why do you guys think there are all the scenes of elain and azriel through the span of like 3.5 books

...only for elucien/gywnriel to happen??? I'm not talking about the bonus chapter but the actual books

I'm talking about sjm specifically writing a scene where elain calls azriel's hands/scars/siphons beautiful

I'm talking about when azriel gently carried elain over the threshold

I'm talking about when they stayed up past midnight on solstice talking about garden plans

I'm talking about azriel's shadows gathering in the corners preparing to strike when he hears elain is upset

I'm talking about how it was azriel and not elain's mate who noticed she was missing 

I'm talking about when azriel volunteered to go save her when its mentioned he could get killed

I'm talking about azriel wanting to get the chains off of elain when he had blood dripping off him

I'm taking about azriel choosing to lend his most precious blade to only elain in his centuries long lifetime

I'm talking about elain welding azriel's weapon to stab the king of hybern

I'm talking about Sarah specifically writing "I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two."

Im talking about azriel lounging with elain in the sunshine enjoying the peace and quiet (and not lucien even though he's somehow sunshine personified)

I'm taking about elain specifically getting azriel a thoughtful funny gag gift (not once but TWICE) when she hasn't gotten anything for her mate.

Sarah J Maas could have easily chosen not to write these moments/details (like the plot is not going to suffer without a scene of elain and azriel literally lounging lmao) or she could have chosen write them with elain/lucien or azriel/gywn but she didn't. its always elain and azriel, azriel and elain. why is that?

I'm wondering why sjm would specifically include/emphasize all these moments between two people (why she would write about the man literally wanting to get on his knees to get a taste of her) just to then write a story about elucien (where the girl who literally looses her newfound confidence around the male - sjm's words not mine) or gwynriel (where the male says he wouldn't even go so far as to call the girl his friend). would it not feel odd if you re-read the series later? would it not be jarring to have the perfect set up and no follow through?

like these characters are not sentient. every single word on the page is chosen by the author. Feyre did not magically get free will and question the mating bond/cauldron in regards to elain and lucien, it was sjm specifically choosing to write that, introducing us to that possibility. It could have well been lucien sensing his mate was in trouble, (a "WHERE IS MY MATE???" moment that I would have devoured, licked the plate clean) but sjm CHOSE to write azriel saving her. 

🌸Tropes & AU🦇

For this @elriel-month prompt, I wanted to combine two of my favorite fictional worlds by having Azriel and Elain as Hogwarts students stealing away together for a private moment in between classes.

After finding out that Sarah herself said Azriel would be a Ravenclaw and Elain would be a Hufflepuff if they were sorted into Hogwarts houses, I knew that this was a childhood/adult mashup opportunity I just couldn’t pass up!

🌸🦇🌸🦇

I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with the amazing and talented @andie_owo! She was so much fun to work with and I absolutely adore the little details she added into this piece!

🌸 art by: @andie_owo

🦇commissioned by: me

🌸characters belong to: @sarahjmaas

🦇 @elriel-month

Find it on Instagram

Likes, comments, saves, and shares are always appreciated!!

Elain and Azriel by @lulybot

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.

When I thought about a trope for today's prompt, the first thing that came to mind was groveling, not only because Azriel definitely needs to grovel after stopping that kiss, but also because we already know he's more than willing to get on his knees for Elain 🫢🫢

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🎨 Art by @gukkhwa

✨ Commissioned by me (find it on IG here) for @elriel-month

I’m currently rereading the series while listening to the audiobooks (10/10 recommend), and I’m currently in ACOWAR, Azriel teaching Feyre how to fly.

Do you remember Nephelle’s story? The Seraphim female with too small wings that wasn’t soldier material and was undermined her whole life?

ACOWAR - Chapter 29

I couldn’t not relate with how Elain was the one who killed King Hybern. The lovely fawn that Azriel himself armed with his favorite dagger.

Azriel: was said to be deprived of sunlight as a kid.

Elain: is referred to as sunlight throughout the book.

Azriel: says Elain reminds him of “the sun at dawn.”

Elain isn’t the one who needs sunlight. Elain IS the sunlight. AZRIEL is the one who needs sunlight. And he found it in ELAIN.

There's something untameable about him, they say there's a seething fire daintily imprisoned within his chest. He is not scared of anything, not even the breath of death. The first time Elain saw him, he strode into the room with his head held high and a stoic face. He wasn't a Prince Charming she could tell. He smelled like trouble and storm and all the things that never ends well. He was beautiful though, the kind that made your heart ache.

She has always been gentle and kind but there was raging water running through her veins begging to be set free. The kind that could drown worlds. There was something so brave within her that she could look at the hardness of the world and choose over and over again to love and to be compassionate. The first time Azriel saw her, she held his gaze long enough that it surprised him. She wasn't scared of him or what he could have possibly kept hidden within him. She had stars in her pretty doe eyes that collided and exploded into tiny specks of light and a laugh that could illuminate a pitch black room with hues of bright warm colors.

Elain tugged at his heart with bashful simpers and Azriel rattled her bones with tricksy smirks. There was an impossibility about their love like it was somehow forbidden. Yet love doesn't care about the trivial uncertainties, it paves it's way into one's heart and calls it home.

Like how did you miss that, babe? Sure, their attraction wasn't as in your face as Nesta and Cassian's, who are two extroverts that wear their hearts on their sleeves--the exact opposite of Elain and Az--but all the signs were there.

If it came as a surprise, then you missed something. You didn't pick up what SJM was putting down because the BC wasn't written to introduce us to that potential pairing. It already existed.

And look, Elriel doesn't have to be your ship, but they are canonically interested in each other and have been for a while. The BC did not "end" whatever attraction there is between them. Its purpose was to show was to see that attraction in action.

Y'all know that Wholesome Moments + Lust = ROMANTIC Interest

Right?

Like I understand different moments can have different vibes:

Azriel in the BC was obviously showing more sexual attraction than wholesome interaction.

Azriel when he stayed up late into the night discussing gardening plans was obviously showing more wholesome vibes than sexual attraction/lust.

Together, all their interactions as a whole just prove they have both wholesome moments together and sexual attraction, which is literally the formula for romantic interest.

If the ONLY interaction we saw of Elriel was in the BC, then yes, I would too agree and say Azriel seems to only show lust for Elain.

If the ONLY interaction we had of Elriel was them talking late into the night on Solstice, I would also be hard pressed to believe they are going to have a romantic relationship.

But that's not how we read books, now is it? We consider the entirety of their interactions when we decide to ship two people together. We look at ALL their interactions, not just cherry-pick one or two and take them out of context.

If every single Elriel interaction (or even the majority of them) was pure lust or pure platonic vibes, then I might've understood this argument form the antis.

You mean this scene?

The scene where Elain is physically with Lucien, but leaves him to go to the SUNNY garden in Velaris? That’s the scene that foreshadows Lucien as what she needs?

That scene actually reminds me of a previous scene where Elain is enjoying the sun in the townhouse garden (in Velaris)…with Azriel.

The scene where they sit in silent companionship and Feyre sees them and wonders “Why not make them mates?”

Like apparently Feyre bullies Lucien (yes this traumatized 19 year old girl bullies a 300+ yr old fae bc he’s so sad and defenseless) and it’s 100% her fault what happened in the Spring court and not Tamlin’s (bc again even tho he’s 300+ yrs old and has been ruling for most of that time and should have some grasp on it he was sad and in love so it doesn’t count)

Also apparently Nesta deserves Cassian emotionally manipulating/abusing her throughout their relationships because she was rude to him a few times (and this poor sad 500+ year old warrior just can’t handle the stress of being told off by a 20 yr old girl he won’t leave alone🥺)

Don’t even get me started on the attacks on Elain for not wanting to be in a relationship with Lucien. This girl was IN LOVE AND ENGAGED when they met and all she probably knows about mating bonds is that they’re often used to make females the property of their mate. She owes Lucien nothing and has never been directly rude to him, she does NOT need to grovel next book for them to end up together and Lucien wouldn’t expect that either so the fact some fans want that is insane.