You’re a human, and to him, humans are the reason his kind nearly went extinct.
He’s cold, blunt, and even a little hostile: “You shouldn’t be here.”
But you don’t back down, and that immediately sets you apart from the other humans.
You and Borra argue. A lot.
He’s driven by anger and survival instincts; you challenge that with empathy and reason.
You call him out when he’s reckless. He calls you naive when you try to see the good in humans.
But beneath all that tension? Respect starts to build.
The turning point comes when you choose to help the Dark Fey, even when it puts you at risk.
Maybe you defend one of them, tend to injuries, or stand your ground against humans.
Borra notices, and it shakes something in him.
After that, his tone changes. Still rough, but no longer hostile.
Once Borra trusts you, he becomes noticeably different only with you.
His voice lowers and loses some of its bite.
He starts lingering near you, never saying why, just staying close.
Others notice it before you do.
Once your relationship turns romantic, Borra becomes deeply protective; not possessive but intensely aware of your safety.
He positions himself between you and danger without thinking.
His wings will subtly shield you during tense moments, almost like a reflex.
If someone threatens you, his entire demeanor shifts; cold, sharp, dangerous.
Borra still struggles with his old mindset. War feels safer than trust.
You become his grounding force, reminding him that not all humans are enemies.
He doesn’t change overnight, but for you, he tries. And that effort means everything.
Borra isn’t overly talkative, especially about feelings. But when he does speak, it’s honest and direct.
His version of affection sounds like: “Stay close.” “I don’t want you hurt.” It’s not poetic, but it’s real.
At first, he’s hesitant, unsure how to be gentle.
But once he gets comfortable, his affection is grounding and protective; a hand at your back guiding you; wings curling slightly around you; standing close enough that you can feel his presence.
When he holds you, it’s firm, like he’s making sure you’re still there.
In private, Borra lets his guard down in ways no one else sees.
He’ll talk about the fear of losing his people, of being forced into hiding again.
He admits, quietly, that trusting you was a risk. And that you were worth it.
If he ever takes you flying, it’s a huge moment of trust.
He holds you securely, wings strong and steady as you rise above the Moors.
It’s one of the only times he looks completely at peace.
You can feel his heartbeat, and for once, it’s calm.
But they also see how you’ve changed him; how he’s calmer, more thoughtful. And they respect you for it.
The other Dark Fey are surprised. The same Borra who pushed for war is now softening for a human?
Would Diaval have a weakness to iron? Diaval isn't a fey creature, he was born a raven. But he has been affected and directly exposed to magic for over 20+ years, so would that have a long term effect on him?
Maybe its like he's been slowly contaminated/changed by Maleficent's magic overtime, the more he transforms, the more his body grows used to the transformations and the magic associated with it. He becomes used to it on a deeply physical level. And with that change, he essentially develops something akin to a allergy to iron.
I don't think we ever see him touch iron long term in either movies? And he never came into direct contact with the iron dust/powder in the second film. (Im going off of pure memory with this claim.) Sure the guards who are covered in iron armor hold him down at one point, but other fey in the movie either were able to tank a few iron contact moments, or depending on the size, only had a 'small' reaction. (Borra holding the iron bolt, Conall surviving for a good while after being shot, Some Dark Fey flying through the edges of iron dust clouds in the 2nd movie when the fey next to them got hit.) (Adrenaline could also explain why some reactions differ, excluding direct contact with the iron dust.)
Even if he isn't shown to be affected by iron, I'm just gonna headcannon that he is. Because I think its cool for him to kinda develop fey traits after having long term super powerful magic exposure. (Maleficent is essentially Dark Fey Creator Reincarnate, her magic is canonically the strongest, that has to account for some magical weirdness.)
Drawing all these pearls and lace made my hand hurt…
Saw a Halloween costume that @co.call put together on TikTok- and really wanted to paint it! She intended it as a Phantom!Christine Daae, which I love- and it reminded me of the way I draw fey in my world which you can see here (Queen of Night) here (Queen of Day) or here (General reference)!
I had someone coment on an old masterlist requesting I make part two to a 3 year old fic. They said please too...
My friend, it's been three years, I do not remember it's initial plot. But you also said please, you you sound like you've been waiting patiently for awhile. I will see what I can do.
I even talked to a friend about this and they said 'Dude, I could see it. She could teach him the power of friendship and he could soften up.'
I was trying to write a story just to justify this shit but it didn't work. Not because of the ship though. It was the story that fell apart. Trying to come up with a way for them to interact was the issue. Not the actual interaction. That was going great!
I had Borra meet Elina before she got her wings so he thought she was human, but he saw her trying to help some fairies caught in a trap and watched the iron burn her hands.
The story was so much fun to try and figure out! It was going to be canon compliant to both franchises and I had a timeline worked out and everything. I'm just bad at writing! It would have been great and I was so sad to realize that the fic was dying on me.
Btw, I know Margot Robbie should be the obvious answer, but I personally see Samara Weaving as a live action Elina.
Yes; I want a live action Barbie: Fairytopia movie and I am not ashamed to admit it. Those were my favorites growing up. (Mariposa and her Butterfly Fairy Friends was and is the GOAT.)
