#this isn’t the acotar fandom god

[skyfallscotland]

I also just need to add, and I hope @justallihere doesn’t mind me sharing this publicly (we all know I don’t ask for permission) but:

“i promise if it doesn't add up i've thought about it for a minimum of 57 hours and tried to make it add up”

I think people think we’re critical for the sake of being negative nancys sometimes and that’s not the case, the fact is we spend a lot of time thinking about this world and these characters and you guys know that because you benefit from it—but the flip side to that is we have already considered every possible defence for clear mistakes.

Some people act like it’s a crime to point them out, but it really isn’t. If you’re not willing to hear any minor criticism of the world building, you probably shouldn’t get to enjoy fanworks by people who are forced to consider them and run rings around them to make them make sense (in my personal, savage fucking opinion).

Like do you know how much effort goes into writing fanfic? I feel like most people don’t. I promise you we’ve thought about this world more than the average person. I spend hours of my life every week considering it, actually. So I think we (fandom creators in general) get a pass on pointing out the fuck-up’s that are blindingly obvious when we see them. It’s not like I’m talking to RY’s face.

This isn’t aimed at anyone in particular, (especially not the last post I reblogged, everyone had some good ideas there trying to explain the Lewellen-Lindell dilemma away and that’s fun and I appreciate the discourse) but I do feel like there’s been some commentary lately on here that’s felt very culty and toxic positivity vibes and I’m not about that. I get enough of that in my regular life as a chronically ill, autistic person. I’m not gonna create content for a community that takes realism as negativity.

I’m just calling it how I see it. Notice how in my last post I defended Rebecca? Very mindful, very demure, very normal. Don’t be weird 😭

[viridianevergarden]

Reading comprehension and critical thinking has really gone out the window hasn’t it? At least in a portion of the fandom.

People are forever stuck under the presumption that Az feels pure lust for Elain and nothing more. That lust suddenly doesn’t go hand in hand with love? That Az is mentally fucked up and should get therapy yet no one else in the IC should? That Az is wrong for naturally shifting his feelings of love from one person to another? That he’s wrong because he didn’t “take a break”? That because of these, Az doesn’t deserve to have love and to love in general?

People are also forever stuck under the presumption that these characters are oh so evil and shouldn’t deserve love at the same time? Take Rhys for a popular example. (When it’s a book series about the ‘villain’ getting the girl. The math isn’t mathing. He’s not even a real, true villain).

No character in ACOTAR is meant to be a saint, I thought everyone knew that. (Oh my god! Morally grey characters when they do morally grey things, shocking😧)

I find most Azriel antis are literally just people who can’t put two and two together. Or just don’t like him for whatever reason they may have. (Everyone has their opinions, yes). But my god, the shallow interpretation and failure to understand his character annoys me ngl. He’s a complex character but he’s not a damn mathematical equation. (He is complex yet linear.)

“He only thought about sex in the bonus chapter.”

As if Elain also wasn’t aroused too? And gave him permission? (Omg, mutual consent! Blasphemy!)

But also the fact that they disregard Az’s noticeable and careful attention to Elain that he has shown throughout the entire series? They disregard purposefully romanticized moments?

“What happened with Elain?”

“What about Elain?”

“I’m getting her back.”

“I can imagine.”

“Would you like me to show you the garden?”

“There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.”

“This is Truth-teller.”

Shadows gathered around the room like snakes preparing to strike.

“Sit. I’ll take care of it.”

“Wait until everyone is seated before eating.”

“We need to get these chains off her.”

Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring [Elain]…

“She doesn’t need anything.”

“The Cauldron made you a Seer.”

“Happy Solstice.”

Staying up with her til 3 am, talking about her gardening plans.

The kiss on the cheek.

“Beautiful.”

Countless times of him gently carrying her around.

Him constantly looking out at her garden.

Him spending actual effort to get her a thoughtful gift for solstice.

Facing death itself to get her back immediately by himself.

A laugh so deep and joyous.

Looking at that headache powder every night for over a year without ever using it.

The absence of his shadows in her presence.

“His secret to tell, never hers.”

Need I go on? Azriel is always hyper focused on Elain. Always. If it weren’t for him, Elain would probably be dead or in more trouble than she ever would have been before.

If all Azriel cared about was slipping under Elain’s dress, why did he attend to her so? Why is he hyper aware of her? Why is he so assertive with her needs over anyone else? Even over Nesta? Why would he feel the need to defend her against Nesta, her own sister, if it called for it? Why does he respect her and Lucien’s boundary by refusing to have eyes on Lucien for the sake of their privacy? Why was he the only one to show initiative over anyone else to get Elain back to safety now rather than later, by himself, even if it meant certain death?

But yeah, all he wants is her body. Right? Yeah, that makes sense…

I’m just saying. No main SJM character would ever go through so much effort just to bed another character. Thats not SJM’s style nor is it logical in the slightest.

But oh yes, he feels entitled to her and her body…

…Entitled?

Wrong E word.

Envy ≠ Entitlement.

Feeling Envious of the love that his brothers have? Of the bonds they have with the other sisters? Yet he’s the only one left all by his lonesome? He feels left out. Third wheeled. And rationally so. He’s happy for his brothers but envious all the same. (As if Cassian didn’t feel the same but no one said shit about him did they?)

I’ve said this in another post too but he is NOT looking at Elain and going “she should be mine.”

He doesn’t even think he deserves her for freaks sake.

Rhys doesn’t really know Azriel. Cassian doesn’t really know Azriel. No one truly knows Azriel. The only one who has truly understood some semblance of Azriel is Elain. Even when his heart and feelings are so incredibly gated off from everyone.

So that word —entitlement— that people keep throwing around from Rhys’ lips is completely misguided.

The sheer mischaracterization makes me see red 💀

But back to the point, with obvious and mutual romantic feelings, being horny is normal. (This is also an adult romantasy series, shocking that there’s sexual content).

I’ll die on that hill for Az and Elain.

I don’t get how it can be this hard, but maybe it’s just me.

[moviesismylife]

ACOTAR MEN

Their favorite body part✨

Includes:

Rhysand

Cassian

Azriel

Lucien

Eris

Helion

Tarquin

Note:

This idea just popped randomly into my head. But here’s what I think is the ACOTAR men’s fav body part with you x

Rhysand

THIGHS

This man is a thigh man. Believe me. I just know Rhys absolutely LOVES your thighs.

He loves them no matter how thick or skinny they are.

But if you do train a lot with him, and gain some muscle in your thighs - let me tell you this man goes feral. He just adores the sight of your juicy, muscular thighs. How they look in leathers. How they flex when you squat. Ugh.

He always has to have a hand on your thigh whenever your sitting down. Eating dinner. In Hewn city. At a restaurant. In bed cuddling. Wherever.

NSFW: Rhys loves to bury his head in between your thighs. And he loves the feeling of your thighs squeezing his head. Especially when you come. The way your thighs just completely tighten around him, forcing him to stay buried in your pussy longer. Oh cauldron - it’s his favorite thing in the world.

And he also loves the feeling of your thighs squeezing his waist when he fucks you.

Cassian

ASS ASS ASS

I feel like this is a given, and I feel like everyone in the fandom has agreed to this. But Cassian is the ass man.

The way his hands are always grabbing, squeezing or smacking your ass. Gurl he can’t keep his hands off you.

And for the girlies with a smaller bum (like me), honey he doesn’t care. He just wants to touch. No matter how much muscle or fat there is. Ass is ass. And Cassian worships ass.

I feel like if you’re training together Cassian would be the guy to tap your butt if you’re squatting as motivation. (Like if you’ve seen those videos on TikTok.)

NSFW: I am a firm believer that Cassian spanks your ass when fucking you. His hand imprint will be on your bare cheeks for days. And when he sees that it’s disappeared, he’ll bend you over his lap and do it all over again.

He also LOVES when you sit on his face. When he just gets to hold onto your ass cheeks while he completely eats you out. That’s how he wants to die. I swear. He wants you to suffocate him.

Azriel

TITS

I honestly think Azriel would be into boobs. No matter the size or shape. He just loves the sight and feel of them.

The way they look in the lingerie he buys you. The way the look in low cut dresses and shirts. The way the look in tight leathers. This man is acting like a damn beast.

Azriel always has to rest his head in between your tits when you’re cuddling. Like his head is just buried face down into your chest. As I said with Cassian - this man could die happily with his head buried in between your tits.

NSFW: I feel like Azriel would be into nipple play. Like either his shadows tease them or his hands. Or mouth. He loves seeing the way your nipples harden through your clothes whenever he’s teasing you in public. That way he knows he’s affecting you just as much as you affect him. This poor man needs the reassurance that you actually do want him. Gods I love him.

Lucien

TITS

Like Azriel, Lucien is a boobs guy. If he had to pick one single body part, it would be your tits. He also doesn’t really give a fuck about the size and shape of them - but he does prefer someone who isn’t afraid to show them. Like he loves that you wear low cut shirts and dresses and see through lingerie and bras. Anything you can think of that will reveal you boobs to him more.

I think that when you’re cuddling, Lucien would either have his head buried in your tits, or he would have his hands on them. Quite literally using them as his own personal stress balls. He would just slide his hand under your shirt, and grab a handful, beaming with male pride.

NSFW: When he fucks you, I think Lucien would prefer you riding him. That way he gets the perfect view of your stunning tits just jiggling up and down, while you bounce on his cock.

I think he also would like you to lean down in that same position - your hands on the headboard as he mouths and sucks at your tits, while bucking his hips up into you. Oh god this man is so underrated.

Eris

THIGHS

Eris loves your thighs. Like loves them. He loves how they make you more feminine. More attractive. They’re his holy grail.

He’ll always keep a hand on at least one of your thighs whenever he’s out. Or when you’re alone. Like Rhys, he just has to touch them at all times.

The size, shape, or amount of muscle on your thighs does NOT matter to him. As long as you allow him to have free rein whenever it comes to them - he’s absolutely fine.

NSFW: Again, like with Rhys - he loves to bury his head in between your legs. He loves to PRY your thighs open, so he can push his head in between and eat you out.

He’ll also pry them open to slide a hand in between. If he figures he wants to finger you instead. It doesn’t really matter, cause he’ll force them open anyway (with your consent of course).

Helion

ASS/THIGHS

Come on, we know Helion is down bad for everyone. I doubt he even actually has a favorite body part. But if I had to choose, I would definitely say ass or thighs.

I think like Cassian, he’s always going around smacking or grabbing your ass. Shamefully too, if I might add. You’d just be out and walking and he’d smack your ass in front of his entire court. This man, I swear.

He absolutely melts whenever you get ready, and you do a little spin to show him your outfit, because - yeah you guessed it - he gets a perfect shot of your ass.

NSFW: Its canon that Helion is a horny motherfucker. Always needing to fuck at all times. And when he’s got you right there - honey it’s five to six times a day at least.

Like Cassian, I think he absolutely revels in you sitting on his face. It’s his favorite hobby. He’d casually offer it, because he just needs to taste you. And he just needs your perfect ass and cunt on his face.

This man has the BEST head game EVER. Like the best. It wouldn’t even take him two minutes for you to squirt all over his face. And he’d smirk against your cunt too. That bastard.

Your thighs are just a bonus, because he gets to squeeze them and grip them as tightly as possible. Whether it is when he’s eating you out, or when he’s fucking you. And the fact that you let him bruise your thighs. That you like when he leaves purple and blue marks on your flesh- gods he feels like dying.

Tarquin

TITS

Tarquin is often seen as the innocent one. I feel like everyone thinks he’s just a sweet little angel. But girl- he goes feral for your tits. The sheer femininity of them sends him into a spiral.

He couldn’t care less if they’re watermelons or tennis balls, as long as you let him worship them, he’s perfectly happy.

Like Lucien and Azriel, he LOVES when you show them off. Any slight glimmer of them will make him bark like a dog. And of course he’ll buy you clothes and underwear that show them off EVEN MORE.

NSFW: Sucking on your tits? Uhm yes. That would definitely be THE one thing he’ll never get tired of. He’ll come into your chambers after a long day of being High Lord, and pout at you. And you KNOW what that look means immediately- what he’s asking for.

And who are you to refuse him?

The next three or four hours, you’ll sit in his lap while he mouths on your soft boobs. He’ll swirl his tongue around your peaked nipples, and often nibble at them too. And if that doesn’t make us all wet.

He could come just from sucking at your tits and listening to the feral moans you make. Gods that gets him rock hard in mere seconds.

And if you’re fucking? You best believe he’ll keep either his hands or mouth on them through the ENTIRE thing. Sometimes both. Usually both.

[goddess-in-heaven-and-hell]

Blessed Be - Gwynriel One-Shot in Celebration of Gwynweek2023

Gwyn’s future will be bright, I just know it. She is one of the strongest characters in the Acotar fandom, and I can’t wait to see what SJM has in store for her story. That being said, you know I’m a Gwynriel shipper - this one-shot is both a celebration of them getting together, as well as a celebration of Gwyn as she is growing into her skin. 

Day 6: Future; @gwynweekofficial​ 

If you don’t like having religion dragged into any type of sexual situation, this one isn’t for you! In no way am I trying to be disrespectful to any religion or religious practice... I just read too much priest smut lol. 

Warnings: roleplay dynamics (priestess-sinner), bondage, wing play, orgasm denial, oral (f receiving), p in v sex, witnessing me going to hell for this  

Word count: 7k oh my- get comfy

I mean it. Get off if you feel uncomfortable.

“Az, have you seen my veil?”

Gwyneth Berdara, Valkyrie and priestess of the Night court, stood in the center of her and Azriel’s shared bedroom, already clad in the dusty blue layers of her robe, her invoking stone around her neck, hair neatly clipped out of her face. The sun hadn’t yet peeked over the horizon. This time of morning was her favorite – quiet, consoling, the perfect opportunity to cast your gaze inwards and give thanks. She was ready for the dawn service underneath the house of wind to do said things with her sisters – if she could find her veil in time and pin it in place.

Azriel, still in a haze from the night, simply pointed to the bathroom from his place on the bed. This was one of the many perks of living with the Shadowsinger: your missing things never went missing for long.

With a swish of her robes, her auburn hair trailing behind her, she made her way to the bathroom, tracking down her veil with only a little pointer from the shadows. In a few minutes most of her hair was swept behind, only the very front of her hairline a shock of color against the soft, blue fabric. Right in the middle, Gwyn thought with a heavy heart while looking in the mirror, would be the place for her invoking stone. She felt the outline of it now, pressing insistently against the skin of her chest, taunting her with its presence. She hadn’t worn it again after her sister died. She wouldn’t start wearing it now.

Sufficiently pleased with her appearance, Gwyn moved back to her side of the bed with silent steps, not wanting to jostle Azriel out of bed just yet. He technically had more time to sleep before he joined her in training, but he also couldn’t resist the opportunity to spend more time with his mate in the early hours of the morning. Not that Gwyn complained – a sleepy, disheveled Azriel was such a deliciously devilish sight it made her hurry to service every morning without fail.

From the little table perched by the bed she pulled her copy of the Sacred Manuscript, flipping it open to the page she had marked the day before.

Azriel had asked her once why she sometimes studied the Manuscript and prayed in the quiet of her room before doing the same at the official service. Gwyn didn’t really know why – only that some days, her mind rested easier, her focus remained sharper, when she did some extra reading all by herself. Both her forearms perched on the bed, her hands joining together as she knelt before her Gods and Goddesses and gave her gratitude and prayers.

Praying had always been a part of her life. It made you feel small, almost insignificant against the big workings of the universe, in turn lifting some of the stress off your shoulders. At the same time it singled you out, made you feel special and protected wherever you went. She didn’t stop praying after Sangravah. Her Gods hadn’t left her, instead giving her a hardship to overcome with grace and strength.

Azriel sometimes joined her, having never been particularly religious beyond the basic rituals the Illyrians taught their race. Or he would watch with half-closed eyes, waiting for her to be ready and engulfing her in his arms one more time before he started the day himself.

This particular morning, he watched again, his gaze trailing over her face. Gwyn could sense he was more awake than just a second before. The bond pulsing between them was more than clear on that. It was the third or fourth time this week she noticed his unusually focused stare, but thought nothing of it, deep in her own thoughts.

With her mind sufficiently settled, her heart light with divine blessing, she kissed Azriel on the cheek and made her way downstairs, through the library and into the chapel.

If she had lingered one more minute in the bedroom, she’d have noticed the scent now emanating in waves from her mate. He had done his best to keep it contained while she was praying, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from her to save his life. Seeing Gwyn pray has been his very own form of torture this past week, one he could only escape through either feigning sleep, or venturing in the bathroom to take a very long, very cold shower.

Gwyn should gut him for even thinking the depraved thoughts that raced through his mind when he saw her dressed in full priestess attire, one more vivid and consuming than the other. He imagined her standing before him, her robes brushing against his knees as he sank to the ground in front of her. He imagined how she’d either bless him or punish him, and he honestly didn’t know which one he liked better. He imagined her astride of him, her robes discarded save for the invoking stone between her breasts, as she chased her own high – using him and his body for her own pleasure.

His desire burned so deep that he had no other choice than to take care of himself before getting dressed, hating every second of his own hand now that he knew how his mate’s hand felt instead. surely sensed his frustration, followed by a little spike of satisfaction, through the bond. He hoped she wouldn’t comment on it.

Azriel didn’t have to worry. They saw each other only sporadically throughout the day. During training, Gwyn stayed in the advanced group with Cassian while Azriel instructed the never-ending inflow of new recruits – some priestesses, some Illyrian girls straight from the camps. By the time he trudged upstairs to his and Gwyn’s bedroom after a long day of work, he was sure his mate had forgotten all about the mixed emotions she must have felt through the bond this morning.

“Hi, Shadowsinger!”, Gwyn’s melodic voice greeted him the moment he set foot into the room. He liked it. Loved it, even, to now come home to a room filled with love and light.

Azriel stalked through the space in only three steps before reaching the bathroom and finding his rightful place between Gwyn’s legs, who sat perched on the counter of the sink.

The deep, slow kiss he gave her in greeting spoke volumes about how much he missed her, craved her. Taking the edge off this morning apparently did nothing for a male when he was mated to Gwyneth Berdara. Gwyn wrapped her slender arms around his neck, prolonging the kiss. As if she couldn’t get enough either. Mate, mate, mate. His heart sang to hers.

“I like this kind of ‘hello’.”, she smiled against his lips, her fingers tangling through his hair and lightly scratching his scalp.

Azriel closed his eyes at her ministrations, only mumbling his answer in return. “You should wait until I show you how I say ‘I love you’.”

Gwyn snickered. “Hopefully by feeding me cake.”

Azriel opened one of his eyes, playfully glaring at her through it. “A damn cake? Are you really that easy to satisfy, priestess?”

Gwyn stopped her massage, much to Azriel’s chagrin, and placed her hands on his chest instead. “A little sugar goes a long way with me.”, her face neared Azriel’s again, her nose brushing his gently, “And it has a 100% rate of satisfying me. Unlike other things.”

Two scarred hands grabbed hers and flung them away from his chest in mock affront. Gwyn had already started laughing before he could open his mouth in defense. One fucking time of cumming before her, and he never heard the end of it. Even though his mate had gotten her orgasm through other ways after.

“I don’t want you to talk to me for the rest of the evening, Gwyneth.”, he put extra emphasis on her full name, showing her exactly that she overstepped dearly. Menace.

Gwyn just jumped off the counter, sashaying over to where he stood, arms crossed. She cooed at him while stroking his arms. The action could have been described as caring, if it weren’t for the big, shit-eating grin on her face. Azriel flexed when her arms travelled over his biceps. Just a little. Lest she forget that he was more than capable of making her cum.

“Poor baby. Getting so salty when I dare to question his manliness.”, she petted his forearm, “What might I do to make you feel better, my mate?”

Azriel had some suggestions lined up in his mind, the images from this morning right at the forefront. But he couldn’t possibly voice those. Not with her faith, not considering the immense compromise she’s already making by indulging him in some of his kinkier fantasies.

But he didn’t ban the thoughts quick enough. Just this one second of picturing Gwyn dominating him and his heartrate spiked, his scent with it. Gwyn noticed. She was too damn observant these days.

“Ohh.”, she breathed out, her head angled to the side and searching his face for answers. “That was what I felt this morning. It’s your scent, but muted. Why would you mute your scent from me?”

Gwyn had noticed the weird behavior from her mate. Noticed the prolonged stares and his quick change in demeanor when she caught onto him. But she was his love. If one person might deal with that kind of thing, it was her. The self-doubt started creeping up on her slowly, but surely.

“I just didn’t want you to be late for your service.”, Azriel said quietly. But the answer had taken him too long for her liking. What if he didn’t want her anymore and rather satisfied himself? Gwyn was more than elated with that side of their relationship, even venturing out beyond anything she could have imagined for herself. But was he?

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Are you unhappy with the way we are intimate?”

His face crumpled, she noticed with relief. He hides genuine emotion slower, or he doesn’t hide it at all with her. “Are you kidding me, Gwyn? Of course not!”

His arms uncrossed from his chest, instead drawing Gwyn into a hug. “I’ve never been happier my whole life. And that goes for all aspects of this relationship.” He kissed the top of her hair.

Gwyn was happy to hear that, especially considering that she had to ‘compete’ against an army of past lovers. But it didn’t explain his behavior. “I’m glad. But why did you suppress it then? I could have gone to service, then meet you before training.”

Azriel signed, contemplating, while his hands brushed up and down her back. After a while, he took a deep breath, and Gwyn was slightly scared at what was about to come out of her mate’s mouth.

“I was fantasizing about you in a different way. Didn’t want you to find out. Because you might have discovered the root of that fantasy if you paid attention.”

Gwyn furrowed her brows, craning her neck to look at her Shadowsinger. “Since when are you hesitant to voice fantasies?”

Sure, he was a private person. But not with her. And given the track record of her agreeing with whatever thing he wanted to try, he shouldn’t be hiding it. Gwyn scolded herself for the thought the second she had it. Just because he was her mate and usually open with any act of intimacy didn’t mean he owed her an answer for everything. Before he could indulge her in a reply, she stepped out of the hug, shaking her head. “I apologize. I don’t want to press you for answers if you are not ready to give them.”

She had already turned to go to bed when his rough hand found hers, gently tugging her back. His features were still set in contemplation, his mind probably working on the mildest way to communicate his wishes. “The sight of you praying,” he started carefully, “and the way you dress for services, that’s what triggered it.”

Gwyn’s breath caught in her throat. Never would she have thought that that was the reason for his fantasy. She raised her brow in question, hoping he’d elaborate.

“I was thinking about how – Gods, this is more difficult than I though.”, he chuckled to himself. Gwyn didn’t understand. The outfit she wore was common, modest. And she had worn it often, even before they were mated.

“Remember the book you read last week? About the couple who pretended to be boss and employee and then had sex while pretending?”, he asked instead. Now Gwyn was utterly confused.

“Yes?”, she said, flushing a bit at the memory of that book. And Azriel teasing her with its contents.

“Well, it’s like that. A kind of roleplay. Just instead of boss and employee, it would be priestess and parishioner.”, he started to speak faster now, as if he wanted to get as much of his thoughts out before she stopped him. “Usually it involves a dominant-submissive dynamic. In this case you’d be the dominant part. And you’d be wearing you priestess attire during the play. I know it’s weird and probably violates your faith in ways I can’t even imagine, but that’s what it was. I didn’t mean to hide it because of trust reasons, I only meant to save myself from embarrassment.”

Gwyn stopped his rambling with a raised hand, eyes wide. “Allow me to clarify: seeing me in my robe and veil turns you on and you’d like to have me dominate you while wearing them?”

Azriel nodded slowly, searching Gwyn’s face and the bond for any signs of judgement – be it good or bad.

“And it would be within a roleplay that made you a parishioner, and me your priestess?”

“Essentially.”, one of his beautiful hands reached back to scratch his neck. She never saw him display so many signs of nerves before. Never.

“I’m sorry. I’ll never bring it up again. I already feel better now that you know, and I’ll get it out of my system eventually.”, he pecked her cheek, conversation ended, and headed to change for bed himself.

Gwyn was still stunned, not quite knowing how to deal with it. She was thankful he didn’t press her for any thought either, because she had too many. She was flattered, confused, and intimidated all at once. That he wanted to use her faith that way didn’t bother her. After all, the Mother and her Gods supported sexual freedom among the priestesses, and that surely extended to the religion itself. But was she ready to command a force of nature like Azriel in bed?

She wanted to laugh at the mental image of her restraining him, taunting him like he had done so many times now. But the laughter never came. Instead, a wave of warmth filled her stomach, spreading through her chest and core. The longer she allowed herself to dwell on it, the easier the request settled within her.

When she lay in bed next to her mate after her evening routine, the room already painted in the comforting darkness of night, she was sure she could do it. At least to some capacity. “Azriel?”

“Mh?”

“I was thinking.”, she started, her voice quiet but determined, “I could do it. Be your priestess, I mean.”

She felt Azriel sit up straight next to her, the mental link to him going just as taunt as his body.

“You could?”, was all he asked, angling his powerful form in her direction to seek her gaze through the shadows.

“Well, maybe with a tiny modification?”

-

And that’s how, with some days of mental preparation, Gwyn found herself in front of the bathroom mirror, veiling herself like she normally would. She had tied her robes, like she normally did, her invoking stone resting against her chest. All perfectly normal.

What was hidden underneath the robe, though, was anything but.

Azriel and her had agreed, at the end, that they’d both switch between dominant and submissive. Her mate would start off in his signature role, then easing Gwyn into her power. They’d agreed on a vague storyline, too, and had spoken about some rules. Azriel’s eyes had been practically glowing when he talked her through his fantasy, growing more and more excited with every affirmative nod Gwyn gave. He had truly looked like a child on winter solstice. And after they were done discussing, he had undressed her slowly and reverently, and made love to her until they both fell asleep, tangled in each other’s embrace.

As Gwyn looked at herself once more in the mirror, she couldn’t help her own excited smile. As unusual as this would be for her, making her mate happy like that did something for her in return. And the fact that she had an ace up her sleeve helped with the nerves too.  

She knew he was coming before the door creaked open, his heady scent cutting though the chill winter night. His shadows were first to reach her, as always, winding up her bejeweled wrist in silent greeting.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she faced her Shadowsinger.

He was leaning against the wall, clad in his usual all black attire, hair slightly disheveled from his day of work. Everything about him seemed perfectly normal, too. Everything but his eyes.

His gaze was intense, set on her form the second she stepped over the threshold, raking over her body in anticipation. Months ago, she’d have cowered under attention like that, especially from someone as powerful as him. Now, her spine straightened and her lips curled. Plan or not, she already had the upper hand right now, and she felt the power surge through every cell of her being.

She hadn’t even shown him the main attraction yet.

“What a pleasure to welcome you here, Shadowsinger.”, Gwyn greeted him in her best soft and demure voice. She tried to simulate the melody her High Priestess took on during rituals – feminine, but confident. “To what do I owe the honor?”

Azriel smiled for a split second, unable to keep his emotions hidden for once. Then, his features shifted into the cold mask of the Shadowsinger, and with a few self-assured steps, he stood right in front of Gwyn.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve received the blessing of a priestess.”, he spoke his part of their little play, voice already going raspy, “Especially from one as beautiful as you.” His scarred hand found her cheek, cradling her face in its warmth and comfort.

His words struck a chord in Gwyn that she was unable to name. The way he looked at her, like she was his salvation and only purpose in life, made her heart race. Azriel had a way with making her feel special, beautiful. Even before they were mated, his words helped in building up her confidence. Now, with him practically eating her up with his eyes… Gwyn smiled a little innocent smile.

And then grabbed his wrist with unrelenting strength. “I wasn’t aware that I allowed you to touch me, Shadowsinger.”

Surprise flitted across his face at her words and as she forced his hand off her face. Then, taking a respectful step back, he said. “I apologize, priestess.”

“Mh.”, Gwyn assumed a pensive look, stepping forward, which in turn made Azriel take another step back. Her hand found his chest, pushing him further until his back hit the wall, wings shifting to accommodate.

It was strange, how this massive male was so easily controlled by the priestess. Gwyn had to admit that she loved every second of it.

“Azriel Shadowsinger – I know it is a blessing that you seek,”, her fingertips travelled feather-light across the expanse of his chest as she spoke, “but given your rather infamous reputation, I think our Mother deserves a confession before she is ready to give the salvation you came here for.”

Gwyn stopped, looking at his face for any signs of discomfort, checking if this change of plans was okay with him. What she saw was a Shadowsinger in awe, eyes wide and focused like a doe in the headlights. She took the time to check if he was still breathing. And then, the connection between them opened, their bond pulsing with his need and her excitement. He must have had a dampener on it until now, only releasing it so Gwyn knew exactly how much he wanted this, needed this. “You’ll get anything you want from me, priestess.”

He made it easy for her then.

“But I’m afraid I have nothing to confess.”

Or not. Doing anything with Azriel was a struggle for dominance, she should have known he was in the mood to make her work for it. Admittedly, she did that to him from time to time too. Well, a lot of the time. Gwyn eyed up his Shadows who were watching raptly, waiting for something to happen. And a plan formed.

“Nothing?”, Gwyn whispered, raising on her tiptoes to make her lips brush lightly over his, eyes never breaking their contact. For all his defiance, he didn’t dare move to kiss her. “How disappointing.”

She nodded to his Shadows, praying they got her intention right. And in a split second, Azriel was moved from the wall to the foot of the bed, facing the room. His arms spread up to either side, restrained by his very own shadows. The tunic he was previously wearing seemed to have been lost in the process too.

Gwyn barely suppressed her smile. She was going to have the time of her life with this.

“I guess that some people need a little push to face their sins.”, she said, her eyes travelling languidly over his tanned, tattooed skin. Her hands reached for the ties of his trousers, daftly starting to work on them.

Azriel got cocky now, sure that if Gwyn untied his trousers, she’d find a way to ‘punish him’ using her mouth on him. What he didn’t know was that Gwyn anticipated that thought and had no plans whatsoever to be the one kneeling tonight.

“Like I told you, priestess, I have no sins to confess. As much as I would like to please you.”

Gwyn stopped her movement on his laces. She worked them open just enough to make a little room for the rock-hard length they retained, but didn’t touch him otherwise. Then she fell back, out of reach, sitting on the edge of their small armchair.

With steady hands, she untied the belt that held together her robes around her waist. And when the fabric slid to either side, revealing the lace underneath it, Azriel looked like he regretted his sassiness very much.

Gwyn had put on a light blue bodysuit underneath, basically see-through despite the delicate scraps of lace. The leg was cut so high, her hips were practically naked, showing off her long legs. Her invoking stone completed the look, resting perfectly between her breasts.

Some shadows came slithering forward, dragging the heavy robe off her shoulder completely.

Azriel let out a raspy sound at the sight of her that sounded suspiciously like a whimper, hazel orbs flying over her form nearly frantically.

“I take that back-“

Gwyn just raised a hand, and Azriel fell silent once more. “You will not be allowed to speak to me unless I allow it.”

Azriel swallowed, then nodded. She wasn’t sure he blinked even once after she let the robe fall open for him.

With a newfound confidence and grace, Gwyn pushed herself off the chair, swaying her hips on the way over to her bound Shadowsinger. She let her fingernails scratch over his abs, grazing the hairs that led to the part of him he desperately wanted her to touch. After giving him a lingering kiss on the neck, right where his shoulder joined a strong column of muscle, she gave her first order of the night. “Spread your wings for me, Azriel.”

He gaped at her, pupils blowing impossibly wide. And then his mighty wings started moving, expanding to either side of him, baring the sensitive membrane for Gwyn to command.

Gwyn hummed at the sight, letting her nails travel up and over his shoulder, reaching for the wing behind. “They are so pretty, aren’t they?”

With another quick agreement between her and his shadows, Gwyn suddenly stood on the bed behind Azriel, in full view of his wings, the feather he sometimes used for writing in her hand. She let the softest part of it touch the place where his wings connected to his back, brushing it up and down gently.

“So strong and beautiful.”, she murmured, letting the feather caress every inch of skin and membrane. The tips of his wings twitched already, Azriel’s breathing going irregular. Gwyn smiled to herself. “But so sensitive.”

She leaned forward, pressing kisses along the skin connecting his wings to his back, sometimes letting her tongue dart out to give it a little lick. Then, she honed in on his left wing, dragging her fingertips along the endless expanse of membrane.

Before her, Azriel let out a ragged breath. “Gwyn, please.”

Gwyn stopped her movement. A few minutes in and he was already begging? “I didn’t know we were on a first name basis.” Her hand wrapped around the strong column of his neck from her position behind him, squeezing slightly and leaning forward. Her lips poised right by his ear, she whispered, “You will address me as ‘priestess’. Any deviation will lead to a punishment. Did I make myself clear?”

Azriel nodded, as best as he could while his neck was held by her. But Gwyn decided he needed to taste his own medicine. Squeezing harder, she added, “I asked you a question, Shadowsinger.”

She felt him swallow beneath her palm, then his voice vibrated along her hand. “I understand, priestess.”

A little kiss on his neck as a reward, then Gwyn was back to teasing his wings. Alternating between the feather, her fingers and her lips, the priestess covered the whole expanse of his wings with attention. She honed in on the extra sensitive parts, dragging her nails over them again and again until the skin of his back was covered in goosebumps. Gwyn was sure he was close to cumming about two to three times, but whenever he started to shake and moan the priestess quickly withdrew her fingers. Need pulsed through the bond with an intensity she never expected. Just as he started to sag slightly, his Shadows having to hold him up, Gwyn decided to play nice for a second.

“I think I am ready to hear your confession, now, sinner.”

His head shot up, sensing his opportunity to cum. With his voice low and breathy, he finally played his part. “I – I confess to having depraved thoughts. I confess that I never needed anything more in my life than to fuck this special priestess of mine. Even though I am not sure she wants it as well.”  

Gwyn’s own blood boiled at the admission. Probably because it was definitely not something he thought of just now. “That sounds sinful indeed. Tell me, Shadowsinger, have these thoughts been weighing heavy and hard on you?”

“They did – they do. Please, priestess. Relieve me of them.”, he ground out, probably sensing her own arousal through the bond as well. She needed to be careful with unbinding him, she thought as he started to tremble with need.

“With the Mother’s blessing, so will you be relieved.”, she whispered against his neck, giving it a few lingering kisses before resuming her caresses on his wings. His talons, sitting perched at the top of them, deserved some special treatment. She moved her mouth over to his right talon, brushing her lips over the hard surface. A swear escaped Azriel at the touch.

He had told her once that the talon might as well be the equivalent to his cock. If handled gently, he’d be able to cum just from that. Gwyn was about to test that theory.

Enclosing her mouth completely over the talon, she started to suck. Her tongue swirled over it, licking up and down and coating it in salvia. She knew it didn’t take long now. After just a few seconds of gentle sucking, he came undone. As Gwyn peeked over Azriel’s shoulder, she saw him explode, muscles contracting from head to toe and cumming right into his trousers.

He panted heavily, barely hanging onto the shadowy restraints. If this is what Azriel felt like whenever he made her cum in a vulnerable position like that, she began to understand his preferences.

Moving around the Illyrian to face his front again, Gwyn cupped his face with both of her hands and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, reaffirming her love to him without having to use her words. Azriel looked up to her, hazel eyes molten and wet with unshed tears. She flashed him an alarmed glance at the sight – the bond hadn’t informed her of any pain or discomfort despite the obvious frustration. Azriel just grinned back, shaking his head slightly. Warmth and love seeped through the bond – I’m okay, it seemed to whisper to her.

“The shadows will release you now. You’ll get rid of the rest of your clothes as soon as they do.”, stepping back, voice again going firm, she watched as the shadows did as she commanded. Azriel had regained most of his strength back and went to work as his hands were freed.

Gwyn moved over to the chair, sprawling on it with an ease she didn’t really feel. Especially after seeing Azriel’s length spring free, slapping against his stomach as he was either aroused again or never really stopped being aroused, she felt more than hot and more than ready to give in. But he would make her work for it harder, so that’s exactly what she was going to do to him, too.

Raising her hand, she moved her pointer finger in a ‘come hither’ motion. Azriel obeyed, if not dragging his feet at bit to be annoying. When he stood right in front of her, her finger simply pointed downward. The command was clear, and the Shadowsinger sank onto his knees before the priestess.

It was a sight to behold. The mountain of a male, scars littering his skin and power pulsing in every inch of him, had his head bowed in reverence, his hands resting on his knees. Between them, his hardness still looked to be kind of painful, oozing pre-cum that mixed with the actual cum from before. She didn’t allow him to clean himself, but he didn’t seem to mind too much. He waited, preternaturally still.

“Aren’t you so good for me?”, she said gently, watching his cock twitch at her words. Gwyn leaned forward, spreading her legs to enclose the Shadowsinger’s form inbetween her. Her hand sneaked out to lift his chin, his eyes instantly finding hers.

“I think you deserve a reward, mh?”

Azriel nodded slightly, lips parted.

“What do you wish for?”, she asked, feeling extra generous. His damned face did that to her. She didn’t understand how he stayed so firm and harsh when the roles were reversed.

Azriel’s eyes travelled from her face, all the way down her body, to her wet core. “May I please you, priestess?”

Gwyn’s own breath turned ragged at his words, her heartbeat quickening. She hadn’t even noticed her own need, so absorbed in every moved of his. But she tried to attain a façade of boredom when she nodded and scooted forward, right to the edge of the chair. “Make me cum.”

Azriel’s hands came forward to wrap around her calves, gently nudging her legs open even more. Then his lips began to trail a way from the inside of her knees all the way across her inner thighs. He was so soft, so reverend in the way he caressed her skin. Repeating the motion on her other leg, he began stroking his hands up and down her calves. Until his face was poised right in front of her core.

“Go ahead, Shadowsinger. Be good to me.”, Gwyn breathed, hopefully sounding more in charge of the situation as she felt.

His nostrils flared, probably taking in her considerable wetness. And then, he started kissing her. Gwyn’s whole upper body fell back on the chair, only her hips remaining in place to receive his attention. Even though his lips and her skin were separated by the thin layer of lace, she felt every brush of his mouth, his heat, on her. It sent fireworks right up her spine. After a few seconds, her bodysuit was already soaked, revealing the outline of her pussy to him.

He honed in on her clit, sucking it in between his teeth and then resuming his languid, open-mouthed kisses on her. Gwyn’s hand found it’s way to his hair, pressing him into her further. Azriel groaned into her wetness, applying more pressure now.

After another minute of the delicious torture, she reached for the fabric covering her crotch and pulled it aside. “Another reward.”

The next touch of his tongue nearly undid her all by itself. Azriel wasted no time, licking up and down her slit, circling and sucking her clit with never-ending patience. He grabbed onto her ankles and brough both of her legs to rest on his shoulder while he worked her expertly, drawing little moans and whimpers out of her in the process. His hot tongue eventually found her entrance, circling it and dipping in ever so slightly. Gwyn was so wet, she probably stained the chair underneath her.

As he began plunging his tongue deep inside her, stroking her inner walls, his hand came up to her core as well, rubbing her clit in tandem with his mouth fucking her. Gwyn was completely gone at this point and only needed one, two more brushes of his tongue to come undone.

With a loud moan, her walls spasming around his tongue, Gwyn arched her back off the chair and came right into his mouth. Azriel’s answering moan vibrated along her pussy, drawing out her own release even longer. It might have been the most intense orgasm she’d ever had. When she couldn’t take the stimulation anymore, she shoved Azriel’s face away from her.

“Go-“, forming words had become hard for the priestess, “Go and lie on the bed.”

Azriel stood on slightly shaky legs, obeying without any show of resistance this time. Gwyn took it as a sign that he was just as far gone as her, but she needed another moment to collect herself, to not break character and just let him manhandle her for the rest of the night.

After her breath had returned to normal, her desire muted but not gone, she stood from the chair herself. She peeled the bodysuit off her skin, now only wearing the stone and her veil.

Azriel waited for her patiently, lying on his back, wings spread underneath him. As Gwyn crawled up over his legs, her body brushed his cock, forcing a curse out if his mouth at the contact.

Gwyn tutted at him, now straddling him without connecting their intimate parts. “I don’t care for your filthy words, not when you are about to receive what you came here for.”

The Shadowsinger took her in now, completely bare on top of him. She must have looked possessed at this point, skin flushed with desire and heat, eyes glowing. Whatever he saw in her made him swallow again. “Please, priestess.”

Gwyn smiled down at him, brushing his sweat soaked hair from his face and caressing his cheek. She leaned down to connect their lips in a searing kiss, her tongue stroking his. When she drew back, a wicked thought crossed her mind.

“Shadowsinger”, she started and waited before he trained his eyes on her, visibly fighting with himself to remain submissive and not just fuck into her, “Do you know the prayer of forgiveness?”

The Shadowsinger nodded, biting his lip. If she’d have asked him for the moon on a string in that moment, he’d have flown up to the sky in seconds.

“Then recite it for me, for our Goddess. So that you might find your blessing.”

She smiled, actually curious if he’d remember.

“Holy Mother, blessed be-“, he started with a shaky voice.

“Stop.”, Gwyn’s fingers danced on his chest as he tried so hard to pray for her. “Be loud and clear, my love. Otherwise you have to start over.”

Azriel ground out a breath that would have been a curse had he not a little slither of control left.

“Holy Mother,” he started again, this time firmer, “blesses be Your divine power and blessed be the fruit of thy womb”

“Good”, Gwyn murmured absentmindedly. Then she sank down on his cock, not taking it in her yet but rather between her lower lips, rocking back and forth. Azriel lost it immediately, stopping his prayer and moving his hips at the first bit of friction he received all night. Gwyn shot him a stern look that made him go still immediately, letting his priestess control the movement.

“I justly deserve to be cast away from Thy presence.”, he continued, eyes switching between being closed in pleasure and cast up towards Gwyn’s face and body. “Yet-“

Gwyn sat up again, grabbing his slick cock with her hand and positioning it at her entrance. “Yet?”

Azriel fought for dear life. “Yet out of Your abundant love and mercy-“

Gwyn sank down on him, engulfing his length in her heat completely. She let out a loud moan while Azriel practically shouted the last word at her, abs contracting and shaking with restraint and pleasure. That she spread his own cum in herself probably didn’t help his situation either.

“You were saying?”, Gwyn giggled, breathless but so incredibly full it made her happy.

“Mercy.”, was all he said, before his memory gave out. The priestess was a forgiving female though.

“I pray for Forgiveness for my sins.”, she recited for him, slowly rocking back and forth and driving him absolutely insane.

Azriel repeated after her, then remembered the last bit of the prayer himself. Gwyn guessed it was some kind of survival mode that kicked in at this point.

“Let your wisdom pierce my heart, and let my heart be changed.”, he prayed quickly and with a voice close to gravel. “Please...”

His eyes found Gwyn’s, and if she hadn’t thought he looked at her like she was the Goddess he prayed to, she sure as hell did now.

“Please cleanse me, Gwyneth, with your sweet love.”

This was the last straw. Gwyn moaned loudly, now moving on his cock in earnest. Azriel’s head fell back on the sheets, done with his work, and let her use him – give him as much as she wanted and deigned appropriate. The priestess felt every ridge and vein of his proud length in her as she rode him with abandon, her necklace and breasts moving with her passion.

“Azriel, touch me.”, she groaned, already reaching for his hands and placing them on her body herself, too impatient to let his slow mind process her words on his own.

It didn’t take long for Gwyn to feel the pressure building in her lower belly, coiling tighter and tighter with every bounce on his cock. She was impressed that her Shadowsinger held it together that long when she knew he must be close as well, and had been close for the past half-hour.

“Gwyn, please.”, he pleaded from underneath her, now tilting his lips in time with hers, chasing his own high.

“Cum, Shadowsinger.”, her last command of the night was barely spoken when Azriel arched his back, shouting profanities and her name into the room and coating her insides with his essence. That was all Gwyn needed to feel before she, too, released the tightness within her. Gasping and panting for air, she let herself fall onto his chest, her head finding the crock of his neck to rest.

She felt to spent, so completely elated she might as well be floating on air. She watched with rapt attention how Azriel’s chest went from frantic movement to the slow and steady rise and fall she was used to. Then, she raised her head. “Why don’t we take a nice bath, mh?”

The house was listening in it seemed, as she heard the faucet turn on in the neighboring room. With care and slowness, she raised herself off Azriel, his cum trickling out of her and down her thighs. The feeling made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Gwyn went to pee quickly, then returned to the room.

The Shadowsinger hadn’t moved, just lying on his back with his eyes closed. Which was so untypical it alarmed Gwyn slightly. He needed some aftercare, and quickly, it seemed.

She leaned down to press soft kisses all over his face and chest, before grabbing his hand and tugging him up. When he finally glanced at her and moved his tired body to sit on the edge of the bed, Gwyn shimmied in-between his legs.

“You were fantastic, Az. So perfect.”, she cooed, hugging him into her so his face rested against her upper belly. Gwyn’s hands caressed every inch of skin she could find until his own hands came up to wind around her. “Thank you.”, he murmured against her, “Thank you for this.”

Gwyn untangled herself from him, tugging him to the bathroom in silent answer.

She spent a long while washing his body and hair, stopping here and there to give out kisses freely. If he had looked at her like a child on winter solstice when she agreed to do this, he now looked at her like she single handedly cured the world of all evil.

When they lay in bed that night, cuddled so closely they might as well melt into one another, Azriel seemed to have gained control over his mind once more.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”, he said, arms tightening around her naked body.

Gwyn grinned into his chest. “Ask the Mother next time you pray to her, she might answer with that level of devotion you displayed today.”

Azriel just snorted. Then fell quiet once more.

“I love you, Shadowsinger.”, Gwyn admitted.

A kiss to her forehead before he answered, “I love you more.”

[kopfkino-o]

MASSIVE UNPOPULAR OPINION AHEAD

Could the next book be Elriel? YES! Could the next book be Elucien? I don’t lean towards this theory, but I will not deny the reasons why people might think otherwise.

Will the next book be Gwynriel? No. 

There’s not going to be a Gwynriel book. There never was. The Gwynriel book makes no sense within the narrative, deviates heavily from the clear structure of the ACOTAR series, and has no real ties to the main plot. Gwyn and Az going to the Autumn Court because Rhys, who has never met Gwyn and has no reason to trust her as Nesta’s friend given the fact he hardly trusts Nesta herself, is a stretch. The Autumn Court is a subplot clearly intended for Eris or Lucien to handle. 

Reforming Illyria? That’s for Emorie. And no, I will not take any other opinions on this. She is the ONLY character suited for this plot. And if SJM decides to write otherwise... well, I won’t be reading that. 

The next book is very clearly going to either be Elucuien or Elriel. Period.

SJM isn’t GRRM. And ACOTAR isn’t a complex story filled with subversions. It’s a romantasy. The romantic pairing isn’t meant to surprise us or subvert our expectations. It’s literally, as the author said, meant to be obvious. 

And it is. 

Elain will be choosing her fate, her love interest, her path forward. If she chooses Azriel then we will get Lucien’s story afterwards. If Elain chooses Lucien? Then we get Vassa’s story with her love interest for the last book. The decision and choice lies within the women. SJM has never pitted two women against one another for a man and I do not expect her to do so now.  

“Oh, but TOD!” 

Yes, Tower of Dawn is from Chaol’s POV... but it’s also from Nesryn’s and Yrene’s and Sartaq’s POVs. Does SJM write male POVs? Yes! Is that formula the same for ACOTAR? No. It’s one couple per book, and an entirely different series besides. The men get a POV, but only as a secondary character.  

Does this mean Gwyn and Az wont get together? 

No, not necessarily. Gwyn and Az could totally get together but, due to their limited connection to Koschei and the 4th dread trove, it’d be a relationship that happens off stage. In the background of another couple. With no Az or Gwyn POV.

Gywn is a lovely, amazing, and strong character who had a very fulfilling arc in ACOSF. Does she have a few unanswered plot points? Sure! But her heritage is not connected to Koschei. Her (potential) powers are not connected to Koschei. She does not know the members of the IC outside of Nesta. She has no established relationship with Feysand. She has not (yet) left the Library. And, outside of the theories generated by members of this fandom based on their own literary interpretation of the Bonus Chapter, doesn’t have a formally established connection to Azriel (yet.)

Could she? Of course. 

But I trust SJM enough to think she’d never write Gwyn’s story leaving the Library solely for a man. If Gwyn leaves the Library, it should be for herself. No one else. Never for anyone else. Gwyn is powerful within her own right and I want to see her make the decision to leave the Library FOR HERSELF. 

Could SJM decide to go this route? Sure! I’m not the author and it’s her story at the end of the day. 

But if she does choose to pursue this route.... is this not exact same plot we just had in ACOSF?

FMC feeling unworthy and dealing with trauma, MMC dealing with potential rejection and an undressed connection, training with sword and shield to overcome self doubt, proving oneself in battle and realizing they’re worthy of love, handling changes in one’s life and finding one’s place? 

ACOSF was great and I LOVED Nesta’s story. But does that mean I want to read the same thing again? No. Elriel and Elucien offer a different story from what we just read. It’s either a enemies to lovers/hesitant pairing to lovers. Or a forbidden love story. And that’s what I want. Something new. I’m tired of training. I’m tried of HoW. I’m tired of Koschei, this apparent death god, being sidelined. I want the impending war. I want the political fallout. I want inner-court drama. I want unrest in Prythian.

NOTE: Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this post by no means strives to discount or dissuade individuals with other opinions but is more or less a rambling of my own ideas. Civilized discourse with those of differing opinion is always welcomed. Literature is art and art is subjective. 

idk do with this what you will. 

[gwyns]

E/riel’s are really going crazy over SJM posting that Taylor Swift song, Guilty as Sin, on ber Instagram story. 😂 One E/riel even said “Not going to lie, I think Taylor is an ACOTAR fan. So many of her songs are coded for our girlies. I'm like she's had to have read these books!!!”

I feel like not everything that Sarah posts has to do with her books. Maybe she just wants to post/enjoy girly things without it being deep. If people want to headcanon it for their ship then that’s obviously fine, but some people are being way too aggressive about it. According to and E/riel, one Gwynriel on TikTok said it reminded them of Gwyn because sin makes them think of protested and the E/riel said “People will reach for anything”. So it’s okay for E/riel’s to make headcanons about the song, but Gwyn fans can’t? E/riel’s believe that song is their ship because of the religious language that mimics E/riel.

It kinda reminds me of how E/riel’s say Elain isn’t leaving the NC, but when SJM posted spring stuff on her story they were screaming Elain. Or when some came up with the theory that Azriel’s mother is living in the Spring Court because of his property being called Rosehall, and so they connected Elain to that. Azriel does have a property called Rosehall, but I’m pretty sure Tamlin does too in the SC. Also, it would be weird for Azriel’s mother to live in the SC. Wouldn’t he want his mother close to him just in case? And wouldn’t he and his mother have to get permission by the High Lord of Spring to live in his court? Funny how E/riel’s don’t place Elain in Spring unless it’s to their benefit/it connects her to Azriel. Gotta love that cherry picking.😂

or... and hear me out... taylor makes songs that can be applied to any ship in any fandom, much like a lot of other pop music. it's not that deep lol. e/riels really need to stop reaching so hard, they might throw their backs out if they're not careful

yeah, sjm isn't subtle or really sneaky at all but these new fans seem to think everyone has to leave hints and clues outside of their work, when she has never done that over the span of her decade old career. why start now? anything she writes will earn her millions anyway, seems unnecessary to me. i believe that sjm's new team is just trying to get engagement and that it doesn't go very far beyond that

oh e/riels have severe main character syndrome. they think everything is about them and their ship and if it isn't they twist facts and omit information to make it seem so. it's sad that a lot of them are grown ass adults too like girl... don't you have bills or something to worry about? but you're on social media bullying others over fictional pairings? embarrassing. i know i talk mad shit but god damn i don't keep up with them like they do gwyn fans/gwynriels. i spend my free time on things i don't claim to hate, weird i know! but honestly we all know they're secretly fans at this point 🤭

lmfaoooo they're so hypocritical it's insane. how is elain going to stay in the night court with her sisters, spy besties and broody bat "where she belongs" while also being in spring/tied to spring? we all know azriel is not leaving rhys or his court so... seems to me like you wouldn't want to connect elain to spring. you know something that eluciens and actual elain fans have been doing for years now? because we understand her character?? and yes! no way in hell does az's mom live in the spring court. no way. they're just killing off all their own critical thinking for fun at this point

[elrielffs]

I feel like any common reader whos read acotar, knows the next book will probably be elain/lucien/azriel... its common sense, I fear. Like before I got into the acotar fandom, I knew something was going on with elain and azriel and would've figured out that they would have something in the next book. The moment he gave her truthteller... I JUST KNEW. So the people who say "they dont make any sense" or "they dont have any buildup" PLEASE STOP FR BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY LACK READING COMPREHENSION.

Yes! It truly baffles me how some people can’t/refuse to see it. Like, I’m not against Elucien or Gwynriel because I don’t like the characters or the ships themselves——it’s because it’s OBVIOUSLY Elriel.

I don’t even think it’s a matter of opinion if I’m being honest. People can ship what they want but to say that Elriel isn’t a thing and the others are definitely happening? That’s what gets me cause no matter how they cherry pick or over explain scenes and compare “mate language” (which is dumb and has been disproven) there is nothing to support those other ships in the canon text.

Not to mention just the juicy potential that Elriel has—rejected mating bond, different couple dynamic, forbidden romance, choosing love over fate, fuck the gods type shit.

And it’s even further driven home by Gwynriel at least being a fully online thing—-no reader I have ever met that isn’t in online spaces expects or even thought of Gwynriel—they all think Elriel is next.

Before I came to fandom, I knew Elriel was next and still 100% believe it. I was surprised and flabbergasted by all the Gwynriel. Eluciens I can kinda understand cause they are mates but there’s also not one positive interaction the two have had, no prime material to work with as opposed to all the many many Elriel scenes.

Idk, it is just baffling, irritating, and I can’t wait til the Elriel book is finally announced and while the fandom rages, us Elriels can have inner peace.

[bridgertononmymind]

Eu postei 848 vezes em 2022

39 posts criados (5%)

809 posts reblogados (95%)

Blogs que você mais reblogou:

@love-miss-bridgerton

@ladyelain

@moononastring

@lord-lochan

@separatist-apologist

Eu marquei 62 posts meus em 2022

#elucien - 33 posts

#lucien vanserra - 23 posts

#elain archeron - 19 posts

#bridgerton - 14 posts

#acotar - 9 posts

#bookstagram - 8 posts

#bridgerton spoilers - 8 posts

#bridgertonedit - 7 posts

#anthony bridgerton - 7 posts

#bookgram - 7 posts

Maior tag: 86 caracteres

#thanks especially to elucien gwynriel and bridgerton fandom u guys are the actual best

Meus principais posts em 2022:

#5

Quão bookstan vcs são? Me diz quantas caixinhas aí vocês já fizeram…Eu marquei todas 😂 (spoiler de fanart principalmente com ACOTAR e TCP 😂) 💕📚 https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1l65lv9SJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

2 notas - publicadas em 15 de junho de 2022

#4

I'm so sorry. If you ever need to talk, please reach out. I can't imagine how you're feeling.

thank you, my love. you’re one of the best people I know in this community and your words mean a lot to me. It’s very scary and surreal, like it isn’t really happening and someone will tell me its a prank…but then no one does :(

3 notas - publicadas em 13 de agosto de 2022

#3

if you want to be an asshole about my ship insecurities, at least hide my @, I don’t want anything to do with you and your kind, imbeciles.

you don’t see me going on your tag to mock your comments because I keep to my ship so maybe you should keep to yours.

8 notas - publicadas em 9 de fevereiro de 2022

#2

I’m having my thyroid removed in a few hours, and then they’ll biopsy it to see if I need further treatment, let’s hope and pray it won’t. Pray for me, guys. And if you don’t believe in any God, just send me good vibes, please. Ngl, I’m nervous af.

13 notas - publicadas em 8 de setembro de 2022

Meu post nº 1 de 2022

I just wanted to share because elucien/acotar/bridgerton are a few of the only things soothing my heart right now but I just found out I have a tumor and I don't know what to do with myself but cry and reading fanfics.

16 notas - publicadas em 13 de agosto de 2022

Veja a sua Retrospectiva 2022 →

[komoonyoungah]

ACOTAR theory

I need to get this out of my head but I don’t know where to go with it so I’m going to put it here

I read ACOSF back in February and it’s almost October now and I still can’t shake off the feeling that all the previous books have been leading up to this one. Like this isn’t a spin-off but the main event. Like everything that happened with Feyre was child’s play to prepare for Nesta’s takeover not as the FMC but as the High Queen. Hear me out.

I’m sure Nesta will build the Valkyrie. She already has the mightiest general of Illyria at her side. She has Gwyn and Emerie who, let’s face it, are the strongest baddest females of the series. If Azriel ends up with Gwyn (fingers crossed) she’ll have him and his shadows too. If Mor and Emerie do become a thing, she’ll have her too. The main forces will naturally shift to her. All Rhys will be left with is powerless Amren and Elain and her gardens. Not to mention a baby and a birth-weakened Feyre.

But more importantly than all of that, it was Nesta who executed every life or death moment when it mattered even before the proper character development.

It wasn’t Rhysand who killed Hybern. Nesta did.

It wasn’t Rhysand who killed Briallyn. Nesta did.

It wasn’t Rhysand who defeated the cauldron, Nesta did.

It wasn’t Rhysand who the Dread Trove revealed itself to, Nesta was.

It wasn’t Rhysand who made the Great weapons, Nesta did.

In ACOSF when the blacksmith brings the weapons to Rhys and Amren tries to convince him to use them, he says “I was born with my powers. I didn’t earn them.” I wholeheartedly agree. He never done anything to earn him his position. Whereas Nesta is actively building herself (to become a leader imo). She said she doesn’t want to be a weapon for someone else. That she wants to wield her power herself and lead others—presumably the Valkyrie. She’s constantly learning and discovering and leading from literal scratch. Worse than scratch. She’s starting from dust particles.

On top of all that, while Rhys’s abilities are impressive and all that, his is merely fancy magic. Nesta, on the other hand, is basically god. She TOOK from the cauldron with her teeth and imbued herself with their gods essence. Nesta is the only character in the series who has a personal one on one conversations with the Mother. She *negotiates* with the gods directly. They all pray and hope. She has a direct hotline to them.

All of this can’t be meaningless.

This is just my theory but I’d be so disappointed if SJM reduces Nesta to a mere weapon for Rhys because this fandom is horny. Nesta Archeron has the potential to be the greatest feminist icon ever written only if SJM doesn’t heed the Feysand cheer squad.

[hottpinkpenguin]

Requests!

Pick a character and a prompt from below.

Please specify if you want:

☑️oneshot vs series

☑️platonic vs angst vs fluff vs steam (I don’t write smut)

☑️any reader characteristics you want

📌I’m open to requests for other characters / prompts

Fandoms/Characters:

LOTR: Boromir, Eomer, Haldir

MCU Avengers: Dr Strange, Loki, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner

Eternals: Druig, Ikaris

Punisher: Frank Castle, Billy Russo

The Witcher: Geralt, Eskel, Cahir

Shadow & Bone: Aleksander Morozova, Kaz Brekker

Twilight: Carlisle, Jasper, Aro

Star Wars: Orson Krennic, Galen Erso, Kylo Ren

ACOTAR: Rhysand, Azriel, Cassian, Tamlin

Prompts:

Quotes

“What we had was a dream”

“You said goodbye too soon”

“If you’re going to break my heart, at least make me feel it”

“I still care for you”

“I wouldn’t mind death as long as I go out with your name on my lips”

“I can’t decide if you’re my salvation or my downfall”

“You break it, you buy it. That includes my heart.”

“Did you do that for me?” “I don’t do anything for you anymore.”

“There’s no happy ending for us, is there?”

“Even if I had a thousand lifetimes to live, this one with you would be my best.”

“I’m sorry I ever met you because it means I’ll know the pain of losing you.”

“A life without you isn’t a life at all.”

“Don’t make me regret this.”

“Even nightmares end eventually.”

“Look me in the eye when you break my heart.”

“My eyes are the only thing I don’t want to take off of you.”

Tropes A thru Z

A

Arranged marriage

Accidental kiss

B

Battlefield romance

Big Bad - lover turns out to be a villain

C

“Come back to bed”

Conflicting loyalties

D

Declaration of love/protection/devotion

Divine romance - lover is a god/god-like being

E

Enemies to lovers

Everyone can see it… except you two

F

Fire-forged love - you go through hell and back together which cements your bond as friends/a couple

Friendly rivalry

G

“Glad to be alive” sex

H

Held gaze

Heroic gesture

I

Injury & comfort

Inconvenient attraction

J

Just friends / “just friends”

Jealousy

K

Killed the mood

Kissing under starlight

L

Love at first sight

Love triangle

M

Mistaken for cheating

Mutual pining

N

Now or never moment

O

Opposites attract

Old flames

P

Pleading

Problematic love

R

Rescue

Royalty

S

Self sacrifice

Star crossed lovers

Secret lovers

T

Time travel

Tongue tied

U

Underwater kiss

V

Villain with a sad past

W

“Why can’t I hate you?”

Wartime wedding

Waking up from a coma

Y

“You must be cold”

Z

“Zip me up” / “un-zip me”

much love ❤️‍🔥

[separatist-apologist]

I know this isn’t your usual thing but did you like acosf? Why or why not? I love Nesta and was disappointed with it!

It has been SO LONG since I've ranted about ACOSF. Can you believe there was a time when like, I was knee-deep in Neris and was really critical of the IC? It feels like forever ago.

Did I like ACOSF? Brain off, yes, I liked it a lot. It's very much an SJM novel in which centuries old men get to tell near-teenage women what they do/don't need, put them in danger as life lessons, and any bad behavior on said man's part is erased by the fandom in favor of vilifying the woman in question. And before someone tries to come for me, this happens with literally ALL the ACOTAR woman LI's (so save your breath).

Did I like ACOSF? Brain on, no. Cassian is the picture of petulant asshole unable to reign himself in for 5 minutes. Nesta is so successful in pushing the buttons of the general to the night courts armies that you have to wonder how he even got the job?

The plot is thin and falls apart the moment you examine it. Cassian is GENERAL to the NIGHT COURT. And Rhys asks Cassian why he doesn't want more. Why SHOULD he? Does Rhys want more than being High Lord? Does Azriel want more than being spymaster? Cassian holds the highest position for his profession, why should he have to play courtier, too? It's necessary to move the plot forward, since Nesta is effectively trapped in the house of wind, but it bothered me from the jump. Cassian is supposed to be the most powerful warrior, and the idea that somehow its under vauled to...what? Arguing with Eris? Hilarious.

I also dislike a lot of the romance beats in the book. I don't care about the sex/sex plot line, but Cassian spends a lot of time seemingly breaking Nesta down when he internally is aware that she is punishing herself for things that are not her fault. Like he'll think that, he'll feel sympathy...and then he'll laugh when she falls down the stairs. Azriel asks early in if a facial injury Nesta got is an accident, implying it could have been Cassian and that was an ugly moment to me. It pulled me out of the book like oh my god?

I have spoken so much about that hike scene that I'm not touching it here again, but the idea that it was supposed be therapeutic frustrates me. Cassian has no business punishing Nesta for the problems between herself and her sister and literally cant' help himself it seems. Hardly a good look.

Finally, the whole Eris/Cassian/Nesta plot. While I think that people would have liked the Neris pairing regardless of how Eris acted, SJM was working overtime to make Eris sympathetic for her upcoming plot while also making Cassian...what we saw him as...which made people wonder why Cassian was somehow the better person. Because he's IC? Friends with Rhys (who petulantly hates Nesta over her childhood with his wife)? It was hard not to draw comparisons with their situation and think they could have helped each other.

There are a lot of things I liked- Cassian learning to dance, Cassian and Nesta in the prison, Cassian crying when Nesta confesses she doesn't think she's good enough for him because he's so overwhelmed anyone things HE is too good for THEM.

I was never a Nesta hater, and Cassian was my favorite of the bats, so ACOSF was rough for me. I'm doing a big re-read with LB and I admit, I am both excited and dreading getting back to it.

I think ultimately while SJM's personal journeys are her own, the way she conceptualizes trauma and how one moves through it definitely leaves an ugly taste in my mouth. Themes of being broken, ugly, unwanted and damaged and healing through being broken down further by a man who is your forever soul mate have never sat right.

[captainninej]

my literary analysis of a rhysand stan/apologist got deleted, so here it is again bc i'm proud of it lol

lets pick this apart shall we

Before Feyre accepted the mating bond, Rhys was extremely upfront about why he did, what he did UTM. there were no lies or anything.

rhys being upfront about why he did what he did does not change the gravity of his action. a murderer confessing to murder isn't suddenly absolved of their crime - they still killed someone. the same principle applies here. he can be all moany and wishy washy as he likes, but he still did it.

He said 2 important things: the first was "I made the bargain so u wouldn't fuckin die and I needed Amarantha to think that you were my play thing" and the second was "I wanted to make Tamlin angry because he's the reason my sister and mother were slaughtered" and TBH??? Same bitch??

i see this around a lot, that rhys made the bargain with feyre so she would survive. but this falls apart pretty quickly when you start to wonder: how did parading around feyre and drugging her so she vomits and dressing her in pretty much nothing help her survive?? would she have died if he hadn't done that? probably not. none of it was necessary - not the clothes, not the drugging, not the trauma, not the twisting her broken arm. also, rhys didn't do it to save her life - in the same monologue you're talking about, he literally says he made the bargain 'to get back at [tamlin] for my mother and sister, and for...having you.' and that feyre was so hateful of him, somehow this meant he 'knew he had done his job well.' what job???

think about it. why did he need amarantha to believe feyre was his plaything? what did this prove? what did it contribute to freeing them?

If my mama and sister were slaughtered because of you I would literally do anything in my power to make u suffer??? Even if that meant parading your bitch around as my own?? Might I mention that Rhys didn't make Feyre do anything more than dance for him??

umm...

i'm not going to pretend any of us will know how we would act in that situation. but that's another conversation - what matters here is feyre. FEYRE DOESN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS. SHE IS AN INNOCENT THIRD PARTY HERE. regardless of personal history, rhys has no business implicating an innocent HUMAN girl in his beef with tamlin. that's between them, and it does nothing to change the ugliness of how he treated feyre. 'parading your bitch' hi the misogyny is showing

also 'rhys didn't make feyre do anything more than dance for him' and that's okay?? oh as long as it didn't go further than roofying, lap dancing without consent and dressing in cobwebs, it's fine?? i worry for you

Because like if I'm being completely honest I'd probably do worse??

i'm not even sure what to say to that

And Rhys was actually protecting her from more of Amaranthas weird ass punishments?? Like idk guys if you're anti rhys maybe ACOTAR just isn't for you and you can leave it at that.

was he? i would argue going through what rhys put feyre through was a form of punishment in of itself.

also, so if i don't like rhys acotar isn't for me...got it, acotar is for people who think this behaviour is acceptable. i'll make a note to stay away from them and keep them away from young children.

just a tip: when someone picks up a book, especially a popular one like this, they don't know what's in it before they read it. can you imagine a rape survivor reading through these books, seeing what rhys did to feyre, and then have to go through his explanations justifying all of it?? and have feyre forgive him?? what kind of message does that send??

Another point that's brought up a lot within the fandom is "choices" and how Tamlin didn't give Feyre choices, but Rhys did. And while I think that might be a point stressed in the novels, I don't think Feyre falling for Rhys is supremely entwined with "choices". I think what Rhysand gave Feyre more than Tamlin did was a voice and knowledge.

someone saying 'it's your choice' over and over while not giving you a choice doesn't make it any more true. just saying. you can say that rhys gave her knowledge and a voice, but two things: rhys only told feyre what he wanted to if it would serve his own purposes, see: him not telling her that he was using her as bait for the attor in acomaf, him not telling her about the mating bond, him not telling her that her own pregnancy will kill her. and the second: feyre doesn't need to be 'given' a voice. she has one. a voice is not something a woman needs to be given by a man, especially not some 500 year old creepo with a god complex.

Rhysand would tell her straight up, "look I can't tell you this unless you do this" and that's more an ultimatum than a choice. And we can go over the dynamics of ultimatums but Rhysand never bullshitted Feyre (ACOSF isn't canon oops) and ALWAYS heard her out. Rhysand always told her the dynamics of a situation. And more importantly, it was Feyres fuckin decision, and also it's fucking fiction so just be honest and say u don't ship it rather than trying to tank Rhys as a character.

um...and that's better than a choice? the fuck? think of the power in that sentence, that he wouldn't tell her something unless she did something. why does he have the right to withhold information from her?? why does she have to earn it, if they're such a pOwEr cOuPLe? rhysand's entire ARC is bullshitting feyre. he never once apologised for his behaviour. he only justified it while crying into soup. so if you don't want acosf to be canon, you know that rhys bullshitted feyre. you know that hiding medical information from her was a dick move. but it was completely in character for him if you notice the patterns in his behaviour right from the beginning of their relationship.

when did rhys tell her the dynamics of the situation?? when he traumatised her to beef with tamlin when she was human? when he made her agree to a bond for eternity when she was canonically with tamlin and was in no place to say no to the bargain? when he didn't tell her they were mates but told all his friends? when he used her as bait for the attor? when he hid her OWN PREGNANCY INFORMATION from her and told all his friends?

And more importantly, it was Feyres fuckin decision, and also it's fucking fiction so just be honest and say u don't ship it rather than trying to tank Rhys as a character.

you literally just proved yourself wrong in one sentence. 'it's feyre's decision and also it's fucking fiction' my dude you're right feyre is not a real person so you know who's making these decisions? the author. you know what the role of fiction is? to tell a story and spread messages, even unintentionally. people are reading this relationship and are guided to think that it's okay when it is literally textbook abuser behaviour. this shit has consequences. i read these books at 13 and didn't see a flaw in rhys' behaviour because the author told me not to and because i was too young to have any experience with relationships. i'm 19 now and i'm horrified to look back on these books i once loved.

you sound a lot like rhys there, 'it's feyre's choice'. no it wasn't. it was the author's choice to depict the relationship like this. all of us are being honest you fuckwit this is more than not liking a ship, it's pointing out alarming behaviour from a character who is portrayed as a hero.

i don't need to tank rhys as a character. the author and the fandom did it for me.

[feysandfeels]

Do you think that people criticize ACOTAR too much? Obviously the series isn’t perfect of course, but sometimes there’s so many things people hate that I question if they like the books at all. Hopefully this doesn’t come off as @ anyone cause I truly don’t mean that. Curious as to what your thoughts are.

BOY YES I FUCKING DO SUGAR!

I think this fandom demands perfection and to be "politically correct at all times" from its author that they do not demand from the other contemporary writers to a point where is ridiculous.

I enjoy wholeheartedly being critical of the media I consume, however this fandom rn, loves to talk more about what SJM did wrong or how they could have written something better, instead of offering a balanced view that also shines a light on the things she has done extremely well (because there are... contrary to popular opinion)

I have met wonderful people here but generally speaking, rn this is a "glass half empty fandom" 24/7.

They say stuff like these characters deserve a better writer and I'm like... sorry sugar but who do you think gave you those characters in the first place? Let me tell you it was not the holy spirit.

I don't know about you anon, but even when dear Sarah has taken specific characters in a different direction that what I first thought of, I am willing to see how it will pan out, because NEWS FLASH, this series is still developing, so I think that saying that Sarah has mishandled this or that when the dices haven't even finished rolling is quite unfair. The dust isn't even settled. Let's take a breather and wait.

Also, they complain endlessly about how she did not a faithful exploration of this trauma or that trauma or how she didn't dwell into this aspect of the trauma, in a way that shows that they see these books as "the one true conversation" of how trauma and recovery go.... when no... these are one exploration of the multiple different ways there is to recover from trauma. Allow her the freedom of exploration and do not bury her with the expectations of your own way of handling things.

We have had record that when she knows she is lacking in some aspect she will look at it and try to be better... but this fandom keeps crucifying her for the same old reasons without giving her the time and space to change those things (please Sarah for the love of god, stop describing people as tan... apparently it leads to a lot of confusion since a lot of people think that being tanned means "white person who got sun exposure"... but also babes open up a dictionary there are synonyms). They don't let her try.

At the end of the day they love to criticize her for not being perfect or for falling short on their own particular standards of what is appropriate and "not problematic", and I'm like *deep breaths*, because -and I've seen it a lot- people here can be very black and white without allowing nuance to come into the picture.

It feels that you can actually count with one hand the people who think she is a good writer and enjoy enjoy her books.

Anywho, imma go back to my lunch,

Thank you for stopping by anon, sorry that I went on such a tangent. Hope you are having the loveliest of days. Besos.

[nikethestatue]

Hello, Nike!

I've been a lurker forever and I think your name is Nike because I see others call you that. I am sorry if it's not. I am new to the fandom and to Tumblr and I binged all the books this year and I love Elriel and their dynamic and I come on Tumblr to read all the theories and I think that Elriel is endgame but what's the one thing that gives you the most confidence in that it is? I get so nervous sometimes when I am on TikTok and see so many Gwynriels. Thank you for your blog it's awesome.

Hi Anon,

it's is Nike. :) Not after the shoe company. After the Greek goddess of Victory.

Welcome to the wild West that is the fandom.

The way the I've always looked at this is who is the voice of SJM in the books? And it's Feyre. And even to some extent, Nesta. So looking through their eyes, we can see that they both acknowledge Elriel as 'it'. There was NO REASON for SJM to include Azriel in the scene where he is with Elain in the garden, and Feyre notices them and questions them. If Elriel wasn't a thing, exactly the same conversation could've taken place between Feyre and Rhys, without Azriel--simply questioning and explaining the mate bond and the Cauldron. But it was very carefully written around Elriel, with Feyre being the first one to question the Elucien bond.

So that's the first thing.

And secondly, back in ACOMAF, when Feyre tended to Rhys's injuries, and was telling the story of the dresser, she specifically brought up Elain and Azriel. She did not, for example, bring up Nessian--because Nessian wasn't even technically supposed to have happened, as she planned Lucien and Nesta to end up together. But the one couple that Feyre saw, even then, was Elriel. With Mor as an afterthought, that kind of stood in the way of Azriel and Elain. It's also interesting that SJM used the word 'cling', which to me, implies selection and choosing. She could've said 'Elain would fall in love with him', which is a more common way of describing affection. 'Cling' isn't. Cling is finding your safety and space within one person. Cling is selecting who you'd trust and make an conscious decision to be with that person.

It was also interesting that at that time, both Azriel and Elain were unavailable to each other--she was engaged to Graysen and mortal, and he was immortal and seemingly in love with Mor. Yet Feyre sort of subconsciously shrugged off the other entanglements and saw the two of them together.

Lastly, Nesta, even without saying anything, kind of approved of Azriel with Elain from the start. And while she snarled at Lucien and wouldnt let him come close to her, when Azriel flew Elain, or took her to the garden or just spent time with her in whatever capacity, Nesta never said a word.

The Archeron sisters are ultimately the tellers of these stories. No one else. So we see the world through their eyes, through the prism of their emotions and understanding of events. And ACOTAR is a story of family--the Archerons, the Bat Boys and all other families (the Vanserras and all the people who are mixed in with them, even the Death gods family of the Bone Carver, Koschei and Stryga were still a family), etc. It will never be a story of someone else. And I honestly think that Feysand and Elriel were the 2 couples that were there from the very beginning. Even before SJM sold the additional books to BB. She was always going to write Elriel.

[daydreamingatnight209]

Okay so this was a passion project that I really wanted to write, I probably won’t do another and I still don’t feel comfortable writing smut for other people so please do not request it!

Minors please do not read or engage with this post as it is for 18+ only!

Also a big thank you to @erin-bo-berin for helping and encouraging me to continue this project!

Feedback is always welcome! ✨💕

“Alpha-Male Bullshit”

Part 1

Azriel x Female Reader - Part 1

Fandom - ACOTAR

Warnings - Violence, sexual themes, 18+ only, minor spoilers for ACOSF, angst and fluff! 💞☁️

———————————————————————

Lucien Vanserra was a terrible flirt; not because he wasn’t good at it, but because he was constantly flirting with me.

In the beginning I went along with it; I was bored and felt lonely. Cassian had Nesta, everyone knew Rhys had Feyre and Nyx their sweet baby boy, Elain kept busy with her garden and I barely saw our spymaster.

I split my time between training and reading in my chambers.

So, what harm could a bit of flirty banter do between friends?

I didn’t think it would do anything, but Lucien is certainly consistent.

I had a rare free day and found myself in a quiet corner of the library ran by the High Priestess ,Clotho.

It was one of my favourite places to be. The noise in my head stopped, all the pressure and responsibility’s for the court just faded away. I am transported to a land far away.

I was halfway through a steamy romance that Nesta had given me a couple of days ago. We stayed up most nights talking about books and how Cassian had made it his mission to try each technique in the book for Nesta’s pleasure. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what he was doing, Nesta made that very clear but it was certainly good fun. It made me laugh but it also flushed my body with an incredible sadness. These books were about as close of a love life that I had.

I was lost in my head and the fictional visions that I created with the words on the page when I heard a familiar voice. It made me jump slightly and I heard his deep laugh.

“I knew Nesta loved smut, but I didn’t think your innocent little mind liked it...but then again, I’m sure that pretty little mouth isn’t all that innocent is it?”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and turn to face him.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, my dear”

I smirk and snap my book back open.

“Are you hoping to live out some of those scenes in those books of Nesta’s like she now is?”

I don’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. A moment passed and I feel his breath on my neck.

“If so, you know where to find me.” He whispers in my ear, before pressing a nimble kiss on my neck and spinning on his heel to walk away.

I released a breath I didn’t even know I was holding and groaned in frustration.

Placing my bookmark back in between the pages, I rose from the chair and left the comforting walls of the library, waving goodbye to the passing priestesses.

I wander aimlessly around the property, taking in the cool atmosphere. The training ring was empty, or so I thought. As I approached it, I spotted a familiar stature. His shadows swirling around his figure as he went through his training exercises.

I sat on the rocks beside the ring as he comes to a stand-still.

“Are you okay Y/N?” He asks softly.

I smile and rub my eyes.

“Yes, I’m just hiding from Lucien. He’s definitely spending way too much time with Rhys and Cassian. He sounds exactly like them.

But , maybe flirting with him could be fun. No one else pays much attention around here to me anyway”

Wherever Azriel goes in his head, my remark seemed to snap him away from his flyaway thoughts.

His eyes blazed and he took a warrior stance. He chest puffed and looked ready to fly at a moments notice.

“Do you need me to have a word with him?”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his overprotective response.

“No Az, it’s okay. I don’t think he fancies losing his other eye. Thank you anyway”

He just nods and returns back to his exercises.

I take this as my cue to leave.

————————————

Nesta finds me in my room later that evening and informs me that Rhys has planned a family dinner and I am required to attend.

She then prances off to her own chambers.

I rummage through my closet and pick out a gown that had fallen down the back.

It was a deep blue, that sparkled in the correct light. It plunged, exposing more of my breasts than usual and the slit started just passed my thigh, with the material of the dress hugging my body tightly.

Mor had gifted it to me last winter solstice but I hadn’t had a chance to wear it yet. No time like the present, I suppose.

I didn’t have time to style my hair dramatically, so I let my long light brown curls fall loosely down my back.

I fiddled around to find a matching bag and heels before slowly descending down the glass staircase.

All eyes were on me as I entered the dining room. The room was eerily silent.

Panic slowly begins to envelope me.

“It’s not too much is it?” I squeak.

Lucien stands and almost knocks down his chair.

“Absolutely not! My god Y/N I thought the wine would be what loosened my tongue tonight, but it looks like that dress is what’s gonna do it instead.

Unbeknown to me, Azriel’s shadows swamped around, doing their best to keep my modesty protected from Lucien’s lewd comments.

“All bark, no bite Lucien. What a shame” I shoot back and take my place beside Elain.

Azriel was seated across from Elain and did his best to contain his rage against Lucien.

I noticed this sudden shift of tension in the room between the two males but decided that now was not the time to bring it up. Especially not in front of the family.

Elain however didn’t seem to have this incentive and piped up.

“Are you okay, Az?” She asks sweetly. She attempts to take his hand. Azriel lets her hold his hand for a millisecond, before quickly pulling away.

I knew he was insecure about his hands and how they have seen years of battle, yet that wasn’t what bothered me most.

What bothered me most, was hearing my nickname for Azriel fall out of Elain’s mouth so casually.

It wasn’t that I disliked Elain, in fact I was happy for her. She is happy and healthy, was quick to adapt to the ways of Fae and everyone in the court had watched her confidence grow tremendously.

Yes, I was happy for her. Yet every time I caught her talking with Azriel, a wave of jealousy would come over me.

Elain didn’t want Lucien and Azriel didn’t want me, not in that way at least.

Everyone was on their way to a happy ending... everyone but me.

I let out a small cough and continue with the evening. Lucien kept up with his filthy ways and I kept up my responses. Cassian laughed with Rhys and Feyre discussed baby clothes with Nesta.

It felt as time had stopped, as I drunk in moment.

Eventually everyone slid off one by one. Amren and Varian first and soon the rest followed.

Mor invited me to her room so that we could spend some time together. I respectfully declined, desperate to climb into my bed.

——————————

Azriel couldn’t sleep. He stood on the balcony and stared into the distance. It was a clear night, the stars shined brightly above him.

As trained as Azriel was, he was still no match for his High Lord’s stealth.

Not that he would admit it to anymore, but his heart missed a beat when he suddenly heard Rhysand’s voice boom behind him.

“Okay Az, what the hell is going on around here? Seriously I have Elain basically drooling over you, Lucien Vanserra flirting with y/n and she’s flirting BACK, and you’re strung tighter than an Illyrian bow”

Azriel wasn’t ready to admit the truth but if he didn’t soon then he had no idea how the hell he would cope, especially after seeing you at dinner earlier. It took all of his strength to remain seated and not knock Lucien from his seat. His cock had strained against his pants so much that it had become painful. He felt Ferrell and you didn’t have a clue.

So Azriel turned around, folded his wings, and stood straight.

“Y/N is my mate”

It took Rhysand a moment to adjust to what he had just heard.

He clapped his brother on the shoulder and cheered, but his celebration was short lived when he saw the sour look on Azriel’s face.

“Okay ... so why do look like you’ve just been slapped in the face with a fish?”

“Because she’s absolutely oblivious! You’ve seen it yourself, the way she is around Lucien. Just because his mate doesn’t want him doesn’t mean he is entitled to mine!” Azriel explodes and doesn’t give Rhys a chance to respond before he launches himself into the night sky.

He spends the night flying around the city before returning at early dawn.

He is surprised to find Y/N stood outside his bedroom door.

She spins around before he could call her name.

You flash a smile that could bring him to his knees.

“I felt your shadows behind me.” You giggle.

“Anyway, I am only here to tell you that Rhys and Feyre are heading down to the cabin for the night. I said we would look after baby Nyx. Is that okay?”

Azriel tried to focus on what you were saying and not your scent. He just nods in response and as you hop towards him. You fling your arms around him and hug.

Azriel just prayed to the saints that you couldn’t feel his member begging to be released beneath his trousers.

————————————————

Nyx was certainly a handful, he was growing quickly and wanted to explore the world. It didn’t take him long to figure out how to crawl which meant keeping him away from pretty much everything in the house. I was just glad he hadn’t learnt how to use his wings yet.

Eventually he powered down and settled in my lap, he was fed, clean and happy. Meanwhile I learnt that I definitely wasn’t ready for children yet.

“How is he?” Azriel yawned as Nyx’s eyes slowly dropped shut, his thumb in his mouth.

I cradled the small boy in my arms as Azriel sat beside me.

“I will go put him to bed in a moment, he just looks so peaceful” I whispered.

Az just laughed.

“You weren’t saying that before when he was destroying the place”

I roll my eyes and gently lift my body up from the sofa before walking to the nursery.

When I entered the living quarters again, I found Az with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“Want one?” He asks.

I shrug. “Sure, why not”

We sat in a comfortable silence before I was brave enough to speak up.

“So, are you going to tell me why you have been so uptight lately? Is it work?”

Azriel’s comfortable posture, stiffens and he is back on high alert.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

I shouldn’t force him to talk, it’s not like he’d want to open up to me anyway.

I decide to change the subject.

“Is it true that the bigger a wingspan, the bigger the dick?”

I watch as Azriel splutters and does his best not to leak his drink over the cream coloured carpet.

“I erm... what?!”

I laugh at the reaction and start to inch closer to him.

I’m high on liquid courage, no way would I ever do this sober.

“Feyre told me that fae wings are super sensitive”

I wrap my legs over each side and place myself down on his lap. He grips me in place and grunts slightly but doesn’t say anything.

I delicately run two fingers down his right wing, they are soft, almost like velvet, yet they shine when the light is right.

“Nesta even said that some men cum from a single touch... if in the right place” I whisper in his ear, placing small light kisses down his neck as my fingers continue to dance over every individual feather. His hips buck upwards involuntarily, and I smirk.

“Well it was something like that anyways”

I remove myself from his lap to drink from my wine glass. Azriel sat grinding his teeth, showing incredible restraint.

I head over to the kitchen and place the empty dishes and glasses in the sink, staying in just the right places so Az still got a full view.

He suddenly springs up from his own seat and follows me into the kitchen. He corners me and I try to remain stoic.

He picks me up like I weigh nothing and rests his body in between my legs.

He uses one hand to brush my hair out of my face and the other to casually trace patterns on my thigh.

His voice was low, and his shadows danced behind him.

“Rumour has it, the bigger the wingspan the bigger dick, right? Well Rhys likes to claim he has the biggest but one drunken night we measured... I’m forbidden to tell anyone this but… I won” he winks and suddenly pulls away acting so very nonchalant.

“The wing thing, I personally don’t know because apparently I haven’t had the right bed mate for that”

There was no stopping me after that. I hook my feet around his knees and use all my strength to pull his body back to mine.

Our faces crash together as we kiss and our tongues battle for dominance. My hands roam his body as I slip them under his shirt. His hands copy my actions and I couldn’t help but groan into him as he gets familiar.

Eventually we pull away for air and our eyes lock for what felt like forever and a day. This unfamiliar feeling of euphoria rushed over my body, attacking my senses. It attacked every inch of me. It felt as if my soul would burst open for the world to see.

The sudden panic that came straight after snapped me back into reality. I broke away from the male in front of me as I gasped for air. Silent tears ran down my face.

I pushed Azriel away with force and ran from the room.

“I’m sorry, I am so sorry I can’t-“

I ran to my room and collapsed down the back of the door.

What was happening?

———————————————————

PART 2 is on its way!!

[emmitaaa4]

facts bbe.

not even considering that the structure of ToG and acotar are NOT comparable at all—what portion of the fandom seriously expected Yrene to get a book? im assuming not a whole lot (*whispers* kinda like Vassa).

And why is it always “we know so much about gwyn and there’s all these unresolved questions (out of the library when? she has a last name oh my god we must have an entire book about it) so she must have her PoV next.”

and never “oh wait there’s actually so many side characters with equally or more relevant plot connections—Eris, Vassa, Mor, Helion, Emerie, Amren, hell dare i say Merrill—so what makes her particularly important other than being shipped w shadow man ?”

and i love her this isn’t anti gwyn to say pls 😭😭 like 95% of the fandom, i like her because she was written to be cool & liked. Nes gushes that she’s good at everything, she’s quirky, has basically no faults, went through something tragic and unites to Nes & Emerie on that account, has potentially cool powers that u get crucified for theorizing about cause God forbid you dont ship her with the first man she’s ever talked to.

this all makes her a lovable character, but it doesn’t automatically make her super important narratively.

I think it's funny that when you point to antis that Gwyn is a side character they like to pull out Yrene and how she got a whole book (though it's Chaol's book when it suits them.)

And then in the same breath say Vassa can't have a POV or book cause she's a side character or not important enough.

Vassa? Connected directly to the main plot and big bad Vassa can't have a pov or book but Nesta's gym buddy can? Huh?