#alex × darlington

[i-can-stab-you-in-the-eye]

“Galaxy Stern,” Darlington said, his eyes flashing gold,

“I have been crying out to you from the start.”

[galaxyspeaking]

His monstrous queen, her gentleman demon

[ekbelsher]

Leigh Bardugo asked me to draw Darlington from Ninth House! (I dropped my phone. She’s one of my all-time favourite authors). The sequel to Ninth House, HELL BENT, came out this week :)

[liveandbreathemusicals]

[kimikofrenchie]

hey sorry your boyfriend died and he came back hornier. yeah he’s more or less the same but all he can think about is going down on you. sorry i know you just wanted the gentleman back but he’s more of a demon now. yeah sorry

[rosiethorns88]

Dropping the latest Sketch-a-Wish, voted on by my lovely Patreon members for January! Featuring a tense scene from Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo!

Spoilers for Hell Bent below!

This is one of the few examples of me putting in the WORK for the background, only because it's such a character itself. Il Bastone is a real world setting from Ninth House / Hell Bent, and even though they are scant, there were luckily a few interior photos available for me to reference to create the Virgil bedroom, where Alex and Darlington are having a tense conversation in this scene. I took some liberties on the design but a lot of the structures, accents and patterns were either pulled from the interiors or exterior facade of the Anderson Mansion. (especially the stained glass windows and painted tile fireplace!).

I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the painting over the fireplace to capture a small world-building segment from Hell Bent that I think has a modest symbolism of Alex's and Darlington's new relationship here. A fun little puzzle for those who want to try to research it!

[devotionconsumed]

my favorite dynamic is girl who is a murderer and unhinged with her twink pretty boy bf

[phy-be]

His monstrous queen. His gentle ruler.

[epitaaph]

“Is that what those things are?” she asked. “Around your wrists and neck? Marks?” “These?” He leaned forward, and the change in him was instant, the glowing eyes, the curling horns, the broadening of the shoulders. Without meaning to, Alex found herself scooting back in her chair. He was man and then monster in the space of a breath. The golden bands glowed at his wrists and throat.

“Yeah,” she said, trying not to show her fear. “Those.” “These marks mean I am bound in service. Forever.” “To hell? To Golgarot?” He laughed then, the sound deep and cold, the thing at the bottom of the lake.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, page 412.

[macaulaytwins]

Daniel Arlington III the man that you are,,,,,,

[demi-god-teeth]

“Welcome home. Welcome back. We missed you. I missed you more than I should have, more than I wanted to. I went to Hell for you. I'd do it again”

Alex Stern and Daniel Arlington (Darlington)

Ninth House / Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

[i-can-stab-you-in-the-eye]

H E L L B E N T

by Leigh Bardugo

People shouldn’t have to march through the world fighting all the time.

[galaxyspeaking]

Her eyes were dark and full of stars.

A bit of Darlingstern from Ninth House to change things up 🖤

[ekbelsher]

Concept sketches of Daniel Arlington from Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (the second sketch got chosen, but I kind of want to finish the first one when I get a chance!)

[academtits]

Ninth House - The Familiar easter egg: Darlington mentions just before the Halloween party that Scroll & Key’s tomb contains enchanted orange trees from the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain.

[destroyscout]

Alex anytime someone new walks into the ballroom: