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shesmyplusone · 2 years ago

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oh boy.

So, I've watched all of S&B season two in less than a day. And let me tell you...I'm very disappointed!

As a show, there were things I liked. I'll start with some of those-

the acting: Really good! I really took to all of the new actors- especially Nikolai and Wylan, who have always been two of my favorites. Strong seasons from Daisy Heard, Jessie was great as always, and really came around on Nina's actor too.

Costumes: I enjoyed about 90% of them (not Zoya's dress at the end of the season. but that's a whole other can of worms). Jesper looked great!

The Darkling: He was shown to be as pathetic and sad as he's always been. Him dreaming about Alina and her stabbing him was wonderful. Happy Genya and Zoya helped put him in the ground, at least for now.

Zoya/Nina: I was actively really upset when Zoya wasn't sending Nina off on her mission before season 1. Their dynamic means so much to me and the narrative, but I had assumed we were going to have to sacrifice Zoya's SoC storyline to allow her to build her S&B storyline! But we weren't! They got to interact. I wish it had focused more on Nina leaving in the middle of the war, and what it was like for her to come back, but there were just too many different characters and moving pieces to get in depth focus on that, and I understand that.

Jesper!: He was great. he's always great. Zero notes! Loved him a Wylan having a past. It made up for the other Crows reallyyy going through it with their love interests.

And the bad things:

As an adaption: Really rough. Like I understand the desire to get through both S&S and R&R. but they completely butchered my favorite book in the trilogy (maybe the whole series!) to do it. They took the Apparat out entirely. They lost most of the Sun Summoner cultists and Alina granting her power to them on the Fold. Nikolai did not become the monster and spend half of the season chasing the crew around. No firebird hunt! Alina lost her little trip with her friends, lost the comradery that came from traveling up and down Ravaka with Mal, David, Genya, Zoya, Nadia, the twins, and Adrik. No Oncat at all!!!! Alina never thought she had more to lose because she never realized she even had it!!!!!!!

They rushed her into wanting to save Ravaka, pulled her away from the girl who wanted peace to herself and to help children like she was.

I understand they didn't want to lose Jessie, Archie, and Ben at the same time. (Debatable about Ben. but that's for later). The set up and destroyed so much of the story for the hope they might get a season 3 (with Netflix's trackrecord, i'm not hopeful).

But man. they lost so much of what i loved about the trilogy. I know most folks don't love it. even going through the tag I can see most people are mostly here for the crows. Where was the huge awful civil war!!! one battle!!! with a rip-off Zoya (bangs and all). And a different squaller got to do lightning before Zoya!!! I'm grumpy.

and there is a slim chance that we get a season 3 that ends with Mal and Alina on their little farm. but man, i don't want to take that bet. What a waste!

Matthais: i love the boy, but man, ever single one his scenes at hellgate were like pulling teeth for me. insane he had a whole arc to himself while zoya was shoved whereever the writers needed her to be.

Nikolai's Monster: So happy they snuck it at the last second. But man, it should have happened earlier. My favorite R&R Zoyalai scene is not the ones with Alina, but when Nikolai turns back into a man and Zoya catches him falling out of the sky, a scene that is paralleled in RoW. I get it, yet again, that the viewers barely knew Nikolai, so turning him into the monster halfway through the season was silly, but they could have done it in episode 7 and i think it could have worked.

DAVID!!!!: Are you kidding me!!!!! I know he could alive, as there was no body, but we already went through this one. GENYA already goes through this once. this happened solely so the triumvirate could be Alina, Zoya, and Genya. But when Zoya said the world I literally burst into tears. It's supposed to be David :( Alina's "oh we don't need the orders anymore" is supposed to come from Zoya figuring out in KoS/RoW that the lines are not so neatly drawn. David has to help Nikolai with his inventions!!!! Like!!!! Who's going to chain up the monster!!!

Mal: he should not have fucking left. that speech he gave about being happier on the ship with Strumhund is NOT his story. it's Nikolai's. He would never leave Alina!!!!

Zoyalai: I'll just get to it. It feels like the writers were baiting me specifically. "Let's let Nikolai interact with literally ever other character in the universe. but Zoya!" And at the end, when i thought we might get something with Alina telling Inej to tell him where Zoya was. Nothing! (Well, Elivabeta's Bee was a nice touch) but! not a single conversation! Alina's going "comfort him" while he's king. She's still in charge of the second army, while Zoya's just "in charge of training". They're still engaged!!!! I literally thought she was stopping the engagement when she gave the emerald back. but nope!

i have no faith there will a season three, and honestly. not sure i want one. what a mess. if these showrunners had wanted a crows show so badly, they should have just fucking done one. the trilogy is not perfect, but had a solid, good storyline with characters with arcs and purposes and and it's really hard to see how they redeem that.

#booo no oncat. and other long complaints in here.#the writers killing marie way before they should have should have been a sign #a big fat warning sign #this is a fucking mess and is unedited but i just wanted write this down #anti darkling #just to cover that #shadow and bone #grishaverse

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nataliescatorccio · 2 years ago

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yes you're right sorry, don't know what i was thinking! i love the part where helnik runs away together and lives happily forever with their love and endless waffles <3.

i never thought i could warm up to zoya with how she was in the first book (look i know alina isn't everyone's fave but i hated mean zoya was to her) but she became one of my absolute favorite characters. the friendships she forms with alina and genya, the romance will nikolai, it's amazing.

i'm honestly worried that we haven't heard anything about s3 being renewed but i'm hoping so much it happens cause we need the rest of the story, we need the crows spinoff, and we need king of scars adapted so we get all the zoyalai goodness.

living with their love and endless waffles was my favourite bit for real<3

her development was just so good! i never warmed to her in the first book either, but she really was that typical embodiment of a girl who gets it wrong but worked to do better, and i loved her journey. i'm always here for stories of growth, of complex characters who make mistakes but learn from them, and zoya became such a great character with so many multi-faceted layers. it will be a disservice if she never gets her moment to shine because she truly deserves it, and as you say, the interactions she forms! the care she comes to hold for others! they were just such a delight to read and i can only hope we get the chance to see more of them.

i think it's quite usual to wait a while for renewal news. i was hoping we might hear rather promptly after the month of release was up, but that was more hope than expectations. there's shows that have dropped a lot earlier than shadow and bone still waiting for news of a next season so i think we just need to give it time. i still bounce back and forth on whether we'll get a spin off/s3, on the one hand social media engagement seems high which netflix likes, on the other viewing figures don't seem as high as they would want, but really we don't know what they're thinking and it's impossible to speculate. i so want to see those stories come to life so i feel all i can do is cross my fingers and hope!

#Anonymous #shadow and bone for ts

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roseandsalt · 3 years ago

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SHADOW AND BONE CAST MEMBERS REVEALED I REPEAT SHADOW AND BONE CAST RE-

THEY ALL LOOK SO PERFECT FOR THEIR ROLES OMG

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greensaplinggrace · 3 years ago

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do you have any darklina fic recs?

I certainly have a few! But first I want to clarify that I don’t really read fic when I’m writing it, and since I have so many fics in the works right now, I haven’t really been reading a lot of fanfiction. So this list probably won’t be as extensive as it could be.

Here are some other great fic recommendation posts, however:

DARKLINA FIC RECS by @vicioux

DARKLINA FIC RECS // part ii by @vicioux

Darklina Ruling the World Together Fic Recs by @clubofthestarlesssaint

Tumblr Ficlets

Aleksander’s First Memory by @kestrafagnor

Fivan Talk About Darklina by @jomiddlemarch

a little light in the great, big dark by @valkyrhys

Alina tells Mal she’s with Aleksander by @lorsanbitch

Darklina week day 5: intimacy & touch by @starlesscne

AO3 Fanfiction

if it ain’t me by larry_hystereks (Incomplete - 10/13 Chapters)

alina’s in her second year at Yale when she meets aleksander at one of his frat parties.

a hookup with the potential for more, only if alina wasn’t still struggling to piece herself together from last year’s breakup.

or: alina, zoya, their trust issues, and the men that fall for them

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I’m only at about chapter 6 of this fic currently, but so far it’s one of my all time favorite Modern AUs. The characterization for Alina and Aleksander is incredibly well done, and the entire fic itself is so feminist and queer in such a refreshing way. Aleksander and Alina are bisexual as fuck, both with their own separate complex lives, and much of Alina’s own traumas and relationships are explored outside of Aleksander.

There’s some Zoyalina, with Nikolina friendship and endgame Zoyalai. There’s some mystery and some tension, but nothing too extreme, and a lot of the fic is merely an exploration in growth and overcoming one’s history and learning how to move on in healthy ways. I love it.

She Wears a Collar (With My Name) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

She is immortal, and whatever lingering hints of humanity she may have once had have long been bleached from her heart.

I will grant you one wish, boy, if it is in my power to do so. What does a Shadow Smith most want?

"You," he answers.

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 2: Role Reversal

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This piece is just exquisite. This author’s writing style is one that I particularly enjoy. Their stuff is always so uniquely composed and crafted, and this one especially is a work of art. The way Darklina as a relationship is portrayed in particular is fascinating to me because it’s a role reversal but it’s still so complex. Aleksander’s character is nailed.

the bright sun was extinguish’d by athousandwinds (Complete)

Somewhere, deep in the dark forests of Ravka, a boy grows up on stories of Sankta Alina of the Wastes, the Sun-Scorched Saint.

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This fic is just straight up magnificent. It’s so engaging and I love love love the way a role reversed Aleksander who joins the army is portrayed. He reminds me so much of Demon in the Woods Aleksander, as if he’s exactly what a grown version of that young boy would be. When I say I adore his characterization in this I’m not lying.

If I wanted any completed fic I’ve read to have a second chapter, it would be this one.

Winter in the Little Palace by redisxwing (Complete)

Written for Yuletide 2020.

Baghra and Alina's wildly different perspectives on the Darkling, and how things could have gone if nobody listened to Baghra.

Warning: Baghra is written as a harsh and arguably abusive parent, and this is darkfic about that relationship, with a side of shipping. Everything is terrible (except the parts that are pretty much okay).

Canon divergence pretty much as soon as Alina gets lessons in summoning.

This fic is likely not compatible with King of Scars (or any subsequent work).

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As is said in the summary, this one makes Baghra a bit more extreme. If you’re a fan of Baghra, this fic probably isn’t for you. But since I’m not a fan of Baghra, I had no problems with it.

My biggest praise for this fic is in regards to the character interactions and the POVs. There’s a brilliant grasp of unique perspective and how to convey it, and that talent is carried over into the way character interactions are brought to life in the text. Also, there’s a scene where Alina gets kind of protective of the Darkling, which is one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to Darklina.

Good Ideas by FelixRivers (Complete)

Alina Starkov had a very good idea. Aleksander Morozova would definitely agree. (or: Alina wants to go camping and Aleksander won't complain)

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This fic is just straight up adorable and hilarious. They’re such a cute couple and Alina’s POV is great. It’s just pure fluff and humor 💕

I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you by SanktaJenya - @sankta-arya (Complete)

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and Ana Kuya was worried about her, so she decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. On her way there, Alina meets a stranger...

Darklina Red Riding Hood/Company of Wolves AU

Darklina Week, Day 4, Fairytales

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This fic has a splendid grasp of tension and atmosphere. It’s very enchanting and dark and intriguing, and it nails those aspects with absolute precision. I love the style and the way the fairytale is incorporated into the narrative. It’s truly a masterpiece.

The Wretched by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“We are strangers, but I want to help.” He growls at her, mocking and mistrustful. “I understand,” she said. “You think I am one of them. I certainly look like one of them. But I want to help you. Will you let me?” Prompt: fairytale. Alina saves a dragon.

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Okay so I’ve mentioned this one before as one of my Top 5 fics of all time and I still stand by that. I can’t even describe why I love this fic so much except that the pacing is amazing and the prose is stunning and the story is beautiful. Aleksander is a dragon and Alina is a witch, and their relationship is just so...interesting and fascinating and lovely. I would literally kill for this fic. There’s such a softness to it as well. Such a tenderness. Idk, I just really love it.

Show Me Who You Are (I Want To Know) by Ceris_Malfoy (Incomplete - 12/?)

Alina takes her future in her own hands and makes her own decisions.

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This is a great “what if Alina had stuck around after the reveal” rewrite. It doesn’t have Mal bashing and in fact still writes them as close friends, which is something I’m fond of in Darklina fics. Aleksander is allowed to be soft and Alina is allowed to be powerful, and I really enjoyed the take on their dynamics as a power couple wherein Alina is given a lot of control.

There’s something to be said for the way Aleksander is written in the scenes where he must be honest and earnest with Alina. I really enjoy the way they both come to equal ground, and I’m even more fond of the way Alina is allowed to grow darker without losing her light. She also engages a lot with quite a few other characters, developing tons of friendships and alliances on her own that help strengthen her as an individual character.

on this bridge between starshine and clay by @rhea-imagined (Complete)

"His breath narrows for a moment, his fist clenched tight before he forces himself to loosen it. She is his only opportunity for salvation, but vulnerability is not a cape he wears easily. “In those days, there was less prejudice against Shadow Summoners. But everyone fears the dark, in one way or another.” He does not look at her as he waits for the penny to drop, half-hoping it stays suspended in the air."

In which Alexander comes clean to Alina and tells her about his true identity in hopes that this will help convince her to take down the Fold.

A rewrite of the fountain scene in episode four, with a good!Darkling that is trying to make amends.

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This is my all-time favorite good!Aleksander AU. He’s kept in character despite the major changes made to his motivations, and Alina is given a lot more agency in her own story. It’s the first fic in what might become a series, but it can stand alone beautifully.

I love how Aleksander and Alina’s relationship is allowed to grow tense without breaking, and how it’s a clear sign of change but not abandonment. I love how both characters are able to think for themselves and become self-aware and are given the chance to think critically. I love the character interaction so much because it’s honest and fresh and engaging. Everything from the smallest action to the most off-hand thought is in character and meaningful and incorporated with an amazing style of writing. It’s a very refreshing piece, and the writing only makes it that much better.

Bunnies of a Feather Stitch Together by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Just as Alina called to the light, gathering and twisting it into a ball in her hands, the door swung open.

Kirigan blacked out the door frame. His appearance enough would have surprised Alina, but there was something clutched in his arm, something dark and floppy. It almost looked like the stuffed toys that had been passed around to the younger Orphans." - Alina and The Darkling bond over a love of soft things

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Soft stuffed animal shenanigans. Bits of trans!Aleksander, which I’m very fond of, as well as just a lot of fluff with a bit of something bittersweet and sad in a good way.

Half Lie by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Baghra always talked of the demon that had stolen her daughter." Or, Alina learns the hard way that the Darkling isn't the only one who deals in half-truths

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This one is trans!Aleksander, and it handles it in a very interesting way. It’s quite sad, and deals a lot with Baghra & Aleksander’s relationship through Alina’s POV. I want to give a warning for transphobia, because it does center around that a lot as the premise, but it really is worth the read if that isn’t a trigger for you. This is one of my favorite trans!Aleksander fics, and the way it handles emotion and grief and pain is quite extraordinary.

The CEO and Helioseismologist by mrthology (Complete)

Aleksander Morozova doesn't get sick. He's the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world, one that he had built from the ground up with blood, sweat, and tears. He exercised daily (usually), maintained a healthy diet, and kept himself fit.

He wasn’t sick.

Too bad no one believed him. And too bad Genya decided to call Ivan to take him home before also calling Alina to take care of him.

Maybe, just maybe, being sick wasn't so bad. Especially not when he has such a wonderful girlfriend.

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Both of the fics in this series are great, but I love this one in particular because I’m an absolute sucker for hurt/comfort. Anyone who’s been on my blog for a while knows that it’s my all time favorite trope to read, and this fic fits the hurt/comfort trope to a T in the best of ways. It’s very tender and in character, and Aleksander and Alina are so soft with each other. It’s adorable and really makes you feel for Aleksander, and the caretaking is done perfectly.

All the different layers of dark (thousand little suns) by Anuna (Complete)

One month after the Winter Fete, Aleksander returns to the Little Palace, and Alina has been missing him.

Episode five canon divergence in which Alina had never left Os Alta.

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This one is soft emotional hurt/comfort smut. They’re both so open and vulnerable with each other, and it’s so beautiful to read. I love the writing style and the emotion in this one. It makes my heart ache in the best way.

An Honourable Man by liviy695 (Complete)

A reimagining of the scene after the winter fete. Alina catches a glimpse of a caring Darkling after he returns from integrating the Conductor. Plus, no Baghra interference.

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This one is what it says on the tin, in that Baghra doesn’t interfere and they’re allowed to talk after the Darkling interrogates the Conductor. But more than that, it’s a great imagining of how a scene where Aleksander reveals Marie’s death would have gone. There’s a sort of quiet to it that I appreciate, with grief and solemnity weighed against care and vulnerability.

I see the real you (even if you don’t, I do) by Anonymous (Incomplete - 8/?)

A series of questionable decisions lead Alina to meet the Black General a bit earlier. Butterfly effect ensues.

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I’ve only read half so far (I hadn’t realized it had updated!! 👀👀) but I’m already in love with this fic. Alina’s dialogue and perspective is perfect, her relationship with Mal and the other cartographers is great, and I really enjoy how much personality she has. Aleksander is so smitten, but more than that, his characterization is soft but not weak. It feels almost as if he’s swept up by Alina, instead of the other way around, and I quite like that.

Of parenting by Anuna (Complete)

Alina finds out how her husband handled yet another parenting situation.

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This is pure adorable Darklina parenting fluff and I live for it. Yet it doesn’t lack depth and in fact explored Alina and Aleksander’s relationship with parenting quite well.

i have a longing by LRCee - @ladylyannastark (Complete)

“So, Alina Starkov, risk-taker, how did you end up being editing’s newest wunderkind?”

Alina Starkov is rising in the publishing world. Singlehandedly responsible for editing (see: rewriting) the hottest book of the year, she lands a coveted spot at Morovoz Publishers. It's the position she's always wanted, at the biggest publishing house in the country. Life is perfect. That crush on her boss though, that's gotta go.

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OKAY! I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH!! Let me tell you, as someone who is not too fond of Boss/Employee dynamics, I was very wary going into this fic. But boy did it deliver in a way that was perfect for me.

The relationship that develops between Aleksander and Alina is complex but healthy, and it never feels as if there’s too much of a power imbalance or anything that would make Alina feel forced or unhappy. The tension lies purely in how she fears others will perceive her, and not in how unhealthy her relationship with Aleksander is. For somebody who’s often attracted to unhealthy ships, I have to say that my favorite fics are usually ones that don’t have that type of dynamic between the characters. This fic delivers on that.

Also, Aleksander’s POV surrounding his struggle with his Russian heritage and his feelings for Alina is amazing, and has some of the best writing and characterization I’ve seen.

You receive: an evil demon; I receive: human souls by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

The next morning while she tried to tell herself it was a dream, that of course there wasn’t a fucking demon in her house, she found a note taped to her fridge.

“You might eat this shit,” it had written, “but I would like some fucking souls please.”

Darkling Week Prompt 7: free choice. Alina has a demon in her house.

This is absolute crack, and I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me.

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May I just say that this is the most fun I’ve ever had when reading a fic. It’s interesting with a bit of mystery, and Aleksander as a little shit of a demon is hilarious. Alina in this fic is great too. It’s such a unique take on her POV, especially when you reread it after knowing the ending. 10000/10, this fic is brilliant in every way and I love it.

I had been lost to you, Sunlight by BrytteMystere (Complete)

A Girl became a Woman, became a Sankta, became a Goddess.

Or: An Immortal Alina calls upon merzost to reunite with the Prince of Shadows she lost long ago. She may have lost herself in the process.

But then again, maybe time and endless wars did that instead.

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You really just have to read this one to get it. It is utterly haunting and fascinating in the best of ways. The writing style is strange and novel and fits so well with the story being told. The composition of the fic as a whole is genius.

I Look Inside Myself (And See My Heart Is Black) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"When is a monster not a monster? Why, when you love it, of course."

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 6: Favorite Quote • King & Queen • Monster

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Once more, this author comes through with an absolutely breathtaking writing style and story. The imagery is elegant yet brutal, simultaneously horrifying and glorious. There’s a certain way these stories are written, like fairytales, where the beautiful becomes the macabre and becomes ever more stunning because of it. It’s very dark but in a good way - an almost bewitching way.

Afterlife by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“You are asking me to leave?”

“Not asking, shadow,” she said. “Telling. Time to get unlost, loser.”

Day 3 Darklina Week prompt: Modern AU (I mean, barely)

Alina expels ghosts from purgatory.

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@aceofnowhere once again bringing the best of the paranormal to the Grishaverse. Literally everything you write is amazing idk why I’m even pointing out individual fics when I could just rec your whole page. But anyways!! This is fun and interesting and Alina is a badass. Aleksander is, of course, compelling and dark and kind of a little shit, and it’s all incorporated seamlessly into an existential paranormal narrative.

Once Upon a Shooting Star by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"But most of all, she was drawn to a vast darkness that reached out above all of them, a void so hungry for companionship that she knew she could fulfill."

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Let. Alina. Be. Feral!! Anyways, I clearly have a type when it comes to storytelling, and it’s whatever the fuck this person has got going on. Feral!Star!Alina is literally the light of my life. Her interactions with not only other people but the world in general are so well done, but my favorite parts about this fic are the numerous ways her relationship with Aleksander is described and depicted.

I love the dark and light imagery, especially with how it’s portrayed as them filling in the gaps of each other’s lives and supporting each other instead of trying to block each other out. There’s such clear passion and joy and love and devotion between them. The central focus of this fic is on her and Aleksander’s relationship, the interplay between them and their powers and the way her light fills his loneliness, the passing of adoration and trust and reliance between them. It’s very beautiful and I love it.

A Blaze of Light by Keira_63 (Complete)

They discover the Sun Summoner in the burnt-out remains of the Shu laboratory in which she has spent the last seven years of her life.

Or, the Darkling finds himself with a Sun Summoner whose greatest wish is to burn Shu Han to the ground. He is happy to oblige her.

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👀👀 Badass Alina and Badass Aleksander. The ultimate power couple, and Alina burning a path through Shu Han before they both burn a path through the world together. The darkness and rage in this one are handled very well, and the way that rage turns to coldness and then resolve is done so well. This fic is very cathartic and also very furious, and reading it is certainly a trip down emotion lane.

One more for the Road by Rist (Complete)

He returns to the war room shaken, and finds an Alina that cannot leave without at least having tried.

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This one hurts so much but its soooo gooood!!! Very smutty but also very tender and very bittersweet. Sad and soft all at once. I just... love the way Alina and Aleksander are written so much, and Alina’s complicated feelings for him are explored in such detail and depth. This one is truly worth the read.

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dregstrash · 6 years ago

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If you're still doing song prompts, could you please to Meet Me In The Hallway by Harry Styles & Zoyalai? btw i love your writing! x

this song brought out all those mellow feels. thank you for the ask!!!

also did someone say Zoyalai High School Graduation au? Cause that’s what I’m doing

Gotta get better, and maybe we’ll work it out

Nikolai snuck away from the crowds. If he had to suffer from another one of his mother’s smothering cheek grabs or his father’s smug look or even his brother’s condescension he might do something real crazy and tear his diploma for the hell of it.

He looked at the empty halls around him, and rethought his definition of crazy. He should have been celebrating with his friends. He should have snuck away from his house to go to the party that Kirgin had been talking about since they started high school. He should have at least let himself relax because he had his whole life ahead of him.

He got into Ketterdam University, his top party school of choice, and he graduated top of his class. Life was looking up. That was until he caught the fiery sight of Zoya Nazyalensky striding towards him with all the confidence that always left him a little breathless.

“It seems I lost a bet.” She said crossing her arms in front of him. She still had her graduation robe on, and the startling blue matched her eyes too well.

Nikolai grinned and leaned one shoulder against an abandoned locker.

“A deal is a deal, Nazyalensky.” He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

It was their sophomore year when they had Chemistry together, and all it took for them to be competitors was the first week of class. He couldn’t really remember what had sparked the argument. What he did recall was how her eyes glittered as she argued about the best way to finish the lab, and he felt a strong need to contradict her. That led to seeing who would get the better score on their test. Then who would get the highest grade in the class. It eventually tumbled into the long game of who would make it to top of their class.

There was really no other reason that Nikolai would have even interacted with Zoya. She was into Eastern European literature. He liked to mess around with robotics. She was the captain of the speech and debate team. He was student body president.

The only reason they interacted was their forced study sessions, that she claimed made sure that her win wouldn’t be too easy. Fast forward to many long nights in coffee shops, each other’s houses, and some times at lunch.

Nikolai wasn’t sure when he stopped caring so much about the bet, and more about the determination that crept in between Zoya’s eyes when she couldn’t figure out a calculus problem or the small flutter in his chest when she helped him with their French homework. But it happened, and to his utter surprise when finals came and went, he was at the top with Zoya coming in a close second.

For someone who was as hyper competitive as he was, he couldn’t understand why winning felt so disappointing.

Looking at her now, with her hair curled and her robe draping over her, he realized that he was going to miss her– more than he probably should.

Zoya rolled her eyes, and held out a plastic crown out in front of her.

“I, Zoya Nazyalensky, declare that Nikolai Lantsov as the king of Ravka High School.”

“I think you’re forgetting something, Zoya.” He couldn’t imagine how his grin could be wider, but his mouth did it all the same.

Her scowl was even more satisfying, as she muttered again, “I, Zoya Nazyalensky, declare that Nikolai ‘Handsome as Hell’ Lantsov as the king of Ravka High School.”

“Oh, Zoya you called me handsome, you shouldn’t have.”

Another roll of those beautiful eyes and she took a step closer towards him to place the crown on his head. She carried the smell of wildflowers with her, and because it could be the last time they saw each other he leaned in slightly and took out something from his back pocket.

The weight of the plastic crown was nothing on his head. He took out the small jeweled tiara, and he would have given anything to bottle the surprised and suspicious look that crowded her face.

“I, Nikolai Lantsov,” He whispered. He wasn’t sure why, it just felt right, “declare that Zoya ‘Storm Incarnate’ Nazyalensky as the queen of the entire world.”

He gingerly placed the cheap, glittering diadem on top of her raven hair, letting his fingers lightly skim the sides of her face.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from her. Would she push him away? Say something snide? Turn around with another indifferent expression, leaving him with a whirlwind of the “could have beens”?

What he wasn’t expecting was for her to lean her face towards his and press her lips into his.

He sighed into her mouth, letting all the bottled up wants loosen in his chest and take over his mind. Her lips were softer than he would have thought, and there was something so inexplicably right about this moment.

They parted after a while, and he had to lean back just far enough to look into her eyes.

“If we were going to the same college, I’d make you another bet, Nazyalensky.”

She smirked at him, “Who said I wasn’t? Apparently they have one of the best law schools this side of the country.”

A genuine smile made it to his lips, “Another bet then?”

She leaned forward, “I think we could work that out a little later, Lantsov.”

They met together again with hands in hair, and arms around gowns. The future looking a little brighter than before.

#zoyalai #nikolai lantsov #nikolai x zoya #zoya nazyalensky #king of scars #zoyalai modern au #wowowow another long one folks

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