#anti zoyalai

[stromuprisahat]

Imagine people's reaction to a gender bent Zoyalai.

The girl has no self-respect. She can't throw away all her goals for some guy! Look how stupid she becomes only to praise his beauty! She can't let him walk all over her like this! He only treats her like shit, yet we're supposed to root for them?!

He's arrogant and heartless. He always wanted power, so he's only using her to get it. Dead family doesn't excuse emotional constipation. Of course he hates and mocks religion- strong men don't need to believe in anything but themselves! Y'all excusing him only because he's hot and you wanna fuck him.

Wow! Half of it reads like Malina!

[aleksanderscult]

Do you think zoya was a good partner to nikolai

Uhhh....no.

Cutting with her words, lacks compassion and kindness, offers no comfort. I don't think she would be a healthy partner to anyone. Her violent and uncontrollable temper is code red by itself.

[ludarklina-fan-spot]

Thanks for the idea @vixenofcourse gif by @ladylrbloom

[lufifer-morningstar]

season 3 shadow and bone like the writers would write it:

1. alina is too powerful so she is stripped off her power 2. mal is the only one being able to safe alina from the darkness 3. darkling flashback/possible resurrection only to kill him off again because he is evil and cant ever be allowed to stay alife 4. nikolai decides that alina is waaaay too dangerous to be queen of ravka so zoya will take care of it, because...sure...zoya is anything better 5. now we have all the most popular ships canon, because thats the actual selling point of this whole bullshit 6. enter the amazing, breathtaking, innovative and witty storyline of kos/row 🤡 7. add some more fem poc and lgbtqi plus people so the critiques are pleased8. end is: nothing has changed for the ravka situation, grisha still suffer, but at least the fandom is happy because they get another kanej kiss and some steamy zoyalai stuff

oh wait...that really mostly sounds like the actual books ((hate will be deleted/dont agree: ignore and scroll on))

[daughter-of-lethe]

Aesthetic: Zoya Nazyalensky

Αrt Credit: @kolarpem

[rosesfox]

(shadow and bone season two spoilers!!!!!!!!!!)

i, as a stan of zoya and zoyalai, couldn't have hated this ridiculous ending more. i don't know how they're going to separate nikolina, make zoya stand out as a general and nikolai's main and truest love interest. the way it looks, even if they were to adapt kos and row, it would look like zoya is a replacement for alina. they took the crumbs they could have from zoyalai and still didn't add, even knowing that the endgame is zoyalai and that zoya is the one who will become queen. it's just awful, and i really hated it.

nikolai never loved alina, alina never wanted to be with nikolai and always saw him as a friend, mal would never leave alina lol and most important of all zoya was the first person nikolai loved and chose for himself beyond of his duty as monarch.

they changed crucial things for the continuity of the story, there is no opening for even more of the crows (since crooked kingdom was poorly adapted) and kos and row are beyond my imagination. that was so bad. i think overall they managed to spoil all the characters, but i as stan da zoya am particularly enraged.

and also, my god, the changes with nikolai! they really didn't understand the importance of the sturmhond to him.

[stromuprisahat]

Sure, Nikolai's weak and needy in a way that makes one want to break him, but I wouldn't call it love or great romance and I sure as hell wouldn't present it as such. At least be honest about it!

[aleksanderscult]

I don't care for Zoya, and duology did little to redeem her in my eyes. She isn't a "hero" material - which in itself wouldn't be bad, but she also isn't interesting enough to be a villain (theoretically). Nothing about her makes me want to go - oh, I want to know more about this character and her motivations! On the other hand, I guess she and Nikolai do deserve each other.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear anonymous glasses.

You, my friend, spoke only truth.

I also want to say about this new trend that is very popular the last 5-6 years. The trend of "we make women tough to the point of having no empathy, no kindness. Just being bitches. That's it". And I hate it SO MUCH you have no idea. And Zoya has become this type of character. I didn't care for her in the trilogy. But in the duology I just straight hated her. And this whole "we give a very sad background to characters that we want you to like" needs to stop honestly. You don't have to give a melodramatic background to every single one morally good character so you can make the reader like him. And that's another thing that Bardugo gave to Zoya so that we can sympathize with her.

Her whole character is shit and has been this way from the beginning. She started as a bully and she continues to be a bully.

So why we, the readers, should like her? Because she had a sad past? Well okay in that case why shouldn't we like the Darkling too? Didn't he have a shit life as well?

Anyway, you're right. And duology!Nikolai and Zoya truly deserve each other. I don't even like that ship. And I don't think the majority of this fandom cares what will happen to them from now on. Personally, I don't even have any faith that the future books of the Grishaverse are going to bring improvement to these characters. On the contrary, they will become worse.

Send me your unpopular opinion

[ludarklina-fan-spot]

Adopt a Darkling .... you might be sorry.

Ok! Thank you for disinheriting your spawn and replacing them with me! I am the upgrade you never knew would kill you-I mean you needed!

So we're totes going to redesign this shit hole after I kill you-I meant, when my adoption and my Princeship is made official Papa! Daddy! Pete?

Ivan! He's looking doubtful again!

Now for the renovations! Black and grey and gold and black everywhere except Alina's room. She wants pastels and a Bambi theme! and a bright pink S & M chamber for her Genya , and Zoya!

What do you mean too much information, Tatiana? Alina says S & M means "Smarties and M & M's" So it's a lolly room.

Right?

Right? ....

"IVAN!"

So I told Sasha that S & M meant "Smarties and M & M's" and he believed me!

[flippityflaps]

[mikasaerens]

OK we need to talk about Darklina and Malina.

Malina first.

I liked that the show went out of its way to emphasize how Mal’s entire existence was about Alina which is totally unfair to him as a character, he never had any purpose of his own and the books seemed to think that was fine but the show acknowledged it. This is why Malina’s relationship doesn’t work, there’s such an imbalance there. It honestly makes sense why Mal feels so uncomfortable with Alina’s power in the books because when one person is that powerful, there’s bound to be bitterness- not that Alina deserved it because Mal was incredibly poor at expressing his conflict. But it still shows how incredibly unbalanced their relationship is, and how it just is so poorly constructed. The truth is, there’s no world in which this relationship could work which is why it’s so unpopular. I truly think Nikolai should have become her primary love interest and she should have had only a platonic bond with Mal. However, I do ship Zoyalai so.. it’s all very tangled up and messy. I guess I’m trying to say that before King of Scars and all existed, when LB was just writing TGT, she should have had known how inconceivable Malina’s relationship is. I liked that in the show they went their separate ways (at least for now).

Now Darklina. Darklina was COMPLETELY shafted in s2. Idk how other Darklina fans feel, but I was not satisfied. Alina’s feelings towards the Darkling are way more complex and there are so many great scenes between them in the books that didn’t even come close to being represented on the show. I’m really disappointed in this. In the books, Alina has lingering emotions towards him- ROMANTIC emotions- that was never even the case in s2. Highly disappointing. We got the emotion and pining and angst from his side but not from hers. They got rid of the complexity of her still having feelings for him, and that was the strongest part of the incredibly weak TGT series. If they were worried how to fit Nikolina, Malina and Darklina, they should have erased Nikolina and focused on Zoyalai, Malina and Darklina. It’s what I honestly expected them to do and am surprised they didn’t.

Also… Show!Alina is beyond annoying sorry I said what I said, book!Alina felt more complex and interesting to read about even though she too wasn’t a great character. I don’t buy Show!Alina’s whole badass act, it just seems forced. She absolutely should be a badass but idk it doesn’t work in the show. Nina, Inej, Zoya, Tamar, Genya are badass strong powerful women but Alina’s whole badass act seems unnatural unlike the other characters- and I thought Book!Alina definitely had some great badass moments.

[blues-valentine]

S&B SEASON 2: THOUGHTS *a long ride*

I have conflicting emotions about that ending and overall how the whole season was handled for both SOC/S&B respectivelly.

First, I knew that I was going to be disappointed because they would mix S&S and R&R but this was a lot messier than I gave them the credit for. It left little room to develop Alina’s story line beyond the superficial. It felt to me like they were just trying to develop Nikolai for the KOS spin off and this seems unfair for Alina. She deserved her own time and it felt like they were just rushing to get her plot done.

I get TGT is not the most interesting and that the other books have been superior but it’s the start of the grishaverse and it sustains a lot of important things they just skipped over. Alina and her crew (Mal, Genya, Zoya, David, etc) deserved the time to breathe and their own exploration. Alina’s need/greed for power, the political aspect and her religious influence was glossed over and not developed further. Season 2 should’ve ended with Alina’s failed attempt to fully take down Darkling and being taken by the Apparat and therefore forced to become a religious pawn because this was an interesting aspect to Alina but also Tolya and Tamar, who ultimately were just there to fill the space in Nikolai’s story line and didn't get to explore that side.

Another thing about this season is that everything happened in such an anticlimatic way. Mal's amplifier reveal, Genya's backstory about the royal family and just so much that was more impactful in the books. David was killed off too soon. He didn't even get to marry Genya. Zoya deserved so much more and i'll hate it if I don't ever see her get to rule Ravka. Tolya and Tamar weren't given the level of depth I was expecting with their devotion to Alina. It was just too messy for me. I do think the season managed to improve some stuff. I think she Shu Han aspect was an interesting thing to add.

Don't even get me started with SOC because I feel like they have included basically everything so when the spin off does end up happening (we need good numbers for season 2 first) so many plots are not even going to happen. They took so many CK moments but without the right context so that didn't make it feel as impactful as it should've been. The actors truly did everything with those scenes especially with the Kanej scenes but it would've been so much better to have the full implications of what it means for their development. I wasn't too happy with how Inej's plot was handled. Literally we had CK before we even got SOC. And can we speak about the ableism with Kaz and his cane? Please.

Now, with that ending. I get what they had to change it. If they were to go with the R&R ending then there won't be actual story line for Alina and Mal. I’m still trying to understand why they couldn’t just use 3 seasons for the 3 books and wait to do the spins off, but I get that business is a whole different thing. So, that ending, like the whole season, it was rushed. You couldn't even feel sad because everything was happening so fast. The fact that Tolya and Tamar weren't the ones trying to bring Mal back to life was a shame because the friendship between Mal and Tolya was everything in the books. Alina clearly took part of Darkling's merzost powers to bring Mal back to life and this will cause her power corruption. But, the whole poison thing was so weird? This is a way to link the SOC characters and the KOS plot together but it's just so weird. About Malina’s ending, they did this to extend their arc in the show (x). I don't dislike the idea of them parting for a while until they get back to each other I just hated the way it felt too strange for both of them. I would have taken Mal asking Alina for time to be on it's own but not that weird excuse about his powers. And then, Alina had a whole struggle on R&R because she did not want to be a queen, because she wanted to be married for love and not for alliance. That Alina felt like a fanfic, not the real one. I have my own thoughts on where her story line will go for Season 3 (if there's one) and it could be interesting if executed right but I'm not too sure about that.

The season was far from perfect. It was messy and rushed. From both sides they skipped vital moments and interactions that could've made so many of the scenes have more sense and feel impactful. But I still would want a Season 3 and for those spin offs to be green lighted because those actors are too talented to lose for this.

[darklinaforever]

Ideas for my fanfiction of Grisha / Shadow and Bone :

- Use an external point of view, rather than Alina's internal point of view.

- Keep Alina half Shu, and that this aspect is exploited. (Idea of discussions with Botkins, Tolya & Tamar in particular)

- That we have clear information on the countries of Shu Han and Fjerda.

- The characters are all in their twenties.

- Use good Russian language.

- Zlatan still exists for part 1. (Novokribirsk still covered by the Fold therefore)

- Assuming Baghra is a toxic teacher and mother. Draw a parallel between her and Ana Kuya for the Darkling and Alina characters and their relationship.

- Maybe keep Baghra's eyes gouged out ? (Give me your opinion)

- That the story with Mal and Alina is a secondary element. Assuming that she is toxic, and that subsequently Alina succeeds in detaching herself from it to take her independence and be herself without anything holding her back. They can still remain friends in the end.

- Highlight Mal's grief and trauma at the death of his friends near the borders of Fjerda. (No because in the book it goes over the top)

- Keep (and improve) the Genya and Alina friendship.

- Make Darkling and Alina the main relationship of the trilogy. Highlight their Yin and Yang dynamics. Particularly supporting the fact that Alina could possibly become like the Darkling, and that the Darkling was like Alina, was a time. Show their ideologies come into explicit conflict, that there is a real moral debate. Showing Alina actually trying to find more peaceful methods than the Darkling's far more radical way of trying to help the Grisha.

- Reflection on the blow of the war.

- Explain why and how the Darkling created the Fold. (Keep it like an accident, an act born out of desperation)

- Develop the psychic connection between the Darkling and Alina. Let them have talks instead of the Darkling just appearing to follow Alina around silently.

- That Alina discovers in part the childhood and the past of the Darkling, in particular through dreams, thanks to their connection.

- Show that Alina cares about the grisha, and to stop the wars.

- That the Darkling has a "redemption" arc.

- Darklina ending together, Tsar and Tsarina of Ravka at the end.

- Darklina happy with many children (girls) in the epilogue, and are powerful rulers, tough but fair.

- That the situation of the Grisha (in the world) and the people of Ravka has changed for the better in the end.

- That the study of the Grisha at the small palace (and purely the study aspect, and no longer the military apprenticeship aspect) is revealed to have become mandatory in the epilogue.

- Give it to Alina from the agency. That she seeks / wants the amplifiers herself.

- May Alina grow politically and personally. (She understands that for the greater good, sacrifices must be made. She gains self-confidence, becomes more active and independent)

- Give Alina a corruption arc. That she develops a dark side, and a kind of greed for power in Part 2.

- Support the fact that Alina's destiny is not to destroy the Fold, because this is before a propaganda idea.

- No love ambiguity between Nikolai and Alina, just a strong friendship.

- To show Alina actually / seriously considering Nikolai's marriage proposal, in order to contribute to helping/improving the country.

- Show the duality / resemblance between the Darkling and Nikolai.

– In the end, Nikolai agrees to abdicate /refuse the crown, in favor of Alina and the Darkling, agreeing to work for them and be part of the council.

- That other characters are aware of Ravka's other overriding issues, without blaming the Darkling, and sincerely wish to address them in the future.

- May Genya never get scars.

- Keep Ivan alive. (Seriously, it promised to be so interesting)

- That Ivan and Fedyor are, as in the series, gay and in a relationship. (Because they were cute)

- Developing the idea of ​​creating Morozova amplifiers from Merzost. (Because it's not developed at all in the trilogy, and it's a point that makes me particularly curious)

- Support the fact that Morozova's amplifiers are intended for Alina, and that the Darkling offers them to her, because he perceives her as his soul mate, and that she is therefore an integral part of the Morozova family.

- Further develop secondary characters, such as : Genya, David, Ivan, Fedyor, Zoya, Tolya and Tamar.

- Develop a little more the couple Tamar and Nadia.

- David and Genya end up happy.

- Romance Zoyalaï suggested along part 2 and 3, then confirmed at the end. See what becomes of them in the epilogue.

- Let the pageantry be doomed at the end of part 3.

- Mal remains the firebird, but with better explanations.

- Scenes between Mal and the Darkling.

- That Ulla is named in the story / that her existence is recognized, without her being included in the story itself.

- The Fold is not destroyed (or at least not immediately ?), but used as a weapon to protect Ravka ? (I'm absolutely not sure about this point. If people have any suggestions, I'm all ears !)

- Mal snaps his farm at the end, or else opens an orphanage himself ? (Give me your opinion)

- Insinuation that Mal got close (romanticly) to Ruby in the end.

A quote idea :

« He did not give up his name. You took it from him. » - Alina Starkova, to Bagrah Morozova.

The (maybe) proglogue :

The girl was not afraid of the dark.

Darkness was a refuge. Especially when she was hiding to escape Ana Kuya's admonitions.

In those moments, she chose dark corners. Behind a curtain. In the attic. A closet.

She stayed hidden until Ana Kuya forgot about her and her anger.

When night fell, the girl could escape the meanness of the other children in the orphanage.

But his nights were short and restless.

So, when she woke up, she looked at the sky through a window. She observed the stars, and especially the moon. Sometimes there was just darkness, and she would watch it too, until she fell asleep again, or not.

The girl had always been weak. She was pale and thin.

Not pretty.

That was what Ana Kuya was saying.

Her Shu eyes betrayed her origins, and she was rejected for it.

The face of the enemy.

This is what the children kept saying. She had no friends.

Until the day the boy arrived.

He was nice to her. He was defending her. And over time, they got close.

Friends.

He was like the brother she never had. The only person in this world who seemed to really care about her.

A family.

But it was not enough. She didn't know why, nothing was enough.

The girl had always felt incomplete. As if she was missing a part of herself, there, in her heart.

She felt alone.

But the boy was helping her to make her feel less alone.

He was there for her, and she was there for him.

It was their promise.

So... The day when the woman and the man dressed in Kefta arrived at the orphanage to test the children, they hid in the meadow.

The girl didn't want to know if she was Grisha. It didn't matter to her. She didn't want to lose what she had with the boy.

But Ana Kuya ends up finding them.

When it was her turn to be tested, the girl felt something stir inside her. Something that begged to come out. But the boy called out his name. Again and again, from the other side of the door.

The girl hesitated. Her heart sank.

Unconsciously or consciously, she did not know, the girl held back. She prevented this thing that was pulsing against her skin from coming out. Refusing to answer the call.

The answer then fell. She was not Grisha.

Suddenly, the girl felt her heart lighten. But not so much for her as for the boy. The girl, in truth, wasn't sure how she felt.

The girl and the boy continued to grow up together, and she was happy about it.

Time passed, and she finally forgot the strange feeling that had assailed her at the time of the test. Years went by, and she still felt incomplete.

A tiny void in her, asking to be filled.

Sometimes, despite the boy's presence, the girl felt devoured by loneliness.

By the lack.

By this inexplicable void.

In those moments, to lighten her heart, she played with the rays of the sun with her fingertips.

As if she could grab them...

But it was not enough.

So, from time to time, despite the sun that lit the meadow...

The girl locked herself in the dark.

Extracts :

N°1 :

Her bony, charcoal-covered hands stopped maneuvering on the wind-crumpled paper, her eyes moving to a specific spot straight ahead.

Towards the Shadow Fold.

This immense black mass… This scourge which some were convinced would never be overcome. This black scar which had split the country in two and deprived the kingdom of Ravka of its only coasts, transforming it into an enclave. This non-sea that frightens so many… Filled with man-eating monsters.

A place that had stolen so much life. Rendered so many children, like her once, orphans…

Orphan.

This word sounded like a wound to her.

From an early age, he had been taught to fear the Fold. Easy with the Volcras inside. The little representation she had seen of it in the books of Keramzin's library was still enough to give her nightmares. Huge creatures, with sharp wings and fangs, capable of lacerating you with their claws with a simple movement.

The Fold ate your parents.

Ana Kuya's words echoed in her head as if it were yesterday… As she discovered the Fold for the first time through one of the many maps she was drawing herself today.

The Fold is an abomination, she had heard countless times. A mistake of nature. A scar on the map…

Literally.

But since she had joined the first army and seen with her own eyes what had haunted Ravka for centuries… Fear had given way to a completely different feeling.

Fascination.

When she approached the Fold, or even just looked at it, as now, the cartographer experienced this stinging sensation of being crushed by an unknown weight.

She seemed feel a multitude of emotions.

Anger.

Sadness.

Anguish.

And especially… Despair.

A despair that seemed to her deep, unshakable and endless.

Her heart sank every time these emotions raced through her. And she didn't know why. Sometimes tears welled up in her and she had to hold herself back to keep them from running down her cheeks, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

It made no sense… Yet it was there.

She must be crazy ! But maybe she felt this because the Fold had brought many misfortunes ? Upset so much life ?

The Fold was born out of madness and caused suffering. Not the opposite. Or maybe if… ? She shook her head. Maybe she was just too emotional ?

When she looked at the Fold, his heart hurting her. Terribly hurt.

And sometimes… Sometimes it was just like she was listening to someone's laments…

Those times were the worst.

N°2 :

« So cartographers, listen to me ! » Sergeant Yure Teplov shouted from the front of the boat. « Until we get there, stay at your posts. Under no circumstances leave the Skiff during the crossing ! »

Alina silently listened to the safety instructions, her gaze fixed straight ahead in the direction of the Fold. Black tendrils seemed to glide around him, constantly twisting and snaking as if trying to ensnare anything that approached…

Alina felt a searing, deep sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach as the Skiff slowly accelerated towards her.

This may have been the last time she stood in the sunlight…

Her heart was beating nervously in her chest as she tried to stabilize her breathing, swallowing her saliva. But she couldn't bring herself to look away from the twisting shadows before her…

She was so focused that she didn't notice the gust of wind that grabbed her scarf and pulled it away from her neck. Frantically, she turned to try to catch it, but it slipped through his fingers, the blue and gold piece of cloth already flying away from her, past the landing pad.

That's where she saw her.

A silhouette in the distance… A dark silhouette.

A man, she guessed. A man entirely dressed in black, whose cape fluttered in the wind, and who watched the Skiff move away.

Alina could not accurately describe what she felt at that moment.

It was as if his heart stopped beating for a moment before starting again, more alive than ever, on a different rhythm, unreal. There was a tug on his chest, like some sort of tether that was screaming at him to come closer. But she couldn't, and something inside her was itching.

She felt caught up, captivated by the sketch of this character that she would have liked to immortalize with pencil strokes.

Time seemed to slow down, that single moment stretching into a thousand more.

It was strange, invigorating and exhilarating.

And then, as suddenly as that feeling had washed over her, it disappeared as the world was entirely engulfed in darkness…

N°3 :

They entered the Fold.

And everything was dark. Dark and silent. It was almost like sailing through a cloud of smoke, except there was no heat or smell of fire. It was cold, and the rest of the world seemed to have disappeared, every sound from outside simply muffled by the shadows.

It was like being plunged into a cold, dangerous and eternal night…

The bow of the Skiff could no longer be seen, or even most of the passengers. Everyone held their breath, trying to master their fear. The darkness was never more frightening than when monsters inhabited it… Silence reigned, everyone on the lookout for the slightest flapping of wings.

As for Alina, she stood minutely aside, still in her position, forcing herself to stand on her trembling legs. It was too much. Too strong. Too stuffy. All these emotions that invaded her threatened to make her collapse.

She was mad at herself for having the stupid impulse to burn the Ravka-West maps. Pained for having condemned his colleagues to follow her, and anguished for what this long, very long crossing will or will not reserve for them. But worst of all, she was desperate. Desperate to get out of it, and to act as if nothing had happened. Desperate to be back in Ravka-East already and to resume the course of his usual schedule:

Laugh and have fun with Mal. Draw maps with Alexis. Put up with scathing remarks from Raisa and many more.

But something was wrong. It was all too striking. Violent. As if those emotions weren't fully his own. As if entering the Fold triggered them.

Did the others feel that too ? Or was she the only one ?

Worst of all, a burning feeling of loneliness invaded her, and she couldn't define it.

Loneliness…

She had never felt it while looking at the Fold, as if this feeling was the most buried of all. Buried in the heart of the misty monster, below the surface.

N°4 :

His position gave him an excellent view of the Skiff's slow approach towards the looming mass of shadows that formed the edge of the Fold. He took a heavy breath. This Skiff had every interest in returning intact. Its fabricators had spent months there, an opportunity to finally somewhat satisfy the king's wishes.

The Skiff was more than halfway out of the no sea, when a flutter caught his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. A blue and gold scarf had apparently been caught in the strong winds of his Squallers and was now drifting straight in his direction. Judging the distraction unimportant, he looked back at the Skiff. And while the latter was only a few dozen meters from the Fold…

The world seemed to slow down.

There was something on his chest, and that thing, so sudden, wrapped tightly around his heart, constricting it for a moment before pulling it forward. The pull he felt was so strong he almost tripped. He put his hand to his chest, flabbergasted. He couldn't accurately describe what he felt at that moment.

He straightened his spine, his thoughts struggling to try to make sense of what he was feeling. He considered, then dismissed the idea that it was the work of a Heartrender. During his long life, he had been victim to their power several times, and what he felt was nothing like the work of a corporalki.

No. It was as if his heart had stopped beating for a moment before starting up again, more alive than ever, on a different rhythm, unreal ; bringing him both a feeling of fullness and lack he had never experienced before.

The tightness in his chest, like some sort of tie wrapped around his heart, tightened again. Stronger than before, to the point that something inside him itched. And this time, he realized exactly which way she seemed to be pulling him.

Towards Skiff.

There was something important on that ship. Although he didn't know what it could be, his subconscious begged, screamed for the Skiff to come back. But it was useless. The Skiff had already reached the edge of the Fold, that single moment stretching into a thousand more, and within seconds it was swallowed up by darkness…

He remained frozen on the quay, his gaze still fixed on the place where the Skiff had disappeared. A moment passed, then another, and he took a shaky breath, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

The sensation had vanished along with the ship, and he now felt strangely empty…

He didn't know exactly how long it was before he noticed the curious gazes lingering on him, and he realized that he had stayed much longer than usual. Obviously, he had lost track of time.

Regaining control of his limbs, he forced himself to turn away, his path on the platform crossing that of an abandoned scarf.

He stopped himself.

It was the one that had flown in his direction when the Skiff left. He didn't know why, but he bent down to take the garment in his hands, examining it carefully.

The sewing work was clumsy, the embroidery and the fabric very simple. Probably it belonged to a young soldier.

He delicately ran his fingers along the golden patterns before folding the scarf and putting it in one of his pockets, naturally resuming his way to his tent to finally cut himself off from the prying eyes of the members of the first army.

Conclusion :

So... I don't know if anyone is going to read, or has read all of this, but if so thank you ! And your opinions are welcome !

[blairwaldcrf]

alina: "nikolai can find someone else to run the second army, someone else to be his bride."

nikolai: i am a man with two birds and but one stone 😏

[grishaverse-chaos]

Zoya for the ask game <3 (I'd love to hear your opinions on my favorite character)

omg tysm for the ask! (and to anon who also suggested zoya, sorry it took me so long to get round to it 😭)

why I like them: honestly she's just so fucking iconic, but I love how she's amazing and badass while not being one-dimensional! like she has flaws and she has trauma and insecurities and none of that takes away from her positive traits!!

why I don't: idk I feel like she has some ideas that I would disagree with - I haven't re-read the books in a while but I always got the vibe that she's pretty pro-military and particularly in favour of the second army. and like I get it! fun light-hearted fantasy books are not obligated to deconstruct entire social systems! but if I met her irl I think we'd argue about it lmao

favourite episode/scene: I love the scene in s2 where she agrees to ally with alina! I think it's really sweet and shows her character development

favourite season/movie: in terms of the books, I think she's best in the kos duology - as fun and iconic as she is in the s&b trilogy I think the backstory and development she gets in the later books really enhances her character

favourite line: oh this is so niche but “none of this had been fated; none of it foretold. there had been no prophecies of a demon king or a dragon queen, a one-eyed tailor, heartrender twins. they were just the people who had shown up and managed to survive. but maybe that was the trick of it: to survive, to dare to stay alive, to forge your own hope when all hope had run out. for the survivors then, zoya whispered to herself as the people before her knelt and chanted her name. and for the lost.”

I love the theme of fate/destiny vs free will in the grishaverse and this is honestly one of my all-time favourite quotes - I'm actually considering having part of it as my yearbook quote!

favourite outfit: ooooh I love her outfit for the shu han heist in s2 (although obviously, honourable mention to the blue ribbon™ just for being iconic)

otp: see my answer is different for fanon and canon. in canon I adore zoyalina, in fanfic I love zoyalai!

brotp: zoya and genya are literally the BEST friendship duo ever (although I also low-key ship them romantically). zoya and nina are not necessarily a good friendship but I love analysing their dynamic so they get an honourable mention anyway. oh and her cousin lada, the girl liliyana adopts - we barely see them interact but I think they would have had such a cute dynamic!!

headcanon: she's a cat person. this is actually true and accurate bc I say so. she 100% owns cats post-canon

unpopular opinion: she shouldn't have become queen at the end of row. as iconic as it is, I can't help but think that it would backfire politically, it'd have negative consequences for her relationship with nikolai, and it kind of sets back both characters' development. this feels too harsh but idk 😭😭 might write a longer post about it at some point

a wish: for her and nikolai to fix the issues in their relationship. bc yes, I think in canon they have Issues™ but this is a fixable problem! she just needs to stop putting him up on a pedestal!!

an oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen: imagine if she actually did become darkling 2.0 lmao. it'd never happen bc I think leigh bardugo would never do that, but it would be absolutely awful

5 words to best describe them: complex, iconic, motivated, forceful, lonely

my nickname for them: idk sometimes I call her z/zee in my head (and project this fact onto other characters who I think would do the same)

give me a character and I will answer...

[lightninstrikedragon]

Theory time!!!

I thing that Alina isn't acctualy the queen. And I have a theory for this. But before this I don't want anyone, especially Alina stans, to attack me for writing this.

So, in the final we see that Nikolai is crowned as the king, but i don't see Alina beeing crowded as the queen. This is a big questioning mark for me. Maybe they tought that it is oblivious that she is because she is betrothed/married to Nikolai. I didn't even saw the emerald back on her finger. I thing is something like "let's gave them something that makes it oblivious, but in fact is not". I think Alina wears a bigger crown because she is a living saint, the sun summoner, not because she is the queen. I thing the relationship between Nikolai and Alina is just political alliance and just that. Now that Alina is a part of the Triumvirate, she can't be queen too, right? It would be a little too much I guess because this way, the writers gave her too much credit for what she've done and uplifts her without having a good reason.

Also, I don't thing they will start season 3 with the KOS plot because:

1. Soc didn't happend and Nina isn't in Ravka (because she goes in a mission in Fjerda with Adrik and Leoni)

2.There is a gap of 2-3 years after the events in Ruin and Rising, witch in this time it happens SOC and CK

Even though we have hints about KOS (the bee lending on Zoya shoulder, the hint on Zoyalai at the end and Nina saying those things to Zoya about love), I thing they will try to fill those 2-3 years in Ravka that we don't have so many informations about.