The Lives Of Saints - Blog Posts

Name a better feeling than getting the first comment on a fic you were uncertain about and knowing that at least one person liked the tiny piece of your brain that you put on the internet

Guess who just met?!?!?!

Working on Episode 3!

Nina is so fun to write, in my fic I gave her a girlfriend and she is probably connected to five different political/underground networks. Here’s a NINA section from Episode Two!

NINA

NOVOKRIBIRSK, WEST RAVKA

[She wears her red kefta and reads a letter in RAVKAN with the letterhead of an eclipse. SCENE change to NINA in a meeting with ZLATAN and a few WEST RAVKAN military personnel.]

ZLATAN: Still no response from the East?

SOLDIER 1: None from this morning’s river barge, sir.

ZLATAN: (staring intently) They’re up to something. ZENIK, what of the cartographer’s progress?

NINA: She still won’t talk, sir. She needs more time.

ZLATAN: I gave you one task.

NINA: The brain is a complex system, especially given stress. Would you rather have her experience a stroke instead?

ZLATAN: (rolls his eyes) I want her information by eighteen bells.

NINA: (frowns) Yes, sir.

[Scene changes to NINA walking OUTSIDE past large tents and wooden structures for housing. A long shot shows an Inferni with wild red hair and blue kefta standing guard outside a small tent.]

NINA: Harshaw. (NINA smiles and nods at him) Any stirrings from her?

HARSHAW: Not a peep.

[HARSHAW winks and walks off as NINA enters the tent. INSIDE, FEMALE CARTOGRAPHER lays on a solitary cot, motionless. NINA softly smiles and she sits down on the edge of the cot.]

FC: Is he gone?

NINA: It’s just us, love.

[FC jolts up and hugs and kisses NINA. Her name is MORANA, who is disguised as FC. They break apart.]

NINA: I missed you too. (another kiss)

MORANA: How am I doing?

NINA: ZLATAN doesn’t suspect a thing. What did you find out?

[The camera focuses on who we thought was FC but we see that her once brown eyes are morphed with some blue spots, and strands of her hair and eyebrows have darkened in odd places.]

MORANA: (counting off on her fingers) Her name is Ruby. VERY pious, has all twenty-three Saints’ prayers memorized—

NINA: MORANA, the important bits dearest I don’t need her life story.

MORANA: (cheeks redden) Right. The delay with the skiff. She said…(pause) the Sun Summoner saved her.

NINA: You’re sure? But those are just stories!

MORANA: (nods) Some other cartographer…Alina Starkov.

NINA: (serious expression) Alina Starkov…A Sun Saint in the hands of the Crown is dangerous.

MORANA: It would sway the people to them instead of accepting the secession. Does the Black General know about Ruby?

NINA: (shakes her head and hands her the letter with the eclipse symbol) The GENERAL wanted me to kill her…I’m not doing that to a girl just trying to survive.

MORANA: She’ll be on the ship to Ketterdam by tonight.

NINA: Good. I’ll inform ZLATAN of the Sun Summoner.

[They hold each other’s hands as the SCENE transitions to a map of EAST RAVKA. A sketch of a carriage follows a path outlined in bones, halfway between the FOLD and OS ALTA (which has a picture of a palace)]

I’m rereading “The Lives of Saints” fanfic now to work on Ch. 3 and I forgot just how girl crazy I made Alina. I’m thinking of expanding on a little crush on Zoya (which will be funny as this is established Genya x Zoya) and I have this Alinej scene in my head that I might share with you guys later. Just to write it down.

*fic is a script format, sapphic retelling of Shadow and Bone TV show

Sun Summoner Sunday ☀️

The girls doing their thing.

*Not my edit

Here’s a cute Alinej:

I’m just thinking about Sankta Neyar and The Disciple again. I have a few fic ideas in mind (one of them being a femslash version of this couple). But, for a worldbuilding sense the notorious art thief’s origin would determine a lot of different factors. I’d love y’all’s thoughts on the matter. Thanks in advance.

Alina summoning a giant ball of sunlight in Baghra’s cave. Within the sunlight, a black and white outline of Inej raising her sword and jumping in the air as she takes down a shadow monster.

Is today Genya and Alina Friday? Maybe. I just found a YouTube playlist filled with Genyalina edits. I am so happy right now.

Dang I can’t copy it but this one is sweet.

*not my edit

Happy Friday Yall

It doesn’t take long at all to get to 2015 Tamadia content 😄 @ignitesthestxrs this idea is SO awesome!

I’ve been thinking about Nadia and Tamadia lately, might whip up a short story of them fighting together.

i kinda have this headcannon that inej meets tamar and nadia and they join her crew of badass women

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL HEADCANON i love everything about this???

like i get a sort of sense from nadia that she is a little…adrift. she’s a good grisha, but she’s never been Great. she helped defeat the darkling but she was not super Integral. i can see her wanting to go away from ravka a bit - still be useful, ofc, but not surrounded by all the same settings and people that she’s spent her life knowing.

she’s about to leave & doesn’t expect tamar to come. tamar arranges some time off from Nikolai Duty. they’re on a ship together when they see inej’s ship attacking a slaver vessel and are just like WELL THAT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD CAUSE and help out. the merchant vessel they’re on refuses to take them the rest of the way after that, so inej is like ‘earn your keep with some more shows like that and i’ll drop you off the next time we make land’

and that’s how nadia and tamar became slaver hunters.

large text

Episode Two: The Lives of Saints

Opening:

[Young ALINA and MAL run through a green meadow outside the Keramzin orphanage, an older woman’s voice yells their names. Lying in the sea of long grass with the afternoon sun shining down on them, young MAL asks:]

MAL: Don’t you want to know if you’re Grisha? [Their hands clasp in the grass and the camera focuses on a serious young ALINA’s face]

ALINA: Not if we can’t go together.

[Young ALINA turns to stare into the sun. Sun fades into a quick flash of a giant majestic Stag before the scene changes to modern day.]

ALINA

KRIBIRSK, EAST RAVKA

[ALINA’s eyes snap open to reveal a bedraggled ZOYA peering at her, the LATE AFTERNOON sun shines behind ZOYA. ALINA groans in pain.]

ZOYA: (orders) Don’t move. (shouts) Healer! [ALINA sees an empty spot where MAL used to lay and has a quick flashback of his pained, dying face.]

ALINA: Where’s MAL? The tracker? (she breathes panicaly) He can’t...

ZOYA: First Army was sent to medical.

[The HEALER arrives wearing a red coat with white and gray embroidery. The HEALER puts her hands together, then over ALINA, we hear a bone snap into place and ALINA gasps.]

ZOYA: Now, move. We have a debriefing with the General.

ALINA: Who? (the healer moves her hands toward her abdomen, ALINA grits her teeth and stands)

[(Scene change) ZOYA walks in front of ALINA, who is followed by two guards in black and red uniforms OUTSIDE. ALINA is silently panicking:]

ALINA: It’s all my fault, isn’t it? They’re all gone. I’ll be tried for murder...

ZOYA: Quiet.

[They enter a large black tent. From over ZOYA’s shoulder, we see the GENERAL wearing a black kefta, who turns to stare into ALINA’s openly scared face. He holds a few papers in his hands. ALINA scans the tent where Grisha soldiers in blue, red, and purple keftas line the edges. As she scans her surroundings, we hear MAL’s voiceover say “I’ll meet in the meadow” and the same, hoarse old woman from the opening screech voiceover shouts, “It’s all your fault!”]

GENERAL: ZOYA, your report.

ZOYA: Fourteen total casualties, sir. Five injured, seven confirmed dead, with two First Army unaccounted for. A First Army soldier gave away our position barely three markers in, (grumbles from the Second Army soldiers). The volcra went after our Inferni and riflemen first. It would have been a total loss, had it not been for a searing burst of light. (At this last phrase she steps aside for ALINA to be fully revealed).

GENERAL: (smirks and reads off some documents in his hand) ALINA STARKOV, Assistant Cartographer of the King’s Army. (to ALINA) Your file is just like every other First Army recruit. No family—raised in the Keramzin orphanage. A minor infraction reported while in Poliznaya for basic training...

(ALINA shifts in place, confused and nervous from all the attention)

GENERAL: Yet there is one oversight in your ordinary file. It is customary for every First Army recruit to be tested upon entry, even if completed in childhood. Your form is blank, Miss Starkov. Tell us, were you tested?

ALINA: (expression nervous, flashback to her as a child in the orphanage being tested and again in a new army uniform, extending a hand to a Grisha soldier in a blue kefta, scene back to present) Yes, and when I was ten, sir. (we see the GENERAL’s annoyance)

GENERAL: Well then, (he strides forward, putting a pointy ring on his finger) let us just be certain.

[The little light within the tent is fully blocked out, leaving only ALINA and the GENERAL in view. GENERAL pushes up her sleeve.]

ALINA: What’s happening?

[Her sliver of a scared face is shown before it transitions to OUTSIDE where MAL opens his eyes and sits up.]

MAL: Where’s ALINA?

MEDIC: Apparently with the GENERAL, fulfilling prophecies.

[MAL darts off the bench, hobbling toward the direction of the GENERAL’S TENT.]

MEDIC: Corporal! You’re wounded!

MAL: We need to stop this.

MEDIC: What’s the big d—

MAL: What do you think they’re gonna do when they find out she’s not Grisha?

[From the outside of the GENERAL’S TENT, a giant beam of light shoots into the sky, every soldier in camp stops in shock, there are a few muttered “Sun Summoner” or soldiers who perform their religious signs.]

MEDIC: (awe) I don’t think you’ll have to worry ‘bout that.

[INSIDE the tent, ALINA stares at the beam of light then at the GENERAL in shock and fear. The GENERAL stares with a wisp of a smile on his face. The beam descends and ALINA jerks back from his touch, grasping the wrist that light just shot out of.]

GENERAL: Alina Starkov, our mapmaker—our Sun Summoner. (some Grisha kneel or do the religious sign, while others stare at her with confusion or jealousy.)

GENERAL: (to ZOYA) Take Ivan’s squad and escort the Sun Summoner to Os Alta. I will follow after speaking with the First Army regiments. (ZOYA nods) Dismissed.

[ZOYA pushes ALINA toward the tent’s exit. The tent flaps open to bright white light]

ALINA: What—

ZOYA: Move. You have a meeting with the King.

[SCENE CHANGE: The camera shows ALINA looking at a fancy black carriage. She stands beside an annoyed ZOYA, and IVAN. He is a Corporalki holding a healer kefta in his hands, and he opens the door of the coach for ALINA.]

IVAN: Get in.

ALINA: No, I’m a mapmaker. I’m not...There’s been a mistake. A trick!

ZOYA: We wouldn’t be here if so. Think of it as your reassignment. Now, do your duty. Get in the coach.

ALINA: But my friends—Mal...

ZOYA: If you really care about them, you’ll come with us. You’re useless to Ravka if you can’t summon properly.

IVAN: And if you don’t think every foreign scout in the area didn’t just see your little light show—

ALINA: That’s not my fault!

IVAN: (stone-faced) The sooner you train and take down the Fold, the better chance every soldier here doesn’t end up food for a Volcra.

[ALINA, with clenched fists at her sides and an angry expression, looks to the side to see dozens of soldiers (including MAL) staring at her. An uncomfortable look passes across her face as she steps forward into the carriage.]

[The carriage is shown leaving and the camera gradually moves up to show the high sun. Time passes where day becomes night. The almost full moon transitions into The CROW CLUB sign. It is MORNING.]

INEJ

KETTERDAM

[The club is vacant as the camera shows the booth where ARKEN VISSER, INEJ, KAZ, and JESPER sit. The table is full of maps, a few cups of coffee, and INEJ sharpens her knives]

ARKEN: I’ve sent word by steamboat. She’ll know to escort you across the Fold.

KAZ: How do we know we can trust her?

INEJ: A Grisha turning against the Black General?

JESPER: Unheard of.

[Camera focuses on ARKEN then transitions to NINA in NOVOKRIBIRK, WEST RAVKA as he speaks.]

ARKEN: Nina’s a radical. Thinks Grisha should get to choose whether they serve the Crown. She has her hand in almost every West Ravkan underground network there is.

NINA

NOVOKRIBIRSK, WEST RAVKA

[She wears her red kefta and reads a letter in RAVKAN with the letterhead of an eclipse. SCENE change to NINA in a meeting with ZLATAN and a few WEST RAVKAN military personnel.]

ZLATAN: Still no response from the East?

SOLDIER 1: None from this morning’s river barge, sir.

ZLATAN: (staring intently) They’re up to something. ZENIK, what of the cartographer’s progress?

NINA: She still won’t talk, sir. She needs more time.

ZLATAN: I gave you one task.

NINA: The brain is a complex system, especially given stress. Would you rather have her experience a stroke instead?

ZLATAN: (rolls his eyes) I want her information by eighteen bells.

NINA: (frowns) Yes, sir.

[Scene changes to NINA walking OUTSIDE past large tents and wooden structures for housing. A long shot shows an Inferni with wild red hair and blue kefta standing guard outside a small tent.]

NINA: Harshaw. (NINA smiles and nods at him) Any stirrings from her?

HARSHAW: Not a peep.

[HARSHAW winks and walks off as NINA enters the tent. INSIDE, FEMALE CARTOGRAPHER lays on a solitary cot, motionless. NINA softly smiles and she sits down on the edge of the cot.]

FC: Is he gone?

NINA: It’s just us, love.

[FC jolts up and hugs and kisses NINA. Her name is MORANA, who is disguised as FC. They break apart.]

NINA: I missed you too. (another kiss)

MORANA: How am I doing?

NINA: ZLATAN doesn’t suspect a thing. What did you find out?

[The camera focuses on who we thought was FC but we see that her once brown eyes are morphed with some blue spots, and strands of her hair and eyebrows have darkened in odd places.]

MORANA: (counting off on her fingers) Her name is Ruby. VERY pious, has all twenty-three Saints’ prayers memorized—

NINA: MORANA, the important bits dearest I don’t need her life story.

MORANA: (cheeks redden) Right. The delay with the skiff. She said...(pause) the Sun Summoner saved her.

NINA: You’re sure? But those are just stories!

MORANA: (nods) Some other cartographer...a part-Shu girl named Alina Starkov.

NINA: (serious expression) Alina Starkov...A Sun Saint in the hands of the Crown is dangerous.

MORANA: It would sway the people to them instead of accepting the secession. Does the Black General know about Ruby?

NINA: (shakes her head and hands her the letter with the eclipse symbol) The GENERAL wanted me to kill her...I’m not doing that to a girl just trying to survive.

MORANA: She’ll be on the ship to Ketterdam by tonight.

NINA: Good. I’ll inform ZLATAN of the Sun Summoner.

[They hold each other’s hands as the SCENE transitions to a map of EAST RAVKA. A sketch of a carriage follows a path outlined in bones, halfway between the FOLD and OS ALTA (which has a picture of a palace)]

ALINA

THE BONE ROAD, EAST RAVKA

[The carriage is then shown going through a wooded area versus the flat grasslands of KRIBIRSK. INSIDE the carriage, ALINA now wears the Healer kefta and fiddles with the fur lining. A FLASHBACK appears of young ALINA, wearing a red dress of the orphanage, falling asleep in a pew as a sermoner speaks.]

(In the background) Sermoner: The wrath of the Black Heretic is not only seen in the Unsea! But the evil acts man commits upon one another...”

[The old woman from the opening is shown wearing a gray dress, and sits right next to an asleep ALINA. The matron notices ALINA sleeping and drags her from the pew to the back of the chapel.]

YOUNG ALINA: Miss KRISTINA! I’m sorry!

KRISTINA: (whispers angrily) All you have to do is sit up and pay attention! (she grabs the young girl’s arm very roughly)

YOUNG ALINA: I can’t! I’m trying!

[Scene is snapped back to ALINA’s tense expression. She looks up at IVAN and ZOYA.]

ALINA: What will happen to me if I can’t do it? Can’t you transfer this power to someone else? Someone—

(ZOYA snorts while IVAN looks out the window and rolls his eyes.)

ZOYA: That’s not how Grisha power works. It is a gift from the Saints you’ll have for the rest of your life. I’d have figured a First Army grunt like you dreamed of being Grisha, the way you were drooling over our training practice.

ALINA: I was not—! It doesn’t matter. (She looks down at her hands)

IVAN: Train. Do your job. And you won’t have to worry about a noose. Even when you keep whining (to ALINA in a very rude, pointed voice) we look after our own.

ZOYA: We won’t let you fail. Like it or not you’re one of us. How it took this long to find you is beyond me.

[Camera shows ALINA’s uncertain smile and pensive face. She sways as the carriage jolts to a stop. ZOYA, IVAN and ALINA look around confused. OUTSIDE two soldiers in black uniforms walk ahead with guns as a few soldiers in blue keftas walk behind them.]

YouTube scene:

{A shot hits GUARD 1]

GUARD 2: Druskel—! (shot through the head)

[Two inferni and a squallor attack, a knife flies through the neck of the squallor as Inferni send fireballs forward. The Druskelle throw smoke bombs to cover their movements. We see ZOYA and IVAN leave the carriage. IVAN runs ahead, taking out a Druskelle by crush their heart from afar as they near the carriage. ZOYA stays back to guard ALINA. Then, ZOYA runs forward to clear the smoke and throw the Druskelle back. We see ZOYA lift soldiers in the air and spike them into trees. IVAN and another corporalki put their hands together then rip a fist back to crush the hearts of soldiers popping out from behind trees. But, the Druskelle sharpshooter pushes ZOYA, IVAN, and the other Grisha to cover making it impossible to move forward or take him out. ALINA hides in the carriage, covering herself with the kefta IVAN gave her. From behind the carriage, we see two FJERDAN soldiers drop from the trees, boxing in the group. One soldier enters the carriage and drags ALINA out. We see the other soldier fire toward ZOYA, whose attention is now split between the larger group and ALINA.]

ALINA: (Dragged across the ground, she kicks the Druskelle—who in turn hits her and her gaze shifts. She yells.) I’m not Grisha!

DRUSKELLE: (raising an axe) Drusje!

[We then see the GENERAL appear on horseback to the fight, he performs the cut, immediately slicing the DRUSKELLE into pieces. In this version of the fight, the GENERAL clears the battlefield with his shadows, killing the enemy soldiers with his shadows.]

[The camera then shows a bloody ALINA sprawled on the ground, terrified. The calm GENERAL offers his hand to her.]

GENERAL: You ride with me.

[They ride off into the distance as the scene transitions to the NIGHT of KETTERDAM.]

INEJ

KETTERDAM

[INSIDE, KAZ’s office, INEJ stands peering down at maps and lists spread out across KAZ’s desk. KAZ sits behind the desk, peering at the papers and slowly spinning his cane. JESPER paces and spins a gun as they talk.]

KAZ: We have our way across the Fold, way in the palace, and way out.

INEJ: And ARKEN?

JESPER: Already on a ship to NOVYI ZEM.

KAZ: All we need is a round trip to RAVKA.

JESPER: Get SPECHT to whip up our passports, easy. Tickets for the Os Kervo passage went down half a kruge!

KAZ: Steam ships check all the luggage.

INEJ: We can’t risk being documented in any way.

JESPER: (tapping the revolvers at his hips): I’ve got it! (he reaches in his shirt jacket for a crumpled list)

JESPER: I’ve been scoping out Fifth Harbor like you said (JESPER nods at KAZ, camera shows KAZ and INEJ look at him) Sturmhond will help us.

INEJ: Who?

JESPER: He’s a very rich pirate—works independently—but the RAVKANS love him.

KAZ: What’s the cost?

KAZ: Someone like him won’t come cheap.

[We see JESPER’s joyful face, he clasps his hands together and starts to walk out the door.]

JESPER: Well, lucky you have me then.

[Scene changes to the trio entering JESPER’s room. It is a bit cluttered with different clothes strewn around, gun parts, Ketterdam tourist knick knacks, top hats, and specific emphasis is given to what look like brand new textbooks.]

JESPER: They’re around here somewhere...(he goes under his bed to search for a mysterious object)

[INEJ picks up a wonky green plaid hat and looks at herself in the mirror while KAZ picks up a textbook. JESPER’s legs stick out from beneath the bed. JESPER pulls a large case from beneath the bed.]

JESPER: Please put everything back, there is a method to the chaos. (looks over at INEJ in the hat) Oh, except you INEJ. That looks so much better on you.

INEJ: (smiles and puts the hat back) Thanks, Jes.

KAZ: (serious) Are those the ZEMENI rifles I told you to take to the safe house?

JESPER: I’ve got a good reason! (KAZ stares at him and JESPER opens the case) What are you always telling me? Make the pigeons come back for more? I had to ensure the smuggler didn’t short us, didn’t I?

KAZ: (gruffly) Did they?

JESPER: (grabs one of the guns) Perfect condition except for one piece, which I have...(he searches around as if he just set the part down)

INEJ: This one? (she holds a circular piece of metal and throws it to JESPER) You left it on KAZ’s desk a few days ago.

(JESPER smiles at her)

KAZ: (staring off into space) Good. JES, you

deal with the guns. INEJ—get us a meeting and scope out the ship (she nods). I’ll arrange the club for our absence.

[INEJ pulls up her hood and leaves the room, hat in hand.]

ALINA

EAST RAVKA

[INEJ’s retreating form morphs into ALINA riding on horseback behind the GENERAL. ZOYA, IVAN, and three other Grisha follow on horseback. They ride along some green hills. They stop. ALINA bends down to stretch.]

GENERAL: ZOYA, ride ahead to inform the Palace of our arrival.

(ZOYA leaves)

GENERAL: (hands ALINA a handkerchief) For your face.

ALINA: (hesitates, takes it, and wipes her face) Thank you.

[The GENERAL hands some canteens to his Grisha. They all look tired.]

ALINA: Who were those men back there?

IVAN: Druskelle. Fjerdan Grisha hunters.

ALINA: But how were they this deep in RAVKA? Why—

GENERAL: They’ve been breaching borders far more the past few years. The Fold is making it difficult to properly move the military to support the rest of the country. As for today...you were probably just a happy accident for the Druskelle.

ALINA: (shocked) You deal with them often?

IVAN: You are lucky to live in RAVKA, girl. Most people that find out they are Grisha are killed on sight.

ALINA: (exasperated) Fantastic.

GENERAL: You get used to it. Now, rest up then let’s move. We’re too exposed.

INEJ

KETTERDAM

[The trio with JESPER in front, KAZ on JESPER’s right, INEJ on his left, walk into a large Captain’s office, TOLYA leads and holds the rifle case, while TAMAR follows the group and blocks the door. Behind a desk, STURMHOND stands in a teal coat.]

STURMHOND: Well, who do we have here? I must say, I had no meetings scheduled for tonight...my crew and I should be out getting drunk right now.

JESPER: (takes the seat in front of the desk as KAZ and INEJ stand and he reaches in his shirt pocket) JESPER FAHEY, gunsmith apprentice to ol’ Ren Botha. (he hands STURMHOND a business card)

STURMHOND: (raised eyebrows) Ha! He taught me everything I know!

JESPER: (nods) Look under the barrels on the port side gunners, that’s all my work.

STURMHOND: (whistles) We made it past Fjerda’s blockade with those cannons, didn’t we Tolya?

TOLYA: Work of beauty. A pleasure to meet you. (JESPER and TOLYA shake hands)

[INEJ and KAZ look at each other]

STURMHOND: So, JESPER FAHEY, what do you need? If you’re looking for work, I hate to disappoint you but our crew is full. No matter how skilled your partners are. (KAZ scowls while INEJ tries to hide a grin)

JESPER: All we seek is passage to and from RAVKA. We’ve already got a job lined up.

STURMHOND: Nothing untoward I hope?

JESPER: No, no. We’ve just had some trouble with customs in the past...what with WEST RAVKA’s tensions right now. (he pushes the case toward STURMHOND) Our payment, more than enough for passage and a bit of silence on our whereabouts.

STURMHOND: (opens the case and smirks) Looks like we’re off to RAVKA. (STURMHOND glances at TOLYA and TAMAR)

ALINA

OS ALTA, EAST RAVKA

[STURMHOND downing a glass of whiskey transitions into the image of the outer ROYAL PALACE. Servants in white and stable boys are waiting for their arrival. We see ZOYA standing with the APPARAT. Though she is an awkward distance away. The group descends from their horses, the GENERAL helps ALINA down from theirs. As the horses are walking away, ZOYA appears in front of ALINA and the GENERAL holding a green bundle in her arms.]

ZOYA: They’re ready for us, GENERAL.

GENERAL: Good, Miss STARKOV. Please put on the First Army uniform.

ALINA: I’m going to meet the KING like this?!

ZOYA: A loyal soldier turned Sun Saint plucked from his ranks to end all of RAVKA’s problems? You look perfect.

APPARAT: (appears beside her and touches her face and ALINA flinches back) A great story, but surely there is something more that can be done—

GENERAL: (places a hand on the APPARAT’s shoulder and graciously shoves him aside) Lead our procession in. We’ll have Miss STARKOV presentable.

(APPARAT exits)

ALINA: Is he always like that?

GENERAL: The KING’s Spiritual Advisor. Unfortunately, yes.

ALINA: Will I just get used to it? (she takes off the kefta and puts on the green uniform, it looks brand new and stiff)

ZOYA: Never.

[They walk into the castle, they are in large hallways just outside the KING’s meeting room]

ALINA: (nervous) But what do I do?

GENERAL: Just focus on me, and be respectful. It will be fine. (ZOYA leaves)

[They enter the courtroom where the KING and QUEEN sit on thrones, noblemen and servants line the walls. As the GENERAL and ALINA near the dais, they stop and bow.]

GENERAL: Moi Tsar, may I introduce ALINA STARKOV. Our Sun Summoner.

ALINA: (looks to the GENERAL then curtsies)

GENERAL: Miss STARKOV is our mapmaker who saved over a dozen of her fellow soldiers in a volcra attack.

KING: Well, get on with it. I do not need to hear how powerful the girl is.

GENERAL: (ALINA looks at him and he bows to the king) Of course, sir.

[The room darkens as the GENERAL faces ALINA. We see her unmasked nervous and annoyed face, from her view we see blobs of the KING and QUEEN.]

ALINA: How—

GENERAL: (lightly touching her hand leans forward to whisper in her ear) Now, call the sun.

[ALINA’s body lights up in white light, at first she is shocked, but the rays let her see the faces around her, emblazoned in awe and heads turned away from the brightness of her power. As her gaze catches the pair of shocked royals, ALINA smiles in enjoyment. The light gradually fades, but her visible joy does not. The GENERAL faces the KING again.]

GENERAL: ALINA STARKOV shall train at the Little Palace. She will take down the Fold. She will be East Ravka’s light!

[The KING nods, while the QUEEN claps and the nobles follow suit. They shout, “For RAVKA!’] [Outside in the hall, ALINA asks the GENERAL]

ALINA: But where did my power come from? (she smiles down at her hands) It felt...

GENERAL: (lightly smiles) It came from everywhere. It was all consuming, Miss STARKOV. Now, get some rest. Your training starts tomorrow. (addressing two guards) Escort the Sun Summoner to her quarters.

[ALINA is then seen following two palace guards down a hallway. They open a door for her, revealing a large suite. ALINA enters and as the door closes she leans against it and sinks to the ground. She finally lets out all her emo ions from the past few days. She cries and grimaces from all the stress. After wiping her face, she quickly searches the room, finding a small letter opener. She tucks it beneath her pillow. She then lays awake in bed, staring at the ceiling.]

END OF EPISODE

Artwork by: @doodlesnoff

Original Post HERE

Beautiful

Zoya: Since David doesn’t dance…can you dance with me?

Genya (holding a champagne flute and looking a bit surprised): Zoya…

Artist: @met-la

This image:

Reminded me of this one (pretend it’s the more serious scene…but Mal is still in the back as a love triangle is set up):

Zoyalina 🤎

Episode Two is live! It’s…something. But I’m excited to get the ball rolling. I’d love to hear your guys thoughts! And if you are interested in beta reading feel free to reach out!

I got sidetracked and made an Alinej edit

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

Text:

“Remember when you tried to kidnap me?”

“It did take a turn”

“Just a bit”

“We won though.”

“That we did.”

Sturmhond only deals with important people.

Feel free to check out Episode One of “The Lives of Saints” HERE on AO3 or HERE on tumblr.

I’m almost done with E2! Yay!

DAMN this Zoyalina edit is powerful - kudos, kudos, kudos

This person has the vision!

Found this when I was going through the Genyalina tag.

Okay i have an idea for a kind of crack fic that i find to be so fucking funny but i cant write for shit so hear me out alright?

S&B rewrite (book or show doesnt matter) Canon divergence AU where Alina is just. A Massive Lesbian. Like totally Useless Lesbian. Alexsander is his usual hetero self but Alina is completely blind to his attempted wooing/manipulations. She takes one look at a woman (Genya, Zoya, Nadia, whoever Im not picky) and loses the plot. Mal? Her chosen brother, duh. Nikolai? Queer bestie. General "Call me Alexander" Kirigan? Idk girl, he's kinda weird. Keeps staring at me all intense like he's a second away from crying all the damn time. Lately he seems more frusturated each time he asks about my day and i tell him about this nice thing [insert female crush] did for me.

Just. So oblivious to anything to do with a man who has designs on her. And of course, this results in a much more self confident Alina who knows who she is and her power from the jump. Much less vulnerable to the Simpling's machinations. How it ends i have no idea but its funny as fuck the whole way through.

And YOU get sword! No YOU get a sword!

Anyone else want a scene where Inej trains with the Neshyenyer with Tamar and Tolya? Maybe Alina and Nadia there as well? Just fun pirate, Saint, warrior, soldier things…yeah?

*Snippet of “The Lives of Saints” Episode Two (I’m working on this instead of my speech homework, fun times.)

*No promises whether this will make the final draft 😊

ZLATAN: (staring intensely) They’re up to something. ZENIK, what of the cartographer’s progress?

NINA: She still won’t talk, sir. She needs more time.

ZLATAN: I gave you one task.

NINA: The brain is a complex system, especially given stress. Would you rather she experience a stroke instead?

ZLATAN: (rolls his eyes) I want her information by eighteen bells.

END of SNIPPET

*yall think I should use military time (24 hour) or 12 hour clock for time keeping?

Episode One AO3 Link:

Sketches of Jessie Mei Li! One is a pencil sketch of her smiling wearing an off the shoulder top and a messy bun, the other is in color with her hair down, yellow background, green sweater, and she’s smiling wide and twirling a strand of hair. These are beautiful!

Drawing Shadow and Bone ladies

Super messy sketch of Alina and Sankta Neyar’s sword 🗡️

Good morning!

Storm of Ruination: The Specific Reason I Ship Genya x Zoya

Artwork by @met-la

Original Post HERE

Honestly, with my many rewatches of SaB, the moment when Genya fights Arken…is sorta the origin of me shipping and conceiving of a Genya x Zoya thing.

(Silent video of the fight)

Anyway, how could I get “Zoya” anywhere from that encounter? Really, you can’t, but my writer brain was thinking, “Oh, but who taught Genya to fight?”

While in the books I don’t believe Genya ever got trained in any physical activity because of her servant status to the Queen, maybe this timeline is different. But, it is way more fun to say, “Oh, Zoya secretly taught her to fight.”

I just like the idea (even if a purely fanon one) of two girls on vastly different paths supporting and protecting each other the best way they can.

Any Genya x Zoya shippers, what do you like most about this ship? If you are just respective Genya and Zoya fans, what are your favorite moments or aspects of these characters?