#rasvyet

He hadn't imagined an audience with the Sun Summoner could be so casual. It came as a wonderful surprise, and it had only taken Wylan a few minutes to feel at ease in their presence. The offered hand with pinky sticking out made his lips easily curl into a smile that matched the other's. Such a simple gesture, and yet it added to the comfort he felt in their presence. Was this what Inej felt whenever she thought of her Saints?

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

His pinky hooked with theirs, sealing the promise of his identity and presence here. He had to keep hidden until his fellow Crows had carried out their part of the plan and then he could slip back out undetected. It hadn't felt right to lie to Alina, though. Not when they were being so kind to him.

"I won't be a bother," He promised, looking around the room to see if there was a separate area he could wait until he heard the signal from Kaz. When he didn't see anywhere he could sneak off to, Wylan turned back to his gracious host. "Is it okay if I stay here and keep you company?" He paused for a second, then asked the question that had been bothering him.

[   @korolnichevoya  &   NIKOLAI   /   LOCKED TOMB MEME   /   ACCEPTING   :   ]         before nikolai stands the saint who,   by public knowledge,   has been dead for two years now———   who raises both eyebrows at him now  &  snorts a little laugh.   it's surprise rather than malice   :   one has to pay close attention to catch nikolai admit to any emotion with genuity.    " oh,   i understand that   .  .  . "    alina had heard it from the other orphans before the came to the first army.   from generals before she came to the second.   from virtually anyone before she became a martyrer.   insults,   thinly veiled,   that marked them as other,   as unfitting,   as weird.   they couldn't a soldier because they can't shoot straight.   they couldn't be grisha because they can't summon.   dying is what improved her case   :   if nobody knows who you are,   nobody can make fun of where you come from.    ( it feels like an unproductive advice to offer  &  so you swallow it. )    instead,   alina inclines her head to the left,   just a little,   &  smiles in a way she hopes is encouraging.    ( zoya does it this way  &  mirroring zoya is always hit or miss for she will say one thing  &  mean another  &  you struggle to find the difference. )    " i don't think you are bad at what you do. "

𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙾𝙼 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 - @rasvyet

@rasvyet said: “ If you want to lie to me, go ahead. But I'm not going to pretend to believe you. " {♠️ x Random Stuff in my Inbox ||  always accepting x}

Kaz knew Alina had no reason to believe him. Last time they'd seen each other, he'd still been fiercely loyal to the Darkling, willing to follow him to the ends of the earth no matter the cost. He'd been blinded like so many others, except he didn't have the excuse of doing so in hopes of a better future for Ravka and their Grisha.

Kaz Brekker's motives had never been noble. He'd never cared about Ravka, or other Grisha. It was the need for power and revenge that had corrupted him. Thoroughly, deeply.

He'd betrayed people he'd begrudgingly cared about; mentors and friends alike. Some who'd shown him kindness and compassion when all he'd known was the coldness of Ketterdam's streets, the need for survival, and the burning desire for revenge.

The wake-up call came too late. He'd had doubts, but it wasn't until he saw those mentors and friends lying on the ground, their lifeless bodies twisted at odd angles or ripped apart by the nichevo'ya that he realized this isn't what I want. This isn't who I am. And yet, it was what he'd become.

Kaz had deserted the very next day, unsure if the Darkling was going to hunt him down, or if he was too busy with his obsession with the Sun Summoner. Alina. Another friend he'd betrayed, perhaps even more so than others.

Settling back in in Ketterdam wasn't as Kaz had expected it to be. Nothing had changed. It was still survival of the richest — or the fittest. Per Haskell had agreed to take him back in, and that's where Kaz had been ever since. Using his powers only sparingly, and only in subtle ways to expand the Dregs influence and power. Rebuilding his reputation along the way.

Running into Alina had been purely coincidental. At first, he wasn't even sure it was her. According to rumours, she'd died; had given her life to defeat the Darkling and eliminate the fold. A martyr. A saint. But dead nonetheless.

Why exactly he'd decided to approach her, Kaz couldn't say. Maybe it had been the overwhelming feeling of guilt, and the incessant need to.. to what? Apologize? He knew there was no apology in this world that could right his wrongs. No apology in this world that could bring back the lives that had been so needlessly sacrificed. And yet, he tried.

"An itemized list?" Nikolai's mouth is agape, stunned that such a list could ever exist and that Alina, of all people, would have populated it. "Yes, I would very much like to hear your list, if only to point to every single instance of you being doubly wrong. Wrong for disagreeing with me and then wrong for writing it down on the list." He climbs up onto the windowsill beside her, folding one knee up to his chest, following her lead in staring off upon the snowy grounds below. "Besides, I would very much like to know how you plan to weaponize such a list against me. Anti-Nikolai propaganda? Blackmail?" His eyes narrow and he shakes his head. "Is this because I kissed you? This is because I kissed you, isn't it?"

It's no surprise why he's not able to sleep. He's far too wound up, his mind whirling as he talks a mile a minute and seemingly no amount of whiskey's been able to slow it. Besides, if he even attempts to climb into bed and close his eyes, he's sure his thoughts will turn... unsavory.

Lark hadn’t expected an audience as she trained in the early morning. The sun had barely broke the sky and painted the landscape in a pinkish hue. Grisha and teachers alike still sleeping as she her arms struck out like a viper; her blade cutting the sand filled target several times. 

Exhaling a breath, her brows furrowed as she glanced over to the entrance to the training grounds. Her piercing gaze fell upon Alina--the so called Sun Summoner. Her black dog remained unmoved from his spot. 

“ You should be sleeping.” she told her as she studied her with a mild interest. 

“ You’re the sun summoner? You’re quite the commodity among the palace.” she went on. “ I saw your demonstration, impressive.” 

@rasvyet​ S.C. 

Send "📖" and I'll open a book, flip to a random page, and write a starter based on whatever is on it.

     There is a frown on his face as Kaz feels slowly around the rough stone wall searching for the door in the utter darkness he has somehow found himself in. The cell that he — or rather they — are in isn't particularly large by any means. The ceiling can almost be touched if he reached high enough, but there is moisture gathered on the stone indicating that they are perhaps underground. Not exactly what one would call deal, and if they manage to get out of here no doubt Inej — and hell maybe even jesper — will have some words.

Finally the pads of their fingers brush over rusted metal rather than stone and they let out a sigh as they glide their fingers up and down, searching for the lock. It isn't exactly difficult finding it but they got to keep their fingers pressed against it for fear of it being swallowed back into the darkness. But now balancing a pick in his other hand, how is he to pick a lock in utter darkness? He probably can and succeed, but there is only one pick and he isn't too keen on taking chances.

   “ unfortunately i have a bit of news. ketterdam’s weather is this - ” he motions outside with one finger, where it’s heavy grey, the clouds swollen with the last bit of cold before spring began. “ approximately all the time. you might get lucky when spring comes, if you have any interest in getting wet every time you take a step outside. ”