I commissioned this piece to celebrate a fic that I happened to begin writing on a whim 365 days ago, a fic that has brought me so much joy and connected me to so many incredible members of this fandom. Thank you guys :’)
This is also for @erisweek2023 because the stars aligned and it’s the final day of the event. I didn’t even realize it was the fic’s birthday until after I’d commissioned this for free day, it was an extremely happy coincidence <3
You’ll find the snippet this art is based on below the cut ↓
CHARACTERS BELONG TO SARAH J MAAS. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REBLOGS ARE VERY WELCOME.
—✦ ° ·.* ✧ · ★ *.✦—
Eris took a long drink from his goblet before he replied, “I’ve given the stars a secret or two over the years, but I’ve never been offered a wish in return.” He gave Azriel a devilish half-smile. “Then again, I am Eris Vanserra—nothing about me is pure, least of all my intentions.”
Azriel snorted a laugh despite himself. “I guess that’s one thing we have in common then.” But he already knew that.
Eris held his goblet out toward Azriel, “To things in common.”
Azriel hesitated. The version of Eris standing on the pebbled shore, waiting for him to echo the words was so different from the one he’d thought he’d known and yet….
Cheeks inexplicably heating, he cleared his throat. The moment was laden with possibilities Azriel didn't dare acknowledge; he couldn't bring himself to look Eris in the eye. “To things in common,” he said, their goblets meeting with a metallic clink.
If you haven't read this yet, first of all what the hell are you doing? Second of all, the final chapter was just posted so now is the PERFECT time! I just finished it and obviously it was so overwhelmingly perfect that I have to gush about it here so I have somewhere to put all my feelings
I have book hangover in only the best of ways. Reading this entire fic has been like such an absolute dream. From start to finish, I felt like I was right there along with Azriel and Eris. The magic of this ship is that the two of them each have so much potential for personal growth. They each shove their feelings far down beneath the surface, and I so greatly enjoyed seeing them come into themselves throughout the course of their narrative. I cannot describe to anyone just how FULL to bursting my heart felt when I read that final line. I won't spoil it for anyone (seriously, if you haven't read this wtf are you doing?) But it was like we were down there at the bottom of this dark, murky pool Azriel and Eris had created by refusing to acknowledge the deepest parts of themselves, and upon finishing this fic, we came up for air right along with them.
If you couldn't tell, I'm sobbing.
Not to mention, the way @ofduskanddreams (love of my life) masterfully wields words, weaving this impeccable, luxuriant prose had my jaw dropping CONSTANTLY. From lines that were so poignant in their simplicity that it wrung out my heart, to the most absurdly hilarious one-liners, to the HOTTEST and most mouth-watering details... (Eris in rings, thank you very much) I was so constantly left speechless. Absolutely gobsmacked. I am so awed that there is so much pure talent in these words, and that the entire world hasn't had the honor of getting to read them, yet. They should.
@ofduskanddreams I hope you are rewarding yourself by relaxing, and I hope you understand just how deeply this fic has impacted everyone who's read it. You truly accomplished something great within these pages. You deserve all of the praise that people give you, and I want you to remember that. This is a masterpiece. I DO remember our first conversation about this idea, and I was just as mesmerized by it then as I am now, if not more so. Take a bow. You deserve it.
In honor of our event’s instagram achieving the holy number of followers this afternoon, please enjoy this nsfw Azris snippet involving the theme in question from one of our runner’s (@ofduskanddreams) existing fics 😏 ♋️
[the E-rated snippet below the cut is from What Lies Inside — Chapter 25: “What Do You Want?”]
ERIS
. . .
Eris could already feel how close he was to that edge. He sucked a bruise onto Azriel’s neck in an attempt to distract himself, but the idea of this male wearing his marks for all to see was so damned euphoric that it took all his concentration to keep himself from spilling right then.
He began kissing his way down Azriel’s chest, lazily tracing some of the tattoos with his tongue, nipping, sucking and only stopping his descent when his lips met leather.
“Eris.” It was admonishment, a warning.
“What?” He grinned in satisfaction at the little blooms of indigo scattered like landmarks across Azriel’s sculpted torso. “Is there something you want?”
The male was wild-eyed and flushed, his hips twitching and seeking out contact. He growled in frustration, “Are you going to make me ask?”
This impatience was delightful. “Yes.”
Azriel rolled his eyes. Would he actually do it? There was a split-second where Eris wasn’t sure. But then: “Suck my cock.”
Eris raised an eyebrow, that wasn’t a question but an order.
“If you want me to say ‘please’ it’s not happening.”
He wouldn’t point out that Azriel actually did, in fact, just say ‘please.’ Finally getting a taste of Azriel was a higher priority. Eris hastily untied the laces of Azriel’s leathers. “If making out was all it took to make you polite, I would have been disappointed.”
Azriel’s mouth quirked up at the side. “I am an Illyrian brute, remember? There’s nothing polite about me.”
“Then how convenient for you, little bat, that I’d never want you tamed.”
There it was. Whatever restraint Azriel had snapped. Momentarily blinded by the surge of shadows, Eris couldn’t defend against those hands that grabbed and flipped with the ease of strength. The darkness cleared some just as the glistening head of Azriel’s cock pressed at the seam of his lips. Eris raised his head and looked over his shoulder.
Now completely naked and mostly beneath him, Azriel shot him an arrogant grin. A simple thought had Eris’s clothes vanishing too, and it was his turn to smile as Azriel took in the view of his throbbing cock and heavy balls, the ass he’d honed to perfection through training. Eris kept watching him, even as he started stroking Azriel’s length slowly, waiting to see what he would do.
At the first slide of Azriel’s tongue on him, Eris swore under his breath. Azriel tilted his head, maintaining eye contact as he opened his mouth and enveloped Eris with the wet heat of his mouth, taking him in until the head hit the back of his throat.
“Fuck,” Eris breathed. It was the only word he could access at the moment.
Swirling his tongue around the head, Azriel’s eyes closed as if he was savoring the taste of Eris. That almost had him coming undone again. Eris tore his eyes away, exchanging one erotic sight for another.
Precum shimmered in the firelight at the tip of Azriel’s cock. Like everything else about the Illyrian, his dick was physically impressive, seemingly the beautiful creation of a truly mastered hand.
Eris didn’t waste another second, groaning unabashedly at the first burst of salt on his tongue. Azriel’s ministrations stuttered as Eris took all of him in a relentless glide, only stopping when his nose met trimmed dark hair. Azriel was long; it took more focus than he’d anticipated to hold back the impulse to gag on the intrusion, but the rumble of pleasure it drew from Azriel’s chest was well worth the effort.
Cauldron, how many times had he imagined this? Whatever the number, nothing his mind conjured could have ever compared to the reality of it. Eris took his time, experimenting with pressure and suction, listening carefully for what movements of his tongue and throat caused Azriel to make a noise, muffled as they were around his cock.
When Azriel began to fuck his throat, Eris pulled off and moved, forcing Azriel’s obscenely talented mouth to relinquish him.
an azris fic by ofduskanddreams on ao3 — now with a cover!
— Summary —
Like a cloak of heat and flame, the power of the Autumn Court settled on his shoulders. The air crackled and sparked as the very foundations of the Forest House trembled beneath the blood-spattered boots of its new High Lord.
Eris Vanserra opened his eyes, expecting the world to be shrouded in flames. Instead, he saw the shadowsinger standing near the foot of the dais, wreathed in wisps of darkness. The Illyrian's green-bronze eyes glinted with curiosity and caution and flecks of burnished gold.
There was only gold. A golden thread spooled out of his chest towards the winged male. The one who'd been his sworn enemy for over five-hundred years. Rhysand's spymaster. The feared shadowsinger. Azriel. His... mate.
—paraphrased from chapter two
alternative summary: the journey from "little bat" (derogatory) to "little bat" (affectionate)
———read it here.
Now you can find the cover art in the prologue! it's a commission I did with @creating_dark_art. I've also run through the fic for brief copy edits and all the chapters have been updated accordingly :) Any errors or typos that may remain we'll just consider to give it more character and charm.
This post basically goes to say that it's now ebook download ready if you're a Calibre fan like me.
If you've been following the fic, I think you can correctly infer the chapter summary for yourselves given the title. It is NSFW.
Read the last chapter of What Lies Inside on AO3.
[Instead of an excerpt, y'all get a little author's note]
This is the first long fic which has held my attention long enough for me to complete it. I'm very proud of myself and I'm extremely grateful to all of you who followed along for this journey. You lovely readers are the support that saw us through to the end.
The response to this fic has been overwhelming in the best way possible. Everyone go thank @damedechance for being my #1 enabler & cheerleader back in September when I said "I think I want to try writing Azris." I had no expectations going into this fic but thanks to you we are doing the good work of advancing the Azris agenda. Your comments made me smile and cackle evilly at my keyboard, you encouraged me to keep going even when you didn't know I needed it.
Your kudos???* You guys, the other day I learned that What Lies Inside broke the top 50 most-kudoed fics in the fandom—like wtf but okay cool. There are two Azris fics up there now, and several others nearby <3 This really is the little rarepair ship that said "wanna bet? hold my beer" (or should I say whiskey.) Go team Azris 🎉
I'm sad that this fic is wrapping up, I will miss them in this one :') On the other hand, I'm also super excited for my upcoming Azris projects. The first chapter of Nebulas and Night Sky, Frosted Blades and Flame is already available for you viewing pleasure.
tagging:
@iftheshoef1tz @headcanonheadcase @octobers-veryown @krem-does-stuff @lady-riel @melonsfantasyworld @legionsofthehungry @wellwhatisnttaken @foundress0fnothing @mali22 @blurredlamplight @rigelus @yourethehero @cataclysmica [now you can binge it all at once @the-lonelybarricade @houseofhurricane]
*Obviously statistics don't matter, at the end of the day it's about our love for the characters not some numbers. But to those who give us the side-eye and still incorrectly call Azris a crackship I give you the data with a side of the sjm classic: a vulgar gesture ✌🏻
