#nikolai x mal

[sky-neverending]

malkolai save me malkolai

[whatever-came-to-mind]

Nikolai Lantsov has chemistry with EVERY person he even looks at

[alexmacc]

the fact that nikolai gave mal his lucky compass (that dominik clearly states he NEVER parts with) is sending me into an alternate universe

[cluelessredhead11]

Nikolai and Mal have so much chemistry, like how are they not a couple they would be the absolute best and I ship them so much

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Moi Zvezdy

Fandom: Shadow and Bone (TV) Summary: They're wonderful, beautiful, and only he can reach them. Warnings: Nudity, non-sexual bathing, illusions to sex Word Count: 1,246 Ship(s): Mal Oretsev/Alina Starkov/Nikolai Lantsov

Archive link!

A/N: Hello! I've returned to bring you more of this throuple because they and the Crows as a polycule have me in a choke hold right now. This can be read as the same universe as Truthful Promises but isn't necessarily. I hope that you all enjoy! Stay sissy and bitchy everyone <3

Mal was nothing if not efficient.

He was always the first to finish the training exercises that they were given in the army, and to get them through their missions without the dawdling that some of the other ranked officers did. Back when he was living in the orphanage, he had completed every task that was given to him like he lived in a semi-parallel universe where time worked differently for him. As a child it had given him more time to explore and play, but as an adult the only thing that it gave him was time to think about his partners and to sleep.

This time, though, he had managed to convince his leading officer that they had finished early enough that they could head back to the palace like they had been planning. Now that they had secured their borders and settled the battle with Fjerda, the missions that they went on only ever lasted up to two weeks and he was allowed to go back to his home in between them. 

That was what had resulted in him stalking through the gates of the Imperial Palace, sweaty and grimy from walking across half of Ravka but never once had he been more full of energy. His heart was thrumming so loudly in his chest that he was sure every heartrender wandering the halls would be able to hear him. He’d probably be a nuisance if he so much as thought about stepping foot into the slowly disassembling Little Palace next door.

He didn’t bother to stop by the room that he always slept in when he was at the palace for longer than a moment. He dumped the pack and gun that he had used during his mission and then also shed his outer layer. If he had a smidge more patience then he might have used the water pitcher in the bathroom next to his room to fill the basin just enough that he could wash the grime that was clinging to the sides of his face and behind his ears. He had none, not after he had spent an entire month away from the people that had a permanent residency in his heart.

Mal darted out of his room and continued down the grand halls of the palace while trying to hide the smile on his face. None of the guards or attendants paid him a second of attention, other than a few of his friends welcoming him back to his home. He liked the brevity of it since it was fairly obvious that he had a self-assigned mission and they all understood that.

Finally, he found the place that he had been rushing to get back to the entire time that he had been away. He only felt at home when he was within those four walls, surrounded by the brightness that they both brought.

The hallway was completely devoid of people, which was a good thing. He knew that the others found it a little disturbing or at least embarrassing when someone overheard them in their most intimate moments. The lonesomeness gave him the chance to grasp the doorknob and slowly push it open so that he could see the scene that was unfolding inside.

The bedroom was huge and mostly empty, furniture dotted around in specific places that would make it seem slightly less cacophonous. They were all orantely detailed with cold and silver, carved with the finest of knives by the most skilled of craftsman. Yet such beauty had never failed to be surpassed by the two people that Mal had been seeking out. When he spotted them, his heartbeat picked up to an octave that shouldn’t have been possible. His stomach dropped out from under him and then erupted into a bouquet of butterflies that rushed through his system in a massive wave.

The bathtub was in the corner of the room, close to the bed of the custom marital suite where the Tsar and his wife were supposed to spend the first couple nights after their wedding. Only, the current Ravkan rulers had never moved out of their honeymoon phase so had yet to separate.

Nikolai had his back to the door, but that just displayed the vast expanse of white, freckled skin to the room. He had a long white long alone his shoulder blades and a knot of scar tissue nearing his left arm from their fight with the Darkling all those years ago. His hair was matted down with water but his bright golden curls still managed to bounce, even as they dripped droplets down his glistening skin. 

Alina was facing towards Mal, her beautiful body on display for the only two men in the world that she had ever truly trusted with her heart. She had rivulets of water coursing down her darkened skin, reminding him of lightly steeped tea. Her dark black hair was held above her head with a simple hair clip, one that Genya had given her when she had started enjoying baths to relax. Her breasts were on full display but not in the same way that it was when they were being intimate, more matter of fact in their nudity.

“I’m never going to do this with you again if you don’t stop, Nikolai!” Alina laughed, throwing her head back in the action.

“That’s what you said last time, Alina,” he replied, saying her name to her the same way that she had his.

“You know that I can’t resist those puppy dog eyes. They’re my second greatest weakness,” she whined as she squished his cheeks with both of her hands. The king just laughed as he leaned forward and kissed her lips sweetly.

Mal took that as his cue, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him as quietly as he could. “Would that make me your biggest weakness then?” he asked.

They pulled apart from each other and Alina launched herself out of the tub with one smooth move. He was worried about her tipping over for just a second before he was distracted as both of his lovers flung themselves into hugging him, naked and wet as they were. 

“Mal! I thought that you were going to be coming home in another month’s time! I would have met you at the door if I had known they moved the time,” Alina mumbled into his cheek as she began to pepper his face with kisses. He had to lean down closer to her height so that she could manage it.

“I think I drove my unit home faster than the messenger traveled,” he laughed.

Nikolai snorted at that, then pulled him up and pressed a kiss to his lips as well. “I’m glad to have you home, moy lyubimyy boyets. We should clean off though, you do stink.”

“I spent the last three weeks on a horse, I would be surprised if I didn’t,” Mal laughed. He knew there was no malice, they just wanted him to be naked and in the tub with them. He was glad that the water was likely as clean as it had been when it was drug up from the well, seeing as his grime had rubbed off on their wet, yet clean bodies. 

He watched them laugh and tease each other, including him this time, as he stripped off his clothes. They were like stars, bright and shining. Just for him, his own stars.

[thatfangirlofsb]

Headcanon

Ships favoritos

N/A: ¿Cuáles serían los ships favoritos de algunos habitantes de Os Alta (y sus razones y otros datos)?

T/W: Spoilers del grishaverse.

—————

Nikolai: Mal x Nikolai

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas

Es gracioso.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Mal sabe de armas.

Le gusta tocar el trasero de Mal.

Zoya: Fivan

Cuando le preguntaran diría que no cree en esas cosas, pero en secreto los shipearía a muerte.

Tiene material de ese ship en un baúl con cinco candados.

Ya está preparando su discurso para la boda.

Le encanta como sus caras cambian cuando se miran, como Iván actúa diferente cuando está con Fedyor y como le sonríe.

Durante la fiesta de invierno, en la que presentaron a Alina a los nobles (serie, temporada 1), sus ojos estaban fijos en ellos dos mientras trataba de no ser descubierta y recopilar más material sobre su ship.

Genya: Zoyalai

Comenzó a shipearlos cuando ella se convirtió en su general.

Antes shipeaba a Nikolai con Alina (Nikolina) y a Zoya con Stigg.

Aunque suele shippear muchos ships, este es el primero en su lista.

Le encanta como los dos tratan de negar su amor y poner a Ravka primero, hace más interesante las interacciones que tienen en las que se nota como se lanzarían a besarse.

Ama su amor imposible, aunque está trabajando para solucionarlo.

David: Danya (Leigh Bardugo, ¿porqué los separaste? : ( )

A quien ama más del ship es a Genya.

Le gusta ese ship porque es el suyo y ella está en el.

Le parece un nombre muy bonito.

Haría todo lo que hiciera falta por este ship.

Tolya: Él x libros de poesía

Son iguales, duros en el exterior pero llenos de sentimientos en el interior.

Moriría feliz aplastado por un montón de ellos.

Se pasa todas las noches recitándole poesía a su libro de poemas, pero esto es un secreto.

Tamar: Zoyalai

Los shippearía junto a Genya y apostarían por quién se declararía primero. Genya ganó la apuesta.

Estuvo un tiempo enfadada con Zoya cuando se enteró que Nikolai se declaró primero porque pensaba que ella lo iba hacer.

Cuando volviera al palacio junto a Zoya después de capturar a Nikolai en su forma de demonio, les dejaría a solas para que el ship se formara.

Le encanta ver cómo se miran cuando piensan que nadie los está observando.

Escribiría todos los planes que tendría para ellos. Incluso ya había escogido el nombre de sus hijos y el número.

[bilbbolinho]

I feel into the Alina X Mal X Nikolai rabbit hole, (which unfortunately isn't very deep now).

[igothighonmedication]

Honestlyyyy, they are adorableeeeee

I ship Nikolai and Mal now, I guess.

[platossoulmates]

im so bad at multishipping but i am fucking FANTASTIC at making ur favs poly

[serpentthecrow]

Sleepy time with the grishaverse characters

A/n: I... Don't even... Sorry about that. My executive dysfunction did its magic. But here you have this as a peace offering since you guys liked the crows one. I can't even believe how long it's been. I'm probably not going to keep writing too many fics, if any at all. But this one's mandatory. And short.

Summary: headcannons on the sleeping habits of (some of) the grishaverse characters.

Alina Starkov

Hear me out

The girl's out like a light

Exactly the type of person to roll around the bed, end up in peculiar positions, and mainly, accidentally slap you or kick you in her sleep

Isn't picky, but if she COULD choose- only the softest mattress, duvet and pillows

She's petty like that

Has absolutely no night routine. Like. NONE.

Owns no pajamas. Just normal clothes passing as sleep clothes.

Gonna use her sun summoner powers when getting up in the middle of the night to fetch water etc., only to curse profusely because ✨light sensitivity✨

Midnight snacks. No elaboration is needed.

Definitely owns a stag plushie. Cause poor thing.

Mal Oretsev

Sleeps like he's in a coffin

No honestly. Like, on his back, straight as a plank. Psychopath.

The nightmares tho.

The biggest duvet stealer

Never actually uses the duvet tho. Kicks it away every time

Can barely be bothered to change

Absolutely cannot be bothered to make the bed

Hasn't got a single idea how to put on a bedsheet

Red flag: eats in bed too often

Occasionally has a dream about Nikolai throwing him overboard Volkvolny and grinning down at him, saints know why.

Would fall asleep under any circumstance. Light, loud sounds, anything. Bang two pans repeatedly next to his head, and the guy will still fall asleep if he's sure he can afford to.

Has a phoenix plushie. Pun intended.

Aleksander Morozova

does this guy even sleep? Questionable.

But in case he does:

A side sleeper

Surprisingly heavy sleeper

Rarely sleeps in bed when unsupervised tho. Not uncommon for him to fall asleep in a chair.

Black silk sheets only.

Talks in his sleep

Seriously.

If someone walked in on him sleeping, he'd be long since executed for treason.

Absolutely unaffected by caffeine

Produces a whole lotta shadows before going to sleep, roused by the slightest amount of light.

The extensive night routine is canon.

Doesn't have a plushie. The only one in this hc series btw.

Nikolai Lantsov

my favorite sailor bo- anyway

(Let's ignore Volkralai for the purpose of these hc's)

A stomach sleeper. We stan.

A pillow hugger. We stan.

Mostly blue bedding, especially in the palace or the spinning wheel, since we all know he misses the sea.

Another one with a whole-ass night routine.

Reduced amount of clothes when sleeping- usually just pants

They're pajama pants tho

Has some trouble falling asleep on land, he's used to the rocking of the ship

nap king, especially as Sturmhond

Reads a LOT before bed

A night owl- has to be reminded to got to sleep

Sometimes starts to rant about some invention of his

C A N N O T fall asleep without cuddles. Like, he's physically unable

The biggest manchild about waking up early.

Has a fox plushie. A fact.

Genya Safin

babygirl has nightmares, okay? Gotta start with that.

lowkey got accustomed to some level of luxury in Os Alta

not the biggest fan of cuddling. For understandable reasons

a warm beverage before bed

fuzzy socks

tries to maintain an exact time to go to sleep but ultimately fails because she's got trouble falling asleep

probably improves on her sleeping habits once she becomes a part of the triumvirateonly cause she has to tho

overthinking before sleep queen

does she have a plushie? Does David count? You tell me.

[carmilllaofstyria]

if only the authors got over themselves and let the characters be queer in peace ... or violence. whatever they're into.

[sky-neverending]

Nikolai x Mal is so silly and for some reason it’s in my head pls help

[wexpyke]

a Nikolai gif set a day keeps the nichevo'ya away

#mal's like talk dirty inventions to me

[kajaono]

Or Mal/Alina/Nikolai

Whatever! Ask him! Was it on purpose? What was that?! Or is it just Paddy’s love for Archie?? I need to know!

paddy going to an event y’all better ask about malkolai

like did malkolai get married cause compass pls

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Truthful Promises

Fandom: Shadow and Bone Summary: His life is so complicated now, and yet he would never change it for anything. Warnings: Implied major character death Word Count: 845 Ship(s): Nikolai Lantsov/Mal Oretsev/Alina Starkov

Archive link!

A/N: Is this my first work in this fandom? Yes. Did I put off finishing my writing goal for a different fandom? Also yes. I'm so excited to write and consume content for this fandom now! I'm probably going to seek out the book(s) as soon as my library is back open, haha. Thank you all for reading! Stay sissy and bitchy everyone <3

“Nikolai, I need to talk to you in private.”

The prince closed his eyes and took a deep breath in through is nose. He knew that this was going to be coming, especially after Alina and his meeting in the war room. He had been hoping that he could put it off, like he had with everything else in his life. He had run around as a privateer so that he could get closer to his people and because he had the privilege of not being a bird in a forever-closed cage the same way that his brother had, but it was also to avoid the responsibilities of the army and royalty. He hadn’t wanted to face the harshness that life was trying to offer him so he had picked something else to shield him from it.

He didn’t have that option anymore, no matter how desperately he wanted it.

Slowly, he turned on his heel and then gave a nod. The two men departed from the crowd of people so that they were on their own, tucked in one of the forgotten rooms in their fort-sanctuary. This place was so still, more still than he had been in years. Even when he had ventured deep into land so that he could help Alina they had still be traveling, which was also what had happened when he had hired the Crows. Now the Hummingbird had been grounded and his ship was sailing on the mission he had given them before he left. He was grounded and stuck in a pit until they could claw their way out and kill the beast keeping them in.

“What did you wish to talk about?” Nikolai asked, his heart fluttering in his chest. It was a combination of nerves and love, something that he had adjusted to very quickly after falling in love with a Living Saint. Her life was full of turmoil and danger that followed after her with every breath she took. Loving her was much the same.

“I know that Alina told you,” Mal replied. He leaned up against one of the tables so that he was closer to Nikolai in height.

The prince sighed and ran a hand over the lower half of his face. His emotional stamina was high after spending his entire life hiding what he was really feeling, but going from comforting his girlfriend to having the most serious conversation that he could with his boyfriend wasn’t something that he had been prepared for when he had woken up that morning. “She did.”

“Then you know what has to happen,” Mal replied. He reached out and took the hand that Nikolai had been using to scrub over his skin. Tolya had been surprised when she found out how quickly both of his partners had picked up on his worst habits since it had taken her months to find them all and she was an expert on people.

The words hung heavy in the air between them as they both refused to speak. Nikolai didn’t want to acknowledge that he was about to loose someone that he had just found, a love that felt so at home in his usually hollow chest. “I know,” he whispered as he tried to keep his voice from breaking.

Mal brought his hand up to Nikolai’s cheek, threading their fingers together with his spare. He brought their foreheads together with a soft ‘thunk’ and a pain sharp enough to ground them both. “I know that this will be hard on you as well, but it will destroy Alina. We were made for each other and while this has been my destiny since I was orphaned and walked all the way to her, she doesn’t exactly see it that way. I need you to promise something for me.”

“Anything,” he murmured, and he meant it. There were times he had made that promise and then broken it almost immediately because they were hollow words and false ideas, but this one was so full of truth and love he felt like he might die on the spot. 

“I need you to make the proposal real. You have to marry her and give her the political power that she needs to bring Ravka back to peace. She needs to know that the world can be a place where she can simply live after all the pain she’s been through. She deserves to rest,” Mal whispered. “And you deserve to have someone by your side that is going to be faithful and loyal.”

Nikolai resisted the urge to point out that if they simply found another way to kill Kirigan then he could have two people by his side that did that. He would never legally marry, but he would take them both as consorts and have them marry each other just as they had discussed in that quite night they had stolen in his ship after capturing the Sea Whip. Instead, he just pressed a kiss to lips that would not be his for much longer and murmured, “I promise.”

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Compass Of Pirates - Nikolai Lantsov

Summary: Nikolai is given a compass that he was told would solve all his problems, and yet he cannot figure out why it doesn't seem to work. Yes, I am merging with Pirates Of The Caribbean because I fucking can.

Content Warnings: No Beta/Proof Reading.

Nikolai Taglist: @hauntedenthusiasttragedy

The brass points across the centre of the compass are centred by a sundial, which as far as Sturmhond can tell is the most functional part of the compass. He holds the compass in the clutch of his palm, staring at the red arrow as it gently swings between two points, neither of which are north. He had picked it up from someone in one of the markets in the last port they docked in. It was this rocky, mountainous island, just off the northern coast of the mainland. The name of the port escapes the captains mind, but it was some fishing port with a name not unlike a weapon of some kind. But that isn't really important, what is important is the illusion of help this compass had been acquired under. "It will bring you to what you most desire," they had said, "the compass never leads you wrong." He had been dubious but nevertheless he has hope he isn't sure he has a right to, and yet he was finding the outcome very disappointing.

"This thing doesn't even point north," Sturmhond says, staring again at the compass in his hand. Mal shrugs, offering out his open hand.

"May I?" he asks. He hands it over, without pause and the dial spins to quickly into a new direction the moment it touches Mal's palm. Mal watches the dial and follows it's direction. He knows exactly what the privateer has observed, that this compass does not point north, but instead it is now pointing at Alina, who is leaning over the edge of the ship, staring at the way the waves are breaking onto the boats side, creating the white foam of sea spray and she is smiling like she has never seen the ocean before. "Oh, Sturmhond," Mal says, "it points north alright," he chuckles, "true north."

The Captain frowns. "True north?" he questions, staring the tracker down. "What kind of navigational system are you working on Oretsev?"

"The only one that hasn't ever lead me wrong," he hands the compass back to Sturmhond and the moment it enters his hand it changes direction back to where it had been previously pointing. Mal taps the fabric of his shirt, directly over his heart. "I told Alina about true north once, she asked me what scared me most, and I told her I get the most scared when I am lost, but I don't really get lost. Yet, getting lost happens even if you know where you are sometimes. So I told her about cardinal north and true north."

"Cardinal north is a direction on a map," Sturmhond says. Mal nods, not letting his eyes leave the Sun Summoner. "So, as for true north?"

"True north is home," Mal says, sounding more like a poet than a tracker, "it is where you feel safe and loved."

"Miss Starkov is your truth north," Sturmhond says with a nod. Mal doesn't even need to respond to that. "So you think this compass points to what exactly?"

"Whatever you most desire, that's what the translation says on the side isn't it?" Mal says, finally looking at him. "You did see that, didn't you? Since you're always six steps ahead of everything, and ever so flawless Captain?"

He is too eager to test the theory to even care about Mal's teasing of him. He just thanks him absentmindedly and follows the compass forward. "Don't walk off the edge of the ship," Mal calls after him, "or do..."

He spends a good while walking the length of the decking, trying to figure out why the dial spins into a change of direction, seemingly without link. "Maybe you don't know what you want," Mal teases, observing him.

"Doesn't this interest you?" Sturmhond asks, running a hand through his tousled hair.

Mal shrugs. "What use is a compass what would be pointing right beside me all of the time?" he asks. "Besides my heart always brings me back to her."

"You're good with your words when it suits you, aren't you?" Tamar asks, coming to stand beside Mal, bored of her card game and far more interested in whatever it is that has gotten the Captain all pacing and flustered. "Still staring at the broken compass?"

"It's not broken," Mal says, "it's just not helpful."

"A compass's only purpose is to point north, and it doesn't, so it's broken," Tamar argues.

"It's a heart compass, not a compass," Mal says. The Heartrender laughs.

"Those are legend," she says, taking some walnuts from her pocket to snack on. She offers him one and he shakes his head to dismiss the offer.

"Wasn't the Stag legend too?" Mal retorts. Tamar gives him a shrug.

"That means nothing of all legend," is her response, but she keeps watching Sturmhond.

"It doesn't even make sense," he says finally holding the compass up and above his head to see how the dial moves. "It's not pointing to anything, I thought it might've been pointing to Ravka but I was wrong."

"You're suggesting your truest love is a country?" Mal asks, "what kind of excessive patriotism is that?"

"You're not patriotic?" Tamar asks, her tone littered with laughter.

"No," he admits, not feeling pulled down by the admission, "I came here for Alina. She's my flag, my nation, she is the one thing I remain loyal to."

Tamar's question was to sway Mal from paying too much attention to the captains words, but he doesn't throw her a look of gratitude, instead he returns to his fixation on the compass, as it spins to point towards the ships bow. Some of the crew start to appear on deck, changing placement as the time passes, and Tolya walks beside you, as you tell him something out of their earshot.

He takes his eyes off the compass, staring directly at you, forgetting what his original intentions had been, he offers you a smile and you grin back, all teeth and cheer. Even after the days at sea nothing seemed to sway your mood.

Tamar elbows Mal in the side and before her can take issue with it, she nods his attention to Sturmhond, who has lost interest in the compass altogether in your presence.

"Got it working yet?" you ask, coming closer to the three of them Tolya by your side.

"Think it might be a lost cause," the privateer admits, holding the compass down and to his side, as if to hide it's direction from those around you.

"Come on, Captain, plenty have said that about broken things, but often you just need time or the right pair of hands," you say, "show me?"

He hesitates and Mal and Tamar share a look, a look that spreads into matching grins. "Oh, he is not as smart as he gives himself credit for," Mal says in hushed words.

"Most of the time he is, but any heart can get blind sighted, and when the heart is blind, the mind can fog," Tamar says, voice equally low.

You look at him and he is smiling at you like you're a sunrise, like he is seeing you for the first time, and you wonder how he always manages to look at you like this. Look at you in a way that makes your head spin and your stomach twist. You know Sturmhond, and you know the man can flirt like second nature, that no one you've yet to meet have been susceptible to his charms, so you try not to let go to your head. But that's not easy when he looks at you like he has just discovered what love is for the very first time.

He holds out the compass out and you look at it, not reaching to take it from his hands, you move around to his perspective for the dial to swing back in your direction. You lean around him, to get a better look and then stare out at the ocean. But he just watches you, not as much are daring to confirm what he suspects by glancing to the compass.

You move back in front of him, and the dial points to you, and you turn your head to look at the big blue expanse behind. "Compass doesn't know north that's for sure," you say, giving him a wild smile and a shrug. "But I guess it's no better than most of us in that."

"It doesn't know north," he agrees, shoving the compass back in his pocket, "but it seems to know things I should have before now."

"Hmm?" you ask, turning back to him from the waves.

"Nothing, now, tell me, what was so funny?"