#btw i love cassian and nesta

[jahelyden]

ACOWAR Cassian would have killed ACOSF Cassian.

ACOWAR Cassian would never have let ACOSF Cassian treat Nesta how he treated her.

ACOWAR Cassian would have stand up for Nesta every time in ACOSF.

[flat-neines]

@extremely-judgemental ok you got me thinking again about this

Does cassian see anyone close to him as individuals? Or perceive/conceptualize them beyond thier purpose in his life? (This includes rhysand too, to my surprise)

Like,, we find out in the wings & embers novella that a huge reason, even if he regretted it bc of what happens afterwards, he slept with mor was to hurt azriel. He literally saw that azriel (whom he bullied severely in childhood) was getting closer to Morrigan and was jealous that azriel "might not be entirely his anymore", so he decided to interfere to ruin that (potential) bond.

This adds another messed up layer to the disaster that is the "failed engagement" backstory for Morrigan; cause there's a high possibility that he doesn't even like or care about neither azriel or Morrigan's wellbeing, but basically uses them for validation of *not* being a bastard. Therefore the moment these two deviate from their positions of "best buddy who is always in second place to me" (az) and "pedestalized ideal who'll fuck me" (mor) they need to be put back in place, no matter how damaging the means are.

(I wonder what reaction cassian would've had if Morrigan breaking her engagement by having sex with him went all fine and dandy actually. I think he only felt remorse because of how extreme the consequences were, not the action itself)

The only reason this isn't really noticed as a character trait for cassian is because his surface level personality and the narrative portrays him as a uwu himbo fratboy and you're supposed to root for him despite everything. And the few times that the mask is off, and his true colors are revealed, it's done to characters that the narrative primed the reader to hate viscously, regardless of context (nesta, to some degree eris)

(I could say a ton about "nessian" and how fucked up it is, but it won't be anything someone else hasn't said and can be summed up as this: cassian wants a mate and a family. Nesta is cassian's mate. Cassian will break Nesta to have a mate and a family)

It kinda goes to show how fucked up he is tbh. All of cassian's relationships (personal or otherwise) are there to maintain his main character fantasy and he's willing to do anything, ranging from selflagellation to abuse of a 25yr old to basically selling out his own people by enforcing rhysand's brutality towards them for a crumb of that sweet, sweet validation from his destined superior. Christ almighty.

[classy-ad-lib]

cassian restraining nesta from biting rhys into the throat reminds me of this meme so much

[starsxblazing]

A simple request if your up for it. Reader tells Azriel "I love you" and he doesnt say it back. Angst with a happy ending. I'm sorry i dont have much details. Love everything you write btw. ❤️

Confessions of the Heart

You sat in the booth in Rita’s between Nesta and Azriel. A small drinking game had ensued between you, Nesta, and Feyre and the High Lady was convinced easily by her mate to stop. However, it didn’t stop you and your friend even though the male beside you had quietly suggested several times that it was time to stop. You knew that he was right and decided to appease him when he offered you a cup of water.

A shiver ran through you when his hand brushed against yours. Your heart picked up its pace, the love that you had from him jolting through you like lightning. It always happened whenever there was some form of innocent skin to skin contact and you couldn’t help but wonder if he felt it too.

You had been in love with him for years but hadn’t had the courage to voice it to the shadowsinger. It never seemed like the right time or the right place but what really stopped you was the uncertainty of his feelings towards you. You were both friends, that much you knew, but he never gave any indication of anything otherwise.

“Come dance with me!” Mor had appeared at the table, taking a long drink of her wine before stretching out her hand towards you. “Let’s go!”

A giggle left you as you took her hand and had to squeeze past Azriel since he appeared determined not to let you go. You couldn’t think through your drunken stupor but his hands on your waist to steady you as you crawled over him had your breath catching in your throat. As Mor took your hand and dragged you to the dance floor, you couldn’t help but wonder what his hands would feel like running down your body.

The happiness around you was contagious, not that you needed it in the slightest. Males and females alike asked for a dance but the last thing you wanted was to leave one of your friends. You weren’t sure how much time had gone by but enough movement paired with another cup of water had your mind clearing just a bit. 

A set of hands on your hips took you by surprise and had you spinning around to see who they belonged to. You would know Azriel anywhere and knew instantly before looking that it wasn’t him. The male that was looking down at you was indeed handsome but your love for the spymaster wouldn’t let you allow him to put his hands on you. You felt him before you saw him and the male backed away slowly before you could tell him to go away. Looking up at Azriel, his jaw was clenched tightly before his hand was in yours and was pulling you out of the door.

“What are you doing?” you asked in exasperation. “I was having fun.”

“I believe you’ve reached your limit for the night.” The words came out rough as if he was trying very hard to control himself. “It’s time for you to go home.”

You frowned at the words since Nesta allowed the both of you to still live at the House of Wind. He was acting as it wasn’t his home as well. You risked a glance back to see the rest of your friends a good distance behind you and the liquid courage began to take hold. The need to tell him how you felt was stronger than ever and you just wanted to get it out in the open. Your mind turned over every coherent thought that you could think of to tell him but didn’t like any of them.

“I love you!” you blurted out, unable to contain it anymore and he tensed.

“What?” he asked in a low voice that was barely audible. 

“I love you.” The answer came out quiet and weak since you felt as if you already knew where this was going. “I have for a long time.”

He released your hand and shot up in the air before you had a chance to try and stop him.

It ended up being three days before you saw Azriel again. You were in the dining room with Cassian when he landed on the balcony but he didn’t even try to meet your pleading gaze. Tension filled the room and he passed you by, not even bother acknowledging his brother when he called out for him.

You wanted so badly to take back what you said and simply go back to being happy with the friendship that you had with him, even if it meant that it was all that you could have from him. His long strides had you walking quickly just to keep up with him and it took all of your strength to pull him to a stop when you grabbed his arm with both hands.

“Az, please talk to me,” you begged, your heart cracking even more when he pulled his arm free of your grip. “I was drunk and I shouldn’t have-”

“It’s fine.” His tone suggested everything but his cold assurance. “I’m busy so I would appreciate it if you left me alone.”

Tears filled your eyes despite your mind taking a minute to fully comprehend what he said. He didn’t want you to leave him alone just for the time being but permanently. It was something that you didn’t think that you could handle so you slipped into your room to cry your heart out again. Too many people for your liking knocked on your door throughout the duration of the two days that you kept yourself locked in your room and you didn’t bother caring about anything else. All that you could do was wallow in your pain and self pity.

Nesta was eventually able to coax you out on the third day and forced you to take care of yourself in the way that only she could do. Two weeks went by and you had only seen Azriel a handful of times. The only thing that you got from him was either a cold shoulder or his insistence that you left him alone. 

“I just don’t understand,” you mumbled, rubbing your face as you sat in the library with your friend. “Is it really that bad that I’m in love with him? He’s acting like I’m this terrible person for actually caring about him.”

“He’s dense,” Nesta scoffed. “You’ve been training for a while, use that and force him to listen to you.”

“You want me to hold one of the most powerful Illyrians in history at sword point and force him to hear me out?” you asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her as she shrugged. “You realize that he would simply laugh at me or knock me on my ass. Maybe both.”

“He always trains by himself at night,” she replied, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Go ahead.”

“You’re going to get me killed,” you groaned but it didn’t stop you from darting out of the room and up to the training area.

Just as her friend said, Azriel was alone in the darkness with his shadows dancing around him. You were stunned momentarily at the sight of him as he moved, content to sit and watch all night if you were able to. It was short lived before his eyes were on you. Wariness was written all over his face and it was a welcomed sight versus the cold hardness that you had seen since your confession.

“Practice is in the morning,” he said simply, eyes moving back to the practice dummy in front of him.

“We can’t keep going like this, Az,” you whispered but you knew he heard you because he froze mid swing.

He dropped the sword on the ground and strode towards you, stopping a few short inches away. You had to crane your head up to meet his gaze and there were too many emotions swimming in his eyes despite his unreadable expression. The urge to hold him surged through you but you held yourself back in hopes that some form of resolution would occur.  

“We can,” he replied, his tone as neutral as his face. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

“I miss you.” His jaw clenched at your words and you tried to find a way to backtrack. “I miss our friendship and I don’t want my drunken words to ruin that.”

“So it was the alcohol that made you say it?” he growled as his eyes narrowed on you, his teeth grinding together. “You didn’t mean it?”

“I..” you trailed off because you weren’t sure if you should tell the truth or not.

“That’s good,” he scoffed, appearing unhappy with your silence. “I am the last person that you should feel that way about. Why would someone as amazing and beautiful as you want-”

“Of course I meant it!” you exclaimed, interrupting him because you knew what he was about to say. “Yes the alcohol gave me the courage but if I can’t have you, I’ll take whatever you will give me. Just please stop ignoring-”

One moment you were on your feet and the next his hands were on you before pressing you into the wall. In one swift motion, he lifted you and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he placed his forehead against yours. His breaths were a bit labored and your heart pounded in your chest in anticipation.

“You shouldn’t love me,” he whispered, his words contradicting the one handed light grip on your waist and the gentle caress of your face with his other.

“Why?” you asked and silently cursed yourself for the way that the question came out so pleadingly.

“I do not deserve you,” he answered but his voice cracked in the process. “You are the last-”

“You deserve everything, Azriel.” You cupped his face and forced his uncertain eyes to meet your gaze. “You deserve more than I could ever give you but I love you. I love you so much.”

“And I love you.”

The murmured confession had your heart soaring as you pressed your lips to his. He reciprocated without hesitation and you knew that you could die happily like this. The smile that he gave you when you both pulled away was the most beautiful sight that you had ever seen and you would do everything in your power to keep it there.

Tag List

@amara-moonlight @allygrace74 @sidthedollface2 @historygeekqueen @hnyclover @kalulakunundrum @historygeekqueen @bubybubsters @thisblogisaboutabook @mybestfriendmademe @caroline-books @justvibbinghere @wisdomofthebrain @nighttimemoonlover

[sapchat]

Ways to add simple little details to Prythian in your stories!

For the Autumn Court this one is basic and many people use it: Males gift their fiancées, wives, mates fox kits as a symbol of their love and good luck with the relationship. To make it sadder, Beron never did this for Lady A, so when Eris found out about this tradition he got his mom one!

For the Dawn Court: Like how the night court Illyrians put the women down, what if the Dawn Court was the opposite and the Peregryn females would put the males down. In the real world male birds are held to a high standard for breeding, I feel like Peregryn instincts would cause this and it just gives more to a story than the females constantly being the abused. Also they’re stomach/side sleepers. I talk more about this below with the night court just to not repeat myself.

Day Court is full of bastards. You can NOT convince me that it isn’t. Helion is laying the fucking pipe like he’s discovered oil. And the reason I feel this is because of @florencemtrash ‘s story “The Shadow and the Inkbird” (also it’s really good go read it if you haven’t) where the MFC is Helions bastard, and meets Lucien and instantly realizes that they’re halfsiblings. And I was like ya know the Day Court is probably like Game of Thrones Dorne. Dorne is know for their bastards almost every persons name in that city is ‘Sand’ because they’re all bastards basically. So I just KNOW that Helion probably has other kids than just Lucien. And everyone in that court is fucking.

Summer Court has mermaids. It’s basic, it’s simple and it’s true. There’s mermaids.

Night Court, listen we already now a lot about the Nigh Court but this pertains to Illyrian’s so I feel it’s different. They’re stomach/side sleepers. They are. You can’t tell me that two massive wing sticking out of your back would allow you to lay on your back. It can’t be comfortable. Like have you ever tried sleeping with like a ponytail/claw clip in? It ain’t nice. Now imagine it with two that sit right beside your shoulder blades and the clips are like 3ft long? Idk how long the base would be but like probably pretty fucking long to allow actual flight capabilities. Also when they sleep on their side they just have their wings straight out, now like laying on one and the other out. They’ve got big ass beds for a reason spread out. (Cassian fully takes up a bed like star fish style just on his stomach. Nesta is sick of it.)

Spring Court, during the Spring Equinox the High Lord chooses someone to dress up and hand out spring gifts to family’s (usually kids). When Tamlin became High Lord he appointed himself to do so. During this time Tamlin also gives many of the less fortunate families something they can later use for the Tithe.

Winter Court puts on a celebration for the children called Three Kings Day. Family’s with children are welcomed to the castle(? Do they have castles…?) and the bakers leave a cake outside the doors of the family, inside the cakes (this is a real thing from Puerto Rico/France/Spain too btw, the cake is called la galette des rois (Kings Cake)) are toys/coins. Whichever children find them get to wear a crown for the day and called Kings/Queens (Kallias started the tradition that all kids get to do this, he’s a softy).

[lovemyromance]

SJM: I thought it was obvious??

AKA - No analysis needed. The clues are there. Things are already happening.

Please keep your 80 page PowerPoints and highlighted words from your “8 books of canon” (none of which are actually from ACOTAR, btw) to yourself.

“I thought it was obvious” = no deep dives needed. No extrapolation or analysis necessary. The words are already on the page. You don’t have to work harder than SJM to come up with your own theories (*cough* see HOFAS crazy hype theories vs actual book)

“I thought it was obvious”

The ONLY couple currently mutually attracted to each other is Elriel. They have had moments since ACOMF. ACOSF did not end them, it gave them the setup for the next book. They are set up for the greatest tortured forbidden romance of the series, how can you dispute that? Why would you WANT to dispute that love story? I don’t want ACOSF 2.0 which was all physical and no substance. I want an angsty, slow forbidden romance. I want to fall in love when the characters fall in love. Elriel will give us that.

“I thought it was obvious”

The other ships do NOT exist on the page at the moment. Elucien, I will give credit to because they are still mates so that COULD happen still. But right now, where ACOSF ended, they had barely even seen each other in a year. The only romantic coded interactions have been between Azriel & Elain thus far.

“I thought it was obvious”

Elucien & Gw*riel have not shared any romantic moments. There is no romance between them at this current time in the series. I am not talking about “what could happen” or “what could Sarah be setting up” because she said it was obvious. That means it’s there already. There’s no reason to hypothesize and theorize about ships that don’t currently exist in the book. Because - and say it with me-

“I thought it was obvious”

What is obvious about elucien? Other than the fact that they are mates. That’s it. That’s all they have. Not even a conversation on the page. Not even a shared shy glance or brush of their fingers. It’s the equivalent of an arranged marriage neither of them seems to want. Analyzing 20 sentences about flowers and sunlight, going out of your way to prove feyre is an “unreliable” narrator when she questions the bond (but Cassian, fashion police of Velaris, is a very very reliable narrator)-Why? Is any of that obvious to the casual reader? No.

“I thought it was obvious”

I’m not even going to spend many words talking about Gw*nriel, as I don’t see it as anything more than a crackship. They have like 4 platonic interactions. Friendly. Banter, sure. But not all banter is a clue that people are predestined soulmates. Most people who read their interactions are not going to overanalyze spark and glow and shadow behavior. They shouldn’t have to because - again - none of that is obvious.

“I thought it was obvious”

Shy glances and subtle scenes in the background wasn’t enough for those who claim to be reading experts. So SJM released a bonus chapter where in clear black and white text, you see both Azriel and Elain desperate for each other. This man is willing to BEG on his knees for a taste of her/ the end. Why would you even want him with anyone else after that?

“I thought it was obvious”

All these characters I’ve mentioned have been supporting characters this entire series. Nothing concerning them is going to happen in someone else’s book-but the seeds have been sewn. Any scene with Elain could have been written with Lucien or her sisters instead of Azriel - but it wasn’t.

Ex: when majda says, “if anyone can figure out what’s wrong, it’s a mate”

Lucien is THERE. Feyre is THERE. Nesta is THERE. But who figures it out - not her mate, nor her sisters - Azriel.

Lucien could’ve shown her the garden, feyre could’ve sat with her and listened to Elain’s garden plans till 3am - but no - it was Azriel.

And this man is the only one in the NC I’m convinced that has an actual job and responsibilities. So he is choosing to spend what little free time he has with ELAIN. What’s not clicking, folks?

“I thought it was obvious”

Sarah-we love her-but she is Queen of cliches. Her writing is not some insane thriller level that has you gasping every page turn. She likes threes, she likes happy endings, she likes her male LIs desperate for their female counterparts. The answer to Amarantha’s riddle was LOVE. CC had “through love all is possible”.

You really think she wrote the line “hoped love would trump even a mating bond” and it meant nothing?

SJM doesn’t do anything easy. But she said it was obvious- because it IS.

[mycadences]

When Elain was about to be thrown into the Cauldron (so this was before she even entered the "oh so evil and corrupt" Cauldron that "definitely twisted and created fake mating bonds!"), notice who was the one who had a visceral reaction:

Also notice how I didn't include Azriel's reaction? Yeah. Because he had none. Azriel had no reaction to Elain's greatest trauma -- her transformation into a High Fae. I can't even find any quotes during that scene, and if you don't believe me, grab your copy of ACOMAF and verify it for yourself. This is why they are definitely NOT mates. Meanwhile, Lucien tried to help Elain although it was their first meeting, so how it possibly be that their mating bond is fake and created by the Cauldron when he felt the bond even before she went in?

In fact, during ACOMAF, Azriel was heavily implied to be shipped with Mor:

But Mor, as we all know, was likely retconned and revealed to be bisexual in ACOWAR (with a greater inclination toward females), putting an end to their ship.

Meanwhile, contrast Azriel's reaction toward Elain's violation to how Cassian reacted when Nesta was going through the same thing:

Cassian's wings were shredded. He was in a sea of agony. And yet when Nesta was being thrown into the Cauldron, he was fighting to stay conscious at her screams. Because Nesta is his mate.

The same way that Eluciens are undeniably, irrefutably mates, evil Cauldron be damned.

Alternatively, you can also contrast to this scene:

Azriel is the Night Court's Spymaster. Yet he didn't leave a single one of the Hybern soldiers alive for questioning? He killed them all immediately, suggesting that he was in a fit of blind, uncontrollable rage.

Which one screams mate behavior to you?

Edit to add: I finally found it! The evidence that Azriel knew to keep at least two enemies alive for questioning, so it was obvious he was incapable of thinking clearly when he killed every single one of the Hybern soldiers who hurt Gwyn.

In this scene (in ACOSF), Cassian and Azriel were attacked by Autumn Court soldiers, and if Cassian knew the reasoning behind keeping two soldiers alive, obviously Azriel (the actual Spymaster) would, too.

"But -- Elain was wearing a cobalt blue dress when she met Azriel!"

Yeah, so? Nesta was wearing an amethyst dress when she met Cassian...

... and she ended up with Cassian, didn't she? If cobalt is Azriel's color then crimson is Cassian's (these are the colors corresponding to their siphons btw), and if SJM intended the scene to be a parallel, wouldn't she have Nesta in a crimson dress?

Also tons of people wore cobalt outfits. Feyre, Eris, Helion, even Vassa in ACOSF. I guess we should start shipping Vassa and Azriel! Azris shippers should celebrate, since by Elriels' logic your ship is confirmed!

And if you really want to compare outfits, I think it's significant that both Azriel and Lucien draped their coats over Gwyn and Elain respectively in light of their traumatic experiences. This is how you do a proper parallel.

Even SJM herself alluded to being an Elucien shipper:

Yes, this was from her actual Pinterest account before she took it down. If you search online for it, you'll find other people talking about it and that this is true, it's not just some random fake account lol.

Elriels claim that Gwyn is the red herring in their ship. I propose the opposite -- Elain is the red herring in Gwynriel's ship, like how Azriel is the red herring in Elucien's ship. Because think about it, if Elriel were really meant to be, why would SJM need to introduce Gwyn as a potential love interest for Azriel? She already had one red herring in Lucien, did she really need a second one? No, she didn't. So why? Why does all the evidence, new and old, point toward Gwynriel and Elucien and not Elriel?

Because there was never Elriel. Elriel were never mates, nor would they ever be. There was only ever Elucien (which came first) and Moriel (but Mor was retconned into being bisexual), which eventually gave rise to Gwynriel and highly likely Emorie (Mor x Emerie).

[lili-of-the-wildfire]

okay fine, u all forced my hand in this one. these are MY azzie headcanons, mostly based on what’s canon in the books but i’m nothing if not a woman who would have been forcefully lobotomized so there’s also some delusion sprinkled in. enjoy 😙 (not proof read or correctly punctuated or even coherently arranged, we die like men on this blog)

* he may be a bit quiet in some situations, especially when meeting people who’s intentions he hasn’t quite figured out yet, but if he does nothing else, he’ll offer up a small smile in greeting. he’s not just going to sit there aloof in a corner, sans introduction.

* he’s a total vibe reader tho, his line of work has made sure of that. like he just knows when something is off about someone even if there is evidence saying otherwise. and he’s right every time, damn him.

* he tucks his hands behind his back out of habit, not necessarily shame. he used to be far more insecure, but as the centuries dragged on, he’s become less and less ashamed of what was done to him as a defenseless child.

* that’s not to say he’s fully healed and moved forward, just that time has given him some perspective and wisdom.

* (btw he loves hand massages with your lavender and lemon verbena lotion and he is not afraid to admit it)

* when he gets himself into trouble he tries to slink off into the shadows slowly, instead of disappearing all at once. nobody has a problem calling him out on it, but sometimes he honestly does get away with it.

* he has TASTE! he took one look at cassian and feyre’s gods awful decorating and didn’t even remove his outside clothes before he was fixing it.

* he and his mate’s house would look like something out of a Williams Sonoma holiday catalog.

* the two of you would put up lebron numbers on a joint pinterest account in a modern au.

* he’s quick as a whip with his dry humor and comebacks, and while cassian may be his main target, the two of them combined?? Mr. your mother and Mr. two hundred years at least TOGETHER? jesus it’s a wonder rhys came out of Illyria with the ego that he did.

* he differs from his brothers in that PDA is not his jam. he’s not getting blowjobs at the dining room table or fucking in tents while people die outside. he’s definitely not fingering you for the first time in a shabby inn, either. he’s more publicly reserved than that because he favors romance more.

* you know how rhys/feyre and cassian/nesta fucked before they were in any sort of relationship? azzie’s not doing that with someone he genuinely wants to pursue a relationship with.

* consider the following: does a man who’s spent centuries pining after the same woman come off as anything other than a romantic? no, lovely reader, not in the slightest.

* he’s got the softest heart, i just know it. while he’s kind, he has his reserved exterior, but i think once you get past that as a relationship develops, he’s so tender and thoughtful.

* his gift to nesta was so personal and thoughtful despite their superficial relationship, and he expected nothing in return. imagine what he could come up with for someone he knew on a more personal and intimate level!!

* his gifts may not be as over-the-top extravagant as Rhys would prefer, but they’re so well-planned and personal because he actually listens to you! and he watches you! and he takes the time to actually think about what would be useful and meaningful for you (Mor could NEVER, luv u tho baby)

* while he’s not overtly sexual, Azriel is a FLIRT! a shameless flirt! he doesn’t need to resort to poetry because when you exasperatedly tell him “stop trying to distract me, I’m busy!” he just arches a thick brow, looks you up and down and says “make me.”

* BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

* And your cheeks heat a bit because he’s looking at you like he knows exactly what you’d taste like and he’s starving for it and then he just laughs and you realize you’re a fly that got stuck in those honey-trap eyes again

* So you huff and roll your eyes, turning to leave the room but a hand on your wrist tugs your momentum backwards and suddenly there’s another hand cupping your cheek, thumb stroking along your jawline.

* A deep hum rumbles from the back of his throat, his gaze dragging from your mouth up to your eyes, “Do that again, I like watching your eyes roll back for me.”

* ladies/theydies i am PROFUSELY sweating !!!!!!!!!

[shadowdaddies]

Hii

Idk if your request is open but if it is then can i request for nessian with a reader thats illyrian? And that she constantly has something sassy or retorts back if someone teases her the slightest bit?

Hope you have a good day!!💗💗 love your works btw

Hi! Thank you so much, this was fun and different for me to write. Hope you have a good day, honey!💜

Banter

poly!Nessian x Reader

After an especially hard day of training, you were giddy for family dinner. Bursting through the front door of the River House, you spotted your nephew, Nyx, and ran towards him with open arms. He yelled out, “Auntie Y/N!” giggling as you scooped him up, twirling him around in a big hug. 

With a teasing smirk, you look to Nyx, the little boy already knowing what to do. “Race you to the dining room?” you asked. With a fierce nod, the toddler turned - in position to run. “3...2...1...GO!” you yelled, setting off down the hall, lagging slightly to let Nyx barely pull out the win. “Good job, buddy! That was close, though. I think I could beat you next time,” you said with a wink as the two of you took your seats.

Cassian set down the bottle of wine, taking his own glass in hand as he cocked an eyebrow at you. “I don’t know love, I was watching the start of that race and you seemed a little quick off the mark there.” Whipping your head towards your mate, you fired back, “well you would know about that, wouldn’t you?”

Azriel nearly spit out his drink, Nesta sheepishly sinking into her seat next to you as Cassian gave her a pointed glare. “What? Of course she told me,” you said, reaching over to hold Nesta’s hand. Feyre gave you a warning glare as she loaded Nyx’s plate with food. You shrugged, waving her off. “Oh, he doesn’t know what we’re talking about.”

Rhys leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “Do you know what we’re talking about? We’ve been discussing important court matters, but it seems you’ve been too busy verbally sparring with your mates to take notice.” Toasting your glass in Rhys’s direction, you smirked at him. “Perfect then, you know your secrets are safe with me since I don’t listen to what you say anyway.”

Mor and Cassian laughed with you as Amren rolled her eyes. Rhys continued, “well, it pertains to you as we’re going to be visiting Ironcrest.” With a sigh, you leaned back in your chair, the remnants of wings on your shoulders anxiously twitching at the mention of your former home. It was time to be serious. “What do you need from me, Rhys?” 

Cassian interrupted, sensing your nerves and eager to protect his mate. He played it off jokingly, flexing his muscles dramatically on display for you as he countered Rhys. “I’m sure I can take care of whoever is causing problems over at Ironcrest.” You bit back your smile, scoffing before lobbing back at your mate, “feed your own ego, I’m busy here,” and nodded to Rhys to continue - meanwhile sending love and thanks down the bond to Cassian, squeezing Nesta’s hand under the table for comfort.

Rhys explained the plan, everyone at the table groaning when he announced you would all be leaving for the camps before dawn tomorrow. “Well, I’m off to bed then,” Cassian announced as he stood up from the table. You swirled the wine in your glass. “Be sure to check underneath for Bryaxis,” you said with a wink. Cassian’s face turned red as you and Nesta giggled. She leaned in, whispering in your ear, “come on love, let’s go with him.” You nodded, pressing a kiss to her cheek as you joined Cassian, the three of you heading to bed.

“Are you nervous for tomorrow?” Cassian asked when you reached your room. You shook your head, climbing into bed in between your mates. “No, I’m really not.” And you meant it. Despite how much you loved to tease them, you knew Cassian and Nesta would be there for you, to love and protect you despite whatever tomorrow may bring.

[thefatesofspring]

ACOSF RANT/Nesta intervention rant!!!

I would just like to point out that Feyre is a POS when it came to that “intervention” to “help” Nesta…

Remember when Feyre said that Nesta had a CHOICE between a death sentence in the mortal lands or incarceration, torment, harassment & forced military training in the HoW…well Feyre lied not a few seconds later by then saying to Nesta

“you’re going even if you have to be tied up & hauled there” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

So I thought Nesta had a choice?…so what you’re telling me is that Feyre & of course Rhysand had no intentions of letting Nesta choose because they (more so Rhysand) wanted to CONTROL her

“If my sister cannot be CONTROLLED, then why should we have the rights to rule over anyone else” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

But again I thought Nesta had a choice?…I thought this was about helping her become better, be better?

“Oh so it’s about you saving face—“ Nesta, Chp 2, Pg 34

“It’s about how it reflects upon me, upon Rhys and upon my court when my damned sister spends our money on wine and gambling and does nothing to contribute to this city” Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 34

But you all only have a problem now because of WHERE Nesta is choosing to drink & gamble because of the TYPES OF PEOPLE Nesta is choosing to fuck and because CASSIAN ISN’T ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, what does Feyre contribute to The Night Court? Can someone please tell me what Feyre’s title of High Lady actually entails her to do? I need specifics…oh that’s right no one can give an actual answer beyond the shit she said & assumed Tamlin wanted from her (which btw is just standard ruling lady of court things), again this isn’t about helping Nesta it’s about their image as Feyre oh so beautifully stated above 👆🏾 it’s about controlling her & trying to hone her into a weapon, it’s about Feyre getting payback for how Nesta spoke/treated her when she was human.

“I won’t be your prisoner—“ - Nesta, Chp 2, Pg 35

Feyre did in fact make Nesta a prisoner…the very same thing she swore blind she hated when Tamlin sealed her in the Spring Court manor & swore she would never be put through again & oh now look at her…doing worse than what Tamlin did & yes I say worse than what Tamlin did because Feyre was in there for all of a few seconds before Mor came in saving her like a prince/ss in shining armour & she the damsel in distress, not to mention Feyre would have been in the manor for what?…a day? & Nesta is in there indefinitely until she has the most physical strength to leave?…she put her sister in a cage, a gold plated gilded cage.

“No. You can go wherever you wish…if you manage to make it down those ten thousand steps” - Feyre, Chp 2, Pg 35

Don’t you just love it when your jailer taunts you knowing physically, mentally/psychologically you’re not in a place to be forcing yourself down 10,000 steps just to have a bit of freedom, oh how endearing Feyre is…SIKE.

I would like to point out that Feyre was sealed in the manor of Spring Court for no more than a few seconds & look at how she reacted but then thinks that Nesta should be grateful for being locked in there for an untold amount of time & furthermore can you imagine being “gifted” your prison as a thank you for saving my mates, son & my own life…I can’t believe the Feysand stans support them.

[froggywizzard]

I was bored and started wondering what car would ACOTAR characters drive. So here are my ideas.

Btw I know nothing about cars, so don't come for me.

Rhysand, of course, is driving a ridiculously expensive car that screams opulence and luxury. Something like Bugatti Chiron in matte black. He probably has a whole basket of lint rollers in the trunk.

Feyre would choose something more causal, but also luxurious like Cadillac Escalade in customised color (maybe midnight blue). She needs to have space for her art supplies and friends.

Cassian drives a black Jeep, duh. No car screams more "IM A MANLY MAN" than a jeep. There are empty beer cans on the floor and stinky workout clothes on the back sit.

Azriel has something fast and stealthy, like a BMW i8, black, of course. It's a hybrid, so he can be stealthy if he wants to.

Mor is driving a red Porsche 911 Cabriolet. Sexy and elegant to pick up all the girls and take them on hot vineyard dates. U go girl.

Nesta has something big and bold, yet elegant, in silver, like Range Rover Sport. It's always clean and she loves to keep Cassian away from it.

Elain doesn't drive, I'm sorry. If she did, she would probably choose a Mini Cooper in fun spring colors.

Tamlin has a green Porsche 718 Cayman he drives to meetings, but when no one is looking he's pimping up a 1990s Ford Ranger.

Lucien is driving either a red 1970s vehicle like Chevrolet Camaro or a hippie-mobile Volkswagen Bus with a mattress and soft, fluffy blankets in the back that he takes on adventures 😏 His vehicles smell like leather, cinnamon and cedarwood.

So yep, that's it. If you have other ideas, I would love to see them!

[lady-of-tearshed]

ok…hear me out, a fic where cassian has a kid (prob adopted or smth) that’s nonverbal bc trauma or disability reasons, and it kinda wears on cass so one night he’s like talking to rhys about how his kid isn’t normal, and the kid went to get some water but overhears the whole thing - just angst to comfort

love your writing btw💗💗

Beautifully different

Pairing: Nessian & Their kids (Oc!Briana & Oc!Zion)

Summary: Cassian has a lot of pent-up frustration and worries about his son, Zion, who is diagnosed with selective mutism. He slips up in front of Zion, and now he has to apologize and make it better.

Word count: 1368 words

Warnings: Disabled child (selective mutism), angst, miscommunication, a bit of swearing, allusion to Nessian conceiving another child.

Dividers made by @tsunami-of-tears ❤️

“It’s called selective mutism,”

Cassian could still remember the confusion and worry that had set in his head the day Madja had announced the diagnosis of his son, Zion. 

Cassian’s grip tightened around his mate’s shoulders, his jaw clenched with anger. “So he’s not talking on purpose?” 

“No,” Madja’s voice had softly reassured him and Nesta, whom was crying against Cassian's chest. “No, it’s not how it works. It’s a rare childhood anxiety disorder. It’s the brain response to a trigger that makes Zion unable to speak in certain situations or around certain people,”

He remembered how it made his stomach twist with guilt, how the sight of his mate crying in his chest at the hard news had brought tears to his own eyes. But Madja’s comforting hand on his shoulder had calmed him down, grounded him. Her voice had enveloped his heavy heart and soothed his ache like a soft salve. 

“It is not your fault, to any of you,” Her other hand gently rubbed circles on Nesta’s back, calming down her sobs with her reassuring words. “There are treatments to attempt to cure this, and things you could do to help Zion’s condition to go away,”

“We’ll try anything,”

Cassian was a bit late to pick up his kids from Feyre’s studio. Madja had deemed it helpful to sign up Zion on recreational activities with other children for him to interact with, so Cassian and his mate did. Of course, Briana, the perfect big sister that she was, had insisted that she absolutely needed to go too so she could hold Zion’s hand if he got too shy (but mostly because she absolutely adored her auntie Feyre, and she was overly excited to make some art with her.), so Cassian and Nesta had no choice but to agree. As if he would’ve ever denied anything to his little princess anyway… 

The doorbell rang when Cassian pushed the door open.

“DADDY!”

The tiny bundle of curly hair wrapped in pink chiffon jumped into his arms, and Cassian caught her up in his arms before twirling her around. He bit her chubby cheeks playfully, making Briana’s melodic giggle to fill the room. “Hello sweetie, I suppose you had a great day?”

“The bestest day ever!”

Cassian huffed a laugh before putting her down on the floor slowly. He lifted his eyes and scanned the room, searching behind every canvas where the paint decorating them was still fresh and shining. Finally, his eyes landed on the one exposed on the easel exposed in the farthest corner of the room, where Zion sat, absentmindedly applying the same shade of blue all over the white canva. 

Cassian had to hold back his cringe, and forced himself to not look at all the other kids' artworks and compare them to his son’s. Instead, he just caressed Briana’s hair. He crouched down to be face to face with her, and smiled.

“Hey, why don’t you go and play outside with your brother for a while? I need to talk with Auntie Feyre,” Briana opened her mouth to say something, but Cassian poked her nose and cut her off. “Alone.”

Briana sighed dramatically, pouting a little before taking her little brother’s hand and cheerfully dragged him along to the swings outside the studio. 

Cassian waited until he was sure that both of his kids were outside, playing, and not paying attention to him, then he made his way inside the studio. His ears led him to where water was running, and leaned in the doorway to where Feyre was cleaning a shit ton of paint brushes. Sometimes, the warrior wondered how she dealt with such messes weakly, for fun. 

A chuckle left his throat at the thought, and made Feyre’ face snap up from her task. A bright smile flashed over her red, blue, purple and yellow painted face. Feyre tried to wipe it away, noticing Cassian’s amusement glinting in his eyes, but her attempt very much failed, as it only resulted in spreading the paint all over her face even more. 

“Are you here solely to make fun of me, or to actually pick up your kids?”

Cassian chuckled, scratching the back of his neck while a flush of embarrassment creeped up his cheeks. “Yeah, sorry, I’m a bit late to pick up the kids I know… I was…” He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the mental image of how busy him and Nesta had been. “Busy.”

“Busy making more of those little ones?” 

Nosy woman. 

“How has it been for them today?”

“They’ve been good. Briana has made some progress on her painting today…” Feyre frowned, hesitating. Then she shrugged, avoiding the topic. “They’ve been good.”

“And Zion?” Cassian pushed, moving closer to where Feyre was washing the paint brushes. “Has he… made any progress? Did he make any friends?” 

Feyre left the brushes in the sink and wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, he tried a different shade of blue on his canva today… He didn’t participate actively in the group today but…” She bit her lip and placed a hand on Cassian’s shoulder, “Maybe it’s normal, perhaps that’s just how he is you know… Maybe he’s happy like this-”

“Well I am not. A child needs to have social interactions to develop, Feyre. He’s not normal,” Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel his face heat up, his breathing getting as heavy as the guilt resting on his soul. “Madja was wrong. That kid will never be normal. He’ll never be like the other kids,” 

Anger bubbled up within him. How was his son not normal, when his daughter was? “Where the fuck did I mess up-”

A thud that came from the other room cut off Cassian. Both Feyre and his face snapped to the door, where a tiny wing peaked out. 

Feyre’s face twitched and she patted Cassian on the shoulder. “I’ll wait outside with Briana… and I’ll make sure that the front door stays closed while you talk it out.” 

Feyre quickly made her way out of the studio, cheeks red from the embarrassing situation. She carefully avoided eye contact with Zion’s heart-broken face. 

Cassian only stayed in the middle of the supply room, staring at Zion’s tiny wing peeking out of the doorway. He sighed, and ran a hand over his face. “Zion…” 

Zion hesitantly moved from his hiding spot and slowly dragged his feet in front of his father. His head was kept so low that Cassian couldn’t even see his eyes from where he stood. He kneeled in front of his boy, his warm palm coming to cup his cheek. His thumb brushed off some tears staining Zion’s cheek, but he still avoided his father’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I…” 

Cassian’s throat tightened, cutting off any sounds when the silent room filled with Zion’s choked sobs. He brought his face to his chest, his own tears now falling on top of his son’s head. He held him tight against him, as if he was afraid that the boy’s heart would crumble if he’d let him go. “I’m sorry, Zion. So sorry…” Cassian whispered against the boy’s ear, his hand rubbing slow circles on his back. 

Zion sniffled, his face now tilted up to look into his father’s eyes with so much sadness.

“I said horrible things, I’m sorry. Every kid is different, I know. I just…” His voice broke. Cassian looked up at the ceiling and inhaled deeply. He calmed his sobs down before taking control of his voice again. “I just want you to be happy, my son,” His eyes met Zion’s, the same shade of hazel eyes staring back at him. “But… I guess sometimes I need to remind myself that the definition of being happy for you isn’t the same as being happy for me,” 

Zion nodded, his little hands coming to wipe away Cassian’s tears, the same way he did for him. 

“Are you happy, Zion?” Cassian whispered, his face painted with concern. 

“You make me happy.”

And these were the most words Cassian had heard from his son, but the most beautiful ones anyone had said to him in all of his immortal life span.

Acotar taglist: @mybestfriendmademe @lilah-asteria @acotar-lover

Cassian taglist: @ladybookstan

[sapphicmsmarvel]

IC x reader: bad dates

lol this is verbatim what happened on the last date i went on so. i wrote this back then when i was Sad™️ about it. 

a sprinkle sprinkle of morrigan x reader bc im really into hot blondes right now (haley from stardew valley and jj from criminal minds have reentered my stratosphere). 

btw nothing about that statement has changed since i wrote this. i just asked haley to be my girlfriend in stardew valley. 

under the cut bc it felt too long to go without it lmao

You were feeling pretty fucking miserable at this moment. 

You had a bad date. You were there for an hour, after the food came and the bill was paid you made a shitty excuse and left. 

It wasn’t even late. You had worn your best outfit and did the whole self care routine, for nothing. 

The girl was sweet, just….lacked some social skills. Also made you uncomfortable.

You looked at the bouquet of flowers she gave you and just sighed. Such a waste, you’ll probably just give them to Elain. 

You trudged up to the townhouse, you could hear the laughter from outside because of the open windows. 

You sighed, you loved living in the townhouse and loved Rhysand for allowing you to live there. But, you just wanted to crawl into bed and be sad about a failed date. 

You opened the door and that’s when everyone went silent. Everyone was scattered around the living room and they all popped up like meerkats when you appeared.

Then the questions began. 

“That was quick!” Morrigan said. 

“Did you even eat?” Cassian asked. 

“She brought you flowers? Aw!” Elain exclaimed. 

But it was Azriel, who sees all, who said; “you okay?” 

“Shitty date.” Yoh shrugged. 

Everyone let out their own “awww”s. You looked at Amren and Nesta and knew they were plotting the girls' disappearance. 

“It’s alright, just…” You shrugged. “Am I the issue?”

“No!” Cassian shouted. “Come on, come sit next to me.” He patted the couch and you sighed, you smiled but it was sad. 

You sat next to Cass, then Rhysand got up from the chair he shared with Feyre and sat in front of you on the coffee table. He picked up your feet and began taking off your heels. 

Feyre came over as well with a blanket and sat next to you, put the blanket on your lap and made it so you two were sharing it. 

Nesta poured you a glass of your favorite drink and handed it to you. Then Elain came at you with your favorite cookies. “I baked them today.” She sat on Feyre’s other side, while Nesta sat on Cassians. 

Amren and Azriel had joined all of you by sitting on the floor. You were in an Inner Circle huddle. 

“Alright.” Morrigan clapped from her spot on the floor. “Let’s get this debrief started!” Her hands ended up on your knee, comfortingly rubbing her thumb in a circle.

You tried to ignore the butterflies when she did it.

So you told them about how everyone at the restaurant knew you two were on a date and how you don’t understand why this girl would tell them all the details. It felt like you were on display like a zoo attraction. Then how she kept telling the waitress how anxious she was right in front of you! 

And then the final nail in the coffin: 

“Hang on, she said she’d marry her ex, and you think you’re the issue?” Feyre asked, incredulously. 

You shrugged, breaking off a piece of cookie. “I don’t know.” You murmured. “You know I look to self sabotage because I'm scared of change.” You then shrugged. 

“No, you were looking appropriately.” Rhysand said. 

You sighed and leaned against the couch even farther. “I don't know what to do.” 

“What do you mean?” Cassian asked. He rubbed your shoulder. “There’s nothing to do. You dodged a mess if you ask me.” 

You snorted. “I just wonder if I’m gonna die alone. Never knowing that great love like Fey and Rhys. Or you and Nes.” You sighed. 

“Well, I’ll die alone with you.” Mor reached over from her spot on the floor and crawled onto your outstretched legs like they were a bridge. “We can be loverrrrs that history calls best gal pals.” 

That caused all of you to laugh, especially as Mor pulled herself into your lap and began to badly serenade you. She clutched your cheeks dramatically. Your arms reflexively went around her so she wouldn’t fall forward onto Rhys who had enough of her antics. 

Yeah, bad dates sucked. But at least your friends were there to pick you up when you needed it.

[miss-kitka]

things that stood out in hofas, but from a devout elriel:

spoilers ahead!

- azriel never gives up truthteller and begs bryce to give it back… yet he gave it to elain without thinking

- he and nesta are friends, as far as we know he still lives in the house of wind with nesta and cassian

- he is very quick to say he doesnt have a mate or significant other

- his shadows dance at all music

- he loves club music/edm

- azriel seemed to be chuckling more than hes typically describe to do 🤔🤔

- his shadows are just very condensed magic

- AZRIEL PROBABLY HAS DUSK COURT BLOOD, as does rhys and his family (rhys looks like ruhn and az says silene looks exactly like rhys’ sister)

- the prison is gonna be the next important location (three mountains, three brothers, three sisters, three journeys)

- btw where is elain?

- poor nesta, rhys is still mean to her even after she saves his wife and childs life 🙁

- the nesta ember and randall bonus chapter had me angry. the only people on her side are ember and feyre. and the men stand around complaining about their mates. it just felt very misogynistic.

- nesta calls cassian an “alphahole” after bryce says it to hunt

- WHERE IS ELAIN?

- shes mentioned ONCE and it makes nestas flames flare up. i would also argue though that they arent talking about elain because theyre being careful to reveal too much to bryce, especially when seers are so sought after. for example, nyx and feyre and mor barely get spoken about too.

- my best guess is these events are right before or very very early in elains book, so maybe well get to see what its like from the other side.

[lunaduskxo]

The “it’s just lust” argument is so crazy because lust is a huge part of Feysand and Nessian and not just because they’re mates. Lust is a normal part of a healthy relationship and it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have feelings for her.

I agree, anon. It’s completely normal for Azriel and Elain to feel this response towards each other. Cassian was having lustful thoughts of Nesta within days of meeting her. Literally their second meeting. That’s okay because they’re mates now? I love Nessian btw so it didn’t bother me to read this in his BC! I loved it because enemies to lovers is 🔥.

Elain and Azriel had two years before they finally gave into their feelings. Unfortunately it was stopped before they could go any further but honestly that’s the magic of it, we’ll be able to see how they overcome this problem.

To give into the bond that “destiny” chose for her or to give into the person her heart chose.

[bookofmirth]

me in 2021, talking about mating bond rejections:

by “agency”, I mean that someone has the ability to make their own decisions, and they can act on their own behalf. [...] ENTER: THE ABILITY TO REJECT THE MATING BOND. If characters in acotar can reject a mating bond, that means that they do have agency, they do have choice, they now have the capacity to consent.

Sarah in 2024, talking about mating bonds:

“That’s something I find to be very interesting,” she replies. “What if the forces that be put you with the wrong person? Or what if you just decide, eh, I’m not interested. … There’s a lot to explore within the concept of mates and your agency about it.  “I’m not going to say if I am exploring it in future books or not,” she continues, “but it definitely offers a wealth of things to explore with this concept of freewill and what is true love. Is it something that’s destined? Or is it something that you make? Is it both?”

If Sarah Janet Maas thought that fate had NOTHING to do with it, mating bonds wouldn't be a central trope in every single one of her books.

Like y'all... I literally said that agency is an incredibly important part of the way that sjm has built these bonds - bonds that always end with endgame, btw - and then sjm herself also said it's an important question.

In the linked post above, I also explain that she has already been playing with these questions. Chapters 52-55 of acomaf are the result of Feyre grappling with them. When Nesta sends Cassian away for a week in acosf, that is her grappling with those questions. Elain right now, not doing anything with her bond? She is literally already doing what sjm describes above, contemplating those questions. Please, reread the scene before Feyre and Rhys get it on, removing any of the "will she accept him or won't she" tension. It would suck, right? It would be boring, and we'd be like why are you wasting your time in this cabin.

But... we know how they always end. Together. It's the process of getting there that is intriguing.