azriel & elain lovebot

Sarah slipped up and said “it was easy for Nesta and Feyre because nature picked right”, implying that in her mind nature did not pick correct for Elain…..👀👀👀👀👀

I am absolutely losing my mind over this new Elriel piece.

Because this:

Is the same thing of this:

She would NEVER blame him for hating the Illyrians , and I do feel like his mother suffered more than we think , not because his current anger towards them isn't justified it most definitely is . Yet , we see how the Illyrian's are now towards women who knows how much cruelty there was over 500+ years and it honestly scares me especially since Azriel's mother was a "maid" . Cassian also wonders if Azriel had ever asked his mom to go visit the library where it is said to be a sanctuary for women who endured unspeakable horrors.

I see alot of fans hating on Azriel and trying to force him into the Illyrian plot line when he has said he does not care for them at all . The whole "not all Illyrians are the same" argument people use is true BUT still doesn't change anything about how much Azriel was harmed by them .

I do believe though that Elain will help Azriel find the "light" in the "darkness" because Elain always has been that person . People can say "but anybody can do that" and they'd be absolutely wrong because of all the characters in this universe Elain is one of the few who make statements that truly can't be refuted with and we see this a lot in Chapter 21 of ACOSF .

We will also get to see another side of Az because in the BC he doesn't try to hide from her , as far as a BC goes we got alot about him though some points were more subtle than the others . I truly do believe that it showed that he would be more vulnerable with her as he shows to find comfort in her presence

As far as we know the Illyrians have an extremely ill reputation so I'm kind of excited to see something from a different perspective .

She did not have to write Azriel sitting in the garden with her.

She did not have to write Elain gifting Azriel headache powder and him laughing the most joyous laugh. (Btw, only elains gift to azriel was mentioned. Did she not even get a gift for Cassian or Mor? Why only Azriel?)

She did not have to write Azriel discovering her powers when Majda said a mate would be able to know if something was amiss.

She did not have to write Azriel rescuing her from Hybern's camp. She did not have to write "you came for me" "get these chains off her"

She did not have to write Azriel giving Elain truthteller.

She did not have to write the scene in ACOFAS where Azriel makes sure everyone waits for Elain before eating.

She did not have to write scenes in ACOSF that show Azriel being protective of her, his shadows swarming at just the mere mention that something happened to Elain.

She did not have to write the bonus chapter where Azriel buys her a custom necklace, loses sleep over thoughts of her, is willing to beg on his knees for a taste of her-

SJM had literally no reason to write Elriel if she were going for an Elucien endgame. By ACOMAF, Elain & Lucien were already mates. There was enough tension between them from Elain's dip in the cauldron and the sudden mating bond snapping and new adjustment to the far world and mourning Graysen - there was enough drama already. Enough obstacles that their story would've been interesting if their feelings had had a chance to grow from there.

I would've been perfectly fine if Elain had come out of that cauldron, had some of that use & pull and tension and attraction with Lucien, and accepted the bond. It would have made sense.

But SJM did not do that. She chose to write instead:

How Elain & Lucien avoided each other

How Elain didn't even want to speak with him and only did so at the behest of Feyre.

How Elain did not use any of the gifts Lucien sent her.

How Elain balked from Lucien, shrank into herself, lost her newfound boldness.

What was the reason?? She has a mate. There was enough conflict that it wasn't just a cut and dry "you're my mate 😱 ok I love you 🥺 " plotline. There was absolutely no need to introduce a new love interest for Elain if Elucien was endgame.

There was no need to throw in another male who is not her mate and frame it as a viable option for Elain. SJMis a decent writer, after all. She might love cliches, but she doesn't do shark jumps and things just for shock factor or petty love triangle drama.

The only reason that would make sense to write an Elriel relationship when the Elucien bond exists...would be if Elucien was not endgame. If SJM has been painstakingly sowing the scenes in the background for the relationship of two of the characters that work in the shadows, quietly without any pomp and circumstance. If SJM is hinting, yet again, that the theme of ACOTAR revolves around freedom of choice with Elain having to choose between a fated mating bond and the one she truly loves.

Have-

Have they not read any of SJM’s books at all? 💀

As if Feysand wasn’t a partial retelling of hades and Persephone? As if other couples from CC or ToG aren’t opposites?

Regardless of opposites, Azriel and Elain indeed are on the same wavelength. They very much are similar to one another. They have a lot in common and lot that they can relate to together. Aesthetic or materialistic differences don’t directly equate to “they can’t be mates/together”.

I mean…

The boy who is never chosen and girl who never gets to choose?

The boy and girl who have to find their voice together?

The boy and girl who are both more quiet and subtle types than anything or anyone in the IC?

The boy and girl who are both overlooked by everyone just because “Elain is Elain” or (in his brother’s minds) “Az is Az”?

The boy and girl who have both loved selflessly yet have been rejected by those loves?

The boy and girl who both have metaphorical restraints on each other because of someone else? (Rhys and Lucien)

The list goes on.

They understand each other.

I really want people to stop looking at these multidimensional characters from only one perspective or from surface level and actually THINK.

Elain is stronger than some of you think. Strength doesn’t always have to be brute strength. Theres a reason why Feyre claimed Elain had a strength no one else did. And that strength just so happens to be something that Azriel admires, if I’m to glean anything from his character.

But anyway, what do I know? I’m just an average elriel lol. But per the author’s words…

The one she had been mated to, the Autumn Fox with his clicking metallic eye and flowing auburn hair, was not who she’d wanted. For in his company, she was a mere shadow. A shadow in a shadow. She was the shadow of her true self, living in the shadow of her bond with him.

Though, the one who called for her heart, demanded her attention without even knowing so, the handsome brooding Shadowsinger of the Night Court. Oh, how he’d charmed her with his beauty and his understanding. But more importantly, with his wonderful company and unwavering attention. The Spymaster with beautiful scarred hands who had first taken her to the garden and who had spent time with her in silent companionship. In his company, she was light emerging from the depths of darkness. In his company, she bloomed—like a vibrant rose.

He was not her mate. Not the one the Cauldron chose worthy of her. No thread weaved through her ribs and his. And yet, it was toward him that she felt pulled whenever she entered a room that also graced his silent, shadowy presence. It was as if a hand had been wrapped around her very heart, urging her nearer to him. Telling her to approach him, if only to hear a sound from his lips in that voice of night-chilled mist and cedar as it floated over to her ears. Like a soothing caress to her weary soul.

~~~~~

Thought of this little bit while in the shower 🫠

I'm definitely willing to accept that this is another literary, figurative way to just say "Oh, you'll know in your heart if she's alive or not."

But this is magic fae world with mating bonds that can be felt. With love, attraction, lust, anger, sorrow, all emotion basically being able to be felt through the mating bond between a pair.

So I ask again - how does Azriel know? He taps Cassian's chest and says, "Right here–you'd know, Cass."

Like?? Hello?? How does he have the exact coordinates to this feeling?? What is giving him GPS powers??

Could it be-perhaps-that he knows because he has felt it before?

But when could he have felt such a feeling, if he does not have a mate? How?

It's haunting me, truly. I'm sitting here trying to think how this man would know what that feels like, and I've come to two conclusions:

Maybe Mor is his mate, and he felt that same feeling of emptiness in his chest when she was left beaten/with nails in her stomach from her failed betrothal to Eris. It was a traumatic moment for her, and Azriel has always been ready to defend her honor.

But this situation still doesn't make sense. If they were mates, how is he able to move on from Mor after 500 years? Cassian notes Azriel seemed to have moved on in ACOSF. Mor seems to be perfectly fine and well, so it's not like she has been in any danger since that would imply that's the reason why Azriel knows what a mating bond going silent feels like

OR, and in my opinion, the far more likely theory:

When Elain went into the Cauldron, Azriel was shot by a faebane arrow. Or whatever poison it was that snuffs out all magic, including the bond. He was basically dead to the world. Maybe there was some kind of bond that was supposed to snap between them, and so when Elain went into the Cauldron, it assigned her to a different male, after presuming Azriel as dead.

Maybe that dormant bond still lingered, even when Elain was taken by Hybern. When they put those chains on her, that also snuffed out all magic. Maybe that's when Azriel noticed he couldn't feel Elain anymore. Maybe that's why he was so, so desperate to get her back. To get those chains off her, even though his wings were shredded. Maybe that's how he knows what that emptiness in your chest feels like when you lose your mate.

What is very interesting about the Hybern/Elain's chains situation is that she was still mated to Lucien during that. And yet, Lucien did not magically arrive at their camp (he knows where they were, he arrived like the next day smh), and declare he was going to get her back. He can winnow. He can sense the bond, that thread between him and Elain. Where was he, when he got that emptiness in his chest? When he presumably sensed his mate was gone? He did not act like Cassian when Nesta got taken for the BR. He did not go insane, demanding he needs her back. He did not even attempt to send word or check in with Feyre/Rhys. No, that was all Azriel.

And please do not reply to this with "Oh, well how do you know he didn't do any of that?" um. because if SJM did not mention it on the page, why should I consider that a possibility at this given time? She has no reason to not mention that. In fact, if she were going for Elucien, it would have been a great way to show Elain the perks of the mating bond and have her become more accepting of it, but Lucien was. not. there.

Those are the only two times we've seen Azriel lose his cool. When it's situations around Mor's honor, and now situations with Elain. Not going to even bother commenting on Gw*n, as Azriel has not shown any reaction to her despite being around her every day in ACOSF and barely acting phased and going to save Eris instead when the girls were taken to the BR. Like, completely wrong redhead, my dude.

Like if you want to enter a space and genre geared primarily towards women and contribute your opinion. Go ahead. Women largely welcome men with open arms when they engage in our interests (not even going to get into how women almost never receive the same courtesy in return.), but to come in and just start spewing your stupid opinions with your evident biases. It just grinds my gears. Pipe down.

Went to his page and seeing him talking about not liking Nesta 😑 I like Nesta but am definitely critical of her behavior when warranted, but hearing “she’s not likeable” from a man just is not it.

His entire account so far is him “reviewing”/discussing SJM books. But you don’t like her female heroines? Maybe go elsewhere then

NO ONE EVER DOES. NO ONE EVER LOOKED—NOT REALLY.

Whether she chooses to accept, reject, or do nothing about her existing bond with Lucien is up to her.

Unfortunately, the way SJM has set it up since ACOWAR has shown that Elain does not regard Lucien in a positive light. She shrinks away from him, they avoid each other, etc.

That is the only reason I don't ship Elucien. If SJM had written a single positive interaction between them (out of Elain's own will, not out of pressure from Feyre or reluctant politeness), then I would ship them together.

But she has gone out of her way to show how the bond makes Elain uncomfortable and she doesn't want Lucien. SJM even goes as far as to bring in another love interest (Azriel) to show just how much Elain does not desire her fated mate, she desires someone else.

It doesn't matter if Lucien "is a good male". It doesn't matter if he's being a gentleman and giving her space. It doesn't matter if he's the high king of prythian or gives her 40000 solstice gifts she won't ever touch.

She. Does. Not. Want. Him.

That's the only reason you need to stop shipping Elucien.

Any further analysis, any 80 page ppts how much Lucien shows mate behavior and how much he thinks Elain is beautiful and how he is devoted to her... do not matter.

She. Does. Not. Want. Him.

"But don't you want Elain to be happy? The mating bond is the epitome of love. She should want him"

She. Does. Not. Want. Him

"But Lucien is hot/a courtier/a future high lord/sunshine and he's already been through so much rejection in life"

She. Does. Not. Want. Him

End of story.