#or that sjm wasnt influenced by this book

[crazy-ache]

Jane Austen's most romantic letter, if it had been written by Lucien Vanserra (Persuasion x Elucien)

Or what would happen if Lucien overheard Elain have a conversation about the bond? And what if he wrote a gut-wrenching love confession in said letter? Inspired by literature's most infamously romantic letter ever written.

Some text is directly taken from Chapter 23 of Persuasion by Jane Austen.

"We will write the letter to Helion we were talking of, Rhysand, now, if you will give me materials."

Materials were at hand, on a separate table; Lucien went to it, and nearly turning his back to the rest of the Inner Circle, was engrossed by writing.

Elain eyed him carefully, studying the leather strap that held back his long, molten red hair. Clearing her throat, she found Nesta across the room by the open window of the parlor as they were both on the outskirts of the Inner Circle’s political discussions. It was a respectable distance from where Lucien was writing at the desk, although still somewhat nearby. 

“I have a question for you,” Nesta turned to her younger sister, face like stone. “One that I have been thinking about for some time. What do you think our parents would have thought about the mating bond?” 

With wide, brown eyes Elain sucked in her breath. It was an unexpected question, but also a familiar one. For her thoughts had circled the very same doubts and insecurities that plagued her sister. “Well,” Elain wrung her hands nervously. “Mother would have adored Feyre’s, being mated to a High Lord after all. But if she didn’t like the outcome, she would have demanded a way to break it or alter it for her own advantage.” 

Nesta’s wicked grin revealed an agreement, knowing full well their mother would have been furious at her marriage and bond with an Illyrian general, and her matching status as a Valkyrie now. 

“As for father, well, I suppose, based on what he discussed with me in the past—there is a small chance he would have been disappointed.” Her voice dropped in both volume and confidence, barely escaping as a whisper passed her lips. As if she was instinctually afraid someone would hear, perhaps someone sitting across the room. 

Elain felt compelled to explain further. “He always told me the most important thing to find in a husband was true love. That I should not settle for anyone less than a kind, loyal heart who loves every part of me, because that kind of love will never leave you.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Nesta regarded her with furrowed eyebrows. “And you do not believe that a mating bond can also encompass those very same feelings? That same love?” 

She considered her question carefully, chewing on her bottom lip. “Perhaps it can, but how can you know it is true? That it is not just the manifestation of desire in its place?” It was always that doubt, that fear, that crept into the darkest crevices of her heart. For as long as those shadows existed, she could not bring herself closer to her own mate, afraid she would be unable to determine the answer. In return, she was afraid of what she could possibly want or feel for him.

“I wish I could make you comprehend, Elain.” Nesta frowned, “I wish I could properly convey the feeling of how your soul glows when your mate loves you—”

Before Nesta could continue, Elain found herself apologizing with a hand on her elbow. “Gods forbid that I should undervalue the love and bond you share with Cassian, or Feyre’s either for that matter. It is a reminder that bonds can be true and constant attachments.”

She could not immediately have uttered another sentence; her heart was too full, her breath too much oppressed.

“You’re a good sister,” Nesta replied affectionately and Elain wonder if her sister could see past her tenderness, if anyone could witness the mask of kindness that Elain could so easily put on for the sake of others to hide her own feelings. The conversation faded as Feyre now joined them with Nyx on her hip, a welcome distraction for Elain as the three of them turned to him. 

“Ready to go?” Cassian’s voice eventually broke through the hum of the room, an echo across the parlor. “We need to meet with Vassa and Jurian.” Lucien was folding up a letter in great haste, and either could not or would not answer fully.

“Yes,” he said. “I will winnow us. I will be ready in half a minute.” 

Cassian left to wait for him at the front door, and Lucien, having sealed his letter with great rapidity, was indeed ready, with a hurried and agitated air, as if he was greatly impatient to leave. Elain could not understand it. Cassian had given her a smile and shoulder a warm squeeze as he left the room, but from Lucien himself, not a single word. He had passed out of the room without a look.  

Elain moved closer to the table where he had been writing, when suddenly she heard footsteps returning; the door opened and it was Lucien. He gave her a polite nod and gestured to where he had forgotten his gloves, instantly crossing the room to the desk. He drew out a letter from under the scattered papers, placed it before Elain with eyes glowing in longing fixed on her, and hastily collected his gloves, once again out of the room before anyone could even be aware he had been in it at all. 

The interaction was almost beyond expression. The letter, with strokes of pen that were hardly legibly, as if rushed, read “Elain Archeron,” was evidently the one which he had been folding so hastily. While he had supposedly been writing to Helion, he had also been addressing her. On the contents of that letter depended all which this world could do for her. Anything was possible. Sinking into the chair which he had occupied, succeeding to the very spot where he had leaned and written, her eyes devoured the following words:

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when this bond first snapped, two and a half years ago. Dare not say that a mate’s love cannot be true, that his love is influenced by our tether. I have loved another, but none like you. Unjust I may have been, distant and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Velaris. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these past few days after Solstice, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine, I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish your true thoughts through the bond when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent female! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among males. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating in your mate,  L.V. I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow the court, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter the Night Court this evening or never again.” 

Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from. 

[dogstarblues]

honestly not just a YA issue I’ve seen some insanely boring fantasy that’s just ripoffs of bigger series or a rehash of tropes that have already been done to death in the 90s

my dear i said in my post everythings already been done. rehash of tropes is not my problem its the execution. and YA has a specific writing style that is rampant. which is why i specifically said YA as an AFTERTHOUGHT. theres boring fantasy and then theres a hollow sentence and dialogue thats barely passable. like i know abt terry goodkind! one of the most egregious cases of direct ripoffs and a garbage cobbling of tropes!

but the thing abt YA fiction these days is that its all the same stylistically. i got so excited by Raybearer and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (what the FUCK does that title mean btw) and Children of Blood and Bone bc i thot that authorship of color would revitalize a marketing group with deeply incestuous stylistic writing. and you know what? its the same shit with african-influenced flair! utterly disappointing. much of YA has a lack of craft. just LOOK at sjm. many of the newer writers dont challenge their audience. bc YA is abt marketing. you know whose from the old guard who has bangin' dialogue? Holly Black! ill still read her work bc shes been at the craft for a long time. even her earliest work was complicated and dark, and at many points, lovely. you know whose out here being challenging? courtney summers and melina marchetta. look at donna jo napoli or francesca lia block or meredith ann pierce if you wanna see real stylistic differences or challenging themes in writing with the targeted high school age group.

queer YA too, yes queer YA still sounds like the same shit. bc a lot of ppl who write YA only read other YA authors who do the same shit! its WILD.

however that post wasnt abt YA it was abt fiction writers at LARGE who have frail egos and insecurities that ignore craft in favor of suffering under the delusion that what theyre making is entirely singular, that what they can produce is unique. and i did say that isnt the point of writing. or at least, it shouldnt be. the point should be: because you love to create. the goal can factor in, yes! like im making a series of short stories that i want to get published abt black queer and trans characters who are somehow directly or tangentially connected to a university for studying magic. studying magic at school? its been done! a series of interconnected short stories? its been done. see: brides of rollrock island. but im not making it bc i think its so unique that i dont want to be influenced by other writers and it has to be protected. im making it bc i love my craft and i want others to engage with what i love. i want to share myself.

im also writing a fanfiction rn for the first time since at the latest 2015. why? bc im in a discord for fans of a 900page literary fantasy and they love to share what they create bc they love the material so much that they study the book to develop a sense of dialogue and characterization and try to present that in their fanfic. bc they want to do it justice! bc they care abt craft! its a tiny fandom! the most hits ppl get on their fic is 217! there are only 50 fanfics for the book at most on AO3! but they do it bc they love writing and adore the material. the discord is popping off every hour of the day and theres only 111 ppl on it. but theyre creating! and i love writing and i think this act of close-reading the material will help me develop my writing!

it wasnt abt YA. it was abt writing.