Keep It Movin...

And honestly? I think that's a huge part of why Nesta gets under their skin so badly.

They see someone who is deeply flawed, defensive, traumatized, and capable of being absolutely vicious when she feels cornered. Traits that the Inner Circle, in all their centuries of existence, have. The difference is that they prefer to bury those traits, something Nesta refuses to do because she's a young woman caught up in all this craziness, and, oh, Nesta doesn't worship them the ground they walk on. Her ultimate crime.

Nesta doesn't automatically accept their authority. She doesn't think they're morally superior because they're powerful, immortal, beautiful, or beloved by poor, sweet, fragile, baby Feyre. She doesn't conveniently turn every cruel thing they do into evidence of how "noble" they are. And, perhaps most importantly, she doesn't make them feel comfortable about themselves.

So she becomes the scapegoat.

Every ugly emotion gets dumped onto her. Every wound Feyre suffers gets traced back to her. Every uncomfortable truth she points out becomes another reason she's supposedly "difficult." Because it's much easier to make Nesta the designated problem than it is to admit that the people doing the judging might not be as righteous as they think they are.

And there's something almost darkly ironic about the fact that the Inner Circle can tolerate monsters, murderers, torturers, manipulators, war criminals, and people who've done genuinely horrific things, as long as those people are their people. But Nesta? Nesta is expected to grovel and work her hands to the bone to earn back forgiveness.

She is expected to be grateful.

Mor said put her in the CON

Amren said put her in the prison

Feyre locked her up in a house she couldn’t leave

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 whoever wrote this is unfamiliar with the Night Court.

The narrative tries to paint Nesta as the one always lashing out when Cassian specifically sets out to badger her to get a reaction (he says this himself). Now when she does return fire, he throws a tantrum every time. Everyone excuses Cassian’s temper tantrums because his feefees were hurt because NESTA SIMPLY TOLD HIM NO.

That’s the “cruelness” of Nesta. That she repeatedly told Cassian to leave her alone. Can’t have that. He wants her so he must to have her whether she feels the same or not and she must submit to him.

I can’t believe she apologized for the FAS solstice party when she did nothing wrong. She was blackmailed into being there. She doesn’t even know what the holiday is about. The person who blackmailed her to be there doesn’t get her anything and is somehow “well idc if she got me anything.” She sits alone, being ignored by everyone (except Elain). Not causing a ruckus. Then leaves. Hell, it didn’t even seem like she cared about the rent money because Feyre had to catch her on her way out. Then Cassian rushes out to badger her. Again, he’s mad she didn’t talk to him and even acknowledges that he didn’t try to speak to her either. BUT NESTA IS WRONG? Gets angry she doesn’t want him around. Says hurtful shit to her.

All because she said “no.”

And somehow SHE needed to apologize?

In the same chapter Cassian recognizes Nesta’s pain because he’s seen it before and STILL says the most hurtful shit he could think of to her.

By SHE needed to apologize? And he says “I already forgave you.” MOTHERFUCKER FOR WHAT? Not taking you home so you could fuck her? Remember in the same scene he’s also mad she was having sex with men that aren’t him.

Does Cassian ever apologize for anything he’s said or done to Nesta? She’s the only one who needs to grovel. Why? Because she told him NO.

@torchwood-99 Nesta has already started blaming herself for “provoking” him. After the whole “shackled” conversation, Nesta immediately thinks she was wrong for not giving in and for calling in the bargain. She thinks she needs to apologize for her feelings on the matter. Her hesitation. For not immediately falling into his arms the way he wanted her to.

And even in that scene, she again tells him she doesn’t want him around and he actually tries to fight against the bargain magic. Like???? What is wrong with him?

Then of course there’s later on when he tries to find a way AROUND the bargain.

In the real world, this type of behavior warrants a restraining order. This type of behavior is why we say the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when you finally leave.

Yes! The fact that Rhys was betting on Tamlin's anger, even before he had fully regained his powers, to confront Amarantha, also proves that Tamlin is very strong! But Tamlin himself probably doesn't see it that way or think that way.

Rhys was also concerned about the civilians and the fighting that would ensue if Tamlin fought him, so Tamlin could certainly go toe-to-toe with Rhys without problems, but it would cause a wave of catastrophe.

The mere fact that Tamlin's powers manifested on their own due to a panic attack shows that he has little control over his own powers or knowledge, just like Feyre, When she was locked in the mansion... She didn't explode, but her powers manifested on their own.(Although I mention this, I know that a large part of the characters kind of follow the same line... That emotions end up activating their powers unintentionally, but I'll stick to the argument). Unlike the other two, Rhys has greater control... not only over his powers but also over his emotions. Rhys stopped mid-way, seizing a panic attack and preventing his powers from continuing to manifest.

As a fan of Raven, Scarlet Witch, and Jean Grey, I know that powers tied to emotions are ABSURDLY STRONG, and if you don't have a way to stay in control... Goodbye world lol

Another issue is that even with Tamlin all battered, depressed, and crippled, Cassian still says in ACOSF that they will need the "forces" of the Spring Court, and Rhys insists on taking care of Tamlin...The guy cares more about Tamlin than he does about Nestha, who literally has the power of pure death and knows how dangerous that is in the hands of someone unstable. (It might just be Sarah's inconsistency, but it's her fault for canonizing this concern.)

Tamlin has something that not only equals, but also rivals, Rhys.

Despite everything I've pointed out, we know it's not that deep, and Sarah just wants you to see Rhys as the badass of the ACOTAR universe. So much so that Feyre needed his help to save the world, meaning that even SHE, who has the power of seven cuts combined, can't be more powerful than Rhys.

“He let Mother die— he had a fleet of ships at his disposal to sail acros the world for a cure, or he could have hired men to go into Prythian and beg them for help. But he let her waste away."

"He loved her —he grieved for her." I didn't know what the truth was—-perhaps both.

"He let her die. You would have gone to the ends of the earth to save your High Lord."

-Acotar chapter 30 pg 266-267

I’m just thinking of how she was willing to die for Cassian in ACOWAR. She would’ve gone to the ends of the earth for him. Would’ve killed for him.

And then again in ACOSF

Rhysand allowed Feyre to die, but he wouldn't even suffer the consequences of his (stress induced, worried, anxious, paranoid, wanting to keep her calm and whatever other excuses given to him 😒) actions when he'd be going with her (and the kid), too. They'd die together as one, but Nesta prevented that.

They BOTH escaped death for a SECOND time due to outside interventions and from characters we're not meant to like, at that.

And now, to think, Nesta is stuck with Cassian, who is no different from her father and Rhysand. Nesta is better off finding a home away from the NC before she ends up dead due to another male's incompetence.

Being a bitchy sister at times is literally the standard sibling relationship many go through (like a canon event 😂), but at the end, as seen, Nesta would do anything to protect said siblings when the time comes, as many siblings would in real life. Sibling dynamics can be complicated, but in these books, it's overly simplified and reduced to literally the ugly step sisters trope in order to push Feyre's story forward and to make her more of a sympathetic protagonist.

Its interesting how they'll demonise Nesta for being a "bitch", when Feyre herself said they were cruel to each other. Close proximity and poverty impacts people in many ways; some deal well, others dont. Humans are gonna human. But its interesting how they never mentioned that all the information we get are from Feyre’s POV and most of her thoughts about Nesta are unnecessarily disparaging, though we hardly actually see much, if any. Feyre often projects her insecurities within her thought onto Nesta as if Nesta says them, but thats all Feyre. This happening primes the reader to internalise her thoughts as true despite practically seeing none of it, especially in the first book since Feyre fucks off to Spring in the first couple of chapters (I'm being hyperbolic - I know Tamlin took her in order to break the bargain, so it was no choice of her own) and we see nothing of Nesta until the end where she's welcoming and listens and tried to build some relationship. But then the next book comes and we're "meant" to think Nesta isn't being welcoming enough when said sister brages into their lives with fae (men/males at that - thats some scandalous shit right there) they were taught to fear, but still expecting/demanding help. Gets insulted in her own home, spoken to with random aggression and unbeknownst to her, said sister wanted Rhysand to mind rape them and force their compliance. And then the cherry on top, are not protected, gets kidnapped, turned into fae and then forced to uproot her life to live in a court surrounded by people who, Nesta is particular, knows already has a negative bias towards her.

Contextually, looking at her behaviours and reactions, they make sense. To expect Nesta to become a Rhysand/IC bootlicker because Feyre is is crazy to me (Though SJM has been starting to make her so during parts of SF - "Rhysand is a fair leader," my ass. Now Sarah, dont be disingenuous).

Saying someone "stinks" isn't a world ending abusive comment. Especially when canonically, Feyre is out all day and when catching shit, she has guts on her and covered in filth (she's such a standard wild child, Lol). So yeah, she probably does. Feyre doesn't know how to clean, so who do you think is doing that? Feyre doesn't know how to cook, so again, does the food just magically prepare and cook itself? Nesta is moaning, but the wood still gets chopped so they can have fire for the home and to heat the bath water. Who mends the clothes? All these invisible chores ignored and turned into "Nesta and Elain did nothing." 😑 As if alongside this, Nesta wasn't ensuring Elain maintained a good reputation to secure a successful match; a love one at that in a society that is seemingly patriarchal. As if Nesta wasn't making arrangements to marry into a family she knew she'd probably get physically abused in order to lessen the burden Feyre already thinks she is.

Like, "Her trauma doesn't excuse the way she treats people." Babe, usually I'd agree with that sentiment, but then these same people are so understanding when it comes to the IC and Feyre allowing their trauma to dictate how they treat others, too. So which is it, my love? Because once again, these hypocritical opinions let's me know you simply prefer to cherry-pick. Worse when these days, the self insert rates are skyrocketing and simply enjoying and analysing the story for what is written or implied seems to confuse people in thinking you, as a fellow reader, support toxicity or insulting their personhood because suddenly any reasonable analysis becomes an attack. Like, babe, it's a magical fae world. I expect crazy behaviours and chaotic human emotions. But just keep the standards consistent, ya'know? It's so odd.

Bruh, acting like shes a: Murderer. Segregationist. Thief. War criminal. Torturer. Cause destruction to courts. Physically intimidates. Allows collective punishment. Allows child soilders. Allows wing clipping. Sexual assaulter. Entrapment of others.

Nah, that's all the IC's memo, but my bad, they're morally grey, yet also morally correct in thr same breath, so they're completely justified in their actions and require no redeeming.

Also, the IC projects a lot onto Nesta. Silver Flames also showed that Feyre’s completely untrustworthy when it comes to describing her time in the cabin. At the beginning of acotar she says Nesta’s shoes are still shiny and new when in reality Nesta just took better care of her things than Feyre did. Meanwhile, Nesta describes the shoes having holes and is in disbelief that she actually wore them.

Nesta has never done any of the evil things they insists she would do. Never even attempted to do any of the evil things they say she would do. They justify keeping knowledge of her own powers because they’re scared of her. And yet they want to keep using her for her power.