I’ve hit the big time. Twitter E*riels are mocking my headcanons
E*riels shitting on my headcanons for uplifting Gwyn, an SA survivor who conquered her fears.
E*riels shitting on my headcanons for praising mutual respect in a relationship
E*riels shitting on my headcanons because we ship two different relationships for different reasons
I ship Gwynriel because I’m a fan of a person who doesn’t need rescuing and I like the idea of Azriel empowering someone rather than protecting them for once
They ship E*riel because they like the soft aesthetic and they appreciate the protective mate behavior (and no shade — I used to ship it too so I understand)
Anyway, this is just rude. And kind of childish. I actually make a point not to attack E*riels for why they ship their ship. I only fight back when I see them saying Gwynriel won’t work because Gwyn is an SA survivor.
If anyone wants the list with context and all the points she left out
Im so sorry you had to go through this shitty situation. I still cannot believe that they’re attacking what actual people write . I really hope you don’t get discouraged by this childish behaviour of theirs. We all from the Gwynriel fandom love you and support you. And we are the most thankful and grateful for your amazing headcanons.
“LET ME TELL YOU BEFOREHAND THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT SHIPS OR AGAINST ANY CHARACTER”
You immediately negate this statement by making this entire post about Gwynriel. This post is now fair fucking game.
Everything from:Let’s make something very clear
Azriel rescuing Gwyn
= decent person action
/= them being mates
to “Not because of some dormant mating bond”
I know this is going to be difficult for you, but stop being willfully ignorant for ten seconds. Nobody thinks the sole action of Azriel rescuing Gwyn = mates. People think that Azriel, who is known for being methodical and patient, cutting down three men in seconds is mate behavior — because it is. If you’ve got a problem with that, take it up with SJM. She’s the one who set the precedent, she’s the one who made that their first meeting.
Additionally,as Elriels so love to point out: anyone in the IC could’ve rescued Gwyn. But SJM made a point to have it be Azriel. That isn’t something we should overlook and it’s got nothing to do with romanticizing SA and everything to do with the potential message SJM could write about the journey of SA survivors healing from their trauma.
Imagine that Gwyn met her mate on the most tragic and traumatizing night of her life. She is faced with the obstacle of looking at Azriel and seeing her mate and not the harm inflicted upon her.As an SA survivor one of my biggest difficulties after my assault was seeing my male friends and being embraced by them withoutcringing or feeling scared.
SJM could write a beautiful story about overcoming your SA and not letting the cruelty of your attacker ruin your life. Or rather, she could draw attention to how it’s up to you to decide when you’re ready to move on.
Gwyn is intended to be representation for SA survivors who advocate to be “treated like a person” instead of a victim (and that’s not an assumption — it’s explicitly stated in the book).
If you have an issue with Gwyn stans and Gwynriels looking forward to seeing an SA survivor going on a healing journey then that’s your subjective opinion and you are entitled to it.
Butyou are fucked in the head if you want to shame people for embracing a story of an SA survivor being empowered and reclaiming her sexuality.
So stop trying to drag her SA into a shipwar. It’s awful, disturbing and disgusting. And disrespectful to all the real life survivors.
On that we can agree, but also:
The OP is weaponizing SA and it’s fucked up. Especially since it’s clear this is an attack on anyone who doesn’t like their ship and done in a bad faith defense of real assault survivors.
You’ve fooled no one, OP. This isn’t about SA survivors — this is about your ship. If it wasn’t, you would’ve addressed the other harmful mentions about Gwyn’s SA that go beyond an observation about Azriel’s behavior in Sangravah.
The OP’s disrespect for SA survivors is evident in how they choose to exclude the frequent claims from Elriels that:
Gwyn lied about her SA (an unfortunate stigma surrounding SA survivors)
Gwyn is incapable of intimacy due to the trauma she suffered at the hands of men (something I as an SA survivor myself am triggered by)
Gwyn is using her SA to garner sympathy
In summation, OP, your post is a thinly veiled attempt to protect your sinking ship and the casual weaponization of SA to defend Elriel is something you should be ashamed of.
Lastly, I had this post sent to me by multiple people — most of which were SA survivors that were more triggered by this post than theories that Azriel’s behavior in Sangravah was irregular for his character.
Shame on you, OP.
Art is subjective
If the OP is uncomfy with Gwyn embracing her sexuality because of their own personal experiences that’s fine
But it’s shitty to shame other people with personal experiences for wanting to see the story play out how SJM intends it to.
I hope whoever the OP is sees this and takes a good look in the mirror. It’s time for them to get some perspective and take a step back from the fandom if they can so comfortably weaponize SA.
Rhys: I won the Blood Rite. But Cassian had to carry me the last bit.
Gwyn: Me too.
Rhys: My sister was decapitated and I had to see the traumatic remains.
Gwyn: Me too.
Rhys: I underwent devastating sexual assault.
Gwyn: Me too.
Rhys: I’m a halfbreed.
Gwyn: Me too.
Rhys: We have a lot in common.
Gwyn: We do.
Rhys: So why do Elriels insist on protecting you from sexual intimacy, call out how you aren’t a real Carynthian and ridicule your roots but not me?
Gwyn: That would be because I’m a rival love interest for Azriel and they have to tear apart my character to invalidate my relevance and keep their sinking ship afloat.
Rhys: *picks at lint* Gross.
Gwyn:Yup.
But seriously, Evil Elriels, what’s up with the vehement objection to Gwyn being portrayed sexually after what men did to her, but it’s okay with Rhysand who was sexually assaulted for FIVE DECADES and Lucien and Feyre who were both sexually assaulted PUBLICLY.
You’re not here to defend victims of SA. You’re here to defend your sinking ship.
Idk, I guess I’m personally waiting for Gwyn to actually consent to wanting to be sexual with someone before I throw a dick in her face. Just me I guess
Hi there.
Gwyn has expressed an interest in intimacy already. Twice is ACOSF
First when she asks to read the smut Nesta and Emerie like…
Then when she asks for details on what it was like when Nesta and Cassian had sex
If we need to wait for fictional characters to say the words “I would like to have sex” to depict them in sexual scenarios - specifically characters with ‘trauma,’ then I’m going to need you to call out all the fan art that falls under that scope:
Lucien (SA survivor)
Elain (the fandom has argued she had her autonomy stolen and that equates to trauma)
Any Nesta art pre-ACOSF (SA survivor)
Any Rhysand art pre-ACOMAF (SA survivor)
Any Feyre art with Rhysand pre-ACOMAF (since Rhys SA-d Feyre in ACOTAR)
Imagine, just imagine for a minute, posting this and really thinking you ate.
“Shadows did not dance with gwyn… they danced with her breath.”
What did you expect everyone’s reaction to be here?
Oh, god! No! They danced with her breath not her!
“…even then you don’t have anything to back it up. It’s just an assumption.”
And your point? Yes, it’s an assumption. An assumption the author intended us to make.
I mean, I would think you wouldn’t turn your nose up at assumptions given most of Elriels’ backing is based on them.
You assume that they’re “true mates” based on an irrelevant interview.
You assume that Elucien will reject their bond before SJM has even explored their relationship.
You assume SJM loves Elriel even though she’s never spoken of them in an interview.
You assume that Azriel is defying Rhys even though Elriel never interact after he forbids them from seeing each other.
My personal favorite:
You assume that because the town house smells like bread and roses and because SJM had a baby and because that baby was wearing pink that Elain is pregnant and living with Azriel in the townhouse.
The Elriel fandom are the reigning champions of assumptions so pot meet kettle.
But I do want to thank this user for once again putting Elriel’s insecurity about their ship on display. This user in particular cannot shut up about how much a threat other ships aren’t to Elriel.
Smells like fear to me…
My favorite quote from the OP post: “I don’t know how many people can read that wrong…”
My dude, chances are if you deem so many people are reading that “wrong” you’re actually the one that’s mistaken.
What I don’t understand is that… everything they said is… exactly what is in the book… and they… I don’t…
I guess I just don’t understand what they’re trying to say lol.
Because it looks like, “Don’t read the words on the page exactly the way they are written on the page.”
“I’m sorry (not sorry) but gwynriel makes absolutely no sense plotwise and having another book focused on the Valkyries and sword girlbossing would be awful to right after ac*sf.”
Listen, if you’re gonna say that something “makes no sense” you have to explain why. One of the reasons I started to ship Gwynriel was because it made way more sense than Elriel. Here’s an example of how to substantiate claims that theories “make no sense:”
When I was in the Elriel fandom it was constantly “Elriel will be Hades and Persephone” which I could never get behind because we already did that in ACOMAF. As I read the books I kept waiting for Elain to evolve into something different, not necessarily for her character to change, but for her to be different in a way that would make Elriel more impactful and less like Value Brand Feysand.
My prediction was that we would see a more plucky outspoken humorous Elain emerge. Someone who would challenge Azriel instead of comforting him. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with comforting him, but that was already Feysands’ dynamic in the OG trilogy and if I was an author I’d want to explore a different relationship.
I knew ACOSF was about Nesta before I started to read it and I imagined that we’d get a lot of Elain and see her begin to come out of her shell more. That we’d learn more about her other than that she’s nice and apologetic and sensitive.
In the end, it was Gwyn who was featured in the way I’d hoped for Elain to be written. Gwyn was already what I wanted Elain to become.
Gwynriel makes far more sense than Elriel. In many ways:
SJM is a fated mates author, she’s never had an MC couple that weren’t mates. Elucien are mates. Gwynriel have mating bond language in the bonus chapter.
SJM has already written the tortured villain and the kind hearted heroine story with Feysand. She also already explored forbidden love with Quinlar. If anything doesn’t make sense it’s an author writing the same story twice and the same story twice consecutively.
As a former Elriel, I recognize that most of Elriel’s budding romance thus far has taken place off-page (and that’s being generous). I don’t know about you guys, but from a marketing perspective a story where the audience is absent for those imperative first moments sounds unappealing.
If the next book is “Elriel” and the remaining feature length books are focused on couples coming together, most Elriels say the last book would be focused on Vassa and Lucien and that’s just— no. That’s laughable actually. You’re telling me the finale of the series is going to be focused on Lucien and a character who we hardly know anything about? Andbefore you open your mouth about how Gwyn is a side character and we hardly know anything about her either, cut the bull shit. Unless you didn’t read ACOSF, you know damn well that we know far more about Gwyn than we do Vassa. That’s just a fact and if you say otherwise you’re lying.
Next:I don’t think the next book would be focused on “The Valkyries” if it’s Gwynriel. It’ll likely be focused on the arc SJM set up for her at the end of ACOSF: Leaving the library and reclaiming her life after everything she’s been through. Likely it will explore the Autumn Court (I highly suspect Gwyn has ties to the Vanserra bloodline) where we’ll get a tie in with Lucien that’ll prep us for his POV in the Elucien book. For Azriel it will probably explore his animosity towards Eris and Lucien. It’ll probably feature some spying and political nuance much akin to Tower of Dawn. We’ve always seen Azriel as the torture master/murderer, so much like seeing politician Chaol in ToD I think we’ll see political spy Azriel in ACOTAR 5.
Finally,if you don’t like “sword girl bossing” SJM probably isn’t the author for you. Almost every single one of heroines wields weapons. Aelin. Manon. Feyre. Nesta. Morrigan. Bryce. If you think that after this pattern SJM is gonna stop having women wield swords then I’d probably just do yourself a favor and stop reading her books, bEsTiE.
“This. We do not need a Valkyrie 2.O book, we already got 800 pages of that. Like it would literally just be retired shit from ACOSF and that’s boring as hell. But I mean it’s not a worry seeing as elriel is happening and there’s literally no evidence to support Gwynriel.”
Well, see above as to how the next book isn’t gonna be about the Valkyries. Let’s move on to the “we already got 800 pages of that.”
Um,if you read ACOSF you’ll realize that there was a Valkyrie subplot.The main plot revolves around Nesta’s recovery, Cassian’s pursuit of the bond between them, Feysand’s pregnancy and also the Valkyrie. I think it may just feel like “800 pages” because literally everyone loved the Valkyrie subplot except Elriels because that plotline heavily featured Gwyn and you guys hate her because she’s gonna be Azriel’s love interest. But I rest my case here.
In regards to there being no evidence to support Gwynriel:
Just most of the Elriels and Moriels switched teams to Gwynriel for absolutely nothing. There’s already half the amount of Gwynriel fanfic that there is Elriel after a year of them being introduced because Gwynriel is just such a crackship. Artists have started featuring Gwynriel pieces because there’s nothing to back up that claim. You can’t stop posting about Gwynriel and how unlikely it is because it’s just so unsubstantiated.
*cue Drew Afuolo giggle* Whatever you say, my guy. Just keep showing your whole ass to the fandom and providing us with these takes that are going to age worse than a straight white man’s standup comedy from the nineties.
“the time of the Valkyries is over
it’s time for our spies to rise”
Ya know what, you may actually be right here… but not in the way you think.
There are two ways we could see “spies” in the next ACOTAR:
With an Azriel POV we’ll see the spy side of his job whereas before we’ve only see the warrior
The sneakiness we saw Elain exhibit in ACOSF and Cassian’s observation that she seemed to be untruthful points towards Elain perhaps being a double agent. Maybe for unknowingly for the wrong side… I mean, when confronted with the Evil Elain theory SJM did say “That’s interesting.”
