given the current climate this pride especially i feel i must mention that i love my trans friends, i stand with trans people in the fight against transphobic legislation and those who would enforce it, and this blog is not a good place for you to be if you do not vibe with that
Also... the shipping discourse in this fandom? UNHINGED. TOO MUCH.
Like we're at borderline religious fervor levels.
"OUR LORD AND SAVIOR SJM WILL PROVIDE THE RIGHTFUL CANON COUPLE REVELATION SOON, SISTERS! WE SHALL BASK IN THE GLORY OF THE CANON COUPLE.. FREE OF SIN. THE SIGNS ARE ALL HERE!!!! THE HERETICS WILL ALL SOON BEHOLD THE HOLINESS OF OUR DECREE!"
Saw a post talking about how Eluciens and Gwynriels (all of us, obviously, because we're a monolith) hate on Elain to prop up our ships. And I can't lie, I've seen some pick-me-ass, male-centered takes. Every ship has them. Usually, if I see them, I roll my eyes and downvote/block. Sometimes I'll call out a particularly egregious take. Because we shouldn't be pitting women against each other, even in fiction.
Ironically, I agree with some of the original post. What gets me is the hypocrisy of the statement. Because it's exactly what they do to Gwyn.
I took part of that post and flipped the characters to show this:
To uplift Elain, Gwyn needs to be this irrelevant, pathetic and unlikable woman. And more often than not, they will put Elain in the victim position and Gwyn as the obstacle. Or even a non-obstacle.
Portraying Gwyn as this insignificant, immature or evil woman serves their preferred ship's narrative. They need to counterattack the traits SJM wrote for Gwyn, to deem her as an unworthy love interest. At best she can only be Azriel's friend, a distraction, or a temporary plot device. At worst, she's a lying evil lightsinger luring Azriel away from his One True Love.
They need this so much in order for their ship to appear superior because at the moment they know the easiest way to address Gwynriel is for Gwyn to never be viewed as a legitimate option in the first place.
Not in a way where Gwyn is simply not the girl Azriel ends up with and therefore he chooses Elain. They need Elain to be the first choice uncontested. So how do they achieve that?
Insignificant, traumatized, and evil Gwyn.
The girl whose connections to Azriel are dismissed, whose scenes are minimized, and whose narrative significance is constantly questioned.
The girl whose canon strengths, growth and relationships have to be downplayed so that another ship can look better by comparison.
Because if Elain is truly the obvious choice, why is there such a constant need to diminish Gwyn's importance? Why this vehement insistence to shut down any storyline that could possibly involve her?
Why must Gwyn be reduced to a non-existent character, a consolation prize, or someone Azriel could never seriously choose?
The answer is simple: for some people, Azriel choosing Elain isn't enough. Gwyn has to be made into a non-option first.
And that's why so much energy gets spent turning a capable, resilient, well-liked character into someone who is supposedly unworthy of being considered at all.
The point here isn't that the Elain hate is justifiable or acceptable. Because it's not. The point is, once again, that They™️ are criticizing "us" for doing the same thing they do to Gwyn.
It's not about "I think Elain is better suited for Azriel because of XYZ." It's about "I think Gwyn is an awful choice/non-choice for Azriel because of XYZ."
At the end of the day, post what you want. Just know that you look like a hypocritical pick-me.
That's the main part of the post. But because I'm extra, I did the same thing for Lucien below the cut.
To uplift E/riel, Lucien has to become this pathetic, undesirable loser that Elain could never even think of choosing. And more often than not, Azriel gets framed as the hero while Lucien is cast as the beta-male loser.
Turning Lucien into an entitled, bitter, unwanted male serves their ship's narrative. They have to tear down the qualities SJM actually gave him in order to argue that he is fundamentally unworthy of Elain. They constantly talk about his mistakes while ignoring his growth (and apologies). They ignore positive and canon things said about him. At best, he's reduced to a plot device, an obstacle, or the male she needs to get away from. At worst, he's no better than Beron, an abusive male who wants to have Elain no matter what she wants.
Because the reality is that for their ship to feel unquestionably superior, Lucien can't simply be a viable option. He has to be the worst option.
It's why they're so insistent on denying the heavy plot ties he has that make him relevant to the story moving forward. It's why they're so against the idea of Elain giving him any sort of consideration. They'll say it's because "a woman doesn't have to give a nice guy a chance". And in real life, that's absolutely true. But in a book, it doesn't make much sense in a storytelling way.
They don't want a story where Elain thoughtfully chooses what she wants and what's best for her. They want a story where Lucien was never a choice worth considering in the first place.
So how do they make that happen?
By turning Lucien into a loser, a cuckold, an annoyance, a male no one could realistically want. He's ugly, he's not "manly" enough, he's interested in someone else, etc.
If Azriel is truly the obvious choice, why is there such a constant need to tear Lucien down in order to build him up?
Again, the point of this isn't to be anti-Azriel. Because I love Azriel. But I don't have to be anti-Lucien to be pro-Azriel.
(and what does that look like with a mating bond?)
Taken from the CHD podcast, this is what Sarah mentioned will be part of Elain's story.
To the surprise of... No one.
Elain's story is going to be about choice and agency. Not only in the context of the mating bond with Lucien, but with making her own choices instead of letting others decide for her. But obviously, the bond will be a big part of it.
What baffles me is that some people seem to think that the only way Elain can choose and exercise her agency is if she rejects the bond and ends up with Azriel.
In the course of the story about choice and agency, is it possible Elain could reject the bond and go with Azriel? Absolutely.
Is it also possible that Elain comes to realize that, regardless of the bond she didn't choose, she CAN choose to embrace Lucien and their bond? Absolutely.
Simply being mates is passive. But having a good relationship and working to maintain it is active. It is a choice.
Neither choice goes against those themes of choice and agency.
I've already seen people trying to discredit the potential of Elucien by saying things like "if Elain ends up with Lucien, it's only because she felt obligated" or "accepting the bond would force Elain to give up her agency".
If Elain chooses the bond and chooses Lucien, that is no less valid of a choice. No less valid an exercise of her agency.
Especially in a universe where we've watched Celaena struggle with her fate as Aelin, Bryce struggle with her fate as Theia's heir, Feyre struggle with her growing feelings for Rhys while she was still with Tamlin, and Nesta struggle with the reality of her own bond with Cassian.
Choosing to accept one's fate IS a choice. Not resigning oneself to it, but choosing to embrace it.
Elain will choose what is best for her.
But acting as if there's only one choice she can make... kinda defeats the purpose of choice.
That's the same as saying you can only be pro-choice IF you get an abortion should you have an unplanned pregnancy. Like if you choose to have a baby, you're somehow not exercising your agency and right to choose what's best for your life.
The agency does not lie exclusively in one decision or another. The agency lies in having the freedom and the knowledge to make an informed decision about what's right for YOU.
And that is what Elain will do, no matter who she ends up with.
I always get a kick out of watching E/riels get upset about something they made up that "we said". Or something like two people in a TikTok comment section said? Obviously, we all think the exact same things with no differences of opinion between us.
Literally fighting the air like:
Why are you ragebaiting yourself? This can't be good for your blood pressure.
“His lightning flowed into her like a river, and he could have sworn he heard a beautiful sort of music between their souls…”
Azriel and Gwyn:
“Azriel entered the warmth of the stairwell, and as he descended, he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.”
The three of them made it to the third stage only once in the next two weeks. Roslin, Ananke, and Deirdre were close on their heels, propelling Gwyn to push her group harder. She wanted to be the first. Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel’s and Cassian’s faces. Especially Azriel’s.
Az had a vicious competitive streak. It wasn’t boastful and arrogant, the way Cassian knew he himself was prone to be, or possessive and terrifying like Amren’s. No, it was quiet and cruel and utterly lethal. Cassian had lost track of how many games they’d played over the centuries, with one of them certain of a win, only for Az to reveal some master strategy.
Excuse you, according to my foundation, I am a Light Beige. Also... How do you know what I look like?? This is getting beyond creepy.
Jokes aside, this doesn't surprise me at all.
I am the child of a white woman and a Black man who also has mixed ancestry, as many Black people do. My father himself is not particularly dark-skinned, but still very obviously a Black man.
I don't know what you want me to say to this. Genetics are weird. Dark skin genes tend to win out, but it's entirely possible I just... Didn't get any from my father. Ironically, I look a lot like my father, have a lot of his features, the very curly hair, broad nose, the shape of his eyes... I'm just a melanin-deficient version.
Trust me, I am extremely aware of how I have and continue to benefit from white privilege. And I use that privilege to further Black causes.
So, yes, even with my "Light Beige" skin, I am a woman of color. The shade of my skin doesn't erase the history of my family, or the experiences I've had.
Anon, how about you drop the 23 & Me, since you're so comfortable questioning people online about their ethnic background?
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