I think there's a good amount of set up for Elain to be a repressed lesbian! She was brought up with the idea that her main purpose was to marry, and then that shifted further into her needing to marry to pull her family out of poverty. I don't think it's totally out of line to suggest that her love for Graysen wasn't inherently romantic in nature but rather was born from him being the perfect means of fulfilling this role.

In regard to her attraction to Azriel- Elain has been stripped of her control over nearly every aspect of her life, and has also effectively been stripped of her choice of partner with the mating bond in place. Her attraction to Azriel is less about him individually and more so about allowing her to make the decision and actively go against the mating bond.

Also I like the idea of this repressed lesbian and repressed gay man toughing it out in a relationship with one another. Maybe I just like my faves miserable, but idk the idea that they're both fine with each other and are able to fulfill the roles they aspire to but ultimately there's always an air of discontent is interesting! But also I think they would choose one another on the basis of the expectations for their relationship not extending into anything permanent. Elain doesn't have to commit to a mating bond, but both her and Azriel get the satisfaction of both making a choice and being chosen.

Only thing that bugs me with this is that it kinda pushes Lucien to the wayside, however I'm also fond of the idea of the mating bond trope being subverted through them neither accepting nor denying it. Instead they just stop seeing it as inherently romantic. I want Lucien and Elain to be friends is what I'm saying lol.

That all being said though, sjm won't do any of this and I won't kid myself into thinking she would. Not to mention, based on her handling of other queer characters, notably Mor, I don't think I want her handling a repressed lesbian plotline, especially not one that involves past and current relationships to men :/ but it's fun to think about

soz if this is all over the place or too steeped in hc😓

I agree with absolutely everything you said I love it. when I mentioned I had other ideas for elain in mind I actually did mean that I see her a repressed lesbian engaging in comphet due to the period and social expectations, I also don't think she's very aware of the concept of homosexuality in women as a human in the 17th-19th century might not be. I love the bit of her mirroring azriel in the way he mirrors mor and I think it's interesting to understand them within a spectrum of awareness of repression each at different points. elain being the most unaware of her sexuality and repression, mor the most aware and azriel somewhere in the middle (not internally admitting his sexuality but somewhat aware he's lying to himself)

I think the best thing you've said is the stuff with the elucien bond though. them choosing not to act on it and developing a close platonic bond is soooooooo <3 and it would be so healing for both, who feel so pressured into this biological imperative, to prove that it doesn't condition their lives and they can have free will. and I think they would set an interesting example for others around them

also unrelated but ik before you've mentioned that in your reimagined acotar, ic doesn't immediately take feyre under their wing and become instant best friends (with the exception of maybe cassian?) and as someone who does adore the canon feymor friendship (altho lwk i headcanon that feyre unknowingly crushed on mor but that's a different thing) do they eventually become decent friends later on?? tbh i think i'd like it even more if mor didn't immediately like feyre and their friendship gets earned(?) over time but im just curious for what you have in mind 🔥

rhysand is fundamentally annoying so I'm glad you're with me on this

I don't remember saying the IC did not become friends with feyre immediately but I'll say it now sure. they way they were so instantly caring and loving towards feyre is obviously a performance for rhysand's sake. I don't think they disliked feyre they just probably did not care much (and why would they she's a random stranger suddenly embedded in their lives) what they did care about was rhysand who came back very evidently fucked up and torn apart and obsessed about feyre and the bond (as a way to not deal with what had happened to him imo). they weren't exactly appeasing him but they were trying to show him that this things he's built up in his head and held onto as a symbol of hope can work out great and everything will be okay (which is why they integrate feyre so much and so quickly and she fits perfectly with them and everyone loves her so much)

obviously I do think they came to care about feyre with time and are her genuine friends but that can only come with knowing someone and feyre WAS a literal stranger at first.

Once again

She’s always going to make the mates endgame you’re right about that. The whole point of them is a/b/o hetslop so. I don’t think she’ll do a threeway mating bond I can’t really see as capable of doing something that needs to be so nuanced but then again she has decks of deus ex-machinas she pulls out her ass at will so who knows. If she wants eriel to be endgame she’ll find someway to make them mates. If she wants elucien she’ll make elain acquiesce to the feelings she does not have like she did feysand and nessian by forcing them together so she can see what a great guy he is and she can get over her apprehension.

I don’t thinks she’s very sure what she wants to do with azriel. Its why she keeps leaving everything open ended in regards mor gwyn and elain. Maybe she’ll kill him

And lucien is a repressed rather than violent character for sure but I can’t say I agree with you saying he’s disloyal. imo he’s loyal to a fault. He didn’t choose to leave tamlin he had no choice and still cares for him after tamlin exiled him. He clearly dislikes the ic and the person feyre has become and yet keeps helping them every way he can (not just because they’re keeping elain hostage) and he remains loyal to the exiles. So idk about that

And I think it’s pretty obvious that azriel is the violent and volatile character lucien is made out to be. Very transparently so. He’s a scary dangerous guy and he would be to elain what feyre fears of lucien. I’ve never seen the appeal of that relationship

But you’re right neither are right for elain and this is the worst most boring plot point they could have given her. It sucks. And it sucks how polarising and significant it has become in all character discussions

- screaming at the expression on new tats rhys. he wants eris to think hes cool SO BAD. reluctantly blushing eris. AGH. and this contrasted with the honest and sincere cool right yeah its cool. they were kids and they thought the other was cool. open expressions and real smiles. vs smirk and scowl.

- rhys singing is very important to me.

- teenage rhys grip on eris arm. the way eris looks cornered. his furrowed eyebrows vs rhys raised ones.

- HANDS BEHIND THEIR BACKS THEY ARE SO CUTE. AGH

- present day THE WAY THEYRE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. THE ‘CUTE’. both earrings being blue vs the red and green. the fact that eris addresses rhys as HL (not hockey league). pointing out that rhys is one and eris isn’t. drawing attention to the power dynamic. rhys in his fathers place and eris not. now kiss

- NOT NOTHING. NOT NOTHING AND ILL GET MAD IF U SAY ITAGAIN

- thats literally what that kiss IS. Its utm and comfort can only be ripped out of others also for rhys who was the only person that was entirely alone (aside from n&c but hes their hl) Eris is his only anchor to himself

-The crucial thing about rhys is that he is cringe and embarrassing at his core. The earnestness of children…..augh

- 2me2 but only on the condition that hes really bad. Hes good at everything and a shit singer

-like what was going onnnnnnnn. Did rhys corner him in a corridor. Is eris going to run away. Who knowssssss. Imo they both look pretty surprised about the whole thing

-very cutesy i thought. Their trying to be very serious about being the first sons which is rhysand looks so offended when eris pokes his tongue at him

-EXACTLYYYYY. You caught the hl thing perfectlyyyyyy. The earrings represent belonging. Younger rhys had his purple earring (meaning himself) and then the red ones utm (amarantha) and then grey blue ones in the present (feyre) + younger eris having green earrings (himself) and keeping them utm because he never lost himself there the way rhys did. And blue earrings present day. Cobalt even