Since Netflix has cancelled Shadow & Bone (yes I am indeed salty about it), have some modern Genyalina headcanons, including a few with chronic pain Genaya. Also, this is quite long so apologies 😅
Modern Genyalina Headcanons
They meet in university, probably as roommates.
They're a little awkward at first, both of them are shy of each other and neither's had a lot of friends before, so for the first month or two? They tend to avoid each other (one leaves if they're gonna be alone in the room)
Zoya is very protective of Genya and doesn't particularly trust Alina not to upset her. Mal is very much the same way with Alina and not trusting Genya
The way they eventually end up befriending each other is that Genya offers to make Alina a cup of tea while Alina is stressing about an upcoming test
Alina takes a break and they end up talking for a while about various things: Alina's time in foster care, Genya's friendship with Zoya, their classes, anything really. Genya is a languages student, while Alina studies child psychology.
Genya talks about her chronic pain, undiagnosed despite her best efforts, which upsets Alina. She noticed that Genya walks with a cane, but she'd always avoided asking about it.
And thus begins, not an unlikely friendship, but an unexpected one. Both of them are introverts, so they'd fully expected college to just be studying and occasional hang outs with friends they already had. But after they start being friends, the two of them spend a lot of time in cafés or in the library together
Alina walks Genya to morning classes, since her pain is always worst in the morning. This greatly endears her to Zoya
By the end of their first year, Alina and Genya are incredibly close, and even manage to make a few friends together. Going into second year, they move in together with Zoya and her boyfriend, Nikolai. The two of them make it their personal mission to get Genyalina together by the end of the year.
It takes 3 months before they finally manage to trick the girls into going on a date. Two previous attempts were also made (one involved sending them to movie together, and the other involved sending them to the beach) but both times, Alina and Genya thought it was totally platonic. The set up that finally works is setting up fairy lights and a picnic in their garden and then make themselves scarse for the night. Alina and Genya end up blushing and flustered but they have a very nice date.
They are such a snuggly couple, it's not even funny. They were already snuggly, even before they got together, but after they start dating? Genya is basically always curled against Alina's side, if Alina isn't already laying with her head in Genya's lap
Their favourite dates are just staying in and snuggling while watching movies, or reading to each other. Alina usually falls asleep during said movies, but Genya doesn't mind because Alina looks adorable.
Alina gives Genya massages whenever her pain is particularly bad. She also goes with Genya to doctor's appointments to argue with the dr on her girlfriend's behalf (they've treated Genya so bad when it comes to her pain for so long, that Genya gave up fighting a long time ago)
They graduate together, Alina becoming either a child psychologist or a social worker, and Genya ends up working as either a translator or some form of writer. They continue living with Zoya and Nikolai for a few years agter graduation, until they save enough to move in together (they still stay close to their friends though)
Genya is the one to propose about 4 yeats after graduation and Alina obviously says yes. The ring is platinum with both diamonds and rubies.
