I never said you were racist or colourist. I said the media you consume and the people you are around, doesn't mean you can't say (or in this case type) things that are of that nature. Even in my initial post I never called you racist, but rather what you said was colourist, classist, and incredibly icky.
I am one of the first to say that SJM needs her editors to double check her work. Making Nehemia the "disposable black character" to further the arch of a white character, the undertones to her writing the vast majority of the Illyrian's, how all of her couples (including Elucien and Gwynriel) have a white woman with a POC man, etc. My point in my post is that Azriel, the character you used to describe as less cultured, does not fit that label you are unconsciously perceiving him as.
He was educated by the ruler of the Night Court, raised alongside the current High Lord of the Night Court, is facisnated by astrology, is connected to music, and can waltz so well that he keeps up with Nesta flawlessly.
"Both Lucien and Azriel are described as having golden brown skin therefore there is nothing in canon to actually suggest that Lucien is "lighter" than Azriel."
But there is. Lucien is bi-racial and can canonically pass as a full white child. Azriel was born from two Illyrian parents who both had brown skin. Again, it does not mean Lucien is white. However, when you see art of Azriel and Lucien, when someone commissions art of Azriel and Lucien, when someone draws art of Azriel and Lucien, Azriel is darker. It doesn't make him more POC than Lucien or anything like that (the same way how someone being a light skinned vs a black dark doesn't make one more of that race), but it is something to keep in mind when having these conversations and throwing out statements of one character being "more cultured" than the other.
"In my mind Lucien is a POC therefore anyone accusing me of thinking Lucien is more white passing than Azriel (who again, we don't know his actual race as it relates to the real world and Sarah never confirmed) are just that - accusations."
POC is not just some blanket word that applies to everyone who is darker than tan. There is intersectionality and different pockets in POC groups, primarily because of colonization and the idea that fairer skin, hair, and eyes is more appealing. Which again, circles back to colourism.
It's why there was discussion of how the same light-skinned actors are cast for all the black roles, and darker skinned actors are bypassed. It's why South Asian media has a huge issue with only casting incredibly light skinned actors and anything darker is consider unattractive. It's why Korean media has a big problem with editing and washing out the skin of idols to make them look paler.
We can go back and forth forever on how we see the Illyrians. I don't think we're going to see eye to eye on it and frankly I'm not going to waste either of our times trying to dip into that debate.
I understand Lucien and Azriel are not real characters. In fact, I would agree that Lucien would fit the "historical romance vibes" more. And again, if your post had just been talking about how the "Four movements" made you think of Elain and Lucien enjoying a symphony or dancing the waltz, I probably would have reblogged your post! Because Lucien is described as being born to be a Lord. Because Elain is described to have loved dancing with all the Lord's sons at balls.
But you didn't list those reasons. You decided to call Azriel (who is perceived as darker than Lucien by both the characters in the book and the fandom) uncultured. And while THEY may not be real, that gross dismissiveness regarding Azriel's manners, politeness, knowledge of the arts, etc. in favour of Lucien who we know nothing about in that specific regard, is the exact same labeling many real people face because they are darker than a fairer skinned counterpart.
Your entire point of reading this series as escapism falls flat when people who saw your post, who experience hardships and use books as an escape too, came online and saw a statement like yours that reflects the real life hardships they face.
I'm not here to argue canon or even to explain the framework of intersectionality and how it creates other pockets and facets of discrimination, this isn't the time or place for that. However, I do hope going forward, you put more thought into not just what you post online but also pausing and reflecting before making posts to double down on those statements.
