Jughead and I...should kiss.

I was thinking about the complaint we've all seen that 3 brothers, 3 sisters is too cliche.

Of course, as many have pointed out, mates being together is also a cliche. We've seen it happen across all three SJM series. To the point that it's somewhat assumed that each mated couple is endgame (so long as they show interest in one another).

But what hasn't happened in any of the SJM series?

3 brothers, 3 sisters.

Never. Not once.

Is it cliche? Sure. But has it happened before in any SJM series? Nope.

It's new. It's unique. And I think there's an interesting storyline to explore there: romantic relationships (obviously), sibling relationships (more growth for the Archeron sisters, but also the "brothers" working through things), and even friendships (as we've already seen between Feyre/Cassian and Nesta/Azriel).

Anyway, just wanted to share :)

Hi my sweet friend!! Let me tell you WUT people are allowed to think it's cheesy and I'm not sure everyone will change their minds about that. But me personally? I am such a simp for the three brothers and three sisters dynamics.

They have had me by the throat since the first dinner, and all I want is to have a callback to that moment once the couples are all together and have found their happy ending. Rhys and Feyre, Cassian and Nesta, Elain and Azriel seated for a meal together once again and everything comes full circle and we reflect on the story and moments that brought us here. That sort of long game payoff would be 😘 *chefs kiss*

I also read a ton of romance novels that are all in the same cute little miniature worlds and follows a new couple every book and everyone's brother's and sisters wind up with everyone else's best friends and cousins and so on.

This is found family, at the end of the day. Feyre, Nesta, and Elain are the only actual siblings. A romance series going through each sister winding up with each of the guys in the little found family unit with a different trope for each couple is pretty standard fare in the romance genre. And I eat that shit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Nothing but love to the writers, creators, and fandom contributors out here doing their thing cause everyone has different taste! Elriel just happens to be my everything in every single way.

Always love to hear from you, doll!

FOLD IN THAT CHEEEEESE

Lucien, ACOWAR: “But there she was. His mate. She was nothing like Jesminda.”

Azriel, BC: “…and there she was. The faelights gilded Elains unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn.”

Lucien immediately thinks of her, not by her name, but as his mate. And then proceeds to immediately compare her to his lost love (and find her lacking). (Bonus points for saying she’d been “thrown at him” a few paragraphs later).

Couple things ….

- One, if 3x3 is cliche when it is brothers/sisters then it is still cliche with any other titles you use. That’s common sense I fear.

- Second - the fuck? Artists? Warriors? Do you hear how stupid you sound? What does being brothers have to do with these ladies hobbies?

You can’t shit on a consistently occurring theme just because you don’t like one of the couples AND THEN make up a twisted version of that theme to fit your favorite character. That is literally changing the rules to fit your narrative, fucking hypocrites.

It’s almost like you do like the 3x3 theme. Almost like that was never the issue. The issue is, and has always been, your hatred for a kind, feminine character, blinding you from accepting and enjoying the story.

Azriel is a cuddler and a hugger. He never spent the night with his previous partners, but with Elain he wants to be as close to her as possible. He wants to wake up everyday with her in his arms. He craves her touch and her kisses. He wants to hold her and he wants to be held.

Figured out rather quickly that Elain was a seer

Gave her Truth-Teller. He doesn't allow anyone else to touch it

Can’t sleep because "too many wants and needs leave his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones"

He thinks and fantasizes about her, even when his shadows are asleep

Avoids family dinners. Has to avoid her, even though he wants nothing more than to be with her

Had to move to the House of the Wind. Kept the headache powder on his nightstand to look at it every day

He's always ready to defend her

Can easily read her tone and facial expressions. Knows her very well

Vs

Lucien:

Didn’t know what was wrong with Elain

Feels like Elain was "thrown at him"

He's happily living with Vassa and Jurian. He admires and respects Vassa. He enjoys and craves her company

Can easily spend months away from Elain

Doesn't know Elain and isn't really interested in getting to know her and bridging the gap between them. His two Solstice gifts have missed the mark

Elain said “It’s all very disorienting.” “I can imagine,”Azriel said. Cassian flashed him a glare. But Azriel’s attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. Her shoulders loosened a bit.

.. and Elain, noticing Azriel’s ease as proof that things weren’t indeed about to go badly, offered one of her own as well.”

• when elain was about to be introduced to her new home as a new being, azriel was there:

Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms.

He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door.

Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face.
Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?”

• when elain was lost and they were trying to find a way to make her feel better, azriel was there:

“Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.” “I can help her” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing from his fingers as he extended a hand.

• when no one could understand her behavior and her powers, azriel was the one who did:

“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien. Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

”We’re the ones who need …’ Azriel trailed off. “A seer” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

• when elain was taken, azriel was the first person who noticed her missing:

But Azriel asked softly, “What about Elain?” Something cold went through me.

• when elain needed saving, azriel was the one ready to die to save her:

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.”

Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows.

Nesta said, “Then you will die.”

Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

• when elain was in chains, azriel was bleeding and really wounded but the first thing he thought was freeing her, thinking about what she needed first:

Azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, “We need Helion to get these chains off her.” Yet Elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek.

• when elain needed a weapon to defend herself and azriel gave her his most prized possession, the dagger that never failed him and he never let anyone touch:

“This is Truth-Teller” he told her softly. “I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.”

“It has never failed me once” the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. “Some people say it is magic and will always strike true.” He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “It will serve you well.”

Cassian gawked at Azriel, and I wondered how often Azriel had lent out that blade. Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife.

• even in the smallest, irrelevant things, anytime elain needed help azriel was there:

But Azriel only took Elain’s heavy dish of potatoes from her hands, his voice soft as night as he said, “Sit. I’ll take care of it.”

• when elain was upset cause she understood that there was no way of going back to how it was, azriel was there to lighten her up:

“I’d feel bad for the mice” Azriel muttered. Mor and Cassian howled, earning a blush from Azriel and a grateful smile from Elain—and no shortage of scowling from Amren. But something in me eased at that laughter, at the light that returned to Elain’s eyes.

• when elain needed someone to talk, azriel was there even for things he may be not interested in but that make her happy:

Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight. Whether he cared about such things, I had no idea.

• when elain was insulted and hurt, azriel’s shadows were ready to strike in her defense:

“Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.” Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain.

• even when he just hears elain laugh, azriel is there to wonder what caused it:

Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it.

I really really really don't think people understand the gravity of this scene. Nesta has always been the person that protected elain even when she didn't need it. Always. It was pointed out so much that you could even say that before acosf, Nesta's sole purpose was to protect elain.

And they said all this acting like it was BRAND NEW. And I just stared at it for 2 min genuinely so confused - are they playing or are they genuinely serious?

Lol that's nothing new. GAs keep copying from Elriel canon stuff, be it their moments, or even their mannerisms around each other. Heck, they've even tried to give the TT to Gwyn (who I'm pretty sure cannot even wield it). Or Elain's soft body to Gwyn.

Like, my girl Gwyn is constantly being treated so badly by the GAs. Her personality and body is being replaced or reduced to just its baby carrying capacity, her trauma is brushed aside. She's simply a means to an end to them, someone who 'heals' Azriel out of his so-called lusty incel fuckboi attitude.

They hate Elain but love what Elain and Azriel have together, so they try to replace Elain with Gwyn to feel better.