netflix shadow and bone s1 e5 pt3: peak darklina
the first kiss scene
Alina is so beautiful
Her little smile as she picks up his kefta after he hears him call out for Ivan to get it like ooh I'm gonna play a little trick on Alek
Her making him smile with a joke that's not even funny
The tentativeness of it all, them tiptoeing around each other, testing the boundaries
Him being taken aback by her offering to help him put on his kefta but still wanting her to and immediately resorting to business voice asking questions about official sun summoner stuff
And putting on his serious business face
him trying to explain away the gloves by calling them a safeguard, not a sign of him not trusting her abilities
the face he makes after saying spectacle either depicting his distaste for the showiness of the event or depicting his embarrassment at how he phrased the sentence, like what the fuck did I just say (more likely the first one)
Her quickly turning around and walking away after the eye contact makes her realise how close they are and him pulling a puzzled look as she does so
Just. Just how adorable the energy is.
Both of them making jokes to diffuse the tension, her gripping the table to maybe steady or calm herself, the looks they give to each other as if engaged in a delicate dance; god-like
Him straight up just blinking and looking down and gulping as she says 'we can offer Grisha and Ravkans hope' (could be multiple things he's thinking at this point, and all of them interest me)
'That means a lot to me, Alina.' *her turning to look at his face*
'You mean a lot...' *her immediately lowering her gaze and tracing where her mal scar used to be lmao* 'to everyone' *her raising her gaze to him again*
The music swelling as she walks up to him, her barely grazing her fingers against his collar, his eyes looking across hers as if in disbelief, her looking at his lips, and then her closing the gap between them. Him being a little stiff, indubitably from being shocked, and yet giving into it almost instinctively as if he can't help it. The violin coming in powerfully yet softly to emphasize the tenderness of it all. This thing has been made with so much love and I can't contain myself about it.
Him opening his eyes half a second after Alina, almost as if waking up from a dream and then, following a relaxing of his facial muscles as he clearly regains his composure, immediately looking inscrutable. Her doubting herself, not losing eye contact as he stands up from the desk, but her sudden fear, regret, and embarrassment clear on her face.
Her sides of her lips slowly rising giving way his own self mirroring her and breaking into smile and composing himself and breaking into smile again before saying 'Not many people surprise me, Miss Starkov'. Her now fully breaking out into a smile, her face a picture of unguarded joy, she looks down only to have his gaze follow her face. Both of them giddy in the other's presence and the audience can feel it. It feels like he is leaning in for another one when the sound of the door opening makes them spring apart, regaining their composures and standing at a respectable distance from each other. Her poorly suppressing a smile, him looking at her visibly, her mimicking him with a glance out of her periphery, causing her to give in to her smile completely. Him looking visibly distracted as he attempts to pay attention to whoever came into the room.
the Jesper of it all
Jesper the mega idiot not being able to control his face from doing a thing as he realises the person who caught him where he wasn't supposed to be is the same person he was making sexy eyes at before and yet regaining his composure in record time
The poor stable hand actually being interested in Jesper and being adorable with Jesper just being like charm itself
Can you believe looking at Jesper Llewellyn Fahey in the flesh and having him make sexy eyes at you and then forgetting about it? Because I simply cannot.
The line about light role play? Felt a little not right.
GO OFF STABLE HAND WHO PUSHED JESPER AGAINST A WALL AND KISSED HIM, HE LITERALLY SAID IM POPPING OFF AND
THEN HE DID
Zoya
Zoya saying fuck off to the random racist comment made by one of the guests, but she was racist to Alina herself? (I mean South Asian-East Asian hate is not uncommon so idk)
David
omg the cutie pie adjusting his hair at the fete
HEARTRENDER FUCKING HUSBANDS
Fedyor insisting on Ivan eating the sweet and Ivan's solemn head shake like no babe im on a diet and Fedyor being like heart eyes please eat the sweet my love and then Fedyor holding Ivan's face to make him nibble off a corner and Ivan's face splitting into a reluctant grin
Kaz the actor
Seeing Kaz the actor instead of Kaz the master of trickery and plans is an interesting thing
Kanej being Kanej
cute banter interaction, would recommend, 10/10
hints at Arken being sus
The look Kaz gives Arken when Arken leaves, I really should have known, I was simply being a clown
Darkling and the dumb royalty
We love the Darkling suppressing his anger at these otkazat'sya rulers dissing the grisha and the little palace
Alina's entrance
The soft hum that we hear when Alina enters but we don't see her face
Alina's adorable peeking
The Darkling's expression changing despite being done af with these mfers and instantaneously on catching a glimpse of Alina, she really has that power huh
He really made it look like his pupils dilated and who knows maybe they did
Him trying to call her out for not following protocol but him melting and saying 'you look lovely, by the way'
Her saying 'you look like you needed saving' I can't breathe you're so cool
ballroom at the little palace
I must confess I expected the ballroom of the winter fete to be bigger
GENYADAVID
looking at each other and pretending not to look at each other, my fucking heart
Kanej being Kanej
Kaz implying they're gonna try to trick the people into thinking that the fake sun summoner is real and Inej being done with his shit
Alina's demonstration
HER NAME IS ALINA STARKOV yes mfer
The way people back away as he steps, god the power of this man
Inej looking at Kaz omfg
Okay him clapping the darkness into the room was cool af
I love the shadow summoning effects so fucking much
The first bit of light that Alina summons lighting up the gold parts of her black kefta, absolute perfection
Alina just enjoying her power and then looking to Alek, his lips parting when she does
Aw Fedyor looking at Ivan in a I told you she could do it way
Genya and Fedyor exchanging glances as Alina besties
THE CROWD SAYING SANKTA ALINA
INEJ SAYING SANKTA ALINA WITH HALF A TEAR IN HER EYE DAMN THIS IS POWERFUL
Jesper and Dima
IMMEDIATELY TRANSITIONING TO JESPER SAYING 'SAINTS' AS A NAKED STABLE BOY GETS OFF OF HIM AGAHSJSJSJKS I CAN'T IM CACKLING AT THE AUDACITY OF THIS SHOW HOW ARE THEY SO PERFECT
(his name's dima btw)
Poor fucking Dima getting frightening orders from his superior as his hookup sneaks out with horses that are definitely not his
Arken the little shit
Ah Arken why'd you have to go and do this I was actually amused by you before
the malyen factor
omg Mal's here and someone saw him getting here
apparat and faith?
The apparat literally jumping out of the palace walls at Alina lol
man I do love the religion angle of this universe and it would have been so fucking cool if it were explored a bit better
ew apparat that grab was very violent
mal/darkling interaction
the darkling's reaction at his recognition of mal was so funny ah yes my arch nemesis, the other angle of this teen immortal love triangle how utterly delightful
someone explain the darkling's 'are you alright' to mal, is it because Alina was worried sick, is it mind games, is it curiosity, what is it
Im still don't know how to feel with them attaching a literal symbol to the sun summoner, to Alina's dreams and to the stag itself
'not until I see Alina' THE LOYAL HIMBO ENERGY IN THIS ONE ISTFG
I have never known nose acting until I saw Ben Barnes, he uses his nose in his acting and it is absolutely wonderful; case in point, the 'i beg your pardon' to mal with the rage making his voice shake
okay but why is every mal darkling interaction like, everything
the prompt answer our baby mal gives and the satisfaction it brings to his face, fucking amazing
the darkling being literally struck by this, his mouth literally agape, king this is a 20 year old lmao
Baghra!
OMG WE GOT A GLIMPSE OF BAGHRA'S FIRE YES
Genya supremacy
Genya beating Arken up let's fucking go
Marie's plot influence and Racism?
Yellowface? again? hmm bardugo (then again, I have no authority over this, I'm south asian)
Ive already talked about how I'm interested in knowing if and how changing Marie's time and place of death going to influence the plot much because in the books it caused a chain reaction doing a lot of stuff
Alina, my love
Alina just, laughing with other Grisha, feeling at home, ah be still my treacherous heart
Mal's confrontation scene with Alina
that was in the books being retconned to Mal calling out to her body double, hmm, probably to make Mal more likeable, I don't have any feelings about this particularly
Nadia and Fedyor
Okay the both of them, smiling and walking, hand in hand, cute mlm wlw solidarity moment that I missed during the first watch
Kanej interacting with Alina
Why is Alina literally so adorable
The music picking up as the Inferni catches sight of the 'limping man' (what? it was funny when he said it)
Blue Irises
Alina's face showing a certain sense of calm when Alek shows up
Alina's face after the Darkling says 'for you' and presents her with blue irises is something like gasp okay you've got game sexy shadow man
mal fite time
omg I thought she was taking mal to talk to Baghra or smth not to kill him π€‘
aren't oprichnikis like
otkazat'sya or am I missing smth? Because Baghra's spy is obvs a fabrikator
THE DESK SCENE
omg the scene hath arriveth
the fact that Alina can't stop smiling
gods, the flirting
'I don't recall this, being part of the schedule'
him turning back and saying 'it isn't'
her hiding her face through the cover of smelling the flowers and just how coy she acts, like the literal eyelid batting
Ma'am how embarrassing for you to have feelings rn
these two are my absolute favs of all time
the camera moving as they move from their spots on which they had to stand on to get the shot of their shadows almost kissing
her nodding and smiling at him saying 'she'll probably be alright' like okay I'm ready for smooches kiss me already and him going 'don't you think' trying to savour this moment
IM SORRY BUT THE FUCKING SCORE AT THE MOMENT THEIR LIPS MEET YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I CANNOT COPE
the way his hand is so big that he can almost hold her entire face in it
the way she grips the back of his head
I'm sorry I feel so disrespectful saying this but the sounds they make+I think that's a um titty grab or maybe it's just a holding someone and the placement was um unintended but I doubt it because everything in this fucking show is so intentional+ the lift up onto the desk+ the faces they make+ um god I'm going to hell for this but when they sort of grind into each other (I understand this is acting and they're just good at their job) but god does all of this make my heart race and also makes me happy I guess
LITERAL GIGGLES I can't I'm soft π₯Ίπ₯Ίπ₯Ί
his little head shake at the knock on the door when he goes in for one last kiss before she gets off the desk and her eyes going all oy you, go get the door, I'm not going anywhere don't make whoever it is wait is so adorable and domestic
her just standing there mouth agape to herself when he walks away
HIM STILL FLUSHED AND BLUSHING AND HIS HAPPINESS CLEAR AS DAY ON HIS FACE WHEN HE OPENS THE DOOR
his gaze flits to her when Ivan says Alina was the target
'I'll be waiting' love, I physically can't anymore
Little cheek hold and walk away
Her little smile to herself nearly fading before he jumps back in again to her surprise and to ours to hold her face with both his hands and kiss her one last time, and yes, he does kiss like he's being drafted for the war in the morning
Her little mouth open and close and then her little smile to herself after he leaves
I refuse to watch the rest of the episode right now because no let me steep in the darklina bliss
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