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You can support the artwork here: Elucien Day: 1 Heartbeat

Soulmate is too soft a word for the string that tied my heart to yours.

@goghwilde , @miseryreads , & I wanted to kick things off with this beautiful artwork by @penpapernaiad. We absolutely love the way you drew them and showing the love and tenderness displayed by these characters.

Art 🎨 by @penpapernaiad

Commissioned by @goghwilde , @miseryreads , & myself

Characters belong to @sarahjmaas & @bloomsburypublishing

Did he force her into a deal by twisting her injured arm?

Worse.

Did he kiss her without consent?

Worse.

Did he tell her to her face that no one liked her?

Worse.

Did he have sex with her in the middle of the war, surrounded by dead bodies? Or did he have sex with her after she’d peed herself out of fear in the swamp?

Worse.

Did he think things would never go beyond the times he masturbated thinking of her? Or did he belittle her attempts to be more active in the IC? Or did he decide who was good for her and who wasn't? Oh, I know! Did he treat her like a porcelain doll and a trophy, even though she herself said she wasn't a child for people to fight over?

Worse.

So what did he do?

A terrible, sickening thing 😓he had to admit to himself that his mate is just as beautiful (or even more so) as the only woman who treated him with the slightest bit of kindness before being brutally murdered by his own family.

> disables a new AI feature that was turned on by default

> opens my email

> disables a new AI feature that was turned on by default

> launches a software

1. What Katie did was absolutely wrong. Not only to the artists but to fellow commissioners and others in the fandom. I also need people to remember that some are good at hiding things from others. Sometimes it takes time for *all* things to come to light and some of this information a lot of us are only learning about recently.

2. No one is or has been protecting Katie. In fact, I know a few who have also called her out but somehow that isn't being talked about. Also, if you knew about her behavior over the years, but stayed silent, how are you any better?

3. Looping a group of people together based on ONE person's actions is NOT OKAY. Calling that one person and their behavior out is fine but don't group people together when you don't even know the full story.

4. While others are using this as performative outrage against a group of people, our side has helped take care of the issue(s) BEFORE this mess even made it to Tumblr.

5. Blocking people is NOT harassment/bullying. It was literally created for the purpose of blocking anyone who you don't agree with, like their content, any number of reasons.

Perhaps a group so hell belt on preserving the morality of this fandom (in this example, screaming about how all Eluciens and Gwynriels are in cahoots with one another for their eeeeeevil and dastardly deeds when it was one specific person stiffing artists) should take a long hard look in the mirror.

Where's the moral purity in harassing companies, again? Or same question, but for people in the fandom whose shipping takes you don't agree with?

Oh, those aren't pertinent enough examples? Okay, what about the lengths certain parties go to to shield individuals who called a character's brutal rape and the murder of her sister 'a bad afternoon'? Or the dozens of shell accounts made for the sole purposes of harassing others in the fandom - again - for shipping takes? Or better yet, impersonating people online and making threats to others in their name? Or threatening SJM's kids if your ship doesn't come true? Or doxxing her friends?

But I guess none of that really counts, or it's all a joke or the blame REALLY lies with us.

The thing is, the rest of us - in this case, Eluciens and Gwynriels - recognize the bad eggs in our midst and warn people off of socializing with them. We ban ours from appreciation weeks and make sure people know the shit they've been up to; I don't see the same thing happening on the other side of the aisle. If it is - that is, if actual, actionable steps have been taken to deal with any of the exceptionally problematic people posting on behalf of the Blameless and Very Real Person Elain Archeron, then great. I'd love to see it. I'll even admit I was mistaken if any proof that that's happened arises.

𝐼𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝒷𝓎 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓈𝑒, 𝒷𝓊𝓉..

✨ Art by: etherealart008

People with manipulative and abrasive personalities often burn bridges quickly leaving them with no true friends.

People who use others for their own benefit don’t often show their true self to anyone.

People who have been manipulated are often unsure of how they allowed themselves to be put in those situations and are left with embarrassment and uncertainty.

There is a tremendous amount of judgement being passed and accusations being made without facts.

You may believe that someone must have known something and had the power to prevent it but your beliefs are not facts.

Someone lied, cheated, manipulated and left multiple victims in her wake.

She has been called out.

What can be done to right the wrongs of artists not being paid has been done and those generous individuals no doubt will continue to do so without want of recognition.

Everyone acknowledges that there are people doing awful things on all sides of this ship war.

Sarah is sort of wrong about one thing. Rhysand’s parents were not poorly matched. Fate is incapable of such a thing. They were perfectly matched. But Rhys’s father exercised his free will and did not behave in a way that honored that gift. He didn’t officially reject his mate, but he behaved in such a way that was a rejection of her. Of her essence, of her self, of her unique and special energy in the world. Energy that was created to perfectly compliment him.

He did it purely to put a jacket around her. To protect her dignity through the most traumatic moment of her life.

Steph: They asked me if there were any Sarah J Maas ships that I disagreed with? Sarah: Are there? Steph: No, because you and I are of like minded folk. Sarah: *Smiles and places a hand on her chest* Steph: Like, every time you've introduced a character that ultimately ended up as the [endgame], like Rowan, I knew exactly, like he needs to be with Aelin. Sarah: *nodding along the entire time and smiling*

Fandomtastic Podcast (link to full podcast episode here)

Steph: [Prior to ACOSF] I was an Elriel stan hardcore. I loved the contrast between Elain and Azriel. [...] Me shipping Elriel was really me loving Azriel. Ava: So Steph, what are your thoughts about Azriel and Elain or just Azriel, you know, depending on where your thoughts are landing following up on the bonus chapter? Steph: So I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by Gwyn and Azriel. [...] I would be open to a Gwynriel relationship for sure. I don't personally think that after the bonus chapter that Elriel are happening anymore. Ava: I personally feel that Gwynriel, like, coming out of that chapter, I think that will be the ship that Sarah goes with moving forward. Just because it feels very much like, Sarah's MO. I feel like Sarah, usually, quite confidently, introduces new ships.

For characters who are not introduced until much later, why would BB do that? Well, because the Valkyrie promo is intentional

First, they're emphasizing female friendship and the broader story, a theme we know SJM plays into often.

They're building hype around themes that are important to the upcoming books rather than the endgame romance.

From a marketing standpoint, that's actually very smart because it keeps every faction of the fandom engaged, except for the Valkyrie haters, but they also don't have to be in this fandom nor read the books, so their loss.