Does Truth-Teller portend a future relationship between Azriel and Elain Archeron?
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Disclaimer: the following is just a theory, it makes no claims of accuracy, and could very well be wrong. I apologise if anyone has discussed this specific version of the Truth-Teller name theory (Seeing is Truth telling), I haven't seen it before.
Many in the ACOTAR fandom assume, or at least suspect, that Azriel named his prized magical dagger, Truth-Teller, for Morrigan and her power - 'Truth,' whatever that meansā¦ we're all desperate to know - and this may of course be correct, because he was, apparently, in love with her for centuries (though whether or not this is confirmed when his story is told is another thing), but I donāt think it matters whether or not Azriel named the blade himself, or if the potentially Made weapon already carried its title when it came into his possession. Fate and cyclical time play a role in SJMās works (see: the Ouroboros) so the blade's name is itself likely much more crucial than the history of its origin.
That being said, I suspect the name āTruth-Tellerā could be hinting at two things:
That the magical dagger could be at least partially inspired by āFragrarach,ā a blade from Irish mythology that has some significant parallels with ACOTAR's own Truth-Teller, and that Mor's apparently associated power is a coincidence.
A hint at Azrielās intended endgame romance with Elain Archeron, which suggests that Moriel could always have been intended as misdirection, at least from the time of ACOMAFās - or even ACOTAR's - publication.
Fragarach - 'The Whisperer'
Also known as The Answerer, The Whisperer (take note), or The Retaliator, Fragarach was a short sword that belonged to either Nuada, the first High King of the Tuatha de Danann, or Manannan mac Lir, a warrior and sea god who, just like Fionbharr, is known as King of the Otherworld in Irish mythology (hello, Koschei parallels). This post isn't going to delve into where I think Truth-Teller fits into ACOTAR lore - or the potential future plot - beyond a brief explanation of itās potential parallels with Fragarach (that will come later on), but it will discuss why I think Azriel's legendary dagger could (possibly, of course) have always predicted his likely future romance with Elain, and not Mor.
āThis is Truth-Teller,ā he told her softly. āI wonāt be using it todayāso I want you to.ā [...] Elainās eyes widened at the obsidian-hilted blade in Azrielās scarred hand. The runes on the dark scabbard. āIt has never failed me once,ā the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. āSome people say it is magic and will always strike true.ā He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. āIt will serve you well.ā - ACOWAR, chapter 69
Forged by the gods, and meant to be possessed only by those for whom the Lia Fail roared, Fragarach was known for the following powers:
With Fragarach held to one's neck, the victim was unable to lie - thus the variations on the same theme (answerer, whisperer, retaliator).
It had the power to sap strength, or freeze someoneās movements.
It gave the wielder command of the winds.
It could slice through any shield or wall.
No man could recover from a wound it inflicted - so, does this mean that Elain could?
But I digress; there will be more about Truth-Teller itself in another post, so back to the pointā¦
Who named Truth-Teller?
None of us knows where Truth-Teller was found, much less how Azriel knew it was so different that only he should - or, perhaps could - handle it. Did a much younger Azriel find Truth-Teller in the catacombs that run under the Court of Nightmares; had Mor or Rhysā father once told him of a legend, or maybe it called to him alone from the darkā¦ did he draw it from the stone, like his very own Excalibur?* We have so many questions about Truth-Teller, and Azriel himself, that I hope we see answered going forward.
*Note: the Sword in the Stone is not always acknowledged to be Excalibur itself.
Nesta had tried her best to forget that night she and Amren had gone to test her so-called gift against the hoard within those unhallowed catacombs. The objects had been half-imprisoned in the stone itself: knives and necklaces and orbs and books, all shimmering with power. None of it pleasant. - ACOSF, chapter 20
We also don't know whether Azriel named āTruth-Tellerā himself, or if it came with a name of its own - did he dream of its name the night he found it, did he find it complete with the scabbard bearing its name on the side, or perhaps it was some other fantastical blade naming trope.
Azrielās knife was out, balanced on a knee. Truth-Tellerāthe name stamped in silver Illyrian runes on the scabbard. - ACOMAF, chapter 28
Could the Illyrian runes also belong to a society that once shared a common language with the bat-winged faeries? Perhaps the Dusk Court, or maybe the old gods - the Daglan who, according to Prythian legend, created at least some of the faeries in Prythian's world - or could it even be both?
That being said (and as I mentioned before), the way Truth-Teller received its name is, I think, much less important than the fact it carries that specific name in the first place. Because, for whatever reason, Azrielās prized dagger, that he has given to no one save Elain in all the time he has owned it - a loan that resulted in the death of the King of Hybern at Elainās (and Nestaās) hands - bears a name that fits Elain even more appropriately than it did Morrigan (in my opinion, of course).
Truth-Teller vs Sooth-Sayer
The following thoughts are thanks to a brainstorming session with the amazing @wingedblooms, who was helping me think of a name for Truth-Teller's paired dagger, which now belongs to Elain in a post-canon fic that I'm working on. Assuming this is all on the right track, Iām not actually certain whether Elain will end up with Truth-Teller itself in canon, with Azriel keeping the newly found, hypothetical paired dagger or matching sword, or whether Az will keep Truth-Teller and Elain keeps the pair; I can see reasons that would suggest either outcome, and weāll obviously have to wait and see if any of this is remotely accurate!
But back to it - @wingedblooms suggested 'Soothsayer' - which I love for a dagger carried by Elain, for multiple reasons, and it got me thinking:
Sooth = Truth / Sayer = Teller.
Elain is a Seer - a Soothsayer.
SJM appears to have convinced most of the fandom that Truth-Teller's name is either a vestigial hint from the now-impossible pairing that is Moriel, because Mor tells Truths - and it might be, though I personally don't think that Moriel was meant to be endgame from the time of ACOTAR's publication, if ever - or a giant coincidence. Could this be a case of SJM misleading us with an ostensible Moriel hint that was intended to foretell Elriel all along?
Yes, Morās power is 'Truth,' whatever that may be in the end, but Sight could be considered a form of truth, as well; throughout the series, Elain and Mor are often written with significant parallels and, while Mor might tell truths, Elain IS a truth teller. A soothsayer. A Seer.
So, considering the dagger itself, I posit that either:
Azriel unintentionally named his dagger after (one of) the powers of Elain, his likely future love - and possibly also his true mate and/or carranam - who is a Seer/soothsayer, which IS a truth teller.
Truth-Teller came with its name.
No matter which of the two is correct, it would appear that Azriel and Elain were fated to find each other before either of them were born, like Feyre and Rhys, and Nesta and Cassian. Elain and Lucien, on the other hand, appear to share a bond that did not predate Elain being Made by the Cauldron (if my understanding of the text is correct).
As @suelky mentioned to me when we were discussing this topic, this phenomenon is - again, only hypothetically - repeated in Azrielās fandom-theorised estate of Rosehall, introduced in ACOFAS, which is where the fandom appears to largely agree that his mother lives (though it is not fact, at least yet). How interesting that he theoretically has an estate named for a flower that has been heavily associated with Elain more than anyone else in the ACOTAR series, a theme which culminated with Az gifting her a rose necklace at solstice in ACOSF. Once again, did Azriel, either consciously or not, show some sort of premonition-based skill in choosing a name for the estate that likely houses his mother, or did it come with a name that just so happens to suit the woman who is likely to be his true love?
In turn, mirroring Truth-Teller and Rosehallās names, it is curious that the then-human Elain chose to wear a gown in not just any old blue, but cobalt blue - her skirts even 'whispered' (see above: The Whisperer) over the floor, perhaps as Azriel's shadows whisper to him - on the day she unexpectedly found Feyre, Rhys, Cassian and Azriel on her doorstep in the mortal lands.
Elain rasped, āNice to meet you,ā before hustling after her, the silk skirts of her cobalt dress whispering over the parquet floor. - ACOMAF, chapter 24
Of course, all of this could be incorrect, but it's an interesting connection at the very least, or a gigantic, slap you in the face hint at Azriel and Elain Archeron being endgame at the most.
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I wonder if Truth-Teller came with its name bc of the scene when Gwyn asks Azriel if he sings, he says āI *am* a shadowsinger- It's not a title that someone just made up.ā
Makes me feel like his dagger *is* a Truth-Teller, whatever that may entail, rather than just a name given to the blade.
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"What happens if we put the same player on all of our negative clips, even though I know it's not all on that one player, like I'm picking on him? Or if I kept showing a player just doing good things, because I love that player?" Maurice said. "We wanted to find the cumulative effect of the video we were showing."
....
The Jets' staff charted videos they showed the team the previous season and tracked the results in the subsequent games. They labeled each clip in one of three categories: positive clip, teaching clip, negative clip. The analytics department took it from there.
As the data accumulated, the coaches couldn't help but notice a pattern.
"We realized that we were getting results and seeing more success when we were showing more positive clips," Vincent said. "Of course, there are many other variables, but that is what the data said. I've done a lot of reading on the topic across other walks of life, and it confirmed what I was feeling."
The feeling has become a massive trend in the NHL: Coaches are finding that it's more productive to build up confidence through encouragement rather than hitting players with constant criticism. And it's especially true with young millennials and Generation Z.
Call it the Ted Lasso effect. Heck, NHL players are even quoting the fictional soccer coach, known for his extremely upbeat attitude. Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark committed a puck-handling blunder in overtime of Game 5 of Boston's first-round series, directly leading to Matthew Tkachuk's winning goal for Florida. Afterward, Ullmark met a scrum of reporters and cameras at his locker, relaxed, composed, and even smiled at times. "You just have to have the mind of a goldfish," Ullmark said, a verbatim quote from the TV series.
The popular show is a microcosm for a shift in societal norms, which includes a new emphasis on mental health. Workplaces across multiple industries are adapting as younger generations crave different -- and in many instances, less negative -- environments than their predecessors. Historically, that contrasted with the high-pressure, demanding nature of professional sports. Not anymore.
For my own convenience and maybe also yours, you can find all Buddie things I quoted incorrectly here in this masterpost:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45
To be continued. Maybe.
Looking for some moods? Then check out my collection of Buddie moodboards.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Characters: Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten
Additional Tags: Fluff, like TOOTH ROTTING fluff, your honour andrew deserves to be happy, even if he feels it differently, overthrowing the government?, Overthrowing the government!, in theory at least, Andrew is a little shit, sir and king!!!, I got sappy near the end so sue me, aromantic andrew cause uh projection, no beta readers we die like my inspiration did, (got it back tho dw)
Series: Part 1 of Tumblr Prompt Fills
Summary:
āSo you see,ā Andrew tells his captive audience of Sir and King from his position on the washer. Heās cross-legged, a knife balanced between two of his fingers as he talks, eyes lively. āAll it would take to overthrow the government is a well-planned riot, with our resident junkie being the one to start it.ā He doesnāt even bother to look up at Neil, instead gesturing for him to sit down with the cats. āSit down junkie, this is where you come in."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 5/5
Fandom: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds
Characters: Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten, Kevin Day, Nicky Hemmick, Aaron Minyard, Matt Boyd, Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Allison Reynolds (All For The Game), Renee Walker (All For The Game), David Wymack, Betsy Dobson, Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, References to Depression, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Esteem Issues, Smut, Exy (but like barely referenced), Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Gardens & Gardening, Complicated Relationships, building relationships, POV Andrew Minyard, Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, No Beta, Aka all mistakes are mine, Miscommunication, How did I miss this one???
Summary:
Itās a community service event at some garden. Some publicity stunt the board wants them to do for good exposure ā improving upon the teamās image, Andrew thinks, especially after the events of last year. While the rest of the team reluctantly goes through the motions, no one can top Andrew in his apathy towards it. But when Neil begins to show interest in a certain pet project, Andrew finds himself reacting in ways he never predicted possible.
Aka: a slice of life with the Foxes where growing is hard, healing is messy, and sometimes words arenāt enough.
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ANON oh my god you won't believe this but it is in fact true! they are just like this!!
details and pics are at this tumblr post but I'm including the pic here for your convenience.
THIS thing is the charity basket that Nate had for a silent auction at the Avs Better Halves (yes, this is the Avs WAG group) charity event in early 2020. You will note the signed Crosby jersey. In Nate's charity basket. It is also full of extremely Canadian things and dog toys for the full Sid and Nate summer boyfriends buddies experience.
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The title of this episode is Push, and itās all about mothers who push. Grace, obviously, but also Gwyn when she shouts at TK to wake up, and also Andrea in her conversation with Carlos here. I enjoy the thematic consistency across multiple storylines in this show via @cinnaluminum
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Neil as a team captain is positively delightful, because making him captain is both absolutely insane and absolutely brilliant. It capitalizes on the passive effect of having one (1) Neil Josten (god knows the world couldnāt handle if there were more of him) on the team in the most efficient way. Like. Iām 90% sure that after spending some time around him on the same team, most people will look up to him completely awestruck for how much he has impacted their lives, but thatās just not what is actually happening here. I feel like whatās going on is this:
Neil is a terribly amazing choice for team captain entirely because Neil is a meddlesome little asshole who will forcibly fix all of his teammatesā personal problems and improve their entire lives for literally no other reason than that he needs them to be able to focus on fucking stickball so he can win at sports. Itās not even that he genuinely cares about people and their well-being (apart from his original foxes). He just gets pissed when things arenāt working properly because it makes Exy annoying when the lineup canāt communicate. Exy isnāt supposed to be annoying. Exy is life. Heād meddle whether he is captain or not, but by making him captain, he has so much more official executive power at his hands. Itās like people are explicitly asking for him to do his worst. So, fueled by his own competitiveness and love for the sport, off he goes.
Neil is just as bad as Kevin when it comes to his Exy obsession. The major difference between them is that Kevin is endlessly tactical and he runs Exy with a focus on a technical and physical level entirely, whereas Neilās approach is to look beyond a lack of practice and basically psychoanalyzing people on why they are not doing 110% for Exy. Kevin says āletās run this drill 500 times, then we will inevitably be betterā. Meanwhile Neil is scheming how to coerce and bribe people into life-changing decisions and long-needed healing, entirely because he wants to optimize playing a sport. Exy is a team sport, which is why this is the most logical approach his little stickball brain comes up with rather than minding his own fucking business. He looks at the team and is like āis anyone gonna whip this into shape? No?? Iāll fucking do it then cowardsā and goes and does exactly that. Itās like heās fixing the equipment so he can play.
I donāt think anyone except for Andrew is really aware that Neil really isnāt doing this out of the innate goodness of his heart, but because his personal brand of practicality involves the most convoluted and creative kind of scheming. I feel like Neil is a lot more selfish than people give him credit for. Sure, thereās people he cares deeply and unconditionally for, but thatās really not everyone. Itās fascinating to watch, especially because itās not like he ever hides that he doesnāt particularly care, but people kinda assume he does, because why else would he put in this much effort?
