#anti papa archeron

[stargirlfeyre]

Feyre being hated for speaking on her familial trauma/abuse to the Inner Circle will always be insane to me.

“She painted them out to be bad people and her the poor little victim” No they painted themselves out to be bad people and all she did was express how their actions hurt her. For a series that’s heavily focused on trauma and healing, I can’t believe people are so upset because a female character spoke on her own experiences.

Feyre didn’t paint herself out to be a victim. She simply was one. You can’t look at that Cabin situation and boldly say that Feyre was not a victim.

[silly--fangirl]

i think we all need to start putting much more shame on the archeron parents' name but people aren't ready to hear that

[colorlesschristmastree]

What's your opinion about the ship scene in acowar? When Father Archeron comes back and the leading ship is called NESTA

I can't even stand to think of that mediocre, bullshit ass scene. I have so much spite for that entire scene it was just ridiculous. Like I'm not even gonna bother to explain but it makes ZERO sense for it to be anyone other than Feyre.

[the-darkestminds]

I bet Papa Archeron met Lucien and thought “wow thank the gods my sweet daughter Elain has such a good and loyal male for a mate. Whatever happens, at least I don’t have to worry about her being taken care of and treated well.”

[aho-dapa]

Just like saying this again but

- Papa Archeron was not gambling, he was doing his medieval equivalent of overworking a job that wasn’t paying him enough to pay off his loans

- His loans cough debt, is actually not his fault at all, it was an inherited debt by the previous Prince of Merchants, which ran in his family

- (Okay but can we talk about the expectation of that title and how this debt may have literally controlled his life since the day that he was born???)

- He did that voyage to Bharat because it was the last chance his family had before the medieval mafia came in and literally busted his kneecaps

- Said injury literally leaves him disabled, which is obviously not a conversation this fandom understands but, anyway his injuries mean he can’t work in the way able bodied people can, say, like his daughters

- Not only is he now a disabled single parent with no programs to help his children, he cannot hunt or teach them things he may or may not know because sjm’s world building is a trash fire

- Nesta and Elain not doing shit when it came to their very lives being at stake with starvation is literally??? sjm herself even says they weren’t even more than one dimensional characters at this point so (edit, saw a post about executive dysfunction and depression, and frankly, YEAH THAT TOO)

- Please stop calling him useless ya’ll, I’m begging

(Edit, useless is also just not good phrasing for anyone at all in general. Useless implies that people should inherently have a use, which is just dehumanizing)

There’s also something about how he could have done work in other ways, but he was never written to play that role by sjm

And neither was Nesta or Elain at this point, Feyre’s whole family was written around Feyre, because of her, to make her life more of a hellhole, and not as people that exist outside of her

Which is just frustrating since sjm later bases this half assed dynamic for the future of their dynamic and like??? Weak.

[daybreakmusings]

I really don't think SJM handled the Nesta x Papa Archeron ending well. It's all well and good for Nesta to go back to the cottage and face some of her hardest memories.

But what she should have taken from it, in addition to seeing her father in a different light, is accepting her anger towards him and making peace with it.

Because as much as the book tries to say otherwise, her anger was warranted. The first book in the series paints Papa Archeron in a very clear way. He didn't do much for his daughters. His pride and ego kept him from facing his new reality and showing up for them when they needed him most.

The ending of the book should have focused more on her forgiving him and showing grace. Rather than believing she needed to "beg for forgiveness" for being angry at him for not protecting her (and her sisters) the way they deserved.

[lorcandidlucienwill]

“Glamoured their memories—like putting a veil over them. I was afraid your father might come after you, or persuade some villagers to cross the wall with him and further violate the Treaty.” And they all would have died anyway, once they ran into things like the puca or the Bogge or the naga. A silence blanketed my mind, until I was so exhausted I could barely think, and couldn’t stop myself from saying, “You don’t know him. My father wouldn’t have bothered to do either.” Tamlin looked at me for a long moment. “Yes, he would have.” But he wouldn’t—not with that twisted knee. Not with it as an excuse. I’d realized that the moment the puca’s illusion had been ripped away.

Do you know who did try and come for Feyre though? NESTA! But she didn't have a portrait from Feyre and their father DID?!!!! And then you made it seem like Nesta had been undeserving of her father's love???? What. The. Actual. Fuck.

[whitedemon-ladydeath]

it's really frustrating to be held for something i said well over 5 years ago from someone that has me blocked in the first place to the point posts im making *now* are getting tone policed by a third party. granted, it was something out of line and ableist and thoughtless towards papa archeron and its absolutely fair to be mad about it!! I completely understand and I wouldn't be caught dead saying something like that now as I have done a lot of self educating and growing and reflecting

but what makes it so frustrating is I make a post about being frustrated about Feyre not painting Nesta, but still painting their father. I believe I said something about him being useless and believe it or not, he *was* useless and it had absolutely nothing to do with him being disabled. He was a useless parent long before then. He neglected and abandoned Nesta well before he was hurt or they lost their wealth and the moment they got it back he was miraculously healed up enough to go right back to ignoring his daughters and traversing the world

his character is so hollow and flat that there's very little for me, personally, to find sympathetic. *He* lost their wealth and their fortune and in doing so he lost money to debt collectors. it's absolutely horrific that Feyre was made to bare witness to that and beg for them to stop hurting him. I identify so much with Feyre in that regard. That still does not remove the fact it was his own actions that led to that in the first place. if he got beaten within an inch of his life for losing that much money who the hell was he WORKING with in the first place (we don't know bec SJM is a shitty writer)

He is directly responsible for their loss of wealth and I am not personally holding him responsible for the last of it being used to partially heal his leg. however he IS still responsible for the loss of it in the FIRST place. his disability is a result of poor financial decisions and ofc there is no excuse to be ableist towards him for it

quite frankly he's written so poorly that there's nothing I personally can latch onto to give him much benefit of the doubt. I'm still going to hold him more responsible for not trying to find SOME WAY to take care of his daughters. NESTA reached out to relatives, FEYRE stepped up to hunt for them and he... makes wood carvings that don't even sell

Nesta being more vilified for the cabin years compared to their father, who is directly responsible for the loss of their wealth, has made me heartless towards him

he was useless before they lost their wealth and he was useless well after. He was, quite frankly, a deadbeat father, who threw Nesta to the wolves (his wife and her mother), who favored Feyre and Elain over her time and time again and I'm sorry but me saying he's useless is exactly what he was

he's a useless parent who let his children be neglected and/or further abused by his wife. maybe if SJM wrote him better, with more nuance, actually building on the dynamics between his wife and himself, instead of saying he was afraid of NESTA, a fourteen year old girl, I might have a different opinion but right now he doesn't have a whole lot of sympathy from me considering my own history with my disabled, terminally ill mother doing her best and killing herself taking care of us while also in an abusive, violent marriage

SJM didn't write it well enough for me to offer any kind of grace bec quite frankly, I am also really, really sick of father figure characters getting off the hook while the female characters are burned at the stake for being flawed and/or unperfect caretakers, which, to be clear, Nesta WAS NOT in the first place

[ae-neon]

No shade to any posters but all shade to the posts : I need more people to be aware of their ableism against Papa Archeron.

Like, dislike him all you want, but when you talk about why he sucks or what he deserves and suddenly his disability is part of that or even left out entirely - think about what you're saying

Also you see and understand there's nuance and unspoken context surrounding Nesta, Elain and Feyre's actions but not extend that to the only other person there?

Like realistically you think that man wasn't mentally affected by his financial ruin? The death of his wife? His assault that resulted in a physical disability? You think he was mentally okay through all of that??

Again, you don't have to like him or "forgive" him but blaming him for the cabin years or saying things like he should have just gotten up off his lazy ass is actually so insane? The man could barely stand and was disassociating half the time

It's so tiring and disheartening seeing these takes again and again.

[stargirlie25]

´´Azriel didnt even hesitate to go save Elain from the hybern camp! You cant just write that and not make them endgame!´´

BECAUSE THATS WHAT IM SAYINNNNN!!! ELRIEL IS ENDGAME LIKE IT OR NOTTTTT

When azriel went to saved elain it reminds me of when Feyre went to UTM to save Rhysand. Like it was sooooo crazy! Like this girl as a human going against fae she certainly cant fight on her own just for the man she loves. Her love for Rhysand is that deep!!!!

She stood up to the evil queen that ruled for 50 years and was 10x more powerful than the average fae but it was all in the name of love for her mate! She was not even trained and hell yeah she was scared although she literally killed two innocent fae for Rhysand. If that´s not endgame what is? She stayed locked up in that cell all for him and got tortured and died a insanely sad death. She was sent to the human lands where she was safe,fed with everything she could want yet and yet she went all the way back. She travelled for days in the woods to get to the wall. All. For. Rhysand. Feyre freaking spit in the evil queens face all for Rhysand!!!! She trusted Rhysand so much that she fought for him as a weak human over and over again while he did nothing and just sat there.

Her love for Rhysand was just unbreakable!

Oh wait...................feyre did all of that for Tamlin 🤪

but sure Elriel is endgame

[szalonykasztan00]

ACOTAR BOOK 1 Slut-shaming scene in cottage.

Sorry for mistakes English is not my first language.

We on the Internet talked already about slut-shaming scene in cottage in ACOTAR. That happened between Feyre and Nesta. In the context of Nesta being assaulted by Thomas, cultural prejudice put in Nesta by their mother and grandmother, just being mean and not konowing how to have a healthy, normal  conversation.

I want to present (I hope) a new view of that scene.

We all know that both of Archeron's sisters can’t really talk about a sensitive topic. They assume a lot and react with anger and hurtful words (the intensity of it depends on the sister). So, we can assume that:

Feyre PROBOBLLY never got THE talk about birds and bees. That includes all forms of contraception and how to prevent pregnancy. 

Nesta didn’t do it. Her or Feyre would mentioned if that would heppend  because it most likely would be a disaster. And their father is in that scene embarrassed enough for Feyre to really notice it, so he as well is out. And Elain is well…. Let’s say that she probably wasn’t the One to take that responsibility on her.

We know she knows the basic mechanics because she had sex and live in the proximity of farms and forests. Which means animals having sex. But she never in her internal monologue think about contraception or pregnancy in general. (At least I didn’t spot it. If I’m wrong, please let me know) + look how fast she falls pregnant with Rhysand.

That post a question what if Feyre would fall pregnant with Isaac Hale? What are her options and consequences for everyone involved?

1.      Both we and Feyre and Nesta know that Isaac is not going to marry her. Either because of his parents or it will be his decision. So that option is out.

2.      She may have an abortion but:

A)     Would she want to have one?

B)     Could they can afford one?

C)     Do Isaac and his family sponsor one?

3.      If Feyre kept the baby would Isaac and his family help Archeron somehow? Would Archerons take the help?

4.      Feyre is only or primary breadwinner of the family. What will happen if she, for at least 3 to 4 months, can’t hunt? (let’s say from 5 or 6 months of her pregnancy, at best) We are not counting the months or weeks that would take her to go back to full health AFETR childbirth.

5.      They can’t afford a doctor or midwife. We don’t know ANYTHING important about their relationship with other women in the village so we can’t know if they would want to help. (If the Archerons would even ask for that help or take one that would be offered?) But what if Feyre dies or is seriously hurt from pregnancy and childbirth?

6.      What if Feyre has a miscarriage or stillbirth? What would be the impact of that on her body and mind?

7.      If Feyre delivers a healthy baby that another mouth to feed, right? And for 1 or 0,5 years, she needs to be almost always at home. Just for feeding. So again, no hunting in full ability.

8.      Who going to care for that baby when Feyra hunts? Change diapers (and that are the old diapers that must be washed, boil and ironed), look for the baby, play with it, stay up late because they have colic or the first teeth etc. A disabled father that doesn't care for his own daughters, much less his potential grandchild? Elain that in Feyre's eyes is more or less still a baby herself? Nesta? That will probably feel in that moment like Feyre is dumping on her the consequences of her reckless behaviours.

9.      They would need to have a baby staff cradle, diapers, clothes, toys, and food. So, the need to buy either the things or materials for it-- so money.

10.   Children especially young can be sickly. Would they be able to afford doctors and medicine for them? And that assuming that that child would not have a chronic illness or some form of congenital disability etc.

11.   And I'm not even starting on marriage prospects for sisters and the potential social consequences of that for everyone.

Feyras pregnacy would be economic disaster for Archerons.

So my theory is that in that scene, for Nesta could be as much about their survival in case of Feyra geting pregnant as it was for biting back at Feyre for comments on Thomas, cultural prejudice put in Nesta by their mother and grandmother, just being mean and not konowing how to have a healthy, normal  conversation.

But what are you thinking?

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Special ask to :

@nestaismommy

@astrababyy

@ae-neon

@acotardeservesbetter

I most often see your posts with analysis and thoughts on acotar series so I tag you all. (I love them btw)

[cryingoverfictionalcharacterss]

One of the characters I hate the most in acotar is Papa Archeron.

And I'm not talking about their years in the cabbin. He was dissabled and traumatised. I don't blame him for that. Overall I don't blame anyone for anything taht happened those years. They all tried to help however they could but they were in an unfortunate situation and they were doing theis best. I do think he should've done more. Maybe he wasn't able to do anything physically, but he should've been there for them emotionally. And yes he was traumatized and depressed but so were the girls and they are his children and even tho I myself am not a parent, I think you don't really have the luxury of falling into depression when you have three children depending on you.

That being said I hate him because he's a bad father. He didn't bacome bad father when they became poor, he's ALWAYS been a bad father.

So youre gonna tell me that you're gonna watch your wife and MIL groom and abuse your eldest child, insult you middle and straight up neglect your youngest and do nothing about it. That man got way more than he desserved.

[fuckmelifesucks]

This time, Nesta didn’t stop the power from shining in her eyes; she shook so violently she had to fist her hands. “You tell yourself there’s nothing that could have been done because it’s unbearable to think that you could have saved him, if you’d only deigned to show up a few minutes earlier.” The lie was bitter in her mouth.

—Chapter 17, ACOSF

I still haven't forgiven Nesta for throwing this in Elain's face. She had no right to blame Elain for their father's death. Elain couldn't have done anything to prevent it.

And she knew that she'd hurt elain by saying this and yet that didn't stop her from saying it anyway. That's the thing i don't like about Nesta. She knows she is hurting someone but she still continues doing so.

And yes she was not in the right mindset and was dealing with her trauma but that doesn't excuse her actions. Elain literally saved her and Cassian and yet we haven't seen her acknowledge that fact. We haven't seen her say anything about it to Elain. No 'thank you for saving my life.'

The only thing she said about Elain killing the king is that she should've been faster, should have come earlier to save their father too. (As if Elain probably doesn't already blame herself for not being fast enough.) And then Nesta proceeded to take all the credit for killing the king of hybern.

And i hate that she also implied that their father's death didn't affect Elain and that Elain thought it was inevitable and didn't think much of it. Elain was literally the closest to their father. How could Nesta say that Elain didn't feel much for their father's death. She probably felt the most.

And Nesta also said that Elain probably didn't think their father was worth the effort. That's literally not true. If Elain would've known about their father dying, I'm sure she would have tried to do something. But somethings are out of everyone's grasp.

Lastly, I hate how Nesta just makes Elain out to be this self-centred person in acosf, when we know it's not true. Elain has shown time and again that she is not selfish and would do literally anything for the ones she loves.

[silverflameataraxia]

Please don't compare Az to Elain.

Az was raised in a dungeon cell, knowing nothing but abuse and torture until he was sent to an Illyrian war camp.

Elain is the most privileged character in the books, who has had everything handed to her. Her and Papa Archeron were the only two who did nothing in that cabin. All she did was twiddle her thumbs and play with her flowers.

Az has his issues, sure. But Elain is equally (if not more) toxic. While Az tries to help people, Elain has never helped anyone but herself (except for one moment in ACOWAR). She's a selfish, narcissist, judgmental, slut-shaming character, who is so incredibly boring that SJM can't come up with any character development for her.

[aho-dapa]

A personal rant on Nesta and Elain’s relationship and how I feel about it

TW: tbh this is a very personal rant for me given that my perspective on life informs how I see these characters (mostly Elain) neglect, abuse, parentification, fucked up family dynamics basically

For framework of this post, I'm anti sjm, anti IC, and pro character nuance even when it comes to the IC

Yknow, reading ACOSF was actually so difficult as someone who really wanted to see more nuance in Nesta and Elain’s relationship

I hate that Feyre actually used Elain’s packing of Nesta’s old home behind her back as a weapon against her, that it reinforced Nesta’s isolation

I hate that we never really understand what happened between Elain and Nesta before this moment, just that somehow someway Nesta was at fault and Elain was ‘justly’ hurt by Nesta, I hate that we, as readers, never even get the possibility to decide for ourselves

I hate that when they do finally talk to each other it’s this:

Elain: “I know the circumstances got your coming here were awful, Nesta, but it doesn’t mean you need to be so miserable about it.” (In reference to Nesta literally being confined to the House of Wind after getting evicted unjustly by the IC, in which Elain was willingly used against Nesta)

Nesta: “You tell yourself there’s nothing that could have been done because it’s unbearable to think that you could have saved him, if you’d only deigned to show up a few minutes earlier.” (In reference to Elain not being able to save her father and implicitly shaming her for it, noted, this is also a response to the above which matters)

Like, the fuck??

Where was the build up to this moment? Where was the reason?

For one, it’s so gross of Elain to invalidate what Nesta is going through, and is also gross of Nesta to place that blame on Elain

It’s just fucking gross all around

And I would have been okay with it, if it was fucking resolved by the end of that huge ass book, but it’s not

They don’t even talk about it, just a small joke and a truce at that ball, and they don’t even talk about the actual painful shit they said to each other

A personal note on this topic:

I’m gonna be honest, I like Elain (to some extent) even though we don’t know too much about her. All I know are these things, she’s someone who was taken care of from a young age, and relied on Nesta and Feyre basically like how a dependent would.

And tbh, out of all the sisters, despite relating to all of them in some way, I feel like what Elain’s going through is connected to my life more personally despite it not being written from her pov. Elain has all the typical signs of a golden child. Loved and cared for and seen as a the best child but also infantilized. She’s so fucking infantilized at every fucking turn.

(TW: A personal note about abuse and neglect) I had the strange dynamic of being both the scapegoat and the golden child to my mother, whenever it suited her, I was shown off like a trophy to my extended family but also was treated like the poison that was causing my parents’ marriage to fail.

As someone who grew up disabled, not able to walk, I also relate to that depression Papa Archeron inevitably has, despite whatever we want to say about canon and neglect

Elain likely took care of him, while both Feyre and Nesta took care of her

Tbh, the sisters’ dynamic is messy and complicated, and I’m not gonna trust sjm to write it well at all

But growing up as a disabled person, not being able to make choices for myself in my own care, I can understand where Elain is coming from

From the beginning by Feyre, Elain is casted in the light of childlike ignorance and while not entirely blamed for it, is also never confronted about it. Elain is doesn’t know that she’s not doing enough for Feyre and this likely forms resentment with Feyre later on. That’s understandable.

As a kid, I grew up stable enough to have what I wanted and then had to live through poverty when we lost our house. The transition in mindset is one I wasn’t one I immediately took to. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t go out to eat, no one ever sat down to explain our money situation, and even though we were definitely going through it, it was expected of me to understand that we couldn’t do certain things

So I would innocently ask for things out of our budget and ask for expensive food without realizing, and would get blamed for the guilt my mother felt for not being able to provide for me as she wanted to. I learned to never ask for what I wanted, and it’s still something I'm learning to deal with whenever I buy something or need help

I mention this all to say that Elain does similar things in the first acotar book. She asks for something out of the budget and she asks for things without malice, merely because she wants something and thinks Feyre can give it to her

Feyre never says that they can't afford it or that she needs to buy new boots for herself, she doesn't explain this to Elain and Elain is never given the chance to say, "Oh, I didn't realize."

She's not allowed a moment of growth, she's stagnated in her childlike responses to things both because of the narrative sjm wanted to tell and because of Elain's dynamic with her family.

I don't even think Elain understands money and how it works (neither does sjm but that's a different point). It's possible she sees the deer, the fur, something new and something that they could sell in the market for, and thinks they might have enough for something she wants

It's a mistake I made so commonly in my childhood, that Feyre's resentment actually breaks my heart

That's what makes Nesta's protectiveness over Elain feel both like care and shackles

(Something sjm tried to address but did so fucking poorly, like usual)

Later on, when their wealth is restored, Elain goes back to the familiar easily, likely because she never truly got to have the mental transition both Nesta and Feyre had (and her father was actively hoping for this to happen so he was likely excited about this as much as Elain)

I also want to point out want happened in ACOSF between Elain and Nesta. I mentioned in another post the Elain likely (mostly her unconscious inner child) sees Nesta as a mother figure. That Nesta likely was the one that took care of Elain when they were younger more than her mother. Nesta likely gave Elain the kindness of her mother, the attention of her father, and Feyre was too young at this point

So I think it's understandable why she's lashing out in ACOSF to Nesta, because it's that realization that the person who's been taking care of you your whole life, the one who you can go to and lean on and not be judged by, can no longer take care of you

To some extent, Elain realizing Nesta is going through hell, she has to face losing another parental figure and her first reaction is likely to cling onto that relationship even though it's unhealthy for both of them

Its like a child asking why their parent can't take of them, isn't that their job?? Except Nesta isn't Elain's mother and never should have been put in that position

Elain reacts in indignation and anger and hurt because that's what a child does, and Elain is going through this now because she's never had the chance to before, now she's being forced to

She has to grow up and she's petulantly digging her heels in

On the note of ACOSF, in the scene where she and Nesta talk (where I pulled those quotes from the beginning from), Nesta is not in the right head space at all to deal with Elain and what she's going through

Nesta is just point blank not able to do it. Mentally, she already feels like someone undeserving of love and is a horrible person. She's deteriorating and Elain just comes up and acts like she's not dying inside.

(Fuck sjm btw for doing this to Nesta)

In fact, Elain can see that Nesta is miserable but says she should basically be handling it with more grace. Which, is fucked, but it is something that is commonly told to literally anyone going through shit and by people not willing to be sympathetic to that

(It could almost be internalized misogyny because women are expected to deal with things gracefully or 'in a manner befitting a lady' but that's another discussion for another day)

What I want to point out in this discussion is how Nesta interacts with Elain because we honestly can't for sure know Elain's POV (despite this whole post projecting on her because sjm doesn’t give us enough for me to satisfactorily understand the character she’s writing after nearly FIVE books but whatever. Skill issue I guess)

A note on how they view each other and how they talk about each other in ACOSF:

This is honestly like?? Just a thing, but the implication is that Elain is pampered here, she wouldn't do this or that. It's framed as a bad thing, especially since at this point the stairs are representative of Nesta’s freedom being held hostage and Elain just gets to come and leave without consequence.

From Nesta's POV:

Someone had brought Elain here, since there was no way in hell she had climbed those ten thousand steps.

She stopped a few feet away. As if holding herself back from the embrace she might have given.

Like Nesta was some sort of disease-ridden leper.

Like, again, this comes from a distorted view Nesta has of herself, not helped by the IC at all. It's likely that Elain just know how to bridge the gap between them that has formed.

Elain had been the ghost then, too thin, with her thoughts turned inward.

Somehow Nesta had become the ghost.

Worse than a ghost. A wraith, whose rage and hunger were bottomless, eternal.

Elain had only needed time to adjust. But Nesta knew she herself needed more than that.

It was always that way between them: Elain, sweet and oblivious, and Nesta, the snarling wolf at her side, poised to shred anyone who threatened her.

In ACOSF, Nesta and Elain have switched places from ACOMAF when Elain was honestly going through it. Regardless, both of their mental states have been used to gain high ground with each other in this fandom and I'm like, not going to do that, that's not the point.

Rather this comes back to my previous point. Nesta has had to take care of Elain, likely as a mother would. It's the resulting parentification Nesta has endured.

This is also... Like yes, needing more or less time to adjust in general, especially to a traumatic situation, is morally neutral. What makes me pause of the self woe is me of Nesta saying she's worse than Elain in nearly every way. This is a result of her mental state. But it's also not helpful to either herself OR Elain. This instead puts Elain on a pedestal, in her own box.

WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE: going hc now but, with how Nesta was groomed by her own mother, it wouldn't surprise me if Nesta also 'parents' in this way towards Elain. Except Elain gets to be everything Nesta didn't get to be in the eyes of her mother; perfect, beautiful, gentle, demure, a lady. Elain, to Nesta, deals with her own grief more respectably than Nesta, which is likely an external expectation placed on her from a young age.

There is also the idea that Nesta has more patience and gentleness with others than herself.

Elain had accepted his death as inevitable. She hadn't bothered to fight for him, as if he hadn't been worth the effort, precisely as Nesta herself knew she herself wasn't worth the effort.

Another comparison Nesta makes between herself and Elain. Except there's also this element of protection to it. Often, Nesta is willing to be that 'wolf' to protect Elain, the innocent and oblivious. But again, this also places expectations on Elain, that box her in.

"...Go back to Feyre and your little garden."

Again, with how Nesta essentially views Elain's grieving process. But instead, I'd say this comes across more as a twisted mess of Nesta's own unresolved feelings towards her father and also equating herself as him. He was their father, and in many ways Nesta played that role for Elain. When she hates her father, I suppose in some ways, she is also hating herself in this moment.

The unsaid said here is also Nesta's survivor's guilt. I think it's not far fetched to say that (presumably) just like Elain, she wanted to save her father and she wanted to 'be early' to help him.

"She's not getting any better. She's not even trying."

This is also likely Nesta acknowledging that they've split. In ACOTAR through ACOWAR, it has always been Nesta and Elain, Elain and Nesta. But in ACOSF, Nesta feels betrayed by Elain because of Feyre's actions. People hate the IC and Rhysand for Nesta's imprisonment, but this is also a product of Feyre using her authority and deciding Nesta's bodily autonomy with her own 'goodwill' in mind.

And Elain famously has always had a little garden. But it's also an isolation from hurt and pain, it's a place of comfort, and it's always been a place where Elain belongs. This time, Nesta is saying that Elain belongs there (despite whatever Elaim could want).

This could also reflect Nesta’s bitterness about being trapped.

Nesta shot to her feet. "No."

Now, this is what Elain says about Nesta. Which tbh, is understandable for her POV. This is after Nesta says those quoted words to her. But this is also ultimately a result of no one acknowledging the pain and honestly disgusting thing they've done to Nesta. Elain expects that Nesta will get better in an environment that's actively worsening her mental state. The reasons why Nesta does 'get better' is always connected to something outside of the House of Wind with Gwyn and Emerie. The library, despite being close, is not the same as the HoW, so it makes sense that Nesta would go there to escape.

Elain remained in the doorway, her face pale but her expression harder than Nesta had ever seen it. "You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta."

... "You will not go looking for it."

I think this is honestly this crux of their dynamic. Nesta is the 'mother' and Elain is the 'child' despite them actually being sisters. Nesta tells Elain what to do, as a parent would would their 'power' over a child. Except Elain is rejecting this.

This is... a dynamic that is honestly just done a major disservice by sjm. Neither of them acknowledge anything in a meaningful manner and none of them resolve anything at all. ACOSF establishes dynamic poorly and does an even poor job of doing honestly anything about it. Nesta instead is beat down so much that she just breaks down and accepts it. And Elain doesn't grow in any way either. Instead, because sjm and her characters do not actually acknowledge the reality of the conflicts they have, Elain just comes off as more childish and spoiled, which is like, also horrible for her character. A clown show is what this whole series is.

[daybreakmusings]

The scene where Nesta and Cassian return back to her old home in the village is important in her story for various reasons. 

As she said herself:

“I think I just needed to see this place. One last time. To know we got out. That there’s nothing left here except dust and bad memories.”

But despite the necessity of this scene, I believe it fails to establish key points.

After exploring her now rundown old home, Nesta reminisces over how difficult it was to live in such poor conditions while also reflecting on her relationship with her father. 

SJM never goes into detail about the origins of Nesta and Papa Archeron’s broken relationship, but it was generally understood that time and circumstance was the cause.

But what bothers me about Nesta’s reflective period was how in the process of understanding her father, she undermines and ignores her own valid feelings. 

Like Cassian rightfully said:

“You’d had your life overturned. You were allowed to be angry.”

Funny how the narrative (and even Cassian) paints her in the wrong regardless. I would have appreciated this scene more if Nesta embraced her feelings and validated her inner child because no matter how this story tries to paint it, Nesta was not the adult during those years and shouldn’t have been expected to be one.

But it is what Nesta says about her father, and the subsequent new revelations about the source of their poverty and his lack of support all those years, that anger me more:

“I never once considered what it was like for him. To go from this man who had made his own fortune, become known as the Prince of Merchants, and then lose everything. I don’t think losing my mother broke him the same way as losing his fleet. He’d been so sure the venture would gain him even more wealth—an obscene amount of wealth. People told him he was mad, but he refused to listen. When they were proved right … I think that humiliation broke him as much as the financial loss.”

Papa Archeron could be summed up in three words: Greed, Pride, Passiveness. 

Papa Archeron was a man who had already established himself in society as a wealthy and capable individual. He was a self-starter and built his legacy with his own hands. 

But he was materialistic and self-serving. He wasn’t satisfied with what he had and coveted more. At the expense of his own children and livelihood. 

It wasn’t losing his wife that made him give up on himself and his children. He was able to carry on in the aftermath. It was losing his title, and admitting defeat that did him in. It was the realization that he reached to far, too fast and didn’t heed the warnings of others that made him quit.

His own ego was his downfall. And his daughters paid the price. 

What surprises me is the fact that he was not always a rich and successful man. If he made his own fortune, then he was all too familiar with a life of moderation and restraint. The same man who was able to pull himself out of that life couldn't muster the same fortitude to do it again for his daughters?

It all comes down to willpower. If he wanted to, he could have found a way. Yet the narrative paints him as the victim. It wants us to pity this adult figure for losing a battle he picked himself.

Instead, we should shame a youthful Nesta for her rightful anger and praise the man who only grew a backbone when money re-entered his life. 

What Papa Archeron needed to do was take more active control in his own household. He was their father, yet his presence was almost apologetic. They needed him just as much as he needed them but instead of being their emotional support, he was just a passive observer.

In the glimpses we are given about him and his actions in the old house, its clear that he could have done more:

“He could find work if he wasn’t so ashamed”

“But at least Nesta didn’t fill our heads with useless talk of regaining our wealth, like my father.”

“What I really wanted to say was: You don’t even bother to attempt to leave the house most days. Were it not for me, we would starve. Were it not for me, we’d be dead.”

All that being said, does this mean that Papa Archeron didn’t love his daughters? No. 

He did care for them in a way Nesta was ready to appreciate:

“She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood...He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.”

“It never occurred to me that he wanted us to have the bed, to keep warm and be as comfortable as we could.”

As Cassian told Nesta:

“Love is complicated.”

But love alone isn’t always enough.