Ideas for my fanfiction of Grisha / Shadow and Bone :
- Use an external point of view, rather than Alina's internal point of view.
- Keep Alina half Shu, and that this aspect is exploited. (Idea of discussions with Botkins, Tolya & Tamar in particular)
- That we have clear information on the countries of Shu Han and Fjerda.
- The characters are all in their twenties.
- Use good Russian language.
- Zlatan still exists for part 1. (Novokribirsk still covered by the Fold therefore)
- Assuming Baghra is a toxic teacher and mother. Draw a parallel between her and Ana Kuya for the Darkling and Alina characters and their relationship.
- Maybe keep Baghra's eyes gouged out ? (Give me your opinion)
- That the story with Mal and Alina is a secondary element. Assuming that she is toxic, and that subsequently Alina succeeds in detaching herself from it to take her independence and be herself without anything holding her back. They can still remain friends in the end.
- Highlight Mal's grief and trauma at the death of his friends near the borders of Fjerda. (No because in the book it goes over the top)
- Keep (and improve) the Genya and Alina friendship.
- Make Darkling and Alina the main relationship of the trilogy. Highlight their Yin and Yang dynamics. Particularly supporting the fact that Alina could possibly become like the Darkling, and that the Darkling was like Alina, was a time. Show their ideologies come into explicit conflict, that there is a real moral debate. Showing Alina actually trying to find more peaceful methods than the Darkling's far more radical way of trying to help the Grisha.
- Reflection on the blow of the war.
- Explain why and how the Darkling created the Fold. (Keep it like an accident, an act born out of desperation)
- Develop the psychic connection between the Darkling and Alina. Let them have talks instead of the Darkling just appearing to follow Alina around silently.
- That Alina discovers in part the childhood and the past of the Darkling, in particular through dreams, thanks to their connection.
- Show that Alina cares about the grisha, and to stop the wars.
- That the Darkling has a "redemption" arc.
- Darklina ending together, Tsar and Tsarina of Ravka at the end.
- Darklina happy with many children (girls) in the epilogue, and are powerful rulers, tough but fair.
- That the situation of the Grisha (in the world) and the people of Ravka has changed for the better in the end.
- That the study of the Grisha at the small palace (and purely the study aspect, and no longer the military apprenticeship aspect) is revealed to have become mandatory in the epilogue.
- Give it to Alina from the agency. That she seeks / wants the amplifiers herself.
- May Alina grow politically and personally. (She understands that for the greater good, sacrifices must be made. She gains self-confidence, becomes more active and independent)
- Give Alina a corruption arc. That she develops a dark side, and a kind of greed for power in Part 2.
- Support the fact that Alina's destiny is not to destroy the Fold, because this is before a propaganda idea.
- No love ambiguity between Nikolai and Alina, just a strong friendship.
- To show Alina actually / seriously considering Nikolai's marriage proposal, in order to contribute to helping/improving the country.
- Show the duality / resemblance between the Darkling and Nikolai.
â In the end, Nikolai agrees to abdicate /refuse the crown, in favor of Alina and the Darkling, agreeing to work for them and be part of the council.
- That other characters are aware of Ravka's other overriding issues, without blaming the Darkling, and sincerely wish to address them in the future.
- May Genya never get scars.
- Keep Ivan alive. (Seriously, it promised to be so interesting)
- That Ivan and Fedyor are, as in the series, gay and in a relationship. (Because they were cute)
- Developing the idea of ââcreating Morozova amplifiers from Merzost. (Because it's not developed at all in the trilogy, and it's a point that makes me particularly curious)
- Support the fact that Morozova's amplifiers are intended for Alina, and that the Darkling offers them to her, because he perceives her as his soul mate, and that she is therefore an integral part of the Morozova family.
- Further develop secondary characters, such as : Genya, David, Ivan, Fedyor, Zoya, Tolya and Tamar.
- Develop a little more the couple Tamar and Nadia.
- David and Genya end up happy.
- Romance ZoyalaĂŻ suggested along part 2 and 3, then confirmed at the end. See what becomes of them in the epilogue.
- Let the pageantry be doomed at the end of part 3.
- Mal remains the firebird, but with better explanations.
- Scenes between Mal and the Darkling.
- That Ulla is named in the story / that her existence is recognized, without her being included in the story itself.
- The Fold is not destroyed (or at least not immediately ?), but used as a weapon to protect Ravka ? (I'm absolutely not sure about this point. If people have any suggestions, I'm all ears !)
- Mal snaps his farm at the end, or else opens an orphanage himself ? (Give me your opinion)
- Insinuation that Mal got close (romanticly) to Ruby in the end.
« He did not give up his name. You took it from him. » - Alina Starkova, to Bagrah Morozova.
The girl was not afraid of the dark.
Darkness was a refuge. Especially when she was hiding to escape Ana Kuya's admonitions.
In those moments, she chose dark corners. Behind a curtain. In the attic. A closet.
She stayed hidden until Ana Kuya forgot about her and her anger.
When night fell, the girl could escape the meanness of the other children in the orphanage.
But his nights were short and restless.
So, when she woke up, she looked at the sky through a window. She observed the stars, and especially the moon. Sometimes there was just darkness, and she would watch it too, until she fell asleep again, or not.
The girl had always been weak. She was pale and thin.
That was what Ana Kuya was saying.
Her Shu eyes betrayed her origins, and she was rejected for it.
This is what the children kept saying. She had no friends.
Until the day the boy arrived.
He was nice to her. He was defending her. And over time, they got close.
He was like the brother she never had. The only person in this world who seemed to really care about her.
But it was not enough. She didn't know why, nothing was enough.
The girl had always felt incomplete. As if she was missing a part of herself, there, in her heart.
But the boy was helping her to make her feel less alone.
He was there for her, and she was there for him.
So... The day when the woman and the man dressed in Kefta arrived at the orphanage to test the children, they hid in the meadow.
The girl didn't want to know if she was Grisha. It didn't matter to her. She didn't want to lose what she had with the boy.
But Ana Kuya ends up finding them.
When it was her turn to be tested, the girl felt something stir inside her. Something that begged to come out. But the boy called out his name. Again and again, from the other side of the door.
The girl hesitated. Her heart sank.
Unconsciously or consciously, she did not know, the girl held back. She prevented this thing that was pulsing against her skin from coming out. Refusing to answer the call.
The answer then fell. She was not Grisha.
Suddenly, the girl felt her heart lighten. But not so much for her as for the boy. The girl, in truth, wasn't sure how she felt.
The girl and the boy continued to grow up together, and she was happy about it.
Time passed, and she finally forgot the strange feeling that had assailed her at the time of the test. Years went by, and she still felt incomplete.
A tiny void in her, asking to be filled.
Sometimes, despite the boy's presence, the girl felt devoured by loneliness.
By this inexplicable void.
In those moments, to lighten her heart, she played with the rays of the sun with her fingertips.
As if she could grab them...
So, from time to time, despite the sun that lit the meadow...
The girl locked herself in the dark.
Her bony, charcoal-covered hands stopped maneuvering on the wind-crumpled paper, her eyes moving to a specific spot straight ahead.
This immense black mass⊠This scourge which some were convinced would never be overcome. This black scar which had split the country in two and deprived the kingdom of Ravka of its only coasts, transforming it into an enclave. This non-sea that frightens so many⊠Filled with man-eating monsters.
A place that had stolen so much life. Rendered so many children, like her once, orphansâŠ
This word sounded like a wound to her.
From an early age, he had been taught to fear the Fold. Easy with the Volcras inside. The little representation she had seen of it in the books of Keramzin's library was still enough to give her nightmares. Huge creatures, with sharp wings and fangs, capable of lacerating you with their claws with a simple movement.
The Fold ate your parents.
Ana Kuya's words echoed in her head as if it were yesterday⊠As she discovered the Fold for the first time through one of the many maps she was drawing herself today.
The Fold is an abomination, she had heard countless times. A mistake of nature. A scar on the mapâŠ
But since she had joined the first army and seen with her own eyes what had haunted Ravka for centuries⊠Fear had given way to a completely different feeling.
When she approached the Fold, or even just looked at it, as now, the cartographer experienced this stinging sensation of being crushed by an unknown weight.
She seemed feel a multitude of emotions.
And especially⊠Despair.
A despair that seemed to her deep, unshakable and endless.
Her heart sank every time these emotions raced through her. And she didn't know why. Sometimes tears welled up in her and she had to hold herself back to keep them from running down her cheeks, wiping them away with the back of her hand.
It made no sense⊠Yet it was there.
She must be crazy ! But maybe she felt this because the Fold had brought many misfortunes ? Upset so much life ?
The Fold was born out of madness and caused suffering. Not the opposite. Or maybe if⊠? She shook her head. Maybe she was just too emotional ?
When she looked at the Fold, his heart hurting her. Terribly hurt.
And sometimes⊠Sometimes it was just like she was listening to someone's lamentsâŠ
Those times were the worst.
« So cartographers, listen to me ! » Sergeant Yure Teplov shouted from the front of the boat. « Until we get there, stay at your posts. Under no circumstances leave the Skiff during the crossing ! »
Alina silently listened to the safety instructions, her gaze fixed straight ahead in the direction of the Fold. Black tendrils seemed to glide around him, constantly twisting and snaking as if trying to ensnare anything that approachedâŠ
Alina felt a searing, deep sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach as the Skiff slowly accelerated towards her.
This may have been the last time she stood in the sunlightâŠ
Her heart was beating nervously in her chest as she tried to stabilize her breathing, swallowing her saliva. But she couldn't bring herself to look away from the twisting shadows before herâŠ
She was so focused that she didn't notice the gust of wind that grabbed her scarf and pulled it away from her neck. Frantically, she turned to try to catch it, but it slipped through his fingers, the blue and gold piece of cloth already flying away from her, past the landing pad.
That's where she saw her.
A silhouette in the distance⊠A dark silhouette.
A man, she guessed. A man entirely dressed in black, whose cape fluttered in the wind, and who watched the Skiff move away.
Alina could not accurately describe what she felt at that moment.
It was as if his heart stopped beating for a moment before starting again, more alive than ever, on a different rhythm, unreal. There was a tug on his chest, like some sort of tether that was screaming at him to come closer. But she couldn't, and something inside her was itching.
She felt caught up, captivated by the sketch of this character that she would have liked to immortalize with pencil strokes.
Time seemed to slow down, that single moment stretching into a thousand more.
It was strange, invigorating and exhilarating.
And then, as suddenly as that feeling had washed over her, it disappeared as the world was entirely engulfed in darknessâŠ
And everything was dark. Dark and silent. It was almost like sailing through a cloud of smoke, except there was no heat or smell of fire. It was cold, and the rest of the world seemed to have disappeared, every sound from outside simply muffled by the shadows.
It was like being plunged into a cold, dangerous and eternal nightâŠ
The bow of the Skiff could no longer be seen, or even most of the passengers. Everyone held their breath, trying to master their fear. The darkness was never more frightening than when monsters inhabited it⊠Silence reigned, everyone on the lookout for the slightest flapping of wings.
As for Alina, she stood minutely aside, still in her position, forcing herself to stand on her trembling legs. It was too much. Too strong. Too stuffy. All these emotions that invaded her threatened to make her collapse.
She was mad at herself for having the stupid impulse to burn the Ravka-West maps. Pained for having condemned his colleagues to follow her, and anguished for what this long, very long crossing will or will not reserve for them. But worst of all, she was desperate. Desperate to get out of it, and to act as if nothing had happened. Desperate to be back in Ravka-East already and to resume the course of his usual schedule:
Laugh and have fun with Mal. Draw maps with Alexis. Put up with scathing remarks from Raisa and many more.
But something was wrong. It was all too striking. Violent. As if those emotions weren't fully his own. As if entering the Fold triggered them.
Did the others feel that too ? Or was she the only one ?
Worst of all, a burning feeling of loneliness invaded her, and she couldn't define it.
She had never felt it while looking at the Fold, as if this feeling was the most buried of all. Buried in the heart of the misty monster, below the surface.
His position gave him an excellent view of the Skiff's slow approach towards the looming mass of shadows that formed the edge of the Fold. He took a heavy breath. This Skiff had every interest in returning intact. Its fabricators had spent months there, an opportunity to finally somewhat satisfy the king's wishes.
The Skiff was more than halfway out of the no sea, when a flutter caught his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. A blue and gold scarf had apparently been caught in the strong winds of his Squallers and was now drifting straight in his direction. Judging the distraction unimportant, he looked back at the Skiff. And while the latter was only a few dozen meters from the FoldâŠ
The world seemed to slow down.
There was something on his chest, and that thing, so sudden, wrapped tightly around his heart, constricting it for a moment before pulling it forward. The pull he felt was so strong he almost tripped. He put his hand to his chest, flabbergasted. He couldn't accurately describe what he felt at that moment.
He straightened his spine, his thoughts struggling to try to make sense of what he was feeling. He considered, then dismissed the idea that it was the work of a Heartrender. During his long life, he had been victim to their power several times, and what he felt was nothing like the work of a corporalki.
No. It was as if his heart had stopped beating for a moment before starting up again, more alive than ever, on a different rhythm, unreal ; bringing him both a feeling of fullness and lack he had never experienced before.
The tightness in his chest, like some sort of tie wrapped around his heart, tightened again. Stronger than before, to the point that something inside him itched. And this time, he realized exactly which way she seemed to be pulling him.
There was something important on that ship. Although he didn't know what it could be, his subconscious begged, screamed for the Skiff to come back. But it was useless. The Skiff had already reached the edge of the Fold, that single moment stretching into a thousand more, and within seconds it was swallowed up by darknessâŠ
He remained frozen on the quay, his gaze still fixed on the place where the Skiff had disappeared. A moment passed, then another, and he took a shaky breath, still trying to figure out what had just happened.
The sensation had vanished along with the ship, and he now felt strangely emptyâŠ
He didn't know exactly how long it was before he noticed the curious gazes lingering on him, and he realized that he had stayed much longer than usual. Obviously, he had lost track of time.
Regaining control of his limbs, he forced himself to turn away, his path on the platform crossing that of an abandoned scarf.
It was the one that had flown in his direction when the Skiff left. He didn't know why, but he bent down to take the garment in his hands, examining it carefully.
The sewing work was clumsy, the embroidery and the fabric very simple. Probably it belonged to a young soldier.
He delicately ran his fingers along the golden patterns before folding the scarf and putting it in one of his pockets, naturally resuming his way to his tent to finally cut himself off from the prying eyes of the members of the first army.
So... I don't know if anyone is going to read, or has read all of this, but if so thank you ! And your opinions are welcome !
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