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stromuprisahat · 2 months

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I've been reading a lot of criticism about Alina lately, and while I agree that she is a shitty protagonist, but the main problem I have with saying that she is the true villain of the story is that... no one told her? No one talked to her about Grisha persecution? Yeah, we hear about it vaguely in TGT, but it isn't until SoC when they find the burnt corpses and the kefta mural that it truly starts to sink in. It's not until you read DitW that you realize how desperate the situation was (and still is, in some ways). It's not until the Nikolai Duology that the true horror of the Shu experiments is brought to us. We see nothing of it in TGT, so maybe... Alina just doesn't know?

Yeah, sure, she has been around Grisha and is one of them now, but hear me out, it's like white people who say they don't have a problem with POC but they don't realize that it doesn't negate the fact that POC still face racism from others. Add to the fact that nowhere do we see newspapers and as an orphan Alina is definitely less aware of social justice situations than your average white guy- how is she supposed to know? All that she sees is the luxury of the Grisha- their tents their bulletproof clothes, etc.

Just a thought about how the story might have gone different if instead of the crows, it was Alina who found the three burnt bodies while chasing the stag and had to put one of them out of their misery. And how the story might have changed if Alina truly understood the situation.

I'm almost halfway through Siege and Storm, so I’ll talk from this perspective.

I’d say it’s the same issue as anything with Alina- she doesn’t want to know.

She’s almost murdered by a guy yelling “witch” in her face. Funnily enough- at this point it’s still in English (Ravkan), not drüsje, but witch:

I twisted and kicked as the yellow-bearded man grabbed hold of my legs. I looked desperately down to the glen, but the soldiers and Grisha below me were fighting for their lives, clearly outnumbered and unable to come to my aid. I struggled and thrashed, but the Fjerdan was too strong. He climbed on top of me, using his knees to pin my arms to my sides, and reached for his knife.

“I’ll gut you right here, witch,” he snarled in a heavy Fjerdan accent.

She gets safely to Little Palace, mentiones this whole experience twice and that’s it. It wouldn’t even take that much to get back to this topic- next chapter she learns such attack isn’t anything unusual for Grisha:

“ ... Other countries don’t treat their Grisha so well as Ravka,” he said grimly. “The Fjerdans burn us as witches, and the Kerch sell us as slaves. The Shu Han carve us up seeking the source of our power. ... ”

Alina sees there’s a difference made between Grisha and other Ravkans, but never connects the dots. It doesn’t concern her, she’s doing the same after all.

She isn’t interested in situation, not only the wide picture, but more personal perspective- we don’t see her ask her “not-friends” anything about them. Their lives, families... You won’t hear a scary story if you won’t ask or listen...

She got study materials on Grisha history, but that's just that. Words on a paper. Something she repeats when she remembers she's supposed to be hunted, although the reasons don't quite click.

She goes from being prejudiced herself to staying that way. Why would she change? She went from denying being Grisha to being Saint and that’s a completely different thing. The only person she truly cares about is an otkazat’sya, so why would she consider wrongness of slurs and disdain?

She was told, but the Darkling "never tells the truth" and she doesn’t feel the need to ask anyone else.

She hears First Army soldiers insult Ivan for refusing to share information with them, and doesn't blink an eye.

She hears about First Army slaughtering Grisha, and thinks "good, I'd do the same".

She only cares about Grisha being potentially mistreated as long as it's the Darkling harming them (Genya's punishment, Grishenka in R&R).

When forced to face other harm partially caused by Grisha status of slaves in Ravkan society, the circumstances allow her to ignore that aspect (Genya's abuse).

I don’t think she needs anything more explicit. She’d just find the way to blame the Darkling, or forget it ever happened as soon as it was out of her sight.

Burned Grisha corpses?

Some foreign tradition. Or barbecue gone wrong...

Just look at her reaction to Harshaw's story in R&R:

I thought of the dream the Darkling had once had, that we might be Ravkans and not just Grisha. He’d tried to make a safe place for our kind, maybe the only one in the world. I understand the desire to remain free. Was that why Harshaw kept fighting? Why he’d chosen to stay? He must have shared the Darkling’s dream once. Had he given its care over to me?

Zoya's the one, to note how fucked up it is. Alina's concern is possible responsibility. There's no horror, there's no resolution to take over Aleksander's efforts. The goal remains the same- hunt down the Firebird, kill the Darkling, destroy the Fold.

Even when talking as Grisha, Alina doesn't act like one.

#reply #Alina Starkov #grishanalytical #S&B Chapter 4 #S&B Chapter 5 #S&S Chapter 1 #S&B Chapter 21 #S&S Chapter 10 #R&R Chapter 13 #anti Grisha sentiments #self centred and paranoid #Grishaverse #Grisha trilogy #anti Leigh Bardugo #anti Alina Starkov #but not really

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misschanadlerbong · 1 year

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Chapter 9 - Part 1

Summary: Y/N was not doing so well in her studies so she seeks Clay Jensen's help, but things get a bit heated.

Warnings: make-out

Pairing: Clay Jensen x Reader

Word Count: 2k

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The last term of your senior year was going fairly well. The tension between Zach and you were at ease and you both were back to being good sports teammates there was no denying the fact that you guys made the best team.

You found it hard to believe, but it had been a long since you acknowledged that life sucked. But life’s a bitch whenever you feel too happy it bites you in the back.

You got called in by your history teacher and it seemed like you weren’t doing good with your grades, and you needed grades to get into a good college.

“But I’ll have my sports scholarship, so why worry about the grades?” you argued.

“Ms. Y/L/N I understand that you have a sports scholarship but that does not mean that I will be happy to see such low grades in your history test. Y/N you did so well in the first term despite being caught up in sports. I want you to improve your scores as they were. There should always be a backup plan. Let us hope to see a spike in your grades in end-term tests.” The teacher suggested.

To be honest the truth was that you were so caught up with your encounter with Bryce and your breakup with Zach that you almost forgot that you had school to be good at. You made it seem so easy that you could handle it all but, you were just seventeen and you couldn’t handle it all too well. Those sleepless nights of overthinking, thinking how you could have done it differently, what would have happened if you didn’t end up with Bryce in that filthy clubhouse, spending a lot of time in the bathroom crying and the list goes on.

You possessed this power where you can be cheerful and happy from the outside without anyone letting know what’s going on the inside. You never liked the idea of burdening other people with your problems.

Now, you had to move on. Those incidents were not worth anything to put your grades at stake. You decided to ask Clay for help as to who can be a better tutor than the smartest student in the class himself.

The school day ended, and you were going into the parking lot with Jessica where Tony was waiting for you in his car to drop you home. While walking in the hallway towards the gate you came across Clay Jensen. “Jess, you wait for me outside, I gotta talk to Clay about something.” You told Jessica.

“Yeah, I’ll be right outside with Tony.” She spoke.

“Hello, Mr. Nerd.” You greeted Clay.

“Oh, hi! You can see me?” said Clay sarcastically.

You rolled your eyes in embarrassment and said innocently “Okay, I have been a bit busy lately. It’s not like I ghosted you or something we still met at the locker often.”

“Yeah, right right right. You kiss me and then for a month I am just a guy whose locker is neighbors with yours.” You could hear the teasing in his words. He didn’t sound mad he was just being savage which was not unlikely of him.

You sighed heavily, “That is not the point Clay, come on. I need your help. Please listen to me?”

You made your pretty please face which no one has ever been able to deny.

“Yeah, tell me. I was just kidding. Sometimes it feels nice to not be the one getting roasted by Ms. Y/N. Anyway, tell me how I could help you ma’am?” He crossed his arms and was ready to listen attentively.

“I kinda need you to tutor me in History and Maths. I missed a few classes, life’s been pretty rocky, so I wasn’t paying attention. Could you maybe help me?”

“Ah, now I wonder why I got attention from Ms. Y/N/L/N and suddenly I exist for her, of course, it is because you need my help. I get it yeah.” He teased yet again.

“Okay, enough with this sassy treatment Clay, you are lucky I need help from you otherwise I don’t take this shit from anyone. I get it I used you and I am sorry. I am. Please?” you said making your pretty please face again.

“I got homework to do so I might not be able to…”

You cut him off and said “Okay Clay, I have tried to be nice but you’re on the Student Honour Board and you must help every student seeking help. Earlier I asked you as a friend but now I am asking you to perform your duty as a peer. Otherwise, I don’t think so you deserve to be on the Student Board.”

“Damn, you got me. I was just fooling around. I’ll help you. It will be my honor. We can meet at Monéts in an hour.” Finally, he agreed to help.

“No not in an hour, I gotta go home and eat something quickly and come back for practice. How about at 6?” you suggested.

“Oh okay, at 6. But it’ll have to be at my place then. That café turns loud till the evening.”

“Done! Thank you so much, Clay. You are the best.”

You kissed his left cheek in a friendly way which left Clay blushing and staring at the floor with his right hand behind his neck as you walked away.

After practicing you took a quick shower and put on your boyfriend-fit jeans with a black graphic tee on the top and grabbed your leather jacket on your way out. You told your mom that you were going to study at Clay’s place which was the only reason why she would permit you to go to a boy’s place. To study.

On your way to the Jensen’s, you stopped by Monéts to buy a couple of drinks for Clay and yourself. You knocked on the door gently and Clay did not even take a minute to open it seemed like he was eagerly waiting for you.

“Hey Hoodie! See what I brought along with me.”

“Hey Y/N, aren’t we supposed to study?” He inquired.

“Okay, Jensen sue me for needing caffeine while studying.” Sarcasm flows with your words.

“Let me that that.” He offered to take your jacket like a gentleman.

With that, he led the way, and you followed him to the round dining table in the kitchen. You placed the drinks on the table and took out your books. Clay peeped into the drinks curiously, wondering what I could have brought.

You made his work easy by giving him his drink and taking yours, “Here, Hot Chocolate for you and Triple Mocha for me.”

“How come I don’t get coffee?” he asked.

“Simple. Because you don’t drink it.” You answered.

He looked surprised by the fact that you knew that information about him. He further inquired “How’d you know that?”

You tried to make it seem normal as you said “I uh… might have read your fan fiction about Alien Killer Robots and Percy is not a Coffee guy either so I gathered that you won’t be too because you resonate with Percy a lot. You are just like him, brave, courageous, empathetic, and compassionate.”

“You read my fiction???... But didn’t you say that you have no interest in Aline Killer Robots and they creep you out?”

Damn this man had many questions, “Okay, I thought of giving it a try you know starting with the fiction, so I am ready for the real thing. And to be honest I must admit, great writing. You made me fall for the whole Alien concept and I might even borrow those comics you recommend to me earlier.”

You could see the pride on Clay’s face, he was so happy that you called him Percy. You knew he was his favorite character, and he would fight anyone who does not like him.

You both sat down on the wooden chairs and Clay started with American history. It seemed like the house had no one except you two until you heard the door being opened by someone.

“Clay, I am home.” The woman spoke.

That someone was Clay’s mom, Lainie Jensen. She was surprised to see an unexpected guest, but she was so sweet. She instantly brought a huge welcoming smile to her face.

Clay looked a little awkward as he was not expecting either of his parent too early.

“Mom, I thought you were working.”

“Hello to you too Clay. I brought the work home. By the way, who is this beautiful girl?” asked her mom in the sweetest way you could imagine. You always liked when people appreciated you.

Before Clay could say anything, you stretched your hand for a handshake and said “Y/N, Y/Ln. It is so nice to meet you Mrs, Jensen.”

“Oh, so she is the famous Y/N I have heard so much about.” She gasped.

Clay got all awkward again and said, “Not so much about you, you know just a little bit. It’s part of their helicopter parenting where I have to tell them about my day and all. Mom if you would please excuse us, we have to do some studying.”

Clay grabbed all the books, and you picked up your backpack along with the drinks and he led the way toward a narrow staircase. We did not even climb three steps when his mom called for him again.

“Clay, honey, please remember to keep the door open 3 inches”

You tried your best not to laugh but could not help it and let out a small giggle. Clay got embarrassed as he looked at you and then at his mom and said, “Stop humiliating me in front of my friends, mom.” He climbed the stairs in frustration and opened the door for you to his bedroom.

He had a small bedroom but not so small to accommodate a couch in one corner of the room and a queen size bed in the other corner attached to the wall. His study table was just beside the window giving the perfect street view. His walls were dominated by posters of various things this Alien Killer Robots and The Arcade Fire. As he closed the door leaving three inches open as instructed by his mom your eyes fell upon this beautiful doodle of tapes. His bedroom was aesthetically grey which you found soothing and cozy.

Over the span of an hour, you both shifted from the couch to the study table, to the bed and finally, you both settled down on the floor resting your backs on the other side of the bed. Clay was sitting on the side closer to the door and you were sitting near his nightstand.

“So Civil War happened in which year?” asked Clay taking my test.

“1851?” you answered.

“No, Y/N it’s 61”

You groaned in frustration “Why can’t Damon Salvatore be my history tutor? Like he lived the history, he was even part of the war.”

“Don’t you think Damon’s toxic?” asked Clay and jealousy was visible on his face.

You cross-questioned him “Don’t you think Katherine’s a bitch?”

“Yeah, but she’s hot.” Said Clay making an argument.

You patted Clay’s cheek and said with sympathy “Thank you so much for proving my point, Clay.” It didn’t take long for Clay to realize what you meant, and you both laughed loudly.

But suddenly there was an unexpected silence in the room. You felt some kind of tension between the two of you, something that was never experienced between the two of you. It was like a silence that spoke a magnitude of language. You felt a force that was drawing you towards Clay. You took deep breaths and cupped Clay’s face with one hand moving him closer to you. You looked into his eyes and he gave a slight nod.

You leaned in to kiss Clay. Luckily, he started kissing back and you both sunk into the kiss. You still held his face by his jawline keeping him closer and moved towards him decreasing the gap between you two, meanwhile, Clay slid one of his legs to shut the door without breaking the kiss.

You were so impressed by this act; he did this so effortlessly. As you sunk more into the kiss it was getting hot until the door flung open and you stopped abruptly.

A/N: Damn! I wonder who could that be? it's sus. I promise there's a part 2 to it so stay tuned.

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