#acotar shipping game

[goldenivy0]

I'm convinced my preferences on acotar ships are 90% based on couple dynamics. How should I explain this? To me shipping Elain and Az is like trying to fit the square shaped piece in the triangle shaped hole in one of those shape sorting cubes for little kids. Even if I tried (and I did trust me) it just wouldn't work. It doesn't match, it doesn't make sense. As a couple their dynamic just feels wrong (TO MEEE!!) 🤷🏽‍♀️

But Elucien and Gwynriel??? Yeees! The vibes are vibing, both the energy of one pair and the other flow in perfect harmony and that's where the sauce is, I don't make the rules 😝

(Real footage of me trying to ship E/riel)

[derangedthoughtssideblog]

Am I crazy or is enemies to lovers only good when they're just enemies in canon and lovers in fanon?

It just feels like people writing enemies to lovers in canon don't actually know how to write the enemies part, and it's clear from the start that their characters are going to end up together. They never allow their characters to actually do evil things to each other because they fear the readers won't be able to forgive.

I don't want mild annoyance and teasing and secret crushes. I want full on hatred and attempted murders, is that too much?

[the-sky-is-heavy-so-i-write]

i love re-examining media i enjoyed as a child (some of which i should NOT have been reading) cause it’s always either still really good or the literal worst piece of shitty garbage i’ve ever read in my life and i wonder how i ever even enjoyed it.

recently however i was re-reading a book series i liked when i was younger and realized it’s a lot more fucked up than i remember. like im reading it and i think holy shit how can anyone like this man (referring to the main love interest) how did i even like this man. it’s truly wild.

i should probably talk to my therapist

[ewa-jednak-chce-spac]

Congratulations to Nessian fans

Your ship won with Sauron x Shelob in my third true ultimate shipping tournament and advanced to the fourth round!

Sauron/Shelob fans, don’t weep, because your ship remains awesome!

[witchthewriter]

@perseephoneee.

Hello! Thank you for doing the ship game; I'm just going to tell you that not everything will be canon - the characters are, but I mean what's happened in the shows/movies. Not too much, but I just wanted to write this for you. Hope you enjoy xx

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐋

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞��𝐢𝐥! I think he would be a great partner for you, honestly. He juggles being serious, being kind, having passion for justice and also not wanting to actually kill anyone. I think you would feel very safe around him, especially if you knew how well he can take care of himself and you.

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

It took you a while to open up to Matthew about who you really were. He sensed it ages before, but let you take the time you needed.

A mutant of sorts, not born with your power but experimented on by those you thought cared about you.

You look human for the most part - well, you are human technically. But also, you're technically ... not.

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

You're called the Truth-Bringer. Infamous in the world of magic, science and other worlds. You can make people tell the truth. It's not 'persuade,' maybe you can use the word 'enchant,' but when it comes down to it, you can make anyone tell you the true answer to any question.

But what you've kept hidden is that you can see their memories; from their childhood to the day before.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

When you revealed yourself to Matthew, you promised not to use it on him. You don't use it on those you don't deem a threat. He appreciated that, but trusted you not to anyway.

Goes all out for dates; he loves romancing you, making you feel like the only girl in the world. He wants you to feel like you're loved, cherished.

He has your favourite things memorised; coffee order, favourite flavour, colour, smell etc.

It took a long time for Matt to open up to you about who he really is, and what he really does.

It made you a bit mad because you told him a lot earlier on in the relationship, thinking it was going to be a deal breaker. But he didn't want to make you feel like you needed to team up with him, or do something good with your powers (that's if, if you don't).

You've learnt how to sew up stitches and patch up wounds because of Matt. You've basically become a nurse after looking after him.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Eysium by Hans Zimmer

Underground by Cody Fry

Her Name Is Alina Starkov by Joseph Trapanese

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

"Give me attention." (Matthew) x "If the world knew you were like this, they'd be shocked." (You)

I Don’t Know What I’m Doing But At Least I’m Alive, Right? (Matthew) x You’re Doing Great, Sweetie (You)

Snarky Power Couple That Can, And Probably Will, Destroy You

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Second Chance at Love

Slow-Burn Romance

Rescue Romance

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your empathy and compassion. Matt knows you're bold, he knows you're brave but he loves your empathy, he loves how you care about people. It's a low commodity in this world. Especially those that have power - they let it get to their head. But not you.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Kate Bishop most definitely. You two would be two peas in a pod. You'd be the voice of reason with Kate, who would be as chaotic as a kid who just drank a can of coke in 30 seconds.

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

With this Universe being so big, it's brilliant to find who you'd be the most similar to. So, I think you're a perfect mix of Wanda Maximoff (before WandaVision), Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel and Yelena Belova.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

This beautiful girl was given to you as a wedding gift. This was actually a cultural thing the Vikings did. The cat was given to the wife by the husband to help look after the house.

Obviously, Matt gave this baby to you for other reasons. Not to help with the household (rats, other vermin etc).

But even though she is huuuuge, she is the biggest cuddler ever. Just wanting to be held by you, be around you. Whenever you're at home, she will follow you around. Everywhere. Cries if you don't pick her up.

𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧! He is the youngest out of the High Lords, and that means he has a slight youthful outlook on life; he has a lot of hope. But he was also Under the Mountain; so he does know the horrors of this life. I think he would lift your spirits all the time. Imagine him calling you his 'Love, his heart, his High Lady,' because of course he would make your standing equal to his.

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

High Fae, just like Feyre, Elain and Nesta turned into. However, you were born this way, into a low standing family at the Night Court. You were lucky enough to be living in Velaris, not experiencing the horrors that were happening.

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

What kept your family safe was your unique power - one that Rhysand knew could never be in the hands of Amarantha. So, you were practically hidden in Velaris, hoping that something would change and you wouldn't be monitored every day.

Your parents came from two different Courts. Your mother from the Dawn Court, known for healing. And your father, from the Day Court (who had been a close friend of Lord Helion's).

Your father was interested in magic; not just practicing it, but becoming obsessed with gaining knowledge. So, when your mother was pregnant with you, he thought he was giving your mother something to keep you, the fetus, strong and healthy.

But when you were born, you weren't the normal fae baby. There were already glowing stars all over your body; constellations. Your eyes would change colour, depending on what you were using your ability for.

Because you could summon light, but you could also make the area around you completely pitch black. You were immune to fire, and could breathe under water.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Never cared about your power, only that he needed to hire more guards to keep you and your family safe.

His nick names for you are, "my love", "beauty," "the light of my life.," "my little siren," "darling."

Tarquin, is a gentle man. He has a gentle heart, but knows when to become the High Lord. Oh, and yes of course, he would make you a High Lady. He's completely about equality.

Always wants your opinion in political matters and if you wanted to become more involved in it, he would allow it 100%

Loves introducing you to people as his, "High Lady and Mate." That's what everyone knows you as, so there is no way you would be referred to as anything less.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

The Blue Planet by Hans Zimmer

Would That I by Hozier

Kingdom Dance by Alan Menken

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Oblivious (You) x Constantly Admiring You (Tarquin)

When Two Of The Sweetest people In The Room Are In Love

Calm bf x Hyper gf

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Soulmates

Timeless Love

Mutual Growth and Empowerment

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

You have two best friends but they're more aquaintances I think. Anyway, your best friends are Feyre Archeron and Gwyn Berdara. I think they both have similar personalities to yours, and you can actually open up to them both. They're so soft and gentle. Feyre gives the best hugs - the kind when they press you to their body, with one hand against the back of your head, and the other along your back. They would both understand the issues you deal with (and if you need to talk to someone/rant, always remember I'm here too xx!)

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mix of Elain, Mor and Feyre. With your INFJ personality, it's exactly as you described yourself: 'I always want to help others. I’m fairly organized as well. In addition to all of this, I am very sarcastic with a dry sense of humor. I’m a good leader, and can be quite feisty.' I.e,. you're multidimensional in a way where you're like a flowing stream. At some points you're perfectly warm and calm; in others, you are flowing so dangerously that no one can cross.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

The beautiful, wise and intelligent owl. One that can connect with you mind to mind. She's majestic, and picky with who she likes. Knows when danger is near, and particularly knows when YOU are in danger, no matter where you are.

𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐧: 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡��𝑒𝑜𝑛 & 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑚'𝑠 𝐸𝑛𝑑. I was going to ship you with Pod, because GOT has a limit on their caring, kind-hearted male characters. But then I remembered Gendry and a light bulb struck. He would be the PERFECT match for you! He would do whatever it took to keep you safe, but also stand up for you against anyone, in any setting, no matter who was present. You're his woman, and he has so much respect and love for you it's endless.

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

You're human, however, there are distinct differences in your appearance. Like having two different coloured eyes; one purple and the other brown. Your hair was white, and many thought you were a Targaryen.

This forced your family to dye your hair, as you became a target wherever you went. Your true parentage had been hidden to you all your life; your parents were happy to be together, even though your mother had had relations with Rhaegar Targaryen.

Yes, making you ... half Targaryen.

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Dragonrider, Blood of Old Valyria, as well as a Dragon Dreamer.

That's how you were able to find your Aunt ... the Mother of Dragons. Through your dreams, you were told where to locate her. How to as well. It had plagued you as a child; sometimes you saw brilliant things, other times you saw things so horrific that you didn't want to sleep ever again.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

You met Gendry after being officially welcomed into your heritage of House Targaryen. You had already bonded with your dragon and had become apart of Dany's inner circle.

When Dany came to help Jon Snow, you came with her. Well, wherever she went, you went with her. You wanted to be another pair of eyes in the sky to watch her back. To defend her.

Gendry was there and his heart leapt looking at you. 'What a beauty,' he had mumbled and Tormund next to him snorted. 'It is a beast. A dragon. It is not a beauuty.'

But Gendry knew he had to talk to you. Spoilers: he did, and became smitten. So smitten in fact that he was slowly falling in love. Little did he know, you were falling as well.

Together you're playful, encouraging, and feel safe to be your real self. He calls you, "sweetheart, 'love', 'targaryen', 'white hair', 'she-dragon." He loves teasing you.

When you introduced your dragon to Gendry, he was shaking like a leaf - despite it being a warm day. You knew he was trying to hide his fear. When you climbed ontop of Viserion, you called out, "YOU COMING OR WHAT??" and Gendry couldn't breathe. (It took himm five interactions with Viserion for him to get on as well). And yes, Viserion is completely fine with Gendry. He likes him a lot. Sees him as him for what he is.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Earth by Hans Zimmer

Romantic Flight by John Powell

Dance of the Druids by Bear McCreary

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Aggressively Supportive & Protective (Gendry) Finally Allowing Someone Into Their Heart (You)

Tragic Past x Ray of Light (this goes both ways!)

Chaotic Dumbass Duo

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Forbidden Love

Love Transcending Boundaries

Defying Expectations

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Gendry doesn't care that you have a dragon, he doesn't care that you have power; you could have been brought up in the slums of King's Landing for all he cares. You're everything to him.

He loves how passionate you get about the things you love. He loves listening to you sing, loves listening to you talk about music and why it means so much to you.

He could listen to you talk for so long without needing to talk himself.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Your Aunt, Danaerys Targaryen, who you don't see as an Aunt because she's only a few years older than you... She absolutely loves you. You're her family, but if you weren't blood related - it wouldn't matter. She sees you for who you are, and the fact that you bonded with one of her dragons (her sons), she trusts you just as much as Missendi.

She also loves dragon racing with you. At first it was just a fly over which she ruled. So high that everyone below you looked like ants. You looked over to Dany and she was beaming. Dany loved that she wasn't alone in this anymore. She wasn't the last Targaryen.

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

Definitely a mix! I think you have a lot of personality traits from Dany, Sansa, Arya (arya a lot actually), even Missendei. You have a polite demeanour and don't like bothering others (you aren't. I think like that too because of how I was raised, but we're humans that deserve to take up space!).

You actually really remind me of grown up Rhaenyra Targaryen (I know we're in got era) but they wanted to cast a 'rockstar' feeling person for that role, and I think you're really like Rhaenyra. But with a bit more hesitancy towards arguments.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

As one of the only Targaryens left in the world, it made you one of the only dragonriders left as well.

Dany was curious whenever you interacted with her dragons. Drogon would give a curious growl, until he smelt you. Understanding you were like Dany. You felt like you could look into his eyes, and he let you. Mutual respect was there.

Rhaegal was less aggressive and blew smoke at you. Instantly you knew this was going to be a banter like relationship.

And then there was Viserion.

Instantly when you looked at him you fell to your knees. Staring at the beautiful gold and white dragon. There was a pull inside you. Something had hooked your very soul and you knew the other hook was in the youngest dragon.

Viserion whined as he looked at you, his strong body getting up and moving toward you. But you couldn't move, you had been hoping this would happen, and it was!

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬: 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛!

The youngest of the three dragons and the most affectionate.

Here are more gifs of him because he deserves to be recognised more. He's literally described in the books as affectionate, calm, and the friendliest out of the three.

[achaotichuman]

For fun:

Azris

GwynxTarquin

Hewn City MalexNyx

For chaos:

JurianxAmarantha

LoAxMor

AndrasxRhys (like imagine the angst if Feyre killed his ex love)

HelionxEris

KeirxBerin

Rhys DadxTamlins dad

You do not need to do all this just whichever ones spark your interest

Oooooh

Azris

Gwyn x Tarquin

Hewn City Male x Nyx

Jurian x Amarantha

LoA x Mor

Andras x Rhys

Helion x Eris

Keir x Beron

Rhys' dad x Tamlin's dad

All of them sparked my interest

[sad-endings-suck]

Maybe it is because of how Warnette and Robin x Barney (HIMYM) were such formative experiences for me, or how predicting Feysand shortly after the release of ACOTAR book 1 was my tumblr debut, but I have become a human romance detector (not in real life, thank god). I am a finely honed tool that can zero in on any interaction or throwaway line and tell you whether or not that will culminate in a canon ship, and I have never been wrong. This is why Midge x Lenny (TMMM) was so satisfying for me, I was waiting for that hotel scene since season 1. Carmy x Sydney (the Bear) will happen, and I’ve known that since season 1. I am a prophet. I prophesize.

[shi-daisy]

Wanna see the world burn so 🔥 Tamsand for the ship ask!

Lmao anon you want my beasties to be appalled? Cuz it'd be the odd one out but ok!

Send me a 🔥 and a ship and I'll tell you what I think of them

Short answer? NOTP, I hate it, squick, I have the tagged blocked

Longer answer. While the Canon dynamic with Tamlin and Rhysand's past is interesting and you can make tragic fics with the both as friends or as past lovers, and I do think Rhysand is a little too obsessed with bothering Tammy baby I hate the idea of these two as a couple unless it's a bad end.

There's a few reasons. The simple one is that I hate Rhysand enough to stick him in The Rack from Saw 3 (Don't look that shit up if you're grossed out by heavy gore) with absolutely no remorse and the idea of paring this overhyped asshat bat with my favorite character makes me gag (Same could be said for other Rhysand ships like Feysand, Rhysta, Rhycien, etc)

Another one would be that I hate giving this dude attention. Any acotar merch is made for him and his bat boys. There's literally no Feyre merchandise in Hot Topic all of it it's him, even tho she's supposed to be the MC. I'm so so very sick of him hoggin page time and arcs from the other of infinitely more interesting characters. So when I look for fic if Tamsand or Rhysand are prominent I tend to scroll past even if it's an author I like.

Finally and the heaviest reason for my deep-seated hate of this ship it's one specific scene in ACOFAS. You know the one.

The scene in the novella where Rhysand goes to Spring sees the desolate state of the Court, of Tamlin, of the man who saved him despite their hate for eachother and just goes of on him and tells him to die. It's absolutely disgusting and triggering that I had to throw the thing away and go puke.

After that I can't ship those two in any way shape or form, even if it's an AU where their faling out never happened I just can't get past that scene. Having been in Tamlin's suicidal state once years ago it would disgust me if anyone suggested I get with a person who pushed me down during that time which thankfully for me that didn't happen, but if it had I would've cut ties with them. I can't get over it and just decided to block it out

There are plenty of multishipper creators and even friends of mine who've dabbled in it but I stay the hell away from that ship even if whatever they're in is expertly made. I can't get past the dynamic they have in canon, and my Rhysand hate and the suicide bait scene. If I want Tamlin x another male character I can get that with Tamcien, Tamris, Tamquin and even Tamlin x KoH. Rhysand is the last character I would ever want more content for.

Also call me vanilla but the whole 'bffs/ exes who are torn apart by war' isn't a trope I like much. It's good for certain pairs but not a thing I go for. Hell if I don't care for it with Optimus Prime x Megatron where I love both characters and their falling out is far more balanced, tragic and believable why would I care for it between my fave and the dude I hate and it only being tacked on for Sarah to woobify the shitlord and throw more dirt on Tamlin? It really isn't my cup of tea.

Hope this answers your question, anon!

[acourtofquestions]

Did Rowan & Celaena/Aelin/Elentiya just have a mind to mind conversation like it’s no big deal??? HOW DID CELAENA NOT FIND THIS ODD??? I thought Daemati were ACOTAR… SOMETHING IS UP HERE!

[firawren]

Yes!

But also, if I may add some more characters I like:

[zenkindoflove]

You guys do not want to go down the road of starting to make blanket declarations that specific ships are "problematic" and "triggering". And let me explain why.

ACOTAR fandom, in my experience, is notoriously very far removed from general fandom. It's big and dispersed across many platforms that weren't created around fandoms, and so a lot of people enter it having little to no experience in other fandoms.

This discourse about what is or isn't a problematic ship and what kind of person ships a couple like that is not new. Fandoms of yesterday yore have had long fights about this and a general consensus has emerged which is anytime you start playing the morality policing game around people having fun with fictional characters, everyone loses.

Let's take this situation with Elain Archeron Week which is explicitly banning submissions for Elain with characters who are canonically known to be abusive to a romantic partner. Generally, the spirit of character weeks are to be ship neutral and importantly a concept that has emerged from prior fandom morality policing debate is the term Ship and Let Ship. Which means just because something isn't YOUR ship doesn't mean you need to come up for reasons why it isn't CORRECT to ship.

So, you think it's morally incorrect and triggering for people to see Elain paired with an abuser or a "bad guy"? That is okay for your own personal beliefs but if you start making rules around it for something that is supposed to be inclusive where do you draw the line or what that means? How about pairing Elain with the guy who runs Night Court Abu Ghraib? A role that means he actually tortures people physically and mentally to the brink that they are forced to "confess" to crimes. Is that some how morally superior to another character who emotionally abused their partner and confined them to a house?

See. That didn't feel good. Now did it? Do you actually want to get into a discussion about which wrong is morally worse than the other? Especially when it concerns a character week that is supposed to be about positivity and people having fun because they love Elain and they love the different interactions she could potentially have with characters in fanon?

And that is the entire point. When it comes to fiction, we all will be seduced by characters who have done bad things. Things that will trigger people. But, and I mean this whole heartedly, no one else is responsible for your triggers but you. You are the only one who knows what you can and cannot handle. Your Mileage May Vary. Tumblr's tag filtering system is in part for this very reason because of how fandoms use tumblr.

When you have a fandom wide event space, generally it's a bad idea to start throwing up these judgmental rules around people's character interests and shipping habits. Of course, any event runner is entitled to do what they please. But you also have to expect those who are excluded or know people who will be excluded are going to have something to say about it.

I really think the entire ACOTAR fandom could benefit from getting curious for once and actually digging into the histories of fandom, fandom lore and vocabulary, and start learning from from fandom elders. If so, we'd all be able to navigate these situations with a shared language that recognizes that the primary goal of fandom is to have fun first. And everyone's fun is going to look different and each individual is responsible for deciding what their squicks and triggers are. And the whole point of a squick is to let someone know this thing bothers me personally but I understand if it doesn't bother you. That sort of back and forth empathy across each side is how fandoms don't burn down in flames and people don't feel shame about what they like in fiction.

Now any fandom event can make whatever rules they want. But what I already see is a bunch of people (e/riels) are now actually making posts about why others who ship Elain with Tamlin are morally inferior, disgusting, perverse, and bad people. But hear me out, someone can easily think and say the same thing about you and your ship and if that is the kind of environment you'd like to fuck around in, well, aren't we all the worse off for it.

[ewa-jednak-chce-spac]

Congratulations to Nessian fans

Nesta/Cassian won with Brandir x Nienor in my third true ultimate shipping tournament and advanced to the second round!

Brandir/Nienor fans, don’t weep, because your ship remains awesome!

[witchthewriter]

𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 @november-solarstorms.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐋

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝑶' 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒂! I'm unsure if this is what you meant by the spider-verse, but I know Miguel! And I think you two would be a great couple. Even though he's stubborn and hot-headed, you would find such a great partner in him - once you dig deep and he opens up.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

He absolutely loves to infodump about his favourite topics. He's a bit embarrassed sometimes when he realises that he's been speaking for thirty minutes straight, but surprisingly, you were listening to every word

INCREDIBLY protective of you - you're a person that's come into his life, and stayed; so now he will always defend you.

He's very tender whenever he holds you, his hands soft against your cheek.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

One More Hour by Tame Impala

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 

Height Difference

"Being With You Makes Me Better"

Closed Off (Miguel) x The Person They Warm Up To (You)

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your sharp tongue, witty comebacks and intelligence. Miguel loves that about you. You can keep up with him, with the world around you and not flounder. You can hold your own, and he thinks that's very impressive.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅  

Yelena Belova, you two would be a chaotic duo that would cause more trouble than good (even if you don't mean to). Kate Bishop would definitely be put on your asses to try and keep you in line, but Kate just ends up being just as chaotic.

𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒛𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍! (sorry I couldn't find a gif that I liked, but this reminds me of the Night Court!) I think he would be a great match because he has so much love to give. I genuinely think Az would be an amazing partner/mate. He would love you unconditionally. He would do anything for you.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

One of Azriel's favourite physical displays of affection is Forehead Touching. Just taking a moment to rest your heads together and breathe each other in.

The mating bond slipped into place the first time you were summoned to the High Lord and High Lady's home. As a Fae shopkeep, you stocked particular things that were hard to find.

Azriel was there, and as soon as he saw you, it felt like the world made sense. The usual quiet spymaster, who hid himself in the shadows, fell to his knees before you.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Who Is She by I Monster

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 

Beauty And The Beast

Found Family

Death and the Maiden

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your intelligence! He adores how witty you are; there is so much banter. Just continuous banter that can stop and start at a moment's notice. So many inside jokes too, you didn't think the shadowsinger could be so light-hearted. But god, he really can be.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅  

Feyre! It was very awkward seeing her as your High Lady and now knowing her as your best friend. It can be a bit of a mind trip, from being a resident in Velaris, to being in the Inner Circle.

𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒚! (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑮𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒚, 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒚). The absolute kickass of a young woman, Ginny constantly broke boundaries and reminded Hogwarts that girls are fucking badass. So, with you, you feel so safe with her. She's open-minded, kind, caring and protective.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

You both accidentally confessed your feelings during the heat of the moment. It was in the last year and both of you were carrying on with Dumbledore's Army, along with Luna and Neville. But you were almost hurt and Ginny lost it. But that was how you both realised the other ... loved you.

One of the things you like to do is casually sit on each other's lap when around other people.

Going to the Weasley's home was life-changing. Even if you have a good home life, you literally do not want to leave. Molly is so welcoming, always making sure you've had something to eat, that you've had a drink. You even love her brothers, who tease you both relentlessly.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

The Fruits by Paris Paloma

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 

Sun (Ginny) x Eclipse (You)

Defending Each Other No Matter What

Aggressively Supportive & Protective

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Ginny loves that she can put all her trust in you, she loves that you'll always be there for her no matter what. That you love her for everything she is. Unconditional love. And that's what she gives you too.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅  

Luna! She's such a sweet girl, with a dreamy disposition that you can't help but love. What surprises you though, is that she can be very witty. You just have to get on her level, and once you do, the conversations are very enlightening.

[acourtofquestions]

Okay… gonna try not to make my answerslonger than the books themselves😂… Thanks for such good questions @milswrites 🫶

Preface: I have read all of ACOTAR, am currently reading through TOG & on QoS, & 0 of CC (it’s next though). *no spoilers plz* & heads up to fellow newbies: there may be some spoilers for the ACOTAR series & TOG up until QoS/EoS.

RN ACOMAF (long term probably CoM, or QoS).

TOG (despite having not read the entire series, 4 books in & it’s much more my speed overall).

I can’t pick, I love too many! I will always adore Fleetfoot; cause FLEETFOOT! I also think the House deserves an honorable mention in ACOSF. Quick round up: Feyre’s compassion, Nesta’s portrayal of a different kind of character, Elaine’s persevering goodness, Rhysand’s ability to find magic & see art within people, Mor’s resilience, Gwyn’s powerfully portrayed truth & trauma reflected for readers without becoming her entire character. Aelin’s EVERYTHING & dare I say fire (pun unintended/intended?), Lysandra period (esp. w Evangeline), Sam; beloved, Rowan’s moments of both healing & hurting shown in the same moment without taking from either (it’s honest & lovely), Aedion’s unconditional acceptance & reaching love FOR Aelin, Dorian because he’s just such a stand-up guy, Asterin’s wild joy & ferocity of love, Manon’s growth & heart, Abraxos’s all-knowing empathy & never-giving-up strength, Elide’s cleverness, Emrys’s warm kindness.

“‘To the people who look at the stars and wish’ — To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.” — ACOTAR; also this TOG 1 in combo “Still, the image haunted his dreams throughout the night: a lovely girl gazing at the stars, and the stars who gazed back.”

Feysand; if I have to pick one, they are the one I have fully read & love… though right now I’m obsessed with rowaelin & impatiently waiting.

Can I say yes, and? Cause at this point it’s all of them & then some😂 (the Gwynlain art is so beautiful🥹)… I just want them all to be happy (including Lucien & everyone affected by whatever “happy ending” it is) I will probably end up liking whichever Maas picks & decides to write as the “meant to be” way the best, but I can see points for them all.

I think Kaltain deserved more than the world that was forced upon her & it’s one of the tragedies among the series.

Bryce since I haven’t read CC. Big hopes for the next ACOTAR; Azriel, Emerie, Elain, Vassa. I’m always curious what happened to Briar from ACOWAR. And am enjoying learning more about Lysandra as I read, & even more Manorian knowledge, I would love to know Nesryn more, & the lost children of Terrasen as they find their way.

Yes, primarily the ones we aren’t “supposed to like”: as far as that goes, I despise Rourke Farran. I think Clarisse DuVency also doesn’t get enough hate (odd as that sounds). Though both are “liked” characters, they were written to be in-between for a bit which did have me as there was a time: in HoF’s 1st read; I didn’t love Rowan this has since (thankfully & permanently passed) & after my CoM favorite Chaol slowly grew to drive me insane during HoF/QoS however character growth has eased it up a lot through Queen of Light’s Pt.2

Do I have to pick just one?!😅😂 Fine, Rhys. (As mentioned earlier; I want more Azriel).

Court of Dreams; Velaris.

Does Kaltain count — (kinda wish she got a villain or bigger arc)? … I don’t think Manon is a villain, but if she were I like her & the 13 too much… I don’t think Ansel is ever a full-fledged villain but I did find her more fleshed-out as a character (heroic villains, flawed heroes & all that). Arobynn is despised & disgusting (NOT a favorite) but well-written.

Add back the deleted/bonus chapter of HoF into the OG copy (it adds so much depth, sense, & life for the characters/relationships).

What I’m calling the “High Ladies” theory; Elain taking over Spring Court, Nesta the middle (IMO), Mor as “Queen of Queens”, etc. Multiple “mates” including platonic & different people for different times in your life/“what if’s” so Sam & Celaena, Dorian & Lillian, Chaol & Elentiya, Rowan & Aelin (THX Reddit riff). Maasverse Crossover (I know Bryce has one; & there’s some mate/witch ones in TOG I think (trying to avoid spoilers)). My own being Arobynn killed Aelin’s parents; I think QoS is disproving that thus far, though.

Feyre (though I REALLY love them as a whole).

Elain gets more hate/misunderstood/not enough credit than I think is deserved; I hope a book focused on her helps; I find there is power in her kindness, compassion, & attention to detail; think being softer spoken is not necessarily a weakness (esp. when not given a chance to be anything else) & often overly played as “naive” despite her world… I understand the frustration of sending young Feyre into the woods (I’m not defending it) but personally, I always end up stuck in the fact that they were ALL children; the true fault lies far more on the adults aka parents & village.

Aelin (cause I’m currently reading & love her depth/layers), Feyre (I just love & “get” her) Bryce (haven’t met yet so IDK).

Aelin (TOG) Feyre (ACOTAR) & IDK yet 4 CC (possible the Chimera? Via cute fan art while “avoiding spoilers”).

A Court of Crying and Dying? — lol.😂That’s how I felt reading them🤣… but prob not cause I don’t want that for the characters!😅😅

I literally love WAY too many,🫶 I just love the fandom/friendship/fun of enjoying a series with others on Tumblr, SO much love to my mutuals!!!

I don’t have any yet (haven’t had a chance to read, esp. while avoiding spoilees) but am open to recs!😊

No pressure tags & always open 2 ANYONE who wants 2!💕

@acourtofchaos @anele-anomis @antvwinderbaum @archerons-elain @autumnbabylon @born-observer @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @cgoldieart @chaos-on-stand-bi @elenas @endlessdaydream @fandomobsessedperson @fandom-pantheon @firebringer-aelin @freyjas-musings @fuckyesfeysand @girlofmanyfandoms13 @glitterpennotes @goddess-aelin @hherongraystairs @highladyelenna @highladyofterrasen7 @ignite-the-stars @impossibelle @is-that-a-threat-shadowsinger @iwantavaldezinator @tsunami-of-tears @lynnsthoughts @glitterpennotes @manonblaqkbeak @mellifluous-harbinger @motherfeyre-archeron @mysticbooknook @nerdykidstranger @rain-dragons @randomdumsblog @rhysiedarling @romantasyreader28 @seleneastra @shadowhandss60 @shadowhunters77 @shadybirdwombat @slowpress @somebooksbelonginthesinbin @soyzaweels @virgoexcellenc @wannaberachelgrxxn @witchlingsandwyverns @xxvalkyriesxx

SJM ask game

1) What’s your favourite SJM book?

2) Which is your favourite series (tog, acotar or cc)

3) Who is your favourite character? (And why?)

4) Do you have a favourite quote from one of the books?

5) Favourite ship?

6) Elriel or Gwynriel? Or neither?

7) Who’s the most underrated SJM character?

8) Which character do you wish to learn more about?

9) Are there any characters you don’t like?

10) Favourite bat boy?

11) Favourite court?/ Which one would you most like to live in?

12) Favourite SJM villain?

13) If you could change one thing in any of the books what would it be?

14) Favourite SJM theory?

15) Favourite Archeron sister?

16) A character you feel is over-hated/ underrated

17) Aelin, Bryce, or Feyre?

18) What’s your favourite character from each series?

19) If you wrote an acotar book what would you call it?

20) Who is your favourite acotar blogger?

21)What fics would you recommend to people who love the series?

Questions for writers

22) Easiest character to write for?

23) Hardest character to write for?

24) What’s a character you’d like to write for but haven’t yet?

25) What’s a court you’d like to write about more?

26) What’s a character you won’t write for and why?

27) If you could only write for one character ever again, who would you pick?

28) Whats your favourite trope to write about when it comes to Azriel?

29) What do you think is the best/favourite acotar fic you’ve written?

30) Who are your favourite friendships to write about?

31) For first time readers to your blog, which three fics would you recommend they read?

[achaotichuman]

For the ship gifs ask, I'm sending my crackships

Clare x Andras

Feyre x Bryaxis

Tamlin x Keir

Tamlin x Cresseida

Gwyn x Balthzar

And bonus on with oc baby

Pryor x Beron 😏

YES

Clare x Andras

Feyre x Byaxis

Tamlin x Keir

Tamlin x Cresseida

Gwyn x Balthazar

PRYOR X BERON (MY LOVE)

All in all I love this (last one especially <3)

[offtorivendell]

What if the eight-pointed star is a symbol of so much more than the Starborn; on Wyrd, Chaos, the Cauldron and the Archeron sisters...

Disclaimer: this post is just a theory and makes no claims of being canon. These thoughts are definitely not unique at this point in time - I'll link to existing posts where relevant - but I had both a moment and the motivation to get my thoughts down, so here we are lol. Also, I am aware that the bigger stars in the gif above have more than eight points but as it's very pretty, has crescent moons and little motifs with three tear drops each... it stays. A massive thank you, as usual, to @wingedblooms for always being up for some theorising. 💜

Spoilers: the entire Maasverse is fair game, be careful if you're not up to date.

The eight-pointed star is a symbol that exists across the entire Maasverse, in Erilea, Prythian, Midgard.

Erilea:

The High Priestess walked onto the stone platform and raised her hands above her head. The folds of her midnight-blue gossamer robe fell around her, and her white hair was long and unbound. An eight-pointed star was tattooed upon her brow in a shade of blue that matched her gown, its sharp lines extending to her hairline. “Welcome all, and may the blessings of the Goddess and all her gods be upon you.” Her voice echoed across the chamber to reach even those in the back. - TOG, chapter 37

Prythian:

There, dead in the center of the Illyrian tattoo snaking down his spine, a new tattoo had appeared. An eight-pointed star, whose compass points radiated in sharp lines across and up the groove of his back, twining with the Illyrian markings long inked there. The eastern and western points of the star shot right onto his wings, black blending into black. A matching one, he knew, would be on Nesta’s spine. - ACOSF, chapter 12

Midgard:

Ruhn held out his phone, the picture of the illuminated manuscript glaringly bright in the thick shadows. The illustration of the carved horn lifted to the lips of a helmeted Fae male was as pristine as it had been when inked millennia ago. Above the figure gleamed an eight-pointed star, the emblem of the Starborn. - HOEAB, chapter 21

“You first.” “Not a chance. I want to hear how you hid the fact that you’ve got a star inside you.” He looked down at her chest then, as if he’d glimpse it shimmering beneath her skin. But when his eyebrows flicked upward, Bryce followed his line of sight. “Well,” she said with a sigh, “that’s new.” Indeed, just visible down the V-neck of her T-shirt, a white splotch—an eight-pointed star—now scarred the place between her breasts. - HOEAB, chapter 95

Bryce has told us that she thinks it's the symbol of the Starborn, but I think it could go much deeper - all the way down to Wyrd/Urd.

She found nothing but open curiosity on Nesta’s face. Nesta said, “The scar your light comes from … it’s shaped like an eight-pointed star. Why?” Bryce peered at where the light was muffled by her T-shirt. “It’s the symbol of the Starborn, I think.” “And the magic marked you in this way?” “Yes. When I … revealed who I was, what I am, to the world, I drew the star out of my chest. It left that scar in its wake.” She glanced to Azriel. “Like a burn.” - HOFAS, chapter 12

As @wingedblooms said in her amazing meta earlier this year, she, @silverlinedeyes and I all think that Urd - who we now know is Wyrd - could be Chaos.

In addition to being significant to the Starborn fae within the Maasverse, the eight-pointed star is also known as a compass rose - or rose of the wind - as @wingedblooms has previously discussed. So isn't it suss that 'The Elain' ship (as pictured below, in the ACOTAR colouring book - far right) has what could be an eight pointed star on its sail? One with empty space - as in void of anything - on either side?

In addition to her thoughts about the compass rose, @wingedblooms has previously discussed how SJM's use of the eight-pointed star could also be inspired by the star of Ishtar. Wingedblooms made great points as usual - so I won't rehash them - BUT I have wanted to add for ages that there is also an eight-pointed star called "the Chaos star." 👀

Is the eight-pointed star a symbol of Chaos?

Source.

Aidas told us in HOEAB that it was the Void who sired the Princes of Hel, and Chaos was their dam. While the Chaos star as a symbol of Chaos began its life in a completely separate work of fiction, it has - apparently - been adopted by other authors and fandoms, so there's always the possibility that SJM might be one of those who has done/will do that.

I think it's interesting that after Bryce and co found Helena's cave under Avallen and dream-travelled to Hel, they wound up in the Temple of Chaos, by boat.

“The Temple of Chaos is a sacred place,” Apollion said sharply. “We shall never defile it with violence.” The words rumbled like thunder again. - HOFAS, chapter 59

Each of the Archeron sisters had a ship named for her (as above). Word and Wyrd are homophones of each other, though I may be clowning with the latter point. Ramiel means "thunder of god" - we'll come back to that later - but Apollion's words "rumbled like thunder"... was SJM linking Wyrd and thunder, or Ramiel, here? Will the Archeron sisters travel by boat - sail the Void - to meet, or free, Chaos?

Pushing aside every raging thought and question for the moment, Hunt kept one eye on the exit behind them as they traded the pebbled shore for the smooth temple steps. As they walked up those steps and entered a space that was a near-mirror to temples back home—indeed, its layout was identical to the last temple Hunt had stood in: Urd’s Temple. - HOFAS, chapter 59

But he tried to at least look like it—back straight, shoulders squared—as he and Hypaxia stood before the Under-King in a gray-stoned temple to Urd. The Under-King lounged on a throne beneath a behemoth statue of a figure holding a black metal bowl between her upraised hands. Symbols were carved all over the bowl, continuing down her fingers, her arms, her body. Ithan could only assume it was meant to represent Urd. No other temples ever depicted the goddess, no one even dared—most people claimed that fate was impossible to portray in any one form. But it seemed that the dead, unlike the living, had a vision of her. And those symbols running from the bowl onto her skin … they were like tattoos. - HOFAS, chapter 81

“And she,” the Under-King went on, gesturing to that unusual depiction of Urd towering above him, “was not a goddess, but a force that governed worlds. A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation. Urd, they call her here—a bastardized version of her true name. Wyrd, we called her in that old world.” - HOFAS, chapter 81

That "unusual depiction" of Urd in the Bone Quarter sounds eerily similar to the statues in the corridor leading to the library under the House of Wind, as well as the statue of the primal goddess that Nesta found in the same house - the one by which she placed Elain's carved wooden rose.

It's almost like a mix of the two.

“Because the books were full of magic, and things they wanted to keep humans from knowing.” Rhys slid his hands into his pockets, leading me down a corridor lit only by bowls of faelight upraised in the hands of beautiful female statues, their forms High Fae and faerie alike. “The scholars and librarians refused to keep slaves of their own—some for personal reasons, but mainly because they didn’t want them accessing the books and archives.” - ACOWAR, chapter 20

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. - ACOSF, chapter 56

The Cauldron... the court of thorns and roses?

We now know that Urd is none other than Wyrd, from Erilea - a cauldron of life that is "brimming with the language of creation" (which fits with my theory that Elain might Sing Wyrd, as the language of the universe, through the murky void to See as a parallel to the priestesses in Prythian requiring darkness to commune with the Cauldron), and a force that governs worlds. One with many forms - "high fae and faerie alike"?

Could Chaos actually be Wyrd, given the similarities Hunt noted between the temples of Urd and Chaos?

Chaos the Dam?

The Mother?

But why the notable lack of tattoos - Wyrdmarks? - in the statues at the House of Wind's temple to the Mother, or on the Cauldron itself?

The Cauldron was absence and presence. Darkness and … whatever the darkness had come from. But not life. Not joy or light or hope. It was perhaps the size of a bathtub, forged of dark iron, its three legs—those three legs the king had ransacked those temples to find—crafted like creeping branches covered in thorns. I had never seen something so hideous—and alluring. Mor’s face had drained of color. “Hurry,” she said to me. “We’ve got a few minutes.” - ACOMAF, chapter 62

Could that be the influence of the Daglan/Asteri when they warped the Cauldron so long ago? Wyrd, and Her marks, were removed in the process?

“Unless … ” The boy bounced each finger off his thumb, his hand like some pale, twitchy insect. “Long ago, before the High Fae, before man, there was a Cauldron … They say all the magic was contained inside it, that the world was born in it. But it fell into the wrong hands. And great and horrible things were done with it. Things were forged with it. Such wicked things that the Cauldron was eventually stolen back at great cost. It could not be destroyed, for it had Made all things, and if it were broken, then life would cease to be. So it was hidden. And forgotten. Only with that Cauldron could something that is dead be reforged like that.” - ACOMAF, chapter 18

Before Bryce could contemplate this further, Silene went on, But my mother and father knew they needed the most valuable of all the Daglan’s weapons. Bryce tensed. This had to be the thing that had given them the edge— The snows around Ramiel parted, revealing a massive bowl of iron at the foot of the monolith. Even through the vision, its presence leaked into the world, a heavy, ominous thing. “The Cauldron,” Nesta said, dread lacing her voice. Not a useful weapon, then. Bryce braced herself as Silene continued. The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced … those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. - HOFAS, chapter 19

And isn't it interesting that Papa Archeron carved the aforementioned rose for Elain - out of a dark, heavy wood that a few of us have wondered was ironwood (just like the bed on which each of the Archeron sisters was born) - while the legs of the Mother's iron Cauldron were covered in thorns?

She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.” - ACOSF, chapter 55

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. - ACOSF, chapter 56

In yet another of her brilliant posts, @wingedblooms theorised that the Cauldron might represent the flower of life; roses* are obviously a flower (shh), so the imagery of the Cauldron being an iron rose on a thorny pedestal is, quite possibly, significant. One of the definitions of the word "court" is "a sovereign's residence." Has the series title "A Court of Thorns and Roses" been referring to the Cauldron all along?!

* Posts involving roses and rose imagery pertaining to Elain are here, here, here and here.

The Ouroboros and Ramiel's black monolith - the "seat" of Wyrd/Chaos?

But let's get back on topic. I have theorised in the past that the Dusk Court - which we now know are the Starborn Fae - may have had four items, or four treasures, similar to the Tuatha de Danann of Irish mythology (my first Dusk Court post leaned heavily into that association).

I suggested that they may have been paired as:

Dagda's Cauldron/The Undry - the Veritas

Spear of Destiny/Spear of Lugh - Narben

Sword of Light/Claiomh Solais - Gwydion

The Stone of Kings/Lia Fail - the Ouroboros

Fragarach - Truth-Teller (as a bonus)

@merymoonbeam has also posted about her own take on the four treasures of the Tuatha de Danann; we agree about the Spear of Lugh and the sword of light, but diverged with Dagda's Cauldron - she suggested it may have been the Cauldron, and I agree that makes sense as well - and the Lia Fail, which she theorised was the stone on top of Ramiel (again, a solid choice that makes sense). Now, I know that the Ouroboros might seem like an odd choice as an in-universe stone of kings, but if you read my four treasures post I still think it fits... but it's not a stone. And Mery's thoughts about the Lia Fail fit, too. Both options made sense to me.

Which brings me back to HOFAS.

Before Bryce could contemplate this further, Silene went on, But my mother and father knew they needed the most valuable of all the Daglan’s weapons. Bryce tensed. This had to be the thing that had given them the edge— The snows around Ramiel parted, revealing a massive bowl of iron at the foot of the monolith. Even through the vision, its presence leaked into the world, a heavy, ominous thing. “The Cauldron,” Nesta said, dread lacing her voice. Not a useful weapon, then. Bryce braced herself as Silene continued. The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced … those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. - HOFAS, chapter 19

As others have suggested already, this sounds like the same black stone monolith that Cassian flew by in ACOFAS.

The conifer forests and ravines that dotted the landscape flowing to Ramiel’s foot gleamed under fresh snow. Empty and clean. No sign of the bloodshed that would occur come the start of spring. The mountain neared, mighty and endless, so wide that he might as well have been a mayfly in the wind. Cassian soared toward Ramiel’s southern face, rising high enough to catch a glimpse of the shining black stone jutting from its top. Who had put that stone atop the peak, he didn’t know, either. Legend said it had existed before the Night Court formed, before the Illyrians migrated from the Myrmidons, before humans had even walked the earth. Even with the fresh snow crusting Ramiel, none had touched the pillar of stone. A thrill, icy and yet not unwelcome, flooded his veins. It was rare for anyone in the Blood Rite to make it to the monolith. - ACOFAS, chapter 3

* A quick aside: conifer forests and ravines surround Ramiel; who smells like night-chilled mist and cedar, and may be associated with/related to Thanatos, the prince of the Ravine? Azriel!

In @wingedblooms brilliant post about Ramiel as the heart of the Night Court, she wondered if the black monolith and Cauldron together may have been a complete depiction of Wyrd, and then something clicked (and now I'm finally getting to the point lol, sorry for the wait); what if the black stone and the Ouroboros were combined as the Lia Fail/Stone of Kings? Or Wyrd/Chaos (as the Queen)? If the Cauldron is the "court" (residence) of Wyrd, and it once "sat" at the base of the black stone Monolith as @wingedblooms suggested, it checks out.

And there, against the far wall of the chamber, snow crusting its surface, its bronze casing … The Ouroboros. It was a massive, round disc—as tall as I was. Taller. And the metal around it had been fashioned after a massive serpent, the mirror held within its coils as it devoured its own tail. Ending and beginning. From across the room, with the snow … I could not see it. What lay within. I forced myself to take a step forward. Another. The mirror itself was black as night—yet … wholly clear. [...] Up close, the surface of the Ouroboros was like a gray, calm sea. Undisturbed. Sleeping. - ACOWAR, chapter 68

So now we have a black monolith as a (hypothetical) statue of Wyrd, with the Ouroboros being held high above Her head... sound familiar?

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. - ACOSF, chapter 56

But wait, there's (possibly) more...

Despite the plush furniture, the room definitely belonged to a witch: a small crystal altar to Cthona adorned the eastern wall, covered in various tools of worship; a large obsidian scrying mirror hung above it; and the fireplace built into the southern wall had various iron arms, presumably to hold cauldrons during spells. A royal suite, yes, but a workroom as well. - HOSAB, chapter 56

Ithan crossed his arms. On the desk itself sat a statuette of Cthona, carved from black stone. In one arm the goddess cradled an infant to her bare breast. In the other, she extended an orb—Midgard—out into the room. Cthona, birther of worlds. He touched it idly, gathering his courage. - HOFAS, chapter 13

Ithan was carefully setting down a figurine of Cthona giving birth on all fours—the planet Midgard crowning between her legs—when Jesiba’s phone rang. The shrill sound shattered the silence, but Ithan’s sunball reflexes kept him from dropping the fragile marble. - HOFAS, chapter 44

Could the Ouroboros represent the moon associated with the priestesses of the Mother? I mean it's big and round, and I'm a simple person haha. Was there ever a temple to Wyrd/Chaos on - or underneath - Ramiel? Does the black stone monolith represent the goddess/Wyrd, the Ouroboros the moon and the Cauldron the world to which she's giving birth? If black stone/obsidian attracts the princes of Hel, is that because obsidian is a stand in for Void and they are themselves a mixture of Void and Chaos? Is black stone used to depict Wyrd/Chaos because it acknowledges that She is attracted* to the Void? And the Ouroboros, which I have previously thought could be a portal (and hey, it's taller than Feyre, so tall enough), and @wingedblooms theorised it may be a mirror of witch glass... it seems intentional.

* This imagery reminds me of the Embrace of Solas and Cthona.

Sailing the Void

In my post about The Weaver's Song, I theorised that it might be a prophecy suggesting that the three Archeron sisters may sing, or "sail" (for lack of a better term haha) the bat brothers through the Void, either figuratively or (I hope!) literally. Either to Hel or to some other place - I would scream if it's Erilea, as @psychologynerd has theorised for Elain - but ultimately, wherever they go, I think it will be with the goal of finding and freeing Wyrd from whatever (hypothetically) binds Her, thus purifying Her and the Cauldron from the corruption of the Daglan/Asteri.

Which, speaking of, could the Asteri/Daglan have bound Wyrd with wyrdstone as like calls to like? Or did they use a crystal prism - like the one Bryce found in the Autumn King's study - to split Her light into its many facets and bind - tether - each to something or one? Did they create an anti rainbow with wyrdstone to split Wyrd apart, weakening Her?

With a sharp inhale, Bryce rallied her magic. On the exhale, she sent a stream of her starlight into the prism, her power faster than ever before. Starlight hit the prism, passed through it, and— “Huh.” It wasn’t a rainbow that emerged from the other side. Not even close. It took her a moment to process what she was seeing: a gradient beam of starlight. Where the rainbow would have been full of color, this one began in shimmering white light and descended into shadow. An anti-rainbow, as it were. Light falling into darkness, droplets of starlight raining from the highest beam into the shadowy band at the bottom, devoured by the darkness below. Like the fading light of day—of dusk. What did it mean? She was pretty sure her light had been pure before, but now, with Silene’s power mixed in … there was darkness there, too. Hidden beneath. - HOFAS, chapter 39

I've previously spoken about the need for balance to be restored to the universe, and that something may be preventing light (Chaos?) from flowing freely through the Void. If this is true, and it stems from the Asteri's corrupting efforts, it would make sense that purifying their influence on the Mother and Cauldron - who we now know is Wyrd - would help to heal the land, by unchaining the magic, as Feyre hinted in ACOMAF (and @wingedblooms has discussed extensively).

I shivered, craving the moderate winter of Velaris, wondering how it could be so temperate in the far north, but … everything in Prythian was strange. Perhaps when the wall hadn’t existed, when magic had flowed freely between realms, the seasonal differences hadn’t been so vast. - ACOMAF, chapter 23

I have more thoughts on this but I'm getting off track, hopefully I'll post them soon.

I've already discussed the possible significance of 'The Elain' ship flying a sail with the compass rose, or rose of the winds - an eight-pointed star - with nothing (void) on either side. I think it's interesting that 'The Feyre' flies two crescent moons and two diamond-type symbols that represent some of the (hypothetical) wyrdmarks on Wyrd's arms as depicted on the cover of HOFAS, and that 'The Nesta' flies a sail with a dragon and two suns, possibly referring to the dragon Ariadne from HOSAB (in Greek mythology, Ariadne was heavily associated with labyrinths, ie. finding one's way) and the sun being a star with a powerful flame? I know I sound like a broken record, but will the Archeron sisters be like the light from Eärendil's - a mariner! - star contained in the phial of Galadriel, but as the three brothers' most beloved stars? Will they light their way through the Void?

Getting back to the compass rose, Cassian refers to the eight-pointed star as a map for striking with a sword, and we know that light can be wielded as a weapon, as Yrene Towers did in Erilea, to heal Chaol and execute the Valg King Erawan.

“You didn’t ask.” He unsheathed his Illyrian blade. “Enough history.” He drew four lines in the dirt, all intersecting to form an eight-pointed star. “This is your map for striking with a sword. These eight maneuvers. You’ve learned six of them. You’ll learn the other two today, and we’ll start on the combinations.” - ACOSF, chapter 44

Additionally, Nesta suggested that the eight-pointed star was stamped on her heart.

Nesta lifted the sword and executed a perfect arcing slash. Her weight shifted to her legs just as she flipped the blade, leading with the hilt, and brought up her arm against an invisible blow. Another shift and the sword swept down, a brutal slash that would have sliced an opponent in half. Each slice was perfect. Like that eight-pointed star was stamped on her very heart. - ACOSF, chapter 50

This sounds incredibly similar to Bryce carrying a star in her chest - her star tattoo was over her heart - so I would not be surprised to learn that Feyre and Elain had something similar, too. It makes sense. Each Cauldron-Made sister carrying one third of a whole star, to replace Theia's protective magic that Bryce took with her to Midgard (as she didn't return it when she did Truth-Teller, Prythian is currently unprotected). And if the Cauldron is Wyrd's vessel, as it appears to be, this makes Feyre, Elain and Nesta supremely important. Perhaps they're not the "scum" Vesperus suggested at all.

Perhaps they are the wyrdkeys to everything? At least in Prythian, if each sister holds within her one third of a whole star that Wyrd planted Herself.