#and i was much more invested in the grisha as a whole

[ryuichirou]

Replies

A couple of replies with fandom stuff, then a couple of twst replies.

irregardlessly-tish asked:

A friend message me "YOU FOLLOW THE LEVI X GRISHA PERSON" and I had no clue what they were talking about but then they showed me the two pictures you drew of Levi and Grisha lol. It made me laugh a lot. Then I helped them found the uncensor version of one of the drawings in your pixiv since the link to twitter seem to be broken (I'm a great friend I know/j). I guess you could say they are big fans of your rarepair work!

LEVI X GRISHA PERSON AAAHH 😭 It’s always so funny to learn how people are referring to us; I was the Zevi artist, the Shroudcest artist… For some reason, being a Guriri (wow Grisha’s and Levi’s shipname is cute, I completely forgot about it) artist feels like such a high honour lol Especially because I had no idea there was someone out there invested in this ship. Your friend’s taste is excellent. A huge thank you to them for enjoying our stuff, and a huge thank you to you for helping to find the uncensored version. You really are a great friend hehe.

It’s honestly a shame that even the pixiv version is still censored (albeit not cropped like the tumblr version), because you can’t really post uncensored stuff there… So now only a few people who had saved our snk smut back when it was posted on our now-deleted twitter have it :(

(it’s a bit embarrassing looking back at those sketches and seeing all the mistakes though, yikes)

Anonymous asked:

I want to shake antis by the shoulders and scream at them all the time cause I see them being sooo unhealthy with themselves, and I've BEEN there I know what they are doing and I know it is just going to get them hurt with the same train wreck I got myself in!!

It's the whole problem with black and white thinking where you go "people treat incest shippers like satan himself, so I cannot accidentally enjoy it or I would be evil incarnate too, and adopted/step is the same thing, so I cannot accidentally like that, and found family is basically the same as adopted, so I have to avoid that, and character A called character B his bro one time, so..." that thinking pattern does not have a stopping point!!!!!! It is so unhealthy!!!!!!!!

And then people realize they can't stop themselves from enjoying unhealthy ships, and instead of separating fiction from reality, they just excuse everything abusive about the ship like it is fine and normal behavior because they cannot accept themselves enjoying something that is remotely problematic. It is so much more likely to get people hurt than just enjoying the porn of some fake brothers fucking 😭

Anon! First of all, sorry for replying late; we received your ask about a week ago but I didn’t have enough time to properly address it. Second of all, thank you for talking about it and sharing your experience.

It’s just like you said; people really don’t want to get ridiculed or hated, especially younger people, therefore, they are afraid of liking stuff that is even slightly problematic. And for some of them, if they don’t want their so-called friends to suspect them loving problematic stuff, they’ll act even more aggressive than they should to overcompensate. I feel like when it comes to antis who talk about us specifically, the most vocal and persistent ones are those whose friends called them out for following my accounts or liking my drawings. And this is honestly both sad and pathetic at the same time; I cannot imagine how bad of a headspace this might be. I don’t pity them though lol

We always talk about it, but still: this is a game you can’t win because the rules are always changing. The only thing that never changes is that there is no nuance, once the crowd decide that the ship is bad, it’s bad. Starting out with the basics, age gaps and incest are bad, right? Right. But what if the characters aren’t canonically related but could be interpreted as brothers? Then it’s still bad, right? But what if they aren’t at all brotherly, but one of them expressed that they want to do bad things to the other? Sounds bad, right? And thus, the only type of dynamic that exists is a romanticised version of a perfect gay couple: they are equal in every way, they love each other, they are SUCH DORKS together who fit perfectly to any “redraw this as your ship” meme that’s the hottest thing these days, they don’t have arguments, they don’t have misunderstanding and rough moments. Their personalities, everything that made their relationship unique or interesting completely disappears and smoothes out, and after that it’s not even a ship, it’s just a nice blend that is perfect for consumption because it doesn’t irritate your teeth, your throat, or your stomach. It’s tasteless, it’s boring, it’s nothing, and it’s not about the characters, it’s about deciding which two characters are unproblematic enough to be transformed into blorbos, and if they have some problematic elements in-canon, it’s okay, we’ll just erase those because being unproblematic doesn’t really matter. What matters is to act in a way that doesn’t go against what the rest of them are doing, because otherwise you’re making people uncomfortable, and if they are uncomfortable with you, they feel morally correct for attacking you.

It’s never about characters. It’s always about control, about cliques, about bullying and making everyone afraid to have an actual opinion. It’s about instilling in people’s mind that attacking strangers on the internet makes you a cool person because you are simultaneously a rebel for being so ballsy and brave, and a saint for having moral standards so high that you can’t stomach bad things even if they are fictional.

Sometimes people just have different ships and that’s okay. Sometimes people don’t have any ships and don’t understand the shipping culture, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is to feel entitled to this control over the way others consume media and interact with it.

Because it makes the fandom experience boring at best and unbearable at worst.

Sorry, I digress lol What I wanted to say is that you are right, it messes with people’s brains. And it is much more unhealthy than fantasising about the things that are 100% fictional (which is, by the way, a huge part of their appeal).

Anonymous asked:

just wanted to say I love your content a lot, it's a breath of fresh air from all the anti content present in the fandom

You are very welcome, Anon! And thank you so much for your support <3 It means a lot to hear that our stuff is refreshing to you.

Anonymous asked:

Is Lilia sneezing on people on purpose, or is it a sneeze button for him?

(this is related to this post)

We’ll never know, Anon, it’s one of Lilia’s many mysteries…

Maybe it started out as a joke, but then he really began to sneeze on people every time his nose gets booped lol

Anonymous asked:

Where can I see the art for the new Shaftlands event?

I don’t think all of them are fully out yet, but people are pretty active on twitter, so simply looking up characters’ names is probably going to work!

Anonymous asked:

…Quick, someone bully Idia into sending nudes.

And be quick about it because Idia could also quickly change his mind and hack the recipient’s phone to delete the pictures!!

#replies

[lilisouless]

Show Wesper is cute but it doesn’t do Book Wesper justice. I wished the show took the repressed wizard and dyslexic guy and properly explored their issues. Them helping each other out with their issues is my favorite part of their relationship in the books. Their chapters in Crooked Kingdom made me cry. They are my favorite couple in the books because they help and support each other. Six of Crows teases them and the audience expects them to be the comic relief couple as a breather from the Helnik and Kanej angst but Crooked Kingdom beautifully subverts this initial assumption and gives them a captivating storyline where they both become better as a result. It doesn't just reduce the LGBTQ+ characters as a fun side couple. This ship will always have a special place in my heart. It's probably the first mlm ship I really got invested in and they are mutually supportive of each other and help each other grow. This may be a weird metaphor but Show Wesper is the equivalent of eating fluffy and sugary dessert for every meal where Book Wesper is more like a savory meal, less overt sweetness but more filling and satisfying.

I agree, book wesper is superior and the show shouldn't had rushed Jesper's arc since it doesn't mention Colm, the grisha slavers as external influence nor his gambling or adrenaline adiction as a consequence. Overall how Wylan and him bonded over their commom trauma, show wesper will never have the whole plate because Jesper already knows Wylan can read and already acepted his powers. If you ask me which crow they screwed over the most on s2 is definitely Jesper , but i don't feel it happened because of his relationship with Wylan , so it doesn't give me a huge sour feeling for the ship itself .

i do have a small tentative defense of show! Wesper nor that they maybe be better or even good BUT that they mostly makes sense but i will reblogg it later because i am writing from a movile , i am not sure how i feel about it yet. Let me just say that they are not hugely out of character (like S1 Kaz) had their trauma ignored (like inej or s2) or getting reduced to their relationship (like Nina pretty much the second half on s2 and as a concept overall)

#ask box #wesper #shadow and bone #sab spoilers #spoilers sab #wylan hendriks #jesper fahey

[hypermania]

I can't tell if you liked Shadow and Bone or not and it's killing me lol

i also can't tell if i liked it! i know for sure i liked s1 a lot better than s2. s1 was an interesting viewing experience because i had to adjust to the fact that they really weren't following the books and i wasn't prepared for that. i think what they did with the grisha trilogy worked really well. pretty much every change was for the better. it made the characters more likable which serves the plot a lot better. the crows stuff, however, was more jarring both because i'm far more invested in them and because the changes were bigger and without any obvious payoff. but once i got over the hesitancy of the story being changed it was mostly fine. there were still a few things i didn't like but overall it was like okay i get it. we're moving chess pieces around because we're setting stuff up.

going into s2 i knew they weren't following the books closely so i went in with the mindset of "hey this is its own thing and you should judge it based on what it is, and not what it isn't." and then... they just shoehorned in a bunch of big Moments(tm) from the books that... have no relevancy in the story they're telling?

like what was the point of kaz bringing pekka to his knees begging? pekka still has a crap ton of people loyal to him. he's still running shit from hellgate. there was no emotional catharsis to it. and kaz hasn't built up the reputation of "When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing" yet soooooooo it kinda just feels like kaz showed that yeah he can figure out what is most important to someone and push that button (figuratively, because he won't actually do the horrible thing) but it ultimately doesn't even matter because... ??? like i don't know why that mattered in the context of the story they're actually telling. it was just a big moment from the book plopped into the show. if they wanted to rearrange the pieces so that pekka would be in hellgate with matthias, they could have done that without using the alby storyline in a place where not only does it not fit, it completely undermines the point.

same with the "i will have you without armor" interaction. i'm not a big fan of that line in the books to begin with. it's fine. i just think there are way more *scream into my pillow about it* moments but i know it's a fan favorite and it feels like that's the only reason they included it. when it happens in the book, it's because kaz hasn't offered inej anything, really. he's asked her to stay in ketterdam but that's the most vulnerable he's allowed himself to be with her. so it serves as like a linchpin for him to do better, sort of? but in the show... he's already told her about jordie. he's already given her freedom from the menagerie and a lead on her family. he's already given her everything except physical skin to skin contact, and so that line just comes across as "you're not good enough because you're traumatized" instead of "we're both traumatized but i want to get better and i won't let you hold me back from that. you have to at least try" so it's... kinda gross?

the jesper and wylan changes are mostly fine but their relationship feels very rushed and i don't really understand what the point of doing that is. like jesper watching wylan play piano and having a moment about it felt like... nothing? because wlyan is just a guy he had a one night stand with. what new light is it shedding on a guy jesper doesn't really have any mis-formed preconceived notions on? and why are they already basically married? maybe this is just a personal preference but that's not fun to me. i am much more interested in watching them awkwardly fall for each other over time than having immediate confirmation that they're a couple.

(also i have a pretty big gripe with the way jesper being grisha is handled. but that's a whole other discussion.)

idk i guess the point i'm making is that s2 felt like a marvel movie. it had a lot of quippy one-liners and Big Emotional Beats that we knew were Big Emotional Beats because there was swelling music and lingering shots but there was no substance to any of it?? none of it mattered in the context of the story they were actually telling. it only matters if you already have a built-in connection to the story via the source material.

that being said: kaz bar brawl and nina spy competence = very sexy. and as much as i just talked a bunch of shit about jesper, he really is amazing. kit young continues to be an inspired stroke of jesper genius. almost everyone was perfectly cast, actually.

there were other things i liked and disliked about it but this is the general gist of where i'm at, i guess.

#replies #anonymous #sab #negativity for ts

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Shadow and Bone 2x03 Review

I have finished ep 3 hooray! Going to be honest, it was an ok episode don’t get me wrong but I do feel like the pacing was a little off in this one, I feel like a lot of big things happened and it might have been better if some of those things happened over a couple of episodes, it just felt a tad bit rushed. Anyway as always spoilers, lots of spoilers, any book spoilers will be between two * for you to skip at your convenience if you so wish. 

Nikolai, Alina and Co

So I am going to start off with Nikolai and Alina and that storyline involving that crew. I will say that the flying ship was very cool, I liked the way it detached from the ship. I also thought that Alina’s reaction to the boat taking off was very relatable like yup I too would find the nearest seat and then sit with my eyes closed hanging on for dear life. 

We also finally got the Nikolai reveal and not going to lie was very happy they kept the punch in, it was amusing but also I think understandable for Alina’s character as this is the second time that she has been lied to by someone who she put her trust in. That being said I did really like the conversation between them where Nikolai points out that she makes it too simple and that people do what they have to do to protect those they love. But I also like that he pointed out that Alina never would have trusted him if he said who he really was at the start which is very true. I do think this logic can also be applied to her relationship with Aleks as well as its the same scenario, if he had revealed to her from the start that he was the creator of the fold she never would have trusted him. As Nikolai said it is never that simple. 

I was surprised that they’ve introduced the spinning wheel so soon but it was nice to see Alina and Nadia reunite, I also liked the relationship between Nadia and her little brother Adrik, I am glad we got to see him. We also see Zoya again and it was nice to see her and Alina kind of make up and Zoya pledge allegiance to Alina. I’m still not sure how I feel about them all being at the spinning wheel this soon though. *In the book its not until way at the end of book 2 that they flee there so its almost like they’ve covered the first two books in ep 1 and 2 and now they are doing the end of book 2 and the beginning of book 3 in this episode. Which again as I said multiple times in speculation posts before the series aired just feels way too fast. But hopefully I am wrong and the pacing will sort itself out. 

We also got Nikolai making his proposal for a political marriage to Alina. I guess it does make sense to show a united front and a way of bringing otkazat'sya and grisha together and like Nikolai said his royal family name would give her some protection so it does sound good politically. One thing I will say about the whole scene though, is I appreciate that they are trying to make Mal less of a toxic jealous control freak over Alina than he was in the books but I feel like they are stripping him back too much and making him too perfect. Like to me his reaction was a bit too chill which just seemed very unrealistic. Like I think it would have worked better if he initially had the same reaction as Alina of this guy is coo coo but then later in the episode he comes to her and says he’s mulled it over and realised it is the best thing for her and ravka, it just would have felt a bit more natural than the immediate acceptance.  

 The Crows. 

So the crows had some tension amongst the ranks this episode and Kaz was definitely beginning to unravel a bit. It was clear the others in the crew felt like Kaz was taking unnecessary risks with their lives seeing as last episode Nina got shot and Inej got hurt. It was interesting to see these cracks in the crows relationships but honestly I am worried for Kaz because it does seem like he is spiralling. 

We do learn more about Kaz’s backstory through some more flashbacks. Looks like Kaz’s brother invested money in some kind of business with Rollins and then Rollins ran off with it all, which I am going to assume meant they were left with nothing. We also learn through Wylan that the disease we saw in previous flashbacks was called firepox and it sounds horrific, we learn there were so many bodies that the crematoriums couldn’t keep up and so they had to float all the dead bodies on the harbour, which is what those previous scenes of young Kaz were where I said it looked like he was lying on a pile of dead bodies well that was because he was lying on a pile of dead bodies, and god did this get morbid fast. I am assuming they thought he was dead and so threw him on with the rest of the bodies. We also learn from Kaz confiding in Inej that Rollins killed Kaz’s brother, though I don’t know if he did that directly or not as there was that flashback of his brother coughing which makes me think he caught firepox and died so it was Rollins fault indirectly. Like them losing all their money meant they had no where to go and as they were homeless they were exposed to firepox. That’s my theory anyway. 

I do have to talk about that scene between Inej and Kaz though because damn was it a good scene. I loved it, I loved that Inej called Kaz out and what I loved even more was that this time he trusted her and opened up. I also love how Inej immediately was on board and in ok well now Rollins shall die. It was also a rather tender scene between them as he tended to her wound. Also I think I may be a bit slow because I am pretty sure that Kaz has a touch eversion and that is why he wears gloves and that was probably covered in season 1 but I totally missed until this moment. I liked the discussion they has about finding the opponents weakness and how when Inej asked Kaz what his is he said his limp and cane but that no one had been smart enough to find his real weakness. But I think I have figured it out. His real weakness is Inej. In this episode we discover Rollins has a son and its clear that the other crows are worried Kaz in going to use his son against Rollins, I think this links into Kaz’s on weakness and fear that someone will use Inej to hurt him.   

So Wylan and Jesper’s little side quest together was kind of cute not going to lie and I totally killed in last eps review they did totally sleep together and surprisingly it was Wylan who left the morning after. I knew I wasn’t just imagining the vibes between them. The song Wylan played on the piano was really beautiful, Jesper did seem to have quite the emotional reaction to it so I wonder if that song has some relevance to his past somehow. I am really enjoying the energy between these two though. They are really wholesome. 

Nina finally got in to Hellgate and saw Matthias in the fighting rings, these rings do seem really messed up as it looks like they not only have the prisoners fighting each other but fighting wild animals and the like, its giving very roman colosseum vibes. I did feel bad for Nina when she was calling out to Matthias and eventually gets his attention only for him to then give her the cold shoulder. Its obvious that she is not only desperate to make up with him and reconnect but also is so desperate to get him out of there. That being said I don’t think she will take Rollins deal. I reckon they are going to do a cop out where it looks like Nina has but then it turns out she told Kaz from the beginning and they came up with some kind of plan together, what that plan might be I haven’t the foggiest. But like Kaz said at the beginning of the episode, Nina is a crow now and I just don’t see her betraying them. 

Aleksander, Baghra, Genya and David

So when I said I felt like this episode was rushing the storyline a bit, I do think Aleks’ story in particular is being a little rushed. The first scene we see of him is the one between him and baghra near the beginning of the episode and I adored this scene, it was just really interesting. I loved how it starts out with Baghra telling him to stop lurking, it really does remind you that this is a mother and her child. But I think what I loved the most about this scene was that it does address how much of an effect Baghra’s parenting had on Aleks, the scene does kind of call her out on the mistakes she made. The thing is the lessons we are taught when we are young are the ones that’ll stick with us and the ones that are the hardest to unlearn. So I think this scene was important to show how Baghra’s teachings have informed Aleks views of the world. For example how she taught him that grisha were superior and that the otkazat’sya should fear them. It also addresses the events of Demon in the Woods a little talking about how she would burn down villages in the name of protecting her child. I have talked about the significance of this before how it set the example for Aleks that if you love someone then destroying entire towns and villages is acceptable to protect them. This is a lesson that stays with him and I do think it played a part in why he expanded the fold into Novokribirsk, he has love for Alina and Zlatan in his men tried to harm and would continue trying to harm her, he has love for the grisha and Zlatan was a threat to them too, so to him destroying Novokribirsk was an act of love and he saw it that way because of the example he was set by his own mother. 

I did think the line about how she didn’t teach him compassion was a bit of an odd one if I am being honest because it implies that Aleks doesn’t feel compassion yet we’ve seen multiple examples throughout season 1 that would say otherwise. I mean if you look at the definition of compassion: 

A strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them.

He clearly has compassion for the grisha, you kind of have to have that compassion if you are going to recognise they are suffering and your response to be that you want to do everything in your power to help them and give them a safe place. He also shows concern and sympathy to Alina when it is clear she is suffering in season 1. Whilst I would say that he might struggle more with his compassion for others as years have gone by and he has had to numb himself in order to make those hard choices but I don’t think he is devoid of it or that he never learnt it like this moment suggests. Like when baghra starts listing off all the rumours she’s heard about the grisha being persecuted and killed by the first army, you can see that this pains Aleks, that he feels guilt over it and that he feels compassion for their suffering.   

However I will give it to Baghra that moment when talking about Alina and she says ‘there was a moment where you might have earned her love instead of claiming her power’ wow talk about a hit in the gut. You tell that one really did hurt Aleks. However it is also worth pointing out that if Baghra hadn’t got involved then he still may have earned her love and might not have tried to claim her power and none of this may have happened. But ya know hind sight and all that. I can still appreciate that it was a damn good line. 

David was pretty smart in this episode in that he played nice with Aleks and used that trust he knew Aleks had in him to his advantage to learn more about the Nichevo'ya and their effect on Aleks. But it was interesting how Aleks actually seemed to be kind of sweet to David, like he seemed genuinely happy that David was there it was kind of a bizarre contrast to how unhinged he also seems to becoming with the merzost poisoning him. During the conversation Aleks talks about how apparently Morozova went mad so I am guessing this was also a result of the merzost and could be where Aleks himself is heading, we could see him continue to lose his mind. I won’t deny that I do find it an interesting concept. 

However the part that I do think was rushed was what he does to baghra and genya. I get that they are trying show that Aleks is becoming more unhinged the more desperate he gets but I think having both these big and violent moments happen in the same episode was too intense and made it feel to sudden if that makes sense. Like I feel like the pacing would have worked better if he had cut Baghra’s finger off in this episode and then saved his attack on Genya until episode 4 then it would have seemed like a more gradual shift, and like him sinking deeper into this madness caused by the merzost. 

One thing I will say I think they did right was that as opposed to the books they did make these two acts of violence make sense for Aleks’ character. * I also think the change from blinding baghra to cutting off her finger makes alot more sense than it did in the books.* Like I can follow Aleks’ chain of thoughts here, he is feeling very angry and abandoned by his mother, who also keeps talking about Alina, another person he feels angry and abandoned by and that anger at his mother only grows the more she refuses to help and so by cutting off her finger he can exact his revenge on his mother and satisfy that anger he feels but also he is desperate to find out more about Morozova’s amplifiers and knows that he made them from his own finger bones so thinks if his mother won’t give him any answers he’ll take her finger bones and see if they will give him some answers instead. It is also really unhinged which furthers that storyline of him being poisoned by the merzost. What I do think is an interesting touch is that both when he cuts off Baghra’s finger and when he attacks Genya you can see those blakc veins creeping up his neck. With Genya you could probably explain it as him summoning the nichevo’ya and using merzost but it is interesting that it is there when he is cutting off Baghra’s finger as he isn’t actively using merzost in that moment but it is clearly still having an effect on him, its almost like the merzost itself has a hunger for violence. 

Like with Baghra I do think him using the nichevo’ya on Genya made more sense in the show’s scenario. *It didn’t make much sense in the books because of the order he gave not to harm Alina and yet he punishes Genya for not harming Alina which made no sense.* I do think it is understandable why Genya running triggered Aleks I mean not only it because its another betrayal from one of his grisha, like Zoya betrayed him in the fold, but it is very similar to how Alina left him. When he catches up with him he doesn’t ask why she ran but why she abandoned him. I think Aleks at this point is so lost and unhinged that he can’t understand why all these people who used to stand by him are leaving. Afterall his goal is still the same, to safe grisha, in his now warped mind achieving this goal is the most important thing in the world and he doesn’t understand why no one else is willing to go to the same lengths he does to achieve that goal.  

I will say also that while I understand why David and Genya ran watching a guy produce shadow and monsters and cut his own mother’s finger off is bound to unnerve a person, I do think this is another thing that is a bit rushed. Again though I think this comes from being a book reader because in the books it takes them both alot longer to realise how dangerous Aleks is. Its another thing that I think maybe could have been pushed into ep 4. That would have given it just a little bit more time to stew and also that would have put David and Genya’s escape attempt half way through the season which I think would have worked better, like the first half of the season they are loyal to Aleks but then come mid season they have that epiphany of hey this guy is bonkers lets skedaddle. 

Going back to Aleks and the merzost we see those black veins again when Aleks has that angry outburst after discovering that the Morozova journal is gone, it really does seem like it flares up when he is angry and causes these violent outbursts. What is interesting though is that Aleks’ way of calming down is to call on that connection between him and Alina. To visit her, its like he is using her to keep himself steady, like she is the focal point he is using to stop himself from spiralling completely out of control. 

Right well that’s another review and episode done. On to episode 4 and then we are at the halfway point, so that’s exciting. 

Favourite Lines 

‘There was a moment where you might have earned her love instead of claiming her power.’

‘There are no mistakes, only lessons.’ 

‘Pekka Rollins killed my brother.’ ‘Then we destroy him.’ 

#shadow and bone #s&b season 2 spoilers #darklina

[itsagirlwithglasses]

✨ B O O K R E V I E W ✨

«I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl for you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together — knifes drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.»

> swipe to read sinopses

📖 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

✍️ Leigh Bardugo

5/5⭐️

💭📝 THOUGHTS:

I’m so incredibly saddened that there’s no more to read from the crows!

I’ve became very emotionally invested in these books, the story line and characters!

This book is based on the aftermath of the Ice Court heist that happened on book 1, and how the crows turn it back around! If you haven’t read the first book, make sure to read it and then check my review for it! ❤️

Kaz Brekker, our morally grey character. Our bossy boss. Our bastard of the barrel. Absolutely amazingly written character. You can’t help but to sympathize with him and come to love his darkness.

Inej Ghafa, our wraith. Badass. A firm believer of hope. Sees the light even in the pit of darkness.

Jesper Fahey, probably the character that made this whole thing light hearted to read. He brought fun, quirkiness, flirting, he showed loyalty, and weakness, and at the same time an incredible amount of strength.

Nina Zenik, our grisha girl. She was probably one of the most funny and quick witted character. She brought fun and positivity to the group. She showed hope for a better and united world.

Matthias Helvar, our fjerdan boy. The boy who was skeptical but that in the end had his heart open. The boy with a lot of muscle but also a lot of heart.

Wylan Hendricks (Van Eck), probably one of my favorite characters. Proved us that our weaknesses don’t define us. Showed a lot of strength and hope. Never gave up despite everything.

Overall this series won me. There’s so much to say about it. The plot, the individual story lines, the way these characters overcome so much of their personal dramas and how much they grow through it, they way it gets the reader so invested and wanting to be a part of this world somehow. I cried, I laughed, I got angry. And damn that’s just a f*cking good read!

I super recommend! Plus, you can see these characters in the Netflix series Shadow and Bone and I promise you you won’t regret it!!

#book review #grishaverse #kaz brekker #kaz x inej #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #jesper and wylan #wylan hendriks #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #nina zenik #nina x matthias #leigh bardugo #shadow and bone #six of crows #crooked kingdom #bookstagram #booktok

[xiexiecaptain]

Shadow & Bone rewatch live-commenting that was started on twitter and is being moved/continued here!

This is the post for EP 02: We Are All Someone’s Monster

[Episode 01 post] [Rewatch Commentary Links Masterpost]

((There WILL be spoilers mentioned for the books in the Grishaverse including the Crows duology & King of Scars duology! This is basically from the perspective of watching the show as someone who knows the books well.))

This visual interpretation of the way each of the 1st trilogy books are opened and closed with "the boy and the girl" narration is such a great visual motif

--

I love the bleached white streaky effect on the deck from the burst of light

Listen, I'm a writer more than a visual artist, so when people do great clever/interesting visual ways of communicating or interpreting things I'm so in awe

--

CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW COOL KAZ'S WATCH IS??

These are the sort of tiny worldbuilding details that I just want to rub all over my face

--

This is a really interesting adaption change--that Kaz couldn't buy her indenture all at once like in the books. But since it seems like they cut Per Haskell, Kaz doesn't have that money to use for buy her contract and such

The amount of trauma Inej must be dealing with on a regular basis, having to go back there is just unimaginable

Like it's one thing to be kept there by Heleen before Kaz bought her indenture. But to be able to leave and be out working for Kaz, but have to go BACK

Oof Inej is the strongest person in the whole series I s2g

--

Of course you can't fool the Wraith. 

She's got your number, Dirtyhands~

--

you can just IMMEDIATELY see he regrets it 

His first instinct is to always make people feel expendable and keep them at arms length 

["He's not the only irreplaceable member of this crew, Kaz. You need me."

"I need your skills, Inej. That's not the same thing."]

--

Ok the fact that he goes after her-!

I mean, think about how much it means that KAZ BREKKER takes the time/effort and concedes the emotional investment in her to grab his cane and walk after her?!?!

[I'd settle for an apology, she decided. Even if Kaz isn't sorry, he can pretend. He at least owes me his best imitation of a human being.]

Listen I've been Kanej trash for almost 5 solid years now, y'all. The fact that I'm getting new material through this series is feeding me spiritually

--

Kirigan: Closer 

Alina: *teeny tiniest of steps* 

aLINA STARKOV-!

--

Again, I really like the adaption changes they made--this time with the visual/physical externalization of the Grisha testing

In books, because of interiority and description, it works perfectly for it to be described as touching an arm and then that feeling of rushing to meet the touch. But for a visual medium, having to be something more physical and something easier to convey visually was a smart choice.

But also to have the testing be as a response to sudden pain, like triggering a survival instinct, has lots of interesting things to say about the nature of Grisha power

--

Man as much as I despise the Darkling, he's a very compelling and well-done antagonist and character.

Because you disagree with HOW he goes abt it, but you can understand WHY he does it. To me personally, that’s the kind of antagonist I really find fascinating--one you can sympathize with, who genuinely believes they’re making the hard choices to do good things but are misguided, misinformed, accidentally harmful, and causing harm that they justify. (Although there’s a lot to discuss about antagonists like that where then the overall narrative moralizes middle-road non-action in the face of oppression over revolutionary action ie Killmonger, but I digress).

But Ben Barns really kills it as the Darkling. Just pitch perfect, I mean this is 1000% the face of a man who has just found the final tool to start the work he's been planning for centuries.

But I ESPECIALLY love when there are no clear cut black and white, no choices made that are easily entirely definable “right” or wrong” for the antagonist (nor the protagonist for that matter.) Make all the choices grey and make everything have collateral damage  (You can start to see why SoC is my personal favorite in the Grishaverse, huh?)

But the Darkling is a very good antagonist. Doesn’t tick all my personal boxes but he’s very well crafted. (Eerily over-charismatic antagonists are really enthralling to me especially because they mirror real-life “villains” in that many people who are easily charming can also be very manipulative.)

--

THE LOOK ON KAZ'S FACE WHEN PEKKA WALKS IN IM- 

[Kaz heard a roaring in his ears. As always, he experienced a strange kind of doubling when he looked at Rollins...]

--

[The look that passed over the boy's face then had taken Rollins aback. It was hatred--pure, black, long simmering.]

--

I literally hissed out loud when he took Kaz's cane how fucKING DARE YOU

--

Good fucking luck, Rollins. Didn't turn out so well last time Ketterdam tried that

[One glance at Kaz Brekker told him this was a creature who had spent too long in the dark--he'd brought something back with him when he'd crawled into the light.]

--

(( P.S. Yes I have the SoC books with me bc 

1. I'm the biggest nerd on the planet but 

2. It's really amazing to see how well they translated the character dynamics and emotions 

3. The books are some of the most quotable in the universe 

4. I don't own paper copies of the other ones))

--

[Kaz waited for acknowledgement--a smirk, a sneer, some spark of recognition. But Rollins' eyes passed right over him.]

ITS JUST SO GOOD?!?!

I mean we’re seeing the Crows/Ketterdam folks in an entirely new plot, but the book quotes still fit flawlessly because the core of the characters and their dynamics have been translated to this adaption with such care and love for the source material!!!

--

I mean, he's not entirely wrong

[The child he'd been had died. The fever had burned away every gentle thing inside him. Survival wasn't nearly as hard as he'd thought once he left decency behind.]

--

She knows him so fucking well!

["Don't think I haven't noticed the way you go after him, Kaz."

"He's just another boss, one more Barrel thug."

"No, he isn't. When you go after other gangs, it's business. But with Pekka Rollins, it's personal."]

--

It is in this moment I am heavily reminded that you can easily interpret the books as supporting that Jesper has feelings/the hots for Kaz at the beginnings of the books

--

JUST BURY ME IN TINY CULTURAL WORLDBUILDING DETAILS LIKE THIS

--

The Conductor is another addition I freaking adore 

Of course some enterprising individual figured out their own way through the Fold and used it to make money (I mean also helping Grisha flee Ravka, but still, he's charging them so)

--

MY HEART 

I bet they feel like they just got each other back too, after thinking they were gonna be separated by the supply run through the fold 

OH MY BABIES

--

fUCKING HELEEN VANHOUDEN THE EVIL BITCH 

On a weird side note, her voice has the exact same awful sickly sweet drawl as in the audiobooks and its just perfect for the exact type of abusive she is

--

KazBrekker.exe has stopped working 

 (Also me. We live an Inej Ghafa appreciation life here in this household)

--

Look at Inej's face. She thinks Heleen's sending her to a client 

I can't bear this 

She looks like she's trying so so hard to keep herself together

--

The Komedie Brute costume revelers!! 

(at least I'm pretty sure that's what they're supposed to be)

--

JESPER LLEWELLAN FAHEY (scolding, adoring)

--

[He'd heard other members of the gang say she moved like a cat, but he suspected cats would sit attentively at her feet to learn her methods.]

--

“OF COURSE, LOVE” I’M-

He’s so IMMEDIATELY ready to help her with whatever. OF COURSE, he says.

Bury me in their friendship

I also really adore we get to see Inej struggling with not wanting to kill people. Cus in the book only vaguely mentioned about her having cried the night she killed someone for the first time and Kaz overheard her.

--

The unexpected gays have arrived!!

--

The position of Grisha in Ravka is so interesting!

Because a lot of otkazat'sya see them as stuck up, thinking they're better than and getting preferential treatment.

But that’s only because the Darkling made it that way in response to Grisha literally being burned at the stake elsewhere

In the books, so many of the Little Palace Grisha that Alina trains with have the outlook of "well, we have powers, we were scouted to be trained here because we're special, so obviously we're better than otkazat'sya."

But here, I think its important that they show that at least some of the Grisha realize that this tiny bubble of safety (via fear, rather than acceptance) because of the Ravkan government (the Darkling’s work) is the exception. And many of the 2nd Army Grisha aren't from Ravka originally, they fled their homelands for fear of being killed, experimented on, sold into servitude, etc.

And while the Darkling has made it safer for Grisha who are recruited into the 2nd Army, the legacy of the Fold has also increased prejudice against Grisha among otkazat'sya and abroad..

I just really like this scene because of how it highlights the Grisha's very complex position

--

The fact that they developed Fjerdan to the point where they have characters speaking it is just *chef kiss*

(once again, idk how people who watch things without subtitles don't miss 80% of content even when its not literally translating dialogue for you, but that might just be my ADHD ass talking)

--

I’m not even a little bit sorry

--

ok but the horror on Jessie Mei Li's face is absolutely stunning

--

WINKS SO HARD I STRAIN A MUSCLE 

Somewhere on the Geldstraat, Wylan Van Eck is sneezing

--

The little thing of Kaz tensing up when Jesper grabs his coat and then staring at it pointedly

Oh man oh man oh man

--

HHHHHH KAZ’S FACE

 ["Would you? Trust someone with that knowledge, with a secret that could destroy you?" 

Yes, thought Kaz without any hesitation. There's one person I would trust. One person I know would never use my weaknesses against me.]

--

The most realistic of portrayal of horse riding in a fantasy show

--

already lying through his gd teeth 

gIRL DUMP HIM

--

"Oh, so what's the Darkling's, like, story arc?"

--

I MEAN SHE'S NOT WRONG THO?

(A side note, how interesting would it be if Alina actually wasn't the first sun summoner?)

--

Well, well, look who it is: Malyen "Tunnel Vision" Oretsev 

(I’m kidding, I really like show!Mal)

--

WE LEAD A JESPER 👏 FAHEY 👏  APPRECIATION 👏 LIFE 👏

--

So I literally wrote a [post back in the day] about how I thought since queer, trans, and gnc folks have historically been pushed to the margins of society and work/live in poor areas and have a high rate of sex work, you can bet your ass the Barrel has its fair share of trans/gnc residents

And its so cool to see this gestured to with Poppy?? 

I’m also glad they're miffed at Kaz for a financial deal rather than anything gender/sexuality related. Like the writers didn't stereotype Poppy's life

Let's just get more of Poppy tbh? What's their story!?! I wanna see more of them and see them performing on stage and see them do some cool badass stuff???

Just more Poppy in season 2 please? 

We also need more people who call Kaz out on being a little scheming rat tbh

--

I AM SO FUCKING INTERESTED ABOUT THIS?? 

They gave Inej a brother!!! Who was also stolen by slavers!! Which is a fascinating plot twist and I'm very excited to see how it adds to the story!!!

--

I CANT BREATHE HER FACE- 

INEJ-!!!! 

[She had to believe her Saints saw and understood the things she did to survive.]

Amita Suman is the one and only Inej Ghafa and we are so lucky to have herrrr

--

She's absolutely ready to believe he would choose profit over her never having to step foot in the Menagerie again 

It's heartbreaking but also like, yeah, Kaz, you built your reputation specifically so people would believe you capable of anything??

--

The only people we have seen him let stand this close beside him so far in the show are Jesper and Inej and I have a Feelings about it 

He gets in people's faces for intimidation reasons, but the only one he’s gotten this close next to are them????

--

THATS NOT AN ANSWER YOU MANIPULATIVE PIECE OF GARBAGE

--

Change dot org petition to Give Alina Starkov a Fucking Hug

--

🎵Doo-do-do-do-do 🎵 Definitely not about to desert the army to run off after my childhood friend 🎵  doo-do-do

--

I fucking love these three's friendship so much. I’m so glad it had space in the show to get fleshed out and feel more real

--

im fucking scREAMING

[His mind had concocted a hundred schemes to bind her to him, to keep her in this city. But she'd spent enough of her life caged by debts and obligations.]

--

And that’s the end of Ep 02! Hot damn hot damn!

--

Additional thoughts: 

Both visually and character-wise, this show is so gd diverse and it's just a pleasure 

And its diverse because the WORLD is diverse, not just for misguided ~diversity~ reasons

There are so many races and ethnicities, gender expressions, sexualities, body types, classes, dis/abilities on screen for the simple reason that all those people exist in the world, take part in major world events and in the stories of people's lives 

It's a fucking joy.

One of the things that endeared me to the SOC books right away (which I read first) was that in the first chapter where we meet our main characters, we already have two characters of color and a disabled character within this absolutely enthralling scene of the parlay with the Black Tips where those traits are not ignored but nor are they centered unnecessarily. They are integral to the characters and how they operate in the world, but they are never reduced to them. Everyone is complicated and textured and flawed and I just really fucking love Leigh's characters ok?

It's so wonderful we have a mixed-race main character (played by a mixed-race actress) 

 We have four mixed-race characters in the main/supporting cast: Alina, Mal, Jesper, & Zoya (though Jesper & Zoya’s backgrounds aren’t mentioned/explored in season 1)

We have a young man with a physical disability in the main cast who is portrayed to be one of the scariest people in his city 

We have five indisputably queer characters on screen in season 1: Jesper, Ivan, Fyedor, Nadia, Dima

We have heavy folks in main roles--Nina & Arken--portrayed as desirable and ingenious, both hero and turncoat

We have so many POCs it's useless to point them all out individually, which is a gift 

It all just feels like such a gift

-

[Episode 01 post] [Rewatch Commentary Links Masterpost]

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #grishaverse #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #alina starkov #the darkling #general kirigan #jesper fahey

[female-eren]

Since you wanted more aot asks, what is it that made you like Eren so much? Why is he your favorite? And what did you think about the ending and is Eren the true villain?

When I first watched season 1 and started reading the manga, I didn't care all that much for him. He was a pretty standard main character that got the job of shonen main character done okay. I actually liked Mikasa most for a pretty long time. The manga also didn't inspire a lot of feelings for the characters for me? I read the manga pretty "clinically" during the 4 year wait between S1 and S2, for the plot.

When S2 dropped, especially during the whole sequence where Eren loses Hannes, is inspired by Mikasa and is able to use the Coordinate, I started getting invested in him as a character. I liked what was happening to him, he started growing and strategizing a lot more. After S2, I read the manga with more investment in the characters themselves as much as the plot. I wanted to see where Eren got. His breaking point with Historia in the crystal caves was really good.

The basement reveal was a bit weird to me, I felt like many fans at the time that the story was becoming so much bigger than anticipated and it felt strange and a bit out of place to see Grisha's backstory. But Eren Kruger's scenes with Grisha really stuck with me. I was on board with the entire Marley and rest of the world idea.

And that was it for a while, until Eren's entire attack on Marley, where I really started finding him interesting. You asked what I think of him as the villain, and I like it, although I really, really wish everything had gone differently. I love the idea of Eren using the Rumbling as a threat but I would've liked there to be more... I don't know, strategy, attempts to build alliances. Marley is a war economy that is failing, because the rest of the world is catching up technologically. I don't believe Paradis was so fully cut off and incapable of collaborating with any other nations. There could have been so much more political intrigue like with how Hizuru allied itself with Paradis but was unwilling to help Paradis get more allies. We could've gotten ambassador/political negotiator Mikasa or Historia.

I think Eren's plan of massacring 80% of the world's population, letting Paradisians win, and hoping for the best that nobody will be mad is the stupidest plan I've ever heard. If it needed to go that route I would've preferred that Eren actually believed in his own plan, believed that he needed to genocide the entire world, not just doing it for shits and giggles. This plan has been done before, like in Code Geass. It didn't work, it's not original, and it wasn't satisfying.

However, one aspect that really draws me to Eren is of course my idea that AOT mirrors female oppression and female rage. Eren being the symbol of KAM makes it better. But in the actual story I think AOT's ending fell flat and I hate it. I want to make my own rewrite of the story, but first I need to figure out what exactly I want to do with it.

#attack on titan #aot analysis

[witchycamisado]

okay i watched the last episode of aot, i couldnt bring myself to live react because i was so invested but i have so many thoughts

the entire fight on eren's back is so insane i loved how it was the past lives of the 9 titans. there was so many moments where i really thought someone was going to die, basically at least once with all of the characters besides mikasa, it felt v much high stakes. genuinely for a second i thought armin was a GONER when he was in the paths. i like the scene with him and zeke a lot there, especially with the leaf and baseball moment. absolutely iconic though that we go from that to levi literally killing zeke on sight. when we see eren jumping around with people in their memories thats where i started to get a little lost lmao. im assuming its the same as when he showed zeke how he spoke to grisha through memories and its all in the paths. the moment where jean and connie turned into titans (and gabi but honestly.. fuck gabi to this day) i literally thought that was it for them.

but the whole thing with eren explaining his motive to everyone and erasing their memories, i still just dont see the point in his plan. like eren himself said that he tried a numerous amount of times to change the outcome but it was always going to be 80% of the world thats destroyed by the rumbling. its also hard to tell if its really erens will or ymirs will manipulating eren through the founding titan. especially because after mikasa kills eren and we see all the ghosts (?) of the scouts and past people ymir also shows up, and its one of the few times that her eyes are clear. eren says too that ymir was bonded to mikasa because of the loyalty/love they both have for eren and the king. so maybe ymir was the one who truly wanted freedom and had to wait for an ackermaan or someone with a bond to an attack titan, since they also have the ability to go through past memories, in order to get to this moment where she gains freedom. idk thats my out there theory when it comes to this convulted plot lmao

post the rumbling i wish we got to see more of what the other characters were doing after. a lot of plot points seem unresolved. annie and armin started getting pushed heavily (out of nowhere) but we dont even know if they end up together. it looks like jean and mikasa end up together at the end scenes where its super tiny drawings. levi also literally lost his best friend and officially has no one left of his peers/mentors and is heavily impacted from his injuries of the battle/war and all we see is him wordlessly handing out candy? idk just watching these characters literally suffer and go through tragedy from the beginning and then be through literal war for multiple seasons i wish we got to see them happy post all of that. it didnt ruin the end or anything for me though, just left me wanting more

okay so the very end where we see presumably hundreds of years go by and the tree that mikasa has buried eren under has grown into basically a replica of the tree ymir fell into, i actually dont hate. i know a lot of people were upset that eren did all of this to stop the war/violence and it ended with at least the island where paradis was to be destroyed, but i actually dont mind the ending. i get what they were going for with the fact that its inevitable for humans to fight. i also dont hate the idea that its all a cycle and the parasite is still there under the tree. i think it makes sense because they didnt burn erens body, and they also said that parasite was "life" which may make it impossible to kill even.

its been crazy watching the whole show unfold, and live reacting to it since the start of season 4. overall i didnt dislike the ending. there were really high notes for me, and i felt the actions scenes were really good. i think just wrapping up the character story lines post the rumbling fell a little flat. still 10/10 episode and show <3

#my stoned thoughts on the aot finale #for the moots muah #aot spoilers #attack on titan spoilers

[lionofstone]

just finished the shadow and bone series and now I want to reread six of crows ahhhh

#ljs life #books #soc #like the show made me like the grisha trilogy’s story way more #like alina was way more likeable to me & mal was actually very very sweet #and i was much more invested in the grisha as a whole #but the crows...the crows have my heart #and something I find interesting is that the show made me like nina and matthias WAY more ??? #even tho all of their scenes were almost word for word from the books lol #i feel like this is an unpopular opinion but I hope we don’t go straight to the ice court heist #I want to keep getting crows backstory and see them establish themselves as the barrel kings #bc right now they aren’t that #so I would love to see their growth to being the leaders #and then have the ice court hiest be separate from TGT struck #stuff* #like i wanna see my boy wylan but i also want the slow burn of it all #i have many other thoughts on this show as well but for now i will stop uwu

[clairecrive]

hiii! um i had a request if that’s alright? umm a darkling x tidemaker!reader where the reader slowly grows more and more jealous of alina until she finally snaps and tries to leave with another tidemaker to train with master tidemakers for the kings army but then darkling stops her. with a happy ending please 🥺🥺

Where your heart is

A/n; this took a life of its own but I'm still not too sure about it even though I had lots of fun writing it. Hope you'll like it, 🌻x

Word count: 2.4K +

Warnings: angst, darklina, jelousy

Tags: @blackst0nes7077 , @thefictionalgemini , @louweasleymalfoy , @jupiterandbutterflies , @for-bebbanburg , @tarkanelima-blog , @pansysgirlfriend , @acciorudolphx , @kaqua , @hannaxmaria , @vintagebitc , @deardiarystuff, @emmaev , @aleksanderwh0r3 , @hazelrose14, @crowssixof , @qhbr2013 , @odetostep , @strawb3rrydr3ss , @lizzie-he4rts , @korol-lantsov , @shadow4ndbone, @subjecta13-thefangirl , @mriddlemethis , @secretsthathauntus , @carnationworld (tag list form)

SHADOW AND BONE MASTERLIST

He was her mentor. He was the only one who could help her through the discovery and understanding of her powers. That's why he was spending so much time with her. No other reason.

At least that's what you've been telling yourself over and over in hope that you'd start believing it. So far, you had no success. And this had been going on since the day Alina had arrived at the Little Palace a month ago so you didn't harbour any hopes that it'll start working.

But what could you do?

He was spending every waking moment between his War room and the training grounds with Alina. You could see the allure that she had to have in his eyes.

He had been waiting for her for a long time, after all. You couldn't even be mad at him for investing his energies to help her harness her powers since she was the key to Ravka freedom. And, to be fair, Alina wasn't that bad.

Sure, you had to get through many layers of snarky remarks and dry humour that most of the times felt a lot like rudeness rather than humour. But she wasn't that bad. Not when there were people like Zoya walking around.

But the days without seeing him, with just a passing glance or a touch of his hand on your back were taking their toll on you. You missed him.

You had gone from seeing him every day to not seeing him at all.

You had tried to talk to him about it but he.was.always.busy. Or with Alina. You weren't proud to admit it, and you probably never will out loud, but a certain green monster had taken residence on your shoulders.

You were taking your usual stroll around the gardens when you spotted him outside the Palace's main entrance. Hurrying your steps, you called his name to catch his attention.

"Aleksander!"

Fortunately, he heard you and turned to see who was calling him. There were few people who knew his name and there was no chance in hell it would be Baghra. His lips morphed in a small smile as he watched you approaching with a sprint in your steps.

"Hey, I'm so glad I've caught you, it's been ages since I've-" you stopped when you saw Alina's approaching figure. Your eyes darted from her to Aleksander in front of you and you've finally noticed the two horses.

He wasn't wearing his cloak and of course, where Alina was Aleksander followed. Your lips thinned in a line as you rolled your shoulders back. You knew that Aleksander had noticed your expression change but you hadn't had centuries of practice to scholar your features into betraying nothing. But you forced yourself to at least keep up the appearances with Alina.

You gave her a smile when she stood before you complimenting her hair.

"Genya's handiwork," she simply said as it was enough to explain everything.

"Well, I'm going to leave you to your outing," you said hoping they couldn't notice the strain in your smile. Turning around, you retraced your steps to where you had been standing before and where you should have stayed all this time.

It was clear now- what other signs did he need to give you? Swallowing the lump in your throat, you forced yourself to not let the tears fall. You could feel his eyes on you until the sounds of hooves hitting the gravel told you that they were gone.

However much it hurt you to see again and again the proof that you were losing him, there was still a part of you that told you that this was just a phase. A temporary arrangement, given Aleksander's plans for Ravka. You just had to bite the bullet until it was all over.

And so, with renowned hope, you decided that you were going to talk to him. Even if you had to wait for him for hours or meet him at the brink of dawn, you had to do it. You needed to know where his heart was and from that, you could decide where to go.

However, to your luck, today was the day of the Winter Fete. Everyone, including you, was going to be super busy with finalizing the last minute details and rehearsals. Every Grisha had a role in tonight demonstration even though the star of the whole night was, of course, the Sun Summoner.

Since you were a tidemaker, your manifestation was scheduled before Alina's grand entrance. You and the other tidemakers had prepared a light show, along with Alina, to use water to reflect and amplify Alina's light so as to create a beautiful play of light.

The whole ordeal ended in time for Alina to get back inside the Palace and get on stage and for everyone else to get inside too to witness her exhibition. You followed along with everyone else but alas, you really wished you hadn't.

Aleksander had eyes only for Alina, he never looked away from her even when the light got blinding for everyone else in the room. And you couldn't blame him- Alina was literally glowing. She looked amazing in that black kefta and the symbolism of the colour wasn't lost on you.

You had been a fool, that's what you were. It was painfully obvious how whipped Aleksander was for Alina. Each of those signs was a painful blow to your heart and faith in him. His outings with her, her black kefta, the smile she sent his way and how enthralled he was by her.

Shaking your head, you fought to keep your composure. You had lost him, you realized. You had to accept the fact that it was over. Whatever you had, it had come to an end. The moment it did, was lost on you but you knew it had to coincide with the moment he had met Alina.

As if to confirm your inward musings, Alina and Aleksander walked out of the room, her under his arm.

Well, it was settled then. You couldn't stay here anymore. It was one thing to break up and grow apart but it was a whole other thing to watch him being in love with someone else.

You had to go. That was certain.

Nodding to yourself, you took your final decision just as they walked past you. Aleksander's eyes met yours briefly, just long enough for you to send him a teary glare.

This was the last time you were going to see him and as much as you could feel your heart breaking, you knew that it was something you had to do. They walked out of the room and you wasted no time in leaving as well.

However, before going to your room to pack the few belongings you had, there was somewhere else you needed to go first.

The wind blew harshly on your face, the salt of the sea breeze mixing with that of your tears. Alone on the dock, you allowed yourself to cry. To finally let out everything you had been keeping under lock and key for so very long.

You tried to comfort yourself by reassuring yourself that this was the right choice. The best choice. To stay in a place where you had never truly felt at home, where every nook and cranny reminded you of what you had and what you had lost- of the fact that you hadn't been enough. That your love hadn't been enough for him to stick around, to choose you over a girl he had known for about a day. Everything you had shared, the months spent together in intimacy under his sheets or under the comfort of your favourite tree.

Vanished. Erased. Worthless.

You allowed yourself to feel every ounce of pain his dismissing behaviour had caused you because as soon as you boarded, you were going to leave all of this behind. You were sailing towards your future, towards a new land full of opportunities and new people. Somewhere where you could start fresh.

You heard someone shout the name of the ship you had to be on and knew that the moment had come. Here you were about to step into your new life.

Heaving a sigh, you threw a last look in the Little Palace direction, at what-or rather- who you were leaving behind. Turning around, you gathered your kefta closer to your body to shield you from the harsh weather. As you were about to move, a hand clamping on your back, stopped you.

You winced, not expecting the contact since you thought you were the only one on the dock. Turning around, you were met with a familiar pair of onyx eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, an edge on his voice that you couldn't figure out if it was surprise, betrayal or boredom.

"I could ask you the same thing, General." Taking a step back, his hand fell from your shoulder as you put some distance between you. Standing so close to him just as you were about to bid him goodbye forever felt like a cruel joke on destiny's part.

"So this is what you do? Leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone?"

"Those who needed to be, have been rightly notified of my departure. I don't see how this concerns you, though."

"You don't see-" he huffed out, a humourless laugh leaving him," how, in the name of all saints, don't you see how this concerns me?"

"This is the first time you've spoken to me in months, Aleksander so please spare me this bullshit. I've got it, alright?" Raising your hands you took yet another step away from him. "There's no need for you to be here and pretend anymore. Go back to your party and your Grisha and your girl."

"You're my girl," he stated somehow still calmly.

"No, I'm not," you scoffed, "and you've done a fine job proving that these past few months."

"I know I've been neglecting you, but what's a few months when we have a lifetime together in front of us?" he conceded taking a step towards you as his arms widened as if to show you the length of time you'd be spending together.

"It's everything, Aleks," you snapped as your emotions got the best of you, "seeing you getting cosy with Alina every day realising that the more time passed the less you were mine was excruciating and I'm done. I'm going away and I'm leaving all of this behind."

"You can't go."

"Watch me," you quipped as you turned around. Challenging you was not the best way for him to go about this. He knew better than anyone who proudful you could be.

"You cannot go," he... begged? the tone of his voice was so weird coming from him that had you pivot immediately. "You cannot leave. You cannot leave me."

You stood there, hair blowing everywhere for the harsh wind, just staring at him. You'd never seen him so emotional. Yes, you'd shared some intimate moments but he'd never been quite this open about his feelings. The sight of his teary eyes was so unfamiliar that made your brain short-circuiting.

Taking a shaky breath, Aleksander took a step in your direction, getting closer to you but still not close yet.

"Everything that I've ever done has been for a sole purpose, y/n, you know it. And you have to believe me, Alina plays a role in this as well."

"I know she does, it's obvious to everyone. It just has become painfully obvious to me tonight just how important she's come to mean to you." You shrugged as you looked away. Admitting this while also looking him in the eyes was an impossible feat.

"She may as well be the Sun Summoner, but you're my solnishko, y/n." He murmured softly as he took another step, this time getting close enough to you to reach for your hands.

"Sweet talking isn't going to change anything, Aleksander. I saw how you looked at her, I saw her wearing your colours. Do you take me for a fool?"

"Of course not," he disagreed vehemently, "but it's as I've told you, my dear, please believe me. Every action had its purpose which was not hurting you or expressing my love for Alina." He insisted, his hands squeezing yours. His eyes flickered between you and you spotted hopefulness as well as sincerity in them. Which made you hesitate.

Could it be...?

"But why didn't you tell me so, then? Why cutting me out dry without a word?" you uttered, afraid to believe him, afraid to let your heart hope again.

"It has been a play, solnishko. Ever since Alina has stepped foot inside the Little Palace, all eyes have been on us. I had a part to play and so did she. Unfortunately, I couldn't risk it." He explained, his eyes taking in your features, noting how hesitant you still were.

"I swear, my love, you should hear her. The only thing she can talk about it's her childhood best friend who seems so boring, I can't see what she sees in him." He added smiling hoping to lighten the mood. And as a matter of fact, he was rewarded with your giggles.

"Really?"

"I'd never lie to you," he murmured solemnly, his head tilting down toward yours. You met him halfway, your nose bumping softly with his.

"You better never start, Sasha," you warned lightly as he gave you an Eskimo kiss, his hands reaching up to hold your cheeks.

"Never," he promised on your lips. His trailed over yours softly before tilting his head to the side and letting them finally touch.

It has been so long since you've last shared a kiss that you'd almost forgotten how it felt like. How soft his lips were, how voracious he could be, how he always tasted of something sweet.

You gasped as his tongue trailed over your lower lip giving him the desired opportunity to sneak in and meet your tongue. Moaning, you moved your lips with his, hands sneaking through his hair to hold him close. The kiss came to a stop when you both were out of breath. He didn't get far away though as he rested his forehead on yours.

"The captain is going to be really mad at me." You murmured as you heard another shout coming from the end of the dock.

"Let me deal with him," he reassured you before giving you another small kiss. With that, he stepped away and headed over to where your ship was anchored.

You stood there, your fingers touching your lips, still in trance after what happened. So, you had never lost him. He had always been yours.

The realisation made you smile and as you watched his cape blowing in the wind you felt reassured. You knew he had plans but those were never the problem. You could bear seeing him with Alina if you knew that you were the only one in his heart and bed. And it seemed that you weren't the only one who wanted to keep it this way.

#aleksander morozova #aleksander morozova x reader #aleksander morozova angst #aleksander morozova fluff #aleksander morozova x you #aleksander morozova imagine #aleksander morozova imagines #aleksander morozova one shot #general kirigan #general kirigan x reader #general kirigan x you #general kirigan angst #general kirigan imagine #general kirigan one shot #general kirigan fluff #the darkling #the darkling x reader #the darkling x you #the darkling imagines #the darkling imagine #the darkling angst #the darkling fluff #the darkling fic #shadow and bone #grishaverse

[callstolike]

What really baffles me is how LB would defend Alina being stripped from her powers and identity by claiming she’s transformed Keramzin by raising orphans. Like how on Earth does she think this is better and more noble than her helping her fellow Grisha and making changes that would actually mean something in the long run because at the end of the day as hard as B*rdugo can try to romanticise peasant life(in what is supposed to be based on Imperial Russia!)Alina is pretty much a nobody no one at the orphanage likes or distrust her and she has no real power of her own except relying on the new king(Nikolai)and her friends which is pretty much the main reason she and M*l end up being rich(B*rdugo trying so hard to have her cake and eat it).🙄

absolutely. i think it really comes down to an anti-revolutionary bias in her writing, and presumably in her own worldview also. there's a line alina and the other 'good' guys can't cross in order to bring about change because it would make them like the 'bad' guy, and so the only alternative is to lionize a version of the status quo and value peace over justice.

family values (marriage with a husband and adopted children) and support of the general status quo (maintaining a lantsov as king, fighting against the grisha uprising and generally leaving things be) are given precedence over non-traditional ideas about justice and political upheaval (joining aleksander's revolution and leaving all that behind). alina ends up relying on men in power rather than harnessing her own very literal one for her own political emancipation, and the part of her that makes her likely to prefer revolution is cut out and cast aside for an idealised idea of an ordinary life - which, as you say, romanticises peasanthood and a lack of political change by presenting the whole thing as a fairytale, despite the obvious fact that life in ravka rarely allows people happy endings

it's mixing political realism with an ending that refuses that realism completely, and it should be jarring. alina ending up where she began, in a ravka much the same as before, is seen as coming full circle and not some kind of awful groundhog day scenario like it actually is. written with a different tone, it could have been a commentary on the way nothing ever really changes and how all uprisings are quashed by those with power and a desire to keep things as they've always been; it could have been an incisive political commentary. but instead it's presented as positive for some reason i can’t fathom. it could even be about being backed into a corner in which one’s moral integrity stifles the ability to create change - although i would dislike that moral argument myself, i could at least respect it as a narrative choice that framed things with some self-awareness and nuance.

it also bugs me because after all alina has experienced, her complete lack of investment in the plight of grisha - even discounting revolutionary tactics or ideas - is just staggering. she heard anti-grisha slurs in the first army; she felt the fear of realising what she was and what it meant for her; hell, people were willing to help aleksander massacre an entire town if it meant making things better in the long run. like ivan said, everyone is sorry but aleks is the only one willing to do anything about it, and there’s plenty within the narrative that should give alina reason not to relinquish her identity even without her power. it’s a struggle that’s uprooted her life and change her fundamentally, and she shouldn’t be able to be naive and myopic anymore, but she is and it’s celebrated.

the really annoying thing is that the morality inherent in alina’s choice to abandon the grisha is nullified by the overwhelming assumption embedded into the narrative that destroying aleksander is the only way to save ravka, despite plenty of evidence that he is hardly the worst threat to ravka’s wellbeing and that, with him gone, the fundamental machinations causing most problems have not ceased. the creation of the second army was the greatest contribution made in known history to grisha welfare, and the fact that it’s all aleksander’s handiwork is just brushed aside because people decide they don’t like him. but alina’s complete refusal to engage in political reality is treated as positive. it just makes no sense.

#m #asks #kindhearted ocean #sab #sab meta #grisha trilogy #grisha meta #grishaverse #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #notp: sun girl and blade man #sorry i've been so late replying to asks! my brain is not cooperating atm #but i love when it does enough to rant about this shitshow of a series #my meta

[crowsmybeloveds]

Shadow and Bone Series: Chapter Two

In Cold Blood

Pairing: Jesper Fahey x Reader

Summary: The Crows continue to visit Y/N at the Emerald Palace, and make some interesting developments.

Word Count: 4.8k

Warnings: Implied suicide (don’t take it too seriously hint hint); abuse; Pekka Rollins; again canon typical violence/slave stuff (this time it’s described more, but again nothing graphic); the Menagerie;

A/N: Thank you so much if you liked the first chapter!!! This one is a little longer and I promise the end isn’t as bad as it might seem.

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~

Jesper Fahey liked to do his own thing. Sure, as a member of the Dregs he had to listen to his boss and go on jobs, but he loved his free time in between. Hence, he often avoided going on little arends for Kaz at all costs. It would be a waste of his time.

Jesper Fahey was now talking to Kaz. Volunteering for an arend. For the fourth time this week.

Kaz, Inej, and Jesper had been visiting the girl in the basement regularly since their first meeting with her. Kaz chalked it up to business, the girl and her potions were powerful assets, but the other two would admit they had found a new friend.

There were rules to these visits. First, only go during the day. Even if it seemed counterintuitive to sneak there in the broad daylight, Y/N insisted she would be unavailable in the night, as that was when her “work” was done. Also, if you are there, you must hide well behind the crates, and remain armed. You were lucky every time you made it out of there alive.

It was a daunting task, but Jesper was always up for it.

“You’re going to go there again?” Kaz asked him, eyebrows raised, “You know it’s Inej’s turn, correct?”

“Yes, and I also don’t care,” Jesper answered, “Also, she probably has things to see, people to do, and whatnot. I, on the other hand, have my whole day cleared. And I couldn’t deprive the lovely basement girl of this face.” He smiled, pointing to himself, “I mean, come on.”

Kaz stared at him, seeing through his antics in a minute. Jesper had taken a liking to the girl. What will happen the day he visits to find she’s not there anymore? Kaz thought. His hopes are too high.

“Fine, Jesper,” He agreed, “but be careful not to draw attention.” He scrunched his nose. “Do your best not to dawdle.”

“Right, I’m off then!” Jesper exclaimed as he clapped his hands together and ran off.

“I’m going tomorrow!” Kaz shouted after him.

The sharpshooter knew his boss was suspicious of his actions, but in all honesty he didn’t care. Normally he would have thought there wasn’t much spending time with her could do, as she had told him many of the same things over and over. That must have meant she had told him all that she knew. But Jesper was not going for information, he was going to be with her. He liked to think they were friends.

Jesper was often distracted. Whether he saw a pretty person to flirt with or a table to gamble at, he always found a way to not be doing whatever he was supposed to. Everything around him was so appealing and stimulating, especially in the Barrel. Even so, he sped down the streets without a single double take or second thought as he headed to the Emerald Palace. He really wanted to see her. So bad it was addicting. At first he thought that maybe the girl was drugging him, seeing as that is her particular expertise, but soon he realized that he just liked her. She was funny, and she laughed at all his jokes. She was also so intriguing. So powerful yet rendered powerless. He was enchanted, but he knew something was missing. It seemed it wasn’t her fault. He wanted to help.

That day when he arrived at the window (after making sure no one could see him, of course) Jesper saw Y/N sitting against the wall with her legs hugged to her chest. He called her name softly, and waited for her to reply. She didn’t reply, or even move. Against his better judgement, he shouted louder, risking being discovered by one of Pekka’s crew. He didn’t care. He banged the windows. Praying she would say something. Or turn her head. Or nod. Anything. She didn’t. A single tear rolled down her face.

Y/N had been sitting there for three hours. There wasn’t much to be said about what had happened. Only that she did not remember, whether her loss of memory was intentional or not. It was an off day, that’s all.

Jesper was panicking. He had no idea how to get her to wake up. That is, if she was asleep. Truthfully, he did not know what was wrong with her or what to do. Unfortunately, his noise making had roused a different group of people. Jesper had to run down the alley as he heard shouts coming his direction. He ran the rest of the way home, still in shock. He was not haunted by his near escape with the Dime Lions, but the look on the girl’s face. What had they done to her?

“And she didn’t move at all?” Inej asked. Jesper had just explained to her what happened after he showed up to her room at the Slat. She hadn’t appreciated being woken up from one of her rare naps, but she didn’t complain when she saw the look on his face.

“Not that I could see,” he replied, shaking his head, “Inej, I swear she could hear me.”

Inej did not know what to say. This kind of behavior was not usual for Jesper. He had his normal amount of energy, but it was not often it was all directed to one place: worry. It was odd that something upset him and he did not distract from it by going to gamble or making a joke.

“I just, if it were you I’d understand, but who could ignore me?” he said, “Going unnoticed is not a Jesper talent.”

There it was.

“You’re deflecting” She called him out, “It’s not funny. We should tell Kaz.”

“That's not funny,” Jesper replied, “what is Kaz gonna do? Tell us to stop talking to her?”

Inej sighed. It’s possible that he would advise that. But he also wouldn’t just let Pekka Rollins keep his most dangerous weapon. Especially not when she didn’t seem to have much loyalty. She had told Inej so many times. The girls had a bond due to the Menagerie, and Y/N told her much about her past and present. She explained different chemicals she had made and plans she had heard to Kaz. But with Inej, she explained how she felt about them.

Y/N hated every second in that basement. She had told Inej as much. Repeatedly. But she was rather scatterbrained. She repeated herself often and forgot things that she had already been told. She would forget what day it was and what she had done the night before. Inej had experience with trauma and sleep deprivation enough to shrug this off. She didn’t want to cause her friend anguish by questioning it.

The incident Jesper was describing made her think that maybe she should. Y/N was smart. Hell, she was a self taught Grisha fabrikator. So good, she could kill people from miles away. How could she be so forgetful? Someone so scientifically gifted must have a better mind than that. Someone must have been messing with it.

After some convincing to Jesper that Kaz would not kill or give up on Y/N, the pair made their way to their boss’s office.

“I was waiting for this to happen,” was Kaz’s response.

“What, that’s it?” Jesper raised his voice, “You have nothing else to say?”

Kaz glared at him from his desk. “I don’t know that you thought through your attachment to her, Jesper. You should never have assumed she was on our side.”

Jesper stared bullets at his boss in front of them. They seriously weren’t going to help her at all? She needed to get out of there, he knew that for certain. If it wasn’t because he cared about her then it should be because she is an asset. A good investment. Saints, he hated calling her that.

He didn’t say any of this, however, and instead started to walk out of the office. Just before he was out the door, he heard Brekker speak up.

“I’ll go and see her tomorrow.”

When Kaz Brekker reached the girl’s window, he gave it exactly seven taps with his cane, with a very specific beat. It was a signal he had made with Y/N so that she knew to open the window and talk to him without him having to raise his voice.

The girl turned toward the window at the sound. She set down the bottle she was currently working on and walked over. Kaz started speaking as soon as it was opened.

“How long have they been drugging you?”

Y/N scoffed, “Hello to you, too!”

“How long?”

“Um, never?” She replied, getting confused. “They don’t drug me with anything. I’d notice. That’s kind of my job description.”

Kaz looked to the side, thinking. The only way to explain her odd behavior, forgetfulness, and calmness in her position was that she was being manipulated. And because she was constantly making poisons and “potions” for Pekka, it made sense that she was being given her own drugs without her knowledge. He had thought this since he’d met her. She had to be on some sort of relaxers when he first saw her. Why else would she have so willingly opened the window for strangers?

“Why did you ignore Jesper when he was here yesterday?” He asked, hoping to get the information from her in a more roundabout way.

“I didn’t?” Y/N asked, “Inej was here yesterday, she got those vials of knockout gas you asked for.”

Kaz squinted at her, “Y/N, that was two days ago.”

She shook her head, “No, no, because I was working on those just yesterday and I just finished them when she stopped by. I haven’t seen Jesper in a couple of days, Kaz. Are you feeling ok?”

Kaz wasn’t sure how to react to this. She had missed the whole day? He was sure things like this had been going on this whole time, but never in the month since they began speaking with her has she forgotten a whole day. She had to have taken something.

“Are you self medicating?”

“No! Why- what are you talking about? What is going on?”

“Y/N, Jesper came here yesterday and you were sitting in that corner near catatonic. You wouldn’t speak or even move.” Kaz informed her.

“He must not have shouted loud enough, I was probably asleep.”

“You normally sleep with your eyes open?” He is tone was sharp. “Jesper said you were crying.”

She didn’t respond. She was shocked out of her mind. It was possible Kaz was lying to her to get some sort of information out of her, but it didn’t seem that way. He looked uneasy, the kind of unease that comes from not knowing something. He was a very smart man, and when something did not make sense to him he got nervous. So, this must have actually happened. And if she could not remember it, something was terribly wrong.

“I’m sorry, Kaz. I just don’t remember.”

“Fine. Then I need you to stop eating the food they give you. I’ll have Inej stop by with something to eat during the day.” Kaz paused, thinking. “And I would like to get you out of here, and have you join the Dregs. I just have to figure out how.”

“No, Kaz. I can’t leave.”

“Why? You have loyalties to Pekka Rollins?” He asked, anger clear in his voice.

Do I? She thought. While she knew his treatment of her was unfair, she wondered whether or not she still cared about him. In her time at the Emerald Palace, Pekka had told her many things about how he was the only one who would ever care for her. He claimed that he had saved her from the Menagerie, and he was taking care of her because he loved her. He also said that he would help her find her sister, often claiming that the potions Y/N was making was helping him follow leads about her.

When he started bringing men down into Y/N’s room, she was only a teenager. The first man that had ever touched her in that room also told her information about upcoming trips, which Pekka used to choose the perfect time to rob his house. Y/N felt disgusting in her skin ever since, but Pekka reassured her. I’m sorry , canary. I’ll protect you. Those men are not like me. While any sane person would call giving her food and shelter supplying her basic needs, Pekka called it courtesy. A gift because he loved her. A gift that could be taken away. He let men take advantage of her just so she could get him information, and then called it love. And she believed him. Until one day.

A man had come down into her room, which was usual for her on any given night. However, this man started out rough and stayed that way for the rest of his visit. She had tried her best with past men to get as much information as she could through simple flirting and drugging, but he was not there for small talk. For a brief moment, she considered saying no. In the moment following, she remembered what happened the other times she had done so.

She didn’t get any of the information she had been asked to draw from the man. Pekka was livid. The argument following had been explosive and painful. Not just emotionally.

“This isn’t love.” She tried to say it in a firm voice, but it came out broken and weak.

“How could you possibly know?” Pekka replied.

“Because you don’t deny it.” She said, summoning the strength to look up at him. “The men who come down here sometimes mention their wives. They might not be the pinnacle of married men, but I know they would never do this. This is bad for me.”

“Oh, is it so bad for you?” He raised his voice. “And who is going to treat you better, hm? Who out there would possibly care about you like I do?”

She turned her back to him. She sniffled as she cleaned up her worktable, silently hoping he would just leave.

He grabbed her arm, whipping her around to face him. “I don’t care if you hate me. You will stay here because of Anais. You will stay because you need me.”

The memory was scarring.

Kaz watched as Y/N got lost in her own thoughts. His voice startled her out of her memories. “Y/N, do you have loyalties to him?”

“My sister, Anais.” She breathed. “He is helping me find my sister.”

“Is that all?”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I need to find her. Have you ever had any siblings?”

Kaz paused for a moment. The comment seemed to toy with him. “No.”

“Then you don’t get it. I want to be with people I belong with. To figure out where I’m from.” She sighed. “Pekka is helping me with that.”

“And he has proven that he is actually doing so?”

“He said that he knew she was involved with the slavers who took me away. He is getting in with them to try and figure out where they took her.”

“Y/N, I don’t think he is actually doing that.” Kaz said, shaking his head. “This is your reason for staying?”

“And I have nowhere else to go!”

Kaz took a deep breath. He had decided what he was going to do for the girl since the day he met her. She was an asset. With her power he could complete jobs and gain kruge with record speed. Not to mention, if Kaz had her on his side, Pekka didn’t. The sweet taste of revenge covered his tongue just at the thought.

“I have an offer,” he began, “You come with me. Not now, but soon. I’ll come everyday to ask questions and we’ll plan your escape. In the meantime, you gather your things discreetly and try to find as much dirt on Rollins as you can.”

“But my sister -“

“If you are a part of the Dregs, you will help when asked, but the rest of your time is yours. Look for your sister, gamble your money away, take up baking, — I don’t care. You’ll be free.”

The offer was good. Great, actually. So why was she hesitating? Was Pekka’s manipulation really enough to make her turn away an opportunity like this? I don’t know.

And what about Kaz? Could she really trust him? The man wanted her for her powers, too. How was he different from Pekka? In her limited experience, he wasn’t. I should stay.

But Jesper. In the short while she had known him, Jesper had become her favorite part of being alive. And Inej, who was the kindest soul she had ever encountered. If they were with Kaz, he couldn’t be the demon he tried to be. At least not like Pekka. I should go. I should have gone a long time ago.

“Deal.”

In the weeks following, Kaz came every day to discuss every aspect of the Emerald Palace with her, in the hopes that he could get her out. Getting her out of the building would be simple, but keeping her from being hunted by the Dime Lions for the rest of her days would be complicated. The plan would have to be completely airtight, so Kaz needed time.

A few days later, Jesper was at the window speaking with her. The other members of the dregs would often visit along with Kaz and stay to talk to her, or they might come in his place. Today, after describing her entire tailoring process to Kaz, Y/N was speaking to Jesper about music.

“It’s like this huge golden machine made by Fabrikators, right?” Y/N smiled as she excitedly spoke. “And you take this small disc, place it on the machine and put the needle on it, and then music comes out!”

Jesper grinned at her. He loved the way she looked when she was excited about something. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one before.”

“Well, it’s wonderful,” she sighed, “Not to mention there’s thousands of the disc things, and each one is a different song. I wish more people had them than just the rich men who can afford it. I mean I wish I could have one.”

The two had been known to discuss things that had nothing to do with her escape, which Kaz had scolded them for plenty of times. But they enjoyed talking to each other, and they often got distracted. Odd topics of discussion were bound to happen whether they liked it or not. However, when Jesper realized that they had strayed from their original reason for speaking, he redirected the conversation.

“So, you get tailored nearly everyday?”

“Well, whenever anyone comes to see me. Only Pekka knows what I really look like. And you and your friends. Maybe it's a security thing.” She told him, thinking as she spoke. “Also, if anyone sees me who isn’t supposed to, I’m meant to drug them so they forget. Pekka really just does not want anyone knowing I’m here. Some bastard might try to steal me away.”

Jesper smirked at her. “I cannot imagine who would ever do something like that.”

Visits were going relatively well. Kaz had nearly enough information to finalize his plan for her escape, so he visited less and less. Y/N was becoming a solid member of the Crows even though she had so little time with them. She matched Jesper’s humor, built trust with Inej, and had a shared anger for Pekka with Kaz.

Today was Inej’s day to go visit Y/N, and she was running rather late. She knew the girl had mentioned not to visit after the sun went down, but Inej had been busy all day and could only find time to make it to the window after dark. When she got there, however, she realized why Y/N had made the warning.

When she looked through the window, she noticed that Y/N was not alone. When she looked closer, she realized Y/N was with Pekka Rollins. Luckily, Inej was the Wraith, she could watch what happened next without being seen.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to eat your dinner,” She heard Rollins speak first, in the most condescending tone she had ever heard. “Not after I worked so hard to get your favorite.”

Y/N sat on her cot, avoiding eye contact. “Not hungry.”

Rollins grabbed her by the jaw roughly, forcing her to look at him. Inej noticed tears shining in Y/N’s eyes. “Not hungry, hm? We both know that’s not true.” He laughed, with a terrifying lack of humor behind it. “Why are you lying to me, canary?”

The girl shook her head as the tears fell down her face.

“Your tears will do you no good.” Rollins snarled. “Do not forget what you are.” He paused, raising a brow. “What are you?”

The girl sniffled and didn’t respond.

“What are you?” He shouted and raised his voice this time, causing her to shake.

“A canary.” She whispered out.

“Good, and if I give you a song...”

He raised her chin higher, prompting her to finish his words. “I sing it.” The words fell from her lips like something rehearsed, but unbearably painful.

He gave a tight lipped smile. “Right. Don’t forget it again.” He sat down next to her and handed her the plate she had sat on the table beside her. “Now you eat and I’ll tell you about the man who is coming here tonight.”

Inej felt like she was going to throw up as she travelled the rooftops of Ketterdam back to the Crow Club. She knew Y/N was being mistreated at the Emerald Palace, but seeing it take place was something entirely apart.

As she walked in the doors of the club she felt a presence beside her. She looked over to see Jesper walking with her. He must have been guarding the door. He was waiting to ask a question.

“Yes, Jesper, I went to see her.” Inej spoke to him, her voice rough.

“And?”

“And Pekka Rollins was there.”

Jesper stopped in his tracks. “Saints, is she ok? Are you?”

“I’m fine,” Inej assured, “But I’m not sure about Y/N. He is anything but gentle with her. And he forced her to eat the dinner he gave her. I don’t think she’s gonna be able to avoid the drugs they give her anymore. If only she could remember to take an antidote before her mind goes.”

“Shit, we need to get her out of there, soon.”

The pair once again went to Kaz to discuss the girl, only to find him at his desk, writing furiously with two bottles in front of him.

“Kaz, Inej -“ Jesper was cut off.

“She told me how she’s been killing all those people.” Kaz stared at the bottle in front of him, observing it scientifically.

Inej and Jesper looked at each other before looking back at their boss. What was he on about?

“I don’t understand.” Inej had a confused look on her face as she tried her best to make eye contact with Kaz. She wanted to try and read him like she knew she could, but right now the man in front of her was like a blank page.

“Y/N. She gives them a liquid of her own design, but it isn’t poisonous,” He kept his eyes trained on his work, “At least not until she makes it poisonous. She can give someone poison hours in advance but it kills them right at the perfect moment. Right when she can get away. And, once they are dead, she can change it back to something nontoxic. It’s flawless: not a single trace is left.”

“Great, boss,” Jesper said, growing impatient. “Can we talk about why we are here?”

Kaz frowned, “What, because you want to get Y/N out sooner? She’s in a terrible situation?”

“Exactly,” Inej pleaded.

“If I tried to save everyone in the Barrel I’d be broke by dawn.” Kaz said, looking back at his work. Inej and Jesper stood there in shock. “If you don’t have anything else to say…”

Inej placed a hand up to keep Jesper from exploding. “Kaz, you told us that you would help her escape.”

“I needed information, Wraith, you wouldn’t help me if I told the truth.”

Jesper spoke up, “So you lied to us? And what did you tell her?”

“Nothing. She’s prepared to leave the Emerald Palace tonight.” Kaz tsked. “I doubt she’ll make it two feet out the building without our help. Solves all of my problems.”

Without another word, Inej slipped out of the room, leaving the boys to fight. Through the walls, she heard muffled shouting.

“How could you? You act like you have nothing you believe in but really you are so terrible that you’ve made yourself your own Saint!” Jespers voice was desperate, filled with rage. The betrayal he felt was clear even though he was muffled. He sniffed. “Put too much faith in that saint and he’ll kill your friends.”

Inej cringed, hating the harsh truths her friend was sending toward her boss. She had always known partnership with Kaz would mean conflict, but it also meant freedom. She and Jesper often commented on their cold-hearted boss. “We are both too good for him.” Jesper would laugh as he said it, but now it seemed to be a reason to leave. But where would they go? When it came to Kaz Brekker, no one was better, and no one was worse.

One thing was for certain, Inej was not going to let her friend die. She had just pulled Y/N up from the grave, and she’d be damned if she let Kaz Brekker push her back in. If he was so certain the girl would be dead by tomorrow, she’d get to her before then. She didn’t have time for Kaz’s lectures and Jesper’s shouting. There was a life at stake. She begged the Saints to help her, but deep down she knew that this was up to her and her knives. If Inej couldn’t save Y/N, the Wraith would.

When she reached the Emerald Palace, a nauseous feeling spread throughout her stomach. She willed her hands to stop shaking, but the tremor remained. She reached the window after carefully checking her surroundings and gasped at what she saw. Nothing remained in Y/N’s room but a white letter and dark ash, both standing out against the gray stone floor. Inej frowned in confusion. So, she is gone. Where could she be?

Y/N was a smart girl, she could be out of Ketterdam by now. However, she had barely had any human contact and had been drugged and manipulated for years. If she was not already found by Pekka Rollins, she could have already been killed on the street. But no one knew who she was, and only Pekka and the Crows knew what she truly looked like. She had become one huge question.

Suddenly, Inej remembered something.. Specifically, a conversation she had with Y/N not long ago.

Inej, this might be the worst thing I’ve ever made. She had said, a fire in her eyes.

Then why are you smiling? Inej replied.

Look! Y/N had pulled a thin glass bottle of a swirling liquid and a small flower out from behind her back. She then poured a drop of the bottle on the flower, which disintegrated into a pile of ash within seconds.

Saints. Inej was amazed.

Wild, huh? Footsteps came from the stairwell in the corner of the room. Shit. Inej, go. Inej hesitated. Go! He’ll see you!

Now, looking at the large pile of ash on the floor of the room, Inej realized what had happened.

“Saints,” She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “She’s drunk it.”

She heard footsteps approaching in the alley, and immediately grabbed two of her knives, ready to protect herself.

“Easy,” Jesper appeared, holding his hands out toward her. “It’s just me.”

Inej lowered her knives as she stared back at him. “We’re too late, Jes. She’s gone.”

He laughed, nervous. “No, she wouldn’t.” He lowered himself down to the window. “No.”

Inej stood up and looked up at the stars, praying to any Saint that she could think of that she wasn’t dead. That her friend was out there somewhere. Alive. “Jesper, we need to get out of here.”

“But,” Jesper paused, his voice weak. “She was just here.”

“She’s not anymore.” Inej looked at him with pity. She could tell how much the girl had meant to him. “I’m sorry.”

“She was just here.” He repeated, voice cracks littering his words.

Inej grabbed his hand, forcing him out of this frozen state. “I know, Jes. I’m sorry.”

#jesper fahey x reader #jesper fahey fanfic #jesper fahey imagine #shadow and bone fanfiction #shadow and bone x reader #six of crows imagine #six of crows x reader #jesper fahey x you

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Shadow and Bone 2x07 Review

It’s the penultimate episode. I do think this episode had more of a singular plotline, all the others were kind of split into the shadow and bone crew and then the crows, but with it ramping up to the big fight all the focus was on that. I thought this episode was ok, it wasn’t my favourite but it wasn’t bad either. So here is your official spoiler warning, book spoilers will be between 2 *. 

The Firebird

So a lot of the plot this episode was focused on the reveal from the previous ep that Mal is the firebird and all the fallout from that. One of the weirdest scenes for me was when Mal and Aleks meet through the mind tether. I think because it was just a uniquely darklina thing in the books it feels weird to me when anyone else does it. But I didn’t necessarily hate the scene. I did think it was an interesting throwback to 1x07 when they had a similar kind of standoff and they talked about time and how it was Mal’s enemy because he would grow old but Alina would not. In that season 1 scene Aleks was very much boasting about how he had time, so its interesting to see him in this scene where he actually doesn’t, now they are both running out of time, Aleks is dying and I don’t think that is something he can fully comprehend because he never thought it would happen. I do think whereas in season 1 Aleks very much had the power in that scene here they are on a more even playing field. Neither one of them really wins in this situation. Mal did know where to hit Aleks where it hurts though. Reminding him he has nothing and that he’ll die alone. But not having anything to lose I think does make him more dangerous, the merzost putting him on borrowed time, I think, also makes him more desperate and rash, because whereas before he has all the time in the world to make that safe haven for the grisha now he has to do it quickly, before he runs out of time. 

There were a couple of scenes that I did think were really sweet. The funny thing is that I am very indifferent to malina in the show, it might sound harsh but I just never really cared a whole lot about them, so I’m not particularly moved by this whole dilemma they are in, however I do really love both of their friendships with nikolai. And so I was moved by the scene between Alina and Nikolai when she confesses to him that Mal is the firebird. You can see that Nikolai is struggling with the news as well but he is also trying to comfort Alina, not that there is really much you can do in that situation. And I guess I do have some sympathy for Alina and Mal like the situation is an impossible one, having to choose between killing someone you love, who you spent your whole life with or saving the world. But I think because I just wasn’t that invested in their relationship it just did not have the same impact. Another scene with Nikolai that I thought was super touching was when he goes to see Mal on the boat. I love that once Mal knows that Nikolai knows, Nikolai doesn’t say anything he just hugs the guy, and seeing Mal barely holding it together during that hug did get me a bit choked up, like I said before, I love a good bromance. They’ve come a long way from the beginning of the season where Nikolai couldn’t even be bothered to learn Mal’s not even a long name. It is interesting that Mal talks about envying Sturmhond’s life, but also a bit odd because, as I mentioned in ep 1′s review, its a bit of a retcon from season 1 where Alina said Mal just wanted to settle down on a farm. Which is kind of the opposite of a life of a privateer. But I suppose it was actually experiencing a small glimpse of that life and the freedom that came with it that made him then envy it, so I suppose that could explain the change, a don’t know you would want that if you don’t know that kind of life exists type thing.  

I do think that Alina was very much in denial about the whole situation and trying to ignore it, which is understandable. But I did think the plan they come up with of taking one of mal’s bones now and fusing it to alina and then letting his heart stop for a couple of minutes until tamar can start it again was a bit bonkers. But it did bring about some funny moments like david asking what they were going to amputate. Like again what was with the whole amputation thing this season, there just seems to be alot of it going on. But I also did laugh, whilst also cringing, when david is trying to work himself up to cut the tip of Mal’s little finger off. But also did anyone else think it would be better just to take one of Mal’s teeth, like one at the back, I know it still would have been unpleasant but I feel like it would be less of a inconvenience to lose a back tooth than the tip of you finger. But then I guess he wouldn’t have matched with the other morozova’s who lost their fingers/hands, got to complete the set I guess. Of course in the end Mal gets to keep all his fingers, tips and all, because the nichevo’ya attack at that moment and they all have to run for their lives. I mean really the entire plan goes to pot pretty quick, Nikolai’s ship gets shot down and then their crew is chased by Aleks’ grisha, Aleks expands the fold, mal gets hit by the cut and nina gets taken by a nichevo’ya and its just all kind of chaos.

One thing I will say is that when Alina and Mal try to take down the fold I did think the lights were pretty. What I have liked about the amplifiers is that each time she gets a new one, the way the power looks and behaves is different and it suits each amplifier really well. The Stag had that steady blueish white glow, the sea whip had the golden threads that slithered and with the firebird its a fiery red, like a phoenix being reborn.

But obviously it wasn’t going to be that simple and when Aleks appears it breaks the connection between them. What I did think was interesting is Alina uses the cut for the first time in this moment to intercept with Aleks’ cut that he sent towards mal. What was interesting was her reaction to it, she looked almost manic, she had this kind of sinister smile on her face, like she enjoyed using it. 

 Aleks and his Grisha 

So it seems like Aleks gave some of his grisha some of the magic Baghra bone dust to amplify them, so now he has this squad of supercharged Grisha. But here’s the reason why I find it difficult not to take the side of Aleks and his grisha, its stories like the one we hear about Aleks’ tidemaker, Fruszi, when her parents discovered she was grisha they sold her, Aleks brought her and admitted he would have paid it a hundred times over, or the story of Nisho. How he was tortured by the first army, that they burnt his face with a hot baronet and then hung him until his voice broke. Like I am expected not to root for these guys, because apparently these are the bad guys because they have sided with Aleks and are trying to kill the ‘good’ guys. How am I supposed to view Aleks and these grisha as the bad guys when shit like this keeps happening to the grisha? Truth is I don’t think there are good and bad sides in this. I don’t think Aleks and his Grisha are the bad guys or the good guys, I don’t think Alina and co are the good guys or the bad guys, they are all just people trying to survive and trying to do what they believe is right. But its such a complicated situation that its difficult to know what is the right thing as both sides have very good points. 

Other Bits

I am now realising that there isn’t actually a whole lot to say about this episode as it was mostly action based, I mean it was some good action. So I am just going to put all the random thoughts I had here. 

I liked how when Adrik and Nadia both had an injured arm they used their powers together, that was pretty cool and obviously highlighted that sibling bond. 

Nikolai’s friend dies in this episode protecting him and I did think it was a really sad moment but at the same time seeing as we only met him last episode it didn’t have as big of an impact as it could have if they had spent a bit more time with the character and on that friendship, this is where I think this pacing issue comes in, it feels like they are rushing through too much. 

Genya and David’s talk about gemstones was really cute and I like how when realising why she liked emeralds she decides that she deserves better and asks whats worth more than an emerald, I love david’s response of anything if it on you. I also liked that when she chose ruby he told her that a ruby is stronger than an emerald. But it does make me wonder with all this talk of gemstones whether we might get a genya/david proposal? Is he out here scoping to find out what gemstone she would like for an engagement ring? On the flip side the scene where he puts her behind the like elevator door so that he can seal it behind her and keep her save really broke my heart, especially the way she was screaming for him as it lowered. 

I loved the crows entrance, dramatic and badass as per usual and just in the nick of time. 

The ending felt a little abrupt to me, like it seemed oddly placed. 

Anyway only one more episode to go and we are done with season 2. I’m a little excited and very nervous, so I will catch you on the other side. 

Favourite Lines 

‘You have a bad habit of acting the fool and calling it heroic. 

 ‘So, what should we amputate?’  

‘Why did you do that you fool? So you can save the rest of them.’ 

‘What nightmare have we gotten ourselves into?’ 

#shadow and bone #s&b season 2 spoilers

[maries-gallery]

Hey Marie!!

I know, I know, it’s inappropriate for a certain reason but… what would papa Zeke be like? I was just thinking about it and I’m really curious 🙈

No worries ! It's not inappropriate at all ! I'm actually glad you asked <3 This ended up being very long and self indulgent... I hope you don't mind.

Zeke never thought he'd get to have a child of his own one day. Too scared of being a bad father, of turning out like Grisha.

But when you tell him, tears in your eyes that you're pregnant with his child ? He can't worry about this anymore, pure unbridled happiness flooding his veins and heart singing in his chest. So warm as he hoists you up in his arms and twirls you around the room. Light and free on his feet as he looks up at you, eyes bright with love and joy. He wants to sing, to dance, to shout it from the rooftops, so excited to take this new decisive step in your relationship.

He's there every step of the way. Reading as much as he can about parenthood and pregnancy, absorbing every information and storing them in a corner of his head.

At night he lies in bed beside you, a warm hand resting on your swelling baby bump and another holding yet another book. Glasses perched on his nose and ocean eyes scanning over the lines. A slight frown creases his brows as he stumbles upon one particularly interesting passage, highlighting the key words.

It is not rare for him to talk to your stomach either. Hands holding you by the hips as he faces the growing baby inside of you, a goofy grin curving his lips as he greets the two of his angels with a good morning kiss. One to your stomach and the other to your lips.

"Good morning, angels."

Cravings ? He's probably got more than you, so much so that you wonder if by any chance he would happen to be pregnant too. Pickles and chocolate at midnight ? Count him in. Ice cream and French fries at 2am ? Get in the car, he's the one driving. Any other food combo you're willing to try ? He's on it.

Later on and when your child is finally out of the womb, Zeke is the fun father. Always there to make his kid smile and make them feel loved.

One thing he adores is to gently tickle your baby's sides just to see their bright smile and hear their golden giggles. Chuckling along as the baby's features scrunch up in giddy amusement.

He also entertains conversations with your child, answering to every single babble . Very invested in whatever it is the little one is trying to tell him.

"Yes, I know, little one. Daddy loves you so so much." He says, voice soft as he prepares their baby bottle and checks the temperature of the milk on his hand. "There you go, it's all done."

As they grow up he remains very invested in his child's development and their life as a whole. And like Eren it is actually very hard for him to face the fact that one day his little sunshine will go their own way. You've already caught him crying and sniffling in their room as he watched them sleep right after putting them to bed with a night story. So emotional and overwhelmed with the weight of his love for them. And only now does he understands how unconditional a parent's love for their child is.

Zeke is also an excellent tutor, very pedagogical and knowledgeable, he's your child's assigned home math teacher. Always managing to make lessons so much fun and make homework less of a chore and more of a father-child moment.

Loves to take them to the park and play with them, anything they like. Building sandcastles ? He's in. Playing football or baseball ? He's in too. Playing with dolls or going on the swing ? He's in love with the idea.

However one thing he wants above all is for his child to be free to be unapologetically themselves.

He lived all his life trying to fit people's expectation of him, trying to please everyone and thus forgetting himself along the way. He doesn't want the same for his kid and so teaches them from a very young age how not to care about other's opinion. With that comes a huge play on gender norms, encourages his child to see for themselves what they like or don't like, without any judgement. His child is a boy and likes wearing dresses or nail polish ? Sure son, go for it ! You look wonderful ! A daughter who loves football and things seen as masculine ? Yes Queen, you rock. He's just very supportive and always has their back.

@sunshinedragonofthewest because dad zeke content is for you to enjoy @jeagersruletheworld (don't know if zeke content interests you but just in case)

#gentle #aot x reader #snk x reader #attack on titan x reader #attack on titans x reader #aot fluff #snk fluff #zeke jaeger x reader #zeke jaeger fluff #zeke x reader #zeke fluff

[dylanobrienisbatman]

I literally do not understand, like I really don’t get it, how anyone could think the Darkling and Alina make a good pair. I can seriously ship Alina with everyone (hell even Nikolai) but him, cause it’s just so obvious that he’s hurting her. I don’t know, it’s literally impossible for me to see it. I don’t like the Darkling like at all, cause I don’t really think he’s well written, that’s is. I don’t consider him a well written villain but if somehow I did, I still wouldn’t ship him with Alina? I’d ship him with an evil OC? Cause to me it’s just something that totally doesn’t work and IT’S MEANT NOT TO WORK.

And as a Malina shipper, I must say that I’m tired of hearing that Alina “chose Mal” over the Darkling cause that’s not what happened. Alina didn’t have to choose between two guys, that’s not what the story is about. This is about Alina REFUSING the Darkling and that’s it. She chose HAPPINESS, and her happiness meant Mal, Genya, Zoya, Nikolai, Tamar, Tolya, Nadia, Misha etc... It’s not about what love story is better. What made me love the ending of the series wasn’t that Alina “chose the good guy over the bad guy”, it was that she wanted to get away from something/someone that hurt her and she MANAGED TO DO IT.

And a book targeted for teenagers published in 2012 (aka the period were toxic relationships where romanticized SO MUCH) that treats such themes, it’s really far more interesting than a story about a girl falling in love with a villain.

(Sorry for the long ask lmao)

Okay, well, sorry for the long response, but this is a WHOLE mood.

I personally think the Darkling is a well written villain, but that's mostly because he has the exact effect on the fanbase that Leigh was trying to prove by writing him the way she did, that attractive men can get away with pretty much anything because of their charm and their pretty faces, but overall I find him pretty lacking in a lot of ways. As an abuser, manipulator, and groomer, so specifically in his interactions with Alina, i think he's great, but overall in the story i find him kind of meh.

But honestly same!! Like honestly, I'm not really someone who enjoys "dark" ships. There are a few 'dark' ships that I've liked over the years, like early days Damon/Elena and Chuck/Blair (lol... to your point about romanticized toxic relationships...), but I was a lot younger when I was really invested in those ships, and as I've gotten older I really don't see the appeal in them as much as I used too. So I'm probably not the authority on what makes a good "dark" ship. But to each their own! Ship what you want! But to me, i hate it. Why would I want my heroine to be with someone who abuses her? Why would I want a strong female character to end up with someone who subjugates and controls her, and harms the people she loves? It's just not for me.

And yeah!! It's the misinterpretation of the ending that truly gets me. Alina would never choose the Darkling. Even if Mal had really died, and Alina had gone fully insane, I still dont think she would have been with him. If she had gone dark and went full power hungry crazy, I think she would have still killed him (@mal-zoya said it super well in this post). He hurt her friends, people she loves, like Nikolai and Genya, like Zoya, like Ana Kuya and the other teachers at the orphange, like Mal, and he hurt her. Even if she decided she wanted to become this immortal all powerful evil Grisha queen, it still makes no sense to think that she would side with the man who enslaved her. It just... doesn't make sense.

Alina didn't choose Mal OVER someone else, (possibly Nikolai, but still... not really? she never loved Nikolai?), she chose the life she wanted over the lives she didn't want. Even after her powers were taken from her (she did NOT give them up, despite what some people want to claim), she still could have become the Queen with Nikolai, or spent her life revered as Sankta Alina, but she chose to go live an ordinary life, full of ordinary things, full of friends who adored her and children who admired her and a husband who loved her.

I think the biggest thing that always gets lost is that the men in the story that were her 'choices', much like the hunger games 'love triangle', aren't just love interests. They represent paths that Alina can take during the story.

The Darkling represents greed and corruption. He represents a path where Alina loses sight of everything that is important to her and becomes the evil she is trying to defeat. Alina choosing The Darkling would be her loosing herself to her trauma and becoming a malevolent villain who torments the people she was meant to protect.

Nikolai represents political power and the need to be loved and worshiped by the people. He represents a path where Alina gives up the things she has always wanted for herself in pursuit of status and political power. Alina choosing Nikolai, and becoming the Queen, would be her abandoning her true calling, as the savior and protector of the people of Ravka, to rule them instead.

Mal represents humanity, sacrifice, and her true self. He represents the path Alina begins and ends the story on. Discovering that she is the Sun Summoner thrusts Alina into a life she didn't want as a child and never wanted, even by the end of the story. Harnessing the power of Morozova hurts her, and almost kills her. Accepting Nikolai's proposal makes her feel lonely, uncomfortable, and out of place. Alina choosing Mal, and by extension an ordinary life with the people she loves, represents Alina choosing to follow her heart, and to use her power for its true intention, to protect the people of Ravka and the world.

The power of the Sun Summoner wasn't granted to Alina so she could rule the world as some malevolent god-like figure, or be worshiped as a Saint, or rule the world as some immortal queen. The power of the Sun Summoner existed so that one day, someone who was pure of heart could step up and save the people of Ravka from the darkness and peril brought by The Darkling. The power of the Sun Summoner was granted to Alina because she had a pure heart, and because of her pure heart, she could withstand the greed for power, the corruption of the amplifiers, and the draw of political power and fame, to do the right thing and bring balance and peace back to the world. Her story is a beautiful thing because it reminds us that sometimes, the most important thing we can be is human, and kind.

#alina starkov #shadow and bone #i love this ask okay and i love Alina's story #malina #i mean its kind of malina? but also not really? but its still pro malina so im tagging it lol

[eerna]

I feel like book Inej learns that the only way to survive the barrel is to kill and obviously she wants to survive so she can find a better life for herself and help others so her whole I guess I have to kill arc being tied into Kanej doesn’t sit right w me… ya know?

Yeah, it ties in the entire “Kaz is too soft” thing. In the books, he flat out ignored her emotional breakdown after she took her first life. He knows what it takes to survive, and he doesn’t pity her for doing it. Here, they made sure he would be around to reassure her it was okay afterwards. BUT I do like it how they added another scene with the sister to show the exact moment Inej becomes a killer. Her loved ones are threatened. She can let the woman live and make good on ther threats, or sacrifice her beliefs, and she makes the choice and her peace with it completely alone.

I can see people thinking Kaz is too open in SaB, but I thought they still captured his coldness fairly well. I'm also kind of operating under the idea that part of the reason he was more open to Inej was because he was out of his element (in a foreign country, away from his gang and club) and because Inej was having such difficulty with justifying her role in the Dregs with her morals and religion. I wonder if in a possible season 2, where they're back in Ketterdam, he becomes more closed off because then he's back in the Barrel and he has to act tougher and harsher because the Barrel is a rough place to live and he's got a reputation to uphold in Ketterdam, unlike Ravka where he's an unknown. What do you think? Love reading your SaB thoughts!

Aww thankss! It does make sense, but same could be said for Ice Court, and he wasn’t nearly as open then. I do hope you’re right and he takes this as a cue to become more closed off so we get to see that good good Kanej development happening... 

my guess is the shadow and bone showrunners and writers are just so excited about the crows and getting to do the six of crows storyline that they’re rushing their plot to get their favorite elements about them in early and i’m just... i don’t absolutely hate it, but i wish it could have been done better.

It did feel taht way. They were so excited about where the characters were gonna end up that they forgot that, in writing, it’s about the journey as much as the destination.

okay so i guess when they said they were making prequel content i assumed that would mean new plot points (which we’ve got) and new dialogue (which we have some of)… but they’re using key dialogue/conversations from the book that come at super important moments in the story (ie investment and the convo nina has w matthias about how barbaric fjerda is the whole how many grisha are allowed to live after their trial thing —> both of which come at very crucial moments for each character)… i guess i’m wondering what the show will offer when those moments come and they’ve already used that dialogue… does that make sense?

i know it’s a small thing but i’m still disappointed

Yup! Kaz giving his crow speech from THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE ENTIRE SERIES during the prequel didn’t sit right with me. The thing with Nina and Matthias was supposed to be that they just didn’t talk about morality during those initial weeks. They became Nina and Matthias, two people who had to rely on each other to survive. They taunted and jabbed each others’ cultures on the basis of food, festivals, and propriety, and it wasn’t until SoC that they got the luxury to start talking about the bigger issues. Which is also the reason Matthias started growing only after Hellgate, when Nina stopped being the exception and became the symbol in his head.

Wow I went on a ramble there but yeah I agree that they shouldn’t have hurried anywhere...

#eernask talk grishaverse #sab spoilers #eernanon #eernask