#Emery Reign

[genactive]

Avengers: The Initiative #26 - 29 // Cover art by Matteo De Longis

[merymoonbeam]

Light and Dark

Cc3 spoilers. You have been warned. 🫡

My obsession with this connection started when I saw @silverlinedeyes post about the six-pointed star in hosab and I added how I thought it resembled the TT scene elriel has.

We have the six pointed star in hosab and ithan-Hypaxia explained it like this.

Ithan angled his head. “A six-pointed star,” he said. Like the one Bryce had made between the Gates this spring, with the seventh candle at its center. “It’s a symbol of balance,” she explained, moving away a foot, but keeping the dagger at her side. Her crown of cloudberries seemed to glow with an inner light. “Two intersecting triangles. Male and female, dark and light, above and below … and the power that lies in the place where they meet.”

And we have the Elriel TT scene.

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade. 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.

So as you can see by the same color highlighted parts. It matches quiet well. But we are gonna focus on the green highlighted part now.

As you can see ithan thinks that it resembled a six-pointed star when bryce made the drop with the Heart Gate.

Hypaxia said, “Look at the Gates.” The quartz Gates across the city began to glow. Red, then orange, then gold, then white. Firstlight erupted from them. Lines of it speared out in every direction. The lights flowed down the ley lines between the Gates, connecting them along the main avenues. It formed a perfect, six-pointed star. The lines of light began to spread. Curving around the city walls. Cutting off the demons now aiming for the lands beyond. Light met light met light met light. Until the city was ringed with it. Until every street was glowing. And Bryce was still making the Drop. It was joy and life and death and pain and song and silence.

The important part is here that it was the Heart Gate. The center of the crescent city. Map:

One of seven in this city, all carved from enormous blocks of quartz hewn from the Laconian Mountains to the north, the Old Square Gate was often called the Heart Gate, thanks to its location in the dead center of Lunathion, with the other six Gates located equidistant from it, each one opening onto a road out of the walled city.

So it is the...heart. you know what is described as heart in acotar? RAMIEL.

Ramiel. The sacred mountain. The heart of not only Illyria, but the entirety of the Night Court.

A little elain quote:

“When I sleep,” she murmured, “I can hear your heart beating through the stone.” She angled her head, as if the city view held some answer. “Can you hear mine?”

And in my wild hunt post I theorized that Ramiel felt like the gates in a way. Because I think sarah took inspo from the Lia Fail stone from myths. It is one of the four treasures of Tuantha De Danaan. I went into more detail in my wild hunt post I link so Im not gonna add everything here again.

So Lia Fail.

The Lia Fáil was thought to be magical: when the rightful High King of Ireland put his feet on it, the stone was said to roar in joy. The stone is also credited with the power to rejuvenate the king and also to endow him with a long reign.

And we know that ramiel stone heals.

“Who healed you?” Nesta pulled back to survey them. “How are you even here?” “The stone,” Emerie explained, features soft with wonder. “It healed every wound on us the moment it brought us out of the Rite. We arrived here, of all places.”“I think it knew where we were needed most,” Gwyn said quietly, and Nesta smiled.

And we know that with firstlight you can heal. Does the ramiel stone consist firstlight and it works in a gate like way? It literally teleported them? How can it do that?

In hosab we have this:

“Your power came from the Gate—with a shit-ton of firstlight mixed in. So your magic—beyond the light, I mean— needs to be powered up. It relies on firstlight, or any other form of energy it can get. You’re literally a Gate: you can take in power and offer it. But it seems the similarity ends there. The Gates can store power indefinitely, while yours clearly peters out after a while.”

So a gate can take power and offer it and it can store indefinitely. If we take the ramiel as a first light storage of daglan with the ramiel stone it is working like a gate would?? Because in hofas the daglan under prison said they hid many things...under mountains as well.

Vesperus backed up a half step, hissing at the gleaming weapon. “We hid pockets of our power throughout the lands, in case the vermin should cause … problems. It seems our wisdom did not fail us.” “There are no such places,” Azriel countered coldly. “Are there not?” Vesperus grinned broadly, showing all of her too-white teeth. “Have you looked beneath every sacred mountain? At their very roots? The magic draws all sorts of creatures. I can sense them even now, slithering about, gnawing on the magic. My magic. They’re as much vermin as the rest of you.”

We have another light and dark scene with important sword and dagger. The dagger that was in the elriel scene—TT and Gwydion.

They are white and dark light—Alpha and Omega.(I have a post about this)

The male drew it, and Bryce flinched.

Flinched, but—“What the fuck?” The knife could have been the twin of the Starsword: black hilted and bladed. It was its twin. The Starsword began to hum within its sheath, glittering white light leaking from where leather met the dark hilt. The dagger— The male dropped the dagger to the plush carpet. All of them retreated as it flared with dark light, as if in answer. Alpha and Omega. “Gwydion,” the dark-haired female whispered, indicating the Starsword.

And whats important is that with her power bryce can unite them to open a portal to nowhere.

Polaris’s eyes widened as Bryce plunged the blades into her chest. And as those blades thrust through skin and bone, the star in Bryce’s own chest flared out to meet them. It collided with the blades, and both sword and knife blazed bright, as if white-hot. The light extended up through Bryce’s hands, her arms, her body, turning her incandescent— Into a star. A sun.

What's important is that as bryce collects Theia's power that was parted into three parts she starts to realize it is taking a touch of darkness...

Bryce rolled her eyes, but for a heartbeat, Hunt wondered if Thanatos was right: Bryce had explained how the prism in the Autumn King’s office had revealed her light to now be laced with darkness, as if it had become the fading light of day, of twilight—

And we go to that scene...

With a prayer to Cthona, she sent twin beams of light arcing around the prisms, shooting straight into them.Twin bursts of that light flared from either prism, gunning for each other. Bands of light falling into darkness, her power stripped to its most elemental, basic form. They shot for each other, and where they met, light and darkness and darkness and light slamming into each other—Bryce stepped into the explosion in the heart of it. Stepped into her power.It lit her up from the inside, lit up her very blood. Her hair drifted above her head, pens and papers and other office detritus flowing upward with it. Such light and darkness—the power lay in the meeting of the two of them. She understood it now, how the darkness shaped the light.

And the purple highlighted part...it is exactly the same as the six pointed star.

Ithan angled his head. “A six-pointed star,” he said. Like the one Bryce had made between the Gates this spring, with the seventh candle at its center. “It’s a symbol of balance,” she explained, moving away a foot, but keeping the dagger at her side. Her crown of cloudberries seemed to glow with an inner light. “Two intersecting triangles. Male and female, dark and light, above and below … and the power that lies in the place where they meet.”

And if we go by the elriel scene...

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade. 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.

Can you see the connection?

Also that elemental part in bryce's scene. we learn about that in acosf.

Cassian forced himself to sit perfectly still as Rhys dragged a hand through his black hair. “Once, the High Fae were more elemental, more given to reading the stars and crafting masterpieces of art and jewelry and weaponry. Their gifts were rawer, more connected to nature, and they could imbue objects with that power.”

And we know how theia and her line can use the TT and Starsword bc she helped them make them.

Theia extended her hands toward the water, the offered blades. And on phantom wings, sword and dagger soared for her. Summoned to her hands.Starlight flared from Theia as she snatched the sword and knife out of the air, the blades glowing with their own starlight. My mother returned that day with only Pelias and my father’s blades. As she had helped Make them, they answered to the call in her blood. To her very power.

So maybe Azriel and Elain have some kind of elemental magic as well?

Also the stone on top of ramiel...sings.

But when he’d touched the onyx monolith, when he’d felt that ancient force sing into his blood in the heartbeat before it had whisked him back to the safety of Devlon’s camp … It had been worth it. To feel that. With a solemn bow of his head toward Ramiel and the living stone atop it, Cassian caught another swift wind and soared southward.(acofas)

TT and Gwydion also sing.

“Let’s go,” Azriel said, and released her hand. Because the sword and dagger weren’t merely tugging now. They were singing, and all she had to do was reach out for them—

What's more interesting is @icedflames made a post about Fragarach and about the connection between gwydion and tt which came true in cc2 as we learned they were connected.

You have to stand on top of Lia Fail stone with Fragarach.

In Irish mythology, Fragarach (or Freagarthach), known as "The Whisperer", "The Answerer", or "The Retaliator", was the sword of Nuada, the first high king. The sword was forged by the gods and was meant to be wielded only by those who posed above the stone of destiny (the Lia Fail) which roared and the sword whispered in response.

So do we need to take Gwydion and TT to Ramiel? To that Stone? We need Elriel to do it bc all of them are "light and dark"? What will happen if they are all there?

Also dont forget about book of breathings prophecy.

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.

Also Fionn dipped the Gwydion to Cauldron.

Another shift of memory, and Fionn pulled a long blade from the Cauldron, dripping water. A black blade, whose dark metal absorbed any trace of light around it. Bryce’s knees weakened. The Starsword. Two other figures stood there, veiled in the thick snow, but Bryce hardly got a chance to wonder about them before Silene’s narration began anew.

And Cauldron sits upon Ramiel.

“The Cauldron,” Nesta said hours later, pointing to yet another carving on the wall. It indeed showed a giant cauldron, perched atop what seemed to be a barren mountain peak with three stars above it. Azriel halted, angling his head. “That’s Ramiel.” At Bryce’s questioning look, he explained, “A mountain sacred to the Illyrians.”

So we are going to ramiel with gwydion and tt? 🫡

[ofbreathandflame]

I think the best argument against "He didnt have a choice" ( i think this is why choice is rhysands favorite word 🥴) is you're right, he didn't. The AUTHOR did. Sjm had a choice and still she went for the worst and more illogical one. She still decides to put the women in her series under awful situations without further consequences. I really dislike phrases like "my characters wanted me to write them that way" or "my characters lead the story". Im always yes this is a romantic way to see the writing process but ill never forget this author who said "my characters do whatever the hell I want them to do".

hi anon!!!! (sorry this is a super old anon that i actually finished writing a while ago sorry nonny💙. can’t think of anything to say so im just posting old stuff in my drafts today 🫶🏾)

i agree! its a problem on multiple different levels. for one, sjm often relies on telling the audience what we should get out of a scene, instead of what allowing us to form our own takeaways. its a very hand-holding type of storytelling; in consequence, the 'evidence' being derived is often contradictory to actual events. like the story can argue that "change is slow," and thats why illyria and the con persist, but that statement is consistently proven to be incorrect.

lets look at how invalid the idea of 'change is slow is'

in one year - feyre is able to become high lady, effectively creating an entirely new governing system, in which, a high lord can give a person absolute power of the court (remember - what feyre and rhysand say is 'law'). there is no process, no objection, or any fear of reprimand. rhys doesn't even have to consult his second-in-command. not only that - but feyre is also allowed power over the court of nightmares, which politically, is supposedly an entirely different governing state. again - keir and devlon are not consulted about this.

it took six months to produce to first illyrian female warrior to complete the rite in history. in the span of six months - emerie completes the rite. thats more illyrian women than rhys, az, and cass's entire 300-400 year reign.

it takes feyre less than a month to completely cause an entire court to fall - yet regimes such as tam's father, beron, and amarantha somehow persisted as long as they despite them being canonically worse rulers. even - and i mean even - if tamlin was the worst leader to have ever walked this earth, it would still take more than three to four weeks. and factoring in that this is a population of immortal, canonically 'slow-to-change' individuals.......

like - how slow can the change actually be? how can the book possibly explain how such drastic changes happen from book to book but not in 400 years? how come there have been no illyrian women in the army or in the rite if cassian and rhys have earnestly been working with the females in illyria? even the few moments we see them at illyria, they still seem to be at a rudimentary level; there's no established female training areas, no veteran trainees, no consequences for breaking the law in regards to the females...there's nothing that suggests any actual measures have been taken.

that's just one example of 'canon' statements acting in contradiction the previously established pieces of information. more - its a consistent pattern of contradiction in regards to certain characters. its their natural characterization acting against the forced narrative voice.

and this makes it problem on mulitiple fronts.

and even more, off the point you made about the women in her stories - i think there needs to be a larger conversation had about the patterns of female violence in these books; specifically the role that female violence plays in establishing sexual tension and relationships in general. or...the amount of times the female protagonist has to undergo some extreme form of humiliation at the behest of future love interest; there's an utter lack of this with the men.

sjm is a very intentional author - these problems exist because of how intentional she is as a writer. i know exactly the function of each scene, exactly what emotion the she wants me to feel. this is not because these characters are written well, but because we are often just told it. feyre can 'express' disdain for rhysand'a actions, but she often undermines her own inner thoughts about the issue. feyre’s inner thoughts are often abuse apologist 101 and in retrospect it’s kind of painful the way she consistently makes excuses for rhys, even when it’s her well-being being threatened and undermined. and that’s honestly bc sjm’s narrative voice supersedes the natural characterization of her characters. sjm doesn’t know how to organically create conflict between characters she actually likes bc she doesn’t know how to write conflict. it’s a consistent pattern in her series and it’s why all the villains suck and all battles ultimately fall flat.

but the problem becomes a bit broader (i.e. this is a larger issue in publishing and literary crit). some of the arguments that i see often, and that i referenced in my last post are these:

"why read this this book if you don't like the characters?" "why continue to read the book if you don't like it?" "this is a book about fairy porn - why are you analyzing it." "i read for fun." (this is not a bad statement, but it becomes troublesome in the context i will explain)

the commonality between these statements is that they are avoidant. often, they are employed when people can't explain away the amounting problems in the series, so they avoid the conversation.

because for one, you should never (and I means NEVER) say that a piece of literature should not be analyzed. or that fantasy negates interrogation into harmful themes. that’s just anti intellectual nonsense. second, if we’re arguing about real world issues bc of the book; of if your argument is that tamlin is abusive bc he did abusive things, then you literally can’t make this argument. the whole point of moving from tam is bc he was…abusive. abuse is not a fantasy. regardless of what the author intends, if a character is abusive or does absuive things, we should be looking at that.

look…if you are defending rhys using the logic the book establishes please have it. but the moment you implicate real-world values into this story, you’ve got to see it to the end. the same goes for the series as a whole: the second maf decided to integrate a ‘domestic violence plot lines’ specifically referring to behaviors as ‘red flags’ it immediately kind of gave up the kind of distance the fantasy romance genre usually gives to such issues.

[wingsdippedingold]

This isn’t a dig at whoever said this, that’s a totally valid reason not to like her… butttt it’s the most lukewarm take ever. Nesta antis conveniently forget that Feyre massacred a village, and that Rhysand also put Feyre through shit and never apologized, he just self-pities or started fucking her. I’ve never come across a true Nesta-anti who doesn’t love Rhysand for some reason.

“At least Elain was nice to Feyre” How about the fact that she wasn’t a war criminal 😭😭

Obviously personal character totally comes into play here, but Nesta hate is argued soley by the fact that she was mean to Feyre and how that trumps the good she did. Okay thats fine, but when it’s Rhysand he’s actually caring and super sincere? How does his actions throughout his reign NOT trump his good (that good also not actually being “good” because it was literally just his job).

How does the actions he committed while “wearing a mask” NOT trump the fact that he was wearing a mask and “actually good”

idgaf if you hate Nesta, but when u do so on account of her morality and then turn around and love every other character who has committed actual crimes it gets weird.

Same with Rhys and Tamlin, @moonsomnia said it best, Rhys is Tamlin in a sexy font. They both let women (Feyre and Nesta respectively) waste away while under their “protection.” They both abused Feyre, but Rhysand was desperate and trying to save Feyre so it was okay 🙄 (he was not trying to save Feyre, he was saving himself) AND SJM tries to tell us Rhysand is a good high lord, yet shows him being a bad high lord, and tells us Tamlin is a bad high lord, yet shows him being a good high lord.

Conclusion? SJM sucks at writing and is a bad person! Again! Istg that’s the conclusion of every post I make because she’s the root problem of everything wrong with the ACOTAR fandom, from the bigotry and hate she sows to the lack of reading skill and selective permissiveness of abuse.

p.s. I use Tamlin and Nesta pro tags, not because I condone their actions but because the hate they get is underserved half the time when the same energy needs to be kept for other characters.

ALSO HOW DID EMERIE GET A SINGLE VOTE ON THE LEAST FAV ACOTAR CHARACTER

[lavendarneverlands]

Refresh/Remind me with fanon & canon as I reread please and have so many questions after finishing all of ACOTAR (onto TOG & CC next)

~ ACOTAR WORLD ~

— Were all the high lords except for Tamlin previously captured & trapped for all 50 years? 

— What was the Night Court doing while Rhys was UTM?

— Is Mor’s power truth (if so, how does that work)?

— Did Rhys know Clare Beddor was a real person or did he think it was a fake name? (Couldn’t he read Feyre’s mind the whole time)?

— Were Rhys first words post UTM to Mor “she’s my mate”?

— Whatever happened to the child of the blessed Briar girl that Feyre saved?👀

— Is there any more canon than the single “she’s beautiful”🥹 Mor x Emerie scenes? Are they mates?

— Does Cassian ever ACTUALLY say “I love you” to Nesta?😭

— Was Nesta “technically” a witch when she had stolen Cauldron powers?

— Is Gwyn Azriel’s mate (Canon or Fanon)?

— Is Gwyn’s full name Gwyneth Berdera?

— Is their currently a High Priestess (or did they start a new rule post Ianthe)?

— Does Rhys, Cassian, or Azriel have a last name?

— Does Tamlin have a mate?

— Is Bryce from Crescent City (or is she a fan-made character)? / Is Bryce the same as Bryaxis? *If this is a major spoiler please don’t answer as I’m reading Crescent City and Throne of Glass next. 😅🤣 lol*

— What decides what the Bone Carver appears to you as?

… Thing to save you, Worst fear, Thing that will destroy you? Etc.

And what does it appear to each character as (Cassian especially)? — Along with what does Cassian see Bryaxis as?

— Speaking of… WHERE THE HECK IS BRYAXIS? How will Feyre get her😅 … Is that bargain technically broken (can bargains even be broken) if so, could she (and therefore Rhys) die from it??

— What/Who gave Cassian the chest, heart, and throat scar?😬

— Can mates be unrequited, ignored, once in a lifetime, multiple, platonic, etc.

Could for instance: Elain be Lucien’s mate, but Elain’s mate be Azriel, and Azriel’s mate be Gwyn? *or Lucien having a second mate in Elain after his tragic first love (can’t remember if his autumn court lover was his “mate” or not).

— Who holds the title “Queen of Queens” (is this fan given?) I’ve seen it both with Nesta & Mor and I’m quite curious in each characters “Court” story/placement.

— Can you rule a Court without being an Heir/Spouse? (though Feyre totally earned it, honestly it was more like an overdo promotion, so NOT saying she “JUST MARRIED HER WAY IN IN” to be clear)… More like: Could Lucien (being a double sided illegitimate son) be given the reigns to Spring Court (if Tamlin died, retired, was exiled, or goes into the intensive therapy that he so desperately needs)… In that could Elain then become High Lady of Spring Court (or just be given it or “Mother” chosen for her own character (mate aside)); cause she has the vibe (plus it would be cool triad yin-yang with a sister of night, another of death (and now mother given power… so life? … Is Nesta now life & death?) and the last being her (Elain) & of spring (it would have real Mother Nature / Persephone vibes).

[intomusings]

﹒﹒  unisex   names   masterlist     !

back  again  with  another  masterlist  for  u  all  after  receiving  some  anon  suggestions  .  here's  250+  unisex  first  names  for  ur  next  character  ,  these  come  from  various  influence  points  but  some  of  them  really  are  just  pulled  from  thin  air  .  the  names  are  sorted  by  first  letter  but  not  alphabetically  within  each  letter  !  if  u  found  this  useful  ,  feel  free  to  like  or  reblog  to  boost  this  .

A : ashtyn , avery , adrian , anderson , abbott , aaren , aki , alix , amari , aden , arden , addison , angel , arizona , armani , ayla , austen , avani , august , ajay . 

B : bailey , beck , bellamy , blaine , blake , brooks , bryce , bodhi , beverly , boston , boyd , benz , banks .

C : cameron , camden , carter , casey , charlie , chicago , carson , courtney .

D : dakota , dallas , delaney , denver , dylan , drew , dua .

E : eden , eli , elliot , emerson , emery , erin , evan , everest , ezra .

F : fallon , finley , finn , forest , foster , finnick , frankie .

G : gem , gabe , gray , genesis , garnet , greer .

H : hale , harley , harlow , harper , haven , hayden , hayes , hunter , hero , holland , hollis , hudson , honey .

I : indy , indiana , isa .

J : jace , jack , jade , jamie , jay , joey , jordan , jude , juniper , julian , jagger , journey .

K : kali , keegan , kelan , kendal , kenzie , kieran , kit , knox , kyle , kaiden , karsyn , kourtney .

L : lake , laurence , lennon , lennox , landry , levi , logan , london , luca , lux , lyric , love , link , lincoln .

M : maddox , madison , manning , manny , marlow , marley , mason , max , morgan , montana , milo , michi , memphis , milan , mica .

N : nevada , nicky , noah , nye , nova , nash , nyjah .

O : ollie , ozzy , orion , onyx , oakley , owen , oliver , ocean , opal , otto , orlando , odelia .

P : paris , pratt , parker , pascal , pax , paxton , paxon , penn , peyton , phoenix , presley , psalm , pearl .

Q : quincy , quinn , quentin .

R : rae , ryan , reagan , reed , reece , rei , rem , riley , river , robin , rocky , rory , royal , rowan , ryder , ryker , reign , rue .

S : sean , sacha , sailor , salem , sam , sawyer , scout , shiloh , skye , skyler , sloane , sol , spencer , stevie , sutton , sydney , storm , sab , seven , saint , sage , shelby , silver .

T : tai , teagan , torrence , tyler , tristan , trevor , tove , toni , tommy , theo , terry , tatum , tanner , tate , tayler , taryn , tris .

U : uma .

V : val , vesper , vega , vaughn , vince , venus , vinny .

W : waverly , wade , whitney , winnie , willy , wylie , wren , wyatt , winter , winslow , wolfe , west , weston .

X : xio , xyla , xashary .

Y : yael , yves , yara , yensi , yale .

Z : zane , zuri , zoe , zion , zayden , zero .

[voidcommascreamintothe]

On how people think Nesta is the abuser in early acotar

Okay, so..

1) the series was never supposed to be more that three books, therefore all secondary characters are bland and not developed that well, or at all.

2) Nesta’s and Elain’s primary- dare I say, only, narrative purpose in the first book was to get us, the audience on board with Feyre’s decision to stay in the Spring Court fairly early in the story. Ugly (step)sisters as narrative shorthand for “main girl’s life is awful so she needs to skedaddle very quickly”.

Now that we have that out of the way, Nesta in book one is so very different than the Nesta in the other books. I remember reading these books (the first time round) and getting whiplash at how different the characterization was for both sisters really.

I am aware that a lot of people are very passionate about their defense of Feyre, but I beg you, down on my knees with my hands clasped in a prayer, i beg you to realize that these were children and teenagers we are talking about. Children and teenagers that were never taught how to love. Nesta was never taught how to be nice, only how to seduce a rich husband, with perfectionism beaten into her. It very clearly states, in book four, that Nesta is all claws and sharp edges because she was forced to be that. And so when the time came to reign in that spitefulness, she realized it became a permanent feature of herself.

I do not think people realize just how difficult it is to learn how to show and accept love, even more so when you have to teach yourself in adulthood because you are trying to better yourself. Well I do.

This might count as insider trading: I am privy to this perspective because i have lived through something similar, but somewhere along the way, you do it because you need to forgive yourself and because it is the right thing to do; not to seek validation/forgiveness from others. Truly healing means accepting that you cannot change the past, and that you cannot make others accept your apology. But you apologize because it’s the right thing to do.

The beauty of Nesta’s book, is that you, dear audience member and beloved reader, do not have to forgive Nesta, she does not want it. The character you are defending already forgave her, so you become slightly less relevant in their story.

Tangentially related, but Feyre tried to reach out to Nesta multiple times in order to make amends, and only gave up when Rhys stepped in.. Foreshadowing is a narrative technique-

Insisting that a child can be abusive, insisting that CHILD Nesta was abusing Feyre is a dangerous line of thinking.

Child neglect and abuse is a heavy topic, and I don’t think I am educated enough to speak on it. All I will say is that assuming that every older child that grew up in a neglectful home in inherently abusive/neglectful themselves is an abhorrent thought to have. Being mean and outwardly cruel to people you love because you don’t know how to love them is not abuse, it is a cry for help.

In this scenario, we are talking about Nesta’s INACTION and lack of contribution. That is not abuse. It is of grave importance that people realize this. Nesta was groomed to be one thing and one thing only, a perfect wife. She was never taught how to love and care for her sisters, and had to learn this in adulthood, much like how Feyre had to do the same.

However Feyre was given grace, given support and understanding, given enough space to learn how to love freely and how to be loved.

The entire second book is about this. Do you people not read?

Nesta on the other hand, is ever only given this kind of treatment in book four, by Gwyn and Emerie: two characters that are removed from the Inner Circus and Rhysand. It is only when Rhysand suggests, and subsequently steamrolls over Feyre’s hesitations, that Nesta is removed from Feyre’s space, and Feyre herself stops reaching out. Only because Rhys mettles.

Like I stated above, foreshadowing is a narati-

Like many of you, Rhysand loves Feyre, and goes to extreme lengths to protect her and keep her safe. However, he is extremely biased against Nesta, pouring all of his anger at how mistreated Feyre was onto Nesta. Nesta bears the brunt of his terribly misguided attempt to protect Feyre, and Elain is left on the sidelines, just like she was when she tried to take accountability for her own failure during the Archeron’s poverty era. And yet, Rhysand ignores this.

Elain is viewed as the innocent child that is incapable of coherent thought. Elain is much softer in appearance therefore is considered to be almost incapable of carrying blame. Somehow, most likely because Nesta does not conform nor does she assimilate into Fae life the way Elain does, Elain is perceived to be the “good one”. Make no mistake, Rhysand keeps Elain around to use her against Nesta- the scrying incident in Silver Flames; he does not really respect her. Otherwise he would have held her just as responsible as Nesta. Instead, he and the others, treat Elain like a dimwit and Nesta as the pariah.

All of this, this being Rhysand being kind of a shitty dude, all of it would have been fine, were it not for the fact that Rhysie is consistently justified by the narrative. He is clearly the favourite character if the author and is always positioned to be the Moral Compass of the story, and therefore always positioned to be the one who is in the right. All of Rgysand’s moves and decisions are made out to be the decision, the only correct ones, the ones that the audience is supposed to have/share/approve of,

The fact that us girlies are having a tussle over a lot of the female characters simply because on how the narrative favors a male character, and how that male character keeps meddling in women’s affairs, is honestly some kind of profound irony.

The author’s inability to let go of her favoritism of said male character is boiling my piss and curdling my menstrual blood.

Bonsoir.

Ps.

Being mean and outwardly cruel to people you love because you don’t know how to love them is not abuse, it is a cry for help.

[lorcandidlucienwill]

What if Nesta decided to destroy the Inner Circle part 6

Nesta was frozen in shock as Rhysand pressed that blade harder against her throat. If she moved an inch, the blade would cut her throat. If she spoke, the blade would cut her throat.

“Come to kill your pregnant sister, Nesta?” Rhysand said, holding her body against him. Nesta couldn’t even open her mouth to contradict the blatant lie. She hadn’t prepared for this. She had been so focused on Feyre that she hadn’t even noticed him coming. She cursed herself for her lack of vigilance.

“She just wanted to talk, Rhysand,” Feyre said calmly. “Drop the weapon.”

Rhysand did no such thing. “Drop it,” Feyre said, more bite in her voice now. “You’re not going to kill my sister.”

“Why not? She left you for dead all those years ago,” Rhysand said. Nesta tunneled into her power. “She has done more than enough since,” Feyre replied. “I forgave her. Besides, she’s my sister, and I love her.”

Rhysand scowled, but he loosened the blade’s hold slightly. “Drop it,” Feyre said. “For Cauldron’s sake, drop it, Rhysand!” Blood had seeped from Nesta’s neck down into the collar of her shirt. Come on, Nesta urged her power, come on. Rhysand turned to Feyre. “Fine,” he said, “but only because you-“

Rhysand gasped and winced as Nesta’s fire, cold as ice, melted the knife away, seeping into his fingertips. An unearthly snarl ripped from Rhysand as the Mask flew onto Nesta’s face.

“Surprise, motherfucker,” Nesta said. “I wonder what skeletons lie beneath this palace.”

And Nesta summoned the dead.

The rest of the Inner Circle seemed to have heard the noise and run towards Rhysand. Nesta’s group too. As they all gathered there, pandemonium began. Countless servants were seen to be fighting undead warriors. Mor was fighting Eris while Lucien was fighting Azriel. Cassian and Amren were fighting Gwyn and Emerie. As for Nesta, she went after Rhysand. She was wreathed in silver flames now, and she could scent the fear on the High Lord. But the High Lord was extremely powerful himself, and an exceptionally skilled fighter. He would not be going down without a fight. And where Nesta’s silver flames met Rhysand’s darkness, chaos reigned. As their magics fought for dominance, Nesta lunged at Rhysand with her sword. He met her blow with an exceptionally powerful one of his own, and only her Valkyrie training kept her from falling over. She parried and lunged out with her flames, seeking a weakness in his power and finding none.

“Stop!” Feyre screamed. “STOP!” Everyone ignored her. Rhysand tackled Nesta and she let him, penetrating his shoulder with her magic combined with her dagger. He winced, pulling away, and Nesta kneed him in the balls. He bent over, and Nesta reached for his vulnerable back, only to be blasted back by a hard shield. Suddenly, Nesta felt a vindictive force bang on the walls on her mind, and Nesta was relieved to have those walls of iron surrounding her mind. She laughed. “You would try to mind control me, High Lord? Really?” She stood up and reached deeper into her power than ever before, finding the depths that seemed impossible but were as real as anything she had ever experienced. And as she raised her sword to strike again, she found that her magic was starting to overwhelm his. Eris had been right on that account. However strong Rhysand may be, Nesta was stronger. Rhysand was the better fighter, and it took every bit of concentration in Nesta to keep up, but that’s all she needed to do: keep up. Once her magic overwhelmed his, it was over.

When at last her magic overcame his, she blasted him backwards and pressed her sword to his gut. “Any last words, Rhysand?”

Rhysand only laughed. “What are you laughing about? You’re about to die.”

“No, I’m not. Not unless you want Feyre to die, too.”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

It was Feyre who answered, “We made a pact- to die together.”

What the hell? “Why the fuck would you do that,” Nesta asked quietly. Tears bit the corner of Feyre’s eyes. “We nearly lost each other twice,” she whispered. “I couldn’t go through that again.”

“He’s an asshole!” Nesta screamed. “He hurt you. He hurt all of us! He’s hurt so many people.”

Feyre said nothing. Tears were flowing down her face at earnest. Nesta’s mind screamed at her to stab Rhysand, to make the killing blow. But she couldn’t.

Rhysand knew it, and a triumphant smile graced his face. He had a very punchable face, Nesta decided. “Checkmate,” he whispered.

“No.”

Nesta turned around to find Lucien approaching them, blood spattered across his face. Nesta dared look back for a brief moment at the chaos that ensured, finding Eris now facing off against Azriel instead. Nesta couldn’t see Mor anywhere.

“What do you mean, no?” Rhysand scoffed.

Lucien looked to Nesta. “You keep him occupied. I’m going to find a way to break the pact.”

“You can do that?”

“I can try.” Grim determination laced his face.

“And what makes you think that you can?”

“My father’s heritage.”

Nesta blinked. Rhysand tried to take advantage of her distraction, but she kneed him in the groin again and shoved her sword against his throat. “Stay. Down. What do you mean, your father’s heritage? Is Beron some kind of expert on this?”

“My father isn’t Beron.”

Nesta stared at him. “But your fire-“

“Comes from my mother. But my father is Helion. I think I can find a way to break this bargain. It’s going to be extremely hard though. And painful. For her.”

Nesta nodded. “Do it.”

“No,” Feyre whispered, but Lucien grabbed her and inspected the bargain tattoo. Then he took a deep breath and began. His hands began to glow not with his typical fire, but rather with a light reminiscent of the sun. Feyre screamed and thrashed as Lucien held his hands against her, trying to break the tattoo, as Nesta wrestled with the High Lord of Night, trying to keep him down. Lucien strained, sweat dripping from his face, his arms, as he exerted all his energy. Which turned out to be a lot. Ages had passed when Lucien finally withdrew his hands from Feyre. He spat blood on the floor.

“Did it work?” Nesta whispered. Lucien said, “Yes.” That was answer enough for Nesta, who smiled into the now-terrified face of Rhysand. “Checkmate.”

And Nesta shoved her sword in and ripped off the head of Rhysand. She turned around, head still in her hands. Lucien grimaced and looked away, but through the heat of battle Eris managed to meet her eyes.

And he smiled- smiled- at the brutality, her silver eyes, and the head she carried in her hands. The broadest smile she had ever witnessed.

Nesta carefully set the head down and turned to Feyre. “How is she?” Nesta asked Lucien.

“She has gone into labor!” Lucien panted. “All the stress of breaking the bond and the heat of battle must have brought it on!”

No. No-

The Illyrian baby.

After all the effort they had taken to break the death pact, Feyre was going to die anyway.

[elliemarchetti]

My aCoTaR fancast nobody asked for

Beware, this is a really long ride but I worked hard for it and spent more time than I want to admit doing my research so if you want to chat about my choices it would be appreciated

The Archerons

Abigail Cowen as Feyre Archeron

She’s talented, she’s good looking and she’s familiar with fantasy stuff, do I need to add more?

Age: 25 (March 18, 1998)

Height: 167 cm (5′6″)

Notable role(s): Dorcas in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018), Bloom in Fate: The Winx Saga (2021) and Angel in Redeeming Love (2022)

Madelyn Cline as Elain Archeron

Her face is so sweeeet 🥰

Age: 25 (December 21, 1997)

Height: 167 cm (5′6″)

Notable role(s): Sarah Cameron in Outer Banks (2020)

Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Nesta Archeron

She’s like the perfect older sister 🤷🏼‍♀️

Age: 26 (November 26, 1996)

Height: 169 cm (5′7″)

Notable role(s): Skade in The Last Kingdom (2018)

The Spring Court

Calahan Skogman as Tamlin

I’m not taking criticism on this

Age: 29 (May 13, 1993)

Height: 193 (6′4″)

Notable role(s): Matthias Helvar in Shadow and Bones (2021)

Jan Luis Castellanos as Lucien Vanserra

If LoA+Helion is the way the show wants to go too, he’s the right choice.

Age: 27 (September 11, 1995)

Height: 175 cm (5′9″)

Notable role(s): Diego Torres in 13 Reasons Why (2020)

Anne Winters as Ianthe

Just look at her, please

Age: 28 (June 3, 1994)

Height: 160 cm (5′3″)

Notable role(s): Chloe Rice in 13 Reasons Why (2018)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Alis

Everything she stars in tends to be a success, so call it superstition but I want her to play the best maid Feyre could wish for (and which I hope to see again in the next books) 

Age: 40 (April 21, 1983)

Height: 162 (5′4″)

Notable role(s): Talia in Larry Crowne (2011), Dido Elizabeth Belle in Belle (2013), Noni in Beyond the Lights (2014), Prema Mutiso in Concussion (2015),  Esme Manucharian in Miss Sloane (2016), Janelle Brady in The Whole Truth (2016), Ava Hamilton in The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), Dr. Kate Murry in A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and Ravonna Renslayer in Loki (2021)

The Night Court

The Inner Circle

Staz Nair as Rhysand

If you all take my suggestion seriously before starting to rant, you will see it too. I know the age difference between him and Abigail Cowen is kind of huge, but she’s tough and I think she can handle it

Age: 31 (June 17, 1991)

Height: 185 (5′11”)

Notable role(s): Qhono in Game of Thrones (2016)

Chuku Modu as Cassian

Give him long hair and a hint of beard and we’re good.

(No, I don’t want to hear you say Can Yaman is better.

No, I don’t want 37 yo Roman Reigns to star next to 25 yo Abigail Cowen and make sexual jokes nearly half of the time.

Yes, I’m aware he’s just five years younger than the aforementioned wrestler but five years sometimes are a big deal and they are now.)

Age: 32 (July 19,1990)

Height: 193 cm (6′4″)

Notable role(s): Aggo in Game of Thrones (2016) and Dr. Jared Kalu in The Good Doctor (2017)

Drew Ray Tanner as Azriel Shadowsinger

I know he’s cute but I bet he can make the tormented look work

Age: 31 (February 12, 1992)

Height: 178 (5′1′”)

Notable role(s): Fangs Fogarty in Riverdale (2017)

Halston Sage as The Morrigan

I don’t know if I want to be her or kiss her. Either way, what a bliss.

Age: 29 (May 3, 1993)

Height: 166 cm (5′5″)

Notable role(s): Lacey Pemberton in Paper Towns (2015)

Park So-Dam as Amren

The likelihood that she won't accept is very high, but if she were to, it would be wonderful

Age: 31 (September 8, 1991)

Height: 162 (5′4″)

Notable role(s): Kim Ki-jung in Parasite (2019)

The Valkyrie

Kirby Johnson as Gwyneth Berdara

If you have some influence in the matter, please help this girl to be casted in something different than a horror. 

Age: 27 (February 12, 1996)

Height: 173 cm (5′8″)

Notable role(s): Hannah Grace in The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018)

Ella Balinska as Emerie

All hail our Illyrian queen, badass fighter, former netball player and part-time model

Age: 26 (October 4, 1996)

Height: 181 cm (5′11″)

Notable role(s): Jane Kano in Charlie’s Angels (2019)

Keeping Up with the Vanserras

I’m not going to cast the dead brothers, but if you have someone you feel like would fit in, I might add them to fill the void

Trevor Stines as Vanserra Brother n.1

I know he’s younger than Jan Luis Castellanos and taller than Ruairi O’Connor, but I want him to be a Vanserra so bad I have to put him here

Age: 26 (July 15, 1996)

Height: 185 cm (6′1″)

Notable role(s): Brett in The Amityville Terror (2016) and Jason Blossom in Riverdale (2017)

Dacre Montgomery as Vanserra Brother n.2

I think he’s good at playing the bad guy so he should be casted, period

Age: 28 (November 22, 1994)

Height: 176 cm (5′9″)

Notable role(s):  Jason Scott / Red Ranger in Power Rangers (2017), Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things (2017) and Steve Binder in Elvis (2022)

Cameron Monaghan as Vanserra Brother n.3

IDK, I think he would like to play the deranged dude again, at least for a while

Age: 29 (August 16, 1993)

Height: 179 cm (5′10″)

Notable role(s): Ian Gallagher in Shameless (2011), Mason Ashford in Vampire Academy (2014), Asher in The Giver (2014), Jerome Valeska in Gotham (2015) and James Walker in Amityville: The Awakening (2017)

Ruairi O’Connor as Eris Vanserra

I just want to see this man more, I’m not even sorry for it

Age: 31 (July 9, 1991)

Height: 178 (5′10″)

Notable role(s): Henry VIII in The Spanish Princess (2019) and Arne Cheyenne Johnson in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Kristofer Hivju as Beron Vanserra

☑️ red hair

☑️ good beard

☑️ evil dilf vibe

Age: 44 (December 7, 1978)

Height: 183 cm (5′11″)

Notable role(s): Jonas in The Thing (2011), Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones (2011), Connor Rhodes in The Fate of the Furious (2017) and Kristoffer in Cocainebear (2023)

Gemma Arterton as Lady of Autumn

By mortal standards she'd be a little too young to play Lucien and Eris' mother, but as the Fae age differently (and in a poorly explained way) in this universe, I'd appreciate her resemblance to Jan Luis Castellanos being exploited

Age: 37 (February 2, 1986)

Height: 170 cm (5′7″)

Notable role(s): Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace (2008), Io in Clash of the Titans (2010), Tamina in Prince of Persia (2010) and Gretel in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Ismael Cruz Cordova as Helion

I know he’s light skinned but if we want to make the retcons and the plot twist work in the show he needs to be

Age: 36 (April 7, 1987)

Height: 178 (5′10″)

Notable role(s): Davide Rizzio in Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and Arondir in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

Hybern (and the possible prequel about the war)

Katharine McPhee as Amarantha

I have to be honest, I choose the actress for Clythia first but I think they kind of look alike so, why not?

Age: 39 (March 25, 1984)

Height: 170 cm (5′7″)

Notable role(s): Harmony in The House Bunny (2008) and Beth in Shark Night (2011)

Eleanor Tomlinson as Clythia

I don’t know about you but I want something more than a couple flashbacks of the war and since a TV show is not a first person POV, I want to go deeper into what happened at the time and for that, we need to cast the right girl

Age: 30 (May 19, 1992)

Height: 171 (5′7″)

Notable role(s): Isabel Neville in The White Queen (2013), Georgiana Darcy in Death Comes to Pemberley (2013),  Demelza Carne Poldark in Poldark (2015),  Georgie Raoul-Duval in Colette (2018) and Amy in The Wars of the World (2019)

Matt Smith as The King of Hybern

For my peace of mind, he needs to play someone who couldn’t be seen as an heartthrob

Age: 40 (October 28, 1882)

Height: 181 cm (5′11″)

Notable role(s): The Doctor in Doctor Who (2010), Thomas in Womb (2010), Alex/Skynet in Terminator Genisys (2015), Mr Collins in Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (2016), Prince Philip in The Crown (2016), Morgan in Patient Zero (2018), Jack in Last Night in Soho (2021), Richard Galloway in The Forgiven (2021), Milo/Lucien in Morbius (2022) and Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon (2022)

Dylan O’Brien as Jurian

Just watch his filmography and tell me he wouldn’t be the perfect Jurian 

Age: 31 (August 26, 1991)

Height: 178 cm (5′10″)

Notable role(s):  Stiles Stilinski in Teen Wolf (2011), Stuart Twombly in The Internship (2013), Thomas in The Maze Runner (2014), Mitch Rapp in American Assassin (2017) and Joel Dawson in Love and Monsters (2020)

The High Lords and their Courts

The Winter Court

Luke Baines as Kallias

He can be the James Marsters of our time

Age: 32 (June 8, 1990)

Height: 179 cm (5′11″)

Notable role(s): Jonathan Morgenstern in Shadowhunters (2019)

Sasha Luss as Viviane

Before I found out the Samos siblings are half asian, I wanted her to play Evangeline in the Red Queen adaptation. Now is my time to shine

Age: 30 (June 6, 1992)

Height: 178 cm (5′10″)

Notable role(s): Princess Lihio-Minaa in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) and Anna Poliatova in Anna (2019)

The Summer Court

Micheal Ward as Tarquin

I'm starting to think I should have put the fanart that inspired me because in this case the resemblance is uncanny

Age: 25 (November 18, 1997)

Height: 175 (5′9″)

Notable role(s): Brendan in The A List (2018)

Coco Jones as Cresseida

Disney Channel mistreated her, I won't

Age: 25 (January 4, 1998)

Height: 178 cm (5′10″)

Notable role(s): Roxanne “Roxie” Andrews in Let It Shine (2012) and Hilary Banks in Bel-Air (2022)

Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Varian

Can he have white dreads instead of just white hair?

Age: 28 (July 23, 1994)

Height: 170 cm (5′7″)

Notable role(s): Mason in Assassination Nation (2018) and B.B. King in Elvis (2022)

The Dawn Court 

Evan Evagora as Thesan

Aaaaaand... you made it to the end. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my silly comments and please don’t start a war in the comments, this is just for fun

Age: 26 (August 10, 1996)

Height: 186 cm (6′1″)

Notable role(s): Elnor in Star Trek: Picard (2020)

[fieldofdaisiies]

gwyn x balthazar | 2,9k words | warnings: none| masterlist

Nesta is already waiting at the entrance to the library. Expectation is etched upon every line of her face. Actually her whole body. She spreads her arms wide when she sees Gwyn approach and then wraps her into a bone-crashing hug. "You need to tell me everything. Every little secret, I want to know everything. Only if you want to and ready to tell me, of course. But I am burning to know." She squeezes Gwyn anew, her heart swelling with happiness for her best friend. 

Gwyn giggles and hugs her tightly. "How do you know there is so much to tell? Maybe we just held hands…"

Nesta leans back, hands placed on Gwyn's upper arms, a frown on her face. "You smell like you have bathed in Balthazar's scent. He is all over you, there is no denying that you have done more than holding hands, and I can't even tell you how happy I am for you."

"You are?" Gwyn asks and knows it is a silly question. Of course Nesta is. But that feeling is something she is not really used to - someone being happy for her. That someone is truly happy for her and the things she gets to experience despite her past.

"I am. More than you can imagine." Nesta brings her in for another hug.

Together they make their way down to the library, to one of the couches at the further back on the level of Gwyn's room. Nesta brought some hot chocolate down here before, as well as many blankets and cushions. It is sad that Emerie is not here, but she is needed in her shop and couldn't leave. So, for this little, partly sleepover, it will just be Gwyn and Nesta. And that is alright. She will tell Emerie at a later point. 

Nesta takes a sip form her hot chocolate, then crosses her legs beneath her, pulls her blanket up to her hips and reaches over to grab Gwyn's hand. "Do you want to tell me about you and Balthazar? It is alright if not." Her eyes convey more than her words say, her gaze soft and empathetic. She knows it might be difficult for Gwyn to talk about it, talk about her experience with him. But she also wants to give Gwyn a place where she can talk about these things. Maybe Gwyn has something on her mind, maybe she wants to share something with Nesta so they can talk about it. 

Gwyn reaches into her pocket, and pulls out the little fish. She places it on the table next to her cup and looks at it for a second, then back at Nesta. "He is a good male."

Gwyn smiles to herself. "He is so good. And so kind. And he…he did not push me. He told me he loved me and he did not expect anything from me."

Gwyn gives Nesta's hand a little squeeze. "I could feel his desire." Gwyn bites down on her lip, cheeks turning a dark shade of red. "Could see it." She giggles and it draws a little chuckle from Nesta as well. 

"And yet…he told me he would wait 500 years for me. He said that we would do it at my pace. He would never rush me, and he did not. He let me decide when I was ready. He gave me the reigns. He made love to me, but I was the one leading us, guiding us." Gwyn sighs loudly, chest warm and full of love.

Nesta smiles, eyes shimmering. "Was it good? Could you enjoy it?" she asks in a voice barely above a whisper. 

Gwyn nods eagerly. "So good and yes, yes I could. Every moment of it." Her gaze turns dreamy, recalling the exact way he made love to her, what he told her, how he touched and kissed her. "You have no idea how good it was. How good he felt. He is this large Illyrian, but he was so soft. He treated me so gently."

Nesta leans in to give Gwyn another hug. "I am so glad he made you feel good and you enjoyed yourself. You deserve this, Gwyn."

"I've never felt so good in my entire life." A grin parts her lips. 

"This is what you deserve. This male, and how he makes you feel. The kind of life you deserve."

"Do you really think I deserve him? It is not like—"

"You do!" Nesta gives Gwyn's hand a tight squeeze. "He is not like your Invoking Stone, sweetheart, albeit you deserve the stone as well, but with Balthazar it is different. You do deserve him. You deserve good things, love, a good male, phenomenal love making. You don't have to do anything to earn him, he came into your life because the Mother wanted to make you a gift. He came into your life because he is what you need and you are what he needs."

Gwyn has to laugh and shakes her head. "But he will be the camp lord and I am—"

"Gwyntheh Berdara, the bravest and toughest Valkyrie and Carinthian I have ever seen in my life. You deserve him. And this is actually not about deserving anyone. This is about love, you love him, he loves you. That's what matters."

Yes, it is, Gwyn thinks. Love is what connects them, but not only love. There is also—

"Did you say it back?"

Gwyn raises her brow and a soft "huh" leaves her. 

"That you love him?"

"Oh," she breathes and smiles, "I did! Of course, I did." Gwyn reaches down to grab her cup. She takes a sip and then places it down again so she can take the fish into her hand, holding it tightly. She draws in a deep inhale and closes her eyes for a moment. Her mind is clear and her breathing calm. "There is something I need to ask you, Nesta and you have to be very honest."

Nesta straightens up. "Of course. Everything."

"What did it feel like?" Gwyn asks, swallows and clears her throat. "How did it feel like when the bond between you and Cassian snapped in place?"

Nesta mouth opens and stays open. Her eyes widen and she stares at Gwyn - surprise glowing brightly in her blue eyes. "You think that you are mates?" Warmth fills her chest, pure happiness about Gwyn and Balthazar coursing through her entire being. 

Gwyn nods slowly. "I do. Since the first moment I've met him I felt this tug on my chest, like something is pulling on my ribcage. It sometimes got stronger when I was near him, sometimes vanished when I was with him. And then. It felt like lightning zipped between us. I was filled with heat and desire and love and warmth. I know this is the Mother's doing. This is done by the Cauldron. I think that he is…my mate. That Balthazar Attas is my mate."

"Yes, yes he is!" Nesta says. She doesn't know how she knows but somehow it all makes sense now. From the beginning on Gwyn has felt safe and good around Balthazar. She has trusted him, although he is a male. It makes sense. It all does. 

"Yes!" Gwyn brings a hand up and wipes away a few stray tears. "I haven't told him yet…"

"That is alright. Noting is rushing you," Nesta comforts her and smiles. "How do you feel about it, Gwyn? About everything, I mean."

"I feel like I am floating on a cloud. Like finally everything is going to be good, like I can conquer the world and like he is exactly the male I needed in my life. The male I've always hoped for. Mine. My equal. My partner. My—"

"Mate." Nesta grins. Gwyn inhales deeply. "Yes, my mate. I need to tell him."

"You do, but there is no rush. The mating bond is a huge thing, you don't have to pressure yourself with revealing it. He may have felt it too, and also wants to wait a little."

"You think he is unsure?"

"About you? Never. But he is a young male, maybe he feels overwhelmed, or not worthy of you. I think you there are still things you have to talk about with each other. The mating bond might now be one of these things."

Gwyn nods and her eyes glisten with happiness. She reaches out to hold Nesta's hand again. "Thank you, Nes. I feel like I'm on top of the world right now. I love him so much!"

Both females laugh, but it is Cassian clearing his throat that interrupts them. They turn towards the door, seeing the general fill out most of the doorframe, large wings tucked in behind his back. "Evening, ladies." He grins. "I did not mean to interrupt you, and I promise I heard nothing of your girly talk, but I come here with a message."

Nesta rolls her eyes, but has to smile. She is still so head over heels in love with him, that his sole appearance makes her heart flutter and skip a few beats. "Go ahead then," she says in a casual voice and fights the urge to jump up and run to him. 

"Azriel wanted to speak to you, Gwyn. He is waiting for you at the training pitch. He asked me if I could get you." Cassian leans against the door frame, shrugging at his mate's questioning look. 

"About what?" Gwyn asks, but Cassian has no answer for her, and so, after a quick conversation with Nesta, she decides to head up to the training pitch.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"Do you want to talk to me about the necklace again?" Gwyn can't avoid the slight note of mischief in her voice. She is approaching the shadowsinger with quick steps. Azriel is sitting on the floor, legs crossed at the ankles, wings draped on the ground behind him. 

Shame fills him, and he turns away his head. "Please," he says in a low voice, "don't bring that up again." He is has to chuckle a little himself, but actually feels more embarrassed than amused. Re-gifting a present is idiotic, but he hadn't thought about it back then. And it is not what he wants to talk to Gwyn about now. But it goes into the same direction. 

"What else?"

Azriel pats the spot next to him. "Please, take a seat." His face is illuminated by fairylights, but even in the darkness, with shadows dancing around him, Azriel no longer looks so dark and broody. He looks…peaceful. 

A tiny kernel of nervousness blooms inside of Gwyn. Not about talking to Azriel, or spending time alone with him. More about what he is about to say. She does not know what is about to come and that makes her nervous — uncertainty does. 

She claims the seat beside him and for a moment they are both silent, until Azriel starts to talk. "You and Balthazar, huh?"

She did not expect that and doesn't think that this is truly what he wants to talk about, but it is a good start for the conversation. 

"I like him a lot," Gwyn says and turns to her friend with a smile on her lips. Azriel is smiling as well, one of the few times he does, and it makes him look beautiful. Beautiful in a different way than how beautiful Balthazar is. Because no male is as beautiful as Balthazar—

Gwyn's thoughts have drifted off a little and she quickly tries to focus her whole attention back on Azriel who says, "You love him, Gwyn."

"I do!" Her smile turns into a grin. "But this is not what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

"I am very happy for you. He is the kind of male…you deserve." Azriel's voice turns a little solemn, almost a little sad but soon his eyes regain their glow and Azriel wipes his hands down his thighs. "And you are right, this is not what I wanted to talk about."

Silence once again falls over them and Gwyn gathers that Azriel might need a moment. It is alright, they have time, nothing is rushing them. 

Taking a deep breath, Azriel slowly begins to speak. His voice quivers, a sign that whatever he is about to reveal has been weighing on him heavily. "I've been away a lot lately, figuring things out. I like our friendship a lot, and I loved training with you a lot. And now that you often spent time with Balthazar, and Cass with Nesta, and Rhys with his family, I had a lot of time to think, to really focus on myself," he opens up, his eyes a mix of anxiety and determination. His gaze is focused on a spot in the distance and he starts to peel on his scars, tugging slightly. It is something he always does when deep in thought, Gwyn thinks. 

She senses his unease and reaches out, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It is a simple yet profound gesture, and means a lot for both of them. It is still not easy for Gwyn to touch a male like that, but with Azriel she feels safe — nothing can happen to her when she is with him. 

"I don't know why, but I feel like…I feel like I want to share this with you. You are the first person to know." The corner of his lips tips up a little. "I know that I am part of your past, of what happened to you, and I feel comfortable and safe enough to share what I have to share with you." He swallows thickly, chest rising with a deep inhale.

"I've hidden a part of myself. A big part…I had to figure out myself," he continues, his voice barely above a whisper. He pauses, his gaze fixed on an undefined point in the distance. "It wasn't easy to figure out, or rather…I've never considered it and then I had a really hard time coming to terms with it. The first time I truly started thinking about it was before the…war with Hybern. After the High Lord's meeting." Azriel turns to look at Gwyn, hoping he did not cross a line with mentioning Hybern. But Gwyn seems to be alright, her gaze full of empathy.

"I am now sure that like both males and females. That I find both males and females attractive."

The revelation hangs in the air, heavy with emotion and honesty. He has never spoken these words aloud before, but it feels so good. Like someone lifted a heavy rock from his chest. 

Gwyn can sense the sudden lightness, the weight being lifted from him. A crack has appeared in the facade he has meticulously built over the years and he is finally ready to leave people in and Gwyn feels more than honoured to be the first to learn about him and his preferences. 

Her eyes lock with his, but she doesn't say anything. Lets him continue when he is ready to do so. She is offering silent support and understanding without judgment, her hand still on his shoulder. 

The spymaster gathers his thoughts and continues, "I've been away a lot, mostly on spying missions. Alone, trying to come to terms with what I like, who I like, trying to accept who I am. I was raised in a surrounding that is not open towards such things, hence why for many centuries it didn't cross my mind that I could actually like males. But I'm more and more starting to feel at ease about the thought." The words pour out of the shadowsinger's mouth, each one a small step towards his self-acceptance.

"I am happy you shared this with me, and I am very proud of you. I think it is amazing you found out about this and come to accept who you are. There is nothing wrong with liking males, you know?"

"I know." He slowly dips his chin. "Mor and Emerie are spending a lot of time together, don't they?"

Gwyn nods, yet doesn't reveal more. It is not her place to reveal their relationship. 

"I think it is what I needed to see to really understand how I feel."

Gwyn smiles and pats his shoulder. "I am glad you did." Her voice is very soft and she turns her attention to the stars above. "Thank you for letting me in. It takes strength to be honest with yourself and especially with others."

His heart swells with gratitude for her and also relief - sharing it with someone is good. Azriel fully turns to her with a smile on his lips. Her words are like a soothing balm to his soul and heart. He wants to say something, but Gwyn beats him to it. 

"Is there someone?" She doesn't really know how to phrase it. "A certain male that makes you think that way? A male that has stolen your heart? Or is this just a general thought?"

His expression gives him away, forehead creasing, eyes narrowing, lips pursed, but Azriel shakes his head a second later, every emotion fading from his face. "No. No. No, specific male." He clears his throat. "Just in general."

She doesn't buy it, but of course also doesn't push him any further. If he wants to reveal it, he can. If he doesn't, she obviously won't force him to. It already took a lot of strength and confidence to tell her that, she want make him say anything he is not yet ready to reveal. 

"Thank you for listening to me, Gwyn."

"Always, shadowsinger." Gwyn winks at him. "And I'll promise you your secrets are safe with me. Always."

~~~~~~~ tag list: @a-frog-with-a-laptop @brekkershadowsinger @moonlightazriel @callmeblaire @headcanonheadcase @waternymphia @autumndreaming7 @devilsfoodcake22 @readercacau @sv0430 @bubybubsters @cyntia-ktn @honeysuckle-daydreams13

[aho-dapa]

Illyria and Night Court Fancast

was gonna just do the bat boys but well yeah that didn’t happen

the recent bat boys sjm pinterest boards got me bawling gimme a second 

(also this all come from my fancast list from MY rewrite so yeah this is how I see them specifically in my rewrite lest I get anons again trying to throw gloves to duel over white men apparently)

*I have my names for them to the side because sjm hasn’t named them yet (note on names: ap or fern means son or daughter of) 

young tyson ballou as rhysand (rhys ap arthur)

(man has gotta be slightly white-ish because canon is lies + no offense but I cannot find another rhys flavored photo of this man maybe I need to rethink but either way this is who rhys is in my mind rn)

or yknow, if i wanted to be petty, wang hedi as rhys 

(@ae-neon​ i will never forget)

throws at you throws at you throws at you

okay anyway, seriously

roman reigns as cassian 

(because muscle and he suits the vibes plus it’s a moot recommendation + hey, here’s a challenge, try to find a pic of this man not sweaty and dodge all the horny comments while you at it thanks)

yoesry detre as azriel

(do I even need to speak on this? be in awe)

bonus, tre samuels as balthazar 

(he’s described in the wiki to have a boyishly charming face)

older tyson ballou as rhysand’s father (arthur ap ythyr)

(please do imagine him with a knitted shirt + I like the idea of rhy’s father being a funky little man)

chiara scelsi as rhysand’s mother (tamaris fern stana)

(crying sobbing rolling on floor)

yael shelbia as rhysand’s sister (rhiannon fern tamaris)

(the way I struggled with this one)

raven lyn as emerie

(she’s just... so beautiful cries)

sophia piccirilli as gwyn

(THIS TOOK FOREVER PRAISE ME RN RN RN) anyway

kennedy walsh as mor 

(I really wanted a soft yet sharp + bubbly vibe and that was actually so difficult to find?? quick rant but every time I was like, yes that’s mor, its was either AI?? or the rabbit hole I went down in a turkish author’s character parody acc?? anyway)

xu jiaqi as amren 

(fr, like, it’s her)

bonus, an oc of mine, golshifteh farahani as stana 

(*chanting* stana stana stana stana stana stana stana)

[nikethestatue]

the leader from the other side just posted her acotar 5 theories and i have to laugh. first, she included the shared plot points between nesta and azriel as (and this was listed before any) “the valkyries”. she also included “gwydion”. except what i think (and apparently half her comment section) is just sooooo interesting is that maybe nesta being sisters to elain and azriel being in love with elain maybe means that elain is a bigger shared plot point???

also if we’re gonna include gwydion as a shared plot point even though nesta herself hasn’t wielded gwydion. you know who has wielded a Made blade? one that was created alongside TT? elain? but how convenient that she just “forgot” to include that 🤭 i do think her reign is nearing the end though since there are so many casual readers and elriels in her comments pointing out everything she purposely didn’t include

Oh boy...Elain got lost on the way to the ball, as usual....

Listen, the bottom line is this. NONE of these 'theories' are original. In any manner.

The whole 'Illyrian Plot' was there, right after ACOFAS, for Azriel and....Emerie. BIG name Nessians basically postulated that Azriel will go to Illyria, will meet Emerie, and they'll start a relationship and will also deal with the issues in Illyria. This was all post ACOFAS, before ACOSF and the existence of Gwyn.

At that point, it was a reasonably feasible idea, though of course ACOFAS was riddled with Elriel moments, but if you are an Elucien and a Nessian, you could think, okay, this Illyrain woman is introduced, we are talking about unrest and issues in Illyria AND we have Azriel saying in the same book that 'Illyria needs to be disbanded'. So if you are a believer in the mate bond, and you think that Elain will end up with Lucien then Emerie x Azriel was a reasonable assumption.

Someone came post ACOFS and just lifted those theories, quickly exchanged Emerie for Gwyn, and boom! Gwyn and Az are born, and they are 'redeeming' Illyria. None of this is original. None of this is new.

Now, there are just added points that we've learned in other books/HOFAS. Let's throw a sword in there, let's throw a 'Gwyn is Starborn'--it's convenient, and seems like a good thing to add, but not because it has any validity.

(there are receipts for the original 'Illyrian Plot' theories by Nessians, which are about Emerie and Az.)

[acourtofthought]

listen I love Feyre to my very core, she's my favorite FMC since I read these books and in this entire series but god she's such busybody sometimes and tries to be an expert matchmaker like Rhys but honey... no!

like that time she suggested about Az and Elain in acowar and Rhys was like "Feyre, I love you but shut up this is not in your league" thats what I gathered from Rhys reply lmao

GIRL YOU LITERALLY KNOW THESE PPL FOR A FEW MONTHS HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT IS GOING ON INSIDE THEIR HEAD? I'm quite certain she just wanted it to keep it in the family at that point bc did she forgot Azriel is "in love" with Mor before she suggested that? and Rhys had to aggressively shut that idea down lol. tbh I love that Rhys stopped her right then and there bc obv he knows him better than Feyre. they've known each other for +500 so ofc he can guess Az feeling on the matter and Az himself confirmed it in the bonus chapter (that Rhys also suspected) Az only wants Elain for release and nothing else.

and now her comment on them lead to her being the biggest e/riel shipper and e/riels LOVE to brag about it and its quite funny bc I think it was only that one time!!! we see Feyre encouraging Elain to talk to Lucien and even in her bonus chapter in acosf she wanted to suggest Elain to use Lucien's gloves that he gifted her but she didn't (which i hope she'd learned to not be a busybody after what happened with Lucien in acofas and Mor lecturing her to let them figure it out themselves)

After getting this message I didn't respond right away. I wanted to think back over the series because you are 100% correct but your correctness is even more far reaching.

In ACOMAF we have the following:

Feyre thinking that the reason Lucien had issues with Ianthe because she and her family fled during Amarantha's reign.

The actual reason Lucien had issues with Ianthe is because she sexually harassed him.

In ACOMAF, we have Feyre think Ianthe is her friend.

Later we find out that Ianthe was only ever self serving.

In ACOMAF Feyre kept wondering if a mating bond with Tamlin would snap into place.

The reason that didn't happen was because Rhys was her mate yet she was clueless about that until the Suriel told her.

In ACOMAF we have Feyre think about how Nesta and Amren would be fast friends.

In ACOWAR, Nesta and Amren were fast friends but not LASTING friends. Their friendship fell apart in ACOFAS and it never really recovered. I think they're in a better place after SF but they'll most likely never be as close as Nesta is with Gwyn and Emerie.

In ACOMAF, Feyre mentions how she sometimes notices Mor watching Az. She also asks Mor what she feels for Az which Mor deflects only for Feyre to then think, "but almost in answer, Mor declared, "Paint Azriel's. Next to mine".

Only that all fell apart in ACOWAR when Mor's preference came to light, something Feyre never suspected.

In ACOMAF, Feyre thinks how Az and Cassian could wipe Lucien off the planet.

But in ACOSF, we see Lucien command Cassian with a single word.

In ACOMAF, Feyre does say Elain would cling to Az to have some peace and quiet and how handsome they would be.

And in ACOWAR, we do see Elain and Az sharing moments of peace and quiet however, that seems to rapidly be falling apart in SF. Feyre once wanted peace and quiet too and at first she was happy with Tamlin until the peace and quiet no longer suited her. Similarly, we see Elain want to finally break free of her peace and quiet and Az is the person (after Nesta) who wants to keep her in her box of safety. He even spoke out against her AFTER Elain told Nesta off so it's doubly as problematic. Also, Feyre thinking of Elain and Az being together because of their physical appearance is the most superficial thing. It speaks nothing of their personalities or what they want from a partner, what their values are. Not to mention it reduces Elain to a "doll to dress up" or whose only worth is her beauty, just as their mother always did.

In ACOWAR, Feyre worries whether they can trust Lucien. Whether he would try to grab Elain, to sell them out.

Her fears are proven unfounded when she slips into Lucien's mind and realized he only has concern for Elain. Also Lucien regularly helps out the NC, sharing information with them, the opposite of selling them out.

In ACOWAR, Feyre questions why Lucien and Elain are mates without putting any consideration into who they are and what they want in a partner. She asks RHYS if HER SISTER is a match to Lucien 🤦. Her entire argument is based on the fact that Rhys and Tamlin's parents weren't a match for one another so maybe Elain and Lucien's is poor match too. Even though the reason Rhys tells us for WHY his parents weren't a match would not apply to Lucien and Elain and WOULD actually apply to Az and Elain.

Feyre is young and she doesn't always the see others clearly but that's ok because she's learning as she goes. She's asking these questions because this entire world is new to her and the why and the how's of it are something she's trying to figure out.

But anyone taking her thoughts as gospel as she's stumbling through it all is looking to the wrong person for predictions.

Feyre (in the original trilogy), Nesta (for the first 3/4 of her book) and Az (even now), for as great as they are, were /are not the characters to look too for clearheaded opinions because they are too close to certain situations, too emotional and too wrapped up in their own confusion about everything to be valid resources. Feyre and Nesta especially were all over the place. For example one minute Nesta was going on and on about how Elain is good and special and that's why Nesta protected her at all costs, and the next Nesta is furious with Elain, claiming she was "undoubtedly wholly convinced of her own innocence, her innate goodness" and mad at Cassian for defending Elain.

So again, I think much of what those three say / think in regards to Elain, Lucien, and Az needs to be taken with a grain of salt

Cassian was the one who predicted Nessmerie and guess what? They ended up being as close as sisters.

Rhys was the one who said that he might need to pull some threads in regards to Nessian and guess what? They were mated in the very next book.

Mor predicted that Lucien was trustworthy enough to enter Velaris and guess what? He didn't steal Elain away and he never sold out Velaris to anyone and helped provide information to the NC about Autumn.

We have Cassian telling us that Nesta was wrong about Elain being loyal like a dog, Rhys admit that maybe Elain behaves in certain ways because of the way the sisters treat her, we have Rhys and Mor tell Feyre to stay out of things with her meddling. We have Amren tell Az he's wrong about Elain. We have Rhys express genuine concern over the way Az spoke of Elain. These are characters who are a few steps away from it all and able to think more rationally because they aren't as personally invested in what happens. Feyre feels guilty for her sisters being made so she was desperate to throw Elain in any direction she thought might snap her out of her depression (except giving her a real chance to interact with her mate). Nesta and Az have / had too much of their own self loathing to see anything clearly. But in my opinion, Cassian, Mor, Rhys and Amren are the voices of reason when it comes to what's going on with Elucien and E/riel.

[nightravens-therapycircle]

I am having far too much fun with planning and plotting out the next installment of Twilight's Emissary, which is the first part of A Twisted Halloween.

One of these ideas include Emery contracting Diasomnia's help to basically turn Ramshackle into the Haunted Mansion.

...both she and Lilia get way too into the act.

...I should not have free reign of these events at all. I'm getting way to excited about this.

[theanonymousopossum]

Nessian Week 2023: A Court of Weapons and War

Hey all! So sorry this took a while to get out, life has been killing me recently. Below is my contribution for Nessian Week: an AU inspired by the tale of Hercules and the golden belt (from his 12 labours). I'm going to be taking a lot of liberties, but the basic premise is Nesta is queen of the Amazons/Valkyries, and Cassian has come to woo Nesta and take her magic belt. I hope you all like it!

Word Count: 564, since this is the prologue, future chapters will be longer.

Warnings: mentions of abuse and murder

Queen Nesta put on the finishing touches of her makeup. She didn’t usually dress up that much, however rumour had it a special guest had come, and she wanted to look her best. According to her right-hand lady, Gwyneth, it was a male. An extremely attractive male, if her blushing indicated anything.

Nesta wasn’t particularly fond of men, but she had to admit she respected this one’s bravery. To walk into the camps of the Valkyries, and demand an audience with the queen? Such a thing was practically unheard of.

Ever since her and her closest allies had stormed the surrounding lands, driving out the male inhabitants and recruiting all the females to join her cause, word of mouth had kept most visitors away.

Nesta recalled how this had all started. One too many beatings. One too many screaming fits from her husband. One too many things for her to overlook. It was that night she decided to take things into her own hands. Her two closest friends, Gwyn and Emerie, were in similar situations, and so they had formed a plan. Every night, after their husbands had drunk themselves into a helpless stupor for the evening, they crept out into the shadowy woods behind the village and trained. Swords, knives, axes, bows, they trained with the lot.

As time progressed, more and more women found out about these late-night meetings, and realized they were unhappy with their lives too. The ranks of women began to grow, and soon every woman in the whole village became proficient in a variety of weapons.

On that glorious day, Nesta had raised the call, and every warrior had risen up and struck down her husband. There was hardly even a fight.

Soon Nesta’s mission took her and her warriors abroad, pillaging and conquering all the nearby peoples, with women joining the cause and men becoming their slaves, or ending up with their heads on spikes.

Nesta looked back at herself in the mirror. She was exceptionally beautiful, her high cheekbones gently stained pink, a soft white powder coating her eyelids. On her lips, a gorgeous dark red had been smeared, the colour of fresh blood. The makeup complimented her dress, a striking piece in the same colour as a thundercloud. On her hips, however, was the real attention catcher. A golden belt, woven of interlocking chains, rested upon her. It shone in the dim light, and though it looked like merely a pretty style choice, all knew the power it held. It signified Nesta’s reign as queen, and gave her tremendous power in battle, a gift from the gods themselves.

She ran her finger over it, considering. How hard it had been for her to get this. And how much it meant to her.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Emerie appeared, her white tunic and leather pants stylish yet practical. Clearly she had just been training.

“My queen. It is time. The man says his name is Cassian, and he awaits you down in the great hall,” she said.

“Thank you. I will go and speak with him now,” Nesta replied, and with that, she exited her room, walking with practiced poise down the various corridors before reaching the great hall that had been built. She took a deep breath, not sure what to expect, and opened the door to meet the stranger.

Taglist: @nessianweek

[asnowfern]

Girls Like Girls (like boys do)

Summary: Emerie volunteers for shelving duty so that she can sneak peeks at the pretty blonde. Mor frequently studies at the library to sneak peeks at the pretty brunette. A modern AU oneshot.

==========

Emerie noticed her the moment she entered the library. In fact, she noticed her on her very first day after moving from Windhaven. The way she walked down the hallway with her friends, gorgeous face lit with laughter. With a brightness that took Emerie's breath away.

Morrigan Keirson.

Captain and reigning champion of the fencing team. Daughter of the mayor of Hewn City and the niece of the Governor of Velaris. Rumoured to be engaged with the Vanserra heir. Yet, Emerie could not stay away even if her life depended on it. Could not fend off the infatuation which grows with each small interaction every time Mor comes to the library.

"I'm going to go shelf the books." She abruptly informed Nesta.

"Uh-huh." Nesta hummed knowingly, looking up from the latest Sellyn Drake novel to give Emerie a knowing stare. "You should just ask her out already. Instead of pining from a distance."

"Morrigan's here?" Gwyn, the other librarian, chimed in. Nesta's lips curled upwards into a teasing smirk. Emerie blushed and scowled. "Have I been that obvious?"

"Painfully." Nesta drawled. "You head straight for the shelves the moment she arrives and disappears for an hour." Emerie felt her ears warmed.

"She watches you too, y'know? When she thinks you're not looking." Gwyn added. "Winter break starts tomorrow. Perfect to share some hot chocolate and cuddle over a roaring fire." She wagged her eyebrows. Emerie flipped her off in response and walked towards the tray full of books to be shelved.

==========

"Are you heading to the library again?" Cassian asked in disbelief, "Today is the last day of the school term."

Mor swallowed. Deciding to go for a half truth, she answered, "My father expects me back in Hewn City for winter break. I need to get ahead of my assignments." Cassian does not need to know about the pretty brunette who works in the library.

Emerie Quintana.

The brunette who caught Mor's attention the first day she moved here from Illyria. Spotted her a mile away sprinting on the track with the speed and grace of an Illyrian angel. The Illyrians were renowned for their athletic prowess but Emerie seemed to do it with such effortless grace. It was breathtaking. When she realised the Illyrian worked part-time at the public library, she could not stay away.

And that was how Mor found herself sitting alone in a secluded corner of the library on the last day of the school term. Having given up on getting any further work done on her holiday assignments, Mor switched her screen from Microsoft Word to Netflix.

"Studying hard?" A lilting voice teased, startling Mor who promptly yanked the earbuds off. Emerie gave a playful smile, arm full of books. She ignored the butterflies in her belly and replied in what she hoped was a confident and flirty tone, "School's out."

"Indeed it is." Emerie grinned. "So why are you at the library alone watching the L word instead of out having fun?"

Mor's face flushed and replied sheepishly, "It's my favourite show." To her surprise, Emerie's grin widened as she gushed softly, "Mine too."

Mor felt her heartbeat quickened. Of course, liking the L word did not mean one was into girls but there was definitely a correlation, right?

"What are you doing later? Do you wanna grab dinner?" Emerie asked, her tone deceptively light but Mor swore she saw some nervousness in her eyes.

"I would love to."

Emerie's answering smile could have lit up the deepest corners of the Mariana trench.

=========

Emerie rushed back to the staff room of the library as quickly as she could. Once in the room, she snapped the door shut and punched a victory fist into the air and squealed. The room door immediately opened and Gwyn poked her head in.

"Good news?"

"She agreed to dinner later."

The trio spent the remainder of her shift helping Emerie plan the dinner. By the end of the shift, she had her evening planned out. She waved bye to her best friends (who waved back with the most infuriating smirks on their faces) and checked her phone one last time to confirm the route to the eatery before meeting Mor outside the library.

"Shall we?"

Mor smiles, "We shall."

The two walked in a slightly awkward silence when Emerie felt an arm thread around hers. She looked at Mor in surprise and found her facing forward stiffly with a resolute look. Emerie bent her elbow to curl her arm and gripped back Mor's arm. Immediately, Mor's stance relaxed.

"Where are we going?"

"Have you been to Rita's?"

"Shut up. Really?" Mor gripped her arm tighter and gave her an incredulous look, "I love Rita's" Emerie internally sighed in relief and made a mental note to treat Nesta to coffee to thank her for the recommendation.

"I'm glad! I've never been but my friend said the place has great live music and food is really good too."

"The other two girls who work at the library with you?" Mor questioned. Emerie nodded in response, "Gwyn and Nesta. We share an apartment, they were the first friends I made when I moved to the city. I would have never been able to adjust so quickly otherwise."

Mor smiled gently, "They sound nice."

"Well, they could be right bitches when they want to be." Emerie laughed.

"I would love to meet them properly next time."

"I'll introduce you." Emerie's chest warmed at the implication. The two soon found themselves at the restaurant and were shown to their seats, a table by the window overlooking the Sidra river. Emerie made a second mental note to upgrade Nesta's treat to a lunch for securing the great table.

"So what are you doing over the break?" She asked casually while they were waiting for their food to arrive.

"I'm returning to Hewn City." Mor replied quietly, voice pained. Emerie didn't miss the way her hand closed tightly into a fist, knuckles turning white, and her heart ached in understanding. Before she could second guess herself, she wrapped her hands around Mor's. Looking into the blonde's eyes, Emerie realised no words needed to be spoken. She gets it.

The moment was over when Mor's gaze was torn away and focused on another person walking into the restaurant. Emerie followed her gaze. Eris Vanserra. His eyes locked on to their table.

Almost instantly, Mor wrenched her hand out of Emerie's. She tried not to let the gesture get to her but the hurt in her chest told her otherwise. She watched as the redhead gave Mor a curt nod before turning around to leave. Her date gave an imperceptible sigh of relief.

"Are the rumours true?" She asked quietly.

Mor took a breath and swallowed thickly, "Yes and no." She paused, face scrunched up into a frown which Emerie thought had no reason to look as adorable as it did. "My father did try to set something up but I said no. The conversation between us didn't go so well and I moved here the following week."

"My father is the reason I moved here as well."

There was no pity in Mor's gaze, just one of mutual pain and understanding. Just like that, it was like the Vanserra never walked into the restaurant. Just two kindred souls sharing a moment.

The pair was walking along the rainbow bridge by the Sidra after dinner, arms still intertwined with the other. Mor stopped abruptly, surprising Emerie.

"I don't want the evening to end just yet, " She explained sheepishly and turned to face the river, body leaning forward to rest against the railing. A heat filled Emerie's chest. She took Mor's hand in hers, "The evening ends only when we want it to."

Mor turned to face Emerie, her face impossibly close. Emerie felt her heart stutter. "Tell me that you feel it too." She breathed. Mor answered by leaning in to close the gap, lips slanting over hers.

It was electrifying. The blonde's lips were soft and warm. Emerie deepened the kiss and was rewarded with one hand coming up to close around the back of her neck and the other circling around her waist to pull her in closer. Her tongue brushed against the Illyrian's lower lip and was granted entrance instantly. Time stood still and the world dissolved around them.

The pair broke the kiss to come up for air, both flushed. Mor smiled cheekily, "I definitely felt that." Emerie laughed and pulled her in for another kiss and another and another.