#otherwise Lucien wouldn't have wore it

[talesdevourer]

Today at 2am.

Me: trying to sleep.

My mind: where is Lucien's coat? The one he put on Elain after she resurfaced from the Cauldron. (Inside Elain's closet maybe?)

[sjmgirlie]

I’ve been pondering Lucien’s character more lately and I’m beginning to think he might actually be the person to “betray” the Inner Circle.

So first of all, don’t attack me if you’re a Lucien Stan and don’t agree, because this is just a theory. Do I want Lucien to be bad? No. Lol. I don’t want anyone to be bad but Koschei, the Queens and Beron. So basically everyone we know is bad. But there is going to be someone who betrays them.

Lucien, since day one, has always been associated with a fox. Rhysand specifically said that Lucien wore a fox mask for a reason.

He’s been associated with many courts, as he took over as emissary and basically did Tamlin’s job because, well, Tamlin is literally just a beast lol. No communication skills whatsoever. So he’s good with people.

Now, he was thrown out of Autumn, saved by his brother Eris as we find out (which idk if Lucien knows this) and sent to Spring. Tamlin took him in, and then after the whole aftermath with Feyre destroying the court, he found himself at the Night Court.

This is where it starts to make sense why he might betray them. He has no alliance to them. Tbh, Lucien and Feyre are not friends at all. He knew she was lying in spring, he sent her to die as a human in the forest, she makes fun of him for the Band of Exiles name. Like they aren’t friends. Lucien is maintaining his role to have a reason to be around Elain, but he also doesn’t want to anyways. Also, Mor said he can’t be trusted even with Elain there. So what’s going on?

See, there might be a reason the Band of Exiles needs the NC. Probably to help in breaking Vassa’s curse. But other than that?

Lucien shows a lot of animosity towards Rhys and Feyre. Especially in ACOFAS. And in ACOSF, when Cassian visits the manor, Lucien asks “Are you here to give me orders?” So..

Now, Jurian as an eyeball apparently had more deduction skills than both Tamlin and Lucien combined when it came to Rhys. He knew him before, and knew he wasn’t a bad guy. That it was an act. Just as he was acting with Hybern. Will he want to betray someone he knows isn’t actually bad? Especially after he died to save Prythian? Maybe not. But for Vassa? Ya, I think he would.

Lucien is indirectly affiliated with the IC, and I don’t think SJM would ever make any actual IC member betray them. They are found family, it’s out of the cliche she likes. But Lucien? He’s in it but not really.

Could this be why Elain is avoiding him? Maybe. Will it be catastrophic? I doubt it, but it’ll be a betrayal that rocks the boat enough.

SJM has continuously reduced Lucien’s character in the books. Was he the comic relief in ACOTAR? Yes. Because, well, we needed him as a wing man since Mr. Your hair is clean was not going to get Feyre on his own. And it was also a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, with Lucien being Lumière (fire power anyone?) who also was the beast's wingman. But after that? He didn’t help Feyre when she asked, was an accomplice in her sisters being turned fae, helped in spring but then the whole travel to get to NC was just to see Elain, then after that it was just snark after snark with him.

I feel like people latched on to how Lucien was in the first book and then idk? Just didn’t see his character diminish from that? The only time he’s still the old Lucien is when he talks about vassa. Otherwise he’s just rude and annoyed IMO.

Do I want Lucien's happy ending? Of course I do. I want that for all the characters. Why wouldn't I? I'm the same as SJM, I want happy endings, even if it's cliche.

Anyways, I think Lucien is going to betray the IC.

@clairvoyantmiss

[artzychic27]

Do you have any angst headcanons about the science kids?

Many guys have experimented with dating Marc due to him looking feminine, and then they'd break up with him a few weeks later. It's made him afraid to ever date any guys because he's worried they're only dating him just to see if they're queer or not

Because of Lucien's influence, Marc is always finding new things to hate about himself and is worried Nathaniel will get upset with him because of his "flaws". It's gotten to a point that he started dressing how he used to when he used to date Lucien

Cosette is legitimately afraid to go back to her house after school. The treatment from her siblings and mother takes a real emotional toll on her, and she doesn't want to cry in front of them and give them more ammo

Once, they tried to use concealer to cover up their vitiligo, and got scolded for it even though their mother has made it abundantly clear she despises how they look

Aurore can't remember the last time she genuinely smiled around her parents. She's always pretending to be something she's not around them, and now any emotions she displays around them are all fake

She practices every facial expression before bed and keeps a journal of "acceptable responses" to say to her parents

Whenever Simon wakes up from nightmares about his parents, he screams, but no sound comes out. It's usually a sign he'll be nonverbal for a while

When he uses sign language, there are usually people who will scold and yell at him to talk until Simon just breaks down crying and runs away

When she was thirteen, Reshma was at this socialite party her parents were throwing, and one of her dad's colleagues felt her up when he wasn't looking. He died before she could ever tell anyone what he did

Because of this, it took Reshma a while to be able to trust any male friends of her parents, and she kept pepper spray on her out of fear

Jean always blamed himself for his mother leaving him and his dad, and it took weeks for Dejah to convince him otherwise. He hardly got up out of bed, he never talked to anyone, and he gave up the things that made him happy, convinced that his interests her the reason his mom left

When he was ten, Jean wore a skirt to school and got beat up in the bathroom during study hall by some guys a grade above him. Since that day, he's been too afraid to wear skirts and dresses

Lacey hardly ever buys anything because she's saving up her money for the event her grandparents pass away and she's tasked with taking care of her brothers

Rock climbing and parkour are the activities where she feels free and unburdened. If she were to stop, then it wouldn't be pretty

Ismael has been harassed by total strangers before the moment they heard his voice. When this one guy grabbed him while he was riding the subway, he kicked him in the balls, got off, and ran to his dad's house

He's scared for the day where Reshma may find a girlfriend and have not as much time for him, so he likes to spend every single moment with her until that day

Mireille would love to be the center of attention sometimes, but her dad will always find ways to make it grander than necessary and only cause her to close in on herself more

Mireille has some repressed anger issues because of their dad and is fearful that they may take it out on their friends one of these days

Denise has a hard time saying no, and some people like to take advantage of that when they need some heavy lifting done. It tires Denise out, but they're afraid of letting people down

They've had muscle cramps since they were twelve, but refuses to tell anybody, worried no one will want their help and they'll be useless

Zoé never got to spend any time with her dad, not because he was busy, but because of Audrey. She always forced her into some "feminine" activities like beauty pageants and debutante balls which would take up all of her time, just to make herself look good

Zoé's afraid to date anyone after one particularily bad experience with this one girl back at her old school. She was just a side piece for her to experiment with while she was still dating her boyfriend

[scholarlypidgeot]

“I swear, if you say that one more time, I am actually going to throw you out the window.”

"I'm just saying..."

"I swear, if you say that one more time, I am going to actually throw you out the window."

"I do not believe your security parameters to be sufficient for the Princes to be here."

Pat blinked a few times from the doorway, not quite sure what she'd stumbled in on. Two pale figures stood in the otherwise empty library study: Crown Prince Henry's tall Seelie escort, looming over the smaller but more cocksure figure of Ash Sterling. Both were dressed casually. Lucien Ivie wore a collared shirt with the sleeves pushed up above the elbows, suspenders, slack trousers, simple but well-worn leather shoes, and a cap pulled tight over his loosely tied white hair. Ash, meanwhile, was in her signature broad-brimmed hat, her hair mousy brown and let to rest over her shoulders like a cloak. Her blouse was a soft shade of purple over Basin cowhide chaps and boots. Both of them had their arms folded, and were locked in a staring contest. Neither acknowledged Pat, although she had no doubt they'd noticed her. She decided to move around the edge of the room and listen rather than interject - although, judging by the open window, she had no doubt Ash would go through with her threat. Lucien didn't seem to care.

"Detective, you of all people know this is a dangerous time for the Princes to be in public, especially at the University."

"Why?" Ash asked, head tilted. "Because the Golden Crown was seen here? Because of Prince Vlad?"

"Yes!" Lucien sounded exasperated. "That's exactly why. You don't see them as a threat?"

"Vlad isn’t the one I’m worried about. If you can see a spider you don't have to worry about it biting you."

"That doesn't even make any sense." Pat felt the cold sting of his gaze snap over towards her. "You, there."

The suddenness caused her to freeze with a big leather volume secure in her hands, but she turned her head toward Commander Ivie. "Yes?"

"You're the girl who was attacked by the Golden Crown?"

Heat crept into her cheeks as Ash snapped, "Leave her out of this, Ivie."

Lucien didn't take his question back, and Pat found herself nervously twitching her ruined right hand.

"Yes, sir," she answered, as confidently as she could.

"And you're the one Prince Charles is courting?"

She felt the red in her face deepen, but she spoke out before Ash could interject: "I am."

"And you don't think that's dangerous to the Prince?"

"Don't interrogate her," Ash warned.

"Why not?" The Commander's eyes narrowed in Ash's direction. "Is this bait for one of your infamous projects? A calculated risk to catch him in the act?"

"If you're speaking of Prince Vlad," Pat interrupted, drawing the icy gaze back to herself, "he wouldn't harm me again."

"And how do you know that? Have you seen him again?"

"Yes. Often."

That didn't seem to surprise him. He unfurled his arms to lean against the table. "And he's — what, told you he won't harm you again?"

"Yes."

"And why do you believe him? Or, better yet, why should I believe you."

"Because he's bored, and I'm a Keeper. If he's not in a listening mood he's in a talking one."

"Or a killing one."

"His attack was unprompted, and his addiction infamous," Pat concdeded, with another nervous twitch from her wounded hand, "but he'd hardly tear off the only ears that will listen to him without judgment."

Lucien's nose wrinked. "I don't like poetry."

"Then you shouldn't ask questions of a poet." The pressure of Lucien's interrogation had faded away, and Pat even felt a little smile on her lips.

Lucien turned his face away from Pat, and back towards Ash. "This just reinforces my point that she is a liability, and that if Prince Charles insists on seeing her she should be more closely monitored.

"No more than the Prince's double agent."

Ash's voice was just loud enough to be heard, and Pat couldn’t suppress the curiosity it aroused. 

The statement clearly took Lucien aback as well. "What?"

"Don't play ignorant, Ivie. You know what I mean." Her sharp grey eyes darted back to Lucien's face. "You can't pretend she and I are the only ones here who cavort with the Golden Crown. In fact, I'd like to argue that it's better when we do it, because at least we're open about it."

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Word Count: 736

Word Goal: None

A rare appearance of Lucien Ivie in the wild! Being not at all weird or suspicious! Also featuring two of our beloveds I guess.

Thank you for the (5 year old) ask and thank you everyone for reading! I'm more than open to questions about characters, worldbuilding, or context, and if you'd like to be added to the tag list please let me know!

Tag list: @redheadedbrunette @irishironclad @that-catholic-shinobi