slipmerfoot

mostly Sansa Stark, Elain Archeron, and Elucien 🌷🦌 pfp: frostbite.studios 💬 header: Sansa IV, ASOS

[ivorysansa]

RANDOM BOOK SANSA SCENES 20/?

It hurt to remember how happy she had been that morning. Hullen had helped her mount, and she'd ridden out with the snowflakes swirling around her, off to see the great wide world. I thought my song was beginning that day, but it was almost done.

[witchyhagz]

Princess Elia Martell 🪷

──done by sun3sune

[ladyelain]

Thoughts I’m having about the Archeron sisters and FMCs:

I believe Elain and Nesta became very special to Sarah because she never intended to make them likable, but still gave them traits of herself that society/patriarchy hates to see in women.

Feyre, by contrast, reads like a mirror of social expectations: always functioning and looking hot while doing so.

Aelin is the first character Sarah created at a very young age, so probably the type of woman teenage Sarah looked up to. And back in the 2013-16 YA era, there was a distinct heroine archetype: fierce, badass, and, most importantly, not like other girls. 🙂‍↕️

Their flaws always felt performative. They were stubborn or rebellious, but never too sensitive or, god forbid, passive. The girly girl was usually the naive best friend, created to make the heroine look even more intelligent, loyal, selfless, you name it.

I remember an interview where SJM said she’d love to hang out with Elain or Aelin because they like girly things. But while Aelin still fulfilled every aspect of your perfect FMC, Elain was just a woman, so ofc it was fine to trash-talk her to no end.

Another thing: I don’t think people back then were ready for the conversation about FMCs struggling with depression and books portraying how empty, useless and lazy a woman can feel. That craving love and protection doesn’t take away from her strength.

From reading Nesta’s pov we know, Sarah is ready to address those topics now. That’s why I have such high hopes for Elain. Because many of us saw her potential from the start. 🤭

[acourtofthought]

Love her or hate her, Elain's story is going to be something fresh in this oversaturated world of the warrior archetype for FMCs.

Of course that kind of character is beloved and wonderful to read about but when that's the 99% of what we're getting in fantasy romance books these days? I think what Sarah did for Shadow Daddy's when she gave us Rhys, what she did for the warrior female when she gave us Feyre and Aelin (and all her other battle ready heroines), that's what she's going to give us when she writes Elain. An era where not every FMC has to shout for those to respect she's also going through her own struggles, one who is still intelligent but not vengeful, not full of a desire for revenge, not needing to wield a sword but can still make a difference.

It's a great time for it too, where peace and hope can send important messages beyond just the fantasy book we're reading.

[amandapearls]

SUNSHINE BABES 💛💛☀️☀️

I hope you guys enjoy this absolutely beautiful artwork!!

Artist is the very talented @redraccoonart

Link to Instagram post

Characters belong to SJM

[mogitz]

I’m going to keep posting MY art on MY page. Especially after that last anon. :)

[acourtofthought]

Elain with flowers in her hair at all times and Lucien wearing a shirt open THAT low along with a necklace THAT long at all times is a must.

[musty-old-claptrap]

AND ANOTHER THING ! there’s a difference bw calling elain unexplored or straight up not liking her vs calling her boring or even worse useless like she can see the fucking future how is that boring ??? Even if she wishes she was human and rebels against her powers and herself, is that not interesting? please in her limited appearances she’s faced her fears and fought and been sneaky and selfish and stood up for herself and admitted wrongdoing and apologized AND made friends and been sweet and kind and loving and happy and sad and horny and then after a life of loss and neglect and trauma she dared to dream about having a garden and a home and someone to love how is that boring ???????

[zenkindoflove]

Amen. And sorry to hijack your post but you defending Elain has me heated. But I hate people who are not even fans of her acting like all of us who are are "putting her on a pedestal" and "don't think she has flaws". First of all, fangirls literally idolize and baby the shit out of their male favorites and no one bats an eye because seeing the best in a male character is considered standard fare. Second, there is more to flawed characters than making bitchy remarks or playing the role of the mean girl so many who hate Elain want to cast her in. Being a people pleaser IS a flaw. Hiding your wants and feelings IS a flaw. Being too scared to venture outside of your bubble IS a flaw. Running away from your destiny IS a flaw. And these are all things that Elain will have to face in her story and makes her an interesting character all on her own with exactly what has been presented to us. She will have to become independent from her family, learn how to control her powers which are OBJECTIVELY the COOLEST we've seen and OP as hell. And she will have a romance with easily the hottest and most interesting male character in this series who has oodles of his own backstory and character development and destiny too. Elain fans see all of that potential and we are EXCITED. Just because she isn't your favorite doesn't mean we are delusional or "in for a rude awakening" whatever that means.

And most of y'all are so ship war brain rotted you can't even see that people who ship the same couples as you have legitimate reasons and interpretations for loving a character you deem boring and uninteresting. All because you'd rather win and be oppositional to a fault against an "enemy" than accept the diversity of opinions in your fan spaces.

[darklove9314-blog]

I think when it comes to Elain’s character a lot of people only look at the Azriel Bonus Chapter, but she’s talked about heavily in the Feysand BC, and I believe that offers a lot of insight that most people overlook.

“Elain showed some teeth. I wasn’t expecting that.” Or what she’d said about her lingering trauma. I’d meant what I’d discussed with Nesta- how many times had I focused solely on my terror during Elain’s suffering.

I actually really love this moment of self reflection on Feyre’s part. No matter how much I love Feyre she’s not exactly the best at understanding others traumatic experiences and decentering herself when others are hurting/discussing what they endured. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the capability of doing so, but she’s only human (well fae but you get the point) even Feyre has acknowledged that she does this multiple times. Not just during this BC.

Elain and I had grown closer since the war with Hybern had ended. True. I may never go drinking with her the way I did with Mor, sometimes Amren. But, well, with a baby coming, I couldn’t drink anyway. And while I may never run to Elain first with problems or for advice, we had a peaceful, amicable understanding. I found her to be a pleasant companion. I wondered if she would resent that judgment, I certainly would.

Here’s the thing about the Archeron sisters. They’re great representation for estranged siblings. I see a lot of commentary about how SJM herself doesn’t write like she has siblings, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Because as someone who isn’t close with my sister either, I feel seen and represented here. Because I have best friends who I’m also closer to then my relative and while I may hang out with my sister every once and a blue moon, we don’t openly seek each other out for company and prefer out friends (and yes we’re estranged. And we prefer it that way it doesn’t mean we don’t still love each other, we’re just too different of people to truly get along or form a close connection. So I can relate to the Archeron siblings dynamic personally)

But this also displays that Feyre doesn’t truly know Elain. At least not in the ways she thinks she does. One thing I’ve learned from my experience as an estranged sibling is that we don’t always know our siblings like we think we do. Sure there’s a base line understanding, and core characteristics we see in our siblings. But we only see what they want us to see and that’s the case with Feyre here.

“Have you ever seen Elain act like that before?” “No. I mean she’s been brave when she’s had to be, but she’s never been confrontational.” “Maybe she was never given the chance to be that way.” “You think I stifle her?” “Not you alone. But ain’t wonder if everyone has spent so long Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt that she had to be that way or else she’d disappoint you all. With time and safety, perhaps we’ll see a different side of her emerge.”

I think this is a huge part of the conversation that the fandom tends to ignore about Elain. A lot of people think of Elain the same way her sisters do. I think like Nesta and Feyre, Elain struggles with fixing her sense of identity and a lot of characters before they go on their own journeys do this. Elain was thrust into a new world and a new body, the foundation she had crumbled and now she’s trying to navigate her way through that. But I don’t think that progress will be made with her sisters or with the IC. They coddle her and stifle any progress she could potentially have, and SJM is trying to tell us here that there is more to Elain than meets the eye and I’m excited to see if my assumptions about Elain are correct. Because until we get her POV. We only see the side of her that she choses to show her sisters. (Elain is a people pleaser. And I would love for her to see a new side of her emerge where she realizes that she can be herself around people, because nothing is more emotionally draining than trying to please everyone.)

“You think Elain is boring?” “I think she’s kind, and I’ll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven’t seen all she has to offer.”

I do love the word choice that SJM chose here for Rhys when he was describing Elain. A lot of people will tell you there’s a difference between being nice and being kind. And just because a person is kind doesn’t mean they also don’t have teeth and their own sharp edges. And I do think that is who Elain is as a person. She doesn’t like to be mean to people, but she’s also not a push over. And has the capability to get things done through that kindness. She does things because she wants to. Not because she has to. Which is why subsections of this fandom infantilizing her and reducing her down to the bare bones of her characterization or who she is according to her sister’s perceptions of her annoy me. For all we know. None of us are right about Elain and who she is. But it’s going to be fun to figure out.

“Don’t forget gardening often results in something pretty. But it involves getting one’s hands dirty along the way.” “And torn up by thorns.”

Again I do love this passage. Because it shows how people perceive Elain. They always remark on her beauty. Even her own mother underestimated her. But Elain is probably one of the most persuasive of her sisters. She’s good at getting things done when it comes down to it and sometimes that means not always doing things in the ways that others would perceive as nice. Elain has always had teeth. She just doesn’t like showing them unless she has to.

I mused recalling a morning this past summer when Elain had come into the house her right palm bleeding from several gashes thanks to a stubborn rose bush that had pierced her gloves. The thorns had broke off in her skin, leaving sharp splinters that I’d had to pull free. I didn’t dare mention that If she had been wearing the enchanted gloves Lucien had gotten her last solstice, nothing would have pierced them at all.

If you’ve read the other bonus chapter you would understand how cheeky SJM is being here through Feyre. I see you SJM, I see you 👀👀

[ladyelain]

Elain in her Day Court era will be so Padme coded 💫

I don’t think we are ready.

[elainstulipgarden]

Elain and Lucien both functioning as a bridge between Feyre and her people, urging her to see the larger picture:

Lucien:

Lucien shuddered. “No. Amarantha had … camps for them. The nobles and favored faeries were allowed to dwell Under the Mountain. But if the people of a court weren’t working to bring in goods and food, they were locked in camps in a network of tunnels beneath the Mountain. Thousands of them, crammed into chambers and tunnels with no light, no air. For fifty years.”

“No one ever said—”

“It was forbidden to speak of it. Some of them went mad, started preying on the others when Amarantha forgot to order her guards to feed them. Some formed bands that prowled the camps and did—” He rubbed his brows with a thumb and forefinger. “They did horrible things. Right now, they’re trying to remember what it is to be normal—how to live.”

Elain:

“We have everything we need,” I admitted to Elain. “Buying presents feels excessive.”

“It’s their tradition, though,” Elain countered, her face still flushed with the cold. “One that they fought and died to protect in the war. Perhaps that’s the better way to think of it, rather than feeling guilty. To remember that this day means something to them. All of them, regardless of who has more, who has less, and in celebrating the traditions, even through the presents, we honor those who fought for its very existence, for the peace this city now has.”

[acourtofthought]

Taking and running with the "High King and High Queen Material" tag:

"You brought presents," I said uselessly, nodding toward the small stack he'd set by the window.

"It's Solstice tradition here, isn't it?"

Neither Lucien or Elain had dealings with the Night Court until their arrival there in May / June of that year yet they still went out of their way to learn about and respect that which those in the Night Court celebrate.

Elain bought presents for everyone that first year while those in the IC didn't buy her anything despite it being a tradition they participated in with everyone else (yes, yes except for her mate but that would kind of defeat the whole "I'm ignoring my mate right now for the point of an interesting story")

Lucien brought presents for Feyre and Elain because it was the tradition of the court he was visiting.

Very diplomatic, very mindful, very demure.

Bonuses:

"I am the first one the others look to - I set the example. Don't ask me to risk the stability of this court by pushing back. Not right now."

I know people lay into Lucien for the events of ACOMAF but it cannot be ignored that is concern was for the stability of an entire court. That is what being a good leader entails, realizing that the good of the many is sometimes more important than what the best thing is for just one person (that was a contributing factor to the downfall of Tamlin after all, how he put getting Feyre back over what was best for his court). It's difficult to understand that when we were getting Feyre's POV and readers have an inclination to side with the main character but it is a lesson Feyre learned in ACOWAR when Amren called her out for sounding like Tamlin, where she was at first unwilling to involve her sisters despite the fact that their story could have helped gain them allies to their side for the upcoming wars. Feyre's focus was initially on protecting them until she realized that doing what was best for everyone was more important than sparing them further hardship.

And:

Elain pushed, “We keep it secret—we send the servants away. With the spring approaching, they’ll be glad to go home. And if Feyre needs to be in and out for meetings, she’ll send word ahead, and we’ll clear them out. Make up excuses to send them on holidays. Father won’t be back until the summer, anyway. No one will know.” She put a hand on Nesta’s knee, the purple of my sister’s gown nearly swallowing up the ivory hand. “Feyre gave and gave—for years. Let us now help her. Help … others.”

“Today,” I pushed. “We don’t have any time to lose. Order them to leave now.” “I’ll do it,” Elain said, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. She didn’t wait for either of us before she strode out, graceful as a doe.

Elain appealed to Nesta to help Feyre help others, she formulated a plan on the spot, and quickly jumped into action. That was in book 2 before her trauma and I know book 3 was a bit of a setback for her but I think it's clear that when Elain finds her place her leadership qualities are evident. Sarah said that because she knew early on where she wanted Elain's story to go she was able to plant seeds for her character, even as early as ACOMAF. Elain as High Lady / High Queen has been building for quite some time and it's no coincidence that we discover Lucien is the first in line to a High Lords throne in the very next book.

[ataraxiasflame]

Seen a few posts about why Elain is still avoiding Lucien after all these years.

Perhaps Sarah needed there to be years between the bond snapping and the couple actually progressing in their relationship to reinforce the reality that being with your mate is still a choice.

The years that Elain and Lucien have spent apart proves that the bond doesn’t drive either to act irrationally, impatiently or without care of consent or autonomy.

In fact, it feels like SJM has purposefully proven that the exact opposite with Lucien, that despite his unrequited bond, he stays (far) away from Elain, while still being considerate of her needs and passions (giving her very appropriate gifts) and still makes the effort to join everyone for Solstice celebrations despite his own discomfort being around the IC.

Seems to me SJM is proving that the bond DOESN’T control. It enhances what already exists. Which is why nothing is happening with Elucien yet.

When they eventually spend time together, they will see why they have been deemed equals in every way. They will fall in love. They will see that the bond is only an extension of their love. And they will choose each other despite the bond.

[ladyelain]

ELAIN IS NOT GOING FROM I can’t be in one room with you to actually, I don’t care about you at all in one book or two. It’s simply unrealistic.

For that reason, people want Lucien to have that morally gray/Eris factor so bad. To justify Elain’s sus behaviour around him. To pretend Lucien is just a bad guy, when he’s literally not framed that way at all, it’s so funny. The narrative in acosf works completely in his favour (Cassian admires him and Nesta tolerates him). People realised this and it frightens them.

If Sarah had planned to break the bond all along, there would be no reason for Elain to make such a big deal out of not talking to her mate for two years counting.

Let’s not forget Elain isn’t actually shy. In the last two books she’s come to be her sweet and social self again. She’s NOT the person that would be ghosting Lucien, if it wasn’t for a reason. She’d be able to hold a proper conversation with him because, YES, that much she does owe him and she knows it because she has a good heart. Claiming she doesn’t, makes her look like the worst person and that’s not my girl Elain. There’s more behind it and we all know it. 🙂‍↕️

[acourtofthought]

Along with the goddess Blodeuwedd, Sarah also seems to have linked Elain to characteristics of Demeter:

Demeter is the ancient Greek goddess of the harvest, agriculture, and the fertility of the earth. She is best known for sustaining humanity with the earth's bounty, her role in the changing seasons, and her central place in the sacred Eleusinian Mysteries

Responsible for sustaining humanity by helping crops grow

Beyond just grain and bread,

Demeter’s influence extended to the cycle of the seasons, vegetation, health, birth, and marriage.

Beyond farming, Demeter is famous for presiding over the Eleusinian Mysteries. During her search for Persephone, she spent time in the town of Eleusis, where she taught agriculture to humanity

and established secret religious rites. Initiates of these mysteries were promised a blessed and hopeful afterlife, representing the ultimate triumph of life over death

Demeter is deeply connected to honey. As the supreme nurturer of the earth, she is closely associated with bees and the sweet, abundant gifts of nature, as both represent fertility, sustenance, and the seasonal cycle of life.

[mogitz]

I know at this point we are all regurgitating the same things in different fonts, but it's really interesting to me that Elain keeps getting pigeon-holed as introverted and quiet, when it's been expressed multiple times that she was NEVER like that before.

Elain was social and loved parties. She was gearing up for a life as human Lord's wife, and all the politics and social graces that life would afford her. She could influence people and make friends easily. She was kind and warm and open.

She is not that way right now. Who she has become has been filtered through the lens of her intense trauma that she has yet to begin to unpack and finding her mate during that time.

SO ON THE FLIPSIDE

Everyone in the fandom can agree, whole-heartedly, we miss our sassy, mouthy fox boy. Who loved to mingle with other courts, travel, make connections, etc. But we all also agree HE IS NOT THAT WAY RIGHT NOW. Who he has become has been filtered through the lens of his intense trauma and finding his mate while the only security he'd known for decades was crumbling under his feet.

Of course they are avoiding each other - they are also avoiding THEMSELVES. How are they supposed to get to know another person when they don't even recognize themselves right now?

And more than that... this isn't just the concept that "well, Az sees her at her lowest and want her" as much as "Az wants someone who ISN'T in her true form right now." AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.

Characters do not begin their REAL arc already healed and ready. They start at their lowest point and grow from there. That's why SJM saying that Elain and Lucien have a lot of healing to do TOGETHER is SO important.

As our Power of Truth princess said, "She's not ready. And neither is he."

[crazy-ache]

Elucien ask game: A & K

Thanks 💕

A - Advice: Which character do you think would give Elain and Lucien the best advice about the state of their current relationship?

This is hard. I could see Vassa giving Elain advice actually, and since she is NOT one of her sisters and Elain would probably be inclined to listen to a human girl who knows a thing or two about being bound to magic....I could see it as simple as, "Give him a chance. What could it hurt? He's hot as hell and very kind." And Elain is like....Oh.

K - Kindness: What does Lucien think of Elain's kindness? Do you think Elain knows Lucien is kind? If not how does she find out?

My head canon is that Lucien has heard of Elain's kindness from Papa Archeron. That Papa A told him lots of stories about his girls and Lucien locked in whenever Elain was mentioned--and he heard so much about the daughter that always loved Papa A, even when he was a failure to them. And that spoke so much to Lucien. This is probably hard, because he hasn't had a chance to know this side of her. Which tells me that Elain must be trying to be indifferent to Lucien (Elain who is normally polite, sweet, people pleasing kind and full of hope) because something else is up. So, I think Lucien must to a degree know Elain is kind but believe she must truly hate him to not be kind to him after what he has learned about her. (She doesn't!!! She's just fighting fate too hard wahhh)

Elain will discover Lucien's kindness when they finally are alone. Probably while adventuring off on their mission, pretending to be a married couple on the road...she will see the way he treats lesser-fae, children, people who are different...and she will fall head over heels with this trait the most.

Thank you for asking! 🩷💛🧡

[zenkindoflove]

🩷💛🧡 XYZ!!! 🩷💛🧡

X - X Rated: Share some headcanons about what Elain and Lucien are like in the bedroom. What is the first time like? What are their dynamics? Favorite positions and activities? Kinks?

Hahah, you would ask me this one. Okay, I think their general dynamic especially at first is Lucien is of course very competent and skilled and Elain is shyer and more naive, but Lucien is so good at making her feel comfortable and essentially worshipping her that Elain finds her confidence quickly. I think she also catches on that Lucien is dirty and will not judge her at all, so over time she starts to shirk away her hang ups about being too expressive and starts telling him all the things she wants to try. Lucien is an EATER so their first time is definitely him going down on her for an insanely long time because he has been thinking about this for YEARS and he can't help himself. I think Elain like to watch Lucien fucking her, whether it's in a mirror and she's on her hands and knees or when she's propped up on a desk or table and she can look down. I see both of them being very into praise (lol they both are so lacking it in their everyday lives) and eventually ass play haha. In both directions. I also think that while Elain enjoys it when Lucien leads and she is the recipient of all his expertise, she really finds that she likes to be the one in control sometimes and make Lucien come undone. She feels powerful, strong, and sexy and there is nothing like watching him look up at her while she rides him like she is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Y - Yearn: Lucien yearns for Elain. But does Elain yearn for Lucien? Give your headcanons about where she is at now and how her yearning starts.

YES, YES, YES. It's my strongest headcanon that Elain absolutely yearns for Lucien but she hides it/denies it because she doesn't understand why. She feels manipulated by the bond because she is so attracted and thinks about this stranger all the time when she doesn't want to. It makes her withdrawn and angry when he comes because not only is her arousal in overdrive, but she can't help but notice all these tiny things about him that she ends up fixating on and dreaming about for weeks after he leaves. I picture her yearning really really starting the day he left for the Continent and she did the half step down the stairs. To me that was a moment showing that Elain is reaching out to him at least inside.

Z - Zero to Hero: Elain and Lucien are both underestimated by others. What is something you imagine either of them doing that surprises the other with their strengths?

For Elain, I imagine Lucien is going to be sooo impressed once he sees her in a political/social environment. He has been one of the best emissaries for centuries and I think he will notice immediately how much of a natural Elain is at talking to others and charming them to her favor. It's probably something he doesn't expect at first because the only Elain he sees in the Night Court is so quiet. I basically want it to be like the scene in HOFAS when Tharion is impressed by how Sathia talks to the River Queen haha.

For Lucien, I imagine Elain being very surprised by his resilience and his kindness. When she learns about his past and all that he has endured, all while trying to maintain order and safety for his friends and the people he serves, I think she will come to understand just how strong and noble Lucien really is and that will definitely impress her. Currently she is in a court that uses fear and intimidation to impress their strength, but I think Lucien's more diplomatic and sneaky ways will appeal much more to Elain.

ABCs of Elucien Headcanons Ask Game

[elainstulipgarden]

O and P for the Elucien ask game!

O - OTP: Wax poetic about why Elucien is your OTP. How did you start shipping them? What about them drew you to the ship? Did joining fandom influence the way you ship?

Ooo I love this question!

When I first read the books, I was reading them during maternity leave to pass the time as I fed the baby. I had read nothing about these books and had a friend from graduate school recommend them to me, so I went in completely blind.

Lucien immediately stood out to me as a favorite character. From his wit to his loyalty, I loved him. I also loved both Nesta and Elain from the beginning.

Anyways. Long story short, I was a goner for the ship the moment Lucien broke the chains to get to Elain and put his jacket over her shoulders. I already loved both characters, and that moment just screamed to me that it was the start of something romantic. WHEN SHE KEPT STARING OVER NESTA’S SHOULDER AND HE SAID THEY WERE MATES? I think it was 2am during a feed and I had to shut my book and keep myself from shouting out.

That’s not really answering this question, but the point is that I loved this ship from the moment they were on page together.

After that I started reading ACOWAR - ACOSF, and despite all of the Elucien moments it’s hard to miss E/riel as well. I still felt strong about Elucien despite some of the E/riel moments (and relieved when Gwyn was introduced), but then my TikTok algorithm began serving me endless E/riel content.

I thought “Surely these people aren’t serious about E/riel? Is this really what the fandom thinks? What have I missed?” I couldn’t square it in my mind as E/riel adds zero value to the overall plot, and it’s clear they’re on different trajectories.

So I hopped on Reddit and realized oh wow. There’s a huge ship war. Reading through E/riel arguments, I realized nope these people DO have it wrong and aren’t reading into all of the foreshadowing.

So to answer the question: I started shipping them from the moment they were on page together. I was drawn to the ship as they’re two characters I love, and they do fit each other well. I find Elain to be clever and insightful when given the opportunity, which is same as Lucien. They both have a way with people. They both have loved only for that love to be ripped from them. Lucien never pushes Elain about the bond. There’s so much opportunity to explore angst, pain, redemption, and true love that grows slowly over time. Plus that and how their story intertwines with the plot and foreshadowing SJM has already laid out. I’m more plot-focused than ship/focused on what interests me, and I am super excited about the Spring - Autumn - human lands story.

Joining the fandom only reinforced my opinions because E/riel arguments are generally more about vibes. I prefer ships that drive the plot forward, which is why Elucien resonates so much better.

P - Personality: What personality traits will Elain and Lucien discover about each other that they'll find irresistible and surprising?

Elain will discover Lucien’s humor, and it’ll utterly surprise her. He’s been so serious around her as of now, and I think partly that’s due to him only seeing her in the Night Court and during the war. Once she sees him around people he’s more familiar with, she’ll be surprised.

As for Lucien, I think Elain’s cleverness and how she can work a room will surprise Lucien. I head canon they’ll have a similar moment as Satharion has with the River Queen. Elain will flawlessly negotiate something, and Lucien will stand there dumbstruck.

Thanks @zenkindoflove!

[slipmerfoot]

I agree with the OP! I know a lot of eluciens like to point out that Lucien would really fall in love with Elain, especially with her kindness. I think Elain's cleverness would turn Lucien on because I see Lucien as a character who likes a partner who could match him in wits.

[hrizantemy]

I’ve often wondered (and it is also a HeadCanon of mine) that Elain is doing the fawn response when around the IC practically every waking hour. Doing her absolute best to befriend them, going along with everything they say and do no matter how crazy or stupid or cruel it will inevitably end up being. Even if it involves her being infantilized and treated like she’s helpless and can’t do anything on her own, to keep herself from doing anything that might be construed as creating conflict or worse tarnishing the IC’s image. So she stays trapped in the same gilded cage she feels that she owns her jailers for allowing her to live in. Because if she steps even a toe out of line, she’ll be subjected to one of their punishments they’ll claim will be for her own good. After all, she’s seen what they’d done to her older sister and knows it might only be a matter of time before they make an example of her too

I really like the way you framed this because it honestly fits so well with Elain’s behavior throughout the series. The fawn response is a trauma response and it tends to come out when someone is in an unstable environment where they feel like survival depends on appeasing others. When you think about Elain’s history, losing her mother young, her father withdrawing, her family falling into poverty, then being Made against her will, there’s this repeated pattern of her life being uprooted and unsafe. It would make complete sense that her instinct is to smooth things over, avoid conflict, and make herself “easy” for others to manage.

What you describe about her doing this constantly with the IC feels spot-on to me. They infantilize her and box her in, and instead of fighting it she leans into it, maybe subconsciously, because pushing back feels too dangerous. She’s seen what happened to Nesta when she resisted, and that would only reinforce her own need to play the part of the agreeable, quiet, sweet sister who won’t stir trouble. It’s heartbreaking when you think about it because the gilded cage isn’t just about being trapped physically, it’s also about her trapping herself emotionally to avoid punishment or disapproval.

Another thing that stands out to me is how the fawn response erases individuality. Elain doesn’t assert what she wants, or when she does (like with her scrying) it’s either ignored or twisted until it fits the narrative. That in turn makes her seem like a “nothing” character, when really it’s that she’s burying her own self under layers of appeasement and submission. In that sense, her quietness isn’t emptiness, it’s survival. And if that’s the case, it makes her one of the most tragic figures in the series because it’s not that she has no personality, it’s that her true self is locked away where she feels it’s safer to keep it.

I can imagine that if Elain ever broke free from that response, we’d see a version of her that’s sharper, angrier, and more assertive than anyone expects.