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greensaplinggrace · 3 years

Note

In a recent malarklina post you mentioned having many headcanons 👀 Care to share with the class?

So I went over some character hcs for the three of them in this post! But here are a few that are specifically Malarklina. (Some of these are set in an Immortal!Mal AU and some aren't, sorry if it gets a bit confusing).

Aleksander has a competency kink and is attracted to Alina showing off her sun powers and Mal showing off his tracking abilities.

Alina makes them both little suns that follow them around to always light their path. This is especially meaningful to Aleksander, although he'd never admit it, because he used to be afraid of the dark as a child.

Mal reminds Aleksander of Luda, and he often goes into depressive states when considering the fact of Mal's mortality. Once Alina fully grasps the reality of the situation, she often suffers from them as well. During these times, Mal tries to be there for them as much as he can, but it's a heavy burden to bear alone.

They all have difficult relationships with gender and sexuality and at one point actually end up sitting down (completely by accident, because Aleksander is allergic to emotions) to talk about this aspect of their lives in more depth.

Aleksander usually sleeps in the middle because he's a) touch-starved and b) an attention whore, but they switch it up on occasion.

Mal is the most clingy sleeper in the history of sleepers. Aleksander and Alina have both woken up on more than one occasion to Mal literally laying fully on top of them and wrapped around them like an octopus. Aleksander likes the weight and usually just snuggles in deeper but Alina has to wiggle out of the way most of the time so she can breathe.

Mal likes Aleksander with short hair but Alina likes him with long hair. This is the source of many fights in their relationship, none of which Aleksander is actually apart of.

Alina and Aleksander both like Mal with longer hair and so he's press ganged into growing it out.

Mal and Alina love every single song Aleksander hates.

When Mal pisses Aleksander off it's no sex for a day even after a dozen apologies, but when Alina pisses him off all she has to do is say sorry and he'll just eat her out right then, not a care in the world.

Aleksander is very physically affectionate, but Mal and Alina have phases of liking it and disliking it, so they have to balance a way to take care of each other's needs without pushing boundaries.

Aleksander is directionally challenged because I said so and Mal and Alina constantly have to make sure he doesn't get lost.

Kissing scars has become a very intimate practice between them all.

Aleksander keeps an obsessively clean house but Alina's paint supplies get everywhere, that paired with Mal just shucking off his hunting outfits anywhere in the house and dumping his gardening/hunting supplies wherever's most convenient means that Aleksander is in a constant state of annoyance about their living situation.

Alina makes a Rule about Mal and Aleksander fighting after Mal straight up tackles Aleksander off the side of the roof when they're trying to figure out how to replace shillings.

They all spar with each other at least once every other day. This mostly started as a means of keeping themselves sharp in case of danger, but it quickly became a bonding routine of sorts. Turns out Aleksander has a lot of information stored up about fighting. That paired with Mal's military training makes for some very intense spars as well as the rapid growth of all three of them into some of the most dangerous fighters on the planet.

@mal-zoya now has me convinced that it will take at least 500 years for Mal and Aleksander to admit they love each other.

Aleksander likes it when they wear his clothes. Alina likes wearing Mal and Aleksander's clothes. There is a lot of clothing sharing going on. It gets to the point where the only way they can tell who's clothing is who's is based on color scheme and the quality of the cloth and occasionally (but not always) the size as well.

Mal and Alina infodump all the time about their passions and Aleksander eats it up. He loves it. He thinks his partners are the smartest people in the universe.

When Alina is suffering from artist's block she goes to Aleksander for inspiration. When she's inspired she goes to Mal to create.

Mal is generally the one who cooks all of their meals because Alina will get distracted when she's going on an art spree and Aleksander will just straight up forget he's a human sometimes. But when Mal doesn't do it Aleksander does it because he has Standards and he's not about to let his partners starve to death, thank you very much.

Aleksander and Mal used to cook plainer foods in the beginning of the relationship but they both slowly shake off some of the chains of their upbringings and previous ways of life to slowly try out more elaborate and lush recipes. Alina has come home on more than one occasion to see them collaborating on a new recipe Aleksander managed to flirt/finagle out of one of the old ladies from the nearby village.

Alina likes to ride out every day and sometimes ropes Aleksander or Mal into going with her. There are lots of picnics and packed lunches in their life. When they go to an especially scenic spot, she'll sit there for hours and draw.

Mal won't ever be able to fully understand the meaning of Alina's immortality. It would be impossible to, even with many explanations and having to deal with Aleksander's own traumas as a result. But that doesn't stop him from attempting to learn as much as he can to make things easier for both of his partners.

Alina attempts to join the local ladies' knitting group in the nearby village but hates it. Aleksander, on the other hand, finds it to be the most valuable source of gossip in the village. He rapidly becomes a part of the club and returns home with boatloads of gossip by the day. Alina and Mal have no idea what to do with literally any of this information, but Aleksander certainly does. Getting involved in small town drama is, in his opinion, one of the best things he ever decided to do. Mal and Alina are beginning to think he needs some therapy.

Mal starts a little farm outside of their cottage and Alina starts a flower garden. Alina also begins to amass a small library over time, with the help of Aleksander "is this an original text?! maybe so" Morozova. Mal is not expecting to come home one day to an entirely new room built into the house and a massive collection of books lining the walls.

Alina and Aleksander will use their powers actively all day. In fact, they both get so comfortable with summoning that they just start letting their emotions affect their summoning all the time. And so Mal has a very good indicator for whether or not his partners are upset or happy based on the way the shadows and lights flicker, much akin to the way people judge how their cats are feeling based on what their tails are doing.

Also, though, Mal just feels proud that they both trust him enough and feel comfortable enough around him and in their home to feel as if they don't need to watch themselves constantly.

Alina still likes mapmaking and, after a few years of peace where she starts to get restless, she slowly begins to do it again. Every two months or so she'll go out on a long trip to map a few of the nearby areas. She quickly builds up a side business of selling her personal maps to the people of whatever town they're living near.

Aleksander eventually opens up enough to share some of his past with Alina and Mal. He especially begins to engage more with the pieces of his culture that he had to forsake in order to assimilate over the years. Alina and Mal are always more than willing to help him puzzle through a half remembered recipe or a phrase in his native tongue that he's partially forgotten. They feel honored every time he shares a small piece of his history with them.

Nightmares are a common occurrence between all of them and whenever one happens a cuddle pile of epic proportions ensues. Also sometimes they talk about feelings have some pillow talk to work through things. Aleksander will also sometimes sing them back to sleep. His lullabies are haunting, but his singing voice is beautiful, and it usually does the trick. He refuses to sing for them outside of these moments, however.

Alina adores the height difference between her and her very tall partners. She thinks its fucking stellar.

Alina and Mal start up an orphanage on many occasions throughout the centuries. Alina loves kids and constantly helps them when she can. She mourns the fact that she won't ever be able to adopt without having to watch them grow old without her.

They've all discussed having kids at multiple points throughout their lives, and they all want to do so. But Aleksander wants to wait until Grisha persecution is no longer even the hint of an issue. Alina and Mal agree to wait, largely because they want some time to think on it too.

Mal tries to teach Alina how to shoot one day and she accidentally clips Aleksander as he's coming outside with lunch. He never lets her live it down and on more than one occasion attempts to use it for sympathy points, even hundreds of years later.

Aleksander is both the big spoon and the little spoon, but he likes being the big spoon (in reality he's a knife, of course). Mal likes being the little spoon but is often relegated to the big spoon, and Alina likes being both.

Alina paints a portrait of Mal and Aleksander cuddled up in bed once and no matter how much they entreat her to burn it she absolutely refuses to do so.

Aleksander is basically a walking, talking source of illegal activity, and he can't be taken anywhere anymore without expecting some sort of crime to take place.

Alina tries to adopt a little black cat one day and Aleksander gets outrageously jealous. He spends about two months being bitter, then another two months trying to chase it off, but the creature stays with them all until it dies of old age (and he'll never admit to privately grieving it's loss, although Mal and Alina both know it).

All of their communication skills are absolutely atrocious but Alina is the best. Mal is the second best. Aleksander doesn't even rank. Over time, they get into the habit of it, though. They practice at it painfully for years until they reach the point where healthy communication becomes second nature.

Mal proposes to Alina one day (after much talk between all three of them) and they get married. A couple years later they both propose to Aleksander (after zero talk, he is suitably surprised and also maybe a bit teary eyed). They have an illegal wedding on holy ground at midnight with a bribed and essentially kidnapped pastor.

Aleksander spends an excessive amount of money on Alina and Mal. He buys them things constantly and lavishes them with gifts. Alina loves it but it grates on Mal for a time until he realizes it isn't a means of manipulation as much as a love language and a shoddy attempt at communication and expressing feelings.

Once they reach the modern world (in an Immortal!Mal AU), they all get phones and send each other the most cursed texts in all of history. The group chat is a hellspace and the individual chats are just pure shittalking. Nowhere is free.

Shopping in the modern world consists of chaotic impulse buys and the excessive waste of money. They're all each other's impulse control, but they can't always go out together at the same time, so it's usually only in groups of two. Which means that when Alina's gone, Aleksander fills the cart with sweets. And when Mal is gone, Alina fills the cart with an inordinate amount of bananas (which are new) and microwavable easy to eat meals and paint supplies and oh! look at these pretty notebooks on display!. And when Aleksander is gone the cart its legitimately just a free for all. He comes home and there's mincemeat and apple pies cooking for some reason. Mal has a new apron. The fire alarm has been replaced. Turns out they stopped at an ikea on the way back and now they have a better dining table.

Alina is the best driver of them all. Aleksander goes way too fast but he never crashes. Mal refuses to even step foot in a car for about half a decade.

Aleksander is actually the one that gets into makeup. He quite enjoys it and thinks maybe his partners need to live a little for once. They both very firmly disagree.

Alina loses the tv remote constantly and it drives Mal absolutely wild. Sometimes Aleksander will steal it just to watch Mal go into a frenzy looking for it.

Alina builds up a large following for her art (and the art of her 'ancestors') over the centuries. Modern day Alina is basically famous, but luckily nobody knows her face.

#okay this got too long i had to stop alsjdflkjds #i got very carried away im so sorry #some of these are just plain aus but I Do Not Care #asks and answers #anon #malarklina #mymetas #shadow and bone #sab #grishaverse #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #the darkling #malyen oretsev #darklina #malina #myramblings #alina x darkling x mal #myhcs

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justice4harwin · 3 years

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Light’s Corruption- Chapter V

Pairing: The DarklingxAlina

Summary:With few friends at the Little Palace, Alina must work to win the favour of her fellow grisha and their commander, who makes her feel light headed every time she sees him.

After training in Os Alta for two years, the king grows tired of waiting and demands the Sun Summoner joins a western post near the Fjerdan border along with the rest of The Second Army to test her abilities.

Something happens. Suddenly, Alina wants blood to run down the rivers and those who stand in her and The Darkling’s way will be blinded by her light and swallowed by his shadows.

It won’t be pretty

Rating: 18+

Click here for chapter 4

As usual, tags are in the comments. If you dont wanna be tagged, dont be afraid to let me know. If you wanna be tagged, let me know too. I dont bite...anymore lmao

Chapter 5: Heartrenders

Days went by, and they turned into weeks. The leaves fell off the trees, a crunchy sea of red, orange, yellow and brown, and Alina wanted to pile them all on and throw herself inside.

She'd do it the first chance she got, but for that she had to beat the gardeners before they took the piles and burnt them to depressing ashes.

She talked to Michail some more during they rounds around the lake and had her rematch with Natasha.

She lost. Again. She laughed it off. Again. Natasha said she hadn't been so easy to defeat that second time, to which Alina smiled almost genuinely. Progress.

Baghra refused to see her still, and Alina was too proud to go back to her, so she tried to practice on her own. She'd hide away on the far sides of the gardens where the other grisha rarely went to and try to gain more control. It was a slow process; the temptation to let her power run free and vast was always there and trying to tame that always left her exhausted. She had no trouble falling asleep, yet each day the bags underneath her eyes seemed to deepen, as did her appetite. Alina was pretty sure that summoning should be for the better, but more than once, she had thoroughly considered laying down on the cold grass and take a nap there instead of walking all the way back to the Little Palace.

The General wasn't back yet, and much to Alina's confusion, frustration and shame, she worried. Maybe that too had something to do with the bags underneath her eyes. She tended to dream of him in all kinds of scenarios, each less pleasant than the last. It made her wake up sweaty and choking for air.

More than once, she almost wrote to him, only if just to make sure he was alright. But he had to be. Otherwise, word would've spread quickly…right?

She always talked herself out of it though. His presence was missed, her mind was making up all kind of tricks to make her reach out to him like a pathetic girl begging for attention.

The thought reminded her of Baghra's opinion of her, which only strengthened her resolve to not write to him.

She had had enough of begging, enough of getting scrapes of affection from a man who hadn't even bother to write once; she wouldn't do it again, no matter how much her heart tried to pull her to him.

But then her eyes would drift back to the black, shadow rose that laid on her nightstand, the little bit of gold on its inside long dead, and her heart would race and some form of reassurance would fall gently over her, like a blanket shielding her body.

She'd reach out and take it in her hands. It had no thorns. Her fingers would run through its petals, as soft as those of a real rose, but with something deeper in there. There was something more alive inside that rose than in any flower in all of Ravka; it was deep, powerful, and dark. It scared and alluded to her in the same measure, and she'd stare at it fascinated for an unfathomable long time.

She wondered if The Darkling could feel her caressing his shadows; and how he'd feel about it.

Besides Michail and Natasha, Alina didn’t seem to be progressing very much. They exchanged niceties and some jokes, even paired up during training, but there was not much more to it.

She told herself to be patient. These things took time.

One early afternoon, Genya showed up on her room unannounced. Alina hurried to hide her rose inside her nightstand; she wasn't sure why, but she wanted it to be her little secret.

"The Queen just left Os Alta." the redhead smiled. "As did the king. They'll be gone for two days on a hunting trip."

"A hunting trip?"

"Yes, where they kill animals for the fun of it. Like one of those brutish size competitions men seem to like so much."

Alina snorted.

"So?"

"So…"there was a gleam to her friend's eyes, and the summoner leaned back and frowned slightly, almost scared. "I could sneak you into the Grand Palace and into Her Royal Bitch's wardrobe."

"We'll get in trouble, Gen."

"Oh, please; have some faith in me." she placed her elbows on the desk and her chin atop of her hands, almost looking angelic. "Do you really think I'd get you in trouble?"

"Yes."

"Well, then you're wrong." she straightened up and tugged on Alina's arm. "C'mon; there's so many gowns and habits: she rarely wears them twice. We're not stealing; no one will know."

"How many gowns?" she asked, genuinely curious. She had seen the queen on two official occasions, the first time when she arrived from the camps near Kribirsk, and the second when she was invited to her ridiculous tea parade. Still, she had seen her in passing a few times as she strolled the grounds. A part of Alina felt ashamed of the jealousy she felt upon seeing her beautiful clothes and jewels.

There she was, living in a palace, wearing a kefta and being pampered, yet she dared to want more.

"Hundreds!" the Tailor whispered excitedly. "And they'll look much better on us anyway."

She gave in a little to temptation. They would just try them on and leave them again. No one would know, and maybe she'd be satisfied then.

"Alright, alright. But we better not get caught."

"Don't worry, we won't."

They left the bedroom and ran down the stairs, Genya holding onto the blue sleeve of her friend as she rambled about all the different fabrics and patterns and accessories while Alina tried to keep up with her, listening to every word while watching her step. The last thing she needed was to trip down the stairs.

That'd be a sad way to go for her.

"You'll love it. I promise!" Genya turned to give her a smile, but Alina's eyes drifted to the looming figure appearing in her line of vision.

The Darkling walked into the Little Palace accompanied by Ivan, Fedyor and a third heartrender.

It was a woman, a little bit older than Alina probably, but only for a few years. She was tall, with long, brown hair cascading down her back. Her kefta, which hugged her rounded figure nicely, gave her away as a fellow heartrender.

The Darkling noticed them approaching. Alina tried to search something in his eyes, anything that gave away any sort of emotion that could cause in him to see her again, but she saw nothing but his usual coolness.

The Summoner and the Tailor came to a stop and bowed.

"Moi Soverennyi." they bowed respectfully.

"Miss Starkov, Miss Safin; it has been some time." he looked from one to the other. "May I inquire as to your present activities?"

"Nothing we're not supposed to do." Alina spat out, earning herself a dainty elbow to the ribs.

General Kirigan rose an eyebrow.

"I see. See to it that it stays that way."

"Of course, sir." spoke Genya, serious all of a sudden.

The man turned and contemplated the strange woman for a moment, then gestured at Alina with a gloved hand.

"This is Alina Starkov, our Sun Summoner." he looked at her, those pools of grey catching her breath. "Miss Starkov, may I introduce you to Nina Zenik. She is one of my best agents and has just recently returned from an assignment in Shu Han."

The woman's green eyes settled on Alina, taking her in. Something glittered in there.

"So, she is real after all."

"Would I lie to you?" was The Darkling's reply.

"You forgot to mention how pretty she is." Nina ignored him, taking a long, stealth step towards her and catching a tendril of Alina's dark hair in her fingers.

"Um, it's a pleasure to meet you." The Sun Summoner managed to say, nervous under the woman scrutiny.

"Oh, a pleasure indeed, sun bean." Nina smiled, amusement shining in her eyes as Alina's face heated up. "I can't wait to make your acquaintance."

Before Alina could even think of an answer -for the woman's pretty eyes were too distracting- The Darkling cleared his throat.

"Not for some time, I am afraid." he said. Alina finally turned her gaze to him. There was something dark and intense in the way he was staring at Nina's back, his jaw tense. "Miss Starkov has quite the busy schedule."

Alina felt Genya tensing beside her. Nina's eyes slid momentarily, as if she could see The Darkling behind her, and nodded, winking at her before receding.

"Certainly. I can only imagine." she turned a charming smile on him. "Should we discuss my mission in private?"

"Of course." he answered almost, almost too quickly. He made a gesture for her to go in first.

"See you around, sun bean."

Alina choked on her own saliva as she struggled to say her farewell.

Ivan left with them without even glancing in their direction; Fedyor was kind enough to give them each a courteous smile.

Genya was giggling like an idiot.

"Shut up."

Now she was laughing.

During their training one day, Alina decided to pair up with her. Many grisha gave her a myriad of odd looks, and for a moment, Alina feared she might be about to face another Zoya.

Nina seemed to not to notice them and beckoned her forward.

People seemed to like Nina, Alina observed. The woman had charm and wit; the Sun Summoner really had to try to not get jealous of those traits. She reminded herself that Nina had been at the Little Palace for years, not one season and a half.

They circled each other, taking their measures.

Alina didn't want to be the one to strike first. That always had seemed to go wrong thus far, so she waited.

The heartrender went to the left, so Alina turned, only to be tricked as she received a blow on her right. She winced and stood back, more alert. She didn't want to make a ridicule again.

"You're small and skinny." the heartrender whispered. Alina arched an eyebrow. "I'm bigger and stronger, so your best option is to tire me out."

"I'm not exactly the fastest person."

Nina threw a punch and, luckily, Alina blocked it successfully.

She shook her head.

"Speed and resistance don't need to go hand in hand."

Alina didn't dare to look around to see if anyone else could hear them. She hoped not. Botkin would most certainly disapprove of his students giving each other advice on how to defeat them.

So, with Nina's words in mind, Alina did her best to block and recede. She tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to punch and kick, and received a wince and an "ouch" as Nina rubbed her calf.

The Summoner could feel everyone still watching, Marie and Nadia cheering her on; Sergei and Michail more reserved since she was fighting a fellow red sporter.

Then, Alina caught a glimpse. It was a second, and before she even knew it, she was taking a chance.

Nina was placing her foot down, twisting it as if to test it, and the next she was laying on her back, Alina having all but hurled herself at the woman, grabbing her middle section with all her strength and pushing.

They landed on the ground, and in the disbelief, the Summoner almost forgot to fully immobilize her opponent the way Botkin had taught her.

"You know," Nina gasped, the breath having abandoned her lungs. "There's better ways to get on top of me, sun bean, but if you like it rough-"

Alina blushed in embarrassment, both for having potentially hurt her and for the path those words were leading to.

"Are you alright?" she interrupted hurriedly. "Did I hurt you?"

Nina tried to laugh and cried instead.

"Shit, sun bean. You do have some strength in that tiny body after all."

"Alright!" Botkin clapped his hands twice, coming over toward them. "The little girl wins again, …finally."

Alina was almost offended. At least Marie and Nadia were cheering, as were some others Etherealki. She noticed Sergei and Michail exchanging some coins and scowled.

"Healer." she called, and one hurried to Nina's side.

"It's just a broken rib." the woman said, setting herself to work.

Nina raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm impressed, sun bean. I didn't actually think you'd win."

Alina found a new hiding spot where to practice her summoning. It was a most secluded corner, surrounded by old trees, an unkept stone bench and a dirty sculpture of a woman.

She really wanted to be offended.

With eyes wide, she forgot all about her practice, raced and jumped in, laughing childishly to herself.

She looked up and took in the warmth of the sun with pleasure, her face basking in it as her hands ran through leaves and sticks. It was actually a little uncomfortable, but fun.

She almost wished she could sink in and stay there forever, with the sun warming her body and the crunchy leaves all around her.

There was a big pile of leaves.

"Did you fall?"

A shadow took the light from her face, and she found The Darkling standing over her, looking down with something akin to curiosity.

"No. I just jumped."

"Into a pile of dirt?"

"It's not dirt. Besides, it's fun!" she extended a hand. "Wanna try?"

He huffed. Her cheeks heated up. She should've known better.

He took her hand and pulled her up, the mere contact making everything about him feel more intense as usual.

She held onto him.

"How did you find me?"

"You are my Sun Summoner; did you really think I would let you wander about the palace grounds unguarded?"

"Do you have me followed?" she had never noticed.

"For your safety."

"I thought this was the safest place in all of Ravka."

"I am not taking any chances with you, Alina." he replied, eyes guarded, face soft.

"Well, I've never noticed them."

"It means they are doing a good job. I would not want you to live scared, looking over your shoulder all the time."

"I might as well start now that I know."

He opened his mouth and then closed it, thumb rubbing the back of her hand. Alina wondered if he noticed what he was doing.

"You are right." he stepped closer, pulling a leaf off her hair. "But you need not fear, especially while I am on the palace grounds."

"Because not even the dumbest drüskelle would dare to cross paths with you?"

"Nor would the boldest noble."

Alina frowned. The nobles of Os Alta?

She nodded slowly.

"I have scared you." he stated, studying her face. "I apologize."

"No, no." she let go of his hand. "You just made me wearier."

"That is just how life at court is." he offered, not unkindly. "This is not just an army sometimes, especially for you and I."

Alina looked at him, questioning.

"There is no one else like us, Alina." he said, approaching her once more. The calmness, the facts were gone, replaced by a fire she wanted to step into. The vehemence in his voice made her shiver and want to take refuge in his cloak. "There never will be."

She thought about it. What exactly did he mean by that?

He reached out again and plucked another leaf from her hair, then took her face in his hands. She tilted her head up, desperate for a look into those eyes.

Her heart drummed on her ribcage, wanting to break free.

"I-" words failed her as he studied her face, like she was something unique he wanted to memorize.

His thumb ran over her lips, and she exhaled heavily at the feel.

"I forgot what I came here to tell you." he whispered in confidence, his eyes on her parted lips.

"I don't care."

One of his hands left her face and wrapped around her waist, pressing her against his hard chest. Alina almost gasped, hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, hiding the conflict she had briefly witnessed there.

Alina made a choice.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

He reciprocated immediately, holding her tighter and pushing his tongue inside her mouth, demanding a dominance she was more than willing to give him.

She had been kissed, but never like this. It was a first kiss that felt like the last; its intensity so beautifully crushing and chaotic. It was like he was a missing part of her, long searched for and finally found. It was like she was the most precious, addictive treasure, something to be cherished and corrupted at the same time.

Alina was willing to let him do as he wanted with her.

Her hands pulled at his hair, earning a growl. Their eyes met briefly, the desire in them fighting to see whose was grander, before kissing again.

It was like he wanted to pull her closer still, the barrier of clothes too much. Something told Alina that the lack of them wouldn't satisfy either of them anyways.

He kissed her jaw, travelling his way up to her earlobe.

"You make me weak." he whispered harshly, only to proceed to ravish the parts of her neck that were exposed.

"You make me strong." she answered, craning her neck to give him better access.

Growling, he gave her ass a hard squeeze and pushed her back against a tree. She could feel the tug and crunches of the leaves as he buried his hands in her hair but didn't care.

She wanted more.

And more.

She drew his lips back to hers. He reached for the belt which held her kefta closed.

"Sir!"

The next thing Alina knew was that she was standing against a tree, her back aching and her body cold, yet her face hot.

She looked at The Darkling, who seemed almost unperturbed as he smoothly fixed his hair and clothes, standing at a respectable distance from her.

Ivan appeared, seeming to be in a hurry.

Alina narrowed her eyes at him. As if she didn't dislike him enough already, the little shit.

"Moi Soverennyi, you are needed in the king's counsel immediately."

"Tell that grump I shall be there shortly."

Ivan bowed and left, not even acknowledging Alina's presence.

The Darkling cleared his throat. She turned her dark gaze on him, cheeks burning against the cold air, lips probably bruised.

What had just happened?

She wasn't sure, but she wanted to do it again. The Darkling, on the other hand, remained stoic as he stared into her eyes, as if nothing had occurred between them.

"I understand that you have been training on your own;" he said, as if he were talking to any other grisha, ever polite and smooth, voice reassuring yet commanding." I shall speak to Baghra so you may return to your lessons."

"But I don't wann-"

With him gone, the early winter sun felt cold.

"Miss Starkov." he bowed to her respectfully and marched away, disappearing from view within seconds.

Click here for chapter 6

#shadow and bone fanfic #shadow and bone #Alina starkov #the darkling #aleksander morozova #darkling x alina #alina x aleksander #alina x darkling #genya safin #nina zenik #fedyor kaminsky #fanfic

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s-n-a-k-e-p-i-t · 3 years

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So I finished the Grisha trilogy

In anticipation for the upcoming Netflix series combining Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, I decided to give the universe a try. I have been recommended Shadow and Bone over and over for YEARS after seeking similar books to the Shatter Me series by (the literal loml, seriously this book changed my life) Tahereh Mafi--if you haven’t read it, please go rent/buy the first book and ENJOY--but anywho... I was recommended this series because I google searched “books with boys like Warner” because

SPOILERS BELOW for Shatter Me, Shadow and Bone, Storm and Siege, Rise and Ruin:

I love Warner and who doesn’t like a dick ish male character that the female protagonist hates and soon we learn of their tragic backstory and slowly grow to love through a story of redemption (friendly reminder, I am now a dramione person, I wish I could be surprised)

So ANYWAY. Started the first book. I feel like the characters are kinda lacking in it. I don’t really care for anyone and I don’t feel like there’s enough Alina introduction to make her a compelling character. The first book also felt like a lot of traveling with very little plot... very Deathly Hallows--but it was the first book of the series. I’m considering the fact that I read the trilogy as one big book on my kindle adding to the fact it felt like nothing happened, because when I finished book 1 I was only 30% of the way through it, but still it’s very difficult for me to recall specific events as nothing really felt climatic at the end of the first story.

The SECOND book however, saved my Tolya, Tamar, and the now second loml Nikolai was significantly better. This was also the book I confirmed I hated Mal. Maybe I hate that he had ignored Alina forever and was pining and he literally didn’t think twice about her and then suddenly because she was interested in someone else he was like WELL WHAT ABOUT ME. Idk. Not my cup of tea. Also let my track record show that I never like the childhood best friend to lovers character (except for Gale in hunger games, unpopular opinion go ahead sue me) But anyway I could see her with Nikolai WAY MORE than Mal. I was honestly surprised that wasn’t explored more.

And shocking to me, and I’m sure everyone who knows me, I LOVED the third book the most which is never the case, I always hate the conclusion books-often they’re rushed, super anticlimactic, or just messy in general. I felt the pacing finally hit its mark, the story was intriguing, we were done hunting finally and it was all coming to the build up face off. This was where I started reading faster. Mal being the third amplifier, I literally tweeted “MAL IS THE WHAT” on my 1d/5sos twitter and everyone was like Emily wtf are you talking about and had a solid breakdown about it. I also started to like him more after the White Cathedral stuff went down, but still the idea that she had to kill him to get his power didn’t make me upset. My head went: great she can do that and be consoled by the ever amazing Nikolai for the rest of time, PERFECT. The near cousin thing w the Darkling though? I was like PLEASE DONT JACE/CLARY ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. But despite my distrust and dislike of Mal, I thought the ending was super strong and I did actually like it, it felt realistic that she lost everything but him essentially.

I was on my way to read Six of Crows after this series, so I could be up to date with the show, but my friend recently recommended The Cruel Prince and I read 75% of the book last night. I couldn’t put it down, so Six of Crows- though I’ve heard even better things about it- will have to wait a little longer.

Now back to why I was referred this book. Was the Darkling like Warner? If you need something like the Shatter Me series would this be a good fit for you? I don’t think so. I don’t think you go deep enough into the Darkling in his own words to make them comparable and I don’t think there’s enough self reflection either. I got a very stand offish vibe from the Darkling and while ya Warner isn’t the golden child for spilling feelings, I feel like he is more human and simply tortured by his past than the Darkling. So this one unfortunately did not fill the Shatter Me hole in my heart. And I am sad, but I will keep searching.

#shatter me #tahereh mafi #shadow and bone #rise and ruin #storm and siege #leigh bardugo #emily reads books #i am 24 and will never abandon YA #no one can take it from me #up next #the cruel prince #mwahahah #emily reads

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kyojuuros · 5 years

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Hi! With Levi being in bad shape, what do you think is gonna happen to his character in the future if he survives? I keep fearing he doesnt have a lot to offer to the story. I used to think there was some potential but recent talk about it are making me doubt..

Hey there! I’ve seen a lot of posts arguing one way or the other about Levi’s general usefulness to the story or what his character can do from here on out, so I probably know some of the ones you are talking about. Rather than come down on anyone else’s interpretation of the narrative and Levi’s character, let me just explain how I see it.

When trying to analyze and figure out what a character has left to offer to the story, I think it’s good to consider:

Has the character’s arc been completed?

Does the character still have unfinished business?

Is there anything left that the character can offer to other core characters?

What have the character’s actions up until now contributed to the story’s overall themes?

How would the story benefit from the character being eliminated? How would it be hurt?

I’m personally not too keen on entertaining the notion that Levi will be announced dead or dying in the coming chapters. With a scar that characteristic and intentional, as well as missing fingers, it is clear to me that Levi is meant to carry on with the new design and handicap. To serve as both a lesson and a reminder, whether that be for Levi only or to also touch on some development for the other characters.

I’d made a messy and emotionally driven post when spoilers about him “dying” leaked in my heated rage about all the reasons why killing Levi off here and in such a manner wouldn’t be good writing (imo). I still agree with all of those points and am relieved I won’t have to sit on those fumes for the remainder of the story. He still has things to do and people to impact.

So to touch on my points above…

Has Levi’s arc been completed?

Absolutely not. While Levi is an adult character who’s traits are more or less set in stone upon his introduction, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a story to be told and lessons to be learned. We are all always growing and changing regardless of our core personality traits.

Levi’s biggest character flaw is his tendency to react with violence in situations that are beyond his control. This has been framed as a negative thing within the narrative (and there have been a handful of meta posts throughout the last few years that touch on this) but Levi hasn’t really had to face any consequences for inflicting harm onto the other characters. This ties into the overall narrative that violence isn’t the way we should solve our problems and that letting go of grudges is the only way for humanity to move forward in a healthy manner. Levi is currently stewing in a bowl of both of these issues.

A thought I had the other day was how Kenny is a person who lusted for power and used violence as a means to prove he was the strongest. He was the one who taught Levi that violence is the only way to be strong and stay on top. Levi has lived by this his entire life since then - it’s the only thing he’s ever known. Kenny never let go of violence and in the end that’s what got him killed. Levi would surely head down the same path if he keeps using violence as a means to solve his problems.

“But Zeke had it coming.”

I fully agree! Zeke has done horrible things that have affected Levi more than anyone and he certainly didn’t do himself any good by adding fuel to the fire when he transformed Levi’s soldiers into titans. Levi reacting angrily to Zeke’s actions is understandable and very much justified.

However, it should have stopped once he had Zeke disarmed and disabled.

It did not.

The first mistake that Levi made was impaling Zeke with a thunder spear which endangered not just Zeke, but Levi himself. He did so in order to force Zeke to stay completely still while Levi indulged himself in slicing Zeke’s legs up piece by piece. Not just once, but multiple times. This goes well beyond the point of disarming and capturing your enemy and crosses the line over into senseless self-indulgent torture. Levi makes his hatred for Zeke plain and clear as he taunts him and inflicts extreme pain onto him repeatedly. It’s vengeful, dangerous behavior.

It reminded me a lot of Roy Mustang’s treatment of Envy once he learned the truth about Envy’s role in Hughes’ murder in Fullmetal Alchemist. He hunts Envy down like an animal and makes it a point to torture Envy with his flame alchemy over and over and over, taunting him relentlessly while doing so. It’s a very ugly side of him and had he continued to indulge in that behavior and finish Envy off in such a cruel and horrifying way it would have destroyed the core of Mustang’s character. Luckily for him, he had Hawkeye there to stop him from taking that dark path. Levi had no such support here. But the result would end up the same had Levi fulfilled his goal of killing Zeke off for good after indulging his hatred this way. He would not have come out of the situation a better person.

So rather than being accompanied by a helpful character who could have supported him, stopped him and helped him understand why this behavior is dangerous, he got a thunder spear instead.

While it’s easy to cheer Levi on during chapter 113 (and I certainly did), I felt that it was clear he crossed a line toward the end and that the narrative would punish him for it one way or another. So now Levi has a large scar on his face and, most importantly, two missing fingers. These are the consequences he must now face because he wanted to blindly indulge in his own hatred through violence. As someone who relies on violence, who relies on fighting to survive, Levi is going to be forced to adapt to his handicap and either relinquish violence and fighting forever, or find a way to modify his means of engagement. Either way, he is now going to have to rely on the help of others to accomplish anything for the remainder of this conflict.

I personally still believe that a workaround is possible for Levi and that he can still fight using his signature reverse grip so long as a way for him to grip the handle can be figured out. Alternatively, he’ll be reduced to a ground soldier. Either way, “Humanity’s Strongest” will probably no longer be an appropriate title for him moving forward. Still, it would be a shame if he can’t provide some support in the climax as the main action guy of the series.

“So, if Levi can still find a way to fight, then what lesson does he learn?”

Well, I think it’s simple: he needs to let go of killing Zeke. It is clear that the Powers-That-Be want Zeke alive. While I think that Levi’s vow at its core is a very beautiful thing in its intent and as a show of his unyielding loyalty to Erwin, it is a destructive one due to his feelings of resentment and rage being laced within it.

Levi has indeed been very patient and accommodating with Zeke and the situation over all. He’s been an absolute trooper. I imagine there was even a part of him that hoped he had been wrong about Zeke all along and that Zeke could help them find a way out of their situation. But those feelings of hopefulness stopped as soon as he’d heard Eren was going off the grid. Once he had an opening and a reason to let that feeling of potential faith in Zeke die, he acted without a second thought and prepared immediately to see his vow fulfilled.

Eren needs Zeke alive if he’s to fulfill his own plans without using Historia as a sacrifice. This is a huge and ongoing plot point - Historia’s life must not be sacrificed. Zeke is the “key” to unlocking the coordinate. Eren will be the one in full control. Regardless of Zeke’s own intentions, his body is needed as a vessel. This is why Levi cannot kill him and partly why Levi needs to let go of his grudge so that Eren can accomplish whatever it is he is trying to do. The other part being the overall theme of leaving the past in the past and moving forward toward a better future:

Levi is certainly not a child, but the cycle of vengeance has to stop somewhere. He can absolutely become one of the people who choose to stop it. Someone who has lived his entire life relying on violence finally choosing to let it go, particularly in a situation where he has strong feelings of hatred accompanying his current roadblock, would be a very powerful thing, in my opinion.

Levi’s unfinished business & his ties to characters who still need him

Levi certainly still has things to do. His vow is the most prominent thing in the overall discussion. Levi swore to Erwin that he would take out the Beast Titan and ensure that Erwin’s death and the deaths of all his comrades would have meaning.

The way I see it currently, this vow is being taken too literally and is weighing Levi down as a result. When the world was smaller moments before unlocking Grisha’s diaries from the basement, when Zeke was seen as the ultimate enemy to humanity, this vow made perfect sense. Take out enemy #1 and the problem is solved, humanity can move forward. That is no longer the case. The situation is far more complicated.

Stewing in feelings of resentment and seeking revenge for what happened in Ragako and Shiganshina are not going to solve the problem at large and Levi needs to direct his energy into helping resolve the bigger conflict - something that goes far beyond Zeke and his boulder barrage four years ago in Shiganshina. This is the way that he can best honor the deaths of his comrades and give those deaths meaning. Killing Zeke won’t solve anything. Those deaths would still have been for naught if Eldia is wiped out anyway. Levi can still honor his vow. He just needs to put his eyes on the bigger picture.

I think that one way for him to do this is not by focusing on the fallen comrades of his past, but by focusing on the relationships and people who are still alive and impacting the future. People who still need him as a support and mentor figure.

Levi’s relationships with Eren, Hange and Mikasa especially are ones that still need touched upon and fulfilled.

Eren

While the world is certainly an enemy to Eldia, the true problem is the titan power. If the story’s resolution is removing the titan power from the world, then that is the idea that Levi needs to get behind and support. Since nothing is a guarantee, then Eren needs to use Zeke to see if he can make it happen in hopes that Historia’s fate will never be tied to the power of a shifter.

Levi is one of the few characters who aren’t aligned with the Yeagerists who’ve expressed a reluctance to believe that Eren has become a true enemy.

As the narrative continues to unfold, I believe that it has become more and more clear that Eren’s goals are not aligned with Zeke’s. Most likely, his goals aren’t aligned with the Yeagerists either. Eren knows things that the other characters and the readers do not. How much he has actually shared with the other characters is, however, unclear.

Since their first meeting, Levi has been a character who understands Eren’s true nature very well. He is good at reading people and always has been - this is why he chose to follow Erwin, even after realizing Erwin’s true motivations. As a foil to Erwin and someone who’s clearly taken the mantle of a “4D chess player” in his place, it makes sense for Levi to find it in himself to keep backing Eren up if he believes Eren’s heart is still in the right place. Like Erwin, Eren has chosen to keep certain individuals in the dark while trying to dish out a larger plan. Like Erwin, Eren has chosen to take heavy risks in order to see a goal through. There are differences in their methods, but that is why perhaps Levi (with the help of Hange and eventually, hopefully, Mikasa and Armin) can be used to guide Eren down a less destructive path.

Eren appears to have been honest with the Survey Corps about his intents prior to Liberio, but Hange had made it a point on the airship to let Eren know that they no longer trust him and then Eren was imprisoned as soon as he was returned to the island. If the SC refuses to trust in Eren, perhaps that is the reason why Eren has chosen to withhold from them.

The exchange between Levi and Eren in 105 is still a very intriguing one in that Levi seems to be really let down with Eren’s current state and feels that Eren is not the type of person he’d ever see look this way. He’d always seen Eren as a untamable monster with an incredible amount of will. When he sees him on the airship, though, Eren just looks dead, down and defeated. This genuinely affects Levi. Levi’s show of sadness toward Eren in turn makes Eren react, eyes lighting up.

On top of Levi’s vow to Erwin, there is unfinished business with Eren as well. As a narrative mentor figure to Eren and someone who parallels him in many aspects, it makes sense for Levi to be one of the few characters left who can still reach Eren. Unlike Mikasa and Armin, who were thrown off by Eren’s abrasive attitude toward them and became emotionally compromised by Eren’s intentionally hurtful words, Levi is someone who wouldn’t sit back and allow Eren to pull such a stunt. Levi’s no-bullshit attitude in addition to his injuries might be one more tipping point to get the Eren we are familiar with to come out of hiding and divulge his plot. With Hange accompanying Levi and able to communicate to Eren what happened not just to Levi, but also about how Armin and Mikasa were almost caught in the Yeagerists’ assassination of Zackley, it could be a turning point for Eren’s character overall.

Hange

As others have pointed out, Hange has been struggling with the pressure of living in Erwin’s shadow. Hange very much has her own strengths as a strategist but the nature of these strengths is very different from Erwin’s. She hasn’t been able to find the answers easily and feels that she cannot live up to Erwin’s legacy and it’s been a huge point of pressure for her. Throughout these years, Levi is the one who’s had to work as a support for Hange so she doesn’t crack under the pressure.

Levi’s vow to Erwin has also created a similar pressure on him. They love Erwin very much and they aspire to fill in his shoes. But it’s a heavy weight on their shoulders, whether they realize that or not.

These two have always worked better together, and it’s a blessing that the narrative has reunited them in their darkest moment. Hange has utterly hit rock bottom in terms of confidence, and Levi has now hit rock bottom in terms of his strength. It’s only when Hange finds Levi injured that we finally see a spark of her on-the-spot strategics come to the surface again.

I think that a moment similar to this one -

- is something that the two characters very much need. While they need to come into their own in terms of stepping out of Erwin’s shadow, I think that this can be achieved by them realizing that they can be just as good in comparison. They’ve reached this type of enlightenment before, and I think that they can do it again.

One thing that Levi can contribute to the story is by working as a support character to Hange to help her come into her own as a commander and as someone who can make the right decisions again. Someone who can bolster her confidence and help her find the answers. She has been lost in this last month without him there to help push her. In return, she can work as a support to Levi during his time of uncertainty on how to move forward with his new handicap and/or perhaps help him figure out a way that he can still fight.

I think that with enough brainstorming and time to hash out ideas, they will come to a conclusion together in terms of getting through to Eren and moving forward with a solid way to handle the conflict ahead of them.

Mikasa

Mikasa is a character who is long overdue for a profound moment with Levi, especially in light of the recent revelations about their shared blood.

Her sense of identity has taken a massive hit, and she is probably wallowing in feelings of complete uncertainty about who she really is and what she really stands for. While having Levi sidelined via injury or death is something that would force her to take more spotlight in terms of fighting prowess, he can also serve as a support for her in this time of doubt about who she is as a person - of course, he can only be that person if he is alive.

Levi is someone who can assure her that she is not beholden to Eren, that she is not a slave to him and that her feelings for Eren are true and real. This can, in turn, lead Mikasa to the correct answer on whether she wants to continue supporting and protecting Eren or to let him go. If the opportunity comes, I think it’s long overdue that the two of them talk about their shared blood and what it means to them and for them.

I think that there is no better person for Mikasa to have an interaction with during this time than Levi. Sure, Armin can assure her that her feelings are real, but to have this verified by someone who’s allegedly beholden to the same kind of bond as she is, I think it would be more reassuring coming from Levi. Perhaps even together, they can figure out how best to move forward in terms of Eren.

If Levi is to let his vow to Erwin go, I think that he can find fulfillment in knowing he contributed to the growth of those around him if they can reach the answer that will save Eldia together. I think that this is something that honors Erwin’s memory far more than indulging in vengeful violence toward the man responsible for his death. I think that this is something that allows Levi to stay a good and kind person, and also allows him growth, to move away from violence as a means of survival, and instead rely on others to help push everyone forward toward something better and brighter. To a world where violence is no longer necessary.

Whether all of these things happen or not, they are potential developments that Levi would have to be around to push forward. His biggest role in the story is as a support character who has helped to guide others in the right direction. To lose him is to lose that sense of guidance and cast a larger feeling of helplessness all around in terms of the feel of the story and the overall plot. I’m personally a fan of the more hopeful narrative.

To summarize:

The lesson Levi can learn from what happened to him is that he needs to learn when to let go and to direct his attention to the living who still need him; this ties into the overall theme of letting go of grudges and violence and moving forward to a more positive and kinder future rooted in forgiveness and looking ahead instead of wallowing on the wrongdoings of the past.

The role he can play is to be a figure of guidance and support for the characters who are still very much in need of it (whether that be his physical strength or mental fortitude).

I hope this helps at least a little. A lot of these are merely wishes and hopes that I have for his character (and admittedly a lot of these things also require enough downtime for the characters to begin with - something I’m uncertain they will get). But I think that he has far more to contribute to the story alive than he does dead. I’m very curious to see how he pushes forward in light of his injuries and learning that Zeke is still alive.

#anon #reply #snk spoilers #snk meta #mymeta #levi

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