Why did Sarah use those specific words? This part literally adds nothing to the story. Or maybe she wanted to “plant” something in our heads, which she would use in the next books…
I am here to kick May off with a wonderful MerMay inspired Elriel commission, while this doesn’t go alongside Week 1’sForbidden prompt rest easy because I have another one coming tomorrow for it, I simply couldn’t resist given what month EM always takes place in. (Click for better quality)
It was an absolute pleasure of no limits working with carasalexandra, she has to be one of the sweetest humans I have worked with, and her attention to detail in crafting this piece is beyond. It has been absolutely soul wrenching keeping this piece of art saved away for like a month, I want a medal for not caving and just posting lmao
I can’t wait for all of the magical works of art this month will bring, I have seen a few bts and it is safe to say this is going to be an epic month!As usual please do not repost <3
This art is officially licensed by the SJM team and available for purchase on ATOMDs page! Go show your support if you can
HappyElriel Month everyone! I had this beautiful commission done for our lovely ship! I hope you guys like it! I posted two versions, one with rose petals, and one without. Thank you so much to the artist: 8lushal
“She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends.”
Elriel Month: Week Two (Spies, Powers & Daggers)
This has to be one of my favourite prompts in terms of creative freedom because of how much potential Elriel have, I hope you enjoy this work of art that the insanely talented @__alex_oxy__ who truly took what was a vague idea and then turned around and crafted a whole scenic masterpiece. Thank you Oksana!
I am beyond words! Please feel free to discuss in the comments/below how you think Elain’s abilities will manifest in her book
Why rejection leads to the endgame: Rowaelin and Elriel comparison.
This meta is based solely on textual pieces of evidence that can be found through the whole ACTOAR and TOG series written by SJM. My observations come from the text and what was given to us, the audience, by the author of the book. This post is going to be about two very prominent scenes that occur to the main characters and how they are played in the books, setting-wise but also plot-wise. Of course, a small warning: this is strictly pro-Elriel meta, so if it isn’t your cup of tea you are in the wrong place. Also: SPOILERS FOR TOG!
when the whole crew pulled up at graysen and his dad’s place and azriel was just talking to rhys and sjm just casually added the line “a glance at elain” mid sentence like ???
we know from the bonus chapter that Azriel had been planning his victory for a year now…
And in the book Cassian mentions how Azriel is really competitive and that is quiet, cruel and utterly lethal…and he reveals his master strategy the last minute to win
But he was so upset over Elain and so mad at Rhys that he didn’t even do his own plan that he was talking about in the bonus before the scene with Elain.
And we have Sarah explaining that Azriel and Rhys were so mad at each other that they threw rocks and ice.
It’s the way Rhys & Az both dismiss them with confidence that gets me.
And don’t even get me started on how rude I found Lucien in that second scene. Notice how he asks someone else about Elain’s needs (literally right in front of her), rather than stepping up and asking her himself verbally? Since he clearly isn’t in tune with her via that bond…*sips tea*
Kinda reminds me of the “I’m getting her back” vs. the “Get her back” comparison too…
“Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her. Azriel was sprawled on the chaise longue across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports—likely information on the Autumn Court that he planned to present to Rhys once he’d sorted through it all. Already dressed for the Hewn City—the brutal, beautiful armor so at odds with the lovely garden. And my sister sitting within it.”
It’s an interesting choice of words in regards to Elain as well.
Yes, Azriel was SPRAWLED (he is NEVER sprawled. He is always ramrod, tucked-in, straight, and rigid) and the one time he is sprawled is with Elain.
But Elain–if you read the passage again, it seems like Elain is sitting WITHIN HIS ARMOUR. Like he is there to protect her and that his armour is there for her. She is completely safe with him.
Elain, who wouldn’t be left alone with anyone, and didn’t interact with anybody since she’s been turned, including her sisters, is sitting there, with this armour-clad winged man, completely at ease, and unconcerned.
The level of comfort between the two of them is remarkable. He allows himself to be utterly relaxed with her, sprawled, in front of her.
It also reminded me of the scene UtM, with Feyre digging in Rhys’s fireplace, picking up lentils. It was the first time when Rhys ever revealed his wings–to her (and us the readers). He was also sprawled on the bed, feeling remarkably comfortable with her (also, suspecting that she was his mate).
What is Azriel doing? He is showing off his wings in front of Elain. And Elain? She accepts the entire ‘package’. Doesn’t balk. No judgement. No fear. Complete acceptance. She is protected and comfortable.
Bottom line, I fucking love them together.
Gosh, I love them so much! The soulmate energy radiating from these two is no joke! I don’t care if they aren’t mates and won’t have the perfect babes or whatever the heck the bond is for, they were carved from the same flesh! Theses bitches share a soooooul! Look at this! I love them
Cassian said tightly, “He says he’d rather stay up here than at the river house.”
“Because of the shit with Elain?” Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?” Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened.
Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. “You all right?” His brother nodded. “Fine.” But shadows still swarmed him.
Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike.
“Elain was the only one who guessed. She caught me vomiting two mornings in a row.” She nodded toward Azriel. “I think she’s got you beat for secret-keeping.”
Azrielstiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all.” Az hadn’t so much as hesitated before going into the heart of Hybern’s war-camp.
Mor no longer sat beside Cassian, draped herself over him, and Azriel … those longing glances toward her had become few and far between. As if he’d given up. After five hundred years, he’d somehow given up. Cassian couldn’t think why.
Cassian let it drop, knowing Az would have told him already if he’d wanted to share what had been hounding him enough to exercise at night, rather than in the morning with them.
Azriel stiffened, an outright sign of temper from him as he said quietly, “There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.”
Shethrew a nod toward Azriel. “Including Elain, who is more than capable of defending herself against the darkness of the Trove, if she chooses to. Don’t underestimate her.”
“We won’t allow any harm to come to Elain. Rhys warded her this morning, and we have eyes on her at all times.” “Eyes can be blinded,” Nesta said. “Not the ones under my command,” Azriel said with soft menace.
Nesta met his stare, knowing he was the only one aside from Feyre who could truly understand her hesitation. He’d gone with Feyre into the heart of Hybern’s camp to save Elain—he knew the risk.
“She made ballrooms into battlefields and plotted like any general. Like you two,” she said, nodding to Cassian, and then, a bit more shyly, to Azriel. Azriel offered her a small smilethatElain quickly looked away from. Cassian tucked away his puzzlement.
“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends.
Elain just linked her arm through Nesta’s and led her toward the family room, where Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it.
Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room.
“My shadows don’t like the flames so much.” A pretty lie. She’d seen Azriel before the fire plenty. But she looked at who sat close to it and knew the answer.
Shadows darkened his eyes, full of enough pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. Letting him see that she understood why he stood in the doorway, why he wouldn’t go near the fire. His secret to tell, never hers.
He’d been replaced in training by a stone-faced Azriel, who was more aloof than usual and wouldn’t even give her a smile.
Today was a tough day… my students have finished state testing and now 8 days left… they’re ready for summer and show it.
This is do sweet and fluffy… it was nice to read to help balance out the rest of my day… but it’s bittersweet because BLAS is finished I’ll really miss it.
Awww thanks so much! So glad this fluff could help brighten your day!
Elain raised the biscuit to his mouth, and Azriel took a bite, the buttery cookie crumbling in his mouth, the chocolate melting beneath his tongue. He chewed slowly, cautiously, unsure how exactly this would manifest but savoring the experience nonetheless.
As he swallowed, he felt it. The warm tug in his abdomen tightening, a shower of gold annihilating his senses as he began to feel her. He took another bite, and another—each bit passing his lips strengthening the pull of her until he had consumed the entire thing.
“I said bed,” Elain protested, causing Azriel to grip her chin and force her to look at him. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it was enough to get his point across. He still wanted to play with her before he took her. She was starting to get an impression of how her mate worked—how he craved control in the bedroom.
HES SO SEXY PLEASE KILL ME
THE SAFE WORD IS PORPOISE?
i’m screaming that is so fucking funny omfg ahdkadjhalkjsfha;odujha;
“We are dancing on a knife’s edge, love. You need to yield to me completely.”
THE COCKY GRIN hdikaldijhaolsdf HAHAHA he… ahdklad her.. . jaslojhadkiajdlakdjad io have no iwordsssds
that was sO hot im actually flat out perished now thsank you
Omg thank you! Hahaha honestly one of my favorite things ever I think. And you know I had to include the porpoise comment. It was too fucking funny not to. We’re hilarious.
“What was that, Elain?” Azriel demanded as soon as they landed back in the foyer of the townhouse, him clearly not willing to air this conversation in front of others.
“Listen, Azriel. I … I love you.”
He froze in his tracks for a split second before cupping her face in one of his hands. “And I love you too. I have for longer than I care to admit,” he offered.
“Then you’ll understand that I needed to keep this from you until … until I knew it was true.”
‘Elain blushed as she remembered the last time the two of them had been in here. It seemed like ages ago that he had lifted her onto the countertop and broken that silence between them with his tongue’
sdjfuhskldfujh;afkljhs;df
“I think I began to fall for you the first time you called my hands beautiful.”
That was … years ago, but Elain stayed silent, letting him continue his story.
THESE TWO sfgjslodfkijpkfjasf god help me
hahaha the admittance that azriel would have straight up flattened lucien is too amusing
“He didn’t want me objectifying you and using you just for sex, but little did he know that I had fallen much harder than that long ago. One taste of you broke me. I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Couldn’t get the feel of your skin off my fingertips. It became harder and harder to keep my composure.”
Elain cooed, pulling her hands away from her face as the chubby-cheeked baby in Azriel’s arms giggled wildly.
“Stop that. He doesn’t know what’s happening,” Azriel chastised as Nyx silenced once she hid her face once more.
“It’s a game, love. People play this with babies all the time. See? He loves it.” Riotous laughter echoed around the meadow.
It was the end of summer, and the family was all gathered at the cabin for hunting and fishing, and really an excuse to drink raucously—as if they didn’t do that enough already at home.
In the month since Elain and Azriel had mated, they’d both moved into the townhouse—a gift from Rhys and Feyre, though he’d promised that if they ever wanted anything bigger, he would spare no expense. It seemed the High Lord still felt insanely guilty for his role in separating them.
But right now it was the perfect size for them. They could still stay at the riverfront estate when they wanted family time, but it afforded them some semblance of privacy without being too far away from the others and downtown Velaris.
Elain still visited the estate gardens a few days a week, but she had revived the neglected garden at the townhouse, small though it was. Somehow having it be solely hersmade it seem so much more important.
Azriel had even helped her build a pergola right in the middle, and it became one of their favorite spots to sit and sip tea in the mornings, snuggled in each other’s arms.
He had even recovered enough to be joining his brothers in their morning drills, and she had seen the change in him as he was able to return to that physical outlet. Between that and time spent with her, he seemed happyfor once since she’d known him.
Every night she fell asleep in his arms after making love. That’s what she called it, no matter whether it was in Azriel’s style or her own. Both were enjoyable and full of emotion—and copious pleasure—for her.
And he slept through the nights with her. Gone were the bags haunting the undersides of his eyes. They each still had their own pains and nightmares, but together they didn’t seem so overwhelming and all-consuming.
Though she wasn’t ready for children yet, the image of Azriel holding their nephew still threatened to undo her. Regardless of his childhood trauma, he would make a good father—if only to spite his own. But beneath the coldness of his many masks, she knew the softer side—the one which was permanently on display when they were alone together.
It only made her love him more.
She laid down on their blanket on the grass, closing her eyes and letting the sunshine wash over her. While there was a chill already forming in the air, the warmth brought on by the sunshine still permeated down to her bones.
A vision washed over her, and she invited it in.
***************
It must have been Solstice. All the evergreen decorations were strewn around the riverfront estate, and Elain could smell rich mulled wine heavily floating on the air. Piles of presents were littering the room, including a new pile for Nyx which was overflowing with toys.
It made her smile to see how spoiled her nephew would be—not that there had ever been any doubt in her mind.
She felt heady, a lump of longing and nostalgia forming in her throat as she thought of Solstices past. They had never quite gone smoothly, but she found her future self at peace.
The least of that probably had to do with the male strolling out of the sitting room towards her, sweeping her into a lingering kiss which promised just what he would do to her as soon as they climbed up the stairs to their bedroom.
But he was loitering around, not making the first move, and though Elain had already received a piece of artwork commissioned by her mate as a present, she somehow felt like he wasn’t finished, so she pulled back, looking him in the eyes in silent question.
A creeping flush threatened to break out over his golden brown skin as he met her gaze, and she saw him take a deep breath and realized … Azriel was nervous.
His hands fell into his pockets, and she had the distinct impression he was fiddling with something to help with whatever had him so anxious before he began speaking.
“My time with you has meant everything to me, Elain. I wouldn’t take back a second of what it took us to get here, no matter the price.” She felt the same way. Their lives were tinged with regrets, but every single decision had brought them here. Together.
“I am beyond honored to be your mate. I am beyond honored that even though you could have ignored the bond between us, you chose me. Even for all my faults. I am beyond honored that you opened your heart to our Fae traditions to give me—give us—this piece of joy and beauty.”
Elain’s heart was fluttering in her chest. Azriel showed her every day how much she meant to him, and it seemed like that hadn’t let up in the months leading to Solstice.
“So I wanted to bring back one of your human traditions. I know it’s not custom for mates to further seal the bond, and I know you were engaged to be married once, but …
Tears welled unbidden in Elain’s eyes, and she was reminded of how she had so much hope in this very spot a year ago only to have it crushed, but now … Now, she was getting everything she’d ever dreamed of, and …
She had to leave.
***************
As she saw him pulling something out of his pocket, Elain thrust herself from the vision. Some things weren’t meant to be completely spoiled by her visions. Some things were meant to be lived.
And Elain couldn’t imagine living those things with anyone other than the male at her side who tucked her into his chest.
***************
If you enjoyed this, please reblog it! It helps me get my story out to more readers.
If you’d like to receive notifications when I post future chapters of this or any other fic:
Elain raised the biscuit to his mouth, and Azriel took a bite, the buttery cookie crumbling in his mouth, the chocolate melting beneath his tongue. He chewed slowly, cautiously, unsure how exactly this would manifest but savoring the experience nonetheless.
As he swallowed, he felt it. The warm tug in his abdomen tightening, a shower of gold annihilating his senses as he began to feel her. He took another bite, and another—each bit passing his lips strengthening the pull of her until he had consumed the entire thing.
