Genya Safin NAME
Female SEX/GENDER
Shadow & Bone (Netflix) CANON
post season-two CANONPOINT

At age eleven, General Kirigan recruited Genya to the Little Palace. While most grisha serve in the Second Army, she was gifted to the queen of Ravka due to the specificity of her power. This proximity to the royal family allowed her to spy on them for Kirigan. It also denied her a colored kefta, the robe which visually denotes each grisha by their order: corporalki (affecting the body), etherealki (affecting the elements), materialki (affecting non-human matter), etc; thereby denying her the respect of her fellow grisha. At an unspecified age, the king forced a sexual relationship on her, abuse she endured under Kirigan's orders. Resentful of Genya's inherent beauty, the queen allowed it to continue and treated her as a whipping girl.

In order to gain her trust, Genya showers Alina in kindness, acceptance, and validation. The two form a playful friendship based on genuine affection. Genya attempts to warn Alina about Kirigan's plans to weaponize her, vaguely telling her to be careful of powerful men. Once her duplicity is revealed, Genya justifies it by stating she didn't have the luxury of choosing friendship over survival.

After years of the king's abuse, Genya takes her revenge by poisoning him. Again under the general's orders, she covers her body in poison that the king absorbs orally with each assault. The process occurs over multiple weeks and leaves him invalid. Confronted by his family, Genya feels no remorse and states the king brought it on himself.

The poisoning leads to a nation-wide persecution of grisha. Presumed dead, Kirigan returns and saves Genya from execution. Previously his loyal soldier, Genya is wary that he's come back changed, and becomes outright frightened of him soon after. Disillusioned with his crusade, she is apprehended trying to leave him. Mutilated and imprisoned, he intends to execute her himself as an example to his remaining followers. While escaping, Genya is overcome with rage at the sight of her injuries and violently destroys his alchemist's laboratory. Nonetheless, Genya accepts the scars Kirigan gave her as "part of her now," in Baghra's words.

A living doll whose porcelain panels open up to reveal the steel machinery of a 19th century sewing machine and sewing tools: needles, thread pullers, scissors, presser feet, etc. These form the tips of six arms, similar to the Seamstress, that emerge from her back. No electricity involved, as these components are suitable to a sewing machine contemporary to the game's setting. Due to the intricacy, they are susceptible to rust and wear. Genya walks upright, unless she's been driven to frenzy by multiple instances of eye contact.

doll form | Resembling a life-size ball-jointed doll, Genya entrances people on sight. Transfixed prey will approach her without reservation. This effect ceases once they lay eyes on her steel components.
seamstress form | Initially, six metal limbs that emerge from her back. If she continues to feed, more of her porcelain form opens up in panels, exposing more machinery. The more she feeds, the more arachnid-like her mannerisms become, until she's crawling on the ground like a spider.
PAIN immunity | Made of porcelain and metal, Genya lacks nerves and is impervious to physical pain in either form.
INFINITE THREAD | Her red hair becomes thread, of which has as an unlimited amount. This thread is no stronger than average thread, however. It is dangerous for its abundance. It can be used to lay traps and cocoon prey, as well as for typical if gruesome sewing. Genya is compelled to surgically alter people, adding body parts, removing them (particularly eyes and hands), or sewing people to other people or the environment.

Power Swap | When in monster form, either doll or seamstress, Genya loses access to her grisha abilities.
psychic and physical vulnerability | Susceptible to physical damage, as well as psychic damage and pain.
Mirrors | Unless fully frenzied, she can be repelled or coaxed back into her doll form by her own reflection.

Genya will initially not bother you if you don't bother her. However, the slightest glimpse will relieve you of any choice in the matter. Her doll form transfixes prey and lures them towards her, an effect which ceases when the inner machinery becomes exposed. Nonetheless, she is initially pleasant. Genya resorts to human blood to keep these parts oiled and functioning. She believes she's doing what she has to in order to keep herself functional and whole. She will keep her prey alive as long as possible, making the most of them.

The more people that see her, the more vicious she becomes in all parts of the process. This is when she won't hesitate to rip and stitch prey up out of sheer malice. In this frenzied state, her reflection has no effect on her except to exacerbate her rage. Her doll form is also monstrous, crawling around similar to the Spider Mannequin from Silent Hill: Revelations (content warning: human cocoons, mannequin horror, spideriness). She must either see her outrage to its end and calm down in isolation, or be brought down by force.