I've been seeing a lot of comments lately about how Azriel's protectiveness towards Elain has to do with his "mommy issues". How he has a hero complex and wants to save her because he wasn't able to save his mother. It all goes back to the potatoes scene. What do you make of these theories? Even though I don't believe this is the case, it makes me question things.
Hi anon, and thanks for stopping by. Sorry this took so long!
I have already posted my thoughts rebutting the (imo false) argument that Azriel has "a habit of developing romantic feelings for those he has rescued," but as for having a hero complex in general? This is SJM, and her books - not to mention the fantasy or romantasy genres in general - are full of characters with varying degrees of a hero complex. All of Maas' mains are self-sacrificing, so why is it acceptable for Feyre to be that way - for Rhys and Cassian and Nesta - but not Azriel? Is it because he appears to like Elain and much of the fandom does not? It is just my opinion, of course, but I do not see Azriel as any worse in this particular regard than any of SJM's other main characters.
I'm not a psychiatrist or psychologist - and I bet neither are most of the people making these claims lol - so while I have my opinions, they aren't backed by anything more than a basic uni level psych course or two. That being said, I do conveniently have a friend who is!
I spoke to @psychologynerd about this, because we have both seen a post or two saying that Az is giving Oedipus, and she made a great point - in this day and age, Freud has been so thoroughly debunked that it's so strange to use his "theories" to support your opinions. That's really all that needs to be said about those comments.
But as for suggesting Az has "mommy issues" in general, please point out a character in the Maasverse whose actions aren't in some way affected by their past.
Let's take Rhys for example - his sister and mother were targeted and killed by his father's enemies, so he was understandably very hesitant, and warned Feyre that becoming his partner would put a target on her back. It does not bother me at all that Azriel is more mindful and respectful of domestic labour by women he cares for after seeing his mother in service. That's such a weird hang up to me, and imo it reads as if they're just trying to throw darts at the wall to see what sticks.
Anyway I hope this helps! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Elaine doesn’t sing or has any connections, but Gwyn does with the mating bond between souls with her and Azriel.
Their music parallels that with Feysand and Nessian’s bond with the music.
And also Bryce and Hunt (mates), Ruhn and Lidia (mates), Rowan and Aelin (mates), and Manon’s parents (mates)!
Ma'am this is an Elriels.
To respond to your assertions:
Gwyneth Berdara is part of that prophecy
Gwyn was not around when the prophecy was written back in ACOWAR. Could she be shoehorned in? Sure, but she didn't exist until years later.
Elain doesn't sing
There's a chance her magic is related to Singing
Read here
Gwyn does with the mating bond
There is very little evidence that Gwyn has a mating bond with Azriel, and some to suggest that she does not.
Read here
Regardless, you're speaking as if it's already canon that there is/will be a mating bond between Gwyn and Az - rather than a call to his power, and not necessarily one by Gwyn - when it's still just your theory (as my posts are my theories, of course... I just don't go knocking on strange inboxes and stating them as fact)
Read here
There's a decent amount of foreshadowing to suggest that Elriel may actually be true mates
Read here and here and here and here and here etc
Feysand and Nessian etc have musical language related to their bonds
Elriel has been indirectly linked to music, too, though no bond is canon... yet?
Read here
So, could SJM insert Gwyn into the prophecy? Sure. Never say never. But it seems unlikely imo. Especially when Elain is right there and plays into a trio.
A new article that came out on E news and states that fans speculate the next book will be about elriel also mentions that "the teacup foreshadowed her fate of being made into high fae" which reminded me of your theory.
Hi anon! Thanks for stopping by.
If you mean this news article, then yes I heard about it recently!
Firstly, it shouldn't need to be stated, but this is all in good fun. If your first reaction to this incredibly innocuous post is to be nasty about it then please take a deep breath and go outside. The fresh air will do you good. I don't know anybody who thinks that anything NOT from SJM or BB is actual confirmation.
Weirdly enough, the tea post got a few random reblogs a few days ago for no apparent reason, so who knows what was going on at the time. I'd pretty much forgotten about it - given everything that's happened in the Maasverse recently it's not been important, for spoilery reasons - but either way, whether the author of the article saw it or not, I do hope that tea will feature in Elain's story, as it would be so appropriate for a Seer to read tea leaves!
Also, while I don't think the ring is cobalt blue - it does seem more purple to me - Elain did glow in a purple gown, so... my clown makeup remains lol. 🤡
“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. Gone was the ill-suited black dress from the ball, replaced by a gown of amethyst velvet, her hair half-up and curling down to her waist. She glowed with good health. - ACOSF, chapter 58
As an aside, apparently people are being nasty about the long book = biggest wingspan comment? Idk, I thought that was clearly a joke (and not even one made by an Elriel at that). It even reads as ship neutral to me, no matter how the E News author took and used it. I hope whoever made it knows that it was actually fucking funny, and clearly in good humour. I'm sorry people are being crummy about it.
Anyway, like the rest of the fandom, I'm hoping that we're all put out of our misery early next year with some sort of direct FMC/main couple confirmation.
Your theorizing is so amazing. And Clean. Your eye for detail and connections is phenomenal.
I just appreciate you very much.
Aww thanks anon! Though I can't take credit for all of it, so much of what I've theorised was discussed with others and builds upon pre-existing theories. I actually love that about Elriel theories, so much of what we've posted about falls into line with things others have thought.
Shout out to @wingedblooms, @silverlinedeyes, @ladynightcourt3, @psychologynerd, @psychee92, @elrieldreamer, @icedflames, @cassianfanclub, @merymoonbeam, @shitwillnotbegiven, @mrspettyferr and everyone else who has or still does spend an equally ridiculous amount of their time obsessing over theories lol. Check out their blogs for some other great theories!
So,..I’ve read two different books that are elriel coded: NALINI SINGH’S Archangel’s Storm and Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lover Awakened. Books that if I’m not mistaken are one SJM’s favorites… Have you read it? It’s interesting that the both MMC are talented singers, scarred, killer and doesnt speak much. Jason, the angel who is a spymaster, shadow daddy and “hears secrets whispered in the winds” is so Azriel. Zsadist, the vampire with PTSD, similar personality as Jason. I saw a mixed of Jason and Zsadist in Azriel.
Their love interests are princess or aristocrat, very beautiful and well etiquette. Princess Mahiya, the angel (Jason’s mate), helped Jason with spying and she has puma eyes. She loves animal and can create a glowing ball of light. Bella, the vampire aristocrat that killed her kidnapper who is obsessed with her. I felt like I was reading Elriel in both books.
If SJM keeps the inspiration from Archangel’s Storm then it would make sense with the “fanged beast” on Elain’s part. I really think Elain may become a shape-shifter like faes from TOG and could create “a ball of light”, like Yrene or because of the starborn ability? (Oh btw, I was wondering if there’s a possibility that Yrene’s powers are connected to Starborn?)
Do you think Elain’s book will be more of beast themed? Something that is connected to Dusk Court… Anyway, what do you know of the first faes on Prythian? Are Starborn faes the oldest group that founded the Dusk Court, possibly migrating from the Erilea? It sounds like TOG faes are the first generation fae and they sort of evolved in Prythian and Lunathion? SJM made Lunathion connected to Prythian and Erilea. So, I’m wondering how Erilea is connected to Prythian? I know Aelin saw Rhys and Pregnant Feyre in KOA, but that’s it.
Ugh.. sorry for so many questions.. 🫣
Hi anon, and thanks for stopping by!
Disclaimer: the following is all theoretical; while I hope at least some of it will come true, we have to wait for SJM to let us know for sure.
Spoilers for the entire Maasverse, as well as parts of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, are below.
I haven't read any Nalini Singh, though friends have recommended her to me a few times, so I really should fix that. I obviously cannot comment on any similarities - though I have heard similar rumours that SJM loves the books (but have never tried to corroborate them) - but @shitwillnotbegiven has posted a comparison of Elriel scenes with passages from 'Archangel's Storm' that is very compelling. I definitely recommend giving it a read. Of course we can't say for sure whether or not it was intentional, but yeah. There are similarities.
That being said, I have read the first five or so 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' books, and yeah. Read them for yourself of course, but there is a lot to notice. It was a couple of years ago now, so they're not fresh in my mind, but I remember being very 👀👀👀 at a lot of the similarities, especially between Zsadist, Bella and Phury with Azriel, Elain and Lucien. The lovely @silverdreamscapes has posted about many of the parallels existing between each trio, though imo it goes even further than shipping.
But first, I would like to state for the record that I do not think having an inner beast or monster makes someone bad or evil. I do think lightsingers could be a race of faeries that A) are related in some way to the shadowsingers - witches? - with whom we are all hunky dory (so no hate from me until proven otherwise), B) may in fact be facing persecution over some sort of un/intentional misunderstanding and/or rewritten history, and C) that the library actually acts as a sanctuary for these persecuted beings, in addition to any other battered women, who are both vilified and attacked for nothing but their species. Of course I could always be wrong, but I am expecting a twist that diverges from the "truth" about lightsingers that Cassian gave us in ACOSF.
But I digress. I've forgotten a lot, but I do remember that there was a character with teal eyes, who had been cursed by a goddess to carry a monster within him... if lightsingers have an inner beast* - and two of our teal-eyed priestesses have been lightsingers - you can see where I'm going (and for some fabulous rundowns on the lightsinger theory, please see posts by @silverlinedeyes and @merymoonbeam).
As I have said before, I suspect that shadowsingers and lightsingers could be more similar than we know. I wouldn't be surprised if they both have the ability to lure, and both have a beast form/some sort of inner monster or being. Because the teal-eyed character, Rhage, carries his beast in a sort of living tattoo... and whose shadows have been described as appearing like twins to the tattoos on his chest? You betcha. It's Azriel, our favourite shadowsinger.
A corner of Azriel’s mouth curled up, the shadows about him sliding over his neck like living tattoos, twins to the Illyrian ones marked beneath his leathers. Shadows different from anything my powers summoned, spoke to. Born in a lightless, airless prison meant to break him. Instead, he had learned its language. - ACOFAS, chapter 7
As for Elain's potential powers, I'm all aboard the shapeshifter train (please see @wingedblooms for some brilliant theories), and I cannot wait to see what sort of light she can wield (if any, of course, but I do think she has been tied to it in a lot of ways). Can she Sing light and dark (light) to See what she must? Or to travel someplace very far away? I also wouldn't be surprised if Elain and her light/s act as an executioner for whatever Valg-type being exists in Prythian, as Yrene did with Erawan in KOA. I suspect that the King of Hybern may have been possessed in some way, and that Elain's role in assassinating him could have purified him such that he could die, thus beginning her parallels with Yrene.
As for which Fae are the oldest, I personally suspect that the Starborn Fae did found the land that would have become the Dusk Court, and that some may have travelled to Erilea, but I haven't looked into it enough to have quotes at the ready so I'll tag in @wingedblooms and @silverlinedeyes - or anyone else who wants to join in - because they have had more thoughts on this than I have. It seems that the Starborn faeries are different to the shifter faeries from Erilea, and that both ended up in Midgard thanks to Rigelus and his machinations (but as to which is the original fae species, if any, it hasn't been explicitly stated).
Rigelus chuckled again. “We shall get to that in a moment.” He went on, “Danika realized that the shifters are Fae.” Bryce blinked. “What?” “Not your kind of Fae, of course—your breed dwelled in a lovely, verdant land, rich with magic. If it’s of any interest to you, your Starborn bloodline specifically hailed from a small isle a few miles from the mainland. And while the mainland had all manner of climes, the isle existed in beautiful, near-permanent twilight. But only a select few in the entirety of your world could shift from their humanoid forms to animal ones. The Midgard shifters were Fae from a different planet. All the Fae in that world shared their form with an animal. The mer descended from them, too. Perhaps they once shared a world with your breed of Fae, but they had been alone on their planet for long enough to develop their own gifts.” “They don’t have pointed ears.” “Oh, we bred that out of them. It was gone within a few generations.” An isle of near-permanent twilight, the home world of her breed of Fae … A land of Dusk. - HOSAB, chapter 73
A few of my friends and I - @psychologynerd, @elrieldreamer and @ladynightcourt3 - think/hope that IF we get a crossover of sorts in Elain's book it may be to Erilea, in the past. @psychologynerd has previously pointed out that a pretty faerie with raw magic (which Elain has as a Made faerie - here and here) once visited Mistward before being invited to meet Maeve in Doranelle, never to be heard from again. It's also possibly significant that Elain has been linked with owls - check out @wingedblooms Blodeuwedd and Suriel theories for starters - and Maeve had a healer trapped in owl form at her beck and call (thanks @ladynightcourt3 for your help with the quotes).
“But,” Luca chattered on, “no one here has any exciting or rare abilities. Like shape-shifting into whatever form they want, or controlling fire”—her stomach clenched at that—“or oracular sight. We did have a female wander in with raw magic two years ago—she could do anything she wanted, summon any element, and she was here a week before Maeve called her to Doranelle and we never heard from her again. A shame—she was so pretty, too. But it’s the same here as it is everywhere else: a few people with a pathetic trace of elemental powers that are really only fun for farmers.” - HOF, chapter 11
“It also explains why Aelin reported an owl at Maeve’s side when they first met,” Nesryn said, gesturing to Yrene, whose brows bunched. Then Yrene blurted, “The owl must be the Fae form of a healer. Some healer of hers that she keeps close—as a bodyguard. Has let everyone believe to be some pet …” - TOD, chapter 65
“Speak freely, Connall,” Maeve said, her faint smile remaining. The barn owl perched on the back of her throne watched with solemn, unblinking eyes. “Let your brother know these words are your own and not of my command.” - KOA, chapter 8
Some pet... as Hunt suggested he was for Bryce?
“I’m sorry,” Hunt interrupted, “but are you implying that I was made by you two assholes? As some sort of pet?” He pointed to Thanatos, then to Apollion. “Not a pet,” Apollion said darkly. “A weapon.” He nodded to Bryce. “For her, whenever she might come along.” - HOFAS, chapter 61
A weapon, just like Elain becoming "the knife in the dark" to assassinate - and potentially purify the Valg from - the King of Hybern?
I've theorised before that Elain might have plant/earth related powers - which ties in well with her reaction to the Hewn City in ACOSF, and what we learnt about Sathia/Flynn's reaction to being on Avallen in HOFAS - and many of us have long thought she may have some sort of healing magic (here and here). So was the pretty faerie Elain?
I would combust.
Anyway, I hope I answered everything, and I'm SO sorry for this response taking literal months. If you do see this, my bad.
I just recently finished the actors series and I was reading up on the mating bonds and I came across your post about Lucien and Elain’s mating bond from a few years ago and how it potentially could be wrong from the cauldron and I find it super interesting and have seen multiple theories on it! I do think that Azriel might be right and the cauldron made a mistake but that leads me to think about Nesta/Cassian so I was hoping you could help me understand their mating bond! Could this not be considered the same for them? Is their bond not considered made by the Cauldron when Nesta was thrown in as well or how does their bond differ from Elain/Luciens? I could be overlooking but the info on the bonds is also hard for me to wrap my head around 😂
Hi and thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my nonsense!
I assume you are talking about this post from May 2021 - "What if the Cauldron was wrong?" - in which, to briefly sum up, I suggested that Elain and Azriel were actually meant to be mates, and that Lucien was chosen by the Cauldron as Elain's mate because Azriel was currently "dead" to its senses thanks to taking a poisoned ash arrow in his chest, and Lucien's true mate, Jesminda, had already died.
I know you sent this last week, I'm sorry about the wait - which, sadly, is not nearly the worst wait time for the asks I've been procrastinating on over the last couple of years lol, sorry to anyone who sent something I've flaked on - but funnily enough, there has been some renewed discourse this week.
In addition to this ask, I'd recommend checking out the following (bearing in mind that some may contain spoilers for the entire Maasverse):
The OP and my recent reblog of this post.
This similar ask I recently answered.
This thread and this thread by @silverlinedeyes.
This thread by @elriell.
This post by @icedflames.
This thread by @psychologynerd.
This thread by @wingedblooms.
This thread by @violetasteracademic.
These two posts, here (ACOTAR only) and here (with evidence from the Maasverse suggesting something might've happened to the Cauldron).
It's difficult to explain the entire (hypothesised) lore behind SJM's mating bonds without delving into the worlds of TOG and CC, so I'll attempt a very basic discussion about the Archeron sisters and bat boys (please note that all of these theories are due to a shared effort within the Elriel fandom, not limited to the accounts I tagged above); the following will be based on the theory that there are two types of bonds in Prythian: the original, mutual soul bonds, and offspring bonds for breeding purposes that may be a Cauldron-Made imitation of the original bonds.
In short, I believe Nesta and Cassian's bonus chapter from ACOMAF, and his behaviour towards her while everything was going wrong at Hybern, strongly suggested they already shared a mating bond that would have obviously predated Nesta being Made by the Cauldron at the end of the book; this would have been similar to Feyre and Rhys, who we know shared a bond that predated Feyre being Made by the High Lords. And not to make this Elriel, but for the sake of being complete, the first "family" dinner shared by all six brothers and sisters in the human lands appeared to show Azriel acting differently (in his own unique way) around Elain, just as Cassian was so obviously drawn to Nesta.
Lucien, on the other hand, didn't act in such a way that demonstrated, without any doubt, that he felt anything for Elain in particular before she went into the Cauldron at Hybern (which I discussed in my first mating bond meta that I linked above). Azriel, though? It's definitely murky, but imo his responses at Hybern, while downed with a poisoned arrow, could plausibly suggest he felt something for Elain, assuming SJM wants to go the "true bond" way. As Nesta, who could see through glamours as a human, said to Lucien right after he'd claimed Elain: "She is no such thing!"
Remember this passage between Feyre and Rhys, in the original trilogy?
“A mating bond can be rejected,” Rhys said mildly, eyes flickering in the mirror as he drank in every inch of bare skin I had on display. “There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly. Sometimes, the bond is nothing more than some … preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that. Some natural function, not an indication of true, paired souls.” A smile at me—at the rareness, perhaps, of what we had. - ACOWAR, chapter 24
Rhys said that sometimes, the bond is nothing more than "preordained guesswork," which suggests that sometimes it is more than that. I (and many others, but definitely not everyone in the fandom) think that Feysand and Nessian have the "rarer" type of bond, between "true, paired souls," while Elucien does not. I guess there's always the possibility that Feysand and Nessian also share offspring bonds, but given what happened in ACOSF that would appear to be... unwise on the Cauldron's behalf. But who knows.
Anyway anon, I hope this response helps to clear the theory up for you. If you have read the rest of the Maasverse then the posts I linked above are a really good grounding in the theories behind why mating bonds may not all be created equal.
Rhys says that he and Azriel are more alike than anyone realizes. He knows Az has a stubborn streak. I’ve been pondering the possibility that Rhys purposefully restricted Az from pursuing Elain with the intent that it propels Az to pursue her more or to increase the tension between them. I know what the political ramifications are of a rejected bond with Lucien, but as a daemati, Rhys may understand that a catalyst is necessary to eventually set everything to rights. What is your take on that possibility?
Hi anon, and thanks for stopping by!
I'm going to be honest with you, this is too big-brain for me and I hadn't considered it at all.
I guess this hinges on the following: does Rhys think things are "not right" at the moment, at least so far as Elucien's bond?
Besides Koschei and co, what does he see that needs correcting? He has a mate himself, so I can see him being very pro bond (for all I think he'll be happy for Elriel if/when they get together, I think he'll struggle with feeling bad for Lucien, unless we get some sort of false bond situation).
I agree with you that forbidding Azriel from pursuing Elain will (likely) have the effect you mentioned, as Azriel "Chain me to a tree, Rhys" and "You can't order me to do that" the Shadowsinger has a history of at least threatening to not follow orders he deems unwise or unimportant. But was it Rhys' 4D chess move to orchestrate the official rejection of the Elucien bond? Given he's discussed using Elain as a pawn to keep Lucien on a short leash, I'm unsure. Also I struggle with the idea of Rhys being so cruel to Azriel with intent - accusing him of assuming he deserved Elain, thereby suggesting he was actually not worthy of her - without the stress of everything that was going on making him lose his head a little.
But you could definitely be right about this, please don't let me make you think you're wrong. And even if not, theorising is meant to be fun (crack theories are the best) and this was really thought provoking. I love looking at things from different angles, so thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!
Do you think Nesta/Cassian have a true mate bond or a corrupt cauldron bond? I see a lot of people say they think Eris is her true mate and some people say the complete opposite 😅
Hi anon!
Disclaimer: more word vomit I'm sorry.
TW: discussion includes birthing winged babies and all that entails. If this is a sore topic for you, then I recommend giving this a pass. 💜
Spoilers: I'll be discussing the entire Maasverse, please beware.
I think both Nessian and Feysand have true or soul bonds, which I suspect may be a type of carranam bond, rather than corrupted Cauldron bonds.
Whether or not true/soul bonds are equivalent to carranam bonds - though as I have said before, it appears the sisters may have powers "to match" the brothers (per ACOSF) - it would make ZERO sense for Feyre and Nesta to be mated to Rhys and Cassian respectively for the sole purpose of creating more powerful offspring, given the risk to mother and child when a winged bub is born to a woman with the (I'm sorry) incorrectly shaped uterus/birth canal. And wasn't there a 50/50 chance of a winged baby, with a full Illyrian procreating with a high fae female? Those aren't great odds for the Asteri. But both couples do share bonds consisting of multiple golden threads, ergo: I suspect they share the true or soul bonds about which @silverlinedeyes and @icedflames originally theorised years ago now.
Personally - and imo this was supported by HOFAS, with what we learnt of Hunt's ancestry and design - I lean towards Feysand, Nessian and Elriel all being foretold as a way to free their land from the magical chains left by the Asteri/Daglan of the past. I think that what is most important is the pairing's ability to support each other, and make each other more powerful, rather than to create stronger children from which the Daglan can feed, hence why they complement each other's magic so well and, if I'm right about them being carranam, they can act as conduits for each other as well, further amplifying their strengths.
To complete the poetic balance of 3x3 being fated, I think Elriel were also meant to have a true/soul bond until Koschei (or Someone) loaned his (or Their) otherworldly magic to the King of Hybern*, allowing him to control the Cauldron. This hypothetical, new ability to Make powerful spells, combined with Azriel being downed by Jurian's poisoned ash arrow to the chest, may have created an opening for the corrupted Cauldron to cast a thread between Elain and the next best male, Lucien.
* My thoughts are that Koschei is either a prince of Hel and/or a Valg-type creature (how that plays in with the Daglan I'm unsure), and the King of Hybern was possessed in a way similar to what we experienced in TOG. But if the King of Hybern was a Valg prince, or had the borrowed powers of a Valg king (or queen), then it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could have tweaked the threads of fate to generate a false bond between Elain and Lucien in order to keep Elain and Azriel apart, as Maeve did between Rowan and Lyra to separate him from his true mate, Aelin. There are great theories that delve into the parallels between Elriel and Rowaelin, I recommend checking out @riddlecrux (I'm 99% sure).
It's always fun to theorise, so as always, no hate to anyone who thinks differently than me - shipping with your heart is absolutely valid, even if your fav pairing doesn't end up being canon - but I really do not think that SJM is splitting her loved up pairs with accepted mating bonds. This goes for Feysand, Nessian and Bryceriel Quinlar (hooray fatigue), all of whom have made strong declarations of love for each other. That would cheapen SJM's romances so much.
Besides that, while I understand focusing on ships - because this is romantasy after all, and the couples are integral to the overall plot - I don't see how Nesta and Eris would work into the poetry of a prophecy that we already know:
Life and death and rebirth
Sun and moon and dark
Rot and bloom and bones
Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn. Love me, touch me, sing me.
Madness. Where the first half had been cold cunning, this box … this was chaos, and disorder, and lawlessness, joy and despair. [...] Rhys picked up the Book of Breathings.
Light and dark and gray and light and dark and gray— - ACOMAF, chapter 57
The Book of Breathings gave us this beauty back in ACOMAF, and while there are many attempts to make sense of it (and I think many could be right), if we're talking about romantic pairings, I don't see how it could encompass any ships other than those of the brothers and sisters present. Where would the balance be in that? While there are certainly plots that people have theorised for pairings other than these three (and of course, I acknowledge that Elriel isn't canon endgame at this point in time), I haven't read any that would tie into the themes of three we have seen established by SJM: sisters, brothers, mountains, stars etc.
Eris is an intriguing character and Neris a fun ship (I don't hate it at all), but in canon it wouldn't flow, at least to me. Though of course I could be wrong.
Anyway, sorry for the mess of this response. I hope my thoughts make at least some sense lol.
Edit: I was about to post and then @wingedblooms and her beautiful mind struck again. Anon - and anyone else - please read her reblog of my post about the Asteri corrupting mating bonds, it's beautifully written and I have similar thoughts (as usual).
