FRIENDS • 7.17 // 7.24

"They call Azriel's behaviour as entitlement towards Elain, yet they ship him with Gwyn! Make it make sense."

Okay. Let's play 'Count the red flags' game!

• Azriel in BC part 1 with Elain:

- envious of his brothers having mates

- uses the 3x3 logic 🚩

- demands why he wasn't given the ' third one' 🚩🚩🚩 (take 3 flags, Az)

- shocks and makes even Rhys pale with his audacity

- dodged the question about Mor 🚩

- arrogantly speaks for Elain, trashes Lucien unnecessarily 🚩🚩

- admits in his thoughts that he hasn't thought of Elain beyond sexual fantasies 🚩

Red flag count: 8

Nearly every thought or action of Azriel that I've added a red flag emoji to, is a result of his obsession with wanting a mate.

Azriel views Elain with the 'mate obsessed' lens. Rhys once said that Azriel would've been asking the question why Mor wasn't his mate for centuries. It's safe to say that he had earlier hoped that Mor would be his mate. After he sees Cass and Rhys officially end up with two Archeron sisters as mates, he immediately jumps ship out of desperation. From mere physical attraction to Elain, to insisting she could be his mate. (Note how he ignored the Mor question from Rhys. A sign he's dodging. A sign he knows he's being irrational.)

• Azriel's BC part 2 with Gwyn:

Enter Gwyneth Berdara.

- They banter

- Something restless in him settles

- His shadows dance to her breath

- She makes him laugh and takes him by surprise

- He finds her irreverence charming

- He reveals he sings

- He visualizes her teal blue eyes lighting up and smiles

- His chest sparks at the image

- He buries the image down deep in his chest, where it glows

- A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

Count the red flags.

....That's right. There are none!

Because Azriel does NOT view Gwyn with the 'mate obsessed' lens. Every action or thought of his, flows naturally, with no inferiority complex or desperation. Therefore, Azriel's toxicity from the first half is glaringly absent.

And this is obvious. Because with Gwyn? He would not be obsessing whether or not she's his mate. He would get to know her (they've already laid the foundation), he would become friends with her, fall for her and be taken by surprise later. I think that's crucial to his arc as well, knowing that love comes before a mating bond.

That is one of the reasons we ship him with Gwyn. Because the glimpses we get of him during every single one of their interactions? It's wonderful.

Because I remember reading the BC and feeling uncomfortable with the first half. At how horrid Az sounded. Then came the second half where there was a drastic shift in tone.

That's where it clicked: This. This is what he is like when he isn't obsessing over something in an unhealthy way. Give us more of that!

It all makes sense. Combine it with all the Gwynriel moments and hints scattered here and there in ACOSF, you have the endgame. ✨

*Lucien meets Jesminda* I found my mate!

*Loses Jesminda*

*Bond snaps with Elain* Oh, you're my mate!

Elriels: Elain will reject the bond 🥰🥰🥰

Lucien:

“SJM only writes female MC’s”

I've seen some argue that Tower of Dawn is technically not just Chaol, because there are two other female POVs.

She dedicated an entire novella (later novel) for him in particular because his story was too emotional and rich of character development to just dilute it to fit it into Empire of Storms. Yrene and Nesryn were wonderful additions, but the focal point is Chaol.

Saying she does not write male characters as protagonists is factually not true.

✨✨Friendly Reminder✨✨

Lucien’s whole PARENTAGE was retconned for Elain.

When we first see Lucien and Beron together in ACOTAR this is what Feyre says.

A face similar to Beron’s SIMILAR TO BERON. Just in case you didn’t get it the first time. 😉

Then to turn around and say this in ACOWAR.

It was never the plan for Lucien to be Helion’s son from the beginning. Why retcon his father? What propose would that be? It doesn’t matter who is father is in relation to being Elain’s mate….unless….🤭

What is this? Sunshine? Is she requesting SUNSHINE? Her mate’s father being retconned to now be the High Lord of the Day Court, therefore make Lucien a Prince of Day makes sense now. Foreshadowing at its best right there.

Lucien being reconned to the Prince of Day, the events at Sangravah being retconned to include Gwyn. I see what you’re doing there Sarah Janet.

If “love would trump even a mating bond” can be used in support of Elriel, then

Who’s connected to darkness?

Who’s connected to sunlight?

In the same bonus chapter Azriel says his shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, SJM chooses to highlight how differently they behave with Gwyn and Elain. 

Dancing, singing, lounging with contentment as something restless in Azriel settled? Her presence excites them and puts them at ease! How cute!

That was alllllll Gwyn’s doing, baby.

Gwyn is getting everything anti’s wanted for their ship so…they might as well just board ours. 

I see arguments saying that Azriel was lured to the library by Gwyn’s singing. A couple of things about this:

1) Azriel was in the family cabin before he decided to go to the library; how could Gwyn’s voice have lured him all the way from there?

2) The Dusk Service begins at 7PM, however, from ACOSF, there are seven chimes before the seven priestesses begin singing—this scene reads as the clock had just chimed seven. How could Gwyn’s voice have lured him if the service had not even begun yet?

A reason that Azriel may have found himself at the library could be because of a mating bond. If Gwyn’s voice was really the lure, would her voice not also have lured others, not just Azriel? Nesta and Cassian were right above them in the House of Wind and we know that Gwyn’s voice has some sort of effect on Nesta’s magic. SJM wrote this to elude to Azriel and Gwyn having some sort of draw towards each other. Gwyn wanting his attention during training, and Azriel finding himself at the library during her favorite service.

A reminder that the chapter ends with Azriel thinking of Gwyn, not Elain. The thought of Gwyn brought a small smile to his face and a spark in his chest. The thought of her glowed.

“A thing of secret, lovely beauty.”

Azriel had his shadows since he was a little tiny boy, locked away in a small room with no windows, feeling unloved and uncared for.

The shadows were not a part of his trauma, they actually may have been one of the reasons he survived through his trauma.

They are his company, his little spies, a literal manifestation of his powers and honestly, very loveable little beings. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Azriel is that he is a Shadowsinger.

AND Y'ALL WANT THESE SHADOWS TO DISAPPEAR?

Let me tell you something: That's exactly why I don't ship e/riel. Because, if they were to truly be happy together, someone (or both) would have to give up in such essential parts of themselves that they wouldn't be the same person.

Elain would have to give up on traveling around the world and planting gardens everywhere. She would have to give up on glamorous parties because her partner is an introvert and terrifies everyone in Prithyan except his family and the people who want to fuck him (I'm looking at you Helion). She would not live somewhere sunny all the time and take walks in the nature.

Azriel? Apparently, he has to give up his shadows. He will have to hide the darkest parts of himself, not because Elain can't deal with it, but because he is clearly extra-self conscious and ashamed of those parts around her. He would forever feel afraid of "tainting" her or scaring her away, because he clearly doesn't consider her someone capable of dealing with darkness. He would have to give up on having a mate.

IN ORDER OF THIS SHIP TO WORK, THEY NEED TO BE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.

Spoiler ahead: these characters already exist.

I don't ship Gwynriel and Elucien because I'm anti-elain or some other bullshit. I ship it because I love these characters and I want to see them grow without needing to become something completely different from what they are.

I don't need gentleman, well dressed Azriel because LUCIEN IS THERE.

I don't need warrior, bloodthirsty Elain because GWYN IS THERE.

Honestly, it's so very simple it hurts.

I think it's really silly to say that Elain doesn't like Lucien when we literally haven't gotten her POV yet. We don't know how she feels. We can only make assumptions.

Especially when Sarah herself said Elain was a walking spoiler.

I think it's interesting Sarah has called Elain a walking spoiler because what hasn't she confirmed yet? If we are to read the text at surface level like el/riels do, well shouldn't we all unanimously agree Elain doesn't like Lucien and she only wants to be with Az? That's she's happy and content at the NC. If that's what Sarah has given readers then it's not a spoiler, right? Since according to El/riels that's what Sarah has communicated? Or could it be that what's meant to be read between the lines are the true spoilers. That the figurative language, parrells, and literature devices and the misdirection she's beautifully woven in are the things we should be paying attention to.

That no, we don't know exactly know what Elain's true feelings and thoughts are towards Lucien. We don't know how she's processed her trauma. That once we get into her POV, everything on page thus far is more layered and not what meets the eye. Even Feyre and Nesta don't know what Elain is truly thinking or feeling. They seem to take her word for it and don't push or look deeper. Isn't that what Elain said, no one ever looks not really?

Anyone who's read enough reluctant soulmate tropes always know the actions and words of the lead character are never in line with their heart and true desires at the start. They can't admit it to themselves much less to others, but because readers know their POV, we know what they feel even if their mate doesn't.

Only a matter of time before Sarah finally gives us Elains POV.

I think it's really silly to say that Elain doesn't like Lucien when we literally haven't gotten her POV yet. We don't know how she feels. We can only make assumptions.

Especially when Sarah herself said Elain was a walking spoiler.

There is something that REALLY bothers me about some elriels shipping Lucien with Vassa.

If you ignore her curse, she is very much A MORTAL. And Lucien very much is not. Do they want him to suffer more by watching somebody he loves age and die of old age?!?! Really?!?!?

Some people make it seem like he is sooo bad and adore Azriel simply cause he is pretty "shadow daddy"😖. Yeah sure, make a mere courtier look more evil than someone who often TORTURES people!!!

Please continue telling us how you want to turn Elain into Gwyn in an Elriel book.

I could use the entertainment.

saying that Azriel cant have a book with Gwyn because Sarah “doesn’t write main male pov” but in the same breath saying that Lucien is going to get a book with Vassa is kinda wild ngl

And yet she wrote one with Chaol as the pov... Nice try e/riels

𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼: 𝓔𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷 & 𝓛𝓾𝓬𝓲𝓮𝓷 🌺

My lovely friend @melphss and I were able to commission with insanely lovely art by @jjflorentina

The artist did such an incredible job showing Elain and Lucien in a sweet embrace.

@melphss thought this quote from Elain in ACOWAR reminded her of a quote from Jane Eyre so I attached both of them. I thought it was a lovely correlation.

Elain: “It felt.. strange, like you pulled on a thread tied to a rib?”

Jane Eyre: “I have a strange feeling with regard to you. As if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave I'm afraid that cord of communion would snap. And I have a notion that I'd take to bleeding inwardly. As for you, you'd forget me.”

Link to Instagram post

Characters belong to Sarah J Maas

"She doesn't need anything!"

Elriels like to romanticize this quote for some reason..

1. How the fuck would you know, considering you hadn't talked to her in a month and she was holed up in her room?

2. Who the fuck are you to say what she does and doesn't need? She's fucking traumatized. I'd wager at this moment she needs a LOT!

3. She tells you she needs Sunlight.

So obviously she in fact does need things.

No one thought to do anything for her until Lucien got there. It's canon she didn't even come out of her room until he showed up.

Obviously they aren't in love.

But why would we want them to fall in love off page??

I want to read how their love unfolds.

Xoxo