#City of Dusk

[nahisummerhold]

City of Dusk, Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

A couple of days had passed, one more box appeared, this one growing hot when she tried to open it, whoever was sending these was about to get on her list, it was near torture to see them there every time she came to the club or left it and she wanted to open them so badly. Detailing and magic running through them, beautiful and could only imagine what treasures they held. 

Her new Shal’dorei flirtation from had brought a friend to the club and during each break she sat with them, there was none of the playfully sexy banter, just people enjoying a relaxed night together. The man he came with was named Beyan Adrinore and he owned a club that held private galas, by the end of the night he booked her for a party in three weeks time. 

Nahi appreciated Mr. Presence bringing Beyan to meet her, especially as they got along famously and she felt she would be getting more than this one booking with him, but as with his leaving the night before it confused her. What kind of man that wants to get into a woman’s pants brings a third wheel to grind the process to a halt? They had been in each other’s orbits for days and other than one racy conversation they were no closer to finding where the flirtation could take them by the time he and Beyan had left at the end of the night.

Dressing with extra care whether he showed up or not she was out to make herself known for more than just her voice. A dress in metallic gold as bright as the sun itself showed her dark skin to perfection, it hung all the way to her knees with a slit in the back so she could walk at least and it clung to her in all the right places. Ombre curls were piled high on her head, held in place by pins that disappeared except small sparkling jewels left exposed to catch the stage lights. Her makeup was artfully minimal, a small gold shimmer over the lids of her eyes, mascara, a touch of kohl liner, her lips a saturated fuscia with a hint of gold gloss over top. People in Suramar were used to their cool colors, she was suited to warmer tones and was ready to illuminate night, tonight she would be unapologetically her.  Mid-way through her first set, her intriguing flirtation partner arrived, as usual he made his way into the club with the hosting staff hovering a couple of steps behind him but his gaze was locked on Nahi like a beacon. One small glance in his direction was all she graced him with, then she focused on the other patrons at the tables by the stage, liquid gold moved with her every step catching the light and enchanting her mahogany skin. Each song she performed she connected deeply with those watching, eye contact drew them in, a special type of energy poured out over the audience. 

This wasn’t the kind of club where people met her after each set and asked for autographs, but tonight a couple of the club members shook her hand as she walked off stage delaying her trip to the bar. Nahi had lost sight of Mr. P when she turned her attention away so she could not go to him, or if he was even still in the club. Finally through the audience she stood at the servers station at the bar, Philenete, the bartender waved to let her know that he had seen her, but he was waiting on customers at the bar so she turned and cocked one hip looking out over the club guests, not seeking him out though she wanted to, just letting him come to her if he was that interested.

“That dress stops just short of indecent,” The voice of her new mysteriously sexy man came from her side his approach gone unnoticed. It was a comment she agreed with, it had been the point of wearing it but she wasn’t going to admit that. 

Turning to face him, she smiles politely just as she had to his friend Beyan the previous night, acknowledging him without any other emotion involved. He was in a suit that was tailored as immaculately as she imagined it would be, dark hair looking slightly wet and when she met his eyes, the normal humor was banked for a look of hunger. “I think a knee length cocktail dress is considered decent in most civilized places, is Suramar so uncivilized?”

He ignored her retort completely, “Did you wear it for me?”

Yes. “No.” Luckily the bar area was dark, there was a faint hope he would not see the lie on her face. 

“Here you go Nahi, sorry about the wait. You are like fire tonight.” The words drew her attention back to the bar, Philenete pushed a mug across the bar to her with a wink and a smile before he moved away.

Picking up the hot water, she gave the bartender a brilliant smile, “Thank you!” Her voice carried to him and he waved from where he was already engaged with someone else. The full presence of the Shal’dorei behind her was invisibly resting on her shoulders, even if he remained a few steps away, turning she looked up into his eyes over the steam rising off her water. “It is nice to see you again.”

“Nice?” He asked after a rough chuckle, “Nice to see me? Not a little more than nice?” The man knew what she was very obviously doing.

“Mmm hmmm,” Nahi said, allowing humor to show in her gaze, they both recognized the ridiculous nature of her downplaying his being there.

The weight of the desire in his eyes yielded some of its intensity as amusement joined it, “You could get in trouble trying to dismiss me like that.”

Nahi had played this part of their game more than once with others. In her mind she wanted to say, ‘Like you did to me the night before?’ but she knew the outcome if she did, he would gloat over having affected her, giving him that more power over her. “Is that so? Well I will have to try to remember that. I have to get back on stage. See you later?”

A low growl sounded from him as she turned, dismissing him again. Her reasoning was valid, her break was over and she couldn’t take more time just to fence with him in the power game they were playing. Walking through the tables to the stage instead of along the arranged walkway, she purposely made it so he would have to pursue her in front of people to continue the conversation. By the time she stepped onto the stage, placed her drink on a small side table  and talked to the piano player, he had taken a table just off the side of the stage, game point to her this volley. 

The rest of the night, even through her breaks, he remained at the table and Nahi had decided to become stubborn about ceding control of the interaction between them, unlike the night before where she joined him and his friend, she avoided going even near his table. Each time she began the next set would glance at him and his eyes would meet hers, humor was there at first, but with each time she avoided him, the humor bled away leaving annoyance behind. Nahi wouldn’t cede the power back to him, she wanted to figure out what they had between them because she hadn’t been this drawn to a person since Tempest Keep. Nahi had dealt this hand, and wasn’t going to be the one that folded, instead she turned up her power a little each set. 

Near the end of the night she was choosing moments in her performance to meet his eyes, connecting more intimately within songs that were emotionally  charged. It was the opposite of how she usually approached moments like those, normally looking out over the audience, building that anticipation before closing her eyes and filling her voice with emotion over offering it up visually. As he had watched her for the last few nights she was sure he would recognize the change, and when she met his eyes she saw a new depth there, more intense than their playful moments.

When she ended the night, she came down off the stage looking around but he was nowhere to be seen, it was a something that took her breath away thinking that he had just left. Putting on her best smile, refusing to show her disappointment, she moved through to the bar, talking to anyone that reached out to her. Getting her warm drink, she headed back to her dressing room, stepping in, she paused just inside the door, he was resting against the vanity, legs crossed in front of him and arms across his chest. “Did you wear it for me?”

It was like no time passed at all between them, there was no way she could hide the truth in this light so she turned from him, placing her mug on a table only to feel his arm encircling her waist, “Did you wear it for me?” His voice whispered darkly, the little diamond hoop in her ear, pressing between her cartilage and his cheek, the heat of his breath caressing the length of her long ear and her temple.

Nahi didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, he had stolen the songstress’s voice away, her eyes closed and her lips parted. One hand braced on the table, the other still holding her mug, pinned in place by his arm and the desire that rushed through her. With no answer, he wrapped his hands around her waist and picked her up, turning, he walked her to the counter with the boxes, sitting her in front of them and lifting a hand to tilt her chin up so he was looking into her eyes, “Answer me, my Banshee, did you wear it for me?”

“Yes,” she said softly, her gaze locked with his, none of the challenging defiance of earlier remaining, melted away by the scorching connection between them. Dark hands rested on the charcoal sleeves of his suit, champagne colored nails tipped into the fabric, not clinging but fighting a desire to push away from the vulnerability that was racing through her. 

Leaning in, his lips brushing from the side of her mouth along her cheek to rest at the base of her ear, a small place that caused a heat to pool in her belly, it was like he had known her body for hundreds of years already. “Get your things, whoever it is you go home to each night will just have to do without you, because my bed has been waiting for you to be in it.” 

[thefangirlphenomenon]

when you've just finished the first book in a series and desperately want to read the second installment but you're too scared to actually read it because the third book only comes out in 2024 and you don't want to be stuck on a cliffhanger for a year

[tokyostreetphoto]

Eternal Blue, Nakano 中野

[ai-dream]

[visionsofnightfall]

season of change

instagram.

[melphss]

@nestaarcheronweek | Day 01: Queen of Queens

“We heard about you down here. You are the one the sea and the wind and the earth whispered of.”

“Nesta.”

“You took from the Cauldron itself.”

“Come with me, Queen of Queens, and we shall return what was once lost.”

-  Chapter 54, A Court of Silver Flames.

Nesta has been referenced more than once as a queen in the books, and perhaps this is a portent for what the future holds for her. Maybe not exactly as queen, but as ruler of the Dusk Court.

In this art, me and Luana wanted to represent Nesta as it's High Lady, holding her two swords: Cauldron made Ataraxia and Starsword/Gwydion. And we couldn't have loved more how @gessueter brought this idea to life.

Art by: @gessueter

Commissioned by: @melphss and Luana

Characters belongs to: Sarah J. Maas

[aestum]

(by ZHENYU LUO)

[inefekt69]

Okayama, Japan

[ivomagus]

[boschintegral-photo]

Shinjuku & Mt. Fuji Tokyo, Japan

[oristian]

ELUCIEN | GWYNRIEL — MAASVERSE SPOILERS

I tend to see posts and videos from a multitude of people who seem to be reluctant to accept foreshadowing in the ACOTAR books—specifically regarding the endgame couples to finish out the overall series. As this post is simply beating a dead horse down, I find that it is very much needed as a specific group of people lack the capacity to understand the books.

Foreshadowing is not meant to be obvious. There are, of course, cases where it is relatively obvious, but only within the parameters of back-to-back scenes. Foreshadowing is meant to be picked up on, but to be fully understand later on in the story when everything comes to fruition. Examples of foreshadowing include color descriptions, specific use of language, emphasis on certain scenes, emphasis surrounding specific objects, et cetera. If something happens obviously and you can read the scene as-is, it is not foreshadowing.

I see many people who ship Elriel claim that there is buildup across the entire series that foreshadows why they will be endgame. As the books do not support that claim, it is outlandish and a spread of misinformation. Allow me to disprove this theory using the books alone:

— 🌸 ACOTAR: Zero interactions between Elain and Azriel as Azriel had not been introduced as a character yet. This book highlighted Feyre surmising that Elain would thrive within the Spring Court, that her sister enjoyed typical emissary work, and instead introduced Lucien as a character.

— 🦢 ACOMAF: This is the first book where Elain and Azriel met, as is this is where many Elriels like to claim that the Elriel build-up begins. However, this book says otherwise. Elain and Azriel’s first meeting is neutral, quiet conversation to ease a tense situation as Nesta/Feyre/Cassian/Rhys were creating an uncomfortable atmosphere and Elain meant to ease it. This book highlighted how in love Azriel was with Mor and how Elain was engaged to Grayson. Many Elriels also claim that the color of Elain’s dress in this first meeting—being cobalt—is indicative of endgame between she and Azriel. However, cobalt is also the signature color of Grayson’s family crest. Their interactions die out after that first meeting and instead focus on Feysand again. The throne room scene in Hybern also showed the beginning of Elucien and their mate bond, while Azriel was on the floor reaching for Mor. (I go more into this on my Tik Tok page: @oristian)

— 🔥 ACOWAR: When Feyre returns to the Night Court after her month in Spring, she finds that Elain has been within a catatonic state for the entirety of that month and has shown no signs of recovering—that is, until Lucien came along. Elain began eating and moving around once he came and after tugging on the mating bond, her visions first started showing. themselves. Everyone likes to credit Azriel for most of this, but all that Azriel did (take her to the garden) was suggested previously by Lucien. Lucien, who was not able to be alone with her due to Nesta and Feyre. Next, everyone tends to say that Azriel “saw” Elain when he named her power. “What we need is …” Contradicts such a thing. Naming a power does not cure someone of their trauma. Lucien is also canonically the first character to take Elain’s visions seriously and went in search of Vassa, ultimately finding Papa Archeron and creating an even deeper connection into the Koschei plot arc with Elain. This is also where we get the iconic half-step on the stair scene.

Elain is now kidnapped by the cauldron portraying itself as Graysen—Elain wanting so badly to be with her previous lover. This is a scene where many Elriels claim that it is supportive of Elriel being endgame. However, it is within character for Azriel to save someone, especially people close to him. Certainly, Elain being appreciative of being saved and kissing him on the cheek is cute, but that is not enough “foreshadowing” for an endgame. Next, Azriel hands her Truth Teller after Elain refused other weapons. Elain is hesitant and only agrees to take it once Feyre chimes in that she will not have to use it. Juxtapose this with Elain immediately giving it back after the battle is over, not saying a word, and instead falling into conversation with Lucien. Lucien, who is canonically the only character to credit her for assisting with ending the King of Hybern.

— 🌨️ ACOFAS: This is the buffer book that was meant to do two things: Establish Nessian as the next couple for the following book, and establish a clear love triangle between Azriel/Elain/Lucien. Elriels use this book to drive the idea of an Elriel endgame. While this book has scenes between Elain and Azriel, there is unfortunately no foreshadowing present enough to support that claim. This novella emphasizes, from a conversation between Rhys and Feyre, that Azriel may be inclined towards Elain due to her having traits that may remind him of his mother (Freud). We also have Solstice where Lucien brings Elain a gift—a gift that fully reflects her interests—Elain brings Azriel a gift, but Azriel does not bring Elain a gift. Azriel even questioning beforehand if he has to get the sisters a gift at all. Elain’s gift being superficial and more of a joke than anything truly meaningful to them as a relationship.

— 🗡️ ACOSF: The book that ended Elriel. We have this book set up as PRE-BONUS CHAPTER | BONUS CHAPTER | POST BONUS CHAPTER. In the pre-bonus chapter, we have a few scenes between Elain and Azriel that is a glance, or a very small interaction. The infamous scene that Elriels like to use to “prove” that his shadows actually like Elain is the scene where Cassian says that Nesta upset Elain and his shadows seemed poised to strike. His shadows reacted to his anger, not to Elain. Next, the Solstice scene where Azriel refused to be within the room due to the mating bond between Elain and Lucien and Nesta seeing that he was interested in Elain—which is never brought up again, however we do get a scene post bonus chapter of Nesta encouraging Gwyn and Azriel by calling him the “new ribbon.”

The bonus chapter ended Elriel officially as endgame. The chapter is told from Azriel’s POV and documents his lustful thoughts of Elain and how he wants a mate, hurt and confused why his brothers had two of the Archeron sisters and the third was given away to another male. Rhysand even asking Azriel what his plans are after seducing Elain and Azriel having none “past the fantasies he pleasures himself to.” This is also a chapter where Elriels like to claim that Elriel is a forbidden romance. ACOWAR Rhys clearly objects to this being the case. (I have a video on my Tik Tok going over this @oristian) The bonus chapter then moves to Azriel finding Gwyn, his shadows not warning him of her presence at the HoW. His shadows are curious about her and dance with her breath. Azriel then finds out that Elain rejected his necklace—the only Solstice gift that he has gotten her, and one he expressed as “nothing extraordinary”—and the next morning finds him re-gifting such to Gwyn. Azriel can picture her eyes lighting up at the gift and he smiles—this is also where mate language is used to describe the spark in his chest at the thought of her and the glow of the thought. “A thing of secret, lovely beauty.” A line that was used twice—one to describe the necklace, and another time to describe the thought of Gwyn.

Post bonus chapter has zero interactions between Elain and Azriel. The interactions between Azriel and Gwyn are charged and witty. Energetic. This is also where we see Azriel’s siphons glowing darker at the thought of the Valkyries in the Great Rite—the first instance that this has happened.

Next, we go into the last two remaining plot arcs: Koschei and Dusk Court. Both ACOSF and HOFAS have set Nesta up as the driver for the Dusk Court arc, with Azriel as the character to follow. With SJM’s Bloomsbury contract slating her to have two more main books with dual POV romantic interests, the Dusk Court arc book would only make sense having Gwyn and Azriel as the FMC and MMC of that arc. The Koschei arc has been carefully crafted for Elain and Lucien to be the FMC and MMC of that book, with both of them being set up for this since ACOWAR. Elain with her visions of Vassa, the lake, and Koschei’s black box, and Lucien being tied to Papa Archeron and Vassa and the mortals. (I have a video on my Tik Tok that goes more in depth with this @oristian)

— SUMMARY: Elain and Azriel do not have multiple books of foreshadowing, a Gwynriel and Elucien endgame is not fanservice, and the remaining two plot arcs do not support an Elriel endgame. If you have any problems with that, take it up with SJM.

[nahisummerhold]

City of Dusk, Part 3

Part 1 Part 2

Nahi began the last set, she toned everything down slightly, this was not a club that would be raucous at the end of the night, so she made the feeling in the room fit those final moments the club would be open. Winding down and thanking the audience before walking down the stairs to go to the bar for her drink before they closed up. A deep voice spoke from an alcove next to the stage, “Sit with me, Silver Banshee. I have hot water with lemon and honey, Philenete at the bar said it was what you drink at the end of the night.”

Nahi didn’t even need to look to know it was him, of course a man like that would have a voice to make her insides melt. Turning to smile at him, she tipped her head then slid into the seat opposite his, “Thank you.” There was a question in his eyes and he looked at the drink, but he didn’t ask it so she chose not to offer up the information, games like this had been played before and she didn’t often lose at them.

“Your voice should be bottled and sold as an aphrodisiac.” The boldness of the statement made Nahi very glad she hadn’t taken a drink or she might have spit it on him, as it was she had to bring a hand up to prevent a snort laugh. He grinned at her, looking pleased with himself and she had to give him a point for that opening salvo. 

When she stopped laughing, she tipped her head, violet eyes appraising him. He wasn’t broad shouldered but no one would say he lacked muscle, his suit jacket fit perfectly across the breadth of his upper body and she imagined it would taper at the waist, but he had unbuttoned it to sit. Handsome, not pretty, a scar ran from the base of one ear along his jawline, another with rougher texture along his neck. Jet black hair curled right at his collar, the length not quite long enough to be unruly and not short enough to be severe. “I have not heard that before, a nod to originality.”

He watched her, his face breaking into a wide smile when she laughed, one that didn’t fade while she looked him over. The little toast the night before had felt cocky, but now she was thinking it was just in his nature to be bold and flirtatious, another thing they had in common. “I have not seen you perform here before.”

“That would be because I haven’t,” Nahi said with a grin. “I usually perform in Dalaran but was approached to stand in for a week here, something about their normal singer falling ill.” Picking up her mug she blew across the top then took a sip, her eyes holding his own across the table. “I am glad they reached out, it is a good opportunity to get a feel for working in Suramar.”

Turning his glass in a circle between his thumb and forefinger on the table, an absent gesture she thought, she guessed it was what he did while he was focused on something else, which, in the moment, was her. “I would not compare this club to many across the city. There are a few similar,” he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “but this one has the best entertainment this week.”

That drew another laugh from her, this man was a breath of fresh air. “Flattery is a heady drug, you should be careful with such talk.” Slowly, Nahi was relaxing with him, usually she held to her performer persona, especially in new venues smiling and warm, flirty but not too much, keeping to herself most of the time, not inviting familiarity. This man made her want to engage, to ask questions about him, to find the depths of his sharp mind, but she didn’t, she let him guide the conversation. 

“But is it flattery if it is,” he paused and she almost expected the ‘if it is true’ drivel to finish it, already feeling she had given him too much credit in his cleverness, “meant to get you out of your pants?”

It was another statement that made her glad to not be spitting hot water from her nose, she certainly wasn’t able to control the snort this time, covering her mouth with her hand and looking around, hoping no one else heard her. “Oh my Light, you're an unexpected treasure of come on lines. I should have a notebook copying these down so I can use them later.”

He laughed along with her, eyes danced and good humor brightened his face. “Don’t tell me all this time you have been using boring lines to hit on people. I would think a woman who has a way with music would be able to come up with something more.original.”

Pressing up to lean in, the same way he had, the movement giving him a nice view down her shirt if he wanted to take advantage of it, which he did, he was a smart man after all. She whispered, “I generally do not need to use a line to ensnare someone.” Lowering back into her seat, a pleased look on her face, her sexy, playful nature matching his own. Hoping that he wasn’t about to make her laugh again, she took a longer drink out of the fluted glass mug, 

A deep sound of appreciation rumbled within his chest as he gladly took the view she offered, when he looked up into her eyes again the playfulness was replaced with an intensity that he quickly tamped down. Pointing to her mug with his chin, he asked, “What’s with the drink? You are not working now, you could have anything you choose.”

“It helps my voice recover,” Nahi replied, “plus drinking where I work, especially in a new setting, seems unprofessional, at least in my mind.” The sound he made had reached into her core and tugged at it, pleased with a little more serious of a topic as she wasn’t sure she could play off something light and teasing after the exchange of their bodies over minds.

A nod at her explanation and he stood, looking around the place and its dwindling patrons, “Seems they are looking to close up for the night. May I say, Lady Silver Banshee, you are a delight.” He stood and offered her his hand to help her rise, once she was on her feet he turned her hand over, leaning in and inhaling her scent, then pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “Take good care of that voice, it is something special.” Walking past her he moved to the door without a glance back.

Shocked by his choice to leave, Nahi was left a little flat footed, not something she experienced often. Standing for a moment realizing she had been holding her breath, exhaling she looked around to see if anyone was watching, but while time had stood still for her, the world had continued to move around her. 

Picking up the mug she moved back to her dressing room, the first thing to catch her eye was a new addition to the magic box puzzle, stacked on top of the one she had tried to open earlier. Placed together, their magic blended, the lines of the magic both moving as one. This time she tried to open the newest immediately but the magic cracked across her hand, like a small hand slap, Nahi jumped back and frowned at the offending offerings left for her, the using a towel she reached to pick them up, ready to throw them away, but the instant she tried they became heavy, too much for her to move. What kind of weird gifts were they anyway?

Standing up, Nahi moved to her wardrobe and changed, opening a portal to home, the containers clearing her thoughts of the intriguing, still nameless, man.

[huariqueje]

City Dusk - Sasha Hartslief , 2018.

South African , b. 1974 -

Oil on canvas, 96 x 85 cm.

[tokyostreetphoto]

Final Blue, Nakano 中野

[emaadsidiki]

Pink Haze Paris France 🌆 سنہری جامنی گلابی شام

[silverflameataraxia]

SJM wrote the Ember bonus chapter to perfectly showcase the hypocrisy of the IC. They only reacted the way they did because it was Nesta who acted. They would have never reacted that way if it was anyone else. If Feyre had been the sole person who could summon and control the Mask, and she chose to give it to Bryce, the IC would have understood. Rhysand can use the "Nesta risked Prythian" line to try and justify his behavior, but him and Feyre have risked Prythian more times than Nesta has.

Feysand literally released death-gods onto Prythian during the war with Hybern, hoping that they could control them. Considering Feyre couldn't even control Bryaxis, I highly doubt they would have been able to control death-gods, but they released them from confinement anyway because they deemed the risk to Prythian to be worth it. It ultimately was, and the death-gods were killed in battle. But was Feysand ripped to shreds because they risked Prythian? No.

Feyre released - and subsequently lost - Bryaxis, so now Fear itself is roaming free throughout Prythian. Was Feyre ripped to shreds or threatened with punishment because of it? Nope. The IC treat it like it's a joke.

Feysand gave the Cauldron - the very kill switch of Prythian - to Miryam and Drakon, hoping they can protect it, but once again it is a huge risk to Prythian. And a decision that Feysand did not have a right to make since the Cauldron does not belong to the Night Court, and nor does it effect only the Night Court. But did Feysand answer to every person in Prythian for what they did? No. Were they ripped to shreds or threatened with punishment or possible execution? Nope.

Could you imagine if the IC had punished or executed Nesta and then Bryce shows up. "Hey guys, Nesta and I defeated the Asteri. They won't be a threat to you ever again." How does the IC even come back from this? An "I'm sorry," won't cut it. They completely jumped the gun and now they look like fools.

Only Nesta would be treated in such a way by the IC. SJM went to great lengths to show that Nesta is not a part of the IC's family. And that's fine and dandy, but she needs to get out of the Night Court. I think the IC's treatment of Nesta will serve as a catalyst for her Starborn journey, which ultimately will take her to the Dusk Court.