#first of all a bunch of people say that the darkling only wanted to free his people and he did nothing wrong

[imruination]

shadow and bone fans have me screaming

[waldensblog]

Alright now that they’ve been living rent free in my mind for a few days now, I think I’ve figured out my feelings on different characters, etc. in the show. I haven’t read the books, so I don’t know what to expect for s2 or how different they are from book counterparts, I’m only going based on the show.

TL;DR: Darkling Fan; Darklina shipper; I love the Crows esp Inej; curious af what’s happening next season but gonna wait til s2 comes out before reading so I can be surprised. 

I definitely am a Darkling Fan. I was 100% shipping Darklina before I knew he was the villain, and then had hope he wasn’t really the villain (also because he’s hot). By the end, I fell into this interesting spot. I see his point of view, I understand it, though I disagree with his methods. I can see he did actually fall for her, and it made me keep hoping lol. I basically want a redemption arc for him and for Darklina to be a thing - not immediately, after the redemption thing. Probably not going to happen, but I can hope lmfao. So yes, I am a Darkling Fan and Darklina shipper, I guess! 

I like Alina, she’s an interesting character, and I liked seeing her grow, especially at the little palace where she started to fit in, make friends, etc. I really hope to see her Tidemaker friend again, because I was loving that bit, and how sincerely, truly happy and comfortable with herself she was becoming. While she was at the palace, I found her a bit... co-dependent with regards to Mal - like it makes sense she was missing him, but she kept saying things like “it will be fine when he’s here”, etc. and she wasn’t initially able to just... bond with her fellow Grisha who were very excited to have her there, and were trying to befriend her. It wasn’t until she “let him go” that she was able to really harness anything and start being herself. I loved how in the end, she was able to stand up and do things herself, and I am excited to see where she goes from here, and hopefully, she’ll make more friends along the way! I didn’t ship Malina - I see that they’re supposed to be a thing, but I personally prefer them as... siblings, I guess, given they grew up together. Idk, just not for me, I guess. 

The Crows: Inej is precious, and must be protected at all costs, though honestly I think she can do much of that herself. Jesper is hilarious, and I love his chaotic energy - constantly pulling shit off despite being completely sidetracked half the time, and his love for Milo the goat. Milo is also precious. Kaz is interesting, and honestly, has some big dick energy, wtf. Dude was 100% prepared to break into the palace and kidnap Alina despite all the security, straight up saw the Darkling face to face and was like “I’m going to poke this bear” by saying that “she fled on her own, she didn’t want to be a captive” thing, and then jumped on the ship with a bunch of people ready to kill them. The Crows are disasters and I love them. 

Other Grisha: I am curious where Zoya will go from here, since she turned on the Darkling - will she go back to the other Grisha, will there be a faction divide? Ivan was clearly a Darkling Stan, while David seemed to be questioning his life choices near the end. Genya was evidently on the Darkling side because of everything she’d been through (another not-agreeing-with-methods-but-I-do-like-this-girl character), and she felt this was the best chance for her, but I’m curious what side she’ll fall on if there’s a divide. Nina seems to not want to be involved with the Grisha at all anymore, and I think she’ll end up falling in with the Crows next season. 

Baghra: So at first I thought, she’s just trying to help Alina, then... I started to think... I’m not sure she’s trying to help Alina, so much as... just thwart her son’s plans. She told Alina she was helping her, right? And then when Aleks and Baghra are talking outside, she says she killed Mal and taunts that he’d need a good tracker to find Alina, now anyway. She didn’t kill Mal, after all - but not for lack of trying. From the backstory, we see that the Darkling isn’t the only one who tells half-truths to manipulate people. She framed the story a specific way when telling Alina, and she waited literally months to warn Alina at all about anything. She’s very mean to all her students (bee hive?!?!), so she’s clearly not a 100% benevolant character. Curious if her role is “done”, or if she’ll be back next season... very intriguing character. 

[cheekygreenty]

A Little Death - The Darkling x Reader

Enemies-to-lovers, one bed trope AND smut. You’re welcome 🖤

The mission went terribly, just as you said it would. You were always known to voice your concerns during meetings and this one was no different but he hadn't bothered to take your criticism into account.

The big bad Darkling couldn't stand you for that very reason or so he told himself. You were loud, outspoken, rude, and a control freak. You clashed and fought but he kept you there for perspective reasons, even though he never listened to you, like ever.

You laughed when the mission turned sour, earning yourself a glare from everybody, including him. If it wasn't the hours of sleep you lost to carry out the stupid mission in the first place, you would be heading toward Os Alta by now, but no. Everyone was tired and hungry and practically begging for a proper bed and not a makeshift cot in a tent, you included.

Vacancy was lit, the guests were checking in

You waited as the colorful keftas dispersed into the inn and as you approached the innkeeper to grab your keys, he hesitated.

'Only one room left.' He looked afraid to say it, does he think I need more than one? The confused look on your face kept until you saw General Kirigan appear out of the corner of your eye, looking right at you with a displeased look.

'Will it fit two people?'

'Yes Sir'

'Alright then, Y/L/N you're with me.' He took the keys and gestured for you to walk through the archway but you couldn't believe your ears. This man was the General of the Second-Army, almost as rich as the King but he had to share a room, with me no less?! Of all the bloody people on this journey, it obviously has to be me.

You bit back the rude remark that sat at the tip of your tongue and gave a curt nod. It's just one night and I'm ready to pass out.

'After you General' You forced a smile and watched as his irritation grew. Although you hated the man, you had to admit he was incredibly handsome, you weren’t blind. His dark onyx eyes always stood out against the pale of his skin, and the perfectly quiffed jet-black hair practically begged to have your fingers running through it.

His cape whirled around him as he walked past you, breaking you out of your trance. You guessed he knew where he was going as he ascended the wooden stairs and climbed to the top. Out of boredom, you counted the room numbers you passed not paying attention to him and stopped when you walked right into his rock-solid back. 'Saints- I'm sorry.' You blundered. I think that's the first time I've ever said sorry to him. He ignored you and walked into the room, inspecting it closely. You did too, but were cut short when you noticed the absence of another bed.

The room was fit for two

'There's only one bed' You dead-panned. You thought for a moment, looking around for a couch, an armchair, anything, but came up empty-handed. 'This is just great.' You sighed and looked to him. He had shed his heavy cape and donned his black kefta, staring at the one bed the same way you did.

'Well? What are we going to do?' You threw your hands up in exasperation 'Perhaps they have a tub I can-'

'Don't be ridiculous Y/N.' Y/N? I think that's the first time he's called me by my name.

'I meant to go wash, General. It's been a long week.' As opposed to some of the others, including the General, you had stayed in a tent over the past 2 days to gather intel. He and his flock stayed in inns and hotels, bathing in luxury and warmth.

'Yes, of course.' He stared into your eyes, holding your gaze for a hot minute before you looked away, suddenly feeling shy.

You put the bed situation at the back of your mind as you fetched some warm water and washed the grime of failed missions off. So much wasted time, all because nobody would listen to you, he wouldn't listen to me. If he weren't so gorgeous, I would kill him in his sleep.

Once you felt clean enough and your hair began to dry, you walked out of the washroom, enveloped by a towel as you searched your pack for anything you could sleep in. Perhaps the bath fogged up your mind, for you completely forgot the General was sharing the small space with you.

'You know you talk to yourself?' His voice scared the living daylights out of you. He was sitting back lazily against the headboard of the bed in his shirt and breeches smirking to himself. 'I think conspiring my death is reason enough for prison, is it not?' You couldn't tell if he was joking.

'I never said I would.' You bit back, grasp tightening around the flimsy towel.

'Because I'm too gorgeous?' He stood up from the bed and walked over to you. You never registered how much taller he was than you as his eyes scanned you up and down, like a predator hunting its prey.

'I need to get dressed, General'

'Hmmm, yes I can tell.' He took a bit of hair that hung in front of your face and held it between his fingers, the action sending waves of arousal through you, What- No. He was dangerously close, you could feel his breath tickle your ear and he was bound to hear your pounding heartbeat. But alas he moved away, sashaying into the washroom leaving you alone. I need a cold bath.

***

You were dressed for bed now, curled up on the left side of the bed. You were trying to sleep, really trying, but knowing he was laying right next to you only heightened your insomnia.

You knew he was awake too and he did little to hide it amongst the deafening silence of the room. You could feel the heat coming from his body, radiating an invitation for you to join him. You huffed loudly and turned again for the umpteenth time that hour, attempting to escape the weird tension in the room.

'Can't sleep?'

'Obviously.' Even in the dark, you knew he was smirking.

'I know something that would help.' Suddenly he was on top of you, caging you in with a hand at the sides of your head. You could feel the bare skin of his arm and chest as he slightly pressed down onto you, signaling that he wasn't wearing the black silk shirt anymore. Wherever his skin brushed against yours, it ignited that longing and need in you and it felt addictive.

I want you to touch me

'What are you doing? I thought you hate me.' Your proximity allowed for you to see the slight glistening of his eyes. They had an edge to them, a darkness you'd never seen before or never paid attention to.

'You're one to speak.' Taking one hand from beside your head, he so very slowly traced the side of your face, and your breath caught in your throat as he continued his way down your neck and further, stopping at your thigh where your nightgown had bunched up. 'I think it's time we stop this charade of ours.' As you concentrated on the feel of his fingers against your burning skin, he moved his head into the crook of your neck, his breath hot and exhilarating as he spoke.

'What charade' Your words came out with a deep exhale in anticipation of his actions.

'The one where we both pretend we don't want to fuck each other's brains out.'

Your eyes flew open at his crude remark but shut right back again as his lips gently kissed your collarbone and made their way up to your jaw, getting increasingly rough as he traveled. His hand at your thigh sneaked its way under the gown and now gripped your bare hip in a tight hold. 'What do you say?' His lips were now at yours, touching them as he spoke. All your logic flew out the window of the dingy inn. You didn't care that this was your General, or that he could kill you in an instant, all that mattered was that you needed him, and he wanted you.

'Ye-'

Before you even finished, his lips were hot on yours, devouring you in a bruising kiss. He pressed into you harder and if you had any reservations about his feeling towards you, they were flushed away as he made his arousal for you obvious. It fueled you, awoke your need to control with a jolt.

You fought for dominance, letting your mouth duel for any scrap of authority you could have over the man, but he kept you wrapped around his finger, tightening his grasp on you while simultaneously letting your mind run free with thoughts of him and only him. He was dangerous; intimidating.

She sought death on a queen-sized bed.

He began to pull away but to your surprise he only hauled you up with him, taking your thighs and forcing you into a straddle around his lap, not once letting his lips leave your body.

'You do it on purpose, don't you? Vexing and riling me up in front of others-' He took hold of the nightgown and pulled it up over your head before roughly grabbing your chin and letting his lips brush against your now swollen ones '-I swore to myself if you did it again, I would've thought you a lesson right before their very eyes.'

The General was quick to pull you back into him, bare chests pressed together and heartbeats merging into one. Your hips moved on their own accord, slowly drawing circles around his bulge.

'General I didn't take you for a man that stalled.' You spoke against his lips. You were done with his words, you needed his actions.

I want you to touch me there

Make me feel like I am breathing

At that, his hand let go of its deathly grip on your waist and quickly went to your core. Letting a deep growl out at your dripping wetness, he plunged a finger deep into you as his palm stroked your clit at an excruciatingly painful pace, too slow for your liking. You couldn't help keep the whimper down and he had the audacity to chuckle at your neediness.

'And I didn't take you to be so impatient.' He nipped at your shoulder as he picked up his pace, earning a series of moans from you. It was like music to his ears.

With your head against his chest, you rode your wave of pleasure out with his fingers still inside you, milking your first orgasm of the night.

Almost immediately he had you under him again and before you could register with your eyes, you felt the head of his cock nudging at your sensitive bud, as if begging for entry. It sent shivers up your spine, seeing him there at your mercy. He ran across your wet folds again and a throaty moan echoed around the room. Are you sure he's at your mercy?

You coaxed him to enter and once he did you felt euphoria. He stretched you out to your limits, filled you until you bottomed out. His eyes were tightly shut as he basked in the comfort of you. It felt just as good to be buried in you as it did to kiss you. You enveloped his senses and his mind. You were the only thing that mattered to him at that very moment.

'Saints Y/N.' His forehead fell against yours as he thrust in and out of you, bearing his weight on the arm not holding your thigh up.

Despite the pleasure clouding your mind and vision, you managed to grab at his vulnerability and flip you both around. He didn't fight back, only grabbed hold of the back of your neck to kiss you deeply as you pounded down onto him. His hold on your hip was deadly, bound to bruise. He liked the thought of marking you as his.

You came with a strangled cry, the pulsing around his length sending him into a frenzy of his own as your name spilled out like a prayer from his lips. It took a while for you to catch your breath and return to your natural state. But it didn't last long before the events of the night were repeated and more marks were littered across your body.

It was only then that you fell asleep, thoroughly spent and exhausted, awaiting the next time you could defy him.

_______

Taglist (Tell me if you want to be added!!)

@aleksanderwh0r3 @theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @lostysworld @0-artemis @exo-1204 @staradorned @bookfrog242 @simp-for-ben-barners @keepdaydreamingbb @acciorudolphx @pansysgirlfriend @pansysgirlfriend @justmesadgirl

[writingquestionsanswered]

I have read that “to know what your characters are made of, break them”. And while I have put my characters through hardships, I’m not sure those are interesting or enough to develop a good story and a progressive character arc. They lose people they love, have to fight, don’t have the greatest childhoods, have intrigue on the relationships, etc. However how do I know those things are enough? Hope this makes sense

“Breaking” Characters Isn’t Enough

Here’s the thing: creating characters and then putting them through hardships isn’t a story. It’s a detailed account of a bunch of bad things that happened to someone.

Stories need to have a purpose. In fact, they really need to have two purposes: yours and the protagonist’s.

Why Are You Telling This Story?

No one likes to hear a story that doesn’t have a purpose. People don’t like to have their time wasted. When characters are put through the wringer and that’s all that happens, all of that hardship is meaningless. So, what are you trying to say about people, the world, or a particular theme by putting this character through all of these hardships? Are you trying to illustrate that you can only be free once you’ve faced your fears? Are you trying to show that it’s possible to survive a certain type of trauma? Are you illustrating the dangers of a particular ideology? Are you trying to show that love conquers all? You don’t have to embed some deep moral message into your story, but you do need to have a reason for why you want to tell this particular story and why you think other people would find it interesting. What do you want people to take away from reading this story?

Why is Your Protagonist Doing What They’re Doing

Every successful story can be boiled down to this: someone who wants something: 

Bilbo wants to take the ring to Mordor so it can be destroyed and he can live a peaceful life. Bella wants to be with Edward and be a vampire. Katniss wants to survive the Hunger Games and take care of her family. Harry wants to defeat Voldemort. Alina wants to defeat The Darkling. Gansey wants to find the ancient Welsh king Glendower. Emma wants to make matches between all her friends. Kaz wants to break Bo Yul-Bayur out of the ice court. Luke wants to join the rebellion and defeat Darth Vader. Jo wants to live a life of her own making. Moana wants to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Mulan wants to be a soldier in her father’s place and fight to stop the Huns. Daenerys wants to defeat her foes and sit on the Iron Throne...

See my point? Stories are always about someone who wants something. Characters need to have a goal.

So, what is your protagonist’s goal? What is it they’re trying to achieve while all these terrible things are happening to them? Why do they want to reach that goal? In other words, what’s motivating them? And what are the stakes? In other words, what’s the best that can happen if they succeed and the worst that can happen if they fail?

Give Your Story and Characters Purpose, and the Rest Will Follow

As long as your story has a purpose, and your character has a purpose (aka a goal they’re trying to achieve), you will give meaning to all of the hardships you’re putting them through. You’ll give meaning to your story. :)

—————————————————————————————���——-

Have a question? My inbox is always open, but make sure to check my FAQ and post master lists first to see if I’ve already answered a similar question. :)

[writefightandflightclub]

Snarky space bois (Sub!Poe Dameron and sub!Tony Stark headcanons)

Warnings: 18+ only NSFW

GIF credits @rad-aar-blog​ and @the-darkling​

Poe Dameron and Tony Stark have major bratty switch energy. Don’t @ me, this is a cold hard fact. Here are some thoughts thots I had about the ways they’d be similar / different in being a bratty sub for you, at the times they let you take control. Why? Idk? Please indulge me? I don’t mean you’re with them at the same time but go for it if you think you can handle that much snark. 🙈

Things get explicit under the cut!

They would both be weak for a partner who was capable of kicking their ass. Like, they see their partner take someone down (with their body or their mind tbh) and they’re just like: Yikes 🥵 *instantly good to go*. Take me down and I’ll sass you for it the whole time but I’m gonna love it and lose it if you top me and I’ll moan so pretty for you. If you can pin them to the bed, their arms above their head while they writhe under you? Fuck. They’re basically drooling for you.

They’d definitely wanna relinquish control to you to ease the pressure of being a hero. To lose control on purpose, instead of by accident (especially Tony, my god). To not have to make decisions all the time. But they’re both cocky enough that they’ll let you know you’re never fully in control. (That is, until you work your magic and they become a hot, sweaty, unravelled mess for you.)

You’re one of the few people they’ve met who can give as good as you get. They love that you can put them in their place because, tbh, few can. That’s one of the reasons you’re so good at being a brat-tamer for them. That, and how much they know they can trust you in giving their body over to you. Plus, you know all the right buttons to press to have them eating out of your hand.

Honestly, you get high from the power; knowing you can dominate such a difficult and desirable man thrills you. They don’t often listen to orders in general, but knowing they listen to you? You feel unstoppable. And hot as hell. They love how powerful you are, and whether you’re shy or not they make you feel so comfortable and capable at taking control of things (in and out of the bedroom, whether that’s running a company or a squadron, they believe in you).

If you’re not a penis owner, well they definitely wanna be pegged by you 👀 They’re so good for you and take it so well. And those pretty eyes and noises they give you in return? The way they get so hard? You love to watch them lose it. Bonus if they come on their own stomach and you lick it off afterwards, with a slight hum into their skin letting them know how good they taste. If you do this they have died and gone to heaven, and even though they’re spent it still makes their cock twitch and seek for more sensations. Maybe round two? Or three?

The praise? Oh my god. They love getting it, for starters. Fuel their already healthy egos, please (especially Tony). It’s what they deserve. But they’re also givers. They’ll praise you so hard for everything you’re doing to them, for how good you make them feel, for how gorgeous you are inside and out, proclamations spilling from their lips until you swear you’re nearly coming undone before they are. It’s always their mission to try and get you to come before you intended to, while you’re domming them, and a few times they manage it. Then, you simply have to punish them to wipe that smug look off their face, and neither of you are mad about any of this tbh.

They don’t shut up. That goes without saying. Sometimes you put their mouth to better use, but you never wanna gag them - why would you want to stop these pretty noises and words that get you off so well?! They’re vocal when they come, obviously. Soft, warm groans that build from their chest until the sound is pouring from their open lips, eyes fluttering closed. It’s your favourite sound (and sight) in the galaxy.

They’re super eager to please you. They need you to know they can’t get enough of you. Plus it just feels good to pleasure you. And you know how Tony always gotta keep his mouth and his hands busy? You can make sure he puts them to good use, whether you order his hands on you or on himself.

So many lip bites.

Sometimes, they’re too good? Like, you try and use their mouth and they have you undone in moments, and you just have to make them build you up all over again. They’re not complaining (ok well they’re gonna sass you) and, trust me, neither are you.

Neither of them are particularly into being handcuffed or blindfolded (too many negative associations, and they prefer to have their hands free to touch you, tbh). They didn’t imagine being into bondage at all as it makes them feel so vulnerable. But, since they trust you, you gently help them discover their liking for a little rope play. If you manage to try out some intricate shibari I’m betting you’d particularly enjoy the view of that bound ass and thighs, just saying. Maybe you could even slide a toy in there, I’m.. 🥵 You especially love it when they’re a little bound, because it gives you something to grab on to or a way to manipulate their position until you have them just where you want them.

Look, they’re probably down for using all manner of sex toys, on them or on you. Or both! If you’re with Tony you know he will build you something custom too. And some of these things are pretty kriffing elaborate- he’s a genius after all, and he has a pretty good imagination, if you know what I mean. If you’re with Poe, he’ll bring something back that he spotted on some alien planet and is keen to try, and at first you’re sceptical but you quickly get on board and boy, you’re glad you did. In fact, he teases you about how hard you came for weeks afterward.

They’ll try most things once. They have an adventurous spirit. Like, for example, I totally think you could convince them to wear your/some fancy underwear for a day, if it fits them. You didn’t think it’s something you’d ever be into, but Poe looks especially good in a pair of something pink and lacy, don’t look at me, bye.

A little bit of degradation is fine for them too, when you’re both in the mood. Like, if you call them names or rub your juices in their face. Maybe you spit on their cock too and make them rub it in. Maybe you call them your slut as you slide that toy or your fingers into their ass or palm their hard, needy cock.

Tony likes it if you bite him. Or scratch him. He doesn’t care if you leave marks. In fact, he likes it if you claim him as yours, for everyone to see.

Poe will almost nut any time you yank his curls. Touching his hair is a great way to get him hot under the collar in public. He especially likes it if you grab on while you use his mouth, or as you yank his head and say darkly, “look at me”, or at whatever you’re doing to him. You won’t let him close those pretty eyes while you ride him. He loses control of himself so quickly at the sight of you, it’s unreal.

They are not opposed to some light spanking, the smack of your palm on their ass or even thighs.

They like it if you carry things out of the bedroom. Like, if you sidle up to Poe in the hangar and whisper in his ear that he’s so good for you he’ll forget everything except your name and follow you obediently back to your room. It’s a good job he remembers your name as you’re gonna make him say it. A lot.

You love to tease them and get them to beg, because they don’t beg easily. You are more than up to the challenge though. You’ll edge them like no-one’s business until they’re shivering with need, and you milk every last drop of sass and cum from their body.

They want the world to know how amazing and hot and perfect you are, and they have zero embarrassment or shame. Like, half the world/base probably knows exactly what you’re into and how good you make them feel after a bunch of rather thinly veiled innuendos and jokes and comments. They never reveal anything too personal, of course, and respect your privacy. You know they’re just proud and don’t care who knows it. You’re not entirely mad at the bragging (you like to show them off too)... but you will make them suffer for it later.

You love the ongoing dynamic, and the fact that things can switch up at such short notice. You never know what you’re going to get and you keep each other on your toes. Most importantly though, you love and trust each other to the ends of the earth.

The pet names they have for you? So cute it’s almost obscene. Except a long list of terms which end up being banned by the other rebels/avengers because they work their way into every comms link, briefing, announcement, and group hang.

Afterwards? Look, these two boys are soft in the middle, and so full of love. Sometimes they might even cry a little afterwards, or sometimes you do. But they’re happy tears as you’re each so overwhelmed by sensations (and sometimes overstimulated) and by love. You try and look after them and it ends up being the other way around. They’re gonna cuddle and snuggle and kiss you everywhere. These boys are tactile and can’t get enough of touching you and letting you know they love every inch of you. They do wanna be little spoon, at first, but eventually it’s not enough and they flip around and hold you so tight like they’re never gonna let you go. They run warm and there’s no cosier or softer embrace, honestly. You feel entirely safe, and they feel safe with you.

If they do need a bit of care afterwards though, they love to curl up in your lap while you stroke their hair. To them, that’s their own personal heaven.

The snuggles usually only end when they get snacky (and like, actually snacky, and not just what they say when they wanna pleasure you all over again). But then you might make your way to the rec room/tv room and everyone else clears out, because they know you both fight so hard that every moment you have together is precious.

[sheikah]

How do u think the show will handle Alina’s character. The way I interpreted it, the whole plot of TGT was a twist on the chosen one trope. She was the chosen one but unlike other popular chosen ones, I felt like she never truly loved her power. She just wanted to be free and happy, which is totally fair. She was forced to use her power to save the world but at the end of it all she wanted was to be left alone. I think Leigh didn’t do the best job of this trope but I think that’s what she intended. I wonder if the show will do this trope better or make Alina embrace her power which IMO changes her character, or at least my interpretation of her.

This is a great question, because I think different interpretations of how Alina feels about her power really change how one views her character. Personally, I think Alina started the series just wanting to be left alone and not embracing her power. But I think that over time she did grow to embrace it. I pulled out a lot of book quotes under the cut, because I am very emotionally invested in ambitious/power-hungry Alina haha.

So I think it starts in S&S when she gets the sea whip amplifier and can feel and enjoy the way it adds to her power, but it isn’t really something she acknowledges until the end when she tricks the Darkling. When she uses his power, we’re in her head, getting her thoughts. It isn’t just about her manipulating him. Yeah, she’s doing what she needs to do, but she likes it:

This was not the way he'd touched me in my visions, when he'd come to me as shadow. This was real, and I could drown in it. Power flowed through me--the power of the stag, its strong heart beating in both our bodies, the life he'd taken, the life I tried to save. But I also felt the Darkling's power, the power of the Black Heretic, the power of the Fold.

Like calls to like. I'd sensed it when the Hummingbird entered the Unsea, but I'd been too afraid to embrace it. This time, I didn't fight. I let go of my fear, my guilt, my shame. There was darkness inside of me. He had put it there, and I would no longer deny it. The volcra, the nichevo'ya, they were my monsters, all of them. And he was my monster, too.

This was the beginning, I guess, but there are way more instances in R&R when Alina ponders on her own lust for power. 

Gradually, she is willing to admit, both to herself and others, that it isn’t just about beating the Darkling, she wants the firebird and the power of the third amplifier:

I wasn't sure what was driving me, if it was my need for vengeance or something higher, if it was hunger for the firebird.

.

.

Baghra's hand shot out. With surprising accuracy, she seized my wrist.

"Put your hunger aside, Alina. Do what Morozova and my son could not and give this up."

My cheeks were wet with tears. I hurt for her. I hurt for her son. But even so, I knew what my answer would be.

"I can't."

He'd killed animals and then brought them back to life, sometimes repeatedly, delving deeper into merzost, creation, the power of life over death, trying to find a way to create amplifiers that might be used together. It was forbidden power, but I knew its temptation, and I shuddered to think that pursuing it had driven him mad.

.

"I won't deny it. I want the firebird. I want the amplifiers' combined power."

.

"It doesn't matter why I'm using the Cut, what I'm doing with the power. It always feels good."

Eventually, she realizes Mal is an amplifier, but still wants the power his death could provide:

I had the sense of a door swinging open, and all I wanted was to step through--this taste of perfect, gleaming elation was nothing compared to what lay on the other side. I forgot where I was, forgot everything but the need to cross that threshold, to claim that power ... The burn of power was almost unendurable, a dull whine that filled my head. My heart beat so hard I thought I might not survive it. I needed to walk through that door ... I wanted to blot out this knowledge, carve it from my skull, because I hungered for the power that lay beyond that golden door, desired it with a kind of pure and aching fever that made me want to tear at my skin. The price for that power would be Mal's life.

There are also the iconic scenes with the Darkling when she realizes that she’s drawn to power the same way that he is:

.

"You were meant to be my balance, Alina. You are the only one who might keep my power in check."

"And who will balance me?" The words emerged before I thought better of them, giving raw voice to a thought that haunted me even more than the possibility that the firebird didn't exist. "What if I'm no better than you? What if instead of stopping you, I'm just another avalanche?"

I include all these because I don’t think book!Alina wanted to be left alone and powerless at all. It’s one of the big problems I have with the ending of R&R. Alina didn’t willingly sacrifice her power. She sacrificed Mal (albeit at great personal cost and with a lot of grief) for the power of the third amplifier. But when that power went to create other Sun Summoners, it was a surprise. She didn’t anticipate it, and didn’t want it. And while the ending is a happy one and I’m sure Alina and Mal are perfectly happy at Keramzin living a normal life, there’s always this passage about Alina mourning the loss of her powers that haunts me a little bit:

“You might make me a better man.”

“And you might make me a monster.”

The boy and the girl had both known loss, and their grief did not leave them. Sometimes he would find her standing by a window, fingers playing in the beams of sunlight that streamed through the glass.

So, to finally answer your question, I actually personally interpret book!Alina as having embraced and wanted her power, but I think the show will characterize Alina in much the way you said. Alina will be the reluctant Chosen One. She will be humble and do her duty to save Ravka, but in a way befitting Sankta Alina. I don’t think we’re going to get glimpses of Alina reveling in her power or the prospect of dark!Alina. I wish we would! But we most likely won’t have a first-person POV or voiceover showing her thoughts to show us these inner conflicts, and even if we did, I anticipate a change in the writing/story that will mean a change in Alina as well. 

Archie is in every episode of season one. At least, he’s credited for all of the episodes on IMDb. If that holds up when the show actually airs, it means significant changes in Mal’s inclusion in the story (because Mal is hardly in most of S&B) and thus the Mal/Alina relationship. And the biggest thing holding Alina back from embracing her powers has always been Mal. She loved him and her life at Keramzin so she suppressed her powers when the examiners came as a child because subconsciously she didn't want to leave him. Then after her powers were revealed she and Mal fought about them. Her status as the Sun Summoner was the biggest conflict in their relationship. It made Mal feel like she didn’t need him, and Alina even says that while the people wanted her to be a “Grisha queen,” “Mal wanted a commoner queen.” And there are a bunch of examples of similar sentiments from when they argue. So if the show is going to have more Mal/Alina, which I suspect it will because Leigh wants to change fandom perspective on her preferred and endgame ship (and because Leigh said in one of her instagram live sessions that she thinks Archie’s portrayal is going to win over people who aren’t fans of Mal), I imagine there will be less ambitious Alina, for better or for worse.

[wlwinry]

Number 1, with our fave, Elizabeth

Porompt: “Well, what can I say? I’m a badass.” I promised you vigilante vampire Elizabeth and that, Iris, is what you get! Enjoy!

[or: au where Elizabeth is killed trying to find the Seven Deadly Sins, only to be Turned into a vampire by Gelda; seven years later, Elizabeth is a wandering “vigilante” who kills the worst scum to walk the streets]

She spat out the gore of the torn throat, swallowing the blood that leaked from the ripped-out flesh. The would-be rapist–an asshole who eyewitnesses and victims whispered led innocent women and girls out to the back alleys of the village tavern and took advantage–lay dead at her feet, mutilated beyond recognition, a bleeding hollow left where his throat had been. She ran her tongue across her fangs, clearing them of the bastard’s blood before retracting them once more to the point where they looked ordinary, and she looked human.

Well, as close to human as someone like her could get, anyway. 

A mirthless smile curved her lips as she licked her deceptively delicate hands clean of ruby-red gore, clearing blood from under her fingernails. As soon as she pulled up the hood, she’d be another face in the crowd, another traveler passing in and out. Stay any longer, and people would get suspicious, but leave now and she’d go down in legend yet again as a mysterious protector, the pale wraith who brought judgement upon the cruel and cowardly, who took their lives as payment for their misdeeds, and left them drained of their own lifeblood in various gruesome ways.

The world had their own theories on what she was, who she was–a god, a monster given human form, the illegitimate daughter of the deceased King of Vampires (which was surprisingly close to the mark), and of course, the only accurate one of the bunch: the lost princess of the kingdom of Liones, presumed dead and Turned by a mysterious vampire that escaped the destruction of the captured city of Edinburgh. It was ironic, really, how much that theory got right–and how many people therefore dismissed it as being “too outlandish.” Perhaps truth was stranger than fiction in this case, but it didn’t make it any less funny when she heard about her own exploits in taverns and the truth of her story was said to be simply too strange to be real.

A huff of amusement escaped her as she kicked the fallen body onto its stomach, tugging her hood up over her head as she turned toward the exit of the alley–and froze, shifting subtly into a fighting stance at the sight of a cloaked figure mirroring her own position, face hidden by their own hood.

Then the figure laughed, bringing her delicate hands together to applaud for her. “That was magnificent, darling! You’ve grown so much stronger since last we met.”

Elizabeth relaxed at the familiar voice, smooth as smoke over silk and dangerous bloodstained satin–not dangerous to her, not yet, but every bit as deadly as she herself was. “Well, what can I say? I’m a badass.”

“Oh, yes, I know.” The woman stalked up to her, heels clacking lightly over cobblestones; she would never understand her sire’s fondness of such finery, a fondness actually shared by most of her people. It seemed she hadn’t gotten the memo in that regard, or perhaps it came with being raised a princess, that she found such things almost mundane. She still adored a lovely dress and the aesthetics appealed to her, but when she looked back upon the naive little girl she’d been and the warrior she was now…well, maybe it wasn’t so strange that she wanted to distance herself from the past.

One of those pale hands reached out to her, moon-white skin practically glowing under the faint starlight. She wasn’t foolish enough to refuse it, instead linking her arm with her sire’s, sensing the approval within her at the action as she was led out of the alley and down the street. “So,” Elizabeth started, knowing well the other woman’s fondness for dramatics, “what have I done to warrant the honor of a visit from the Lady Gelda?”

Gelda chuckled, the edge of her blonde braid spilling out from beneath the velvet cloak’s hood as she angled her head toward Elizabeth. “Can’t a sire visit her favorite darkling?”

“Mmm, not really. You told me when I left the clan that I’d be on my own from here on out.” Elizabeth slid her gaze to the flicker of scarlet beneath the hood, mirror to her own–to the eyes that all royal vampires had. She hadn’t exactly expected to go from a human princess to on-par with the current vampire leader (though apparently that was to be expected, Gelda had told her–a newly Turned vampire would most likely be the level just below their sire, or occasionally the same level. Once in a blue moon, a new darkling would rise to a level higher than their sire’s, but Gelda was already at the highest level remaining after the death of Izraf…though sometimes she caught a strange, wary look in Gelda’s eyes, like she didn’t know what Elizabeth was), but it had happened all the same.

Oddly enough, she wouldn’t change a thing.

Gelda clicked her tongue. “While that’s technically true, I figured you deserved a courtesy call about the…new situation developing in Liones.”

Instinctively, Elizabeth tensed up, though she hid her turmoil as well as her sire did, never slowing her pace or letting her faintly-amused mask falter for a second. But Liones…it was her homeland, the place she’d fled in an attempt to save long, long ago. The place where her killer still resided, and probably walked free, and the corruption of the Holy Knights still kept her father captive. She knew bits and pieces of what had happened over the past seven years–the false Grand Masters’ search for her blood, and the hunt for the legendary Seven Deadly Sins, but not much else. She hadn’t set foot in that land since she’d learned of the bounty of her head, but if there was a new development… “Situation, schmituation. Liones is none of my concern anymore.”

Gelda’s smile was a bright slash in the shadows–she knew the game well, had taught Elizabeth precisely how to play. “Oh, but I think you’ll find this one interesting, darling.” Her fingers drummed lightly on her arm–long, and delicate, and yet just as capable of ripping hearts from chests and crushing throats and tearing people in half as Elizabeth’s equally long, delicate musician’s fingers. “Apparently, the Holy Knights of Liones have captured and subdued the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, Meliodas.”

Elizabeth stopped short at that, her eyes widening. Memories flickered in her mind’s eye, swimming like minnows–too many to count and too fast to catch, green eyes bright smile hurt, so much hurt and grief deep below the surface–before dissipating with a blink. Meliodas–she knew the stories of Meliodas, knew that the Dragon’s Sin of Wrath was a monster in terms of strength, that he had been the one to destroy the once-thriving kingdom of Danafor, knew that someone like him should not possibly have been subdued by the likes of the Holy Knights. “How?” she demanded, unable to stop herself. “How the hell–”

“Those in control of Liones have started meddling with forces they do not understand.” Gelda’s tone was flat, dangerous–as close as she’d ever heard her sire get to viciously, openly angry. “They began experimenting with the Demon Clan–”

“The Demon Clan?”

“Yes, Elizabeth, the Demon Clan–not all of them were sealed away three thousand years ago.” Gelda turned, facing her. For the first time since she’d happened upon her in that alleyway, Elizabeth could see her face clearly, ruby-red eyes piercing her as strands of blonde hair fell in her eyes, more disheveled than she’d ever seen her. “They’ve begun forcing new recruits to take demon blood into their veins, and more and more of them are becoming obedient monsters at the beck-and-call of the highest-ranked Knights. With the Sin of Wrath incarcerated–quite possibly being experimented on or tortured, given his bloodline–and as of now unable to escape, the other Sins will take it as an act of war and converge upon the capital of Liones, only to be faced with a host too powerful, too numerous to conquer.”

Elizabeth blinked, swallowed harshly, feeling her world tilt off its axis. Rage–burning, all-consuming rage was starting to bubble up at the knowledge of what had been done to her kingdom, her people…and deep, nauseating guilt for abandoning them to this. “Why are you telling me this?” she rasped.

Gelda’s gaze was blade-sharp. “Because they are expecting the Sins. They are not expecting a vampire queen with the ability to walk in sunlight. They are not expecting you.” She stepped forward, staring Elizabeth down. “Hendricksen needs to be stopped. The Demon Clan needs to be stopped.”

“I ca–”

“Can’t? Why not?” Gelda swept an arm out, gesturing to the empty streets. “People have gone home safe, happy, unafraid because of you, called your deeds heroic, legendary. I am no hero, Elizabeth–I have a duty to my clan, my people, and besides, my fire is no match for Hendricksen. For you.” Her eyes narrowed. “I won’t make you go–it’s up to you. But like I said, this is a courtesy call–and a warning.”

“A warning?” she repeated, still reeling from everything Gelda had said. More powerful than her–how–Demon Clan–here? Meliodas–Meliodas, I know you, I know–

The stare she got in return was cold. “One kingdom has already fallen. Without you to save it…” She shrugged–and then vanished into the night, as though she’d never been there at all.

Elizabeth stared at the place where she’d been, blinking, considering…and then as the first rays of dawn painted the sky in blood and fire, she turned on her heel, setting on a course toward the past she’d run from so long ago. And despite everything, despite the battle ahead and the poison crawling across the kingdom she’d loved, despite all that was lying on the rugged path before her, a dark, vicious smile curved her lips.

You might be a monster, Hendricksen, but so am I.

And I am your worst nightmare.  

[perfect-corroscience]

Chapter 32: The Bridgehead

“It seems there’s no longer any way to stop Animata’s rampage.”

In the last chapter, the crew got warped to yet another strange planet. They fought alien creatures, ran into a robot soldier, and were led to his king - who turns out to be 54B2. Needless to say, everyone is... very confused.

32-1 We never imagined we would really find survivors.

“You are kindred, fellow citizens of this world. To us, you are a beacon of hope.”

Concluding thus, the Oxsecian king welcomes you with open arms.

Not long ago the Oxsecians were bitter enemies. Now they surround you – but they’re disarmingly friendly. Eerily so.

Still, here you can finally settle down and rest. Unable to resist that temptation, you decide to stay a while.

So the god of the planet turns out to be a sentient technological lifeform, the party has traveled to several other worlds, but time travel? 

Pfffffft, that’s only in stories

              “A supply run to the bridgehead…”

              According to Proto, the troops stationed there are setting up a critical operation as a foothold in the campaign against Animata.

              “Well, no point in just sitting around here, after all. Let’s lend a hand.”

              And so you join the Oxsecian ranks.

 Someone in one of the irc channels noted it was weird that nobody was saying a thing about supposedly joining the king’s army and destroying Animata. I think the general gist is that the party is still very bewildered about what just happened, only just able to begin recouping, nobody beyond the wildlife are attacking, and it’d be good to find out more. 

And how better than to help Proto and the king?

The first battle introduces this enemy, whose notable for its de-leveling skill. It has a fairly large range, and basically means taking it out ASAP is a priority. Otherwise, stay out of their AOE. 

It’s worth noting that they’re quite vulnerable to being confused… that being said, the only units who can cause confusion are Kana, R’zonand, and Yukken(^); of the three I can see people using Yukken, though the confusion comes from her Chaos Arrows skill(s). I guess you could use Kana or R’zonand if you really wanted to use their confusion inducing skills while being so extraordinarily unlucky you never managed to pull any adventurer that specialized in healing?

The next four battles introduce these two goblin enemies. Their skills are self-explanatory and all but say that this chapter mainly has sword enemies in the same way chapter 31 had spear enemies.

My team for this chapter was Olber/Bajanna/Ma’curi/Koko/Sorman/Odin. Olber provides some damage while being a tank/support for the team, while Bajanna, Ma’curi, and Odin dish out the damage. Koko is probably the one unit I personally could take or leave for this team. I took her mainly because I hadn’t invested in a lot of spear users – I’d have otherwise taken Djugan or Clara if I bothered with Vengeful Heart.

Other possible units:

·        Kem and Djugan (or, since it’s now at update 5.5.x, their recodes) can be brought along, as they provide the same function for spear units as Pahrl/Korin and Ka’pori/Manmer, respectively.

·        Suoh in his third job gets Phys Attack x1.2, which makes him a pretty good damage dealer. Camellia(^) is a decent spear unit, and you could probably make an interesting team with her and a bunch of male units to take advantage of her Femme Fatale equip skills. Clara is free from Vengeful Heart and seriously useful + her recode gives her some good range.

·        If you don’t have a ton of these units, it’s perfectly viable to recode Odin, then recruit and SB/level another one, then put both in the party.

·        Jaguna^ makes a fairly interesting spear user while being able to provide healing – which can come in handy for 32-10, and like Suoh and Camellia she can be SB’d using PoF.

·        Beyond that I guess if you’re lacking in spear units just ply on any good sword units you have.

 32-2 The scars of battle are everywhere.

Four battles. These two are introduced. I like how the Kirusk is a Gnorusk except with frickin’ laser beams. As an anon on the Terra Battle wiki sums it up:

I didn’t bother setting up for the last floor, which is unfortunate since I can’t really make any good pincers that chain everyone together. Nor would I have enough time to.

Ow. Olber’s Self-Sacrifice skill (he takes all damage inflicted upon allies until he’s at 1HP) is a bit of a blessing and curse. Still, he’s amazingly tanky – and he’ll become even more of a tank when recoded.

32-3 You trek all day and night, yet your destination is still a long way off.

              You trek all day and night, yet your destination is still a long way off. The remains of wrecked and ruined machines litter your path.

This stage has only three battles. In each we see a bunch of sleeping Bloblins. Naturally, they’re asleep until a couple turns pass or they’re attacked.

If you maneuver carefully, you can pincer them in smaller groups and not have to worry about waking them up. This picture was after I took out the Bloblins in a column, then the upper row.

The last floor is interesting in that it throws a pair of Sands of Time at you. I prioritized taking them out, waking up the Blobins be damned, and pincered them with Odin (85+ SB%) and Ma’curi (100%) to ensure I killed them. Spear units sure get a lot of good AOE in their attacks.

32-4 Not a soul in sight…

It must’ve been quite disheartening to King 54B2 and the Oxsecians to go about, day after day, seeing their land destroyed and decimated…

First enemy medic of the chapter! The tried and true method of going for the healer first will be useful.

32-5 You’re already surrounded.

              As the sun sinks towards the horizon, the alien beasts’ madness only grows with the darkness. A rank odor arises as well.

              Proto keeps a sharp lookout. An unsettling presence looms.

              “It feels like we’re being cornered…”

              Taking the lead, Proto forges ahead in an attempt to dispel the air of unease. The rest of you trail behind like magnets.

              But you’re already surrounded.

Three battles, the last of which is against a boss. There’s Carrion Cutters, and this thing,

…a greener and more poisonous version of the Mudcrawler. Same mechanics apply; it leaves behind a space of toxic slime that poisons any non-levitating unit that goes over it. The slime won’t disappear immediately when it’s killed.

Maybe it’s just me, but that green shade makes it look more adorable.

The boss of the stage, who is accompanied by two Toxicrawlers and Carrion Cutters each (he can occasionally resummon the latter). His noteworthy skill is One-Eyed Counter. Its description says it all – any unit that he can “see” will be hit with a counterattack. This can make double pincers (he’s a 2x2 boss) dangerous, especially with weak units and bow units. Rake will ruin their day.

It’s a good idea to put bulkier (ideally non-bow) units on his right side so they can sponge the counter, and keep HP topped off. Olber’s Evasive Arts, Chain came in handy for me.

Units can/will be displaced during counters, but on the bright side, if they were positioned to pincer, said pincer will still fire off. Wouldn’t it be annoying if that weren’t the case?

I wonder how he got that scar.

32-6 The alien beasts prowl even the most roundabout paths.

              No matter how many you sweep away, they keep coming like endlessly propagating dust. No matter how many fall, more rise to take their place.

              There’s no avoiding them, either. The alien beasts prowl even the most roundabout paths, patiently waiting.

 That’s a good simile.

So, before I started this stage, I tossed on a partially leveled Shadowy Rod (an A-class companion I got from using a Companion Ticket a while back; passively grants +20% HP and +20 Def/MDef at max level) onto Olber. At level 84, his HP is 4897.

Almost 1000 HP! That’s very nice. Though I’d gotten it from the CoT, it’s worth noting this otomo can be obtained from evolving a Twilight Wand (D-class and dropped from a few stages – 9-4/12-8/15-7/25-3) and/or a Darkling Wand (evo of the former, dropped from 14-5 and 31-6). The evo path goes Twilight Wand > Darkling Wand > Gloomy Wand > Shadowy Rod.

Anyway, this stage has four battles against Slash Goblins.

32-7 You’ve come across a perfect hiding place.

I’m not surprised the party has gotten lost. They’ve been hounded all the way since they left, they probably had to detour at some point.

The last battle is notable for having a pair of Revivers, safely hidden in a ring of Goblins. Luckily, everyone is strong enough that I can pincer each part of the ring and, with the aid of a Powered Point, clear them out.  

From there, the Revivers are easy pickings. It helps that you have four turns to kill them.

32-8 Everyone is distracted by the same thought.

The Sands of Time make a return, and that’s about all that’s notable for this stage. The story’s more interesting. How come we never hear about Oxsecian mothers?

32-9 The horizon blazes red, bleeding crimson into the atmosphere.

There’s a question that goes unasked: just who or what was capable of reducing a camp to smoking ruins? Not only quickly, but to the point that the party doesn’t notice anything?

Snoozing, or genuinely sleeping, since it’s dark?

There’s a few different approaches that can be done here – I prioritized the Bloblins since there’s no harm in Ma’curi’s and Odin’s AOE Spear skills hitting the Kirusks and those horizontal laser attacks won’t hit the party. Since Bajanna’s closer to the Bloblins, I kept her out of the pincer chain (though if I could’ve she’d be beside Odin or at the very bottom) and had Olber and Sorman lead the pincers.

One of the battles sticks a bunch of these guys together. Vertical pincers are the way to go. Finally, it’s in this stage, but there’s some slightly higher-leveled version that have a chance of dropping a Stalwart Sword.

32-10 That lovely gradient fractures, splitting straight down the middle!

It’s not a bad idea to bring two healers for this battle, or otherwise someone with decent healing abilities. Olber was really useful here, his Lambda form would be moreso, Jaguna^ as mentioned is another possible choice, and there’s a ton of healing otomos. The other slots are packed with your hardest-hitting units.  

I kind of wish there’d be a change in the background to reflect what the party’s seeing, but this is a relatively inoffensive example of the background not really showing much. I’ve... got a lot of gripes with the backgrounds for chapter 37...

Meet Apirath.

It starts by teleporting the units you have in slots 4-6 away and fleeing.

I apparently didn’t have screencaps of these guys when I first did this, so I went back and redid the stage to grab some. You’ll see these Magic/Power Amps in each battle (there’s just one Amp in each fight, but not 1 Magic Amp and 1 Power Amp). You have two turns to take them out before they retreat, and you will want to do that ASAP.

Battle two and four bring you to whatever weird warphole your other units got transported to, where some mini-Apiraths accompany the Amp.

What potentially makes this stage tricky is that you have half a team, with one slot likely dedicated toward a Healing character. If your units have low SB, that could be annoying too.

On the bright side, you’re evenly matched.

The party rejoins for the final battle, and the boss shows itself. If there were any Amps left alive, they will buff Apirath’s relevant stat by 50%. This is a permanent boost; if too many Amps were left alive, then it’s pretty much a total party kill whenever it attacks – and its other skills are pretty annoying too.

Goes without saying it’s good to clear the mooks first.

When it does the customary glowing-to-signify-it’s-charging-up, it’s preparing to use Breath Attack. Horizontal double pincers are the best way to handle it. It’s got beefy defenses, but with time it goes down.

              Your companions are all back and all accounted for. The bizarre phenomenon you experienced is new even to Proto. He relates all that has happened to the king.

              The king listens with a look of agony. It seems there’s no longer any way to stop Animata’s rampage. There are few options left. The Oxsecian king must make a choice.

              “Gather the people.”

              “You’ve decided to tell the people, then, sire?” The royal advisor’s voice is a mixture of chagrin and resignation.

              “Aye. This world has no place for us anymore. We’ve lost.”

              The Oxsecian king grits his teeth, steeling himself. Then…

And on that bittersweet note, so ends chapter 32. I don’t think anyone really knows what the hell Apirath even is.