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@randomdreamer97
Lucien can catch (1) fish.
Azriel could blast shotgun a lake with his siphons and get (100) fish.
“Feed Elain a fish a day and she’ll go hungry, give Elain a bountiful feast and she’ll let you eat her pussy” as the saying goes.
Elain the Fishmonger approves this post.
Babe, wake up. New Azriel art just dropped.
The talented @alliezarin has made this and I can’t help but being in awe at the way she has captured Azriel’s essence!
I will never stop recommending her, she is very responsive and will work with you to bring to life what you see in your head.
My favorite artist and such a sweet soul!! 😭 😭 ♥️ Little bird told me her comms are open so please, check out my girl!!
here’s our favorite overgrown bat!
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW
Phewww it's getting hot in here... Elain you lucky girl!
An Elriel scene that always makes me smile:
Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden- brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders.
He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door.
Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face.
Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?”
She seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. The wings peeking over them.
But Elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she nodded—just once.
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.”
Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them.
THE SJM PATTERN
If the "3 Brothers x 3 Sisters" trope isn't your thing, then ACOTAR might not be the series for you. SJM’s narrative patterns are undeniable. When you break it down, the architecture of the sisters' stories is perfectly symmetrical:
1. Feyre & Rhysand
Role: High Lady + High Lord (Rulers)
The Trio Friendship: Feyre + Mor + Amren (The Ruling Women of the IC)
Dynamic: Feyre rules with the Ruler. They represent the Political Authority of the Night Court.
2. Nesta & Cassian
Role: Warrior + General
The Trio Friendship: Nesta + Gwyn + Emerie (The Valkyries)
Dynamic: Nesta fights with the General. They represent the Military Strength of the Night Court.
Next in line:
3. Elain & Azriel
Role: Seer + Spymaster
The Trio Friendship: Elain + Nuala + Cerridwen (The Spies/Wraiths)
Dynamic: Elain spies with the Spymaster. They represent the Intelligence Unit of the Night Court.
Why Elain is the Ultimate Spy: While everyone thought Elain was just baking with Nuala and Cerridwen (Azriel’s direct subordinates), she was likely training in stealth. he he he
Azriel: Gathers intel through Shadows (Hearing, infiltrating, moving unseen).
Elain: Gathers intel through Sight (Seeing the future, truth, and the hidden).
Nuala & Cerridwen: Gather intel by Blending In (Wraiths/Invisible servants).
The Foreshadowing is Loud:
In ACOSF, Nesta is startled because she didn't hear Elain approach at all. Her immediate thought: "Is Azriel training her? Or are Nuala and Cerridwen?"
Feyre explicitly tells Azriel that Elain is better at secret-keeping than him.
Elain gifting Azriel headache powder implies she notices things others don't.
The literal "stepping out of a shadow" to kill the King of Hybern.
The next couple needs to be believable.
It’s not believable for Elain to want to be with Lucien after she spent the past 2 books avoiding, being uncomfortable around, and even shrinking into herself in his presence. It’s not believable that the man who is living with another woman and can’t stand to be around his mate for more than 5 minutes, is going to end up with said mate.
It’s not believable for Az and Gwyn to be mates when he witnessed her being SAed, and then forgot about her for 2 years. It’s not believable for them to be mates when we spent months in close proximity to his “mate” and all the while he was thinking about going down on another woman every night. It’s not believable for them to be mates when Az was more concerned with getting Eris back than Gwyn’s wellbeing in the BR.
What is believable? Elriel. Who have risked their lives to save each other, who have shared quiet, intimate moments together, who want to be together, who are willing to question fate to be together, who compliment each other’s quiet nature and willingness to go to any length to protect the ones they love. That’s believable.
Elriel.
So this quote got me thinking: when Azriel is with Elain (in a non life-threatening situations) almost in all instances, Azriel doesn't appear as a 'warrior'. It's like she mutes the 'bloodlust' in him. And makes him more human, and humane.
Azriel around Elain is not a warrior. And that’s the point.
Azriel is usually written as a weapon: quiet, lethal, wrapped in shadows, defined by what he can survive and destroy. He’s the spymaster, the one who does the dirty work so others don’t have to. But put him in a scene with Elain Archeron, and the narrative does something very different. The blade gets set down. The shadows go still. Suddenly, Azriel is just…a person.
Around Elain, Azriel doesn’t command or strategize. He waits. He listens. He lets silence exist without trying to control it. He never demands that Elain be stronger, braver, or more useful, even when everyone else is desperate for her to “recover.” That kind of patience isn’t warrior behavior — it’s emotional awareness. His protectiveness shifts from sharp and intimidating to gentle and deliberate.
Even the symbolism backs this up. Azriel’s shadows, which usually signal danger and violence, quiet in Elain’s presence. The parts of him shaped by war and suffering, recede. His gift to her aren’t about power or obligation; the necklace is personal, thoughtful, and human. These are acts of someone paying attention, not someone standing guard.
Elain doesn’t weaken Azriel. She gives him space to exist outside of violence. Around her, he’s allowed to be soft without being less, restrained without being broken. And that’s why their dynamic matters so much: Elain doesn’t change who Azriel is — she reveals who he’s always been underneath the shadows.
The same goes for Azriel: he doesn't seem to change or 'hone' Elain into something she isn't.
Let's compare:
Azriel with enemies: Azriel is efficiency. He is silence sharpened into a weapon. He interrogates, infiltrates, and destroys without hesitation. There is no emotional negotiation here, no patience for fragility. His shadows are active, alert, alive. Violence is not a last resort — it is a language he speaks fluently. This is Azriel fully inhabiting the role the world has assigned him.
Azriel with Rhysand: With Rhys, Azriel is controlled and obedient in a military sense. He takes orders, accepts restraint, and buries personal conflict for the sake of loyalty. Even when he disagrees, he does not push back emotionally; he internalizes it and pushes back verbally, as a soldier. Or a spymaster. This is Azriel as a soldier first and a person second — disciplined, self-denying, and willing to sacrifice himself without question.
Azriel with Cassian: Around Cassian, Azriel is still a warrior, just a quieter one. Their bond is forged in battle and endurance. They communicate through shared history, pain, and physical survival rather than emotional vulnerability. Azriel rarely slows down with Cassian; they exist in motion together, training or fighting or preparing for the next war. There is comfort here, but it is the comfort of comrades, not softness.
Azriel with Mor: Azriel’s dynamic with Mor is defined by longing and restraint, but it is still rooted in endurance rather than gentleness. He absorbs pain silently, accepts emotional distance, and turns that suffering inward. His love here is self-sacrificing to the point of self-erasure. He remains a warrior even in heartbreak, enduring rather than healing.
Azriel with Gwyn: With Gwyn, Azriel exists in a space of structure and shared purpose. Their interactions are rooted in training, routine, and recovery — environments where progress is measured and strength is rebuilt step by step. Azriel supports Gwyn by encouraging discipline, confidence, and forward movement, not by offering emotional stillness or retreat. There is ease and mutual respect between them, but it’s the kind that comes from teamwork and trust, not intimacy. His shadows remain present and observant, reinforcing that this is Azriel in mentor-and-ally mode, helping someone reclaim power rather than providing a place to rest.
Azriel with Elain: And then there is Elain — and the pattern breaks. Azriel does not harden or disappear into silence. He slows. He listens. He notices. He becomes careful not because he is afraid of hurting her, but because he respects her autonomy. His shadows quiet. His violence never surfaces. This is Azriel not surviving, not enduring, not fighting — but choosing.
With almost everyone else, Azriel is shaped by war, loyalty, and pain. With Elain, he is allowed to exist outside of violence entirely. Not a weapon. Not a sacrifice. Just a man, in stillness — and that is why their dynamic feels so different.
3 Acotar scenes that have the same vibes :
Feysand :
Rhysand’s teeth scraped against my neck in a lazy caress. “What is it you want, Feyre?” He nipped at my earlobe.
...
So I said, “I want a distraction.” It was breathless. “I want—fun.”
His body again tensed behind mine.
And I wondered if he somehow didn’t see it for the lie it was; if he thought … if he thought that was all I indeed wanted.
But his hands resumed their roaming. “Then allow me the pleasure of distracting you.”
Acomaf - Chapter 48
Nessian :
Through what Nesta knew was five hundred years of will, Cassian lifted his focus to her face as she walked to him, water dripping off her body. “You want to do this?” he breathed.
“Yes.” She stopped a foot away, her wet hair draped along her torso, and stared up into his face. His eyes burned like hazel stars. Nesta gave him a smile that was pure Fae. “Just sex.”
The words seemed to spark something, because Cassian blinked. “Right. Just sex.” He didn’t say it as lightly as she did. And still didn’t reach for her.
Acosf - Chapter 37
Elriel :
But he could have this. This one moment, and maybe a taste, and that would be it.
“Yes,” Elain breathed, like she read the decision. Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them.
Azriel's hand slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain's mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut.
Offer and permission.
Azriel's bonus chapter
Elriel Antis: “3 brothers, 3 sisters is too cliche”
Me: Okay….AND???
Like personally….that is such fitting symmetry for me. Give me three of everything. 3 brothers. 3 sisters. 3 mountains. 3 houses. YES! I would EAT THAT UP.
Forbidden love trope? PLEASE.
Give me all the cliches. I really don’t care.
Like babes, it’s okay if that’s not your cup of tea. That’s okay. I’ll drink enough for all of us.
The bat boy x Archeron sister duo are more similar than we thought.
Cassian and Feyre were described as "wild" when they were young (still are). They have the same unyielding heroic spirit.
Azriel and Nesta are the traumatized duo who were mistreated and abused by their supposed family. They have hard and cold exterior and they lash out when provoked yet they have the warmest and kindest hearts ever (love them sm). They have the same icy rage, hostility and bore deep wounds from their childhood.
Rhys and Elain....well Rhys had been the most "proper" one out of the three bat boys.I'm talking about Rhys when he was a child and he first set foot on the illyrian camp. Cassian beats him up for looking pretty and fancy in his clean training clothes. It reminds me of Elain, the most "proper" one out of the Archeron sisters. Always donned and dressed like a doll when she was a child. Elain was described as "a rose bloom in a mud field" when she was at the army camp in ACOWAR and I imagine it looking similar with how Rhys looked like when he first set foot on the illyrian camp.
But Elain is much more than what she seemed. Just like how Rhys was much more than what he seemed.
Things Manon never let anyone do:
- talk back to her
- give her leadership advice
- challenge her orders (minus Asterin)
- sass her
- insistently flirt with her
- hold her
- be on top of her during sex
- be dominant/assertive
- make her so nervous her hands were shaking and knees buckling when they went on a mission and it was “some of the longest hours of her existence”
- comfort her
- hold her hand
- tease her
- make her consider marriage
- make her admit she cares
- see her vulnerable
- make her smile in times of strife
Things she let Dorian do:
- All of the above
Man is 100% a nerd
𝙏𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 ✨
To the couple that started it all 🥂 Happy Feysand Month!!
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
Art by IG tomandosal
Commissioned by me @theseersgarden
Feyre and Rhys from ACOTAR by SJM
Instagram post
X/twitter post
NO REPOSTS // Likes & shares appreciated
Just in case you were wondering, when Nesta observed this moment between Elain and Azriel she was referring to them eye fucking each other. Yes…eye fucking. I’m sorry to every one who wanted to ignore this moment.
Nesta met the shadowsinger’s stare and he gave her a nod. Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room.
Eyefucking in front of their family, they have no shame
"They'd exchanged looks" yeah we can see that
It’s interesting Azriel was into Mor for so long yet never made a move…Mor also said it was hard to get him to hang out and do anything other than work…
Yet he makes time to hang out alone in the garden and on Soltice with Elain…..a few times after hanging out w Elain alone he loses his control simply by touching her throat. Questions his entire religion over Elain. not Mor.
He’s fought alongside Mor and trained Gwyn w daggers but yet he’s never let them or anyone else touch Truth teller…. Yet he lends it to Elain.
Guys I NEEEEDDDD that Elriel book. I need the angst. I need Azriel yearning with every part of the soul he thinks is stained beyond fixing. I need his chest to ache when he thinks of Elain and Lucien. I need Elain to yearn for Azriel whenever she’s forced to be with a man she doesn’t love (Lucien). I need Elain becoming a part of the Spy Family™️, and getting closer to Azriel in that way. I need Azriel to open up to Elain, I need him to finally sleep a full night when he finally has Elain in his arms. I need him to finally break, I need her to finally scream, I need them to break out of whatever boxes that their friends and family have put them in. I want Elain to be furies at Rhys. I need a screamed “I WANT YOU”. I need them to have a love that is THEIRS. I’m tired of the “enemies-to-lovers but he never hated her because he knew they were mates.” Theirs is a love completely their own, a love that we cannot fathom.
I cannot wait for ACOTAR 6. Hopefully we get something this Winter Solstice (Dec 21st)
The chokehold elriel has on me is so sickening...like I think about that pairing so often, as much as I do feysand. I'm itching for their book so I can read about them matching each other's freaks !!
