#zoyalai detectives au
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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Listen,
I’m not here to tell you that in my Zoyalai Detecives au Nikolai has a tattoo of a fox on his hip and that sometimes when he’s working out and Zoya joins him she catches the top of it where his shorts kind of dip lower and it’s in those moments she feels a real strong urge to get a closer look.
And I’m also not here to tell you that she has a tattoo of a small boat and those guiding stars on the spot right behind her ear and that one time when Nikolai and her were having a rough night and they decided to get wasted, she moved her hair over to one side and he saw the ink there and fought the sloppy desire to press his lips there and see how she would react.
I’m also not here to tell you that they both try to get each other it admit how many tattoos they each have when there are duller moments in their case.
[ “you’re the worst interrogator if you think that’s going to work” she’d say as he handed her a donut.
“Nazyalensky, all I’m asking is if you have more on the top half of your body or on the bottom half.”
She’d lift her eyebrow at that as she took a bite of the pastry, “wouldn’t you like to find out?”
He’d smirk then and brazenly give her a once over that she rolled her eye at, “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours”]
I’m just here to tell y’all that I love Head Detective Lantsov and Special Agent Nazyalensky with all my heart. And that I also love tattoos.
That is all
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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Every time you write something for my detectives au I level up
zoyalai + flirting under fire
For @dregstrash ‘s detective au? I guess?
——————–
“Have you done something new with your hair? It looks lovely today,” Nikolai commented.
Zoya growled. She hated how he hardly looked out of breath as they flat out sprinted down the street. “Hardly the time, Lantsov! We’re chasing a goddamn murder suspect!”
“He only killed one person!” Nikolai protested. “Loosen up a little, Nazyalensky.”
She resisted the urge to shove him into a lamp post as they slowly closed the gap between them and the fleeing suspect. With a flying leap, she tackled the fugitive, wincing at their jarring impact with the pavement. Before the bastard could move, she had a knee digging into his back as she pulled his arms back and cuffed them.
“You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will-”
“Zoya, will you go to dinner with me tonight?”
“Lantsov, kind of in the middle of something!” she snarled. She’d have to start over from the beginning again. “You’re under arrest. You have the right-”
“Zoya, there’s a new place near the station I want to try.”
“You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain-”
“Zoyaaa, I’ll even treat you.”
The suspect squirmed. “Can you two just work this out another time?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Zoya and Nikolai stared each other down, neither refusing to budge. Uncomfortable seconds of silence ticked by. Zoya broke first. “Four drinks.”
“One.”
“Three.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Deal.”
Nikolai’s sunny smile remained on his face as she finally recited the suspect’s rights and shoved him into the squad car. Zoya scowled as she got into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Wipe that stupid smile off your face.”
“But we’re finally going on a date!” he protested.
“You forced me to. Otherwise, I’d still be out there trying to recite his Miranda rights.”
“Mm. Technicalities. Still going on a date.”
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sitaarein ¡ 3 years ago
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None Stand Equal In This Dark World
A/N: Officially my largest ever fic so please. Just read it and be nice sob because I’m kinda proud of some of it
Written for @grishaversebigbang 2021!!!
Corporalki: @homicide-depot​
Materialki: @generalnabri (x), @kolarpem (x), @aivicart (x), @maximumbluebirdpatrol , @niadrawing (x)
 (Summary: A murder mystery AU featuring Zoyalai, twists and turns, moral dilemma, and then some more
Read on AO3
Chapter One
The apartment door was wide open.
��In retrospect, that alone should have set off the alarm bells in Zoya’s head. No one left the door to their place wide open. She can’t imagine why she simply dismissed it. 
 Scratch that, she knew why. She’d been tracking this idiotic Grisha for a month now. She was tired and desperate. 
 But it appeared that- who would’ve thought- not being at the top of your game has consequences. 
 Consequences like staring down a man who’s been tied to a chair and gagged in the middle of, what Zoya guesses is, the lounge, eyes wide with terror.
 Zoya is mad at herself for not managing to guess it was a red herring- the damn door - and very, very mad at the Grisha who has, once again, slipped right through her hands. 
 She nods to one of her men, and he immediately drops to the man’s level to untie and presumably interrogate him. Zoya doesn’t stick around for the details- she trusts her people to give her good reports. Instead, after a cursory look around, she tips her head back to face the ceiling, taking in a deep breath, and leaves the apartment. 
 The weather outside took a dramatic turn in the fifteen minutes she was inside- it had been sunny before, or at least as sunny as Ravka ever could get. But now, the sun has all but ceased to exist, and the bitter cold is back once more. 
 Zoya prefers the cold. 
 (She doesn’t, not really, but no one needed to know that.)
 Zoya starts walking, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Her mind races, trying to connect all the dots, trying to figure out where her investigation had gone wrong. Start from the beginning. Don’t miss anything. The most minor of details are the most important.
  The beginning. A woman showed up to their headquarters about her missing family. Those cases were usually dismissed completely, handed over to the police forces- Zoya’s force was Grisha-centric, other cases, no matter how large or important they were, did not concern them. But this case was different.
 The woman was Grisha. 
 Her family weren’t, evidently- and neither did they know that she was. They’d been missing for six weeks, and the odds were pretty heavily stacked against them still being alive. The woman was detained (she was Grisha, this was Zoya’s job ) and a group of officers were dispatched for a search and rescue.
 The officers never returned.
 Alarm bells were now ringing, and the General assigned Zoya to the case. In the time since she officially took over, twenty more disappearances were documented, and all of them in Os Kerva alone. Saints knew what was happening in the rest of the country.
 But Zoya had never believed in Saints, so she found out what was happening in the rest of the country.
 The total number of disappearances in all of Ravka that had this case’s signature mark- an eclipsed sun left wherever the victims were seen last- was an estimated three thousand . Zoya couldn’t believe no one had connected the dots before her. Then again, the entire of the force were filled with incompetent idiots, so maybe it shouldn’t have surprised her. 
  The series of events . Zoya travelled up and down the country with the best of her underlings, talking to anyone who knew the victims, searching their last known places with tooth combs, building up working hypotheses, using all the resources they had available. Zoya was not an idiot. She knew exactly how capable she was. 
 And she also knew when she was fighting a losing battle.
 And so, when she got a call from one of her top detectives about a confirmed Grisha she’d been trailing for some time now who’d begun suspicious activity, she was clutching at straws and willing to take anything that came her way. She met up with her agent, and a few days later, they got the address of the apartment she was currently pacing in front of.
  The present . This part could be summed up fairly quickly. Zoya is, once again, at a fucking dead end . 
 Before she can kick something (or someone) out of frustration, A faint ringing reaches her ears, and frowning, Zoya stops in her tracks. Her phone is never not on silent. Calling Zoya Nazyalensky for anything was utterly pointless- she never picked up. 
  But the GIA has ways of getting into contact with its members regardless.
 Muttering a curse, Zoya digs around her pockets, looking for the infernal device with its grating, high-toned ringing. Finally locating her phone, she jabs the answer button without looking at the caller ID.
 “Yes?” she asks bluntly. 
 “Zoya,” Alina’s voice greets her.  
 Zoya immediately forgets everything that had been on her mind. When Alina calls, it’s rarely for a friendly chat. 
 “What’s wrong?”
“You need to get back here. As soon as possible.”
 “Understood. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
 Alina hangs up immediately, and Zoya pockets her phone, mind racing.
 She orders one of her lackeys to send her a report when they're done, grabs the keys for the van they’d used to get to the apartment from a rather distracted officer, taking off.
 Zoya reaches the Grisha Investigation Authorities in approximately half the time she’d given to Alina, and she may or may not have disobeyed quite a few traffic laws to get to her destination as quickly as she did, but that was frankly unimportant. 
 She strides through the doors, not bothering to acknowledge the many who’ve halted their paths to nod to her or, in the case of a few particularly stupid (or courageous, however you wanted to see it) people, attempt to strike up a conversation with her. She didn’t break her pace even once, until she’d reached the door to the meeting room they usually used to meet up for serious issues. After taking a moment to compose herself, Zoya pushes the door open.
 Inside, she finds all of her fellow Commanding Officers assembled- Adrik, Leoni, Alina, and Genya. Frowning, Zoya scans their faces, and mentally shifts whatever’s happening even higher on her scale of terrible shit to take care of immediately.
 Because not even Leoni, who can find positivity at a funeral, is smiling right now. There’s barely a hint of her optimistic and eternally cheerful personality in her countenance. 
 Zoya carefully takes the seat left for her around the circular table. Her gaze flits from one worried face to another, and she decides to be direct.
 “How bad is it?”
 The question seems to jolt Alina out of her reverie. She looks up, and Zoya feels her breath catch, because she looks so… helpless. Terrified.
 Genya takes it upon herself to answer Zoya’s question with another question, her mouth set in a grim line. “How’s your investigation going?”
 “We lost the suspect,” Zoya admits, her earlier frustration returning with the reminder of the infernal case. “We’re right back to where we started- but without the hope and the general idea of where to start.”
 “I’m not surprised,” Adrik mutters. “Considering who your delightful suspect is…”
 Zoya furrows her brow, and glances back at Genya. “Explain.”
 Genya looks as if she would rather do anything else, but after coming to the realisation that no one else is about to, she sighs and does so.
 “I’m presuming you remember Alina’s case that went cold about two years back?”
  A little too well. Even years later, that case haunts her- the truly horrific killings, from corpses with their body parts stuffed down their throats, to children who had clearly been still alive when burnt, the utter dead ends, Alina’s far too close brush with death, and… the person behind it all.
 “You don’t think it’s the same person??” Zoya demands, horror spreading through her veins.  She can not handle another Kirigan. 
 In lieu of replying, Genya nods to Leoni, who pushes forward a large envelope. Dread pooling in her gut, Zoya opens the package to find pictures from Alina’s investigation.
 “We revisited these when your disappearances started,” Genya says. “And… found more similarities than we’re frankly comfortable with.” 
 Zoya shifts the photos around, and then freezes at one, having caught sight of a mostly blurry but still distinctive calling card. “That’s…”
 “The eclipsed sun,” Adrik provides grimly. “You’re screwed.”
 “Hey, now,” Leoni protests. “We don’t know that.”
 Adrik snorts. “Don’t we? Need I remind you of the damage this person wrecked to the GIA and our country?”
 “How do we know this isn’t just a copycat?” Zoya breaks in. “None of the bodies of the victims this time around have been discovered,”
 “Copy cats still tend to have their own twists on kills, a signature, a mark that’s theirs. While none of the killings for either case have many similarities, they also don’t vary in terms of said signature.” Genya says.
 “Killers are proud creatures,” Adrik inputs.
 “And this one’s no exception,” Leoni says, eyes grim. 
 Zoya looks up. “What do you know?”
 Leoni hesitates, but then gives in. “We got a note this morning. A photocopy should be in the envelope too.”
 Zoya overturns the envelope, and sure enough, a piece of paper falls out. She picks it up, reads it, and crumples it up. 
 “You’re sure this isn’t a stupid joke?”
 “It was in the Director’s office.” Leoni says. 
  Shit.  Zoya glances back down at the crumpled mass she’s still clutching. You will burn on your mistakes. What mistakes? 
 She ignores the faint voice in the back of her head. You know what mistakes.
 Zoya takes a deep breath, focuses her thoughts, and then exhales. “How’s the Director doing?”
“He’s terrified.” All of the COs seemed to be equally startled to see Alina was the one to speak. Her mouth is set in an angry line, and Zoya can guess the track of her thoughts, because they were the same ones that had crossed her mind upon hearing the words- who is he to be terrified? What right did the Director even have to feel scared, when he himself never so much as interacted with the cases???
 Adrik sighs, leaning back in his seat. “Which is what has led us to our current predicament.”
 “And what do you mean by that?” 
 Genya exhales in a huff. “He wants the Mentals on this case along with all of us.”
 “He what.” 
 Alina, lips twisted in a sardonic smile, gestures to nothing in particular. “You heard correctly.”
 “Why ??? This is my case, and I will handle it.”
 “He doesn’t want a repeat of the bad press that came with my failing last time, I’m guessing.”
 “Bad press,” Zoya spits out. “I wonder how much bad press he’ll get when I-”
 “Do not,” Genya warns. “This could be helpful to us.”
  But also a personal disgrace , Zoya finishes the sentence in her head. The Mentals were practically a legend of the GIA- they were special, elite investigators, a whole mix of people ranging from scientists to- if the rumors were correct- ex-spies, who ended up with the cases no one else in the force could solve, and somehow, without fail, solved each of them within a week at the least. 
 It was irritating as hell.
 And having them assigned on your case meant that the Director did not trust you to be successful on your own. 
 Absolutely wonderful.
 “So when are these... spectacular detectives arriving?” Zoya asks. 
 Genya opens her mouth, and then closes it, before starting, “Well-”
 “I hope I’m not too late to this marvelous party?”
 Zoya swivels to see who this truly abnormally cheerful person is, and then blinks. She turns back to face the others once more- Adrik still looks glum, Leoni is smiling her most polite smile, Alina seems to have perked up and Genya is genuinely smiling. They all look… unsurprised.
 Of course they were hiding more secrets up their sleeves.
 “ What,” Zoya finally breaks and asks. “Is the damned PR guy doing here?”
 The aforementioned PR guy pouts. “Is that really what I’m known for around here? My PR duties? That’s quite depressing. Why would you focus on that when you could talk about my stunning good looks, or my undeniable charm, or even my ability to-”
 “Nikolai,” Alina interrupts. “Shut up.” she looks at Zoya, a hint of dry amusement in her eyes. 
 “Zoya, this is Nikolai Lantsov, and he is indeed our PR guy, but he’s also… head of the Mentals.”
 Zoya blinks. He’s what??? And then, wait… they knew who the special investigators were? How long have they known? Why was I not informed?
 She doesn’t voice any of her thoughts, choosing instead to stare, unimpressed, at the blond, who grins at her in response. 
 “If I had known you possessed such astounding grace and beauty, Miss Nazyalensky, I would have made your acquaintance sooner! I’m sure these upcoming days will prove to be an absolute pleasure, provided I get to spend them in your delightful company.”
 “Saints save me,” Zoya utters faintly. “The Director assigned an idiot to my case.”
 “Hey, now!” Nikolai protests. “You haven’t even met the rest of my team yet!”
 “An idiot who talks too much,” she deplores. 
 Genya and Alina both snort at that. In fact, all of her fellow COs seemed to be taking far too much pleasure in this situation. Zoya hates all of them. 
  “Well, now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way,” Nikolai says, to which Zoya distinctly hears Adrik mutter “pleasantries?” under his breath, “I think now would be a wonderful time for me to introduce you to my brilliant team,”
  Genya sits up immediately, looking eager. Zoya wonders what that’s about. 
 She finds out fairly quickly.
 Nikolai ushers in a group of people, and she recognises one in particular, one who she has, in fact, known since her college years -
 David. Genya’s husband, David Kostyk, is a part of the Mentals. Harmless old David. Zoya can’t believe her eyes. 
 She scans the rest of the group, but the others barely seem familiar. The two Shu right in front of David look similar enough to be twins, apart from the height difference. Right next to David is a woman that, with a jolt, Zoya recognises as Adrik’s sister from what she’s heard and seen of her. Bringing up the rear is a man who vaguely resemblesNikolai himself, ducking his head shyly as he enters the room. 
 “Now that your merry party is all assembled,” Adrik says glumly. “Any ideas where to start?”
 “Shouldn’t we at least get to know each other first?” Adrik’s sister asks.
 Adrik stares at her. “I’ve known you since I was born.”
 “We’re not the only ones in the room, Adrik.”
 “Oh, aren’t we ? I can’t say I noticed.”
 Nikolai interrupts their glaring match to finally provide Zoya with names to all the unfamiliar faces. 
 “Tamar, Tolya, Nadia, and Isaak, meet the officers we’ll be working with for the next few weeks or longer- Alina, Genya, Zoya, Leoni, and Adrik,” he gestures towards each person in turn. Zoya briefly wonders how he already knows their names, before realising that just because the GIA didn’t know who the special investigators were didn’t exactly mean they didn’t know the GIA either. 
 “And now,” Nikolai beams. “Let’s get comfortable. It’s time to discuss our present conundrum!”
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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zoyalai as hot detectives au? Anyone? Anyone? Just me? Alright
- Nikolai was the rich kid who people thought would just inherit the family business
- he was not
- he decided to go to the academy
- he was brilliant, and was the first person ever to pass the detectives exam with 100%
- he got promoted to head detective pretty quick
- but he never took another partner after his brother-in-arms died on the job
- even after that tragedy, everyone loves Nikolai
- he remembers everyone’s coffee order, he commands the room whenever he gives case briefings, he calms frenzied witnesses, all the junior officers have a crush on him and are always stopping by his desk to ask him really dumb and easy questions
- Then there were a string of murders that occurred over the course of a couple of weeks, all having a similar MO to the serial killer from a cold case back in the 70s-- the victims were all female, in their 20s, strangled, and a dark moon drawn on their foreheads with dark ashes.
- He had a working theory, but it wasn’t until Special Agent Zoya Nazyalensky from the Federal Crimes Division stormed into his life
- She’s devastating. Both with her tongue and with her face. It takes all of Nikolai’s control to get his precinct back to work on that first day.
- It seemed everyone suddenly wanted to be on this case 
- When he had finally ushered the last of the stragglers out of the briefing room, the enchanting woman’s harsh demeanor didn’t drop and Nikolai’s hand was just about to reach for a handshake when she dropped a heavy file onto the desk
- “He’s sent our department letters after each body.”
- “This is a letter?” Nikolai held up a thick stack of papers.
- Zoya shrugged, “You can call them manifestos, but I’d rather not credit him with that kind of intelligence.”
- Nikolai flipped through the case file. His brow furrowing with each detail and each horror
- “This is the first break we’ve had in years,” She continued, “And I am not letting some small time detective fuck this up.”
- Nikolai’s eyes snapped up to hers, and she stared him down-- which was quite the feat as she was significantly shorter than he was. 
- He wasn’t sure whether he should have been offended or amused.
- He went with the second one
- “So you’re saying that you’re letting me be on this case and sticking around to solve it?”
- Her blue eyes flash a quick surprise before settling back into a scowl that he was starting to suspect was just how her face rested-- he quite liked it
- “I’m saying,” She said slowly as if he were dense, “That I’m going to be working this case and you better not get in my way.”
- “Oh,” Nikolai was definitely grinning now despite the graphic pictures in his hands, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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also "open your eyes" by snow patrol if you like them 😊💞
Sooo I wrote something for my Zoyalai school au, yesterday, it only feels right to write something from my zoyalai detectives au
And I got this prompt a couple of weeks ago that asked for one of them to be injured and write about it. And the asker made a good point, it is always Nikolai that gets injured. So this prompt is the response to what our dear Head Detective does when Special Agent Nazyalensky is injured
Tell me that you’ll open your eyes
It’s been two days since the incident. 
Days with too much coffee. Too much time. And not enough assurances from the nurses and doctors that everything was going to be okay 
Nikolai could have sworn that he had permanently melded in with the cheap cushioned hospital seat, and he was sure that the crick in his neck was a permanent feature of his body. But he remained where he was. He dozed when he needed to, but mostly he waited. If he was a more religious man he would have prayed. Prayed that the knife wound that punctured her lung would heal correctly. Prayed that the concussion she had sustained when she stupidly decided to investigate the last known location of the Darkling alone wouldn’t keep her down for too long. Prayed that she’d wake up, just for his own piece of mind. But he wasn’t a religious man. All he had was the waiting and the annoying little beeps that sounded off in the monitor right by her bed.
The tips of his fingers felt raw as he fiddled with the paperclip in his pocket again. The silver encasement peeling and the weak metal heating in his hand. 
“Sir,” There was the nurse again. Nikolai noticed that the furrow between her eyebrows were getting deeper and deeper with each time she checked up on him, “The doctor isn’t sure when Ms. Nazyalensky will be able to wake up. Maybe it would be best if–”
“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” Nikolai cut her off, and just resolved to staring at Zoya. 
He felt the nurse’s stare from the corner of his eye, and didn’t let his posture drop until she checked up on Zoya and then left the room. 
An hour passed. Two hours. He didn’t care he’d wait another goddamn three hours if–
“Nikolai?” 
Her voice was so weak that he barely caught his name, but he heard it all the same.
“Zoya.” He breathed, feeling the oppressive weight sitting on his chest let up. 
“Why do you look like shit?” She croaked. 
He got up and gave her the cup of water that the nurse had given him.
“You’re the one in the hospital bed.” He managed to say. He had gone home only to shower and change his clothes, but judging from the way her eyes were lingering on his face he assumed that his tiredness was lined in the dark shadows under his eyes.
“That’s my excuse,” She said after taking a tentative sip, “What’s yours?”
A bitter laugh escaped him without his permission and it set something loose in him. 
“What’s my excuse?” He bit back sharply, “My excuse is that my partner in this very dangerous case made a very stupid decision to investigate on her own, and almost got killed in the  process.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he didn’t give her a chance. All the waiting and sitting by her hospital bed had blended all the emotions that were pressurizing in his mind. All the worry, anger, frustration, self-loathing, and…caring were toxic chemicals that were primed to explode.
“You know the state me and my junior detective found you in? You were in the floor of that disgusting building, with half your blood spilled around you. Do you know how cold you were when I tried checking for a pulse? Or how about the size of the lump that was on your head? No? You have no idea? Well, I can say that Isaak threw up. It didn’t help that a dark moon wasn’t drawn on your forehead, and not with ashes by the way, it was drawn with your blood. So forgive me for not looking quite my best when my partner almost fucking died.”
Nikolai didn’t realize that his voice had raised from the reverent hospital whisper until a dead silence filled the air. Part of him wanted to feel bad for snapping at her, after all she was the one that was injured and had just woken up. But then Zoya gave him one of her trademark glares and bared her teeth.
“I did my job, Lantsov. I couldn’t wait around for you to be done with your paperwork to investigate a lead. One of my CIs got me a lead and I had to chase it before the Darkling got away again. And don’t bullshit me that you wouldn’t have done the same. We’d both be willing to die out there, don’t treat me any less than that.”
For a long while, neither of them said anything. Both just staring at the other, waiting for another rebuttal or an apology, but none was forthcoming. 
Zoya was right, as she usually was, but that didn’t change the way Nikolai felt. He’s already lost a partner that was more his brother than his biological one, and the very idea he could also lose Zoya had sent him into a panic that was worrisome. He took his time to really look at her, and catalog the weakness that rested in her shoulders from her attack, and despite the same disdainful look on her face, there was also a modicum of fear. A fear that she had gotten caught and barely escaped with her life.
Eventually, Nikolai sighed and moved his chair closer to her.
“Fine, we’re both willing to die in a hailstorm of bullets, but don’t expect me to be happy about it, Nazyalensky. Any good cop knows to bring back up, so try not to make such a rookie mistake next time.”
There was a twitch in her lip, and Nikolai felt some of his worry melt away from his bones. He relaxed in his seat.
“You’re lucky I’m in this hospital bed, Lantsov.” She threatened. 
He laughed, but didn’t respond. He was lucky that she was in this hospital bed. She was luck to be in the hospital bed. Because it was better to be in a hospital bed than the morgue.
Tagging: @rainbowzebraas @bucumber @strummoner@bi-zoya @nazyalenskey @julian-harlow @ifangirlninja @language-of-thorns@ididntmeantobutiaccidentally @lazyperfectionistteen @ladytitaniagray
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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Hellooo you’re writing is lovely!! If you have the time can you write a fic about when Nikolai and Zoya realized they were more than coworkers but actually friends (and maybe felt more than that)? Thank you loads 💕💕
Mini-hiatus is over! I’m back to posting some regular fanfics, starting with this one!
By your choice of “coworkers” then I’m hoping assuming that you mean this is set in my zoyalai detectives au because that’s what I’m doing. (also @wafflesandkruge​ kind of did this as like Brooklyn 99 au and you should check that out)
-
Zoya wasn’t used to people knowing her habits. She worked long hours, and she didn’t spend a lot of time chatting in the break room with her coworkers. If anyone had been close to guessing how she took her coffee it would have been Alina. Even Genya– the paramedic who had treated Nikolai’s gun wound (apparently they had a lot in common in terms of getting Nikolai to do what he was told)– had yet to figure out her dinner preferences.
But when it came to her new partner in the Darkling Case, Nikolai seemed to know what she needed before she did. 
He brought her coffee from her favorite coffee shop every morning they spent working on the case. On stakeouts he made sure that they were stocked on Jolly Ranchers and salted pretzels. On trips to witness interviews he let her drive because he knew that she got carsick if she wasn’t driving. 
She confronted him about it once. His answer was insufferable as always.
“I’m a detective, Nazyalensky. It’s my job to notice things.” 
He smirked. Then brushed her aside.
What was even stranger was that she knew his habits as well.
She knew the way his fingers drummed against his desk when he was trying to piece together a case or evidence. She recognized the sympathetic expression that settled in his eyebrows when they interviewed victims’ families or interviewed witnesses. She brought him Hershey Kisses when they had a come to another dead end. She suffered through watching the Star Wars trilogy when she had stayed way too late in his apartment when they were supposed to be working. They ended up going off on tangents that led to an insistence of educating Zoya on what he calls “the trilogy to end all trilogies.” (she did smack him when he said that he was the Han Solo of the real world).
Zoya didn’t know how it happened, but one day when he got back from picking up their coffee and she started the car, she realized that they were friends. 
The coffee buying. The movie watching. The snack giving. The childhood story swapping. Those were things that friends did for each other. 
The realization gave her a pleasant warmth that was so uncharacteristic she almost choked on her coffee.
“You alright there?” He laughed as he probably noticed her flustered expression. “Don’t tell me today is the day you’re going to finally decide to end your reign of terror on all baristas everywhere? It took me three tries to get your order right.”
She coughed and put her drink down, “My order isn’t that complicated.”
He gave her a look, “You order a house coffee with two shots of vanilla and a pump of peppermint, with almond milk and honey. The girl at the counter almost tried to murder me when I said that.”
“At least the case would have been open and shut.” She muttered as she pulled into New York traffic.
“That’s cute, Zo,” He said sarcastically, “You should do stand-up with that kind of material.”
They were stopped at a red light so it was a perfect opportunity to flip him off.
That only caused more laughter from him.
���I should have grabbed more napkins if I had known you were going to make such a mess.” He said suddenly, and before she could understand his meaning, he reached over and wiped a trail of coffee from her chin with his thumb.
His hands were cold from being outside, but she couldn’t explain the heat that was left from where his finger was. Her stomach fluttered strangely, and she wanted to think on what that could mean, but a sudden honking noise came from behind her.
“It’s a green, Special Agent.” Nikolai gestured, and Zoya chose not to respond. She just pressed her foot to the gas pedal and let a natural silence overcome the car. Nikolai eventually put on some music, but she didn’t hear it.
She was still thinking about the lingering sensation of his thumb on her chin and the fluttering that wouldn’t cease.
Sure, her and Nikolai were friends. But friends didn’t make other friends feel like that. 
Tagging: @rainbowzebraas @bucumber @strummoner @bi-zoya @nazyalenskey @julian-harlow @ifangirlninja @language-of-thorns @ididntmeantobutiaccidentally @lazyperfectionistteen@ladytitaniagray @stormwitchprivateer
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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hiii could i request a zoyalai fic in which one of them (pick your victim xo) has been injured and the other is (begrudgingly? unexpectedly kindly? both is good?) taking care of them?
am i using this as an excuse to write more of my zoyalai detectives au? you betcha. am i also using this to procrastinate on all the other shit i need to do? you got me there. (is this also kind of long cause i fell into the trap of getting carried away? pretty much)
- in theory, their stakeout should have been very boring
- or as boring as anything can be when zoya was involved
- nikolai had loaded up on all the snacks for their all-nighter
- he made sure to get that gross jolly rancher stuff that zoya always had in her borrowed desk, and he had all the best chocolate the station’s vending machine could offer
- they were both staking out a known associate of the head of The Darkling’s delusional band of followers
- nikolai had said that if they were going to start to try to pin down his identity, it was better to start with the loonies who had nothing better to do than follow in the footsteps of serial killer
- zoya was hesitant to agree, but with the case dragging on and another body being found in an alley near the precinct, they were running out of options
- nikolai brought some of his old case files to work on in-between shifts while Zoya steadfastly looked out the window 
- “i remember i was a kid when this loony was still active,” he said trying to fill in the tiring silence, though he doubted zoya was listening to him,“then i got to the academy and after a long break, there was another one of those bodies found. they thought it was a copycat. then alina starkov happened, and it became too close of a coincidence.”
- this got her attention, “you know alina?”
- nikoali shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, “i met her at a police conference a couple of times. she was….”
- he didn’t know how to finish that sentence. she was a talented cop, a friendly face in the sea of hardened civil servants, the only girl who smiled at him like a friend and then turned him down for a date
- he didn’t like to brood unless it made him look extra dramatic, but it wasn’t often he had the thought “the one that got away” when it came to women
- “ha, you should wipe that look off your face, Lantsov,” zoya smirked at him and he just rolled his eyes in return, “pining is not a good look on you.”
- “i don’t pine, nazyalensky. but i am a little touched that you have an opinion on how good i look”
- she gave him a searing look that wasn’t entirely unkind 
- he took it as a victory 
- “no one was going to get stakov away from that high school sweetheart of hers– not even you”
- “you knew her?”
- “we worked the same department. i got the case after she was captured and another body was found”
- nikolai nodded, “and you’ve been working it ever since?”
- her gaze was fixed on the window when she responded, “my superiors wanted me to let it settle and label it a cold case until more evidence was found. but i want the bastard found. i’ve given up too many weekends and overtime for the papers in his file to rot in a forgotten drawer”
- “you must have quite the personal life, what with hunting serial killers and working for the federal government. your boyfriend must love that.”
- nikolai isn’t sure what made him say that last line, but he wasn’t going to deny that he’d been curious– to what end was his curiosity remained to be seen
- “are you expecting me to deny that i have a boyfriend?” she said neutrally, but for all of her posturing, nikolai did note the lie in her eyes
- he grinned, “only if it’s the truth, nazyalensky.”
- she opened her mouth to respond, and he’ll always wonder what she was about to say, because at that moment a shot came through the window. 
- without thinking nikolai grabbed zoya and shielded her away from the window
- two more shots pierced the glass and zoya groaned from under him
- “get off me, idiot.” 
- “i guess ‘thank you’ wasn’t on your list of things to say?”
- she didn’t even bother responding, instead, she ducked from under him and drew her gun. he had no choice but to follow
- there were three perpetrators shooting from the attic of the house, directly parallel from the window they were watching from
- their shadows cut across the window and zoya was able to get in a couple of shots before they responded with a much more powerful succession of bullets
- “seriously? a machine gun? who are these guys?” zoya cried as she took refuge of the floor
- nikolai would have probably made some snarky comeback if his head hadn’t started to feel a tad lighter and a gross warmth started seeping through his side
- one of the bullets tore through the muscles of his abdomen and it wasn’t long before zoya turned around and noticed that he had collapsed onto the dirt floor 
- “shit shit shit,” she muttered as an eerie silence had suddenly replaced the earlier chaos, “lantsov, you better not die on me, i swear i will kill you myself.”
- “that’s a nice incentive” he gasped out. his vision was starting to black out. he felt his blood sink deeper into the floor boards, and he supposed it wouldn’t be so bad if he could just shut his– 
- a slap to the face, that was zoya’s solution
- “don’t shut your eyes!” her voice was frantic, and that’s what made him struggle to keep his eyes open. zoya was never frantic
- he heard her pace around the room, calling for backup, then searching their meager supplies for anything that could stop the bleeding
- “nikolai, i have to put pressure on the wound.” she was bent over him, her brown hair curtaining her face, and if he wasn’t so delirious from pain he would have noted how good she smelled. It distracted from the harsh pressure that she was putting on his wound.
- Her hand reached over and became a gentle caress on his face. wiping away at the sweat that was gathered on his brow
- it was so gentle, so out of character that it almost convinced him that he was going to die
- “promise me you’re not going to die right now, lantsov. promise me you’re going to stay awake until help gets here.”
- he didn’t know where he found the strength, he didn’t know how he could have even attempted at a smile at the situation, but it was there all the same 
- “i-i promise”
- that was all he could muster, before all he could focus on was pushing air into his lungs
- zoya didn’t make him speak again. she just held his hand. put pressure on his wound. pushed his hair back. and then talked soothingly. he couldn’t make out the words, but her voice was melodic and a steady stream of peace.
- the last thing nikolai remembered was the thunder of boots that turned out to be their back up. he felt himself being lifted up and placed on a gurney. he felt zoya’s hand still holding his. 
tagging the people that wanted to follow this detective au/people who looked like they were interested:
@stormwitchprivateer @rainbowzebraas @bucumber @strummoner @bi-zoya @nazyalenskey @julian-harlow @ifangirlninja @language-of-thorns @ididntmeantobutiaccidentally
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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six sentence sunday
Thanks for the tag @sulisaints and @wafflesandkruge
Here’s a snippet from my upcoming Zoyalai Detectives au ficlet:
There were many things Nikolai was prepared for when he ordered a drink from the bar tender who could have easily been two men smushed together. He had his holster hidden, his badge tucked into the inner lining of his pocket, and he looked exactly like every other young man under the flashing lights trying to get laid. He had accounted for the exits, sent Kaz a note as to the time of the meeting, and all that was left was to drink and wait.
What he wasn’t prepared for was Zoya. Zoya in the tightest navy dress he’s ever seen on anyone. Zoya in high heels that defined her legs too well. Zoya with that same intense look on her face that had you wondering if you should be scared or excited.
“Vodka. Rocks.” She said as she approached the bar where Nikolai was too busy trying to remember how to form words.
Tagging: @city-of-fae @rainbowzebraas 
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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“Control My Next Fic” Voting is Closed!!!
Wowowowowow!!!! 900 followers already!! You guys are blowing my mind and I am so happy and grateful for everyone who took the survey and has followed all of my fics. 
I’m going to start plotting the fic out today, and then everyone can see which options won!!
In the meantime,
there’s a new Fever Dreams and Shadow Games chapter coming out tonight on @wafflesandkruge‘s blog.
I am finally getting around to that sequel of the argument zoyalai fic 
“Jealousy, that thing with claws” pt. 4 is slowly becoming a reality
I have a new Zoyalai detective au ficlet in the works
Also, I’m finally going to answer the requests that have been sitting in my inbox for a while
Thank you so much for your support of my writing and this blog, and I’m excited to continue to create stuff with you guys!
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ?!?!?!?!??!
I started reading and I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE DETECTIVES AU AND I LITERALLY HAD TO COVER MY MOUTH FROM SHOCK
THIS WAS AMAZING AND IF YOU DONT THINK KM GOING TO ADD ONTO IT I AM GOING TO
Thank you for writing this and for being amazing ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
(actually now that you mention it I would love to collab on a little something I can’t piece together myself)
Hey hey hey, it’s your friendly neighborhood dregstrash. What do you say to doing 47 for Zoyalai? Please???
“Go on. I dare you.”
(Hi I love your detective au @dregstrash please accept my humble offering. Also if you ever want to collab on something for it please hmu)
_________________________
Zoya’s harsh breathing was the only sound in the cavernous and dimly lit warehouse. Her hands shook as she kept her gun pointed straight ahead. At Nikolai, her life’s greatest what-if, and at Yuri, the leader of the Cult of the Starless who was responsible for the murder of countless innocents. Yuri had an arm hooked around Nikolai’s neck, the barrel of his gun pressed into Nikolai’s golden hair. A cloth tied around the lower half of his face left only his eyes visible. They were glued to hers like he was trying to tell her something. She wasn’t sure what. All she knew was that there were three people, two guns, and only one possible outcome. 
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Detective Nazyalensky. Youngest officer in nearly two decades. A prodigy trained by Morozova himself.”
“What do you want, Vedenen.” Zoya cursed the tremble in her voice.
“I just wanted to see the face of the person who’d been pursuing me. Imagine my surprise when they turn out to be some pretty little thing who looks barely out of the academy. I had my fun with you, Nazyalensky, but it’s time to be rid of you. And your pesky partner.”
He ground the muzzle of his gun into Nikolai’s scalp and Zoya saw him wince. She started forward, but Yuri shook his head threateningly. 
“Don’t. Stay where you are. Or Lantsov here will make his maker.”
Zoya hesitated. He would kill Nikolai, then turn the gun on her. She had to do something, save Nikolai, kill Yuri, call for backup, something. Her finger inched towards the trigger. 
Yuri saw everything. He laughed. “You are an excellent shot, Nazyalensky, but I doubt you can hit me from that distance without accidentally shooting your partner here. But you know what, go on. I dare you.”
Nikolai nodded at her, the slightest hint of fear in his eyes. That asshole still doubted her after years of watching her hit bullseye after bullseye. She lined up the shot, focusing on the tiny sliver of shoulder Yuri had exposed behind Nikolai’s broader ones. She exhaled. Then Yuri was moving his gun arm, but it didn’t matter, she had her target in sight, she pulled the trigger-
Bang.
Bang.
Zoya barely had time to wonder about the second gunshot before she crumpled to the floor, a burning chain in her chest. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t breathe, she was drowning-
Nikolai’s frantic face replaced the drab warehouse ceiling. The gag was gone and his mouth moved quickly. Zoya couldn’t hear anything beyond a high pitched ringing. She tried to push air out of her mouth to speak, but something wet was blocking her mouth. She coughed and felt warmth trickle out of the corner of her mouth. 
Nikolai’s familiar voice suddenly became clear. “Zoya! Zo, come on, stay with me. An ambulance is coming, just stay. Oh god, please stay.” Warm drops fell onto her face. and suddenly he was pressing down hard on her chest. She hissed in pain. 
“Ass..hole,” she muttered. Each syllable took so much energy. If only it took Nikolai this much effort to speak, then he wouldn’t constantly be talking her ear off. She took another burning, shuddering breath.
“That’s it. Come on Zo. Just a few more minutes.”
Minutes? Zoya wanted to sleep. Her eyelids were heavy and sleep promised relief from the pain. It would be okay if she just took a quick nap, right? She blinked slowly and let her consciousness start to drift. 
“Zo? Zo, you have to stay awake.” Nikolai’s hand was slapping her cheek. “Come on, Zo. You’re going to be okay, you have to be.”
Zoya fought and for a moment she surfaced from the gentle lull of sleep.
“I…I love…”
_________________________
“Oncat. I was going to say Oncat,” Zoya insisted as she turned her head away from Nikolai to stare adamantly out the hospital window. He just moved to the other side of the bed with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. 
“No way. You love me, Zoya Nazyalensky.”
“In your dreams, Lantsov.
“You,” he sang. “Love. Me.”
She threw the nightstand’s bible at him.
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wafflesandkruge ¡ 5 years ago
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Advent Calendar 10/31 (Alone)
A/N: More of @dregstrash​‘s detectives au!
Zoya fired the last bullet, then put her gun down and pressed the button to have the target wheeled forward. She examined it critically. Most had gone into the head where she’d intended, but there were two stray shots that had only nicked the printed silhouette completely. Jesus, she needed more practice. She glanced at the clock. 1 AM. Perfect, she could get in another couple rounds of shooting before she had to head home. 
She clipped in a new target, then wheeled it back out. Just as she finished reloading, there was a scuff from behind her. She whirled around, gun raised, only to find the smirking face of Nikolai Lantsov. He held up his hands in mock surrender.
“Is shooting your partner a bonding activity in this precinct?” 
“Shut up,” Zoya grumbled as she lowered the gun and set it down on the counter. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Well, I heard you’re usually here late. And I wanted to see what my new partner is capable of,” he replied with that insufferable smirk still on his face. He dropped his bag onto a chair, then took the lane next to hers.
“We’re not going to be partners for long, not if I have anything to say about it. I prefer working alone.”
“Oh, I’m sure. You just haven’t worked with me before.”
In response, Zoya lifted her gun and emptied the clip. She didn’t know if it was because she wanted to prove something to Nikolai, but each one went through the head. Nikolai let out a low whistle.
“Impressive, Detective Nazyalensky.”
“I know.”
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wafflesandkruge ¡ 6 years ago
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82 from the angst list for zoyalai
Heyyyy @dregstrash I haven’t written anything for your detectives au for a while, so here you go
It’s sort of a sequel to this story of yours
[“Just breathe, okay?”]
Nikolai awoke from a sharp kick to his back. His first instinct screamed attack, and before he was fully in control of his movements, he’d sprung out of bed and landed on his feet. His bedroom was dark, the air still except for the slight movements of another figure in his bed. Zoya.
Information flooded Nikolai’s brain as he remembered the day’s events. Zoya had finally been discharged from the hospital, which led to drinks, which led to...other things. 
But now, Zoya was shaking, non-sensical sounds coming from her throat. Nikolai cautiously climbed back onto the bed and put a hand on her shoulder. “Zoya-”
Her eyes flew open, the bright blue of her irises shining with what little light filtered in from the drawn shades. Her hand closed around Nikolai’s wrist as she flipped them. Nikolai’s back landed on the mattress hard as she put a forearm to his throat and leaned in. 
“The Darkling,” she panted. Her eyes were unnaturally wide and she kept glancing from one corner of the room to another, as if monsters lurked in the shadows. “He’s coming. He’s coming for me.”
“Zoya,” Nikolai rasped frantically. He tried to shove her back so he could breathe, but she seemed possessed with inhuman strength. “I can’t-”
“He’s here already. He marked me, permanently. He won’t let me go,” she sobbed. She lessened the pressure on his throat for a moment and Nikolai seized the opportunity. He shoved her back, then captured her wrists and pulled her to him in a bear hug. Zoya’s body shook violently against his.
“Shhhhh,” he murmured. “Just breathe, okay? You’re safe here. You’re in my apartment, no one can get to you here.”
“I can still hear him. He made me listen to what he did to Alina, then he-” Zoya broke off, panting. Nikolai stroked her hair, his heart clenching. He knew they were lucky to find Zoya relatively early. If they hadn’t- he didn’t want to think about the state they would have found her in, if at all. He held her a little tighter.
“We’ll get him, okay? He won’t get away this time.”
Zoya soon fell asleep in his arms, exhausted. He held her until slivers of sunlight started to stream into the room.
I’m going to catch that bastard, he vowed. Whatever it takes. 
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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zoyalai fic masterlist
I got a lot of requests for a Zoyalai masterlist, and I think it’s time I finally attempt to condense all my fics.
I’ve divided my fics by Grishaverse, Modern AU, and Miscellaneous.
For multi-chapters, I’m linking the latest or last chapter since I link all the previous chapters in that post. “A” is for Angst and “F” is for Fluff. 
Thanks for being the best followers guys, I love every single one of you who has reblogged, liked, commented, sent me an ask or prompt, and I will never get tired of saying thank you!
Grishaverse
Jealousy, That Thing With Claws (WIP)
Zoya’s POV
Reaching for a Memory (WIP)
“From stars I’ll make a crown and kneel before you” (F)
“You fainted....straight into my arms” (F)
Waking Up Next To You (F)
Nikolai Being Hurt (A)
Zoyalai + Zoya’s Powers (F)
Addressing Some Rumors (F)
“Marry Me?” (F)
Zoya Pregnancy HC (F)
“Hold on to me, I’m a Little Unsteady” (A)
“How the Hell Did We End Up Like This?” (A)
“I Need the Sun to Break, You’ve Woken Up My Heart” (F)
To Make a Bad Situation Worse (A)
Sometimes a Heart Doesn’t Break (A)
A Last Chance
Let Me Let You Go (A)
Accidental Confession (F)
Late Night Walks (A)
Maybe He Was
 “Let’s Fall In Love for Tonight, and Forget in the Morning” (F)
“It was June, I was ten” (F)
“Show Me that I’ll Never Fly Alone” (F)
“I Just Can’t Pretend I’m Not In Love With You”
The Trilogy (F)
Zoya Goes Missing (A) // She Gets Found (F)
Till Death Do Us Part (A)
“I’m A Sucker For You” (F)
Drunken Reverie
 “Why Would A Star, A Star Ever Be Afraid of the Dark?”
 “First Meetings”
“The Look of Mischief In Your Eyes” (F)
Harsher Words Cut Bleeding Hearts (A) // Making Up (F)
“Love How You Say My Second Name” (F)
“We Lay Here For Years or For Hours” (F)
“You Won’t Die. Not on My Watch” (A)
She Did It For Him (A)
“To Want a Love That Can’t Be True” 
“All the Things Yet To Come Are The Things That Have Passed” (A)
Keeping Up Pretenses (A)
Petty Jealousy (F)
Modern AU
Zoyalai Detectives AU
Under Flashing Lights (WIP)
Zoyalai Rock AU
Kings And Queens of Plastic Crowns (School AU)
“Maybe I’ll Love You For a While” (F)
Can’t You See It’s You? (F)
Roommates AU (F) // Headcanons 
Breaking Up, Falling Apart (A)
“Just Me, Her And the Moon” (F)
Step- Up AU- “You Are the Rite of Movement.” (F)
First Dates (F)
“Have You Lost Your Damn Mind?” (F)
Miscellaneous 
An Honest Conversation
Nina and Zoya (F)
Pen Pals
A(n) (Un)Wanted Visitor
Hogwarts AU
Finding Out The Truth
“You’re Such A Pretty Mess”
 Pride and Prejudice AU
Small Favors
Quiet Contemplations
Mermaid AU
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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What are some of your favorite parts of your fics that you've written?
Wow! Thank you for this wonderful ask!!
I’ll do it by fic:
For my “jealousy, that thing with claws” one of my favorite parts was writing Petya’s proposal to Zoya. Idk. I just thought at that moment, it was the consolidation of Nikolai’s missed opportunities, and I loved that.
For my “gilded crowns” fic, my favorite part thus far has been Kaz being anti-social at one of the balls and then Inej following him. I love writing Kaz trying to shake Inej, and she very much doesn’t like being told what to do
For my “reaching for a memory” fic, currently favorite part is the big reveal that Zoya is engaged to Nikolai, but she doesn’t remember it 
For my “under flashing lights” zoyalai detectives au (that I have yet to update) my favorite part is yet to be published cause I have it planned, but not yet written.
I love answering these, thanks for sending it in!!!
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dregstrash ¡ 6 years ago
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3, 4 and 7 for the asks! btw I love love love your fics, seeing them on my dash always makes me so happy!! 💕
Thank you sooo much!!! That’s so sweet!
3. In your opinion, what is your best fic?
I just answered this. But I’ll say it again, it’s my recent drabble for Zoyalai based on the song Wasteland, Baby by Hozier. But I have a couple different ones that I love.
4. In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic?
Hmmm….. I think my most popular fic was probably the first one I ever wrote for Kanej (if you’re interested here’s the link!)
7. What’s the fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)?
I think one that I want to continue is my Zoyalai Detectives au. Every time I write something for it, it just brings me a lot of happiness.
Fanfic Author Ask Meme
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iamarthemis ¡ 6 years ago
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I don’t know how I’m just seeing this but I LOVE THEM and I love this 💖💕💖💕
also "open your eyes" by snow patrol if you like them 😊💞
Sooo I wrote something for my Zoyalai school au, yesterday, it only feels right to write something from my zoyalai detectives au
And I got this prompt a couple of weeks ago that asked for one of them to be injured and write about it. And the asker made a good point, it is always Nikolai that gets injured. So this prompt is the response to what our dear Head Detective does when Special Agent Nazyalensky is injured
Tell me that you’ll open your eyes
It’s been two days since the incident. 
Days with too much coffee. Too much time. And not enough assurances from the nurses and doctors that everything was going to be okay 
Nikolai could have sworn that he had permanently melded in with the cheap cushioned hospital seat, and he was sure that the crick in his neck was a permanent feature of his body. But he remained where he was. He dozed when he needed to, but mostly he waited. If he was a more religious man he would have prayed. Prayed that the knife wound that punctured her lung would heal correctly. Prayed that the concussion she had sustained when she stupidly decided to investigate the last known location of the Darkling alone wouldn’t keep her down for too long. Prayed that she’d wake up, just for his own piece of mind. But he wasn’t a religious man. All he had was the waiting and the annoying little beeps that sounded off in the monitor right by her bed.
The tips of his fingers felt raw as he fiddled with the paperclip in his pocket again. The silver encasement peeling and the weak metal heating in his hand. 
“Sir,” There was the nurse again. Nikolai noticed that the furrow between her eyebrows were getting deeper and deeper with each time she checked up on him, “The doctor isn’t sure when Ms. Nazyalensky will be able to wake up. Maybe it would be best if–”
“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” Nikolai cut her off, and just resolved to staring at Zoya. 
He felt the nurse’s stare from the corner of his eye, and didn’t let his posture drop until she checked up on Zoya and then left the room. 
An hour passed. Two hours. He didn’t care he’d wait another goddamn three hours if–
“Nikolai?” 
Seguir leyendo
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