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I don't know. I just find it interesting how no one had an issue with Rhys sexually desiring Feyre before they were official, or Cassian sexually desiring Nesta before they were official.

But Azriel sexually desiring Elain is now all of a sudden problematic. He's a "pervert" for thinking about how she would taste. He's a "creep" for considering her own pleasure above his own. He's "weird" for touching himself to the thought of her. And yet...Rhys and Cassian had these exact same thoughts. And yet...no one is calling Rhys a pervert. No one is calling Cassian a creep.

Sex is not a bad thing. Desiring someone is not a bad thing. It's not bad, it's not gross, it's not problematic, it's not weird. Wanting to receive sexual pleasure is normal. Wanting to pleasure someone else is normal. I have no idea when the idea of 500 year old fae males wanting to give pleasure to the women they're interested in suddenly became such a bad thing.

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I want to preface this little rant by saying that I am all for ship and let ship—at the end of the day none of this has any significance, and we should all get to enjoy our silly little ships to our heart’s content. Me personally I just want Elain to do whatever the hell she wants and be happy in the end. That being said, rn I just felt like getting something off my chest.

From what I have seen and understood, most of The Other Side believes that Azriel feels entitled to Elain. That he sees her, at worst, as a sexual object, or at the very most as a rebound he doesn’t truly care for, nor respect; he does not think of her beyond what he can get from her sexually. They say his attitude towards her is toxic in its ‘possessiveness’; he doesn’t consider her an equal, for he sees her as a perpetual damsel in distress he must save; his attraction to her / feelings for her are a symptom of some twisted trauma response.

We know that they believe that. We’ve heard it. Over and over and over. Since 2021. Hell, everybody’s momma probably knows it, too, with the way that rhetoric is spread. But Elriels have made it plenty clear that we have a very different interpretation of the text and do NOT agree with those assessments of Azriel (nor half the things the poor man is diagnosed with, bless his fictional soul), considering what we do know of Azriel’s character and his relationship with Elain, based on the books--and yes, the bonus (see this, this, and this post). Otherwise—i.e. if we believed him an incel x fuckboy hybrid (probs the first of his kind!) who is only interested in getting her in is bed—we would obviously not be shipping them together; most of us (99% I’d say lol) care about Elain more than we do Az, or care about them both just as much.

So it is getting pretty tiring to see us shippers—the actual humans behind the screen—labelled as having a toxic/immature view of what love is, of being “too young/naive” to see the supposed red flags, of mistaking lust for love because we have not experienced a healthy relationship (?), of actually promoting toxic relationships & advocating for toxic masculinity (which someone told me on tiktok just now)(stay away from tiktok, folks). Those generalizations are wild to me, not only because they are wildly untrue and condescending, but because Elriels are a colorful bunch, you know—when you’re speaking of the fandom Villain™, you’re speaking of people of every demographic, speaking of daughters mothers grandmothers, depressed uni students (pardon the self-insert), etc... I need to get thicker skin, but those generalizations can get pretty hurtful in the long run. And I’m tired of feeling the need to justify myself as if we’re wrong for shipping two people who MUTUALLY want one another and lets be serious, no its not “just lust”.

I know I know, I am probably being dramatic. Just felt like getting this off my chest. But it’s just weird to see a ship being so demonized and its shippers along with it, all because louder portions of the fandom disagree with our opinions and insist on toxifying ours. Just to be clear, I know that many have had unpleasant experiences/interactions with Elriels, just like many Elriels have had the same with Gwynriels and/or Eluciens. I condone none of the disgusting behaviour I’ve seen from some shippers, and in fact I abhor it. As everyone should.

To end this on a good note.

Elriels, I say we run with it. Az wants Elain for himself. He is jealous and his mind is plagued by thoughts of her. Her presence is too much to bear, for he can’t stand to be in the same room as her and pretend like he feels nothing. He is ready to beg on his knees for a chance to worship her, and it took Nesta one look to see it.

AZ IS OBSESSED AND I SAY WE EMBRACE IT.

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Dancing in the Court of Nightmare ✨🌙

Disclamer: I know Elain in a black dress is something debatable in the fandom, please understand that I drew this as a HC without trying to make anyone mad, every opinion is welcome but keep it polite , thank you !🌷

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Because apparently this needs to be explicitly stated. Again. "Elriels" have never said that Illyria as a whole was irrelevant to the plot going forward. To insinuate this suggests you read all of our posts in bad faith.

It would make exactly zero sense to ignore a land that forms such a large chunk of the Night Court; the land from which three of the main characters hail. The land about which Elriels have also theorised, mind you, in terms of its people and powers. Elriels discussing Illyria isn't new, although the ideas posted today were in that they haven't been mentioned publicly before - though I remember when @wingedblooms suggested this a couple of years ago now, and it appears she may be right!

What we have said was that:

Azriel didn't need to make nice with the society that stood by and allowed him to be abused for a decade of his childhood, which let all three bat boys' mothers be treated abysmally, in order to complete his character arc.

Dealing with any lingering rebels, and putting work into progressing homegrown attitudes towards women and other minorities would have to come after the intergalactic death gods have been dealt with.

It might even be part of any future books, beyond this trilogy.

If that is facilitated by a magical rot* being removed from the land in the process of Koschei and others being defeated, as @wingedblooms and @silverlinedeyes suggested, then it doesn't change anything that Elriels have said about Azriel and his relationship with his homeland or people, or what we have previously theorised in terms of the plot.

* This magical rot is also a much more extensive issue (as in the magic itself, not the way women etc are treated in SJM's Illyria, that absolutely needs to change), in that there are more barren and/or rotting lands that will likely be revived. Hybern. The Hewn City. The Middle. The Prison. Spring! Multiple lands will be reborn.

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Athie ⚡️🩵

Hunt Athalar from Crescent City

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Bryce Quinlan ✨️

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A promise of spring

Years ago, I noticed this little detail and was too nervous to share it, but we know more now. This could just be a hint for Lucien and co, who show up later, but I do think we might see spring come to the heart of the Night Court at long last.

Elain is first revealed to the Illyrians by Mor, whose power is Truth. She is a blooming flower in Illyria, and her focus is not on the warriors, but the rocky ground.

Even in the middle of winter, she is a bloom of color and sunshine.

And in the House of Wind, where the wind howls like in Illyria, she is a promise of spring.

So, maybe Ramiel and the land around Illyria don’t need more death and destruction, but life and joy and beauty from a gardener’s hands.

Thanks to @silverlinedeyes for encouraging me to share these connections! 💕

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Oh my GOD you two. I caved and had to read some HOFAS spoilers but it was so worth it.

Elain healing the “rot” in the lands is my new favourite thing. And never forget these wise words from king Rhysand himself:

“Don’t forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one’s hands dirty along the way.”

The Rot In The Land…

Is it corrupting the people who live there as well?

I was talking to @wingedblooms about her and @offtorivendell and others’ theory that Elain will heal the barren parts of Prythian through her lifesinging powers, or healing powers, or raw magic, or maybe even the magic of the Mother (too many questions about and options for Elain’s magic 😅), including in particular Ramiel.

And it got me thinking about the barren lands we’ve seen in Prythian and Midgard that seem to be leeched of life, almost infected somehow: Illyria, the Court of Nightmares, the Prison, Avallen, the Middle.

In all of those lands that have people living there currently—Illyria, the Court of Nightmares, and Avallen—we see that those societies appear almost corrupted. They’re backwards. The people seem bad. They treat their women poorly and oppress them. There is almost a rot within the culture, within the people themselves. And in those lands that don’t have people living there, monsters live instead, perhaps feeding on the rot and darkness in the land, or at least thriving from it?

Why are all these “backwards” corrupt cultures located around these barren lands? Is the magic or essence that is draining the life from the land and corrupting it also infecting and corrupting the people who live there? Is it draining their goodness from them? Darkening their souls?

Will healing the Land heal the People?

When Bryce revived Avallen, did that remove what was corrupting the people who lived there? Will it cause a change in the Avallen people and culture over time because the infection essentially is gone?

And if Elain heals Ramiel and the Court of Nightmares, will it not only bring spring back to the land as @wingedblooms so brilliantly has predicted and heal the land, but will it also allow free the people and societies who live there of the rot (dark essence) that has the infected and corrupted them for millennia, and allow them to move forward free of this darkness and evil towards goodness and the light?

Will the Illyrians and the Court of Nightmares be able to finally reform themselves and move towards an equal and just and good society once they are freed of this rot that has corrupted them?

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I wrote about this before, and I am thinking it needs revisiting.

We know that when Rhys was shot out of the sky, when Feyre found him after that, he was wearing gorsian chains, to stifle his magic.

In HOFAS, we learn that Ruhn was forced to wear them as well, by his father the Autumn King, to stifle his magic.

One other, curious person who was put in such chains was...Elain Archeron. The blue chains that the King placed on her when she showed up at his camp, lured by the Cauldron.

Why is that that the King felt that little Elain who was just Made a couple of months ago in front of him needed gorsian chains on her? Especially when he dumped her in his tent, right by the Cauldron.

What was it about her that concerned him so much, that he felt the need to put something so powerful on her? She's just been lured, she is barefoot and wearing only her nightgown (kind of similar to how she was presented to him initially). What is it that he is so afraid of in sweet little Elain that he doesn't feel secure enough in the knowledge that the Cauldron would be able to keep her in place. He puts her in chains, next to the Cauldron, with additional guards outside the tents, in the middle of his camp, with thousands of his soldiers and where you cannot winnow.

What powers does little Elain have that the King of Hybern needs to stifle them with gorsian chains?

And why did Azriel's first request, while he was bleeding and stumbling, as he carried her in his arms, was 'get Helion to take those chains off her!'

Chains so powerful, they needed a spell cleaver High Lord to wrestle them off of her and even he struggled.

What IS Elain? And what IS her magic?

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No matter who your favorite ACOTAR character is, they're alive because Elain Archeron saved everyone's asses in that series.

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Random HOFAS and ACOTAR Thoughts

Off the cuff and mostly about Elain (naturally)

Tons of HOFAS spoilers (you’ve been warned)

I can’t help but think about how brilliantly interwoven Midgard was with Prythian. I know many expected a massive crossover, and I understand some of the disappointment surrounding that. However, we still got a lot.

HOFAS was a pretty advanced read with a ton of lore and so much plot. Romance 100% took a backseat as we were taken on a crash course through the history of the Daglan/Asteri, Dusk Court, and so many points of connection between Prythian and Midgard (and Erilea 👀).

HOFAS essentially showed us what needs to happen in Prythian, by association. How what is true for one character, is likely true for others by similar making, shared DNA, and overlapping history. There is so much that can come from this, imo.

1. The set-up for Elain. Hello earthen magic!!! Whattttt. Earthen magic? There is earthen magic in the maasverse and trees and vegetation can sprout from fingertips!? Hello sweet, lovely gardener and creator/nurturer of life. If this doesn’t just give Elain:

“Tendrils of night-blooming purple flowers unfurled around her in answer, despite the daylight. Had it always been leading toward this? In the night garden, before they were attacked by the kristallos all those months ago, he could have sworn the flowers had opened for her. Were they sensing this power, the dusk-born heritage in her veins?”

“tangles of blooming vines and roses all around her. A beautiful, surreal place for a Fae Queen to rest.”

“The land seemed to know her, small blooming flowers nestling around her body, some of them even curling in the long strands of her hair”

Dusk, twilight—that’s what the island was in its long-buried heart, what her power bloomed into, the lands rising with it. It was, as she said, as if the island had a soul that now blossomed under her care, nurtured by the court she built here

2. The sisters are starborn? I love how we can extrapolate from Nesta’s presence and enlightenment that her descent and making also applies to Elain and Feyre. There are many questions. Does one’s making render them starborn? Or are they starborn via a bloodline that runs in a human line? Clearly, the 8-pointed star reference is insinuating that Nesta is starborn. And if Nesta is starborn…surely a person made the exact same way and born of the same parents would be too.

3. Elain can wield a made weapon. Indeed, Elain is the only character (besides Bryce) we have seen activate Truth Teller, thus far. Azriel, himself, says it cannot kill the unkillable. He’s told by the Asteri underneath the prison he doesn’t know how to wield it. But what happens when Bryce uses TT? Shadows swarm. “Elain stepped out of a shadow…” We also learn that only “chosen ones” can use the blades.

“Can your dagger kill the unkillable, too?”

“It’s called Truth-Teller,” he said in that soft voice, like shadows given sound. “And no, it cannot”

“Vesperus took another step, steadier now, and smiled past Bryce. At Azriel, at Truth-Teller. “You don’t know how to use it, do you?”

Azriel pointed the dagger toward the advancing Asteri. “Pretty sure this end’s the one that’ll go through your gut.”

Vesperus chuckled, her dark hair swaying with each inching step closer. “Typical of your kind. You want to play with our weapons, but have no concept of their true abilities. Your mind couldn’t hold all the possibilities at once.”

“Well, I do know that only the Chosen One can handle the blades. Wait—does that mean you can’t? Since last I checked … only Ruhn and I got the Chosen One membership cards.”

“Ruhn doesn’t possess the raw power to handle such a thing correctly.”

We also know from HOSAB that the blades belong to the female descendants of Theia.

4. Elain will heal the decaying land in Prythian (and beyond)? There are too many excerpts to include but I definitely foresee this being a major plot-point for Elain. Perhaps she will also heal the other land being leeched of life on Prythian. The bald, barren mountains. The middle. The Hewn City. @wingedblooms has been posting a tonnnn on this.

“…archipelago, but now it’s only one island,” Ruhn said. “You said Helena drew upon Avallen’s ley lines to contain her mother’s star—to hide it here, right? I think doing so drained all the land’s magic from its ley lines, and repurposed it to encage Theia’s power. It made the land wither. Just as you said Silene’s own lands withered around the Prison while it held her own share of power.

5. The black dress argument is dead. Life is leeched from her like it is Flynn and Santhia. Elain likely has earthen magic and being in dead and festering places (like the Hewn City) drains her. @offtorivendell called this years ago.

“Flynn shrugged. “The earth feels … rotted. Like there’s nothing for my magic to grab on to, or identify with. It’s weird. It bothered me the first time we were here, too.”

“Can you feel it, then? How … dead it all seems? Like there’s something festering here”

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.”

Back in Velaris:

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.

6. Womb theory? Will never be sad to see you go. Breeding potential? Sarah says no no. As many have been saying, Sarah is not hinging a relationship on reproduction or womb compatibility.

“Your only value comes from your breeding potential. They don’t give a fuck if you’re smart or brave or kind. They only want you for your uterus, and Luna spare you if you have any troubles with it.”

“They didn’t have wings,” Ruhn said tensely. “But that doesn’t mean anything.”

It didn’t matter if they had kids, or if her kids were enough — he and Lidia would be a family.

7. Will Elain (and Azriel) world-walk? I think they both share power that would make them more capable of doing so. She already stepped out of shadow to kill the KoH.

We grew too populous. Wars broke out between the various beings on our world. Some of us saw the changes in the land beginning—rivers run dry, clouds so thick the sun could not pierce them—and left. Our brightest minds found ways to bend the fabric of worlds. To travel between them. Wayfarers, we called them. World-walkers.

The black salt only repels the Asteri; the mists repel everyone else. But certain people, with certain gifts, can access the power of thin places—on any world. World-walkers.” Aidas gestured gracefully to Bryce. “You are one of them. So were Helena and Theia. Their natural abilities lent themselves to moving through the mists.

Might we see Elain world-walk to Erilea? Ahead of the next book that is taking place in another world where characters will “pop-up.” Idk…I think maybe. I want it.

8. Light and dark and gray. The only bridge of connection, that knife. Oh how much we learned about Elain just from that Truth Teller scene, alone.

It wasn’t a rainbow that emerged from the other side. Not even close. It took her a moment to process what she was seeing: a gradient beam of starlight. Where the rainbow would have been full of color, this one began in shimmering white light and descended into shadow. An anti-rainbow, as it were. Light falling into darkness, droplets of starlight raining from the highest beam into the shadowy band at the bottom, devoured by the darkness below. Like the fading light of day—of dusk.

“I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife.”

10. Does Az know he has already shared power with Elain? I think so.

Do you ever use that power to, uh, charge people up?”

“Charge?”

“Fuel. Um. Give your power to someone else to help their power.”

“Are you implying that I could do such a thing to you?”

He doesn’t answer!!!! Very interesting for Mr. “Yes” and “No”

And the grand finale,

“WHAT IF THE CAULDRON WAS WRONG?”

Too late, we realized that we had been dependent on our land’s inherent magic. The magic in other worlds was not potent enough. Yet we could not find the way back home. Those of us who ventured here found ways to amplify that power, thanks to the gifts of the land. We pooled our power, and imbued those gifts into the Cauldron so that it would work our will. We Made the Trove from it. And then bound the very essence of the Cauldron to the soul of this world.

So. That. It. Would. Work. Our. Will.

Got it.

Anyways, I can’t help but be so damn excited for Elain’s book. Just look at all of this we see set-up. Elain didn’t need to step foot on page but we still got all of this.

There is no way forward without a likely starborn, made female character. There is no way forward without an Archeron sister.

The writing is on the wall.

Elain’s era has arrived, sisters.

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Tay, that second option sounds hilarious I need it. But tbh I’ll take any coz I’m greedy 😁😁

Pick a Line

Let's play a game. 😏 I've got quite a few things written right now (and in the works, but we're not going to talk about the number of unfinished WIPs I'm currently harboring), and want to get something posted soon. Just not sure what post yet. So, you get to decide. Pick a line from four different fics, and whatever has the most votes will be what I post next.

Nope, I won't tell you which fic is which, but I'm sure some you might be able to guess. While others might be completely different than what you think. 😉

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If you're not complaining about the ways Cassian and Ruhn kept their significant others out of danger, you have absolutely zero room to complain about Azriel just saying out loud that he doesn't want to put Elain in danger by exposing her to the trove. ✌️

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Elain giving Azriel a flower crown 🥺🥰🌸

Artwork by @juditmallolart

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Elaine

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Elriel Month Prompts 2024!

Hi everyone!

We are so excited to present the official prompt descriptions for the fourth-ever ELRIEL MONTH!! Like last year, we will have two prompts per week that center on different aspects and scenarios of the relationship between Elain and Azriel. We aim to foster a positive space for us to celebrate our favorite Seer and Shadowsinger. Head to our Instagram for Spanish and French translations of the prompts! We cannot wait to celebrate with you! 🦇🌸💙🗡🌹

Follow us on:

Tumblr ✷ Twitter ✷ Instagram ✷ TikTok

🎨 Artist and comm. credits are listed on all of the artwork. 💕

Rules and bi-weekly prompts under the break!

RULES:

✷ Participation of each day/prompt is optional!

✷ Ideally, post your art/work on the week of the prompt. However, if you cannot post on time, post whenever you can.

✷ Elriel month will be across Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

✷ If you want to be featured on this blog please tag @elriel-month in your posts so we can reblog them

✷ On Tumblr while posting your piece of work please use the following hashtags:  #elrielmonth #elrielmonth24 #elrielmonth2024

✷ No hate or slander towards other characters!

✷ Your submission can be a fanart, fanfics/oneshots, edits, gifset, moodboard, playlist - anything you deem acceptable.

✷ The final prompt is free choice - you can indulge your own prompt or Elriel fantasy!

✷ Be respectful of other people’s work. Do not repost without permission and credit.

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Can’t stop thinking about how no Fae Male has actively questioned and fought against a mating bond except Azriel.

Like, think about it.

Sure, Feyre questioned the mating bond between Elain and Lucien, and even questioned the cauldron. But she was human first. She didn’t grow up knowing about bonds and how they are rarely, if ever really, rejected/fought against.

But Azriel does. He’s hundreds of years old. He knows how permanent and basically unbreakable mating bonds are. And yet he’s questioning and going against it anyway?

Even Tamlin didn’t do that. Once he 100% knew about the mating bond between Rhysand and Feyre, he didn’t try to break it. He may have still wanted Feyre, but he never actively tried to get it to break or tell them that the Cauldron was wrong. And Tamlin was going to MARRY Feyre at one point; they were together and he loved her. But he still didn’t truly or bluntly go up against the mating bond.

Yet Azriel has tried. He’s the only male in this series that we have seen actually try. Even if others have liked Feyre or Nesta, once their mating bonds were revealed anyone else interested BACKED OFF.

Elain and Lucien’s bond has been revealed, but Azriel still has feelings for Elain. He’s questioning and fighting it. Something we’ve never seen with any of the male.

We’re suppose to believe that means nothing? That that isn’t going to be prevalent in the upcoming book? And that SJM will simply say “Oh Az fighting it was just random nonsense and now Elain and Lulu will live happily ever after!”

Be so for real.