#S&S Chapter 10

[stromuprisahat]

I've been reading a lot of criticism about Alina lately, and while I agree that she is a shitty protagonist, but the main problem I have with saying that she is the true villain of the story is that... no one told her? No one talked to her about Grisha persecution? Yeah, we hear about it vaguely in TGT, but it isn't until SoC when they find the burnt corpses and the kefta mural that it truly starts to sink in. It's not until you read DitW that you realize how desperate the situation was (and still is, in some ways). It's not until the Nikolai Duology that the true horror of the Shu experiments is brought to us. We see nothing of it in TGT, so maybe... Alina just doesn't know?

Yeah, sure, she has been around Grisha and is one of them now, but hear me out, it's like white people who say they don't have a problem with POC but they don't realize that it doesn't negate the fact that POC still face racism from others. Add to the fact that nowhere do we see newspapers and as an orphan Alina is definitely less aware of social justice situations than your average white guy- how is she supposed to know? All that she sees is the luxury of the Grisha- their tents their bulletproof clothes, etc.

Just a thought about how the story might have gone different if instead of the crows, it was Alina who found the three burnt bodies while chasing the stag and had to put one of them out of their misery. And how the story might have changed if Alina truly understood the situation.

I'm almost halfway through Siege and Storm, so I’ll talk from this perspective.

I’d say it’s the same issue as anything with Alina- she doesn’t want to know.

She’s almost murdered by a guy yelling “witch” in her face. Funnily enough- at this point it’s still in English (Ravkan), not drüsje, but witch:

I twisted and kicked as the yellow-bearded man grabbed hold of my legs. I looked desperately down to the glen, but the soldiers and Grisha below me were fighting for their lives, clearly outnumbered and unable to come to my aid. I struggled and thrashed, but the Fjerdan was too strong. He climbed on top of me, using his knees to pin my arms to my sides, and reached for his knife.

“I’ll gut you right here, witch,” he snarled in a heavy Fjerdan accent.

She gets safely to Little Palace, mentiones this whole experience twice and that’s it. It wouldn’t even take that much to get back to this topic- next chapter she learns such attack isn’t anything unusual for Grisha:

“ ... Other countries don’t treat their Grisha so well as Ravka,” he said grimly. “The Fjerdans burn us as witches, and the Kerch sell us as slaves. The Shu Han carve us up seeking the source of our power. ... ”

Alina sees there’s a difference made between Grisha and other Ravkans, but never connects the dots. It doesn’t concern her, she’s doing the same after all.

She isn’t interested in situation, not only the wide picture, but more personal perspective- we don’t see her ask her “not-friends” anything about them. Their lives, families... You won’t hear a scary story if you won’t ask or listen...

She got study materials on Grisha history, but that's just that. Words on a paper. Something she repeats when she remembers she's supposed to be hunted, although the reasons don't quite click.

She goes from being prejudiced herself to staying that way. Why would she change? She went from denying being Grisha to being Saint and that’s a completely different thing. The only person she truly cares about is an otkazat’sya, so why would she consider wrongness of slurs and disdain?

She was told, but the Darkling "never tells the truth" and she doesn’t feel the need to ask anyone else.

She hears First Army soldiers insult Ivan for refusing to share information with them, and doesn't blink an eye.

She hears about First Army slaughtering Grisha, and thinks "good, I'd do the same".

She only cares about Grisha being potentially mistreated as long as it's the Darkling harming them (Genya's punishment, Grishenka in R&R).

When forced to face other harm partially caused by Grisha status of slaves in Ravkan society, the circumstances allow her to ignore that aspect (Genya's abuse).

I don’t think she needs anything more explicit. She’d just find the way to blame the Darkling, or forget it ever happened as soon as it was out of her sight.

Burned Grisha corpses?

Some foreign tradition. Or barbecue gone wrong...

Just look at her reaction to Harshaw's story in R&R:

I thought of the dream the Darkling had once had, that we might be Ravkans and not just Grisha. He’d tried to make a safe place for our kind, maybe the only one in the world. I understand the desire to remain free. Was that why Harshaw kept fighting? Why he’d chosen to stay? He must have shared the Darkling’s dream once. Had he given its care over to me?

Zoya's the one, to note how fucked up it is. Alina's concern is possible responsibility. There's no horror, there's no resolution to take over Aleksander's efforts. The goal remains the same- hunt down the Firebird, kill the Darkling, destroy the Fold.

Even when talking as Grisha, Alina doesn't act like one.

[stromuprisahat]

for-want-of-a-nail:

#but even though yes I adore Nikolai I also agree with you that he's often portrayed in a way that annoys me #and that he's most interesting when the charming good boy mask cracks and you see the cunning dark center of him #I don't think I could write that story where he's the real antagonist but I would loooooooove to read it omg

delicatebluebirdruins:

I've seen some people call him diet darkling and this is pretty much why

🔥 I’m so curious any unpopular opinions you might have about Nikolai….

do you want me crucified? please nikolai is this fandom's baby 😭😭

I'm alksjdflks- neutral on Nikolai at the best of times and I dislike him at the worst of times.

as a character, I find him fun, but I also find the 'charming rogue' archetype tired when it comes to him. I don't necessarily hate the archetype, but for some reason the way bardugo leans on it so much to make nikolai appealing rubs me the wrong way. I think it's a cheap imitation of what could have been a better crafted character. the times I have found nikolai most appealing are when he's cunning, political, and practical - especially after he's infected by the merzost. I also really like how similar he actually is to the darkling in a lot of ways, that's compelling to me. but all of that just makes me neutral towards him.

what makes me often swing into dislike is his function within the narrative. he essentially serves as the White Savior, and even when he gives zoya power (which in itself is handled unrealistically), it is with the same functional plot power and armor of a White Savior. I don't like the way bardugo handled the grisha and the monarchy, and unfortunately nikolai is just too tied into it all.

but actually the biggest unpopular opinion about him for me is that I think he should have also been an antagonist. not only would it have actually given bardugo's message about 'men in power' a lot of weight, but it would have been a brilliant study in how being outcast and othered doesn't automatically make you bad, and how being loved and accepted (and actually charming lol - he would serve as a much better 'charming abuser in hiding' than the darkling) doesn't necessarily make you good.

because this scene -

“I’m telling you that if you want to be a leader, it’s time you started thinking and acting like one.”

“I’ve heard this before, you know, from the Darkling and his supporters. Be brutal. Be cruel. More lives will be saved in the long run.”

“Do you think I’m like the Darkling?” I studied him—the golden hair, the sharp uniform, those too-clever hazel eyes.

“No,” I said slowly. “I don’t think you are.” I rose to go join Mal. “But I’ve been wrong before.”

-is the perfect setup to such a plot, and it would have given actual weight to what bardugo was trying to convey about men and power. it also would have gotten rid of the white savior trope, cast a more realistic light on the vilification of her only activist for the oppressed minority, and added more complexity to all of the characters.

tl;dr - unpopular opinion: nikolai would have served better as another antagonist, and I think his narrative function was unpleasant

send me a 🔥 for an unpopular opinion (x)

[joh-nny-c]

Guess what I finally started investing time into.

Bonus memes. Feel free to use.

@zarla-s

[manga-meow]

[narcissarina]

𝔊𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔫 ℭ𝔞𝔤𝔢, 𝔅𝔩𝔲𝔢 𝔅𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔰

જ⁀➴Previous chapter

Pairings: bodyguard!Leon × college billionaire!reader

Word count: 2,054

Tw: blood, trauma to reader (slayed), Leon being the bad ass agent as he is.

Summary: You found him, he found you.

𝙸𝚇.

You can’t believe it.

You just shot someone, someone’s son or husband.

Panic sets in when you heard footsteps approaching, you want to ask for help but they start to act aggressive and howls like a god damn wolf, started twitching and shaking uncontrollably as the person act aggressively and you shot him right between his brows.

He perfectly got down and died on the floor and right between your legs. Tears escapes from your eyes, you starts to hyperventilating again as you take a couple of deep breaths before standing up with wobbly legs. Taking the bag with you and the gun that happens to be under the bed, it’s in a box so you took it and claim it yours.

Finders keepers, right?

Outside was ruin, forest haunting and creepy.

You couldn’t believe that someone took you away from your home, you comfort and done unspeakable things to your body. You are ruined.

Fighting the tears that blurred your vision, you reload your gun. Leon’s taught you how to handle a gun and loading and unloading it became handy. You steady your focus and analyze your surroundings, good thing your purse is still with you and your smartwatch.

Time check: 5:05 PM

Almost dark, you need to find somewhere safe and if Leon is here, may you pray that he finds you nor you find him.

You’d cry in his arms and sniffle a disgusting snot from your nostrils. How you just crave Korean foods and it results you getting kidnapped. You want to feel his touch, his lips kissing the crown of your head, his fingers caressing your hair and back as he rocks you like a baby you are.

He would sing assurance to your ear, mumbling that it’s not your fault and that you’re brave for making it this far to finding him rather than staying in the cottage that you were held experimented on.

You wanted to cry at that thought, but held back those tears. If Leon was here, he would tell you to fight and take what felt like you have lost.

You were taken away from your home. Your butler must be worried, your best friend crying and your parents constant worry and reporting to every possible authorities.

You need to fight for them and stay alive, you still have a future to fulfill. Do it for them, for yourself and Leon’s.

You held your power-bank light in your free hand, careful not to step to any branches that could potentially make a sound and alert more things than it should be. (Funny that you have your power-bank with you but not your phone, must it be for your smart watch?)

Steps were slow and steady, flashing your light to every corner of your surroundings, which is filled with more god damn trees. The hair from your neck stood up as you snap your head back.

There, stood a human figure, you squint your eyes to get a better look at their face.

“what the fuck..?” you mutter, your eyes widen as you made sure, “that’s not human…” you added, stepping back as you step on a branch. The figure that stood before you in the distance has a menacing smile, bloodshot eyes and tears were black as the void.

Your body was frozen, your breathing became heavy again—your head dizzy and your palm sweating from holding the light and gun too tight.

The figure tilts its head until it rotated to 360° which is humanly impossible for a normal person, it let out a quiet screech. Got down to the ground, and starts chasing after you in speed.

As if in instinct, you ran. You ran away with much speed as possible, it’s laugh were scary and it’ll give you nightmares when you sleep. It’d haunt your dreams and kill you while you sleep.

Tears accidentally slipped down as you mindlessly ran away, not knowing which directions you’d go.

“Help!” you screamed from the top of your lungs as you sniffle, a laugh broke out from the entity that’s still chasing you. It called your name but you didn’t respond. What you needed right now is to find someone to help you.

You don’t have much choice… for now.

Leon was out of the mansion, the sun is setting. His objective for now is to find you as soon as possible—a voice broke out to his earpiece, “Hunnigan,” Leon spoke, “find anything?” he asked.

“I did, but it seems like she’s not in the cottage anymore.” A disappointed sigh was heard from Hunnigan from the other side of Leon’s earpiece, he frowns and take a deep sigh, “all right, thank y—”

“Help!”

Leon’s attention was snatched away, he snap his head to his left. Focusing his hearing to his surroundings, “Leon? Hello, are you still there?” Hunnigan asked.

“I found something, thank you.” Leon whispered and slowly walked towards the trees and move his head to the side. He could hear branches snapping and a cry for help and an inhumane screams and screeching that would make his ear bleed.

He took his gun, pointed between the two trees and waited for someone or something to come out.

“Don’t shoot!” a familiar voice yelled, it was yours but his attention was at something that was following you, you quickly threw yourself at Leon with your aching and bleeding leg. As the entity emerges from the forest and started crawling faster than he could imagine.

He held you in his arm, while he shoots at the monster a couple of times until it was shrieking from each bullets and its pace was slowed down. It lie dead on the ground, twitching and black blood spilling.

Leon turned his attention to you, “princess?” he mutters, you nodded and sniffle at his arm. “It’s okay, I’m here…” he mumbles and pulled you into a tight hug, “I’ll get us out of here, yeah?” he kissed your forehead, his palm cupping your cheeks as he brush those tears away from your eye.

“I’m here, I’m here and you’re safe.” He continuously assured, craving it at the back of your mind that you are safe, he’s with you and he’s not going to let anyone or anything hurt you.

“It’s getting dark, I’m sure you need some energy and sleep.” Leon mutters as you nodded, “you’re bleeding…” Leon frown at the sight of your leg bleeding, he also noticed that you have a bag pack with you.

“Let’s get you ins—” what Leon hates most that he gets cut off every time he fucking talks, “shit!” he curses and turns around to see the entity he couldn’t kill, its body was distorted as its face and laugh. You whine at the sight, he uses his body to shield you from the entity that he failed to kill.

“God fucking damn it,” he carried you bridal style as he knew that you’re too injured to even run. It chases the two of you, you could only close your eyes and muffle your cries and cling closely to Leon.

Leon found the basement was open and made the creature away as far away from that safe zone, he’d shoot any enemies if there are any inside.

“Hold on tight, princess.” Leon mutters right to your ear, his lips brushing against your skin as he made a run for it. You clung to him like a koala, his two hands finally set free as you made sure to hug as tight as you can.

He ran, with you clinging to him. He almost missed to grab the two handles and shut the door of the basement. It was dark, and it reeks of rotten fish. “You can let go now, you’re safe.” Leon mutters and gave your neck a kiss to calm you down.

You slowly let down your feet as it finds the ground and you let down the other. Leon find the light switch and turned it one, there was a few zombies inside and he quickly got them removed from the frame.

“Stay here.” You nod and decides to listen for now. You watch Leon swiftly move one bodies to another and stack them up right in the corner. He found a clean mop and two buckets of clean water, one with powered soap and one clear water.

You watch him clean the floor for you, to get rid of the rotten smell. You smiled at him, lifting the muscle from your face was kind of hard since your tears were practically dried and hard on your face.

“what’s so funny, princess?” Leon asked as he wipe his sweat with his wrist. His attention was now in his earpiece, “have you found her, Leon?”

“Yeah, she’s safe. She’s bleeding though.” Leon turn his head and his eyes scans your injured leg, you were standing idly and tilt your head to Leon.

“Good, after retrieving the item. Make sure to get her home safely.” Leon nodded at Hunnigans words, “you can count on me.” Before the call gets disconnected.

Leon finishes mopping the floor wet and got some clean dry mop again to dry the floor.

He also found a sleeping bag and other useful things inside this basement, he thought to himself that they used this as a storage room.

“Come here, princess.” Leon gestures as he sat down on the sleeping bag, the softness of it makes him relax. You made your way to him, legs still wobbly as you sat down with him. He turn to you and caress your bleeding leg, “may I?”

You nodded and lift your leg to him, you hiss at the pain and choke a sob. “I got some aid kit…” your voice dry and hoarse, he nodded and gestures for you to give him the bag. He takes the aid kit out and began to change your bandage.

“I’m sorry…” an apology got out from your lips, Leon turns his head and cock an eyebrow, “sorry for what, princess?” his voice low and his tone calm, “that I added another burden to your shoulder.” You sniffle and began to have a breakdown.

“Hey, hey…” Leon coos, finishing wrapping another bandage roll when he cleaned your wound. He pulls you into his strong arms as the cologne you’d grew to love hits your nostrils, “It’s not your fault, and you are not a burden.”

“No one wants to be in a situation like this, sweetheart.” His hand caress the back of your hair. “But, you were one brave woman.” He praises, lift your chin with his finger to have your eyes look at his cold yet loving gaze.

“I am here whenever you need me, I’m still on duty as your bodyguard. Am I right?” he chuckles and gently pushed you away to get another sleeping bag, you whined and held his hand, you don’t want him to be away from you more than one second.

He look down at your vulnerable form, you were cute—Leon thought to his mind, he would be damned if he got hard to situations like this.

“I’m just gonna get another sleeping bag.” You shake your head to his words, a voice barely going out to your lips but he manage to catch it, “sleep with me.”

He sigh and nodded, “all right,” he tuck you and himself in and pulled you to cuddle. You clung and acted the little spoon, his hand to the curve of your waist as he sprayed kisses to your forehead and cheeks. You smiled and felt relax to the sensation and scoot yourself closer to him.

“You need some rest, sweetheart.” You nod to his words, sleep finally hitting you when your mind and body felt assured that Leon is here to protect you and that he’ll get the two of you safe.

You were sound asleep, so adorable and little before him. Leon’s mind wonders how he could get the few pieces of the relic he needed to retrieve when it’s inside you. There might be a lab somewhere in this mansion that he could bring you.

But for now, he should get some sleep with you.

A smile forms on his lips, “sleep tight, baby.”

He mutter in a loving tone before getting an eye shut.

Next Chapter>>>

[eemoo1o-animoo]

“O!Ciel looks like Vincent!” Yeah, no. I literally turned the page thinking, why is Ciel in a wig? Is this the right volume? I feel like I skipped something. But, no. That’s young Madam Red – is no one going to talk about this? Just me?

Because that, alongside what Yana had wanted Ciel’s name to mean in the concept stage (alongside the other names she thought of, cumulating under the same theme), as “Angelina” follows a similar message (star, heaven, angels, sky, etc), seems kind of noteworthy.

[lucelockwood]

“It’s just, when we started this . . . whatever this is,” Lucy gestures vaguely between them (Lockwood’s trying not to laugh again, because of course he finds this funny), “I figured there would be complications.”

“I’m really hoping you’re planning on elaborating on that, for my sake,” Lockwood says, taking another bite of toast.

“Here’s the thing, Lockwood,” Lucy says. “I can deal with you usually being right. I can deal with you running headfirst into every dangerous situation you possibly can. For some reason, I can even deal with you unfairly being blessed with looks and charm.”

“For a list of complications, those sound suspiciously like compliments,” Lockwood says carefully.

“Well, they would, to you,” Lucy grumbles, though she knows the smile fighting to spread across her face completely negates her tone.

[asexual-spongebob]

chapter art I’ve made for wail of the siren!!! :3

I think my favorite out of these is the art I did for “An Invader’s Return” and the art for the upcoming chapter “Song of the Siren”. :3

I think I’m gonna be posting chapter 5 either today or tomorrow. :3

[bladedflower]

hey guys, guess what? you can read the first ten chapters of lily's novel here :>

feel free to vote for it as well by following the story.

for reference: IPS = who she works for in the books (for copywright reasons), for everything here she works for the BPRD Lily is canonically related to / friends with a couple of my other OC's on my multi @movemnt, so you may see them in the story.

[simcardiac-arrested]

oo im curious !! in your stp princess, adversary is first and eye of the needle is last..!! whatre your thoughts .. tell me, soldier ..

like i said the thing with these rankings is that i thoroughly like all the routes and i wish i didn’t have to put one above the other or have any of them be ‘last’… But if i had to explain then it’s like—EoN feels like a pretty open-and-shut route to me. it feels like there’s a clear path of choices you need to follow ? (i.e. set her free) at their cores adversary and EoN are about different things, and I Personally enjoy the ‘fight each other to the death forever’ concept a lot more even though it’s technically not the ‘correct’ perspective (it’s sooo damn fun though) i do also enjoy and appreciate the thematic importance of setting EoN free, i’d just rather hang out with adversary if anything :)

[dallonwrites]

the first chapter of lover boy is really intense on an emotional level because So Many Things happen in quick succession it's like beau barely gets a chance to breathe and process it. meanwhile RR opening chapter is just felix and dorothy arguing in a laundromat.

[stromuprisahat]

Halfway through tenth chapter of Siege and Storm, and it makes me so helplessly angry!

Nikolai's talking like Aleksander, yet he's The Good Guy™. He comes from privilage, picked the path that showed him suffering, yet we're supposed to see him as better than the person, who never got a choice, and still decided to care?!

Bribery and manipulation are alright as long as you're royalty?!

Brutality's excusable as long as you throw up in private?!

Am I supposed to believe Nikolai would be any better after half of what the Darkling lived through?!

I can't help but wonder why didn't Nikolai try to negotiate with Aleksander? He knows how Grisha are treated, what state is Ravka in, how corrupt is leadership... and he chooses more malleable, politically incompetent, inexperienced girl as an ally? When he's oh-so-nice and not-at-all calculating?!

[loadedberetta]

aw hell yeah!

Rules are: Post the most recent line you’ve written then tag as many people as there are words in the line

tagged by: @4me2knowandyou2wonder (thanks 422!!)

last line from wips/drafts/notes

here's a fun one: he notices she started showing.

(from sub rosa, I was trying to draft up part 3 and this is how far I got)

no pressure tags: @gemmahale @greatstormcat @actuallyhiswife @blingblong55 @konigs-whore (sry if any of you have been tagged before on this one)

have fun y'all!

[nerevarswritingstuff]

TIaF Edits - Chapter 11 Teaser

Wukong’s lips pull back into a displeased snarl, his tail whipping in the air. He gets off his nimbus now, his eyes narrowing at Erlang. Nezha steps forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Brother,” he says slowly, as if saying a warning, “this is not to say Xiaotian will be gaining the fillet.”

“Good,” Wukong says, his tone harsher than intended when talking to his little brother, but he doesn’t care right now. He stands straight, crossing his arms and waving to Erlang. “Explain.” Despite not ruling over Flower Fruit (at least not properly) for centuries, the air of a king is hard to get rid of even after a long vacation. It comes to him so naturally when he wants it.

Erlang rolls his shoulders and stands at attention, meeting Wukong’s heated gaze. “The Court has not forgotten your transgressions within the Celestial Realm. Knowing that you have a successor meant to take your place, they are all skeptical about whether you’ll properly train this boy, or simply teach him to cause another Havoc in Heaven.”

“The cub is taking my place to help do what you lot can’t,” Wukong growls, his teeth sharpening subconsciously. “And that’s maintaining balance. Something you guys really don’t seem to understand the concept of unless the scales are tipped in your favor.”

[alexpdcl]

ash/ace in the brain

[amtrak12]

Man, turning a 31 day prompt fest into a single fic with 31 short scenes is such an interesting way to write a story. Because the prompts are not designed to be told in a single story and do not revolve around proper story beats. And the limitations of the prompts and only allowing myself one scene for each of them kind of causes the story to be speed-run. Like it's very fast paced and sort of surface-level overview, and I lean into that by using present tense instead of my usual past tense. And yet the story is also much longer than it appears to be when you're writing such short individual scenes, because 31 scenes of ~500 words is still over 15,000 words! It's also difficult to judge if the scenes flow together alright or if the story is enjoyable when read in its entirety -- but that might be because I'm still in the middle of writing it rather than because of the story format.

IDK, all in all though, it's a really interesting way to tell a story.