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black-rose-writings · 3 years

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Reading Siege and Storm because I hate myself

To begin, I’d like to state that this is my first read-through and I only have vague idea of the plot I’ve gathered from fanfics and tumblr posts.

Long post ahead

Chapter 1

So... at first I was like - huh, this isn’t as bad as I thought, but the moment Alina gets introspective, it all goes to hell.

Like, she’s being physically made sick by not using her powers, which is making her feel useless - like, she says, pretty much verbatim: “The only thing I was ever good at was being a Sun Summoner and I’m not that anymore.”

I’m gonna beat those paragraphs over the head of anyone, who says Alina got a good ending.

I’ve also noticed just how often the like “I pushed that thought away” is used and more often than not, it’s used on thoughts that should probably not be pushed away.

Ah, yes, here he comes, my boy Darkles, being the dramatic bitch he always is. We get it, you’re the hot villain, tempting the good and pure heroine away from being good and pure.

And I’m just now realizing how many times in this chapter has Alina lamented their lack of privacy. We have to ensure the reader doesn’t hink she’s *gasp* sleeping with Mal.

Chapter 2

What?

Alina is tripping balls while being put under by a Heartrender, got it.

Darkling is being the voice of reason, but I’m getting the distinct feeling it won’t last.

Ivan gets one point, because Alina is in fact a traitor, but he’s also being a cunt, so it doesn’t really count.

Alina at Sturmhond: Do you even care about Ravka?

Me at Alina: Do you?

Chapter 3

“Mermaids are not real”. I’m pretty sure they are in the Grishaverse.

My boy Darkles is still making sense, but Alina is dedicated to being against him just for the hell of it, it seems.

Did this bitch just throw a tantrum, because he told her, what we can assume is the truth? Okay. Like, I get that she’s at best 18, but still. Not exactly the type of protagonist whose head I like being in.

And in that moment, dozens of smut fics were born.

Chapter 4

Wow, that was quick.

Aaand. What had just happened?

Chapter 5

Sturmhond is a funny bitch, I’ll give him that.

And this entire conversation, it seems like Mal’s entire purpose is to stand behind Alina threateningly and repeat what she said, lol.

I’d like to remind Alina (and LB) that a king in an absolutist monarchy (which is what Ravka appears to be) is very much a tyrant. Don’t make it sound like Ravka didn’t have a tyrant before. And at the very least, my boy Darkles seems pretty competent.

A man calling himself a Storm Dog likes dogs. No shit.

Chapter 6

I hate Mal. Dude, this is your girlfriend, maybe like... listen to her? Don’t bludgeon her with the one other guy she was kinda-sorta with, when you are a well known manwhore?

I don’t know man, I don’t like him.

Everyone: You can’t have more than one amplifier, it’s dangerous.

Alina: Haha, sparkles go brrrr

Chapter 7

In other news, pirates are funny.

Holy shit, they have a plane.

That was... a lot. And we’re crossing the Fold again, yay.

Chapter 8

You feel bad for the Volcra but not for the people you’ve left for dead in the Fold last time? Okay.

Baby Volcra. Am I supposed to say “ew” or “aww”? If I tried doing both at the same time, it would probably sound like one.

Jesus fucking Christ this book is a ride.

Did Alina really just have an “oh no, he’s hot?” moment? *sighs*

Puppy boy has a title longer than Daenerys, jesus.

Alina, my dear, you could have waited for a bit before doing that. There’s like thirty soldier with guns around you and you’ve just punched a prince.

Then again, you’ve never been smart, have you?

Chapter 9

For once, I completely agree with him. I know you two have lost your one shared braincell on that first crossing of the Fold but still, that was very dumb of you, Alina.

I’m starting to get why people were calling Nikolai “Darkling light”. Definitelly seems appropriate.

Mal, calm the fuck down, that was the least romantic proposal I’ve ever heard and you know it.

You two didn’t even let Alina get a word in for the last page. What right do you have to her, Mal, huh? Nikolai is making sense and you’re being an idiot.

What’s your deal Mal? What the fuck do you want?

And why in the hell are you the endgame love interest?

That’s an awful lot of guilt-tripping you’re doing there, Mal. No need to be pissy about it.

Chapter 10

The bones thing is definitelly yikes.

Saints, Mal, are you on your period or something? Alina doesn’t belong to you. Alina can make her own choices. Get a grip.

“You think I’m like the Darkling?” Yes. The Darkling isn’t all bad. You’re at war. No need to get your panties in a twist over a few fingers.

Oh, look, Alina has a cult now, nice.

Chapter 11

Your “dad” is a rapist, Nikolai. Quite possibly a pedo. He got exactly what he deserved.

I’d go for the second option. Especially after that stunt. Jesus, you could have asked her beforehand.

At least Darkles had the decency to make out with her in private.

Also like... why is every single person in this series so far an asshole?

Chapter 12

We meet the King again, unfortunately.

Alina gets Darkles’s old job.

This should be a total disaster, but let’s see where it goes anyway.

Chapter 13

Alina’s nuts, yay.

(I know they have a Force-bond-thingy. I also know they did it before Reylo did.)

Chapter 14

Oh boy, Alina’s not doing as bad as I thought.

For the 100th time in this book, I wish I had Nikolai’s confidence. Though it is getting a bit too much.

Puppy boy is dropping some truth bombs. Nice.

But he doesn’t realize that my boy Darkles has very good reasons to not align with Fjerdans - a) they think he’s a demon and b) they want Grisha dead.

I’m not gonna say she was, but like... the monarchy is very much corrupt.

Oh, boy, Baghra. This one’s gonna go well.

Yep, Baghra’s as pleasant as ever.

So... Baghra’s plan in book 1 really had been to just have Alina run away and hope for the best? Jesus Christ, lady. I’m not saying she deserved to have her eyes taken away, but she is definitelly a trash person and I’m not surprised her son turned out the way he did.

Also, I’m fairly certain that Baghra is literally slowly killing herself - that the reason she looks so old and frail is because she’s started to supress her power and it’s literally killing her, because, you know, she’s bonkers old.

Chapter 15

Nerd Alina > Self-pitying Alina

Also, I’m just saying, Alina comments on Zoya being attractive a whole lot - I get that she’s meant to be insecure, but I’m interpreting it as her being gay, because I need some happiness in my life, okay?

Just kill the sleazy old Rasputin-wanna-be. There’s plenty of them to go around in this series.

Chapter 16

Vasily takes after his father in creep factor.

Why not the Darkling being courted by a horny prince? Be a bit creative.

Chapter 17

Nikolai has big ADHD energy and I love him for it. Fits right in with the heavily autism-coded Fabricators.

*sighs at heteronormativity again*

*sighs at improper gendering of titles*

Date night with Mal. This is gonna be a disaster, isn’t it?

Chapter 18

Fun night of cultural appropriation, yay.

I hate cultists.

LET. ALINA. GO. FERAL. Please.

You two are going to give me a headache, I swear.

Darkles cockblocking Alina. And Malice threw a tantrum. Nice.

Chapter 19

You’re way too harsh on Genya, Alina.

Horny Alina rights.

They have a laser, now. Cool. Or, well, enormously hot.

Mal is being a drunk a-hole. Great. When does he become likable? Does he ever?

Banter between Mal and Alina? Kinda weird, always somehow comes back to either of them being insecure.

Banter between Alina and Nikolai? I’m all for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Darklina trash, but like... Nikolai is fun. I could see him and Alina having an arranged political marriage and ending up falling in love years into it, that’s all I’m saying.

Chapter 20

Just let this one go, Alina, please. You two are not working out. Please, end it with him. You’ll both probably be happier. (I’m saying this with the full knowledge that Malina is endgame).

Jesus Alina, get your shit together. You have every right to be mad, because you two didn’t actually break up, you didn’t kiss Nikolai and also, I don’t like Mal.

Sooo... when is Alina going to realize her manchild of a boyfriend is an amplifier?

Chapter 21

Alina has the horny sickness, lol.

Jesus Christ, girl, I don’t want to read your vaguely suicidal thoughts.

Mal, you fucking idiot.

Alina, stop defending Mal.

Chapter 22

Alina has a logical thought? Impossible.

Finally, some action.

Chapter 23

Oh, boi, this is going great.

Oh, boi, Alina’s having another martyr moment.

And, we’re done.

Finally.

That was a ride. Nothing really happens for like ten chapters and then everything happens in one and a half.

#shadow and bone #grishaverse #siege and storm #review #darklina #anti mal #I guess #reading binges like this yeet me right back into middle school

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bumbleklee · 2 years

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people voicing their own opinions on my brain worms makes me so happy i sob but you know what time it is

part 4: imma go straight meta on you we doing genshin mains and type of player heheheh

to make it fun we won’t be picking parents as their mains even tho clara would be a diluc main moving on

as always nikolai: he is definitely a klee main. he saw explosions and was like “yup i’m sold” he got her c6 and she is officially his lil sister. also he does his daily commissions at the worst place (he was at the dentist getting his wisdom teeth out and was still grinding it out) he is also a whale. not a meta slave but a definitely a whale. he gets like c6 and r5 everything but has zero clue how it works. before he got klee, he was a barbara main. ar60 and doesn’t understand artifacts tho. he probably won’t get there and is still farming for an attack flower.

isaac: he is most definitely an albedo main. i take no arguments. he is cool but a lil bit snark it’s everything he could ever ask for. he have 5 different builds for albedo. okay so this man actually understands how the games work. like he was a calculator to determine swirl damage. when you google a build guide he is the reason it exists. he is the man behind the scenes. i like to think he is like a beta tester for the game. he test things out and gets sneak peaks because he is so detail oriented. the game dev look forward to his insight.

jia: thoma main. she is the meta. that’s it. she is probably the luckiest person to grace this mortal realm. she has amazing luck and it shows. nikolai need to whale to get c6 but mihoyo gifts her it. she likes him because technically he is one of the worst characters for the meta but he is good with animals and a housekeeper. she likes his vibe and how homey he feels. but her artifacts are so good holy shit i just wanna-

calla: yae. ifykyk. if not she is definitely shenhe again the girls that get it get it and the girls who don’t don’t that’s it. anyways she only plays as girls why would she need sticky boys when the girls have it under control. she plays for aesthetic but she goes hard to make the the best. other than that she is just a casual update to update player. she did whale for yae tho. she runs mono teams as she should. honorary male is kazuha but he is the only one allowed😡

clara: yoimiya. they are fun and loud and talkative but not in the zhongli type of ways. she can just kinda vibe with them. she doesn’t know how artifacts work and really only started to play so she could with isaac but once she learn oh god. she is crack dude. less than jia but like the minute she realized that a def goblet shouldn’t go on yoimiya her life changed. unlike nikolai she learned. another casual player but she have moments of fixation on it. so she would play for like a whole week and then disappear for a bit. boss drops don’t like her tho. he favorite boss to beat up is in fact childe.

-🍞 this was long and i’m sorry for typos i’m sleepy

IM SORRY THIS HAS TAKEN ME SO LONG TO ANSWER </3 ITS BEEN A SUPER HECTIC WEEK AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL MY ATTENTION

nikolai is the type of kid that just takes his parents credit cards to use on games. they’re rich asf so they don’t care but it’s still funny because he’s like 17, dropping thousands on the game 😭

isaac has a genshin YouTube channel that tests different builds and the thumbnail is like “RAIDEN SHOGUN 300,000 DAMAGE?”

i can see jia as a streamer, so she gets that streamer luck. has like 40% crit dmg on all artifacts

calla hates kaeya. she doesn’t like any of the guy characters but she HATES kaeya 😭😭 her team is probably mona, yae, shenhe and beidou. and she flaunts them like craycray

clara is a fun genshin player. she joins lower ar worlds to help them and does damage tests with her friends all the time just to show off or help them. isaac has her password and does her comms

#bumbleklee family series #bumbleklee 🍞 anon

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gwynpool · 3 years

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it’s 2AM and i just finished Rule of Wolves (spoilers definitely up ahead)

first, to inform everyone, i read the spoilers when it got leaked in twitter cuz i can’t help myself. (it’s a sickness, i know) i think this is important since it definitely influenced my perspective upon reading the book. also, this is my first time being early in a party so yay me! going in ROW was easy for me because i started King of Scars the day before book 2’s actual release date so everything’s fresh.

secondly, this is really long so i’m sorry. i just have a lot of feelings and need to write it all down. on with the rant.

King of Scars was wonderful to me since it gave me my favorite Shadow and Bone character and the girl who i used to hate for being a mean girl but who I now admire with every ounce of my being. It also introduced a new ship that I am now obsessed with and is ruling besides my love for Jude&Cardan. Not to mention, it gave us Nina, whom though i’m not entirely a fan of due to all my love focusing on Kaz and Inej, allowed the connection between Shadow&Bone with SixofCrows.

Moving on, ROW was a ride and whirlwind of emotions. unfortunately, it wasn’t always the best kind.

I love the fantasy elements of it (tho it was a huge leap especially with the saints power thingy) and the politics because i am a sucker for scheming and stealing thrones.

the zoyalai teasing and angst was painful but in the best way since slowburn is what keeps me going.

nina finding comfort (and attraction, apparently) from hanne made my heart flutter because i haven’t gotten over matthias but this allowed a sort of closure and next chapter for our waffle-loving queen.

the promised wedding by leigh wasn’t what i expected but i’m not complaining since david&genya deserved nothing but happiness.

almost everything seems going well (aside from the fact that aleksander was ressurected apparently)and then everything crashes and burns and i just have to wonder why?

so the promised funeral alongside the wedding one, immediately comes after two? three? chapters as they were attacked during the afterparty of the wedding. and guess what? leigh killed the fcking groom.

the thing is i already knew he was going to die (with the spoilers and all) but i did not expect it to come immediately after the freaking wedding. not even halfway through the book!

being spoiled, i think, took most of the pain from the event but it doesn’t lessen the fact that it was completely unnecessary??? like though the characters grieved, nothing much was affected from his death? also, don’t talk to me about the character development for the survivors from this tragic event because there. was. absolutely. NONE.

and then we have the fricking darling ressurected. i love him in the first book of the grishaverse though i knew he was still a villain, don’t get me wrong. and my heart ached but was also relieved with his death in the third. he also inspired one of my all-time favorite fantasy villain(antihero?) in the form of Adelina Amouteru in the Young Elites series.

Ceased to be a Darklina fan and am now shipping Aleksander with Adelina because their power tho? like clings to like and they are both imbued with unfathomable darkness. somebody write fics please.

but bringing him back was what for exactly? leigh bardugo preached on how toxic the darkling character was and how we really shouldn’t like him in terms of agreeing with his ideals and yada yada. and yet she brings him back because apparently, he’s the only one paying her bills.

his conversation with alina tho had me expecting some darklina crumbs with fan service on the side since the stans were all raving about it on twitter *vomiting noises from toxicity* but i was surprised since it just further reminded us of how he truly is a villain in his very core and would do anything to get what he wants. so all in all it wasn’t entirely awful and it actually made me like Mal a bit. (never was a fan of him but that’s my issue, not the character’s)

setting aside the darkling issue a bit, the POV from Mayu was skippable. i mean obviously it still needs to be read for the Shu politics and the khergud existence but it just made me want to go to the next pov. Same goes for the “the monk’s” POV since you all know how i feel about him and the cult with it’s assembly and shit ended up also being unnecessary towards the end. honestly, i could do without the journey of the starless saint and his cult.

i truly enjoyed the fjerdan plot to my surprise and i like how nina kind of went through the last of us 2 circle of hate journey. it was definitely difficult knowing her pain and all that she went through and still choosing to be the better person. and yet, i can’t help but be more proud of her development. also, the supposed death of hanne got me going for a second and was actually ready to storm leigh’s home to fix her mistake. thank god it was plot twist. that’s all i have to say on the nina POV because i don’t wanna ruin my good feeling on this.

the crows cameo gave us a mini heist and it just made me miss reading their adventures. also the suli scene tugged at my heart.

imma skip zoya’s transformation but it utterly made me feel amazing and i have never been more glad that she’s kind of overpowered. she deserves it so fck all them haters. you can choke.

nikolai’s revelation and decision for the ravkan throne was not all that surprising, even without my knowledge of the spoilers. i honestly had a feeling that he was always his best self when he was strumhond and he only chose to fulfill the duties of the king because at that time, there was no other choice. so him giving up the throne to his beloved soldier, summoner and saint was a quite satisfying choice of route. there has been some others who would contest nikolai’s decision to step down as something unnecessary in the grand scheme of things but i would stand by my belief that nikolai made the best choice for ravka and for himself. not to say that i didn’t want to see both the queen and king side by side ruling but what are fanfictions for?

zoyalai is canon and endgame. finally. i can die now.

now the last two chapters was a toss up. for the first one was the darkling’s sacrifice. okay, so i was also spoiled by this from twitter but when i was reading the book, i keep expecting it to be brought up and it wasn’t. so i honestly thought that maybe that spoiler was a prank. lo and behold it was not and it wasn’t until the very last end. so the buildup was goddamn awful. the whole concept of the thorn wood and sort of atlas moment was just no. like you’re just springing this up now? when we’re supposed to be tying up loose ends but making sure it had history and buildup to well, back it up.

also leigh outright writing genya saying it was not a redemption for the darkling and him being unapologetic about his crimes (basically being a truly evil asshole) doesn’t remove the fact that it still comes off as a redemption arc especially with what is now the synopsis of SOC 3 but ill get to that. he still was the one who did a heroic deed and that fucks me up because it was just devastating to me after making peace with his end in ruin and rising. not because i was hurt that he died yet again boohoo but because it kind of invalidates everything that alina, genya, zoya and countless other victims went through.

on a side note, the darling stans on twitter who keeps defending his actions, i would really advise you to reflect on your decisions cuz it is honestly unhealthy. also, you lot talking smack about nikolai and zoya refusing to sacrifice their lives? stop twisting the story to suit your toxic admiration, nikolai was even first to offer up his life and would do so if it was actually possible. so just go hide in your darkling cocoon and stop hating on other characters to justify your favored aleksander.

the very last chapter aka coronation was good because it gave us inej ghafa cameo as captain of her ship and bonding with our resident privateer and also genya, alina and zoya bonding. but it was bad because apparently the darkling chronicles is still not over and now we’re supposed to grant him death like that’s going to make everything okay? i know forgiveness and breaking the circle of hate and revenge is a huge theme in this duology but honestly, this is just too extreme. with nina it was understandable and the people she hated were born of twisted mindset and circumstances but the darkling? hahahah no. he is a literal immortal who was delusional so now that he’s paying for his crimes, you want to allow him death because you have nightmares? zoya, goddamit no! same to you genya and alina. and so this will be the plot for the third six of crows? why can’t we just stop making this about him. now he gunna steal kaz’s thunder? over my dead body.

in the end, i gave this book 4 stars in goodreads because if i ignore the darkling plot, it was a really good use of politics and fantasy merging in a storyline. i can’t fault leigh for choosing to do this since it’s still her book so i definitely don’t have a right to dictate what i expected from this. also, i have a half a mind to believe that she fell in love with ben barnes and had him in mind writing this so i really cannot blame her because i have been under that man’s charms since prince caspian came out. the spoilers i read made me more open in reading this (backwards thinking but eh that’s how i roll) so i’m not at all crushed by what transpired. it was just weird and was lackluster in its attempt to give ravka some sort of peace. frankly, i just want to read the third six of crows book to maybe find some sort of calm in all this craziness and also delve in some zoyalai fanfiction because it was a long time coming.

shameless promotion but if you guys want to check out my nikolai duology spotify playlist, here’s the link:

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wewillbehappyagain · 3 years

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In defense of mal by on SnooWords6324 on reddit

covers material from the entire original trilogy

Alrighty so I know this is going to be a hot take that I probably get a lot of shit for, but I don’t fully understand why people loathe Mal?

I want to caveat the rest of this by saying that the admiration of the Darkling is The Point, right. How many times do we redeem and forgive people who don’t ask for it because they are attractive and charming and charismatic? How many times do young women find themselves being told they are only “seen” and “understood” by much older and much more powerful men? I think he’s a fabulous villain precisely because nobody wants him to be one.

And ultimately? Alina is who I care about. The love interests, no matter how charming and lovely, are still not the main characters. And I wonder how much of the critiques of Mal are in actuality critiques of the fact that Alina does not want to become a ruler or a queen or a saint. That she wants to lead a small life, a life filled with love because it has always served her more than power or influence.

But if I’m gonna get into the weeds with this I wanna say that I don’t think Mal deserves the hate that he gets from the fandom. I thought I could go point by point and would love to hear from ppl who agree/disagree!

1. Mal and Zoya hooked up once- ok yes? he was a sixteen/seventeen year old boy who felt abandoned by the love of his life? also Alina and Mal were still firmly Friends with one another at that point. And the kiss in the barn? that boy was in a Bad Place. Raging drunk, angry all the time, felt like he was cast away by Alina, replaced by someone who could be her everything in a way that he didn’t feel equipped to be. It’s not an excuse but it is, I think, a fair explanation.

2. His behavior in the second book- I read a lot of his mixed energy in this book as his own personal sense of feeling aimlessness and purposeless-ness. It read to me like Ron Weasley in the fourth and seventh Harry Potter books, but I would invite people to have just a little more sympathy for this boy who was ripped from his life and then made into an accessory and bargaining tool to keep Alina in line. His resistance to Alina’s power didn’t feel like a pride issue, it felt like a “you are more to me than this. I don’t know where the part of you that exists outside this magic is” and also “I don’t know how to deserve you” which is a theme throughout the books that kind of endears him to me

I wonder if a lot of the mistakes that Mal makes are, in fact, proof that he is the only person that Alina was ever going to end up with. Nikolai and The Darkling were perfect and curated themselves for her in ways that make us as readers fall for them, but Mal is a flawed boy who is overwhelmed by his life-long love for her and his continued feeling of inadequacy that he doesn’t deserve her love in return.

The expectation that Mal, a boy who by the end of the books is revealed to be in a similar position to Alina, is the perfect partner from the start feels unrealistic and also incomplete.

Alina knows him. Knows him more than she will ever know Nikolai, who is often performing for her. Alina knows that there is no one in the world he loves more than her, no one in the world who is less interested in her powers, no one who is more interested in her as a whole person who exists outside of her role as sun summoner.

Doesn’t it make sense for her to love the only person who doesn’t want to Use Her? And by the end of it all, when she is no longer a sun summoner and he’s no longer an amplifier, would the Darkling have kept her by his side? loved her? respected her? Would Nikolai have left his throne? Given her the peace and community and care she’d always wanted? I have my doubts.

Mal is fallible and human and annoying and lovable and so devoted to her that the question of dying for her was never a question at all. He loves her beyond reason, for being exactly who she is. Not because she’s like him or useful to him or unimaginably powerful, but because she is herself. That, to me, feels more sacred and real than anything anybody else can offer her.

Some of the quotes from the text that helped me with this-

R&R: “Do you think you could be happy?” he asked “With a used-up tracker?” I smiled at that. Cocky Mal, charming, brave, and dangerous. Was that doubt in his voice?

R&R: “You are all I’ve ever wanted,” he said. “You are the whole of my heart.” I saw myself then— sour, silly, difficult, lovely in his eyes.

R&R: “In this moment, I could pretend I wasn’t a savior or a Saint, that I could simply choose him, have a life, be in love.”

R&R: “No matter who or what I was, I would have been yours”

R&R: “You’re nothing like the Darkling.” “I am, even if you don’t want to see it.” Mal raised an eyebrow. “Because he’s powerful and dangerous and eternal?” He gave a rueful laugh. “Tell me something. Would the Darkling ever have forgiven Genya? or Tolya and Tamar? or Zoya? or me?”

R&R: (Tolya, about Mal, to Alina) “No he doesn’t,” said Tolya. “He watches her the way Harshaw watches fire. Like he’ll never have enough of her. Like he’s trying to capture what he can before she’s gone.”

#i got permission to post it #i just love mal and i think this post is well written #malyen oretsev #my post #but not written by me!!!

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theriverpersonshadow · 3 years

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Lamia Drama 12

Heeeeeey, guess who isn’t dead!!! >:3 Sorry for the long hiatus, I have no excuse really XD But I’m back! At least for now lol.

As always, the species belong to @vex-bittys . Now enjoy as Keith has a slight existential(???) crisis and Nikolai has big mom energy. Hope you guys like it.

Keith stared down at his phone. It was late, but he couldn’t sleep. The day’s events were churning in his mind without anything to stop them. Had all of that actually just happened? It felt absurd, honestly. He’d just been having a normal day, then suddenly his bonded finally shows up, he immediately fucked up with Nikolai and the babies, and then she started making a DnD character. It was oddly smooth. Smooth and gentle, not at all what he’d pictured all these years: no old fart dragging him away, no weird dullness in his mind, minimal screaming given his friend group, no immediate adoptions and being shipped off with a stranger within just a day, nothing. They’d met, had some ups and downs, and built characters together. It didn’t feel real.

He’d doubt it’d ever happened if not for the faint feeling of warmth, contentment, and fog… was this what sleep felt like to people who weren’t asleep? Keith chuckled quietly at the thought. How would you even measure something like that? Would anyone else even understand what he was talking about? Maybe other Chains?

Keith’s eyes flicked to the Coral snoring barely a foot away from him. Would Hux understand?

… no. He wouldn’t. And he’d hate the very mention. It was better not to mention it. Just because they were bonded didn’t mean he had to change his life much, right? Just have her over for DnD once a week, that was more than enough… right?

Keith had heard what other Chains said, talking about how happy their bondmate made them, but they were usually so much younger. Did they know any better? What kind of lamia wouldn’t love who they were living with (so long as they weren’t abusive, of course)?

Keith started quietly slithering the halls, trying not to disturb the lamia who’d decided to crash on the floor. Not that it’d do much, most were so used to other lamia they’d probably just sleep through it. Keith definitely had before; Hux seemed to consider him the best bed in the house. What would he do without this? Without a scaly body pressed against his in the middle of the night? Without occasionally being woken by a kid in his face or bones tangled in his ribcage? Sure it was aggravating, but it was home. He was too old to start over, too settled here, he’d just be the DnD guy for Nikolai and the rest, and no one else would ever come get him because he wasn’t theirs.

Things didn’t have to change. His bones felt heavy, was it his own tiredness or hers? They didn’t. He could work with this, juggle it. If he closed his eyes too long the lingering colors almost made outlines of someone else’s dream. Do both. Everything could just be the same. He felt like he’d been relieved of some pain he’d not been fully aware of. So who cared if there was something friendly, warm, familiar alien attached to him now? He already had a life. Was it enough? Could he go back to thinking it was?

His phone buzzed in his jacket pocket, bringing him out of his thoughts. A smile quirked his face.

Nik: Are you doing alright?

Nik: I meant to ask earlier, but Maia was having some issues. She’s sleeping soundly now though.

Keith: >-> Are you psychic?

Nik: Not that I’m aware of?

Keith: lol, jk. I’m just… thinking. You texted at a good time m’dude.

Nik: As I said, I meant to check on you earlier, but Maia needed a little extra help today.

Keith: Dude, no worries. I’m all grown up n shit, y’know? Take care of your person. <3

Nik: Thank you, but really, I meant to stay for a while. How are you feeling? I know you’ve had some doubts about soul bonds, but it seemed like you were getting along with her.

Keith stared blankly at the phone: 11:43 P.M. Seven hours since his life turned itself on its head. At least supposedly. Maybe it was a fluke, just his soul reaching out blindly for anyone. Was that how it worked? It felt like he’d have found someone long before then if that was the case. Was it truly fate? Soulmates? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that either. It’d just mean that something outside of his control had decided him and some other person would be inexorably linked forever. It was never in his hands. He’d heard some good things about soul-bonds, but why would they ever tell them about the bad things? Surely they existed, right? But they’d never tell them because they wouldn’t want Chains worried about having a bond.

No one would want a Chain like him. That thought didn’t make him as proud as it used to.

His phone buzzed again and Keith wiped the tears welling from his eyes.

Nik: Keith? Did you miss the ringer again?

Keith: Nah. Nah. Just trying to get my head on straight. I… I really dunno how I feel right now, honestly? I guess it just, like, snuck up on me. Got all caught up in it before I knew what was happening and now I’m trying to figure out how to feel about it.

Nik: I understand.

Keith: Do you though? I must be the only Chain who doesn’t immediately light up to feel his soul bond, huh. Heh.

Nik: It’s a big event. Having complicated feelings about it is natural. <3

Keith: How are you??? This good at this???

Nik: Practice and love <3

Keith: How are you??? This pure??? This ain’t fair m’dude. Who gave you a permit to have this much mom energy?

Nik: Maia, probably.

Keith: Heh. Maybe I could see her sometime? Would that be okay?

Nik: I’ll have to ask her about it, see how she’s feeling. Not tonight.

Keith: Nah, not tonight.

Keith: I kinda wanna ask if we should talk tomorrow, ‘cause all this feels like an in-person chat kinda thing, but also, idk if I could sleep like this.

Keith: I just hope she isn’t having to deal with all my BS, and it’s kinda scary ‘cause I don’t know why I care.

Nik: You care because you’re a good person. I won’t pretend the bond is irrelevant, but you care because you’re *you*.

Keith: Aw, shucks. Thanks m’dude.

Nik: No problem. <3

Nik: Why don’t we take this slow? Just spend some time with her and everyone else, get a feel for things. It doesn’t have to be immediate.

Keith: Guess you’ve got a point. No reason to rush. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright? I’mma try to sleep.

Nik: Alright. Hope you sleep well, I think I’m about to turn in with the others. Love you.

Keith: You too, *Mom.*

Nik: Make sure to clean behind your ears

Keith: >:/

Nik: I’m joking, I’m joking. We don’t have ears. Sleep well <3

Keith: You too. Night dude.

Nik: Goodnight <3

Keith put down the phone and took a deep breath. Just a day at a time… He wandered back to Hux easily, the dude snored like he was trying to out-snarl a bear. Most people couldn’t sleep through it, but Keith just rolled his eyes and focused on the noise until it drowned out all the messy thoughts, bones rattling ever so slightly from the sheer strength of snores.

He wasn’t sure whose dreams he had that night, but they were fun either way.

#lamia drama #lamia drama part 12 #part 12 #Keith #Nikolai #Nikolai the King #Keith the Chain #vex bitties #anxiety #getting philosophical over soul bonds #idk how good it is but shhhhhh #in universe texting #text speak #Maia #Maia the human #Guess who isn't dead

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blacksdale · 3 years

Text

just say yes

a crappy genya/david fic for @blackkwood

@grishaverseonline valentine’s gift exchange

fluff, mild confusion, confession background zoyalai ao3

“You can’t come to the lab today, Genya.”

She crossed her arms, glaring at her boyfriend. She always went with him to the lab, even when the smell of…whatever he worked on made her want to gag. “But I always go with you to the lab,” she huffed. And you should be glad.

“We’re doing dangerous experiments,” David scribbled in his notebook, avoiding her eyes. “I can’t have you there if you’re not a part of it. I don’t want you in danger.”

Genya shuddered as she thought back to the time when some acid had almost fallen on her kefta. “Fine,” she sighed, “but next time I go on a trip, you’re not coming with me either.” She fiddled with a loose thread by her wrist.

“Fine with me,” was all he said in reply.

She walked over to him, and he met her eyes for the first time, frantically throwing his notebook in another direction. Most of the time he was so excited to show her his plans for lab experiments, so what was making him avoid talking to her?

“Well.” She kissed his cheek anyway, causing his cheeks to flush just a bit. “Goodbye then, I’ll see you tonight.” She strode in the direction of the door. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” was the last thing she heard.

–––––

From Zoya’s look of disdain and Nikolai’s absence when she arrived in the war room, it seemed that both of the boys had abandoned them for the lab that day.

“What could they possibly be planning?” Zoya threw her hands up in frustration. “Nikolai is going to blow up the lab, anyhow. He had responsibilities here. The least he could do is leave a note.”

Genya sipped her tea. She may be perturbed by David’s behaviour, but at least she would have some gossip after today. “You seem awfully annoyed that Nikolai isn’t here. You hate him. I thought a break from him would bring you some relief.”

“What would bring me relief,” she snapped, blue eyes blazing “is if he were responsible for once.” She slammed her hand on the table.

“All I’m saying is your normally relieved when he’s not around,” Genya observed. “It’s odd that you’re so anxious for him to show up.”

Zoya sat down across from her, an expression of contempt now hanging over her features. “Can it.”

“Fine, fine,” Genya backed down as Zoya placed a stack of papers on the table between them. “What’s on the agenda today?” She ran a hand through her hair.

Zoya placed her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on the table, the silver threads at the wrists of her kefta reflecting the light. “Double the work for us.”

Genya took part in the stack of paper, absentmindedly skimming the words she wasn’t planning to remember. “What do you think they’re doing in the lab today?” She raised an eyebrow. “David said it would have been ‘too dangerous’ for me to go today since I was not taking part in their experiment. But I’ve been there for dangerous experiments plenty of times, and he’s never sent me away.”

“Maybe they’re pranking us,” Zoya suggested. “I wouldn’t put it past Nikolai to do that.”

Genya sighed. “You should have some faith in him, you know. He does take this job very seriously.”

Zoya tossed her hair over her shoulder, meeting Genya’s eyes with a glare before going back to her work.

“He really wants you to like him, you know,” she revealed. “At least that’s what David told me.”

“Everyone likes him. Why would my opinion make a difference?”

“David says that to him, you aren’t everyone.” She hoped Nikolai wouldn’t kill her later if he found she had told Zoya the truth.

“How is David doing, by the way?” Zoya asked, scribbling on some form. “Other than keeping you from his lab.”

I will crack you one day, Zoya Nazyalensky, she thought.

“He’s nervous,” she set down the papers, meeting Zoya’s eyes. “Well, he’s normally nervous, but now he’s more so than usual. Also more distracted. But he’s always distracted too.” She exhaled. “But something is off, I can feel it.”

Zoya slammed her pen on the table, smirking. “Fuck it,” she mused, “if they get to skip work we do too.”

“What do you–”

Zoya grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her seat and dragging her towards the door. “Where are we going?” She questioned. Zoya didn’t do this. She was losing her mind. They both were losing their minds.

“The lab.”

Oh hell yeah, they were.

“I agree,” Genya smiled.

–––––

When they got to the lab, however, nothing seemed to be going on. From what Genya knew about “dangerous experiments”, they normally resulted in holes burned in the walls and giant smoke towers or fires engulfing the building his flames or the entire floor is flooded and the lights have gone out. But today, it was almost still, which seemed to scare her even more.

Zoya walked in front of her, black hair flowing in the wind as she pushed open the door to the hall. They had to be somewhere here, she knew, and she was going to find out why.

They pushed open every boring beige door, disappointed to find only sketches of things she didn’t understand much of other than measurements. There had to be something going on, so where was it? Where were they?

Finally, she felt Zoya tug on the sleeve of her kefta and saw her pointing towards the balcony, where she saw a flash of blond hair. If they couldn’t find David, at least they could crack Nikolai for where he was.

They ran to the doors to the balcony, pushing them open and running out, only to find Nikolai and David just…sitting and talking.

“When are you gonna tell her?” was all she heard Nikolai say.

“Tell me what?”

They both turned around, eyes widening. “We thought–”

“Well, you thought wrong.” Zoya retorted. “What are you up to? And if you don’t tell me I am going to make you.”

David’s soft brown eyes blinked rapidly behind his glasses, making Genya’s heart begin to burst just slightly. She saw him breathe deep, gaze flashing from her to Nikolai to Zoya and back. She felt a pang. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed him.

“David,” Nikolai told him, “just do it now.”

David stood up, making his way over to her. He inhaled before placing a hand on her cheek, causing her face to go red as he looked into her eye. “Genya,” he breathed, “I’m sorry I said you couldn’t come today. I just didn’t want you here because I was planning something.” The light from the sun illuminated his features, making her heart beat fast. “I never meant to make you feel hurt. I just figured you’re you, and you deserve something grand. It would take a lot of planning, as I’m not much for grand things.” He ran a finger across her cheekbone. “But sometimes plans don’t work, and they didn’t today. So I’m just going to do this right here.”

He reached his other hand into his back pocket, hiding it in his hand before bringing it between them both. Slowly, he opened his hand for Genya to find a circular red ruby faceted into a band of gold.

She felt the tears start to rise, her breath starting to catch. “David–”

“Genya Safin,” he took his hand from her cheek, getting down on one knee. “I have loved you from the moment I met you, and the longer I have known you, the more I fall in love with you again and again. Every day I wake up next to you, I wanna spend the day with you, and the more I talk to you, the more I listen to you, the more you talk to me, the more I know I want to spend the rest of the life with you.” His gaze flicked to the floor before going back to her. “So, will you, Genya Safin, make me the happiest–”

“Yes,” she croaked a tear rolling down her cheek as she went to him. He stood up, ring in hand, catching her in his arms as she crashed her lips to his, head still spinning. She couldn’t remember if it was a dream or not, but if it was, she was never waking up.

She pulled away, cupping his face in her hands as he held her waist. “A thousand times yes.”

He slid the ring onto her finger, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips before wrapping her in his arms again.

Safe to say that work ended early that day.

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officialleotolstoy · 3 years

Text

Oh Dolokhov Brainrot We’re Really In It Now, aka Dolokhov playlist annotations!

A note on the cover photo: I don’t really like this one but I got tired of looking at men on Pinterest so I gave up. The window symbolizes the rum window and the smoking symbolizes uhhhhh habitual bad life choices idk

Drinking game take a shot every time I say “it’s about the vibes”

Wrecking Ball - Mother Mother

“I break it just because I can”

This is THEE ‘I am going to cause problems on purpose’ song and that is like his entire narrative purpose!! Argue with me about this one I dare you

The Good, The Bad, and the Dirty - Panic! At The Disco

“If you wanna start a fight you better throw the first punch, make it a good one”

Partially its just vibes, I won’t lie. But also the consistent spoiling for a fight is very in character

Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC

“I’m like evil, I get under your skin”

It’s got I Am Morally Repulsive But Also I’ll Steal Your Girl energy which really hits all of Dolokhov’s character traits. And of course the added bonus of gun imagery.

Mr. Brightside - The Killers

“It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this”

I added it strictly for vibes, but then I realized the quoted lyric is very much him @ the Kuragins if you take the reading that he refuses to admit he actually like them but grows genuinely fond of them over time even though he initially got to know them with a lot of ulterior motives.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

“Mama, I just killed a man”

The amount of songs that are on these playlists just for what are essentially your mom jokes since Dolokhov loves his mom so much is a little pathetic. But I’m not wrong! I can’t really put it into words but something about this song has Dolokhov energy.

Feel It Still - Portugal the Man

“Give in to that easy living, goodbye to your hopes and dreams”

A good deal of what I find interesting about Dolokhov is the internal conflict he has of knowing he’s become rather wicked and problematic but also not really trying very hard to change and almost enjoying it so a lot of the songs on here are about that, including this one. The “I’m a rebel just for kicks now” also very much screams Causing Problems On Purpose.

The Bidding - Tally Hall

“I like to take advantage of the bourgeoisie”

His whole role in volume one and two is to take advantage of the bourgeoisie! This song also oozes confidence and a sense of superiority that comes from being better than the sellouts in high society, Dolokhov’s not like other girls uwu (he really is, but I don’t think he would admit that).

Say Amen (Saturday Night) - Panic! At The Disco

“I could be better but baby it’s Saturday night”

Embracing his own wickedness! The idea that he knows he could be better than he is but he doesn’t want to take that opportunity...yeah vibes

Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) - Fall Out Boy

“I became such a strange shape from trying to fit in”

This is the epitome of the “woe is me I need to be purified” phase he goes through when he’s into Sonya. Also “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color” reminds me of Comet Dolokhov’s stupid eyeliner <3

Some Nights - fun.

“So what is this? I sold my soul for this?”

There’s a long stretch of this playlist that just boils down to “Woe is me I need to be purified” crisis hours, because Dolokhov’s oscillation between embracing his own cruelty and trying to be a good person is super interesting to me. This song captures the idea that he’s still having fun and there’s some good there, but he’s also aware that he’s losing himself a bit

Roaring 20s - Panic! At The Disco

“I don’t even know me”

“Woe is me i need to be purified” crisis AGAIN. This song gets more to the annoyance with society as a whole and feeling kind of lost in it

Send Them Off! - Bastille

“Help me exorcise my mind”

“Please purify me 16 year old girl! I’m 27 this isnt creepy at all ahahahha”. I do despise Sonyakhov but this has the vibes of a man feeling his own evil and wanting a woman to fix it. Not a great look.

Easy Days (Demo) - Bastille

“I don’t wanna fall back again, back into the easy days”

Near the end of the “woe is me I need to be purified” phase when he’s kind of drifting back to his old ways and he’s like wait no- wait- and then he does anyway because he’s horrible. I also really like the acknowledgment that his horribleness is easy and pleasant for him, and he has to fight against that (and he loses that fight HDJAJJD).

Undisclosed Desires - Muse

“You trick your lovers that you’re wicked and divine”

This is a Dolokhov/Nikolai song I do not take constructive criticism. Undisclosed desires...not being straight...lots to think about! It feels almost like a corruption arc? Nikolai isn’t corrupted nor does their...fling (?) last very long but Nikolai is obviously enamored with Dolokhov despite him being The Worst so I think this fits. I don’t have enough songs for a Nikolai/Dolokhov playlist so I just add those songs to both of their individual playlists

Thnks fr th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy

“Thanks for the memories even though they weren’t so great”

Also mostly a Nikolai/Dolokhov song. This man has never ended a relationship on good terms, huh. Also. Sighs heavily. “He tastes like you only sweeter” never fails to make me laugh when I think about it in the context of Dolokhov post-duel being like oh?? You’re just a stupid WOMAN Hélène your brother and/or Nikolai is hotter than you :/ which is not exactly what I think happened but it makes me laugh to consider. Dolokhov ur bitterrrrr

Dangerous - Royal Deluxe

“I’ll be the last man standing here, I’m not going anywhere”

I feel like this has the vibes of his cruelty, especially in that bit after the Kuragins have died when he and Petya infiltrate the French army.

Another One Bites The Dust - Queen

“There are plenty of ways you can hurt a man”

He will hurt you and kill you so violently :) It’s about the vibes.

White Wedding Pt. 1 - Billy Idol

“It’s a nice day to start again”

In the exact inverse to his “woe is me I need to be purified” phase, he’s like ok yes i will pick up bad habits again and enjoy them because frick you! I read once that this song is about a relapse into drugs, but I’m making it analogous to his relapse into Terrible Person Behavior after Sonya’s rejection. Also the repetition of the phrase little sister does something for my brain idk, after we know he loves his mom and sister it just fits.

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

“I’m on the highway to hell and I’m goin down”

Like White Wedding, it screams acceptance of his problematicness. He knows he’s cruel and evil and he revels in it. This is the phase we see him in most I think.

Back in Black - AC/DC

“It’s been too long, I’m glad to be back”

I think this plays every time he gets reinstated to an army position he lost by being reckless earlier. Just kidding sort of but listen to this song and tell me it doesn’t have Dolokhov vibes. If you do, you’re wrong <3

Poet - Bastille

“I have written you down now, you will live forever”

This is just here cause he ghostwrote Anatole’s love letters and I think it’s funny. It’s MY playlist and I get to choose the barely relevant Bastille songs

St. Jude - Florence + The Machine

“Maybe I’ve always been more comfortable in chaos”

This one’s more scattered lyrics than an overall vibe. “Each side is a loser so who cares who fired the gun” has duel energy also.

Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At The Disco

Confession: I hate this song. However, it’s about the about the MOM R U PROUD OF ME vibes (she is. Should she be? Probably not).

Rich Kids - Bea Miller

“It’s never enough for the stuck up types”

The not coming from wealth and having to almost scam your way into being part of the aristocratic scene is very Dolokhov. Also in my mind the rich kid he’s roasting is specifically Nikolai.

Money, Money, Money - ABBA

“It’s a rich man’s world”

I’m not SAYING the wealthy man they talk about is Anatole but - [i am shot]. Scheming and clawing your way up to wealth is Dolokhovcore.

This Is Gospel - Panic! At The Disco

I literally have no justification for this other than that i think modern AU Dolokhov would vibe with it. Look at the amount of eyeliner he wears in Comet and tell me he didn’t have an emo band phase. You can’t.

Trouble’s Coming - Royal Blood

This is not about the words at all, it’s more about the vibes. It just sounds Dolokhovish to me, don’t ask me to explain.

Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club

“They’re just ghosts and they can’t hurt him if he can’t see them”

This gives me post-Kuragins’ death vibes, and I can’t pin down exactly why? I think it’s the idea of being very alone and closed off.

Golden Days - Panic! At The Disco

I can’t put a specific lyric to it but it’s the vibes of looking back on your hedonistic youths with nostalgia and rose-colored glasses. Post-Kuragins’ death vibes again.

Go Get Your Gun - The Dear Hunter

“One foot in the grave, the other one’s kickin’ its way right down to hell”

All we see of him after the Kuragins’ death is just him being particularly cruel and reckless, almost careless. This feels like it encapsulates that energy.

The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand

“They say you’re a troubled boy just because you like to destroy”

I’m aware that a good portion of this song is about a Christ figure but I’m going to respectfully ask you to ignore that bit and just focus on all the Sketchy Things the guy does instead. Thank you. He does in fact like to destroy things! Señor Cause Problems On Purpose back at it again at krispy kreme, huh.

#war and peace #fedya dolokhov #my post #w&p playlists #i counted i said the word vibes 13 times #so sorry

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sandalaris · 3 years

Note

LATE! but for the fandom asks: BtVS and Shadow and Bone? 💖💖💖

BtVS

my favorite female character: At the moment it’s probably Faith. Her journey and her approach to slaying has always been fun and interesting, but I’ve been thinking more about the things that lead her there lately. The bad choices she made and what could’ve gone differently with a nudge here or there.

my favorite male character: Xander Harris. I know he’s grown some hate over the years, but I love him dearly. He still one of my favorite characters of all time to this day.

my favorite book/season/etc: Season five is the best in my opinion. I’m not even sure why, but its just so good. Or maybe it’s just the last really good season of BtVS, because I feel like the show went down hill after that.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): Hush is just an amazing episode. They do a lot with so little spoken dialogue, and the misdirect with Tara was just awesome.

my favorite cast member: Anthony Stewart Head, I always like him in whatever I see him in.

my favorite ship: I have my OTP, Spike/Xander, but at the moment my favorite ship is Angel/Willow. Every now and then I get back on them and need content, I’m just so damn picky about them and they’re on the rarer side ship-wise in the fandom that I hardly ever find anything I like. :(

a character I’d die defending: Xander! >:( He gets way more hate than he deserves and I am not here for it. I won’t got into a big defense now, many people have done a better job than me at it anyways, but the amount of blind hatred he gets is staggering.

a character I just can’t sympathize with: Warren. It’s not just that he killed Tara, but he entire storyline is basically just him being bitter and angry that life isn’t “fair.” I’d argue that he got way more than deserved from life to begin with.

a character I grew to love: Cordelia Chase. During my first watch through, I didn’t care for Cordelia until about season three. I loved her after that, and she was probably my favorite part of AtS.

my anti otp I will call it notp until I die!: Spike and Buffy. I shipped them for a half a moment when I stumbled across a random season five episode before I ever started watching the show. Then I actually watched the show and just wasn’t into them at all. It’s not that I don’t see the appeal they could hold for others, but they hold absolutely no appeal to me and I really don’t like the subplot of Spike being in love with Buffy that happened in season five.

Shadow and Bone, possible spoilers ahead! You’re getting multiple answers for almost all of these, btw :P

my favorite female character:

In the Shadow and Bones trilogy it is my girl Genya. She had some amazing lines/moments and she put with so much all for the chance at a better life. And she was this subtle badass, fighting back in her own small ways, like the method she used to poison the king. I’m a little disappointed they didn’t show the Queen all fake and plastic looking in the show considering how Genya would purposely tailor her just a little off as revenge. I still like her in the show, but she hasn’t yet grabbed me the way she did in the books. I actually don’t think I have a favorite female character in the show at this point.

Nina and Inej mostly tied as my favorites in the Six of Crows books, but Nina made me laugh more which gives her just a little bit of an edge. She’s fun and flirty and doesn’t let anyone, even Kaz, keep her from being herself. She’s also a pretty good grifter, able to use her skills with languages and her ability to read people to get what she wants.

I didn’t actually like Zoya all that much until later on in the series (a mistake on my part because Zoya is awesome), but King of Scars made her one of my favorite characters. Yes, she’s prickly and prone to jealous sniping when her position is threatened, but she’s also unapologetic in who she is and genuinely wants what is best for her country and people and will do whatever it takes to get it. She learned a hard lesson at a young age that being nice won’t protect her and has fought to keep herself and those she loves/are loyal to safe.

my favorite male character:

I’m not positive he fits the label of “favorite” but I certainly found the Darkling the most compelling male character in the books, and he’s pretty far up there in the show as well. I probably enjoy watching him on screen the most as well, although I feel like in the show Jesper was my actual favorite male character. He was certainly my favorite in Six of Crows books, and the show version of him captures book!Jesper perfectly.

I wanna say that Nikolai is my favorite somewhere, because I love him so much (he’s funny and sarcastic, which I’m always a sucker for in a character), but I feel like he doesn’t quite count for reasons I can’t put my finger one.

my favorite book/season/etc

Out of all of the Grishaverse, Six of Crows is hands down my favorite. It’s a heist! With young morally-gray criminals who don’t all have this nice heart of gold under it all, who break into-and out of -an unbreakable prison while spouting off witty dialogue!

There’s only been a single season in the show so far, but I’m excited to see more!

my favorite episode (if its a tv show)

Probably the episode two. There’s something about the way things were revealed and the subtle unfolding of many of the characters that I like.

my favorite cast member:

The only one’s who’s name I know is Ben Barnes and I only learned that when he was announced as the Darkling and Tumblr had a meltdown. *shrug* I mostly was like, “that’s the guy from The Punisher. He’s good at playing the villain, so yay.”

my favorite ship

I don’t want him redeemed in the slightest, nor do I particularly want a happy ending for them, but I love the dynamic between Alina and the Darkling. That push/pull they have, how very alike they are even as they are very opposite, and how she just can’t shake her draw to him and him to her, although he doesn’t try as hard as she does. They have this connection, are insanely compatible, and part of this tragic appeal of them is that in another life they could’ve had that happy ending together. It’s beautiful and tragic, to see how you’ve broken something before you even had it. And there’s something so appealing for me in that, in how their feelings are this tangled mess that can’t be undone and the way they really are the only people who can fully understand the other and the bond that forges between them.

On a lighter note, Nina/Matthias was my favorite ship in Six of Crows for a long time, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I love Kaz/Inej.

a character I’d die defending

Zoya maybe? Or Matthias?

a character I just can’t sympathize with

The apparat. I kept waiting to see if his motives were something I could relate with in the books. They weren’t. He’s just a creepy old man who wants Alina to die and become a martyr so he can lead the church in her name.

a character I grew to love

Probably Zoya. She seemed to be such a stereotypical mean girl in the first book, there only to make things hard on the main character, and I fell for it. She really is so much more than that.

my anti otp

I will accept the term anti-otp just this once because I don’t really have a notp for the show or books. The closest I have is Alina/Mal in the books. In the show I can actually see it and will probably aw over them when they get together, but in the books? He doesn’t seem to care of Alina at all, even as a friend for most of the first book, and gets downright petty and bitter when she’s revealed to be the Sun Summoner. But I can see their friendship in the show, on both sides, and that’s gone a long way for me. It’ll probably never be a ship I love, but I think I’ll probably grow to like it well enough.

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thinkyoureholy · 4 years

Text

Vox Populi [1]

[so I decided to combine the first and second chapter together😬]

Pairing : Park Seonghwa / [fem] Reader

Genre : Angst, Violence, Fluff, Smut, Post Apocalypse/ Dystopia! AU

Words : 4.4k

Previous Chapter. - Next Chapter.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

-3rd Person P.O.V ; 2135-

Soldiers, hundreds of thousands of them all fought for their lives, for their country. So many were blinded by the vile words spewed out by the crooked presidents or prime ministers that ran their oh so beloved country, while there were some that didn’t believe in this war but had no say in whether they wanted to participate or not. Their country’s laws are set in stone, normal law abiding citizens had no power to argue and were many times forced to follow the laws they don’t agree with. Many signed up willingly for this war, others were drafted, every country involved sending thousands of men and women to die for a war that would lead to nothing in the end.

A woman cried out as she lunged at the man that had shot at her hand, forcing her to let go of the gun she was using. All she had was a knife while he was still fully armed but that didn’t stop her, she was fighting for her life. The man looked at her with wide eyes, her words not registering in his mind, the language she was speaking foreign to him but one thing he could understand was the murder in her eyes. She was out to kill. As shaken as he was at being thrust into this war at such a young age he knew there was only one thing he had to do to survive. It was either kill or be killed, and he wanted to make it back home alive. So with a cry of his own he began to fire just as the woman got within arm’s reach and in the next second she dropped dead at his feet. The man, no, the child, a boy no older than seventeen stood above her, terrified of what he had just done. He looked around, bewildered, not knowing what to do next.

“Get moving, soldier!” A woman that was about the same age as his mother yelled out to him, her uniform the same as his, “Move if you want to live!”

She grabbed a tight hold of his vest, pulling him along with her to get him to move. He stumbled over his own feet but her tight hold refused to let him fall. She grit her teeth as she dragged him along, ignoring the pain that spread across her side, her blood seeping through her clothes. She could have easily left him behind and gone to camp on her own but seeing him standing in the middle of a battlefield, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car she sprung into action before she could stop herself.

“Do you know how to get back to camp?!” She asked, shouting over the sounds of guns firing and people crying out in pain.

He didn’t respond, still shellshocked. She cursed under her breath, knowing he’d be helpless on his own. She thought back to her own family back home, the laughter of her youngest son ringing in her ears. Her eyes welled up with tears, the blood loss already making her light headed. She knew she wasn’t making it back home but if she could save this one boy then that’d be enough for her. So she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and dragged the boy behind her to camp, her wish to go home to her children thrown out the window.

……

“Sir, we’ve lost too many soldiers. We need to bring them home so we can regroup, think of a better strategy.” The general urged the secretary of defense, the president sitting there in silence.

“We’ll just do another draft-”

“I don’t want any more children! The youngest one I just saw was sixteen! We’re sending them out there to die when they haven’t even properly experienced living!” The general shouted, losing his composure.

“Then what is it you suggest we do, general?” The president asked, speaking up for the first time since the meeting started, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to suggest we surrender and back out of this war entirely?”

“Sir, there’s no way we’ll win this war anymore. When it first started yes, we had a big chance of winning but now? We’ll be buried alive.” The general argued, his voice softer but still firm.

“We’re not backing down, General Scott. We’re the most powerful country in the world and if we back down-”

“Sir with all due respect the power we once held means nothing now.” The general cut him off, trying not to lose his composure once again but if they continued to insist he doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to hold back for.

“What if we could turn the tide, general?”

The general furrowed his brows, confused, “How?”

“Secretary, how many missiles can you get ready by this afternoon?” The president asked like he was asking about the daily value menu at his favorite restaurant.

“I can have them all ready within the next hour.��

The president nodded, opening his mouth to speak but the general beat him to it, his voice panicked as he spoke, “You’re not seriously saying you’re going to nuke them. The radiation will kill us all! Is your pride really more important than the millions of lives you’re prepared to kill?!?!”

“If it means we win this war then I’ll do whatever I deem is necessary.” The president spoke without a hint of remorse in his voice.

The general stared at him with wide eyes, mortified. He opened his mouth to continue arguing but he shut it just as quickly. Grinding his teeth he tore off the patch on his arm that displayed his rank. Along with that he took off his hat and threw them down onto the table in front of him.

“I won’t be a part of this any longer. Find yourself a new general, I’m going home.”

The two watched him leave in silence, not bothering to stop him. Without a word the president nodded at the secretary, giving him the go ahead to get the missiles ready. What the general didn’t know is that these missiles weren’t toxic...but the damage they would inflict on not just the overall population but the planet would be catastrophic. It would take centuries for humanity to get back onto their feet and even then it would never be the same as it was before.

-Y/N’s P.O.V : 2650-

I groaned, writhing around on the ground at the pain that bloomed from my back. I looked up at him through narrowed eyes, slapping his hand away as he held it out to help me up. I heard him chuckle softly under his breath. He crouched down in front of me and ruffled my hair and I slapped his hand away again.

“C’mon Y/N, don’t be a sore loser. You’re the one that asked me to train you.” He said, reaching out to grab my arm, helping me sit up.

I shrugged out of his hold, rolling my shoulders back as I tried to alleviate the pain, “You could’ve at least gone easy on me.”

He smirked, placing his hand on my shoulder but this time I didn’t move to shrug his hand off of me, “If I went easy on you then you wouldn’t learn anything.”

“But I’m your daughter!” I whined like a child, a fond smile replacing the smirk on his lips.

“And because you’re my daughter I don’t hold back. Anyone trying to kill you won’t hold back and you need to learn how to defend yourself properly.” He explained, helping me to my feet.

He looked like he wanted to say something else but a voice coming from our right stopped him, “You’re as ruthless as always, Marcus.”

We turned to look for the source of the voice, already knowing who it was. Park Junhyuk accompanied by his son Seonghwa came up to us. Junhyuk had a gentle smile on his face while Seonghwa merely looked around, watching the others in the room spar. I could see the fascination in his eyes, knowing just how much he loved to fight. I find it a bit unfair that he not only was a genius but he could also hold his own in a fight. I chuckled under my breath at seeing the look on his face, drawing his eyes to me. The moment he met my gaze a soft smile tugged at his lips. He sent a quick greeting to my father before making his way over to me.

“Training?”

“More like getting my ass handed to me.” I grumbled as I dusted myself off.

He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest, “It's rare to see you lose in a fight, serious or not.”

I scoffed as I shoved at his shoulder lightly, “Shuddup. I’d like to see you win against my dad in a fight. He isn’t the commander of our guard for nothing.”

Even though I was grumbling there was a bit of pride in my voice. My father was the best fighter, the best hunter, the best shooter, the list goes on and on. It was a mystery to me why he wasn’t the one leading us but when I did ask him that one time curiosity got the better of me he simply told me he wasn’t built for politics. He was more than content training his fellow officers, hunting outside of the walls, and keeping the peace.

“Oi Y/N!”

My head immediately looked for the source of the voice, already knowing who it belonged to. Just the sight of him had me sighing heavily. The moment he reached me he slung his arm over my shoulders, hugging me close to him. I grit my teeth at the gesture, unaware of the annoyed look that crossed Seonghwa’s features for a second before it vanished when I elbowed Nikolai in the gut.

“What do you want, Nikki?” I asked, slightly irritated but not enough to be genuinely angry with him.

Nikolai was a few years older than I was, one of the few ‘Russians’ in Liszto. He grew up a few doors down from us so we had known each other for quite a long time. I didn’t particularly hate him but he always found a way to leave me wanting to wring his neck with my bare hands every time he talked to me. But, as much as he annoyed me I was still fond of him, he was like that older brother I never had.

“Wanna spar? I have some free time and I’m just itching to kick your ass.” He taunted, rubbing his hands together with a shit eating grin on his face.

At his taunt my lips curled upwards as I rolled my shoulders, “Oh ho, you’re on. Get ready to eat your words, Volkov.”

He chuckled as he slipped out of his jacket, throwing it over a nearby chair as he rolled his own shoulders. He began to jump in place, loosening up, the grin never falling off of his face. I rolled my eyes at the giddy look on his face but I was also excited to spar with him. The only one that could get me on my ass within seconds was my father and the only one that stood as an equal with me in terms of skills was Nikki, all our officers were nothing but child’s play to me. Nikki and I had spared a fair amount of times and not once had they ended with either of us being the victor. Just as I was about to get into it I stopped, suddenly remembering that Seonghwa was standing right there and we were in the middle of talking when Nikki interrupted us.

“Ah...Seonghwa I-”

Seonghwa stopped me before I could continue with a shake of his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “Go ahead, I’ll still be here when you’re done.”

I beamed back at him, my excitement returning. I turned on my heel and got into the makeshift ‘ring’ with Nikki. The moment the other officers saw us standing in the ‘ring’ a chorus of murmurs were heard before they gathered around.

“C’mon, Nikki. I’ll let you throw the first punch since you’re the one who challenged me.” I taunted, fixing the fingerless gloves on my hands.

He let out something that was a mix of a scoff and a laugh, the sound airy but he offered no reply, instead he took a step forward. He brought his hands up and I did the same. Just before it all started I slowly exhaled through my mouth, relaxing. Nikki circled, trying to get around me to get me from behind but I met him step by step, not allowing him to. Nikki threw the first punch, one I easily dodged. He threw another and another and I dodged and blocked every one. If I were anybody else I would think he’s not much of a fighter but I’ve gone up against him enough times to know he was just warming up.

We went on like that for a few minutes, that is until I swung for the first time but not with my arm. I bent down low and swiped at his legs. Nikki quickly jumped back, my leg narrowly missing him. Staying low to the ground I charged at him. As soon as I got close he brought a fist down. I dug my heels into the ground and pulled back, grabbing onto his wrist as I did so. With a smirk I pulled on his arm, swinging a leg at his stomach but I never made contact. He swiftly blocked my kick, his hand grabbing onto my ankle.

“Your kicks are as annoying as ever.” He huffed out, his grip on my ankle tightening slightly but not enough to hurt.

I smirked, my eyes shining brightly, “They’re reserved solely for you.”

And with that I jumped up, kicking at his chest with my other foot. He instantly let go of me, stumbling back as he gasped for breath. I didn’t give him much time to recover as I charged at him. I swung at his legs, successful in kicking them out from under him this time. He groaned as he landed on the ground but he didn’t stay down. With his arm he swiped at my legs. And just like him I landed on the ground. Before I could even recollect myself he was hovering over me. He brought his fist down, intent on landing a punch to my face but I moved out of the way just in time. I grabbed onto his wrist and brought my legs up, squeezing his bicep with my thighs and forced him to the ground. Pushing his shoulders and torso down with my legs I hyperextended his arm, laying flat against the ground. I felt him claw at my legs but I refused to let go. The next thing I knew I was being lifted up from the ground, no longer feeling the hard surface.

“No way…” I murmured under my breath.

Knowing what he was about to do I loosened my grip, trying to get away but I wasn’t quick enough. Within the next second he had slammed me back down onto the ground, the air leaving my lungs. My grip all but disappeared as I clawed at my chest, gasping for air. I withered on the floor, mistakenly rolling into my stomach. I realized my mistake when I felt him on me, his arm wrapping around my throat from behind, putting me in a chokehold. I had already been struggling to breath with being slammed into the ground but now it was impossible to get any air with the chokehold he had me in. I clawed at his arms but that only had him tighten his hold, a breathy chuckle falling from his lips.

“I think this’ll be my win, doll.” He teased in a strained voice.

I clicked my tongue, continuing to claw at his arm but it was no use. I wasn’t going to get out of this easily. Just as I was about to lose consciousness I saw some shuffling from my right. I looked over to see Seonghwa had taken a few steps towards us but stopped the moment my eyes met his. I gave him a glare, silently warning him to stay back. He hesitated but didn’t move to take another step. I could tell he was worried but Nikki and I had never given each other injuries that couldn’t be taken care of with a bag of ice and some rest. Gritting my teeth I dug my nails into Nikki’s arm, bringing my head forward and snapped it back. Nikki cursed loudly, his hold on me disappearing. I brought my arms up and propped myself up, pushing him off of me. I turned around to land the finishing blow and he went to do the same. We froze at that exact moment, my fist inches from his face and his inches from my ribs. Seconds passed before we each broke into a smile.

“Ah...I think you broke my nose with that headbutt.” Nikki groaned out with a chuckle, wiping the blood that had flowed out of his nose.

I rolled my eyes and scooted over to him, grabbing his face in my hands. I moved his head from side to side, inspecting his nose to see it was in fact crooked. I frowned, feeling guilty that I actually broke it. I moved my thumbs to the sides of his nose, mumbling an apology under my breath before snapping the cartilage back into place.

“I thought we’re not supposed to break anything…” He whined, pulling my hands away from his face.

“I’m sorry.” I said under my breath but flicked his forehead lightly, “You’re the one who put me in a choke hold! What was I supposed to do?”

“Tap out!” He cried out dramatically with a pout, gingerly touching his nose, “You’re ruining my good looks.”

“Oh please, you're pretty enough that a crooked nose won’t do anything damage to your dating life.” I scoffed without giving it much thought, missing the way a small blush bloomed on his cheeks as I got up.

I held out a hand to help him up. The instant he was on his feet he ruffled my hair like he used to when we were younger and like then I shoved his hand away, punching at his arm lightly. While this was going on I was unaware of the look Seonghwa had on his face as he watched this all go down. In fact I was so busy screwing around with Nikki I didn’t even notice Seonghwa had left in the middle of it.

“That was some nice fighting skills.” Junhyuk said, walking over to Nikki and I with my father in tow.

My father had a proud smile on his face, placing a hand on Nikki’s and I’s shoulders, “They’re the best fighters I have at my disposal, though this one needs a little more work,” My father said, shaking me lightly.

“Oh c’mon, not even Nikki can beat you.”

“No but he doesn’t give up like you do when I knock you down.” He shot back, Nikki giving me a smug grin.

I scoffed with a roll of my eyes, “There’s no point in me wasting my energy when I know what the outcome will be.”

“I see you’re not getting the message your old man is trying to drill into your brain.” Nikki said, digging a knuckle into the side of my head.

I glared at him as I shoved his hand away from me, Junhyuk’s laugh drawing my eyes to him. Looking at him like this reminded me how much he and Seonghwa looked alike. Speaking of Seonghwa I looked around only to find that he was nowhere in sight. I furrowed my brows, frowning.

“Alright, get going to the mess hall you two. I have a few more things to discuss with Junhyuk. Get Adonis a plate.” My father said, directing that last part to me.

Nikki saluted my father in a bit of a mocking way before slinging his arm over my shoulders and walking the both of us out. I didn’t shove him off of me this time, thinking back to where Seonghwa could’ve gone. I tried to rack my brain to figure out when exactly he left but I kept coming up empty. I was so lost in thought I didn’t hear Nikki calling out to me until he pulled on my ear, snapping me out of my stupor. I cursed and swatted his hand away, elbowing him in the gut.

“What the hell?!”

“What are you spacing out for?” He asked, rubbing at his side, “You’re gonna burn out your brain if you keep thinking so hard.”

I didn’t even have the energy to bicker with him as my mind made its way back to Seonghwa. Maybe he left after trying to step in. Was he angry that I started to fight while in the middle of a conversation with him? He seemed fine at first, he even said he’d be there when I was done. Maybe he had something urgent came up. Whatever it was I’ll just have to wait to ask him all this when I saw him again.

-Nikolai’s P.O.V-

I glanced at her from time to time as we walked, noticing that she still had that far away look in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking, she was always thinking about him. Ever since we were teenagers he’s all that occupied her mind in her free time, I hated it. I sighed heavily, knowing there was nothing I could do to get her mind off of him, it’s like she tuned out the whole world any time he was involved.

I glanced at her once more, frowning at the dirt that had smudged across her cheek. Without thinking I reached over and gingerly wiped the dirt away, the simple action finally drawing her out of her thoughts. She pulled away from my fingers, her hand grabbing onto my wrist to stop me.

“What are you doing?” She asked, clearly confused over the action.

Her words seemed to snap me out of it, realizing what I had just done. My eyes went wide for a moment, a blush coating my cheeks as I pulled my hand out of her grasp. I took a step away from her, the arm I had slung over her shoulders now falling back to my side. I opened my mouth to offer her an explanation but no words came out. She waited patiently for an answer but since I didn’t give her one she let a soft smile tug at her lips, her fingers touching the side of her face that had been smudged with dirt. She pulled back to inspect her dirty fingers, chuckling softly.

“You dote on me too much.” She said under her breath, barely loud enough for me to hear.

I scoffed as a reflex, combing my fingers through my hair as I tried to answer as nonchalantly as I could, “Well, duh. Who else is supposed to do it if not me?”

She rolled her eyes, hugging her arms to her body as a gust of wind blew past, “Careful, the ones basically throwing themselves at your feet on a daily basis will eat me alive if they hear you talking like that.”

I relaxed at her words, a little hurt by them. Sure I caught the attention of some people in this city but the one I wanted to notice me wouldn’t even so much as look my way...well at least not the way I want her to. I inhaled sharply before exhaling slowly, slipping out of my jacket and draping it across her shoulders to warm her up.

“If they have a problem with you then I’ll deal with them,” I mumbled as I began to walk towards the mess hall again.

I hadn’t even taken more than two steps when I saw him standing outside of the hall, his hands shoved into his pocket as he looked over at us. Y/N hadn’t noticed him yet, going to start walking when I reached out and stopped her, turning her around so she had her back to him. She gave me another puzzled look, about to ask why I stopped her when I suddenly pulled her into me, hugging her tightly to my chest.

“Nikki!? What are you doing now?” She asked, her voice muffled by my shoulder.

As I hugged her tightly to me I glared over at Seonghwa, his eyes glaring back. Even from where I was standing I could see his jaw clench, his hands now out of his pockets and balled into fists at his sides. I smirked at seeing the reaction I wanted.

Y/N had pulled away slightly, looking up at me with worry filled eyes, “What’s gotten into you? Are you alright?”

I let a fond look cross my features as I pulled her into the hug again, “Nothing, I’m fine. I’m just feeling sentimental all of a sudden and I wanted a hug.”

I felt her sigh heavily, relaxing in my hold as she wrapped her own arms around my waist, “It’s been awhile since you’ve needed a hug. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me, savoring the hug as I gave Seonghwa a sly grin. I only kept her in my arms for another few seconds before finally pulled away, placing my hands on her shoulders.

“Okay, hug over, I’m good now.” I said, returning to my old self.

She laughed, shaking her head at my behavior. She still had yet to notice Seonghwa so I went on ahead, the look on my face a stern one. Seonghwa just stared at me without saying a word, his arms crossed over his chest. Just as I reached him he spoke.

“Watch yourself, Volkov.” He spat through clenched teeth.

“I should be saying that to you, Park. You and I both know who’d win if we ever fought.” I said in a low tone, giving him a once over from head to toe, a teasing smirk on my face, “ байстрюк.”

I spat that last word out with as much hatred as I could, bumping my shoulder harshly against his as I passed by.

[байстрюк = bastard]

[a/n : I’ll be trying to insert as many languages as I can into this but I’m only fluent in two and can barely pass with this new third one I just recently learned. I will be using google translate for the rest so if its wrong please don’t hesitate to correct me]

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anxiousdepressedintrovert · 3 years

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Otome Tuesday

-So I’m gonna have to start doing these in the afternoon cause I have a job now and it goes form 8am-3pm.

-Let’s get started. Shall we?

Nikolai Route

Episode 4

-This guy is fucking creepy. Like, holy shit.

-Maya (MC) thinks she’s creeped out, nah, I’M creeped out

-Ew. Stop looking at the Poppy, They’re too good for your cold, dead eyes.

-Oh and he just skips over Maya (MC) FUCKING RUDE!

-DID HE JUST CALL MY BABIES TOOLS?!

-FUCKING TOOLS?!!!!

-I’LL KILL HIM!

-Vidocq, …I’m calling him Video. Cause I can and also cause that’s all I can think about when I see that name

-It’s a stupid name

-Apologies to anyone with that name

-Oh now we’re a team. Bitch you said TOOLS

-wtf does painting have to do with trust?

-back off.

-creep

-UGH I HATE him

-I really want to take a baseball bat to the side of Video’s head.

-Nikolai’s arrogance was earned, he put his talent where his mouth was.

-This guy is literally all talk so far. And HE’S CREEPY

-Ah yes the missing portrait of Riothamus. I’m shortening that to Rio. Because that’s a lot to type

-Ugh. I bet Video is gonna try and “steal” Maya (MC)

-Ohhhh he already found the “legendary art”

-“So this is the sort of leather you wear.” CREEPY

-Does he want to dethrone him or fuck him

-or both?

-I’m kinda sad the penthouses are all the same.

-Niko, obsession isn’t a good thing…

-A rich eccentric lady has the painting

-I wanna see the rest of her mansion.

-Cause she has a bonsai room

-I want the bonsai room

-This is too easy…I don’t like it

-It’s all sus af

-reverse uno on that behave request Remy

-All Niko wants is Zoe to export his photos of Elizabeth

-Holy shit secret stairs!

-I wanna meet this lady!

-And marry her. She has my ideal escape room

-#givejettadiamonsaw2020

-Oh look a cemetary

-EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Video copied Niko’s cologne?!

-WTF

-I am all types of creeped out

Episode 5

-He thinks he’s charming and he’s not.

-No Maya! Don’t let your guard down! That’s what he wants!!!

-Oh if her reputation preceded her, you wouldn’t have skipped over her last episode!

-I’m gonna barf

-This guy is fucked in the head

-Run Maya run

-Bleh I called it!

-RUN BITCH RUN

--No no no no nonononononono NO

-I have goosebumps.

-This guy is insane

-I can’t right now

-He talks like people are objects!

-What the fuck!

-Here comes Niko to bitchslap Video back into last place

-Yeah..he’s def a masochist

-only for niko tho.

-Oh. Oh fuck no. He did not.

-A king bows only to his queen.

-Fuuck outta here!

-I’m actually gonna puke

-Backup date time

-Awww bath time.

-I like relaxing nonsexual scenes like this. It’s cute.

-Man, this whole arc is fuckin nuts and really freakin creepy.

-I know I’ve been saying that a lot but it is.

-Niko listen! She’s making a good point!

-That CG was adorable!

-Shenanigans?!

-I LOVE shenanigans!!!!!

Episode 6

-No bachelor party for Niko

-See the way that Viv says “If he wants a Russian wedding, he’ll get a Russian wedding” sounds like a threat

-The fuck is a vykup nevesty?

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

-He has to convince Maya’s family to give her up?! OMG!

-LEON! “So you want to marry our precious little girl?” I can’t!!

-Niko knows exactly what’s going on!!

-Leon wants cars. Multiple

-Viv wants a faberge egg

-Oh I’m sorry, three eggs

-Zoe wants a nightclub

-I’m cackling

-Niko makes it hard by asking what city!!

-It takes him three hours

-He works fast

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

-They have Jett in a wedding dress

-I want my sprite

-Jett asked for…um…bondage things…

-and now…last but not least. Remy

-Remy wants HIS PRIDE

-Niko has to sing, “I’m a little teapot” in front of the Poppy

-We should’ve gotten sprites

-Because just him blushing was not enough

-Jett had a glam rock phase. Again, I need photographic proof

-Awwwwww Niko’s happy!!!

-Can’t sleep after sex

-Now we’re up talkin

-I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop

-Finally! You’re seeing what I’m seeing Niko!

-It’s too perfect!

-I keep saying Video is fucking creepy. And I’ll keep saying it!

-…Jett come back with news.

-Guy who sold him the lock picking kit sold two.

-Fucking called it

-The lock an only be picked once

-Nah this is a fucking trap.

-I don’t like this.

-Called it

-Room is stocked with fakes

-Oh shit. They think Niko was outsmarted

-I think there was never a painting/it was a fake too

-Either way it’s a goddamn conspiracy

#lovestruck #nikolai sterling #queen of thieves #otome days

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dregstrash · 5 years

Text

gilded crowns (pt. 5)

A/N: Thank you so so so sooo much for all your support with this story. I’ve finally figured out the plot and I’m hoping to post in more normal intervals now I’ve been free from the jaws of school.

I am, as always, so grateful to everyone who has decided to ever read my stuff. Hope everyone likes this newest chapter!!!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4

Description: Prince Kaz of Ketterdam has been subject of much mystery and speculation, but that doesn’t stop his brother, King Jordie, to arrange a marriage from happening to Princess Inej of Suli. Neither party are happy with the arrangement. Kaz has other ideas and if he can drive Inej away, he can get back to the plans that’ll silence the demons that plague his dreams. Of course, what happens when she proves to be as stubborn as he is?

Tagging: @birdskullsandboats @lavehl @hysteriaas @definitely-not-procrastinating @fromferfer @lupine-teddy @ifangirlninja @spell-cleaver @s-artsnstuff @locksandbobbypins @friendo-nintendo @thatonefangirl-mrc @readmeaway @looking-for-wisdom @terrywho-cartoons @mykitchenisonfire151 @ysitsohardtofindaname @timeinhereyes

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Kaz remembered the first time he was ever afraid. He and Jordie were exploring in the gardens and they had stumbled upon a garden snake. Jordie, curious and reckless as always, stalked forward a long stick in his hand. Kaz had yelped in surprise and warning, and Jordie just shot his younger brother the smile that had gotten them into trouble on more than one occasion.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Kazzie,” He crooned. He had forced Kaz to take the stick and push him slightly into the lumbering creature.

“Stop!” Kaz had protested as his brother continued to push him forward. Already images of the snake uncoiling and wrapping around its neck, forcing the breath out of his body were swimming in his mind. The very idea of losing that simple control of breathing had Kaz’s small hand trembling and shaking.

But Jordie hadn’t listened, he simply wrapped his bigger hand around his and guided Kaz to poke the snake. The creature hissed in surprise and slinked off deeper into the shadows faster than either could blink and Kaz let out a loose, hysterical laugh.

“See?” Jordie ruffled his hair the way Kaz hated and continued on their walk.

“As long as you don’t give yourself time to be think, not much can scare you.”

Looking back, Kaz could admit that that was terrible advice. Especially to a boy no older than ten, but as he tried to sit calmly at dinner, he was glad for those words. Because if Kaz gave himself any room to hesitate in the plan that he had discussed with Nikolai the night before, then he would never be able to get the information he wanted.

“How are you liking Ketterdam, Princess?” Jordie’s voice filtered through Kaz’s thoughts.

“I like it just fine, Your Majesty, I thank you for your hospitality.”

“It’s no trouble at all. We rarely get visitors these days, and I’m sure my brother enjoys the company.” The insinuation was thick in Jordie’s voice, and Kaz didn’t need to turn to face Inej to see the stiffness in her face. In any other situation Kaz would have cut his brother in a withering glare. But instead he seized the opportunity with both hands.

“I am very much enjoying the princess’s company.” Kaz rasped, fighting for his voice to adopt a lighter tone. “And I believe that a union would not be so terrible between us.”

The noisy clink of utensils up and down the table suddenly stilled. Everyone gathered, Jordie, his advisers, the Suli ambassadors, and Princess Inej, all gaped at him. Ignoring them, Kaz plunged on, “I’ve taken a look at some of the reports of our trade routes, and I don’t see why the Suli won’t make good, permanent trading partners.”

“Wait--” Jordie struggled for words, “Kaz, are you saying that--”

“And I was actually hoping to make things rather official for the sake of the paperwork,” Kaz talked on, slicing his food, feigning his nonchalance, “But I don’t see why I would need to prolong this decision any longer.”

“Your Highness, could it be--” The Suli ambassador’s eyes were lit up with triumph and joy.

But Kaz didn’t let the interruption stop him, “I would like to accept the Suli’s offer of marriage, and be formally engaged to the Princess Inej.”

If a painter had captured this moment, Kaz would have liked to call it “The Surprise Before the Storm.” Because that’s what it was. His brother’s mouth had hung open, caught between a smile and astonishment. His advisers eyes were drawn in befuddlement. The ambassador was suspended in a look of complete triumph. And Inej, oh Inej, she was Fury incarnate with her cheeks flushed and her eyebrows drawn in furious lines.

Less than a second after Kaz said the words, the table erupted in congratulations and applause and a call for more wine. Jordie clapped his brother on the shoulder proudly, and told him that he was doing his country a service. He probably missed the fact that Kaz had winced at the contact, and he was sure to have missed the way Kaz had started to leave the room as the servants came flooding back in with wine decanters in their hands.

Kaz started the long walk back to his rooms, and he mentally mapped out the rest of the plan.

His brother would overindulge himself tonight, that he was sure of. Which meant official paperwork wouldn’t be drawn until mid-afternoon tomorrow. That gives the ambassador plenty of time to start making arrangements with Inej to plan the wedding and alerting her parents to the news. He turned a corner and weighed the other factors in his mind. More likely than not the wedding would be planned for the coming months that would give Nikolai plenty of time to--

Kaz’s train of thought staggered to a screeching halt as he was being shoved roughly against the wall with the tip of a blade resting at his throat. A thin, but feminine forearm kept his chest pressed back, and he wasn’t all that surprised to see Inej glaring up at him.

“How dare you?” She hissed out.

If her anger wasn’t enough, he could feel the heat of her body singeing his clothes, and he fought for breath as he tried to fight the wave of dizziness that had exploded behind his eyelids. He wanted to push her away, or tell her to move, but he risked looking weak. And he couldn’t afford that. So, he tried to breathe through it, but his efforts were impeded as his Adam’s apple brushed against the sharp edge of her knife. “Am I supposed to answer that question or wait for you to kill me?” Kaz mused. “This is the first time I’ve had a knife to my throat, so you’ll have to let me know as it looks like you’ve had a lot of practice.”

“You had no right to decide that without talking to me.” She said, ignoring the question in his voice.

“No right to already make an inevitable decision that would be forced upon us later?” He argued.

“No one was going to force me to marry the likes of you.”

“Is that why your parents left for Suli? Leaving you here to some sort of prolonged dream vacation?”

Her nostrils flared, but he knew that he had hit some unknown nerve.

“Our fates were sealed with our births, Princess.” Kaz continued. “I’m just doing it on my own terms.”

“This is not some decision that is only reliant on you. I’m not some unwanted present that you can take apart to fit your needs, Prince.”

“I never presumed you were.”

“Oh really?” She scoffed, “Because from what I’ve seen, that’s how you treat everyone.”

Something flashed in her eyes, and he knew that she was remembering that night at the Crow’s Club. That night two weeks ago, neither of them had acknowledged, that had caused a new line of tension in their already strained relationship.

He resisted the urge to tell her that it was her idea to follow him, and that it was her fault that she had to witness the punishment he inflicted on cheating dealers (someone should have told the man that his boss had eyes like a bird, and the mercy of a demon). He also tamped down the need to defend himself that it was only a pinky, because in all honesty, he could have done much, much worse.

His goal that night was for Inej to see him for the monster that he really was, and somehow seeing it for himself brought an unexpected bitterness in his mouth.

Swallowing down his revulsion, Kaz pressed forward a little bit, risking cutting his own throat as he stared Inej down, “What do you expect, Your Highness? When you’ve already been taken apart, it’s hard to see anything as whole.”

She’d never really know what it really meant to be taken apart. She’d never have dreams painted in his mother’s blood as he recalled the way her head was slumped forward, her bed coated in the sticky wet blood. She’d never feel the absolute terror of finding his father drowned in his tub with a hooded man still dripping from the bathwater startle at the sight of the younger boy. She’d never know the blackness that suddenly gripped Kaz’s vision as strong arms forced his whole body into the water with the lifeless body of what used to be his father. The blackness that wasn’t strong enough to block the feeling of his father’s bloated corpse on top of his, as water forced its way into his lungs and a stronger hand kept him from the sanctuary of air.

“That’s no excuse, Kaz.” His name on her lips was much worse than any cold title or hint of disdain. Hearing her soft voice curl around the short syllable made him almost forget the precarious position they were in. With her holding his life in the palm of her hand.

“I wasn’t trying to make an excuse,” Kaz bared his teeth. She moved her position slightly and the bare skin of her arm brushed against the exposed exposed skin of his collar. The unexpected contact brought in a new wave of nausea and a surprising shock of panic.

Without thinking about the blade or what she might think, he hastily maneuvered out of her grip and growled when she tried to take a step forward. His chest was heaving slightly as cold sweat formed a new layer over his skin, and he tried his hardest to regain his composure.

When he straightened to look her in the eye, he ignored the vague look of concern on her face. He hadn’t been planning on letting the princess in on his plans, but he reconsidered his earlier decision. She was light on her feet, looked like she could handle herself in a fight, and heavily determined to not be married to him. These could all lend themselves to his favor if he played his cards right.

He coughed as if nothing had happened and brushed his suit nonchalantly, “The engagement is just a distraction, darling Princess. I just need more time to get some business in order, and once that happens, I’ll happily break it off, and you can go back to Suli to be offered on a platter to a prince who actually cares.”

Her earlier concern was soon taken over with surprise then suspicion .

“What do you mean?” She asked cautiously.

“I have some dealings with Strumhond that need a large distraction, and our wedding is practically made for it. I assure you, you will not have to be married to me by the end of it.”

She sheathed her knife with a practiced ease, and crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a deep purple dress tonight. The cut of it simple enough to not be extravagant, but still elegant enough to constantly assault Kaz with the simple fact that she really was beautiful. The deep flutter of his stomach as that realization dawned on him only had him scowling further.

“What exactly are you planning with that pirate?”

Kaz bit the urge to correct her, and shrugged, “It’s none of your concern.”

“I’m the one engaged to you, of course it’s my concern.”

“So you’re saying you do accept the engagement?” Kaz smirked. Inej gave him a blank look, and he almost laughed at the expression. He gave a flourished bow, “Until the next forced dinner we have to sit through, my darling fiancee.”

#kanej #Kaz Brekker #inej ghafa #kaz x inej #kanej royalty au #six of crows #soc #crooked kingdom #ck #jordie rietveld

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sockmonstergotstyle · 5 years

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400 Pages into Crooked Kingdom

Well technically 443 but yno

Shit just never goes well for them does it?

Like, I don’t know how many plans and “jobs” have been attempted in this book, but every time it fails and Kaz is like “I have another plan” then that one fails and he’s like “I have ANOTHER plan” like why don’t u all just rest please

I love comparing different authors’ writing styles. Like in tog Rowan and Aelin fucked non stop for like 2 books and I was like “meh”, but somehow Leigh Bardugo managed to make Kaz kissing Inej’s neck the fucking longest and most tense thing I’ve ever read

I know I shouldn’t worry but I’m already v concerned the makers of the show will just be like “nah fuck that” and like ep2 will start with Kaz and Inej at it

After all what’s a tv show without a lot of sex? It’s not as if u could hire decent writers or anything

Please tell me Leigh Bardugo is involved

Anyway

The scene with Kaz having the shit beat out of him at the Slat was a masterpiece

Like from the moment beforehand when he’s like “if I’m going to die I might as well go in style” or some shit I knew it was gonna be 10/10

But idk there was just something funny and brilliant about Kaz limping his dramatic ass down several flights of stairs while all these thugs are just competing to see who will deck Kaz Brekker

Like I hated it but also I loved it

And Per Haskell with his mock up of Kaz’s cane oof imma slap a bitch

I’m assuming all these fun Ravkans are grisha trilogy characters yeah

Hearing about all these characters makes me feel like 2016 Becki reading CoHF like “who the fuck is Jem Carstairs”

It’s funny tho bc I’ve seen their names before, which is why I knew they were grisha trilogy characters. The only name that hasnt appeared is The Darkling. But all of them so far I’ve been like “oh hey I’ve heard that name” unfortunately for me that was more than once followed up with “oh shit well now I know their fate greattttt”

Still pissed at the people who said there were no spoilers in this series

Wylan taking two (2) punches and spilling everything lmao he tried

“Wylan, I hope we don’t die today” I’m worried

Also can we have a moment to discuss Jesper kissing Kuwei akdjsksjaka I SCREAMED

Kaz randomly name dropping Imogen lmao I’m sat there like who the fuck is Imogen

Also Dunyasha? Weird bitch isn’t she

“I’m amazed you can detect anything over the reek of ice and inbreeding” akdjsksjaka grisha readers am I allowed to stan Nikolai

Wait actually don’t answer that

I might have said this before but do u have any idea what I’d pay to be on the end of Kaz’s cane

And no that was NOT an innuendo I wanna DIE not FUCK

I feel like too much has happened in the last 243 pages for me to fit it on this long ass post sorry

Anyway in summary I’m v concerned about everything because no plan ever goes well

Honestly I keep waiting for a Light v Near showdown but with Kaz and Van Eck both like “I know your plan” “ah but I KNOW you know my plan” “but I know you know I know your plan” “and I know you know I know you know my plan”

Also I’ve been so hyped about this book I totally forgot this is the last one, and now I have less than 200 pages and I’m here like ffs what am I supposed to do when I finish it the end is SO CLOSE

I know this series ended some years ago but please tell me there’s gonna be another spin off with at least a cameo from one of the characters PLEASE

Anyway I’ll see y’all when I’ve finished

#sockmonster reads soc #soc #crooked kingdom #six of crows #long post

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whydontwejustblog · 6 years

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unusual asks

@anon that said “1-100,” i’m no chicKEN—

spotify, soundcloud, or pandora? spotify all the way.

is your room messy or clean? messy i like to think it’s neat.

what color are your eyes? a boring dark brown.

do you like your name? why? i hate it. i wish it was esteban julio ricardo montoya dela rosa ramirez.

what is your relationship status? what’s a relaytionsheep?

describe your personality in 3 words or less. boring.

what hair color do you have? still a boring dark brown.

what kind of car do you drive? color? …i’m not old enough to drive, but if i was, you better bet i’d have a rainbow car because #yolo. (lmao stop your influence @heartsavery.)

where do you shop? at the candy store. *instantly thinks of heathers*

how would you describe your style? non-existent.

favorite social media account? if i say tumblr, will it start working for me?

what size bed do you have? a queen-sized one. (no, that wasn’t a pun or anything.)

any siblings? i like to think she doesn’t exist.

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? i’ve heard of this place called niue, which apparently has pikachu coins as part of their currency, so sign me up. (japan is also another option, because i love the atmosphere in kyoto. except for that one time i got lost at night near a creepy abandoned church.)

favorite snapchat filter? i don’t use filters much since i don’t take pictures of myself, but i’ll have to say the classic dog filter.

favorite makeup brand(s)? i don’t wear makeup.

how many times a week do you shower? i shower around once or twice a day. weird, i know, but it’s normal around here in a country that’s hot all year round. (except, of course, when there are typhoons, because it’s one extreme or another.)

favorite tv show? danger dings (read: stranger things.) i even have a side blog for it. *cough* @anevenstrangerblog *cough* i know the question only asked for one but can i throw in asoue too? i love both the books and the netflix show. malina’s so pretty i cri. ooh, andi mack is another show that i absolutELY LOVE AND—

shoe size? 6.5 in us women’s.

how tall are you? not tall at all. next question.

sandals or sneakers? sneakers are all i own.

do you go to the gym? no.

describe your dream date. with nikolai lantsov. but since he’s “fictional,” i’ll settle for the person giving me a fortune, then leaving me alone for the rest of my life. (but if the person was finn wolfhard / malina weissman / sadie sink, they can *in mulan’s grandma’s voice* stAy fOrevEr.)

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? about 2500 pesos and 2000 yen.

what color socks are you wearing? they’re pikachu socks.

how many pillows do you sleep with? one or none because quite frankly, i only like hugging pillows. sleeping on them is uncomfortable for me.

do you have a job? what do you do? i don’t have a job, but my class runs a business (with a beneficiary who all the proceeds go to), and i manage its marketing and finance. i also design a couple stuff for my mom’s clinic thing, which i guess is considered a job since i get paid.

how many friends do you have? if you don’t count online friends, zero ahaha.

what’s the worst thing you have ever done? lmao idk, exist?

what’s your favorite candle scent? i dunno. most probably woodsy or floral scents.

3 favorite boy names? names don’t have genders.

3 favorite girl names? names don’t have genders.

favorite actor? noah schnapp, my precious son.

favorite actress? millie bobby brown because why not.

who is your celebrity crush? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

favorite movie? the bee movie ahAHAHAHA the original spongebob movie.

do you read a lot? what’s your favorite book? i read waaay too much, and just like any of my other favorite things, i can’t pick just one favorite book, but i love six of crows by leigh bardugo.

money or brains? can i have both?

do you have a nickname? what is it? i’m called stupid a lot, does that count? ahaha :’) micah’s actually one of my nicknames.

how many times have you been to the hospital? too many times to count.

top 10 favorite songs? i have too many songs i like, so i’ll list some i remember right now (and limit myself to one song per artist.) crazy=genius by p!atd, bellyache by billie eilish, migraine by tøp, c’est la vie by maurice moore, glorious by macklemore, for him by troye sivan, my songs know what you did in the dark by fob, non-stop from the hamilton cast recording, teacher by prettymuch, and we the party by why don’t we.

do you take any medication daily? just vitamins, not medication.

what is your skin type? idk dude.

what is your biggest fear? the unknown.

how many kids do you want? zero.

what’s your go-to hair style? just my hair down since i’m lazy.

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc.) i don’t know how to describe the size of my house lmao.

who is your role model? thomas the tank engine.

what was the last compliment you received? i’m not sure if it was meant as a compliment, but that one anon who asked advice from me said they were awed by my independence so there’s that.

what was the last text you sent? i sent “i’m hungry” to one of my housekeepers.

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? he IS real. i don’t know what the quackidy quack you’re talking about.

what is your dream car? lightning mcqueen. ka-chow!

opinion on smoking? i’m asthmatic, so personally, i don’t smoke, and i don’t encourage it either. if you’re talking about cigarettes, it harms the lungs of not only the smoker, but the people around them. it also affects air pollution (its effect is 10 times stronger than those of diesel car exhausts), and i’m very against all types of pollution to the environment. (i’m looking at you, glitter, which, if you didn’t already know, contributes to the pollution of waterways.)

do you go to college? i will in 2 years. (i’ll be a wee child all alone in another country :’( @whydontwejustbesomethingdiffrent i’m dragging you along if it’s the last thing i do.)

what is your dream job? i don’t really know lmao.

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? suburbs.

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? who doesn’t?

do you have freckles? no.

do you smile for pictures? i don’t like having pictures of me taken, but i occasionally smile awkwardly.

how many pictures do you have on your phone? i recently cleared out my photo library so now i’m left with only 3033 pictures.

have you ever peed in the woods? no.

do you still watch cartoons? duh.

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonald’s? there are no branches of wendy’s where i live so i’ll go with mcdonald’s.

favorite dipping sauce? does gravy count?

what do you wear to bed? pajamas.

have you ever won a spelling bee? i’ve never participated in one aside from the mini ones we used to hold in class before, which i won because the competition wasn’t exactly tough.

what are your hobbies? photography, bullet journaling, brush lettering, eating, reading, scrolling endlessly through my phone, dying, and other fun stuff. coding and robotics are cool too.

can you draw? @thefangirlingmaster i still stand by my opinion that i can’t.

do you play an instrument? the only instrument i can fluently play is the violin, since i was taught how to play it at 6 years old, but i own a guitar and keyboard which i can sorta play.

what was the last concert you saw? a pentatonix one.

tea or coffee? water.

starbucks or dunkin’ donuts? starbucks.

do you want to get married? not really.

what is your crush’s first and last initial? f.w. (hint: it rhymes with pinn rolfhard.)

are you going to change your last name when you get married? i dunno man.

what color looks best on you? still dunno man.

do you miss anyone right now? no.

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed.

do you believe in ghosts? uh…

what is your biggest pet peeve? my neighbors slow walkers

last person you called? my dad.

favorite ice cream flavor? cookies and cream.

regular oreos or golden oreos? i only eat mini-sized regular oreos.

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? choCOLATE *insert gif of that one fish from spongebob*

what shirt are you wearing? a panda shirt i got from singapore a couple years ago.

what is your phone background? it’s a zoomed in face of the ice cream octopus from dora. my parents say it’s creepy, but i think it’s calming. (i couldn’t post it on here because tumblr says i reached a limit, but if you wanna see it, tell me to send it to you.)

are you outgoing or shy? depends on the people i’m with.

do you like it when people play with your hair? it tickles.

do you like your neighbors? i’d prefer it if they moved far far away (haha shrek reference) and took their horrible karaoke with them.

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? i wash my face everytime i shower.

have you ever been high? nope.

have you ever been drunk? nope. (i was gonna come up with some punny joke but i’m too hungry to think right now. which reminds me, i have to go eat something real quick, be right back—)

last thing you ate? oh wow, perfect timing. i just ate mango float.

favorite lyrics right now? it’s from my son troye’s song, suburbia. “swallow nostalgia, chase it with lime. better than dwelling, and chasing time. missing occasions, i can’t rewind. can’t help but feel i’ve lost what’s mine.”

summer or winter? it’s basically summer all year round here so—

day or night? night.

dark, milk, or white chocolate? milk chocolate.

favorite month? december.

what is your zodiac sign? sagittarius.

who was the last person you cried in front of? my dad.

#this took me about an hour because like i said #i’m me #indecisive me #whoop whoop #also #i s2g #the anon who requested this better see it #or i’m suing #anon please tell me if you read it #it’ll make me feel better lmao #ask list #unusual asks #*agl*#*enim*

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