#16 because Alina

[cabeswaterdrowned]

every character I love in alphabetical order: Adrian Ivashkov, Vampire Academy & Bloodlines series

“Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It's a wonder I can spot reality anymore.”

[stromuprisahat]

Siege and Storm- Chapter 16 (Leigh Bardugo)

... there was something comforting in the control... Geez, Alina, really? Perhaps it's that... control?

What about attempting to learn it without crutches? So you don't have to rely on extra items you'd need to keep on you?!

Alina is like a child, who just got her first bike with training wheels, immediately after that a motorcycle, and now she's looking for a racing car.

No wonder once she gets it, it turns into a nasty crash.

[tousakamis]

my brain can never fucking decide what extreme i want to think with because for months ive been thinking "even if my writing is amateurish and messy rn because im literally a teenager/young adult, its on a different standard to the tiktok writing styleTM so at least i have that" and suddenly since last night all i can think is "My Writing Is No Better Than A TikTokian I Should Never Write Again"

[lovphobic]

last rb one telling feature about the type of book youre reading is. how old is the protagonist. and that usuallg explains Everything from why youre mad at the protag for making stupid choices to why the book just isnt gripping to you

[carriehobbs]

teen alina is also very fun to write because she is so incredibly sixteen, so when she encounters a problem she handles it in the most sixteen-year-old way possible

[spideymichelle]

me explaining through my tears that zoya's and the darkling's dynamic goes way deeper (in the books) and it says a lot about zoya's relationship with authority and power but also safety as a whole because of the (almost) parental nature of their relationship like the darkling is already playing favorites with her by the time she is 13

they are close enough for him to pick her over a lot of the older grisha's at the little palace for the possibility of getting an amplifier something we know is so special and not something just anyone could have yet he gave zoya that opportunity and when she felt like she failed him for protecting and releasing the cubs it broke her in a million pieces because she doesn't want to disappoint him

the darkling represented grisha's as a whole. he was their leader, their protector in a world that hates them and wants them eradicated, for a power they were born with. it is the way the little palace was meant to be a sanctuary for grisha's to feel safe, a place where zoya felt safe, yet it was the darkling was the first to completely destroy it and kill any grisha that wasn't on his side he was their biggest protector and he killed them in cold blood like that absolute betrayal

it wasn't just about her losing her aunt, he took away her home, the home she made with her aunt and lada and the one she made at the little palace the friends she made he took everything from her because she believed him when he said they would change the world together like she put so much trust in him, she gave him her power and he broke it so easily that wound just festered on because the darkling betrayed her just like her mother did in the past

and it just parallels the darkling with her mother so well because as a young child just wanted to make her mother happy which meant getting the highest grades, eating only half her meals so her mother could eat the rest, and stealing fruit from the duke's garden so her mother could eat them something she could get severely punished for by the duke zoya a young commoner girl who is from suli descent like she could have died but her mother never stopped her from taking them again and again and didn't her mother truly never saw her other than a pretty face that she could capitalize out of

zoya didn't make a sound on her wedding, didn't cry a single tear on her wedding, and never spoke out because she couldn't bear making her mother angry until the only person who ever spoke up for her was her aunt who almost beat to death for speaking up for her and even then could only be spent little over 2 months with her (mostly on the streets) before being separated for the next 7 years when she first goes back when she is 16. (they did write to each other)

the only adult that "cares" for her was the darkling he had continuous access to her, to groom her, to make her his perfect little girl. she is so desperate to impress him, to be around him, to be noticed, and worst of all he does. he gives her privileges, the important missions and she gets to ride his coach with him like he makes it known and clear that she is special, unlike her mother he gives her the attention she wants. but it doesn't really mean anything to him

he has no issue switching her out with alina sending her faraway as a punishment just like her mother had no issue selling her to a man old enough to have grandchildren of her age

zoya being stuck in a vicious cycle of being abused by people who should be protecting her

and it just speaks volumes that is zoya is the one who advocates for the darkling's victims because if she doesn't speak for alina, genya, liliyana and baghra who will

it speaks to her relationship with nina, her worries, her concerns about her, i wonder if all she sees is a beautiful and powerful girl with a deep love for her country with no support, no family i wonder if she sees herself so desperately trying to prove herself to the world

basically zoya co-wrote would've, could've, should've

*will be edited after i had a good night of rest and crack open the books again

[countrymusiclover]

Gemini Runaway

"Being a twin of the Gemini Coven is a curse to never have children."

Raelyn Primrose Lane is on the run from her own family. She isn't trusting of anyone she comes in contact with all because she was forced to kill her twin sibling recently. Raelyn stumbles into the town of Mystic Falls and starts making friends. Alongside catching the eye of the original hybrid Klaus Mikaelson. Will Raelyn let Klaus in her heart or will her family manage to catch their traitor of a daughter

1 - Vow to never have Children

2 - Getting to know Him

3 - Original Vampires

4 - Blonde Friends

5 - A Hybrid's Offer

6 - Homecoming

7 - Abominations

8 - Date with an Original Hybrid

9 - Haunting Vengeance

10 - The Original Coffins

11 - Intense Family Reunion

12 - My First Friend

13 - The Mikaelson Ball

14 - Gemini Business

15 - Esther's Ritual

16 - You Only Live Once

17 - My Cousin Jo

18 - Tricky Witches Spells

19 - My Life Or Theirs

20 - One Last Hurrah

21 - The Ultimate Hunter

22 - Three Words Longed For

23 - The Bonds of Family

24 - The Sights of New Orleans

25 - A Dangerous Encounter

26 - A Coven’s Leader

27 - Dead or Alive

28 - The Miracle…Baby

29 - Sweet Vampire-Witch

30 - What's Wrong With Raelyn?

31 - Raelyn Let Loose

32 - Bringing Her Humanity Back

33 - Kol's Downfall

34 - Who Makes Him Human

35 - Finding the Cure

36 - Evening in the French Quarter

37 - A Harvest Ritual

38 - Davina - The Attic Witch

39 - Impatient Witches

40 - The Fate of Three Children

41 - Blood of Enemies

42 - Never Truly Gone

43 - A Magical Favor

44 - Papa Original and Confind Spaces

45 - Babies and a Ring

46 - Big Milestone and Mysterious Woman

47 - Proper Family Meeting

48 - Official Wedding Planner

49 - Uniting Friendships

50 - I Forever, I Do

51 - Our Secret Weapons

52 - Betrayal Can Come From Anywhere

53 - Dahlia's Offer

54 - Getting What They Deserve

55 - Vampires to a Witch Fight

56 - The Magical Border

57 - The Gemini Portland House

58 - Message For The Sire

59 - Red Head From His Past

60 - Sisterly Trio

61 - A Mikaelson Thanksgiving

62 - To Getting Rebekah Back

63 - Aurora's Revenge

64 - A Christmas Hex

65 - Vampire Camille

66 - Rescuing Klaus

67 - A Caring Vamp Sire

68 - King and Queen

69 - The Trial of Klaus Mikaelson

70 - Fighting the Magical Border

71 - Mikaelson’s before Gemini

72 - Kai's Message

73 - We're Screwed

74 - Gemini Fights and Supernatural Fates

75 - I Will Rescue You

76 - Moment of Peace

77 - The Horrific Merge

78 - Finally a Family Reunion

79 - A Long Awaited Evening

80 - One Day of Peace

81 - Gemini Downfall Wedding

82 - Finding the Heretics

83 - Heretics in Mystic Falls

84 - Meeting one of the Heretics

85 - Another Vampire Pregnancy

86 - Calling Us Home

87 - What's the Hollow

88 - Bloodline Deals

89 - The Last Remaining Gemini

90 - Parker/Lane Family Reunion

91 - A Family Dessert War

92 - Bye bye Hollow

93 - The End of Always and Forever

94 - Anything For Our Children- Flashback

95 - Running the School

96 - Family Troubles

97 - Unexpected Visitor

98 - The Family Falling Out

99 - Missing Coffins

100 - Not Little Girls Anymore

101 - Red Roses and Blood

102 - Owner of the Golden Coin

103 - A Rescuing Price

104 - Working through Changes

105 - Alina Mikaelson - Keener

106 - Changes under the Moon

107 - To Getting Elijah Back

108 - Like Father Like Daughters

109 - Always and Forever Lives On

---------- read part 100 to get the link to the next parts (you can only link 100 parts) 😢

Comments really appreciated ❤️

Tag list ask to be added @dragonixfrye @secretdreamlandmentality @ocappreciation @ocappreciationtag @kmc1989 @tallrock35

[stuffforme2]

Something I hate about the Grishaverse community is the DARKLING AND ALINA SHIPS.

Can I jsut remind you that man is 100+ while in the books she's 16 and tvshow she's 19 THAT MAN IS A GROOMER.

Your meant to hate the darkling bcuz of all the shitty things he's done but also because of how he grooms and treats Alina he groome her to be his perfect sun summoner and romanticized the idea of her not being her as an actual person but as an object.

AND YALL ARE ENJOYING IT AND ENCOURAGING IT LIKE NO ITS DISGUSTING YOUR MISSING THE POINT.

[blues-valentine]

Re-watching S&B again and Alina was given zero exploration as a character because they were so busy rushing through the plot and everything about her felt extremely hollow which is truly such a shame because the show has not given Alina the level of nuance and intelligence she has as a character in the books.

The thing about Alina choosing to lead and accept Nikolai’s proposal at the end of Season 2 without any sort of question is not only that it was so uncharacteristic of her but it removes the nuance of those choices. Alina’s ending on R&R has more weight when you know how Alina viewed life in court, how she knew that people were using her as a pawn for their agenda and she was the only one not making choices for herself. Nikolai wanted her as a queen to strength his claim to the throne and unify the second army. The Darkling wanted her power. The Apparant wanted her to be a Saint. A lot of her circle of friends extended some level of expectations towards her as well.

At the end of the season, Alina feels like a fanfic version, very watered down and like they tried too hard to make her so “female heroin” but forgot the aspect of her that was conflicted, not the nuanced Alina from the books. They didn’t give her the time to show that she was in fact someone that was aware of how those choices would impact her life and her desire to be seem as more than just someone that fulfills a role or duty. It removes the depth of contemplating those choices because being a savior, a queen, a saint, was something thrown on her and while she loved her power it was also difficult for her. Alina’s dilemma over her situation deserved exploration instead of his hollowed version. They could’ve at least make it more nuanced, make a point that Alina was choosing this for Ravka, because she thought it was her responsibility to the people, not for herself.

There’s are actual book quotes from Alina (*BOOK SPOILERS):

ー Siege and Storm (Chapter 21).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 8).

ー Siege and Storm (Chapter 21).

ー Siege and Storm (Chapter 23).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 7).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 16).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 10).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 18).

ー Ruin and Rising (Chapter 18).

Alina knew she would have to marry Nikolai if she wanted to achieve some level of peace for Ravka but she also viewed it as a way to amend for the things she thought were her fault. It was never a dream for her. It was a constant source of anxiety. Alina was a tormented girl that wanted peace and she was aware her visibility would never allow her that. And, an important thing the show skipped is that Alina was suicidal and she constantly contemplated death as the only alternative for her pain mostly because of her powers and their effect on her.

Yeah, I know the show is changing things up but denying Alina the exploration of her own thoughts and why being the sun summoner, a queen or a saint was an added pressured to her existence that goes beyond Darkling or the fold is basically ignoring her as a character. Ignoring Alina’s Santakhood was erasing a core element of her persona. Ignoring Alina’s distaste for the royal court was also refusing to give Alina some depth. Alina had layers. She was seduced by power just as much as she was disgusted by it. She was seduced by a glamorous life just as much as she knew it was all pretenses. And at the end, choosing to step away from that was her choice. Faking her death, creating her own matyrhood was her own choice, marrying Mal and leaving the palace was her own choice. Alina’s ending is supposed to be bittersweet but it was her own desire, not someone else's. She wasn’t made to chose this for a sense of responsibility or duty. Alina not having her powers was the only way she could’ve archived the peace she desperately longed for.

I do like the idea of this version exploring her in a position of power and how would that be for her but it’s the fact they just turned her into whatever that was at the end, the typical “I get to be a queen in pretty dresses and Nikolai is flirting with me” version that goes so far from who Alina is. Her not being able to express her fears over being a queen or such an influencial figure made her arc feel empty. It feels like they just forced her into a figure of “empowerment” because this fandom has convinced themselves that Alina wanting to live a peaceful and domestic life — after not being able to chose her own destiny for the whole trilogy, somehow regresses feminism.

I really hope Season 3 (if it happens) turns this around and committs to give Alina her depth and the exploration she deserves because I do not stand for this girlbossification of Alina. Luckily, I still have the books. If Alina is going to have powers in this show version, let it be her own powers and not someone else's because Alina being an extension of Darkling with his dark powers was one of her biggest fears. They aren’t even allowing her agency on her own.

[doodle-do-wop]

Lowkey you aren’t a good person

I was gonna ignore this because I highkey don't give a fuck babes✌️🤪😂😂😂😂 Do you see any flying monkeys carrying my fucks to give because I sure don't. Elphaba do you see the monkeys?!🙊

like Okay???? whatever??? say this off of anon so I can ignore you better

I'm not for everyone babes and I don't promote myself to be but also like you're just some sleemo wearing sunglasses with zero guts to say it to my face like a real person. If you're gonna make a statement, stand on business don't crawl to my ask box you roach

I don't have to 'prove' that I'm a good person to pests. Cause unlike you who spends time on anon saying nonsense I've got friends I adore and can brainrot with while showing them this lame anon ask and laughing. I'm living my best life, you're gathering dust in an inbox, we are not the same

lmao like what were you even expecting? Omggggg!!! 🤩🤩🤩✨thx for noticing XD, 💖i like, would've never guessed ✌️🤪😘

get outta here dog

what gave it away?:

liking keeper of the lost cities (full of red flags right there, total bad person behavior🚩)

reading (ugh how scandalous, we should go back to illiteracy)

drawing (HARD PASS! who even needs art am i right guys?)

drawing hot guys to feed the fandoms im in (how dare I, one with a knack for creating scrumptious looking guys feed a fandom art!!! the audacity!!! (dont worry yall I swear I'm working on gethen))

being funny (comedy isnt even real)

supporting my friends (come on heather chandler get it together)

listening to music (RED FLAG!!)

liking Percy Jackson and the Olympians (ugh a MALE protagonist?!)

liking Gallagher Girls (ugh a FEMALE protagonist?!)

supporting Alina Lavanza (women aren't allowed hobbies such as being hot, sexy, power hungry, or singing)

dancing (tsk tsk tsk)

saying Sophie's birthday is August 16 (she's clearly a resses pieces rising moon star!)

wearing shoes (HARLOT!!)

not wearing shoes (WENCH)

burping (THE HORRORS!!!!)

I had my fun but for realsies now: LMAOOOO GIRL BE FFR WHO DO YOU EVEN THINK YOU ARE 🤣🤣😚 stay mad girly poo

[akaakeis]

gnawing at my nails rn i miss my bf (i dont have one) how do u pick like,,, one person to selfship with bc⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️

like there r so many options ushijima i dont even know who's my favourite character rn ushijima like guys☹️⁉️⁉️

BUT I cant wait for savyaku😼😼😼😼😼 SOCUTE

goshiki is my babey though he is sososososososososo cute and i would want him irl and i bet i could even pull him irl toooo

yk what this type of starting is called! a HOOK sentence cuz u got HOOKED and now ur reading this long ass ask. WAIT FUCJ mattsun guys hear me out here ANYWAYS. HRU SAV!!!!!!!!!!!! its 4am for yew rn right!!

anyways.. its 4pm havent had lunch yet am so fucking tired but soft rice.. soft white rice.... i want to sleep but rice....... call me basic but soft white rice is the best fucking thing in the entire world right after u. teacher gave my english composition an 80 i think ill end up on the news. i just stood up abruptly and the world went 🌀🌀🌀🌀 should i be worried..!!!!

THERE WAS AN OWL ON OUR ROOF THE OTHER DAY SO COOL i almost started writing akaashi hurt comfort (???) at school today but i didnt get time and now im Too Tired :(

im reading and the mountains echoed by khaled hosseini and erm. the plot is so questionable at times like wdym the guy was in love with his chauffeur wdym she tried to kill her sister and changed her mind last second so it was only paralysis but its ok bc she killed her fr next time. wdym this one girl dated her moms ex and then married her friend's ex like guys.. guys i have Questions..

IDK IF U READ JJK MANGA BUT U SHOULD READ JJK MANGA

i cant wait for ur birthday #weirdkidthings Im So Funny Guys Im So Funny

im going to sleep so hard tonight grrgrgrhrgrg i had ice cream on the way home from school YUM and then math kid era p2 i finished this one thinf before everyone else even started and the teacher asked if i did it qt home cuz wtf. ew now i remember her using her nail to create indentations in the paper and i feel nauseous my skin is crawling

WHATEVER eRmmrmrm im sitting on the stairs rn hashtag procrastination ahahahahah ive been writing this and zoninf out for the past 7 minutes yyyyyippeeee

im so tired guys let me sleeeep

my parenrs were supposed to find baby gender today but the little shit kept its legs shut and didnt let them see (just like me frl)

correction im lying on the stairs rn ..

honestly me x goshiki would be Bomb why is he so unpopular all his fics are mid or questionable so far,,,, anyways. konoha is so beautiful i would want him excpet i have like no grip on his character so #tweaks. i hate andrew tate so fkn much. i cant wait till i turn 16 idk i feel like life will be significantly cooler then. anyways bb i take my leave gotta go eat lunch

i hope youve eaten by the time ur reading this!!! stay hydrated and safe and dm me to be silly together whenever >:]]]]] i hope u have a WONDERFUL day sav!! ily <3

look at my man hes so gorgeous btw

alina... bf... :D alright then! umumumummm honestly there were many characters that i wanted to do a selfship with but i didnt want to be self shipping with the same character that someone im following consistently self ships with LMAO cause i feel like it gets weird for me at that point cause all the hcs in my head get mixed up? ANYWAY i just think of selfships with any character im hyperfixating on at that very moment... in fact my selfship very well may change!!!

anyway since im replying after you decided on yuulina... NOYA AGHHH U GUYS WILL BE SO CUTE TOGETHER!!! IM UR NO 1 SUPPORTER THIS IS YUULINA SUPPORT CENTRAL‼️‼️‼️

savyaku sounds so funny i need to thank of something that sounds better stop rn 💔 BUT I LOVE HIM SO SO SO SO SO MUCH IM SUPER EXCITED TO DO SOME SELFSHIP STUFF :))

u would so pull goshiki irl 🙂‍↕️

HELP thanks for the english lesson lina 😭 those terms always make me shudder because they were drilled into my head in my college comp class it was horrifying. and NO not mattsun i do NOT approve of that at this point in time!!!! AND IM OKAY!! tired as hell and i have 3 projects to work on <3 (i stacked my classes this year, im not proud.) IT IS NOW 3 PM AS I ANSWER THIS ASK SO SORRY IT TOOK ME LIKE 12 HOURS WOAH

honestly u were probably tired because you didn't eat but i digress... AND SOFT WHITE RICE HAS MY HEART IT MAY BE AN ASIAN THING?? and awh stawp😋 ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE ENGLISH TEACHER THAT YOU CORRECTED IN CLASS? THE ONE THAT CANT SPEAK AS WELL AS YOU?? insanity 😨 i may end up on the news as well. AND YOURE PROBABLY HUNGRY AND DEHYDRATED GO EAT AND DRINK WATER IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY WHAT??? PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!

WHAT AN OWL ON THE ROOF THATS SUPER COOL!! bro i love owls :( and ugh i get what u mean i feel like sometimes the time just slips away... but its okay! you'll have time at some later date <3 make sure you rest enough!!

guys what my jaw just dropped?? THOSE WERE THE MOST RANDOM PLOT POINTS YOU COULDVE LEFT ME WITH. NOW IM JUST CONFUSED? KINDA WANNA READ IT NOW (my readlist has 100+ books on it)...

AND IVE READ SOME OF IT BUT IM NOT UP TO DATE RN I HAVENT HAD MUCH TIME TO CATCH UP RECENTLY

im excited for your bday too!! im trying to math away the time differences in my head so like i would dm at 12 pm the day before your bday so i would catch u at midnight i THINK.

i hope u are having an AMAZING sleep rn alina!!! and u are so smart <3 barf ur teacher needs to stop doing that thats lowk unsanitary? in my book

HELP ME NOT THE JS LIKE ME FR 😭😭 hopefully u guys are able to figure out the gender soon!! im so excited for you guys <33

goshiki is under appreciated as a character honestly and i think its cause of his fuckass haircut 😭 NO OFFENSE TO YOU WHATSOEVER IM SORRY!! HES CUTE BUT THE HAIR IS NOT FOR ME. when i saw him shirabu AND tendou i was like "what the HELL is wrong with shiratorizawa they are all fucked" no they werent they had semi and ushijima BUT THAT WAS FIRST IMPRESSION ANYWAY also konoha UGRHSHSBNDMSJABD hes so!!! so!!! yeah!!! i love him sm... also how did we get on the topic of andrew tate hes such a weird guy i dont like him 💀 AND SO REAL im excited to be 16 <3

AND I HAVE!! make sure u eat something nutritious before school! and drink some water!! i hope your day is lovely <3 ily!!

[grishaverse-chaos]

alina starkov is not 17 in the books. That's a retcon Leigh Bardugo makes when she waited and wrote SoC. Instead, read the trilogy again. Mark all instances of timeline time passing. Leigh bardugo made alina starkov be in her early 20s if she'd just done SIMPLE MATHS.

Alina arrived at the orphanage and the very experienced caretaker says she looks like an eight year old. However, the cooks and Mal overhewr how alina isn't eating and as we the readers know she's struggling with wasting sickness. So a heavily malnourished child, who looks one age, is actually one or two years older. But for arguments sake let's leave her at eight.

8

When she starts the trilogy, alina mentioned she and Mal had already completed one full year of first army training.

1

At one point alina mentions the full length of time she stay at the orphanage with mal "over ten years." So more than ten tear...is it 11 years 10 and a half? Who knows but let's mark 10

10

Add these together and from the first page of the first book alina is AT MINIMUM 19. And that's a lenient count because again she's likely older than that with her wasting sickness in tye beginning and the "over ten" remark.

Only now does the story begin. The story that spans multiple months to years. Alina starts in the first chapter in the early autumn and stays in the Little Palace for multiple months since the winter fete happens at the very last day of winter. And I'm not even looking at all the weeks/months it takes them to travel around the country for the stag, leave ravka later etc. Girl was in her 20s.

Leigh bardugo simply cannot math...

okay lmao.

there are inconsistencies in the timeline, I agree, but for my personal calculation, I use the only thing which isn't an estimate - her military training. the draft age is 16. she's had 1 year of training: she's around 17. her being "about 8" when she arrives at the orphanage and staying for "about 10" years are estimates.

if she joined the army at 16 and has been there for one year, she's 17.

again: I agree that the timeline is inconsistent and I've never said it isn't. but this is the evidence I personally use to support my reading of the text, which has been confirmed to be the canonically correct answer.

(also: book 1 spans a couple months and alina leaves the little palace at midwinter. she spends summer at the grand palace after returning there with nikolai. it's entirely plausible that less than a year passes over the course of the trilogy!)

so like, thank you for this ask, and I agree that there's room for interpretation here, but I think our readings of the books differ significantly!

[stromuprisahat]

"Guys, meet my totally normal girlfriend, who's NOT marrying a prince..."

Siege and Storm- Chapter 16

Malyen's possible ulterior motives (Wanting the small, inconsequential "just Alina".) aside- I don't this is the best time to humanize her in people's eyes.

Alina needs to establish herself as a worthy player, a force to follow... introducing her as "daughter, sister, friend", especially when she's Grisha, means making her ordinary, a girl sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, and as a consequence admitting she bleeds too.

Half a page ago Malyen admits plenty of nobles want Grisha dead, and that they see Alina as one as powerful as the Darkling. Now her guard's telling them she's just a girl...

When you have to agree with a classist snobbish leech...

Yeah, because Alina isn't driven by ambition, but her traitorous pussy heart could point in a charming man's direction. Unlike Nikolai, Vasily is repulsive to her, and she doesn't like him at all.

See? Whore!

She remembers other man's kiss without appropriate feeling of disgust!

[snapdragonsimming]

Author's Note and Transcript Under the Cut

(AN: Hello! Thank you for stopping by and checking out my fledgling fundie simblr. I’m by no means new to simblr, but because this blog and story is new, I figure an introduction is due.

So: hey, I’m Talia! I had another fundie simblr a few years back (it’s now inactive for a multitude of reasons), but like a certain someone, I have risen again! My fundie sims obsession was reignited over the summer after I joined a wonderful fundie sims-themed Discord server. Somehow they convinced me to make a new blog, and a few months later, here we are! In the intervening years I continued to lurk, so if you’re an active fundie simblr, I’m probably a fan of your story.

I’ve been playing the de la Cruz family for a while now and they have a special place in my heart- I can’t wait to share them with everyone else! Get ready for lots of God-honoring drama, mildly dubious baby names, and leopard-print modesty undershirts. Note that as the de la Cruzes are fundamentalists and this story is satire-heavy, there will be some viewpoints expressed that I very much disagree with. I’ll trigger tag certain sensitive subjects (e.g. physical violence, miscarriages) as ‘tw [thing]’ but fundie-typical bullshit will go untagged for the sake of my sanity.

Some basic housekeeping stuff to wrap up this far-too-long intro note: I have a queue full of posts ready to go, but I’m a busy student with unpleasant things like homework and AP classes, so I’m still not sure how frequently I’ll post. I’ll do my best to ensure that stays consistent, though, and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out via my askbox or DMs!)

-

PRAISING HIM!

Every Sunday, Praising Him! features a family dedicated to spreading the Word. Today we meet the de la Cruzes, a San Sequoian family of 16.

When Alejandro and Alina (née Fletcher) de la Cruz married at nineteen, they could not have imagined what would come next! Over the past twenty-six years, the couple has made faith the centerpiece of their lives, and has continued to “Praise Him!” through the ups and downs of busy family life.

Read more about their family below!

-

Alejandro, 45, works as a programmer at United Christian Publishers, and holds a Distinguished Degree in Computer Science from Foxbury Christian University. He began his journey into higher education not at 18, like many students, but at 26, shortly after the birth of his seventhborn, Cecilia! Owing to his unique circumstances, he chose to enroll in a six-year program that enabled him to work full-time as a freelance programmer in addition to his courseload. Though money was tight at times, the Lord provided, and Alejandro welcomed five bundles of joy (including a darling set of twins!) with wife Alina while enrolled at Foxbury. Whew!

Alina, 45, has chosen to fulfill God’s design for women by staying at home with her family. Raised in a devout household, she always knew He was calling her toward marriage and motherhood, and she says the “greatest blessing” in her life was the day she gave birth to her eldest son Gabriel, ten months after her wedding day and just shy of her twentieth birthday. In addition to raising and homeschooling the seven de la Cruz children who have yet to graduate, Alina is active in her church and in Institute for Strong Christian Standards (ISCS) circles, and enjoys spending time with her four (soon to be five!) beautiful grandbabies. A true Proverbs 31 woman if we’ve ever seen one!

You may recognize Gabriel de la Cruz and his lovely wife Esther, 23, from last summer’s print edition of Praising Him! At just 25, Gabriel is a rising star in the Christian legal world, coming to the aid of innocent Simericans simply trying to practice their faith. Ten months ago, they welcomed their first little girl, Abigail, and just last week they announced the upcoming arrival of their second child! Congratulations to them.

-

Althea Brown (née de la Cruz), 24, is following in her mother’s footsteps and proud of it! The young woman, who wed husband John-David, 28, three years ago, resides in Newcrest and is a content stay-at-home-mother of two.

Jasmine Booth (née de la Cruz), 23, known to friends and family as “Jazzy,” is enjoying the bliss of new parenthood alongside her husband of two years, Jason!

The first set of de la Cruz twins, Joshua and Sofia, 21, are both unattached and living at home. Sofia is pursuing a calling in missionary work, and Joshua is hard at work saving money and praying for his future family. “If you’re reading this as a young Christian woman,” Sofia jests, “have your father write into Praising Him! and I’ll set up a date with Josh!”

Caterina de la Cruz, 20, is diligently knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidering, and cross-stitching her way through her season of singleness! Though she prays every day for her Prince Charming (nonbelievers need not apply!), she assures Praising Him! that she’s quite content to assist her mother in running the busy de la Cruz household in the interim.

Cecilia de la Cruz, 18, the only unmarried de la Cruz not living at home, declined to comment.

The rest of the de la Cruz children, who range in age from 8 to 17, are kept busy with homeschooling, ISCS conferences, music practice, and Bible study.

If you would like to get in touch with the de la Cruz family, click here to send a message!

[marielaure]

[large text]

Random Grishaverse Ship Stats on AO3 because my brain and eyes got tired from reading Chaucer:

[Big Text]

I. Publication/Release Dates

[Regular Text]

Shadow and Bone: 5 June 2012

Siege and Storm: 4 June 2013

Ruin and Rising: 17 June 2014

Six of Crows: 29 September 2015

Crooked Kingdom: 20 September 2016

The Other duology series: 2019 & 2021

Shadow and Bone Season 1: 23 April 2021

Shadow and Bone Season 2: 16 March 2023

[Big Text]

II. Canon Ships

[Regular Text]

Kaz/Inej: 5011

1st: 29 December 2015

Latest: 21 August 2024

Alina/Darkling: 4665

1st: 9 August 2013

Latest: 21 August 2024

Jesper/Wylan: 4570

1st: 24 November 2015

Latest: 21 August 2024

Nina/Matthias: 2078

1st: 29 December 2015

Latest: 21 August 2024

Nikolai/Zoya: 1043

1st: 14 February 2016

Latest: 21 August 2024

Alina/Mal: 852

1st: 29 November 2013

Latest: 20 August 2024

Fedyor/Ivan: 553

1st: 24 April 2021

Latest: 19 August 2024

Genya/David: 518

1st: 22 October 2014

Latest: 21 August 2024

Tamar/Nadia: 187

1st: 25 September 2014

Latest: 18 August 2024

Nina/Hanne: 98

Adrik/Leoni: 46

——————————————

[Big Text]

III. Popular Not-Canon Ships

[Regular Text]

Kaz/Jesper: 402

1st: 19 August 2016

Latest: 17 August 2024

Alina/Nikolai: 383

1st: 21 July 2014

Latest: 19 August 2024

Nina/Inej: 189

1st: 24 February 2016

Latest: 29 July 2024

Alina/Zoya: 165

1st: 25 September 2014

Latest: 16 August 2024

Alina/Genya: 149

1st: 20 September 2017

Latest: 14 August 2024

Mal/Nikolai: 79

1st: 8 April 2020

Latest: 14 August 2024

Darkling/Kaz: 43 (why did I think there were more?)

1st: 19 April 2021

Latest: 17 August 2024

Inej/Alina: 31

1st: 16 July 2021

Latest: It’s mine! Did NOT realize that - unintentional.

——————————————

[Big Text]

IV. Miscellaneous/Other/Rare Pairs

[Regular Text]

Kaz/Wylan: 114

1st: 25 April 2021

Latest: 17 August 2024

Jesper/Inej: 69

1st: 16 June 2018

Kuwei/Jesper: 62

1st: 30 Jan. 2017

Latest: 12 August 2024

Kaz/Matthias: 62

1st: 19 April 2017

Latest: 14 August 2024

Kaz/Nina: 46

1st: 28 April 2017

Latest: 30 July 2024

Wylan/Matthias: 30

1st: 4 July 2021

Latest: 25 July 2024

Matthias/Alina: 27

1st: 1 July 2021

Latest: 30 June 2024

Matthias/Inej: 19

1st: 28 August 2019

Latest: 25 July 2024

Tolya/Inej: 11

1st: 19 March 2023

Latest: 29 April 2024

Kaz/Alina: 9 (again, thought there were more of these for some reason)

1st: 26 April 2021

Latest: 27 January 2024

Tolya/Alina: 9

1st: 13 January 2022

Latest: 21 August 2024

Nina/Alina: 7

1st: 9 May of 2021

Latest: 26 March 2023

Zoya/Inej: 5

1st: 18 May 2021

Latest: 4 June 2024

Zoya/Kaz: 5

1st: 18 October 2021

Harshaw & Oncat: 4 (We’re all so lucky, I originally searched with a slash…luckily nothing popped up. But they’re so close buddies that they made this list. Harshaw is an Inferni from the original trilogy and Oncat is his cat)

Jesper/Alina: 2

Alina/Tamar: 2

Jesper/Jordie: 1

Wylan/Alina: 0

Tamar/Inej: 0

Wylan/David: 0

BUT I ended up finding an interesting fic in the process. I read the first chapter, it’s titled “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Republican National Convention” I don’t know it’s one hell of a title given 2024.

——————————————

[Big Text]

V. Notes

[Regular Text]

*I didn’t realize until later Darkling/Alina may not be considered a “canon” ship, but they perform so well I’m not changing it 😊

*I haven’t read the latest duology so that’s why I didn’t do much for Adrik/Leoni and Nina/Hanne. The only reason I know about Zoya/Nikolai is YouTube and its popularity for only having two books setup.

*There’s only 8 fics with “Harij Ghafa” or “Inej Ghafa’s Brother” —I want to know more about this dude! I have so many headcanons and stories bouncing around my head…another time, another time.

*I broke the pattern a bit at the end

*Also, anyone who has read The Wraithling and Her Saints — my sporadic updates tag is living up to its name 😊. This fic I’m messing with the magic system, world building, history, family lineage, and personalities (?) of what feels like everything. It’s so fun, but I’ve just got to be in a very certain mindset and vibe to write it. I’m trying to make it a longer Inej/Alina fic as those are normally shorter.

*Suggestions: Comment below any ships or just platonic pairings you’d love to see more of! I actually have a Jesper & Alina story in mind, will it ever be written? Who knows. But I’d love to hear y’all’s thoughts!

*Stats as of 20 August 2024 and 21 August 2024

[countrymusiclover]

55 - Idiot Townies

Part 56

Family is More than Blood

@vavafaure1994 @melvia-ito

Missy’s pov

Sitting outside on one of the park benches with the tall clock tower behind me I just stared off into the distance in front of me. I just needed some time to myself to get my emotions in check. Clasping my hands together I rested my chin on them hearing someone walking up to me. “Go away, Hope.”

“How did you know it was me and not Alina?” She asked me.

I didn’t turn around on the bench hearing her stop walking, meaning she was standing a few feet away from me. “Because I know your different heartbeat sounds, you annoying Tribrid!”

“I’m not technically a tribrid yet.” She walked the rest of the way to me sitting down on the other side of the bench.

Rolling my eyes I scooted away from her as much as I could to the other end. “Regardless, I'm still pissed at what you did.”

“Lizzie told me what happened with Ethan. I swear I would have never guessed that she would hurt him like that. I’m sorry-“

“Are you that dumb to think that’s what I’m pissed about!”

Hope parted her lips. “What else did I do wrong?”

“For god sake Hope! You risked our sister’s life, the Saltzman twins' lives and especially our mothers life all to bring your stupid boyfriend back.”

She tried to speak. “You would do the same for Ethan. You love him-“

“We aren’t anywhere close to saying I love you yet. And don’t try to change the subject with me. Mom is now in a coma and her witch's dark side is in control that no one in our family has ever interacted with before.”

Hope reached to touch my shoulder. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. You know that.”

“But you didn’t stop performing the spell did you?” I finally glanced in her direction seeing she didn’t have a response back. “You kept doing the spell when Lizzie started getting infected then Josie had to step in. Y’all would’ve died if mom didn’t step in.”

Hope got to her feet throwing her arms away from her sides. “You weren’t even there. You have no right to judge my actions, Missy.”

“I shouldn’t have to judge your actions, you’re right it shouldn’t be my responsibility. You are older than me and the rest of our siblings.”

She scoffed. “You, me and Alina are triplets. Born on the same day.”

“You were still born first.” I snapped back at her.

My sister crossed her arms. “That’s your defense, really. I’m born three minutes earlier and that makes me responsible for the rest of my family’s safety. But oh wait I can’t have someone outside of that to love for myself. Sure that sounds like the perfect life for me!”

“That isn’t what I was saying.” I jumped up from the bench stepping closer to her.

Hope ran a hand down her face. “So you’re just saying that I should have been more responsible.”

“Yes!” I felt the fangs inside my mouth coming to the surface having this fight with her.

“Just because I’m 18 now doesn’t mean I have to instantly start acting like an adult!”

I throw my hands up in the air, frustration boiling through my veins at my sister. “Some of our family isn’t going to be stuck at age 16 forever.”

“We’re getting off topic of what this argument started about in the first place. The whole point is that I did what I had to do to bring my boyfriend back safely and I didn’t care how much danger I put myself in. I’m sorry that you can’t seem to wrap your head around the concept.”

I growled back at her throwing out whatever insults I could quickly think of. Not caring if I pissed her off. “You’re still a virgin. Ha!”

“So are you.” She quipped. “Alina is the only one in own family that isn’t. So get a better defense Melissa.”

Clutching my hands into fists at my sides. “Don’t call me Melissa.”

“You won’t hurt me, Melissa.” She challenged me with a slight smile on her face.

I growled underneath my breath feeling my hands turning red where I needed to release my anger. I wasn’t going to easily get over what she had done or made our mother do. “I don’t think you know how bad this upset me. So get out of my face or we are going to fight right here - Hello who is this?”

“Missy, it’s MG. We have a problem. Ethan is trying to get involved in a bar fight.”

I gasped, not sure on what he just said. “He’s what now?”

“He is getting tired of waiting around for some adventure to happen. I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn’t listen.” MG explained and I could hear the nervousness in his tone.

Running my freehand through my hair I sighed heavily. “Uh, just keep him safe. I’m coming over right now.”

“What’s wrong with Ethan?” Hope asked me when I hung up the phone.

Shoving my phone in my pocket I put a hand on my hip not wanting her help considering she wasn’t very reliable lately. “He’s trying to get into a bar fight. I’ll handle it. You should go back to the school and make sure your phoenix boyfriend is okay.”

“Missy, please let me help.” My sister begged briefly.

Glaring at her I crossed my arms over my chest hating the idea but I was a nice person. “Fine. Just stay out of my way.” Hope and I made our way over to the Grill where we entered inside seeing some biker guys standing in a circle around my boyfriend.

“I’d suggest getting out of here, kid.” One of them spoke down to him.

Pushing myself through the crowd I grabbed Ethan by his arm spinning him around. “What are you doing, E?”

“Trying to find you and MG a bad guy to fight against. Why should we have to keep waiting around when a bad guy could be anywhere.”

I gave him a pity look. “Ethan.”

“If you don't believe me. Then I'll MG take this ass.”

The lead biker guy stepped up until he was pressed against my boyfriend's back almost. “What did you call me, kid?”

“He was just joking.” Hope attempted to defuse the situation.

I snapped my head around to her. “Shut up, Hope. We don't need your help.”

“I'm telling them you're a bad guy by not letting those girls from earlier sit at the bar. So you all were being an ass - ohhh!” Ethan got cut short in his sentence when the lead guy grabbed him by his shirt and throws him harshly into the nearest table where he got cut up pretty bad.

I cried out with some tears. “Ethan!”

“Hey, that wasn't cool man.” MG said back to the guy.

The guy grumbled. “You wanna be next?”

“No, no man. I was just saying he's my friend.” MG held his hands up in surrender.

Hope grabbed my hand whispering to me. “Go give Ethan your blood before he dies.”

“He's not going to die. I only give him little doses of my blood just enough to heal him.”

She sent me a raised brow. “If this goes wrong. Even the smallest drop of your blood can turn him.”

“What are they whispering about over there?”

MG chuckled nervously. “Uh, nothing important.”

“They're agreeing with what that boy said aren't they. And since they're your friends I think I need to send them a message to stop talking about us.” The guy grabbed MG and he launched him into one of the other bar tables.

Hope broke the conversations with me. “Okay that's enough of this. Ad somunm- Ah!”

I dug my fingers into her raised hand siphoning off of her dropping her body to the ground before she could do anything. “You mess with the bull's friends, you get the horns.” I stepped around her body not trusting that she would teach them the right lesson.

Another biker got up from his seat. “You think you can beat us.”

“You're just a little teenage girl.” The third guy rose from his seat standing by his friends. The three created a circle around me.

I briefly closed my eyes, still hearing Ethan's faint heartbeat coming in my ears. “Ascendo -”

“This girls a joke.”

“Look at that. She's sleeping.”

“Told you she wasn't strong enough to fight us.”

Opening my eyes again I saw the broken chairs and silverware hovering behind them and they had no clue. “Dissulta - Ascendo!” I declared launching the furniture at them where one of them gets stabbed in the leg.

Another guy got knocked on his back by a chair and the third guy ran towards me. He halted in his tracks until I raised my hand and threw him down onto his back. “Do you give up now?”

“You're a beast.” He grunted with my boot holding his chest down on the floor.

The veins and fangs underneath my eyes appears when I bent down seeing the fear appear in his eyes. “Here's a warning. Don't hurt my friends ever again.”

“What the hell is happening here?” I heard a different voice enter the Grill causing me to throw my hand behind me.

“Ascendo-”

I heard Ethan gasp through a cough beside me. “Maya?”

“Oh my god.” Whipping my head around I released a breath seeing Maya leaning against the wall holding onto the piece of a table leg that was stuck in her stomach. “I'm so getting grounded for this.”

Comments really appreciated ❤️