with my engagement. I would just smile and try to assure them that I was unsure.

Genya came and found me when people were overcrowding me and I knew that there was much to discuss. The Fete was close and I was already ready to just go to another Banya to get my mind off of everything. Genya poured us tea as we sat down and we drank some until I decided to speak.

"Genya, does everyone have a soulmate?" I asked

"Yes, we all do, even those who are not summoners." Genya said

"So everyone gets initials?" I asked

"If a non grisha is a summoner meant to be, they will. Why are you curious?" Genya asked, "Think you might know who yours is?"

"No, I don't. Even if I did I am bound by a promise to be General Kirigan's wife." I said

Genya smiled "What if General Kirigan is your soulmate?" Genya asked, "have you ever looked when he's around?"

"I didn't even know about it before overhearing the summoners talking about it." I said as I noticed on Genya there were the initials DK on her wrist. "But clearly you do."

"Ah this, yes. Well I haven't spoken much to him." Genya said, "But I know who he is." 

I wanted to ask as I realized you didn't even have to be that close just on the grounds of where your soulmate was. I looked at my wrist, seeing it blank, wondering if Aleksander was my soulmate. I wondered if Baghra had one and they had died a long time ago. I eventually went to read over it and I looked over the text out of curiosity. 

When a summoner's soulmate is on the same grounds as them the initials will appear but if the soulmate dies the initials will fade but the feeling of them being there will remain. 

I wondered if Baghra did but I couldn't ask her as I never paid attention all this time about the whole soulmate. Still I hated the idea that this could throw a big problem in Baghra and dad's arrangement. I just closed the door before getting things done. 

The day before the Fete came and I was looking out the window when I noticed the carriage coming. I was curious about what he might have found when he was gone and I knew that there wasn't much I could do. I was thinking about him as I felt Marie and Nadia wrap their arms around mine and lead me off. 

"Where are we going?" I asked

"We are going to do something fun besides gazing longingly out the window." Marie said 

I laughed a bit knowing they were always going to be the best friends I could ask for when it came to the whole truth. We walked for a while before we started to do something, I started to get hot so I took my Kefta off and that's when Marie grabbed my wrist.

"hey what's going on?" I asked

"Your wrist has initials on it." Marie said 

"it..does?" I asked

I hesitated as I took my wrist back and slowly I started to look at it before I ran my thumb over the initials.

AM

Aleksander Morozova I thought 

When footsteps were behind us the girls looked as they bowed to him and he seemed to be thinking or I think he was. My back was to him as I could feel him staring at my back as if he was debating what to say before he spoke.

"Girls, let me talk to my fiance alone." Aleksander said to Marie and Nadia

"Of course." They said leaving the room

I turned around as Aleksander walked over and he offered his hand to me. I knew what he wanted to see so I took his hand with the wrist that had the initials on it as he looked over them and lightly traced them.

"My initials on your wrist." Aleksander said then he pulled his sleeve back where I could see my initials on his wrist.

AS

"O-Oh." I said 

Part of me wanted to say that it wasn't me that was on his wrist but I knew the truth. I knew that it only happened when we were on the same grounds and it wasn't there when he was gone. He took my hand and kissed the top of it.

"Amira, people are looking for the stag. After it's found, why don't we go ahead and get married." Aleksander said 

"I think that's a bit of a rush and honestly you didn't ask properly just asked if I would wear it." I said 

He seemed surprised by words and maybe it was because of how I came across but I had mixed feelings about the stag. I knew I needed to get it before he did but if there was a chance he got it before I did then I didn't know what to do. 

"I want to protect you Amira, word has spread that there was a spy in the little palace and saw your light." Aleksander said, "Please, this is a way to keep you safe." 

"Let me think about it." I said 

Aleksander pulled me close and kissed me and I kissed him back, this kiss started to become our first make out as I realized how much I missed him before while he had been gone. Before it got too intense for both of us I pulled away to breathe.

"I need to get some rest tomorrow is the Winter Fete." I said 

"Are you ready for the performance?" Aleksander asked

"I am." I said, "I can do anything as long as you're with me." 

Aleksander put a hand on my cheek and rubbed his thumb on it as I looked at him knowing that I was just keeping him thinking I needed him.

"Good Night Amira." Aleksander said 

"Good Night Aleksander." I said 

Then I left him alone knowing that I really did need sleep before the Fete.

#general kirigan #aleksander morovoza #shadow and bone #grishaverse #darkling x reader #team darkling #darkling #the darkling #fanfic

[el-michoacano]

Move me, baby

Because I'm always weak for ballet AUs

.

He could watch her all day.

Zoya was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

Being a soloist with the Os Alta Ballet Company, that was saying quite a bit. Though the rest of the company had gone home for the night some hours ago, here he sat, watching her, both still in their leotards and tights.

Zoya was presently dancing Giselle's movements from just before her suicide, and even without the music meant to accompany the dance, Nikolai felt ready to cry. "It really is a crime," he said to her, his voice loud in the empty mirror-lined studio, "that they didn't give you the part."

"It's Baghra's last performance," Zoya said, not missing a beat as she executed a flawless pirouette. "Once she's gone, I'll be the principal."

Nikolai laughed at her, and she shot him a dirty look as she spun. "Don't sound so eager!"

"Or what?"

How he adored her obstinance. "Morozova won't be happy if he hears you celebrating his mother's retirement."

Zoya stopped, stiffened at the mention of Morozova. She worshipped him, Nikolai knew.

"You deserve better than the corps," he said.

"And I'll have it," Zoya said, huffing and joining him on the bench in front of one of the mirrored walls. "As soon as she's gone."

"You sure?" Nikolai asked, watching with marked interest as she pulled her hair down from its high bun, long, black waves falling loose down her back. She was beautiful. How Morozova could look at anyone else when she was in the room was beyond him. "Rumor has it he has an eye on the Starkov girl."

Hiking one leg up onto the bench so she could unlace the ribbons of her pointe shoe, Zoya said, "Then he's a fool."

"Aren't we all?"

"Just him," Zoya said, "and you."

Nikolai took that as a compliment.

#zoyalai #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #the darkling #aleksander morozova #alina starkov #ballet au #dancer au #grishaverse #the grishaverse #the grisha Trilogy #the grisha series #tgt #shadow and bone #my writing #my grishaverse

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endless edits of baghra.morozova { mutuals may reblog }

#she's just like come on move it alina #also THE FACT SHE WAS THERE WAITING BEHIND THE DOOR FOR ALEKS TO LEAVE #will never not be absolutely historical to me #also the lighting in this scene IS A MESS #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;

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endless edits of baghra.morozova { mutuals may reblog }

#he is SO MUCH TALLER THAN HER #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;

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endless edits of baghra.morozova { mutuals may reblog }

#it's been a hot min since i've made things of her so here we are #also this psd does WONDERS for her scenes which are all so dark #anyways i love her #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;

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b.aghra m.orozova edits { mutuals may reblog }

#AAAHHHHHHHH #also i was tired of struggling with her dark scenes #WHICH ARE LIKE ALL HER SCENES RIP ME #so i made this #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;

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endless edits of baghra.morozova { mutuals may reblog }

#zoe UNDERSTOOD the assignment #also yes i did gif this whole scene #there are no gifsets of her so i gotta do it myself #for me and krystal tbh because we deserve nice things #;; baghra morozova ;; mirror #;; baghra morozova ;; edits #;; my edits ;;