#the zoya crumbs

[staredits]

for @melnchly​

[alma-torran]

Nikolai saying that hope is the wind that fills your sails and carries you home and Zoya being a squaller is something so-

[cressjacquine]

"I could fix him"- girl you have no idea

[samsknives]

“your heart is in your eyes, your highness.”

[leah-jeffries]

SUJAYA DASGUPTA as ZOYA NAZYALENSKY | SHADOW AND BONE, SEASON 2

[morning-coffee-brewed-it-forya]

It may not be a lot but I hold on to these crumbs very closely to my heart

[autumnbabylon]

ZOYALAI CRUMBS

[polis-fandom]

From @/daeganfryklind on Instagram

"For those asking, this is prob the closest I have to a Zoyalai photo. 😭 All the more reason to keep watching so we can fill the feed with more in S3!"

[inejs-knife]

"I could fix him" and "If you know,YOU KNOW"

ZOYALAI STANS ARE WE STILL BREATHING?

[sarahmaybank]

I need more crumbs how is zoyalai gonna play out in s3

[wafflesandkruge]

NO IT'S NOT JUST YOU with the way the whole season went i was like omfg they hate zoya and zoyalai fr i was like. are you mocking her? are you mocking ME (a lover of both)!!

NOOO MEEEEEEEE

It is so hard being a zoya and zoyalai stan in these trying times 😭😭😭 look how they massacred my girl

[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]

Siege and Storm- Chapter 20

There's a lot to unpack in the whole Manly Manfight scene, so I've decided to thematically sort it, keeping the crumbs of pure Malina issues here. I'll leave their post-Zoya kiss confrontation for another post, because that's quite a pile of trash. The stuff below is mostly indirect tells they might not be as perfect for each other as the narrative wants us to believe.

I wonder if Alina were so concerned with fairness, should anyone else stand in Malyen's place.

Also: He doesn't want your help is about 50 % of what's wrong with Malina relationship. HE is the strong one, she's here to cater to his emotional needs. Gods forbid Alina would end a fight he got himself into!

Assuming Malyen is truly THE third amplifier, wouldn't it be funny, if he were claimed by some random Grisha due to his own carelessness?!

And of course Alina's going to blame her own ~careless~ words. As if her man child weren't able to see the difference between his (at least) basic training (and layers and layers of plot armour) and underfed "army" of ragged peasants, armed with sticks and faith.

If this were about ability to fight Grisha, he could've asked Botkin for special lessons- I doubt ~that~ guy lacks skills to share. Or the twins, if he hates everything Little Palace-related so much... but no, it's only about his ego, and the way others see him.

That said, here's another wasted parallel- Alina's helpless worshipers are seen only from afar. There's no fighting we'd see them in. Now, who has similarly untrained believers to work with?! And DOES attempt some basic training at least... wouldn't that be our late Starless Saint?

They held services every sundown, and during the days, they alternated praying and training. They were going into a battle, after all, and though Aleksander did not intend for them to do much fighting, they needed to look like they knew what they were doing.

Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33

[samsknives]

ZOYALAI NATION WAKE UP LOOK

[romantichopelessly]

Shadow and Bone Season 2 Final Thoughts

I am going to split this into a SaB section and a SoC section, since I have very different thoughts on them.

Shadow and Bone

The Malina this season was EXCELLENT. Good stuff, excellent changes made on the front of Mal’s insane jealousy and miscommunication.

Gibson’s Nikolai was. So perfect?? I loved so much about him. He was just the right amount of dutiful and roguish, and I loved him.

Genya carried this season. The acting was so well done and always moving. She got the most tears out of me this season. Her confrontation with the queen & that scene in the last episode really got me.

No “I am not ruined. I am ruination.” Which was severely disappointing. I’m genuinely surprised it wasn’t there, because they kept in characters calling her ruined.

Tamar/Nadia were in just the perfect amount. They got crumbs in the book so I’m glad they at least got something here.

GenyaDavid was CARRYING this season. Every scene with those two was so heartachy. I cannot believe they moved up David’s death. But I’m not mad at it.

No “I am become a blade”. Honestly kind of glad for this kind of disappointed. It was funny as hell but also it would have been out of place so.

No Oncat???? Unforgivable omission.

Zoya deserved a bit more this season. Part of me felt like they shouldn’t have brought her in on the Shu Han side quest because she did so little there. She just felt like another body. Which she didn’t deserve.

The ending. Was so much and so much change that I have mixed feelings about. But props on them for taking the initiative to change that much.

Alina’s ending. I’m glad she didn’t have to lose her powers. While the epilogue with her running her fingers through sunlight she cannot bend is heartbreakingly good, I always disliked that ending for her. She deserved more than just a powerless domestic life because she wanted more. Yes she wanted to be able to be with Mal and be free, and I want that for her, but it shouldn’t have been at the cost of her powers.

Mal becoming a privateer is. I’m unsure of how I feel about it right now. It feels odd, because Mal has always said he only wants a calm life with Alina. But I get why they’re giving him this open ending, so they can continue. Which, by the last scene, they obviously plan to continue the SaB side of things into a King of Scars type story.

Nikolai’s ending. I am SO glad they went ahead and showed signs of his demon side. It honestly was good that they didn’t have him turn earlier in the season, because it would have felt cramped with everything else, especially when we just met him.

I do think Alina and Nikolai continuing the engagement is weird though. Why would they do that? How will it affect any possible future next season, especially if they’re going in KoS territory, with Zoyalai?

Six of Crows

Starting with the positives here: Nina CARRIED the crows this season. She was perfect. Annoyed with Kaz from the start. EXCELLENT with Inej and with Jesper a bit.

Similarly, the Helnik was perfect and heartbreaking. Just the right pacing even with the changes. They broke me. And the last scene of them actually killed me, I think.

For episodes 1&2 all I could think about with Wylan was how well they were capturing him. Just the right amount of genuine kindness and naïveté and snark.

I liked how they upped the violence for the crows. Everyone got to get a hit in. Kaz was a great step up in ruthlessness. Inej grew, and Nina actually got to use her powers effectively. And Wylan got some good shots in.

Episode 4 really threw me off with the crows though. I cannot believe that they added a scene from the last 100 pages of Crooked Kingdom to this season. Before the Ice Court. Kaz finishing off Pekka is the end of his arc. How on earth are they going to have him do the actions that it takes to get through the Ice Court Heist if he isn’t working to gain power and tear down Rollins?

Obviously they’re setting up Rollins to come back and be a threat again but how will that work?? He knows who Nina is. The CK heist hinges on Van Eck and Rollins not knowing who Nina is.

Wesper getting together actually made me feel dread as I watched it. I view the show and books as very separate, that’s how I enjoy them, but I couldn’t wrap my head around how they thought this was a good idea beyond fan service. Having Wesper together right off the bat ruins both of their character arcs. If they’re together before their growth, none of it means anything. Even in the show, to make it work, they had to fast track two very important reveals for them.

I was fine with Jesper’s Durast powers being revealed this season. I even expected it. I thought Inej and Kaz would find out, or say they knew this season. And maybe Jesper would use his powers in secret. But no. Everyone knew by the end of the season, and he barreled through self acceptance in like 3 episodes. WITHOUT A SINGLE COLM APPEARANCE. Do you get how bad that is?? Colm is integral to Jesper’s shame, and he didn’t even show up, and though I like the scene with his mom in theory, how will Jesper and Colm have any good tension now? How will SoC and CK even work if Jesper has already solved the biggest source of his self esteem issues AND his gambling problem?

Which, by the way, insanely weird his addiction didn’t really come up this season. It was mentioned once or twice but really had no effect on his character. Which. Addiction doesn’t turn on and off.

Wylan’s illiteracy came out way too soon as well. He didn’t really get a chance to prove himself before Jesper found out, which. I can’t even articulate now why I hate that so much. I’ll have to make a separate post.

Back to Wesper speedrun. We can’t have so many critical Wesper scenes because of this. No “not just girls”. No Kuwei kiss, unless it’s a huge stretch in miscommunication when they’re already dating. No “I was paying attention” when Genya tailors Wylan because of course it’s not a surprise he knows his face if they’re dating.

Another one of my favorite scenes that won’t work now: The Kaz and Jesper Big Fight. Jesper knows who Jordie is already. It loses all tension.

Inej’s ending also really bothered me. Her having freedom and starting her hunt for slavers BEFORE the Ice Court? I genuinely don’t see how they can make the ICH work at this point. How will these characters ever come back together? Why would Inej come back? Just because Jurda Parem was an issue? Because if so, I feel they’ll be leaning too much into the Crows being pawns of the crown, which ultimately destroys their purpose. They aren’t chosen ones in ANY CAPACITY. Yes, Inej may do things for more moral reasons, but in the end she doesn’t work for the crown. Because of how they treat the Suli, especially.

[echocentric]

✨ Grishaverse incorrect quotes ✨

Tamar: Don’t worry, I have a permit.

Tolya : ...This just says “I can do what I want”.

-

Nina: Everyone knows that Santa is an invention designed by the big five corporations to sell tinsel and video games to an unsuspecting public.

Kaz: The whole “childhood wonder” stage just blew right past you, didn’t it?

-

Jesper: Hey, what’s the name of the guy who lives down the hall?

Inej : His cats' names are Walter and Rose.

Jesper: That's not what I asked.

Inej : That is all the information I have.

-

Cop: What are your names?

Zoya: Don't tell them, Nikolai.

Cop, writing: Nikolai...

Zoya: Crap.

Nikolai: Nice going, Zoya.

Cop:

Nikolai: Uh oh.

-

Genya, texting David : *sends a voice message*

David , texting back: I’m a little busy, is it urgent?

Genya: No, don’t worry, just listen later.

*later*

David : *presses play*

Genya's voice message: THERE’S A FIRE-

-

Wylan: Why are you on fire?

Kuwei: This is just how my day is going.

-

Tamar: Alright, listen up you little shits.

Tamar: Not you Nadia. You’re an angel and we’re thrilled you’re here.

-

Genya: Remember what I told you.

Zoya : Don’t be a cunt.

-

Inej: An Apple a day keeps the Doctor away!

Kaz: An Apple a day can keep anyone away if you throw it hard enough.

-

Nikolai: Can you pass the salt?

Alina : Can you pass away?

Nikolai: Too much salt.

-

Nina: Why do you not believe that ghosts are real?

Jesper: Never seen one.

Nina: Okay, I mean, there’s a lot of things that you can’t see that are real.

Jesper: What can’t I see?

Nina: You can’t see gravity. That’s real.

Jesper: Yeah, I can drop an apple.

Nina: Fuck.

-

David: I’ve become a bread crumb dealer to four crows at the lake. They pay me with a bit of everything. Like shiny things, fabric, or pens. But recently they paid me with a 20 dollar bill they found somewhere. So I decided to buy them some more expensive bread. They loved it. So they understand what to do. Give me money. I’ve probably racked up about 200 dollars at this point. Is it morally wrong though, I mean. They’re the ones who steal the money from others. Or perhaps they just have a big pile laying somewhere. Should I keep on doing this?

Genya: You sound like the start of a Batman villain.