#protective!Lucien

[nocasdatsgay]

A 300~ word Drabble for elucien week. It’s not even long enough for ao3. Just a ramble on if Lucien found Elain after her encounter in the bonus chapter.

Rated: G

Tags: light angst, canon compliant,

@elucienweekofficial day 1: Mates

“It was a mistake.”

Of course it was. Every choice Elain made for herself could be summarized in that one sentence Azriel muttered before disappearing. She stood there in the hall, willing tears not to fall. She should go to her room; pretend this didn’t happen. She left the present on the pile. If she wasn’t wanted then neither was his gift. She then went up the stairs, but only when she reached her door did her emotions flood her again.

“Elain?” A voice whispered so softly from her right.

It didn’t startle her; she knew he was there before he even spoke. She turned and there he was. Her mate. With his stupid handsome face and stupid red hair that looked like it glowed. She resented him and everything he stood for.

“What?” Her tone was harsh.

He steeled his expression, frowning down at her. “I normally ignore your summons, however you seem upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I didn’t summon you.” She snapped.

“Not intentionally, but here I am.” He studied her face and his steel expression gave way to something she didn’t want to think too hard on. “You’re crying.”

She was. She clenched her teeth but doing so didn’t stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her body betrayed her again.

“And of what consequence is it to you?” She blinked and another tear fell.

Anger clouded his features and she half expected his hair to turn into flames. “Did he hurt you?”

Her eyes widened in shock. He knew. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said quickly, wiping the tears off her cheek. “I bid you goodnight.”

He threw his hand out in front of her as she turned the knob to her door. He was too close, sweet apple and celosia, with a burning smoke underneath infiltrated her nose. For a moment she wondered if that’s what he tasted like as well. However, she mentally shook her head and looked up at him. His golden eye narrowed at her while the russet one glowed.

“I will not stop you from figuring out what you want. I will never ask you for anything nor expect anything more than what we have now. But if I find you crying again, I will not be responsible for what I do after.”

And he left without another word.

[works-of-heart]

"Mine," she said under her breath, gripping onto his shoulders. "You are mine, and I am yours."

Protective Elain lives rent free in my head!!!

[jinxdancer08]

You know what I’ve been missing from the ACOTAR books? The absolute ferocity that mates are supposed to feel when the other is threatened or in danger. I need to see some of these characters going bat shit crazy no matter who it is they’re up against.

Azriel slaughtering every single Hybern soldier in Sangravah within moments to save Gwyn? That’s what I want to see.

Lucien using his spell-cleaving powers for the first time to get to Elain after she was dumped from the Cauldron? That’s what I want to see.

I can’t wait to see Gwyn and Elain both having the “you touch him, you die” personality because they absolutely would and Azriel and Lucien deserve it.

[bonecarversbestie]

I think watching Lucien allow himself to love someone again after being alone so long is gonna break me.

He has been saving his heart all these years because he has experienced true love before and he doesn’t want to put his heart on the line again for anything less.

I think being loved by Lucien would be a very special thing.

I just know I’m gonna cry the whole way through Elain and Lucien’s book.

[yaralulu]

I desperately need a scene where the IC are having dinner and the topic of tamlin gets brought up and they start talking shit about him and going on about how he deserves everything thats happening to him and lucien’s just sitting there gripping his fork,jaw twitching,eyes simmering,hands shaking with rage as he tries so hard to keep his mouth shut because now is not the time to say something stupid—but they just keep talking and talking and talking until eventually he has enough and gives everybody a vanserra style telling off 😁.

[florencemtrash]

Brown Eyed Beauty — Lucien x Reader

Fond, childhood memories are few and far between for Lucien. But he's reminded of every good thing when he looks at you.

Author's note: DAMNIT! Brown eyes deserve to be treated with the same tender reverence as any other color. This one is for all the brown eyed beauties (and Lucien lovers) out there.

There was a hidden stream Eris had taken him fishing once, back when he was a stringy child with two eyes and soft hands.

“You’ll need to build up your strength and the calluses on your palms, then the fish won’t be able to slip out of your grasp so easily.” Eris told him, standing up to his knees in the gentle current, pant legs rolled up with the ends dripping. His body was slim as a reed, but strong, and on the cusp of adulthood. Pale bruises were scattered across a pale, freckled chest, purple, green, and yellow.

Lucien watched with bated breath as Eris tracked a shiny, silver-pink body darting between the rocks, his eyes untricked by the bending of sunlight as it dove into the water. 

There. 

Eris leaned down and dipped his hands into the stream with lightning swiftness. “Gotcha.” 

His hands broke the water. The salmon writhed, fighting with every gasping breath and splashing water onto Eris’s already soaking trousers.

“Here.” Eris stretched his arms out to where Lucien stood in the shallows. The salmon was giving up, the rhythm of its whipping body slowing. “It’s tired. Try holding it now.” 

Lucien held on for five seconds before the tail slapped him across the face, startling him so much he dropped the fish and its scaly, sleek body began to race downstream.

“No!” Lucien dove for it, red hair slipping under clear waters. The current was stronger than he expected, or maybe it was just that he was weaker than his brother. He felt something pulling downward, keeping him submerged.

His first response was to panic, to flail his arms and legs out uselessly. But then he stopped. It was peaceful down here, the water so clear that he could catch every grain of sand splashed over brick-brown rocks like stars. Tiny fishes, silky smooth with beady eyes, darted in and out of crevices. Light behaved differently underwater, fragmenting and casting lovely golden shapes on stones the color of fresh-pressed coffee. 

Here it was calm. Here was a place where Beron’s power couldn’t touch him. Here he was safe. 

A strong hand grasped the back of his shirt, hauling him up soaking and sputtering with a brackish taste sliding down his throat. 

The bruises on Eris’s cheekbones stood out on his pale skin, the fright in his eyes turning to anger. 

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Eris yelled and all but tossed his sopping body onto a yellowing patch of grass. 

“I’m sorry,” Lucien mumbled. He sat, shivering in the Autumn chill until Eris caught another salmon and assembled sticks in a neat circle of sand, lighting it with a snap of his slender fingers. 

“Tomorrow we’ll come back,” Eris promised as Lucien sank his teeth into the juicy, pink flesh. The skin was perfectly crisp and grease dribbled down his chin hot and slick. Eris wiped it away with a soft swatch of moss. “I’ll teach you to swim properly.” 

He didn’t seem to mind the descending cold, and for that Lucien was grateful. It meant he would get to keep Eris’s shirt until his was finished drying on the cracked log. 

But unbeknownst to them, Beron had come home earlier than anticipated with their other brothers. Eris was whipped ten times for leaving the Forest House unattended and Lucien was locked in his room for three days. They never went back to that stream — at least not together — and Lucien learned to swim on his own in less forgiving waters. 

Lucien still clung onto the memories of that day. Good memories from his childhood were far and few between. 

“You’re staring again.” You sighed contentedly and shifted in the little cradle of earth you’d claimed for youself. Yellowing, waist-high grasses swayed above you, occasionally bowing down with slender fingers to tickle your cheeks. A hundred yards away the Sidra tumbled over stones, rolled onto gray-sand beaches. The air tasted of salt and seaweed. Crisp, tangy, clear. 

“How did you know?” Lucien asked, and you could hear the gentle caress of his smile in the words.

You cracked open your eyes against the sun’s assault high in the midafternoon sky. Sure enough, Lucien was staring at you, golden eye whirring. You ran a languid finger down the bond, light and airy as a kiss. He braced his arms by your head, sinking down until his body was pressed flush against yours. 

You smiled. “I can feel it. It’s my special talent.”

“Oh?” Lucien chuckled.

“I’ve cultivated it over the years. A product of having a brute like you chase after me like a hound goes after a fox.” Not that you’d ever gone far. 

Scarlet strands of hair slipped out of the braid you’d arranged hours ago. They hung around his elegant, scarred face like liquid fire, casting a warm glow onto his already tanned skin. You tucked them back behind his sharp ears. Traced the curve of his bones until he was leaning into your touch.

“You wound me,” he murmured, kissing your palms. 

You blushed, feeling the brush of his full lips against your sensitive skin. “I didn’t mean it.” 

He smiled — a crooked, boyish smile. “I know.” 

He looked into your coffee eyes. The light bent differently when they touched your irises, curving around the bends like honey, cutting amber crescents at the edges of their rich color. You closed and opened them slowly, letting the light pour in like cream into coffee, swirling and setting them aflame. 

Lucien was back in that stream. The world was still. There was nothing that could hurt him. Just clarity, peace, and the riverbed glittering beneath him. 

“I love you, Y/n.”

[elainsgirl]

[merwgue]

The A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) fandom is one of the most divided literary communities today. It’s not just a matter of which characters people ship, but rather a deep schism over how people interpret the characters, themes, and real-life issues embedded in the story. The arguments go far beyond typical fandom disagreements and have morphed into full-fledged debates about morality, trauma, and the human condition. At the heart of these conflicts is the tendency for fans to project their own experiences and values onto the characters, creating new "canon" versions of the story to fit their narrative. What makes this even more significant is that ACOTAR isn’t just fantasy fiction—it touches on real issues like domestic abuse, sexual coercion, trauma, and mental health. These are not fictional concepts; they are lived experiences for many people. By brushing these topics aside or simplifying them, the fandom risks doing a disservice to the people who see their own pain mirrored in the pages of these books.

"It’s Just Fiction" — A Dismissive Take on Real Issues

When people say "it’s just fiction," they’re missing the point. Fiction, especially in fantasy, is often used as a mirror to reflect real-world problems. In ACOTAR, we see characters grappling with trauma, mental illness, abuse, and recovery—things that real people face every day. It’s not simply a story of faeries and magic; it’s a story of survival and the human struggle to overcome deep-seated pain.

Take Rhysand’s actions, for instance. Under the Mountain, he subjects Feyre to what can only be described as sexual coercion, making her dress in revealing clothing and sit on his lap while drugged, all under the guise of "protecting" her. In the real world, this would be considered sexual harassment or even assault. The argument that he was forced into these actions to protect her doesn’t erase the trauma it inflicted on Feyre. Fans who brush this off as a romantic plot device are ignoring the very real dynamics of power, consent, and coercion that exist in abusive relationships.

Similarly, Gwyn’s backstory, though not heavily detailed, strongly implies that she was gang-raped by Hybern’s forces during the war. The fact that this is left as an undertone in the series, not explicitly addressed, doesn’t make it any less important. Sexual violence, like what Gwyn endured, is a topic that has far-reaching emotional and psychological consequences for survivors. Yet, in some corners of the fandom, these moments are glossed over in favor of debating which romantic pairing is better.

Tamlin: Abuser or Victim of Circumstance?

Tamlin is one of the most hotly contested characters in the series, and it’s easy to see why. His actions in A Court of Mist and Fury—where he physically confines Feyre, restricts her movements, and isolates her from the outside world—are textbook examples of domestic abuse. There’s no argument that what he did was wrong. But there’s also context that complicates his character and, in some ways, makes him more sympathetic than he’s often given credit for.

Tamlin was traumatized by the events Under the Mountain, forced to watch helplessly as his people suffered for fifty years. He was powerless, and that sense of impotence likely contributed to his need for control once Feyre returned to the Spring Court. He was terrified of losing her, and that fear manifested in controlling behavior. Does that excuse what he did? Absolutely not. But it provides a context that many readers seem to ignore. Tamlin was also suffering, and he lacked the emotional tools to cope with his trauma in a healthy way.

Feyre, too, was suffering, but neither of them communicated effectively, and their relationship deteriorated as a result. Both were deeply broken, but instead of healing together, their trauma pulled them apart. Some fans take this complexity and reduce Tamlin to a one-dimensional abuser, ignoring the fact that many abusers come from places of deep pain themselves. Others take it too far in the opposite direction, defending every action he took. The truth lies somewhere in between: Tamlin was an abuser, but he was also a victim of his own unresolved trauma.

Rhysand: Savior or Manipulator?

Rhysand, on the other hand, is often seen as Feyre’s savior, the one who rescues her from Tamlin’s abuse and shows her how to be strong. But the fandom’s lionization of Rhysand ignores many of his own toxic behaviors, particularly his emotional manipulation of Feyre.

While Tamlin physically trapped her, Rhysand’s control was far more insidious. He isolated Feyre mentally, ensuring that the only people she trusted were members of his Inner Circle—people whose loyalty ultimately lies with him. Over time, Feyre’s connections to anyone outside of Rhysand’s immediate orbit are severed. Lucien, who had been a close friend, is gradually pushed away, and Feyre is left with no one to question her relationship with Rhysand.

This emotional isolation is a form of manipulation that can be just as damaging as physical confinement. Rhysand controlled the narrative around Feyre, making sure that she only saw the world through his lens. This is most evident in A Court of Silver Flames, when he instructs his Inner Circle not to tell Feyre about the dangers of her pregnancy. He withholds vital information about her own body, taking away her agency and reducing her to a bystander in her own life. The fact that Mor, Cassian, Amren, and Azriel all follow his orders without question only reinforces the power imbalance in their relationship.

Many fans excuse Rhysand’s actions because he’s portrayed as the "good guy" in contrast to Tamlin. But when you strip away the romantic lens, Rhysand’s behavior is just as controlling and manipulative, albeit in a different way. The fact that Feyre wasn’t physically confined doesn’t make his actions any less problematic.

The Creation of a New "Canon"

Given the complexity of these characters and the morally gray areas they inhabit, it’s no wonder that parts of the fandom have taken to creating their own "canon" versions of the story. Fans rework characters’ motivations, rewrite key events, and even create alternate universes to fit their preferred narrative. In some ways, this is a normal part of any fandom; people create headcanons and fan fiction to explore different possibilities within the world. But in the ACOTAR fandom, this rewriting often feels like a necessity rather than a choice.

Pro-Rhysand fans, for instance, downplay or outright ignore his more problematic actions, painting him as the perfect mate for Feyre. On the flip side, anti-Tamlin fans erase any nuance in his character, labeling him irredeemable and unworthy of any sympathy. It’s as if the original narrative can no longer be accepted as it is because it doesn’t fit into a simple good vs. evil framework.

This rewriting of canon can be harmful because it erases the complexities that make these characters human. Tamlin is not just a villain, and Rhysand is not just a hero. Both characters have committed acts of abuse, but they also have their own traumas and struggles that inform their actions. Ignoring these complexities simplifies the narrative in a way that doesn’t do justice to the story’s deeper themes.

The Seriousness of ACOTAR’s Themes

The divisions within the ACOTAR fandom aren’t just about ships or character preferences; they’re about how seriously the themes of the series should be taken. Domestic abuse, sexual coercion, trauma—these are not just plot points to be dismissed as fiction. They are real, painful experiences that people face every day.

Feyre’s experiences with both Tamlin and Rhysand reflect different forms of abuse, and neither should be diminished. Tamlin’s physical control was overt and obvious, while Rhysand’s emotional manipulation was more subtle but no less damaging. Both forms of abuse are real, and both deserve to be addressed with the gravity they warrant.

Similarly, Gwyn’s implied assault is a reflection of the horrors that many survivors of sexual violence face. Her story is not just a subplot; it’s a reflection of the very real trauma that many women endure. Dismissing these moments as mere fiction invalidates the experiences of readers who may have lived through similar pain.

Conclusion

The ACOTAR fandom is divided because the series itself is complex, filled with morally gray characters and real-world issues that demand serious consideration. By rewriting canon to fit personal narratives, parts of the fandom are erasing the very complexities that make the story impactful. Domestic abuse, sexual coercion, trauma—these are not topics that should be brushed aside or simplified. They are reflections of real pain, and they deserve to be treated with respect and understanding. Both Tamlin and Rhysand are flawed characters, and both engage in abusive behaviors, though in different ways. Acknowledging these complexities is essential to understanding the series as a whole, and it’s something the fandom, as divided as it is, must come to terms with.

[winnie-the-monster]

I’m just thinking what finding out that Helion is actually is father, is gonna do to Lucien. After everything he’s been through, that might be the thing that sends him on a downward spiral. Like I can only imagine what he would be feeling. Clearly he’d be hurt/mad at his mother from keeping it from him. He’d probably be wondering if Helion knows and if he does knows, did he also know what was happening to him in the Autumn Court and just not care?

Then coming to the realization that that’s probably why, Beron hated him so much. While also wondering why Helion didn’t care about or want him.

😭 okay I just made myself sad thinking about this.

[illbdamned]

Lucien Vanserra has big “main character” energy.

He also has big dick (energy, that is).

Thank you kindly!

[stargirlfeyre]

Acting like Feyre is closer to Lucien than she is to Azriel and Cassian is actual insanity.

Out of these three men only one of them has yet to hold her child (Lucien), out of these three men only one of them was left out when it was time to announce her pregnancy (Lucien), out of these three men only one of them curses out her in defense of her abuser and still wants to be friends with him (Lucien).

Azriel was one of the first people to hold Nyx, before Rhys even did mind you. He’s described as being super protective of him almost to the extent of his parents and he was there for all of it. The pregnancy announcement, the gender reveal, and the birth. Don’t mistake Feyre and him having a quiet relationship as them having a nonexistent one. When Rhys couldn’t get Azriel off of Eris at the High Lord’s meeting it was Feyre who he listened to, when Nesta hurt Feyre by throwing the death of her child in her face Azriel purposely overpacked her bag while knowing that she, who is suicidal, would be climbing a mountain.

When Azriel got upset with Feyre and disagreed with her orders they actually had a private conversation about it after instead of just ignoring each-other’s feelings, when Feyre was doubting where she belonged in the world it was Azriel, who is usually emotionally closed off towards even his friends of centuries, who opened up and connected with her about being confused on where he also belongs. When Feyre was insulted at the High Lord’s meeting, it was Azriel who threatened a High Lord over her before even her mate could say anything.

It’s him who’s flying all the way to the continent to get her rare paints for her birthday and it’s Lucien who’s trying to get in her face in the name of defending her abuser on her birthday.

And Cassian? Come on now. Not counting Rhys, Cassian is probably the closest person to Feyre along with Mor. Like do I need to bring up his monologue about how much he admires her? Do I need to bring up how he’ll just go to her studio to watch her paint? Do I need to bring up their entire Solstice scene in Acofas? How he got an attitude with her because she didn’t think she was as valuable as the rest of the Inner Circle members? How he said that she was his? How he said that in the weeks that she was in Spring, he felt the same way that he did when Rhys was stuck UTM? How he made his suicidal mate climb a mountain for hurting her?

Cassian is Feysand’s first child even even they know it.

Saying that Feyre has a deeper relationship with Cassian and Azriel isn’t really a diss because it’s true. Lucien isn’t going to be super important to everyone and that’s okay. Those two have been there for important milestones in her life the way Lucien has not. They’ve been there for her emotionally and physically (not like that) in ways Lucien has not. Probably because he was too busy being an emotional crutch for her abuser.

[deathxfawn]

the whole "SJM would never hurt angel baby boy precious lulu because he's her favorite!!11!" is dumb to me for several reasons:

she's already hurt him. the love of his life was killed in front of him. his family hates him. the only place he felt accepted is no longer welcoming and his only friend went insane. his mate also isn't expressing a speck of interest in him and he's basically a hobo.

i still can't find where she called him her absolute favorite character of all time. please correct me if this transcript exists somewhere.

he hasn't gotten "fave character" treatment since 2015 and even then, not really, he just had more screentime in TaR.

canonically he doesn't even seem interested in Elain outside of a base, animalistic urge due to the mating bond. who's to say Elain rejecting the bond would destroy him? if the Helion/LoA mate theory is true, Helion (his own dad nonetheless) seems to be doing just fine without his mate.

you could apply the exact same argument to Azriel. SJM has recently mentioned (well, maybe not super recent, but within the last couple years) that she's obsessed with him. why is everyone so worried about darling dearest babycakes lulu getting heartbroken but nobody uses this point with Az?

Az got over a 500 YEAR crush for Elain, went up against an army of 200k to rescue her, questions his entire religion over their fate, stares at a bottle of ibuprofen nightly just because Elain gave it to him, i could go on and on and onnnn. and you're telling me he'd just be....fine? if Elain didn't choose him? that he'd just skip over to his student even though they've expressed exactly zero romantic interest in each other? no. come on.

If you're going to worry so much about pookie wookie babydoll lulu, maybe consider Azriel as well instead of just saying he'll be fine with someone he canonically wouldn't even consider a friend.

[dent-de-leon]

oh my god I just remembered that Lucien playfully asked Frumpkin what his dreams for the future are. He’s so cute, I love those little moments when he indulges in that same love of ridiculous whimsy as Mollymauk—

Also I was going to say it makes me feel some kinda way that Lucien gives Caleb a little nickname too, how something as small and teasing as, “Broody one,” betrays just how much of Caleb Lucien can truly see, how the depths of this wizard’s heartache and pain isn’t lost on him.

But, even more heartbreaking… “Perhaps we’re more alike than you think.” Lucien saying that, even though he can’t possibly know how terribly true it is. Lucien who doesn’t know that Caleb is the only person who would understand how he woke screaming and crying as a child from nightmares of setting his childhood home on fire. Lucien who watched his parents burn, lost his whole family—and spent years blaming himself for it, desperately trying to bend reality to his will just to bring them back.

Never mind that he did it to save himself and his little sister, that he did it to stop them from using his brother’s corpse as an undead puppet—saved countless others from being sacrificed to the same fate. He still hated himself for it, still let the gutting guilt and grief eat him alive. Lucien who is a victim of the Cerberus Assembly and several other very powerful, manipulative mages—just as much as Caleb is.

We’re more alike than you think. Lucien who resents his blood hunter scars and all the Eyes and his own infernal blood—every time he tried to close off his own heart to keep from losing anyone else. It could have saved him, I think. If he knew just how much Caleb would understand. And I think, for his Magician, that shared connection would be a comfort too—

[bonecarversbestie]

The fact that we get this absolute gem:

And this was Feyre's reaction:

Makes my blood boil a little bit

FIRST OF ALL Elain Archeron is a GROWN woman and can handle it.

SECOND, as if Lucien would ever "subject" Elain to anything she didn't want.

This is one of the aspects of Feyre's personality that really gets to me. She assumes the worst of Lucien, someone who has only ever been loyal to and protective of her. And she infantilizes Elain. Even when Elain has proven repeatedly that she can handle more than people think she can. Just because you treat Elain like a child does not actually make her one, Feyre.

[forest-watcher-tighnari]

Um. How would I go about healing bruised ribs? A hypothetical question, of course. - @lucienaskblog

…Lucien.

First of all, you need to avoid wearing a binder for at least two to six weeks while they heal. In fact, I would suggest that you get a larger one, and be more mindful of how long you’re wearing it in the first place. And that’s only to be used after the healing period is over, mind you.

In terms of healing, there’s not much that you can do. You can ice any swelling on and off for the first few days, sleep more upright than you normally would, and take pain meds—but all of those things are just to manage the pain, not speed up the recovery,

…And for good measure: @kavehaskblog

[florencemtrash]

It just occurred to me that our librarian is Lucien’s half sibling oh my godddd

YES! She’s Lucien’s half-sister and he’s going to have such a wonderful reaction when he finds out. Might work on writing that over the weekend because I’m visiting a friend and have time while she’s at work