If I Could Cuddle My Dogs All Day I Would

If you genuinely believe the trope is inherently immoral because it "takes away choice"... why the fuck are you choosing to read books built around that exact trope?

No one is forcing you to read fantasy romance. I don't read dark mafia romance because dub-con and non-con aren't for me. That's called curating your reading. I don't spend a decade demanding those books abandon the very tropes they were written to explore.

SJM has been writing fated mates for well over a decade. It's one of the foundational pillars of her worlds. This didn't suddenly materialize because you got attached to a ship, one that is so painfully obvious a red herring for Elucien.

The author chooses the trope first. Then she builds a narrative to explore it. That's literally how storytelling works.

Some of y'all have self-inserted so hard you've forgotten these are fictional people in a fictional world operating under fictional rules.

SJM has literally explained why she paired certain characters as mates: because she wanted to tell that story. Two people who begin with distance, discomfort, indifference, resentment, and impossible odds discovering whether they can grow into love anyway.

The obstacles aren't proof the mating bond is failing. The obstacles are the story. Complaining that a fated mates romance explores the complications of being fated mates is like complaining a murder mystery has a dead body, enemies-to-lovers starts with conflict, or Game of Thrones has dragons.The trope is the premise. The characters exist to explore it. What's so fucking fake and funny is watching people scream that fated mates are "problematic" while simultaneously insisting their own ship are the real mates. Bitch, pick a fucking lane.

... is the trope immoral, or do you just want it to apply to your favorite couple?

These are fictional characters in a fictional world built around a fictional magical bond. If that isn't your thing, there are thousands upon thousands of romance books built around different relationship dynamics. Go read those.

What I'm tired of is the fake moral outrage over a trope that has been central to SJM's writing for over ten years. Not every book is written for every reader, and authors are under absolutely no obligation to abandon the foundations of their own worlds because a corner of the fandom suddenly decided they don't like one of fantasy romance's most recognizable tropes and we know SJM will never give into fan service, she has continued to write mates as endgame and I can bet she will never change that.

Read it or don't.

But stop acting surprised when a fantasy author writes... fantasy.

Honestly, if I collected half the posts from people suddenly acting morally offended by fated mates and showed them to the fantasy authors I know, they'd laugh. Hell, I think SJM would laugh too. This genre has been playing with magical bonds, destiny, prophecies, soulmates, and fate for decades.

Yes, there are fantasy romances where mates reject or break the bond. And guess what? Nine times out of ten, that's just the setup for a second-chance romance, because the author is still exploring the mate bond as the central narrative device. Spoiler for ZA (Tori HATED Darius, she flat our rejected him, readers were mad and guess what, by the end of the series, they were endgame) Every author uses the trope differently, but they are always endgame because it is what the trope demands.

SJM has been remarkably consistent about how she uses it. She's a HEA writer. Her romances don't end in tragedy or permanent heartbreak, They end with her couples finding their MATE/EQUAL and choosing each other. Whether people like that or not doesn't really matter. It's her story.

Some of y'all aren't even arguing with the text anymore. You're arguing with the genre, the conventions of fantasy romance, and the very storytelling foundation SJM has built her worlds on for over a decade. Then you turn around and act morally superior because you don't like one of the genre's most established tropes. Well... go read another author.

I finally finished iiiit ! (Well, finished i don't know, but it's good enough for me)

It's been a long time but he is doooone. And he is in pirate shirt + breeches + suspenders, because in my head Lucien is dressed like a 18th century gentlemen, who do a bit of piratery here and there 😁

And to be clear, this isn’t about all Elriels. I’ve actually spoken to Elriels who are exhausted by the toxic side of the fandom because they feel it’s ruined their reputation. I feel the same about some Gwynriels and Eluciens—there are people from both groups who have pissed me off, and I’ve kept them blocked.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓈 & 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒾𝓃𝓃𝑒𝓇

✨ Art by bluenefebilata

let’s leave ships out of this one or i’ll freak out thanks!!! :)

🌸 what’s an underrated headcanon you have for elain?

📸 do you have an elain faceclaim?

🔮 what do her visions feel like? does she experience physical sensations? dreams?

🌊 what was her experience like in the cauldron?

🎨 share one of your favorite elain fanarts

🌱 what’s she growing in her garden?

🐈‍⬛ elain deserves a pet/animal familiar. what should it be?

💼 what would elain’s job be in a modern au?

💫 what’s her astrology sign?

🥖 what’s her favorite thing to bake?

👗 make a mini fashion vision board for elain

🌷 how tall do you headcanon her to be?

🛏️ what’s on her bedside table?

📚 what does she like to read?

✈️ what would her go-to vacation spot be?

🎵 what’s her favorite song?

🍋 what would elain’s most frequented ao3 tag be?

🧘‍♀️ what does she do to calm herself down?

🛋️ what’s elain’s idea of a relaxing evening?

💭 what’s her favorite childhood memory?

🌃 what’s her favorite place in velaris?

☕️ what’s her to-to cafe order?

I don't think he's casual readers' favorite, not a all around favorite and I understand when he is not someone's favorite, but he is just such a wonderful character !!

he has so much to explore, he always helped everyone and, as it was said in the book itself, he was made for something greater

Specifically, those first few lines of Lucien's thoughts. First, is what he first notices:

"Too thin.

She must not be eating at all.

How can she even stand?"

They seem to claim (from what I can understand) that it is pretty much on the same level of Azriel seeing her depressed and hair unbound in the hallway and wanting to fuck her (backing it up with the next line:

"Touch her, smell her, taste her-"

Though (conveniently), in the posts I saw, the next part where he shuts those thoughts down isn't always included:

"The instincts were a running river. He fisted his hands at his sides."

Whether intentionally left out or not (I don't really care either way) it is claimed to be no different from Azriel's inner thoughts in the BC:

"Wrong--it was so wrong.He didn't care.He needed to know what the skin of her neck tasted like. What those perfect lips tasted like. Her breasts. Her sex. He needed her coming on his tongue--"

And also this one:

"Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He'd beg on his knees for a chance to taste it. But Azriel just stroked her neck again.

Elain shuddered, drifting closer. So close one deep breath would brush her breasts against his chest. She looked up at him, her face so trusting and hopeful and open that he knew she had no idea that he had done unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond their scars.

Such terrible things that it was a sacrilege for his fingers to touch her skin, tainting her with his presence.

But he could have this. This one moment, and maybe a taste, and that would be it."

And who could forget THIS one...:

"Azriel said nothing. He hadn't gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to."

You're right. It's exactly alike, but you want to know why they AREN'T?

One of these males is suppressing a primal urge that is dictated by biology and magic. The other one is just horny. (Az just call me next time I'll take care of that problem for you)

One of these males is actively suppressing these urges so as to not ruin friendships, relationships, and - most importantly - not make Elain uncomfortable.

One of these males is thinking of Elain's feelings, while the other one is thinking of her body.

The lines where Lucien compared her to Jesminda were also brought up across the posts I saw:

"She was nothing like Jesminda.

Jesminda had been all laughter and mischief, too wild and free to be contained by the country life that she'd been born into. She had teased him, taunted him-seduced him so thoroughly that he hadn't wanted anything but her. She'd seen him not as a High Lord's seventh son, but as a male. Had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him.

Elain had been... thrown at him."

Now, it was brought up to highlight that Jesminda was the one who chose Lucien, and that Elain was forced into the mating bond. They were saying that we want to take away Elain's choice in the matter even though Lucien wanted her to have a choice.

But they act as though Azriel is Elain's first choice.

At this moment, even now in the books, Elain's first choice is Grayson. She still wears his engagement ring for Christ's sake. She's even wearing it IN THE CONVERSATION THEY REFERENCE:

"Her thumb brushed the iron ring on her finger.

Another male's ring, another marker that she was claimed-"

She loves Grayson. If there were a way for her to return to being human and marry him, she would wholeheartedly take it.

Does she feel lust towards Azriel? Yes, I'm not denying that, but it's not love. It's two sexually frustrated adults who decided that in order to avoid their real feelings they're going to fuck someone hot. Tell me I'm wrong.

And also - me personally - if I were to be stuck "choosing" between two men (eliminate the mating bond from this scenario) I'd choose the one who knew what I needed and saw me at my worst to help me.

Let us not forget - Lucien was the one who new what Elain needed. Sunshine and fresh air.

Lucien was the one who is connected to large plots throughout the series that are 100% set up to be more diplomatically centered: Vassa's curse, Koschei the Death God, Beron's alliance with said Death God, the Spring Court in ruins.

Azriel is connected to important plots too, don't get me wrong, but his are much more combat centered: the Valkyries, Dusk Court, unlocking the secrets of Truth Teller and Gwydion.

I believe Elain is going to have much more of a diplomatic/non-combatant role in the series. She doesn't even take credit for killing Frank Hybern. I don't believe she is going to suddenly be taking up Valkyrie training and reviving the Dusk Court and unlocking the secrets of two major weapons.

Those are also storylines that are already connected to one Archeron sister: Nesta (and coincidentally her besties Emerie and Gwyn hmmmm)

And, imma hold your hands when I say this Elriels, but when multiple people take note of the fact that not only does Elain not fit into the dynamics of the Court she claims to love, but also that she would fare much better in another court - that her CANON MATE has direct ties to, mind you - I think it's a pretty good indication that she is not meant to stay there permanently.

(Also, honestly, as an Azriel fan, I am honestly sort of sad that my first glimpse into his head was me having to read him acting like a damn child. He's supposed to be the mature one of the three.)

❤️‍🔥 Join us in celebrating Prythian's hottest couple for the sixth year in a row! ❤️‍🔥

Come celebrate Nesta and Cassian with us from September 20 through September 26, 2026! Feel free to participate in any way you can, from headcanons, fanart, moodboards, playlists, fics, drabbles…. no matter how big or small, anything celebrating Nessian is welcome! Please note this event will be happening on Tumblr, AO3, and Instagram only.

Please tag @nessianweek and use the tag #NessianWeek2026 to spread the word! If you're posting on Instagram, please tag @/nessianweek!

You can find Nessian Week 2025's masterlist here, 2024's masterlist here, 2023's masterlist here, Nessian Week 2022's masterlist here, and Nessian Week 2021's masterlist here!

This year's prompts are as follows:

Day One: What Happens Next? ✷ As we prepare for ACOTAR 6’s release, what do you think comes next for Nesta and Cassian?

Day Two: Music ✷ Music has always been a key part of Nesta and Cassian’s relationship. How do you see music continuing to shape their lives?

Day Three: Reach Out Your Hand ✷ No matter what Nesta threw at him, Cassian kept reaching out his hand. How do you see them continuing to reach out to one another?

Day Four: Exploration ✷ From learning more about one another to seeing new parts of Prythian and beyond, how do you see Nesta and Cassian exploring?

Day Five: Alternate Universe ✷ What do you think Nesta and Cassian's lives would look like outside of canon? How would they live in the modern world, a completely different fantasy world, or within the plot of your favorite book or movie? [Non-Canon AUs requested]

Day Six: High Lady & Her General ✷ Many of us believe Nesta will become the High Lady of the Dusk Court, with Cassian serving as her faithful General. How do you see them navigating these roles?

Day Seven: Free Day ✷ Any topic of your choosing!

We look forward to seeing everything that you create for this event, and make sure to tag @nessianweek once the event starts! Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to planning this event, with special shoutouts to @unhealthyfanobsession, @jellybeanjellyfishblog @podemechamardek, @theteaqueendom, @c-e-d-dreamer, @acourtofladydeath, @melphss, @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk, @jsmelodies, @wishcamper, @xxvalkyriesxx, and @dustjacketmusings!

Our lovely graphics were created by @podemechamardek ; the artwork was commissioned by @melphss & @amandapearls and drawn by artbyjuliajm.

Gwyn wasn't leaning against Azriel and the shadows rushed to dance with her breath.

This lil teaser is a collab commission with @amandapearls .

Artist - dmonyart

I am super excited for this year's event, 2 weeks of Gwynriel fun 😍😍😍😍

I feel like many people really misunderstand why Rhys was so harsh on Azriel in the bonus chapter. Yes he was stressed out and on edge because of Feyre’s condition and yes he is probably not the biggest fan of losing any fragile political alliances over a romantic entanglement but he would never pull rank and forbid Azriel from pursuing Elain for such petty reasons alone. I think the primary reason for his anger is how disrespectful Az is of the mating bond on a conceptual level.

💖 PRINT GIVEAWAY 💖

With Gwynriel Weeks starting next weekend, we wanted to host a fun giveaway for all of you! You can win this stunning artwork by @lyyzismess and commissioned by @miseryreads by following the rules below!

Rules:

Follow @gwynrielweeksofficial

Reblog this post

Tag a user whose Gwynriel content has ”sparked” something in you!

One winner will be selected on each platform, so if you’d like more chances to win, make sure you enter on Instagram and Twitter! The winners will be announced Saturday, August 8th!