lucialveroy

First and foremost, I'm a reader - app.thestorygraph.com/profile/lucialveroy

[sawed-on-shotgun]

unfortunate truth of reality is that oftentimes 15 year olds will say/do/believe some stupid bullshit because they are 15 but telling them that they believe that because they are 15 is probably the most counterproductive thing in the entire universe

[pinkfuneral7]

Elain’s empowering moment is not going to be male centric and it’s important to me that everyone acknowledges that.

She’s a SEER, she likely has additional powers that we’re not aware of yet.

Her story is going to be bigger than whether or not she rejects the bond.

I want it to be bigger than that.

[merymoonbeam]

We talked about how Azriel wanted to save eris insted of freaking out like Cassian because of Valkyries being thrown into the blood rite but after last live with sarah... cass wasn’t even with azriel in the first place. He was watching nesta while Azriel was off saving eris 😀

Cassian was not off with azriel like with the whole Eris thing

And this is how the actual book turned out:

Cassian couldn’t breathe. Hadn’t been able to breathe or speak for long minutes now. His family had arrived, and they all surrounded him in the wrecked bedroom of Emerie’s house. They were speaking, Azriel with some urgency, but Cassian didn’t hear him, heard nothing but the roaring in his head before he said to no one in particular, “I’m going after them.”

“Cassian’s stomach turned over. Nesta and her friends—his friends—were in the Rite. And he could do nothing to interfere, not without damning them all. His hands shook. “So, what—we just sit on our asses for a week and wait?” The idea was abhorrent. Feyre gripped his trembling fingers, squeezing tight. “Did you— Cassian, weren’t you listening at all when we got here?” No. He’d barely heard anything. Azriel said tightly, “My spies got word that Eris has been captured by Briallyn. She sent his remaining soldiers after him while he was out hunting with his hounds. They grabbed him and somehow, they were all winnowed back to her palace. I’m guessing using Koschei’s power.” “I don’t care.” Cassian aimed for the doorway. Even if … Fuck. Hadn’t he been the one to tell Rhys not to go after those soldiers? To leave them be? He was a fool. He’d left an armed enemy in his blind spot and forgotten about it. But Eris could rot for all he cared.Az said, “We have to get him out.”

You can clearly see the difference between Cassian’s reaction to Azriel’s... like he went to save the male he hated instead of freaking out like Cassian. And they expect me to believe their ginger fave and azriel are mates? PLEASE! When we have this scene with Azriel and Elain:

“From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

When this elriel scene was reminded to us three times in acosf:

Elain had been stolen by the Cauldron and saved by Azriel and Feyre.

Azriel stiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all.” Az hadn’t so much as hesitated before going into the heart of Hybern’s war-camp.

“Eyes can be blinded,” Nesta said. “Not the ones under my command,” Azriel said with soft menace. Nesta met his stare, knowing he was the only one aside from Feyre who could truly understand her hesitation. He’d gone with Feyre into the heart of Hybern’s camp to save Elain—he knew the risk.

The guy didn’t hesitate to go to heart of the Hybern’s war-camp even though he could die to save Elain but he was talking about Eris while Vallyries were thrown into the blood rite 😀

[rosenecklaces]

"You- we trained them well" the way he also was about to not take credit of their training

[devi1sange1]

The way she rewrote the scene and still didn’t give Azriel a bigger reaction.

In the first draft, we probably wouldn’t have seen Azriel. Just Cassian watching Nesta. Obviously, we wouldn’t be able to tell what Azriel is feeling here because he’s simply not there.

But she rewrote the entirety of Cassian’s storyline here and stuck him with Azriel, and still decided Azriel was going to have a minimal reaction to his “mate” being abducted into the BR. She added more Azriel and STILL DID NOT GIVE HIM A REACTION.

[violetasteracademic-deactivated]

So... this is very interesting. And from a writing perspective, this puts Azriel with Eris, Koschei, and the Crown alone. Was Azriel initially going to be captured? What would Elain's reaction have been if Cassian had to tell the IC he could see Azriel captured by the Crown and in the Blood Rite being forced to hurt Nesta, long after G/wyn and Emerie had disappeared through the monolith? Was Azriel simply going to get captured and remain captured at the end of ACOSF? Would Elain have been involved in trying to help get Azriel out of the Crown's clutches?

SJM doesn't say there was no Eris thing, just that Cassian wasn't originally there. I know early drafts should be taken with a grain of salt, and we don't know how everything else was structured. Maybe Az simply flew back once he realized Eris was captured. But it's interesting to imagine the function of keeping the Eris/Crown/Koschei storyline in there initially, without Cassian getting "taken" by it first.

I had always thought this line was very specifically pointed at Azriel:

Oh ho ho, Elain is SO gonna have her "I'm getting him back" moment.

[merymoonbeam]

YOU ACTUALLY MAKE A GREAT POINT.

and I always thought that line was directed at Az not cassian so 👀👀👀

This is so interesting and weird 🤔🤔🤔

[meglap15]

“Whatever Azriel has done for Elain, he has already done for Mor but with Mor, there were actual feelings behind it.”

I am sorry but what? Read the books.

Azriel & Mor

“Mor opened her mouth, but Azriel laid a scarred hand atop hers. She snatched her hand back as if she’d been burned…”

“Getting Azriel to take any time for himself that didn’t involve work or training was nearly impossible. When I pointed out that he did go to Rita’s with her whenever she asked, Mor simply informed me that it had taken her four centuries to get him to do that.”

“I’m fairly certain Azriel has a drawer full of all the daggers I’ve bought him throughout the centuries that he’s too polite to throw away, but won’t ever use.”

“You honestly think he’d ever give up Truth-Teller?” “He gave it to Elain,” Mor said…”

Azriel & Elain

“Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, ‘Beautiful.’”

“…as he extended a hand. Nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as Elain took his hand, and out they went.”

“Azriel smiled faintly. ‘Would you like me to show you the garden?’”

“Azriel was sprawled on the chaise longue across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports..”

“‘Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.’ ‘I can help her,’ said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose.”

“Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight. Whether he cared about such things, I had no idea.”

“‘This is Truth-Teller,’ he told her softly. ‘I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.’”

“But she'd gotten Azriel one last year -- a headache powder he kept on his nightstand at the House of Wind. Not to use, but just to look at. Which he'd done every night he’d slept there. Or attempted to sleep there.”

Of course there is going to be some lingering feelings and weird dynamics with a group of people that have known each other for hundreds of years! Even Cassian and Mor had some interesting moments when it was clear him and Nesta were endgame.

But we’ve seen comparisons right in canon text of Elain taking Azriel’s hands, Azriel doing something other than work or training with Elain and it didn’t take her 400 years to get him to do it, Azriel keeping Elain’s gift on his nightstand not thrown in a drawer, and Azriel giving Elain truth-teller.. not Mor or anyone else.

[silverlinedeyes]

The Azriel and Lucien Setup

Why It Means Elain’s Book is Next

I was rereading this article https://culturess.com/2021/02/26/biggest-question-court-silver-flames/ and in particular this part:

And it made me think about how SJM has been setting up for Elain’s story since ACOMAF. Even starting that early in the series, we see Sarah setting up these two possible paths for Elain: Azriel and Lucien. Indeed, in ACOMAF we get Feyre musing about what would happen if Elain ever came to Velaris, and she says:

Here for the first time Sarah plants the seed in our minds that Azriel and Elain might actually be good together, “if the warrior ever stopped quietly loving Mor” of course.

And then, at the end of the book obviously, we get this scene:

Elain has a mate. Lucien.

Of course, throughout ACOWAR and ACOFAS we continue to see these two paths developed (or not developed) for Elain. We see her grappling with the fact that she “belongs” to another and her rejection of that whole concept. And we see her gravitating towards Azriel.

We get signs that maybe Azriel is still right for Elain, not Lucien. For example, we see Madja say that a mate can sense what is wrong with their mate, and yet Azriel is the one who figured out Elain is a seer and gives her the relief of understanding what is “wrong” with her. And we see Azriel sense Elain is taken by the cauldron and save her. We see a figurative bridge between them with truth-teller. And we see for the first time someone (Feyre in this instance) question if the cauldron was wrong and Azriel and Elain really should have been mates.

…

Then in ACOFAS we see that Lucien and Elain remain uncomfortable around each other. Neither of them wants to spend time with the other. Elain again reminds us that she owes Lucien nothing, and he is not entitled to her affection just because he is her mate. Yet we see Elain continue to gravitate towards Az. He approaches her on solstice. He makes everyone wait for her to eat. She gets him a gift and causes his most joyous laugh. They talk into the night after solstice about her garden.

And then of course in ACOSF Lucien’s voice drips with discomfort when he speaks of his “mate,” and Elain loses her newfound boldness around him and shrinks into herself. Meanwhile, we learn azriel is avoiding the River house because of Elain. We see him protective of her. We see a charged glance between them. He follows her laugh. We learn that he can’t stand to be around elucien’s mating bond. We learn they both want each other, and that azriel looks at her headache powder every night before he falls asleep. And we learn he, like Feyre, is questioning if the cauldron was wrong.

Why? What is the purpose of this buildup?

It has always been about Elain, and what her choice will be. Will she choose Lucien, her “fated mate”? Or will she choose Azriel, the person who might actually be a better match for her?

Sarah has been setting up Elain’s choice since ACOMAF.

And that’s why Elain’s book is next and it’s not Gwynriel. Because if it’s Gwynriel, then this stops being about Elain’s choice and becomes about Az’s choice between Elain and Gwyn (whom we just met btw). And Azriel in that scenario would ultimately choose Gwyn, and Elain would not make a choice. She would be with Lucien by default.

And if that happens, what was the fucking point of all this setup? Of giving Elain these two paths, if someone was going to make the choice for her essentially?

No. That’s not going to happen. The “triangle” has always been Elain, Azriel, and Lucien. It will not be Azriel, Elain, and Gwyn.

[lucialveroy]

I guess there's been a lot of fanart and fanfiction over the years for people to get confused, but as a newer fan, canon is very clear to me. Elain as a main character in the next book/s and her choosing someone outside of her mating bond (Azriel) is very clear to me. Romance in fiction doesn't tend to be very confusing in that regard, Katniss ends up with Peeta, Percy ends up with Annabeth, Lizzie ends up with Darcy, they're the evident endgames of their stories from early on in the story.

Oh, and she'll find a way to master her power and defeat Koscheii. Duh. Like Nesta did with Briallyn. There's no need for a mind blowing plot twist, at least I don't mind guessing where the story will go. SJM likes happy endings. Me too. I just wanna enjoy the ride, man.

[sakurakittypeach]

lucien isn't a prize and elain is entirely justified in keeping herself away from him. if i had a guy that i was bonded to and he insisted on visiting me, knowing that i was uncomfortable in his presence? yeah i'd ask my high lord brother-in-law to fucking kill that guy. creep.

[sakurakittypeach]

adding to this, lucien is not the good guy in elain's story.

to her, he is a traitor. he was the one that stood by tamlin as she was helplessly thrown in the cauldron. he is the person that imposes himself on her despite elain making her feelings apparent in all ways but verbal.

contrastingly, azriel is someone who repeatedly saves elain.

in large ways, such as getting her back from the hybern camp, pressing TT into her hand when she started doubting herself, and figuring out she was a seer, consequently freeing her from that murky realm.

but also in little ways too. he took the potatoes from her hands and made everyone wait until she was seated before eating. he jokes at amren's expense when he notices how sharp she is with elain.

like come the fuck on now. seriously? why are we even debating this.

the only thing lucien is to elain is an obstacle to overcome. she does not like him, not in a way that could mean something more. she flat out does not want to be around him. she feels discomfort around him where she opens up around azriel.

to say that all there is between elain and azriel is "just lust" is to intentionally read with bad faith and entirely ignore the author's intentions. it was lucien that expressed (unreciprocated) lust toward elain even as he compared her to jesminda. azriel waited for elain's consent and permission after a long time of them dancing around one another.

azriel and lucien are not comperable love interests. i would argue even that lucien isn't a love interest at all.

elain deserves someone who loves her for who she is. she deserves azriel.

[bellswrites2008]

I think what's so funny to me is that I finished the ACOTAR series and went, "I'm so excited to read about Elain and Azriel in the future!" Only to come online and see redheads everywhere (no hate to Gwyn. I LOVE Gwyn)... I don't know, if you read the books and have a basic grasp of literacy, it's pretty simple to deduce that Elain likes Azriel better than Lucien? And maybe it's the part of me that sees myself in Elain, but I hate the idea of her ending up with someone who was essentially forced on her by the powers that be.

It's also made ABUNDANTLY clear she doesn't have chemistry with Lucien. None. And my whole thing is... with interconnected standalones, you're supposed to be looking forward to the next couple, right? Like with Nessian: You see enough of their relationship in the books leading up to ACOSF to get hyped when it's their book because you SEE the chemistry, you FEEL the sparks, and you know based on Feyre's inner monologue that they have this friction between them that you know darn well is going to pay off in their book.

SJM has had four books to build up Elucien. She could've set up their reactions to each other as an opposites-attract thing; she could've alluded to unspoken chemistry and underlying attraction in any of those books. But she didn't.

You know who she did set up tension with, though? Elain and Azriel. And you know what? I'm not going to feel bad about shipping a couple with chemistry (who actually mutually like each other) in an interconnected romantasy series.

[flawlesssbee]

the thing is… why would I want a girl to end up with a man she showed no interest in two years even tho she knows he is supposed to be this chosen mate for her instead of the one she wants to choose for herself?

There is this man she feels uncomfortable around even after two years. This man she can’t even warm up to even when she knows he wants to be in her life. One that couldn’t manage to even get to know her a little bit or build a relationship where they can comfortably stand in the same room.

Then there is the other man..The man she doesn’t shy away from and accepts any offer he makes. The man she pays attention to. One she buys meaningful presents for. One she desires. One that sees and understands her. One that knows how to be around her without making her uncomfortable. One that is willing to stay up on the longest night of the year to listen to her gardening plans while everyone went to bed. One that risked his life for her and cared enough to give her his favorite knife so she would have something to defend herself with. One that is first to realize she is absent. One who tenses at the mention of her being upset.

you see, I could go on and on and on. what I cannot do is shipping the girl with the former when she is so very clearly uninterested. I get that you may want to see these two people together but please don’t act like the couple is there and we don’t see it or the story is leaning that way at all. If anything, the story is running a marathon towards the opposite end.

whats written on the page is elain wanting azriel and azriel wanting elain. the end. I ship them because they want each other. I ship them because they are there being cute since acomaf.

sarah very well may decide and lead the story to put lucien and elain together or azriel with gwyn. and maybe she will. who knows but her?

BUT what we got so far is not that. does not serve that. you may see and theorize ways for EL or GA to be together in future. but what we have on paper ALREADY is elriel. SO PLEASE FFS. SPARE US the ‘youre crazy if you think they are endgame’ treatment.

NOBODY KNOWS THE ENDGAME. BUT ELRIEL IS THE GAME RIGHT NOW AND LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ARE BALLIN’

[phoenixystix]

people trying to make percy and annabeth enemies to lovers as if she didn’t have to force herself to dislike him and could only manage that for about a week before she’s professing that she would betray her MOTHER to fight by his side in a godly civil war. like ok. they barely qualify as rivals to lovers

[cdalexsworld]

[shadowyfawn]

Favorite ACOTAR girls I know that’s right 🫶

Art: natalienardozza

[xnackery027]

This has been complained about before and I know that but like.

It’s incredible to me that there’s a whole side of social media, defined by reading books, who don’t have enough reading comprehension to understand metaphors.

“Haha he growled?! Like a wolf?!” He used a more gravely and intense tone that is metaphorically referred to as “growling” due to the association with danger and anger. There. Is that what you want? Is that what you want to read? No more interesting prose or personification in book? No more alluding to animal-like behaviors in order to draw a connection?? No more scampering??? Are you for real??? No more fucking scampering?????

[kopfkino-o]

The story and the theme I believe SJM is penning with the eventual Elucien rejected bond is bigger than just Elain and Lucien. Hell, even Elain and Azriel. Just like Feyre’s story and Nesta’s story were bigger than their respective endgames. Feyre’s journey and her ascent to power marked a change in Prythian and opened the door for other women to follow in her footsteps and rise to power. Nesta and her journey to healing and coming into her own marked a change in Prythian/Illyria/the Library and opened the door for other traumatized women to follow in her footsteps and become warriors in their own rights. Elain’s story will mirror this. With Elain choosing that LOVE matters more than fate, than duty, than societal and cultural expectations, and defying the bond in the name of this love, she’ll open the door for other women to follow in her footsteps and reject unwanted bonds. And it’s not just for the women with bonds that connect them to horrible awful people (see: Tamlin and Rhy’s parents) but women who are bonded to someone they just don’t feel chemistry with, or don’t mesh completely with, or simply don’t have an interest in, no matter how decent or joyful or noble these people might be.

Because SJM said it best: through love, all is possible. And I think this is the heart of the story she’s building in ACOTAR. That it’s not through a mating bond that all is possible. But through love, no matter how that looks.

[lucialveroy]

So, I'm new to the acotar fandom, I recently finished the series for the first time. While searching for fanart along the way, I obviously spoiled myself some things but I didn't care much cause I loved the journey of discovering how everything unfolded. But one thing surprised me specially. I'd seen memes about Gwyn becoming a love interest for Azriel, so I was reading Silver Flames expecting some kind of interaction, tension, anything. Then I read the bonus chapter thinking it'd be there. My flabbers were gasted when I realized there was quite literally nothing there ???? Like, the look from Emerie to Mor that one time at the library held more intent than any of Gwyn and Az interactions. I know she glances at him a lot at training and they talk in the bc, but honestly it felt like she respects and admires him like she does Mor and Rhys and Clotho. It didn't feel romantic or sexual at all. I don't even think she'd want those kinds of feelings yet. And Azriel giving her the necklace Elain rejected felt the same as Cassian throwing Nesta's gift in the Sidra. He didn't really care who got it, he just wanted to get rid of it. He didn't even give it directly to her. As for the singing and the shadows, I've read somewhere it might hint to Gwyn becoming a lightsinger? That sounds amazing actually and much more logical than her having a relationship with Azriel. I don't know, I really like her and I don't like the idea of Az paying attention to her just because he couldn't get Elain. And he clearly likes Elain, I'd dare say from the first moment he saw her. But that's a different conversation.

[deathxfawn]

if Elain decides to accept her mating bond, if there is no bond rejection as foreshadowed...

"what if the cauldron was wrong?"

becomes

"the cauldron is never wrong."

"and that entitles him to my time, my affections?"

becomes

"yes, he's entitled to your time and affections."

"why not make them mates?"

becomes

"they can't be mates. even if they desire it"

"what if that is what she needs? is there no free will?"

becomes

"she doesn't know what she needs. free will does not exist."

"nature chose wrong"

becomes

"nature chose right, actually"

There is no reason to weave whispers of a rejected mating bond into a story without a plan to act upon it. From a literary and frankly, common sense point of view, it would be terrible writing. The characters and the author herself have been gently pushing us towards a rejected mating bond plot for the better part of a decade, and I couldn't be more excited. I feel bad for those who can't see the potential of such a story, but it's their loss. In the meantime, I'll continue celebrating and counting down the days until we get Elain's story in our hands. 🩷💙

[lucialveroy]

Honestly. That's the point of the whole series, of the sisters journeys. Rhys even says it over and over again: "here, it's ~your choice~, always".

[mabevil]

everytime someone says that elain being a spy is ridiculous and forced you just know they read these books with their eyes closed

[amethystblooms]

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“..I let my characters guide the story..”

As Lucien took off his jacket, kneeling before Elain. She cringed away from the coat, from him— ch. 65

“I want to see her. Just once. Just—to know.” “To know what?” He hitched my damp cloak higher around us. “If she is worth fighting for.” ch. 12

Elain had been… thrown at him. .. She did not love him, want him, need him. ch. 24

It was the most uncomfortable thirty minutes I could recall. ch. 29

He glanced at Elain, who was again studying her lap. “I’m not needed here. ..” ch. 33

“You are his mate. Do you even know what that means?” “It means nothing,” Elain said, her voice breaking. “It means nothing. I don’t care who decided it or why they did—” “You belong to him.” “I belong to no one.” ch. 54

Elain, at least, would be too polite to send Lucien away when he wanted to help. She was too polite to send him away on a normal day. She just ignored him or barely spoke to him until he got the hint and left. ch. 5

How Lucien withstood it, I didn’t know. Not that he’d shown any interest in bridging that gap between them. ch. 5

“You’re welcome to stay for the night,” I said, since Elain certainly wasn’t going to. Lucien lowered his hands into his lap and leaned back in the armchair. “Thank you, but I have other plans.” I prayed he didn’t catch the slightly relieved glimmer on Elain’s face. ch. 18

“Give her time to accept it.” “To accept a life shackled to me?” My nostrils flared. “That’s not what I meant.” “She wants nothing to do with me.” ch. 18

“Spend time with her.” “I don’t think she’ll tolerate two minutes alone with me, so forget about two weeks.” ch. 18

He shook off my grip and headed for the door. "I can’t stand to be in the same room as her for more than two minutes. ..” ch. 18

“And that entitles him to my time, my affections?” ch. 18

Just because Lucien was her mate didn’t mean he had a claim on her time. Her affection. She was her own person, capable of making her own choices. Assessing her own needs. ch. 18

There were only a few presents left—Lucien’s. .. I handed Elain the small box with her name on it. Her smile faded as she opened it. “Enchanted gloves,” she read from the card. “That won’t tear or become too sweaty while gardening.” She set aside the box without looking at it for longer than a moment. ch. 20

“Even with Elain here, he’s become close with Jurian and Vassa. He’s voluntarily living with them these days, and not just as an emissary. As their friend.” ch. 4

Elain had already departed with Feyre, claiming she had to be up with the dawn to tend to an elderly faerie’s garden. Cassian didn’t exactly know why he suspected this wasn’t true. There had been some tightness in Elain’s face as she’d said it. Normally when she made such excuses, Lucien was around, but the male remained in the human lands with Jurian and Vassa. ch. 29

“I am not always in this city to see my mate.” The last two words dripped with discomfort. ch. 40

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. .. Her brown eyes were wary. Usually, that look was reserved for Lucien. The male was definitely in the family room, .. ch. 58

Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get. ch. 58

He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings. Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing. Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen. ch. 58

does this sound like characters guiding a story to their happily ever after with each other to you??

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾

also, sarah four months ago in regards to these characters and their ship:

->Alex Cooper ft. Sarah J. Maas, Call Her Daddy Podcast

photo credit to: @lady-surieldown ♡

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the ship has sunk. toodle-oo and stfu.