I’ve been wanting to see a Gwyn art like this, her lineage is fascinating to me, can’t wait to learn more about it.
The flowers are Nymphaeas, the fishes are gobbies, they are freshwater species since she is a quarter river nymph, and can you see the cute blue scales on her neck and face? I’m obsessed.
Please do not repost it, the artist does not allow it
There’s this gwynriel headcanon in my head, it’s like,,, my comfort hc. Imma share it with you guys
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One morning, before the training starts, Cassian tells the trainees that today they are going to fight with either him or az, with their chosen weapon. If trainers win nothing happens, but if the trainee wins whoever they fought with (az or cass) will owe them a favor. Whoever they fight with is decided by picking a stone from a bag. There are two stones, one blue and one red. Red obviously means cassian and blue azriel. Whoever drops their weapon first loses.
One of the trainees shouts “Is cheating allowed?”. There are chuckles and then azriel says “If you think cheating is gonna help you then why not?”
So the game begins.
A few priestesses fight, some with cass some with az. They all lose, some even with cheating in different ways. Nesta picks the red stone and fights with Cass. Cassian gives her a smug smile when she loses despite all her dirty moves. Emerie picks the blue stone. Azriel shakes his head as if to say another time when she loses. And then Gwyn picks the blue stone.
She looks at azriel and says with a big smile “Ready to lose Shadowsinger?” Azriel, with a little smile of his own, says “Sure.”
They fight. Gwyn tries a few dirty moves too, but they do not help her disarm him. After a small eternity of fighting she finds an opening and gets closer to azriel. So much closer than an opponent should. She kisses azriel’s cheek and he stills in shock for a few seconds. When he’s aware of his surroundings again, his sword is on the ground and all the trainees are laughing and congratulating gwyn on her success.
Gwyn looks at him with an even bigger smile and says “You owe me a favor!”
Azriel, who is still feeling faint, clears his throat and says “It appears so.”
The small things. The cute things. The mutual respect and trust. The utter vulnerability that will have to be shown on both sides. They would not take things fast bc of Gwyns r*pe. And Azriel has years of trauma he’s kept inside of himself, tearing him down.
I’d LOVE to see them actually spill their guts to one another and end up cuddling as they wipe each other tears. Gwyn would trace the scars on his hands and remind him how strong he is and how happy she is that they found one another. That his physical scars make him a survivor and a warrior, like her emotional ones drove her to be. That they are -beautiful- to her. They would continue to cry together, but this time happier tears.
They would continue working on their past issues as a couple, going slow with gentle touches and kisses, words of encouragement and daily affirmations. They would build that trust and love until it’s so potent Gwyn is seriously -ready- for the next step, and Azriel finally realizes he is deserving of love; of -her- love.
He would be completely tender and almost scared of touching her bare skin, afraid of causing her PTSD. But Gwyn would then pull him close and remind him that he’s the one who saved her. She would tell him that with him is where she feels safest. She would kiss his forehead and cheeks and then lips before gazing into his eyes and reminding him that she trusts him with every piece of her.
And then they would make slow, tender love, Azriel making sure she was totally comfortable with everywhere he touches and doting on her completely. Gwyn would return the favor and sing softly to him in the afterglow, her body glowing (both figuratively and literally) as she sings, and his shadows fluttering about in the notes escaping her lips. The perfect scene of true love between mates.
Then they would move to the washroom for a bath and Gwyn would take off the enchanted (ring, necklace, jewel) that keeps her from changing into her nymph form in water. She would reveal that nymph (mermaid) form to him, her teal scaled tail glimmering and her tiny, pale glimmering scales on the rest of her skin sparkling like glitter. Azriel would stare, his eyes full of love for this female, amazed by the beauty she carries in both forms.
He would stroke her tail (earning a shiver, kinda like his wings) and scales lovingly and kiss her, telling her how beautiful she is in either form. Gwyn would then re-enchant herself and turn back to her womanly form, and Azriel would get in the tub with her, laying back as he holds her close. Unable to express the pure love they both feel, they’d both begin singing, the perfect duet of soprano and alto, light and shadow; a song of lovers that had waited so long to feel whole again, and now are whole as one.
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.
This art has been done for a while and was originally meant for a personal project one of my friends is doing from April to June where you pair an art with a story (hence why it is clearly depicting a scene that should be in the middle of a writing piece), however we decided against it when we realized it could look like we’re infringing on another fandom even currently taking place.
Either way, I am blow away by how amazing this art looks! When I first imagined Gwyn saving Azriel in the middle of battle I was reluctant to commission the idea because it was rather specific, but everything from the pegasus, the expressions, to the background are so gorgeous and I’m beyond happy with how the final product came out!
A huge thanks to @mostwantedpotato404 for taking on this commission and bringing it to life!
Ugh the best. Gwyn would be a soccer-mom type of mother, always so supportive of their children and cheering them on (Mother spare you if you ever hurt her little ones). Both of them would be super protective, but Azriel is definitely the chill one. He lets their kids explore (even though he always sending a shadow after them) and argues that a bruise or two would be good for them. But if you think you need to run from Gwyn if you ever hurt their children… you have a storm coming with Azriel. He’ll go from 0 to 1000, from cool dad to Angel-of-Death-dad in seconds and it’ll probably get very ugly. Their number one priority is always to make sure their children feel loved and safe, and that they grow confidence to follow their dreams.
Which one types with perfect grammar and which one types using numbers as letters?
(Modern AU). Gwyn’s texts are always very neat and carefully typed out. It’s not that Azriel doesn’t care about grammar, it’s just that he’ll be the kind of guy who replies with “ok” “sure” “yes” “no” “love you” and that’s it. Azriel would hate texting. And Gwyn wouldn’t so much as text him as she would send him voice notes. An obsessive amount of them (our girl loves to talk). But that’s okay because Azriel loves her voice and would listen to her all day.
Who makes the bad puns?
Azriel is the king of dad jokes and you can’t convince me otherwise. But only Gwyn knows this, which makes it even more amusing. Their humor is either very silly or very dry, and full of inner jokes nobody else gets.
When one has a cold, what does the other do?
When Gwyn is sick, Azriel goes into mother hen mode (except that it’s 100 times worse). He’d never leave her side, cuddle her, read to her, feed her hot soup, make sure she’s not too cold or too warm. Gwyn insists that she’s not dying and that he’s being too extra, but he doesn’t care. He’ll take care of his girl no matter what (she secretly loves it).
Who bugs the other while they’re trying to read?
Azriel knows when Gwyn is reading one of her smutty books, and he also knows how embarrassed she’ll be if he peered over her shoulder to read the filthy scenes. So he does just that. Gwyn would always squeal and threaten him all while red as a tomato, and Azriel would laugh at her reaction. It always ends up with a kiss on top of her head and Gwyn muttering curse words under her breath she’s definitely learned from Cassian.
Who hogs the blankets?
Gwyn does. A lot. At some point Azriel gives up and lets her have all the blankets, his shadows keeping him warm enough. But then Gwyn would wake up, see that Azriel doesn’t have any blankets, feel bad about it and wrap herself around him for warmth. Her morning cuddles are definitely not why Azriel gives her all the blankets, of course not.
What’s one of the first kinks they explore?
When Gwyn starts to feel more adventurous, she asks Azriel if they could try ropes ribbons in the bedroom. Azriel almost passes out when she tells him that she wants to tie him up. Not being able to touch Gwyn while she makes him feel so good and the lack of control drives him over the edge sooner than ever. Gwyn’s proud smile after that is a sight he never wants to forget.
Quickest turn ons?
Hands hands hands. Gwyn loves Azriel’s hands, loves how they feel against her smooth skin. And her genuine liking for his hands makes him learn to love them too, slowly. His hands on her lower stomach/ass are an instant turn on for both of them. More specifically, Azriel loves the little sounds that escape her throat when they kiss. They make him grind against her instantly, hands going where she wants them, and just like that they’re both lost in each other.
Rhysand: Okay, we wanna hear everything. Cass, get the wine and unplug the phone. Az, does this end well or do we need tissues?
Azriel: Oh, it ended very well.
Cassian: Do not start without me! Do not start without me!
Rhysand: Okay, alright, let’s hear about the kiss. Was it a soft brush against your lips or was it like a, you know, “I gotta have you now” kind of thing?
Azriel: Well, at first it was really intense, you know? And then, oh God, and then we just sort of sunk into it.
Cassian: Ohh… So, okay, was she holding you? Or were her hands on your back?
Azriel: First she started out by holding my hands and then slid up and then her hands were in my hair.
Cassian and Rhysand: Ohhh.
*meanwhile*
Gwyn eating pizza in the House: And, uh, and then I kissed him.
Cassian and Azriel tossing books on the sidewalk: we really hope no smut reading, sword swinging, bracelet making, Pegasus loving Valkyries follow us home where we’ve prepared a sitting room lit with fragranced candles, adorned with soft blankets, chocolate cake, tubs with bath salts and bubbles, face masks, more books, matching sets of pajamas—
Nesta and Gwyn: they had us at Cassian and Azriel but they don’t need to know that
Rhysand scents it first thing in the morning and can’t stop smiling. He strokes Feyre’s hair, patiently waiting for her to wake up and silently reminding himself that everything is going to be okay. He has to keep a clear head and stay calm for her (because just after a few minutes of knowing he’s already thinking of every way he can make this easier).
Feyre wakes up and sees Rhysand smiling at her (which isn’t unusual) but his eyes are wet. She assumes he’s had a nightmare but then he softly breaks the news and she runs through a myriad of emotions - happy, frightened, worried, then overjoyed.
Just like Rhysand, she’s reminding herself to keep a clear head and not worry because it’s not good for her or the baby. But just like Rhysand, she’s excited to see their family grow.
While Rhysand is more protective of Feyre as a whole in public, at home he spends a lot of time touching her bump absentmindedly. Reading reports with her on the couch, having dinner together, but mostly when they spoon. Feyre on the other hand is always touching her stomach, usually subconsciously.
Altogether, they are glad to share this experience without being in peril this time around and enjoy every moment.
Nessian:
Of all the Bat Boys Cassian has spent the most time thinking about having a family (though he is in no rush to start one).
Nesta misses her cycle but says nothing, because maybe it’s just late and she would hate to get his hopes up. But then Cassian visits her in the private library after returning home from a mission and scents it and he gasps so loud it gets her attention.
She immediately knows what’s happened and just says “Really?” and Cassian can’t stop laughing and nodding his head.
Nesta immediately starts crying. He hugs her for five minutes straight, rubbing her back and promising that he’s gonna make this so easy on her.
Cassian adores Nesta’s bump and is constantly touching it and announcing how big the baby is to anyone who will listen. Nesta pretends it annoys her, but secretly his obsession with her stomach is a relief. She worries that he feels more “shackled” than ever, and his affectionate pats, strokes, and rubs reminds her that these are shackles that he’s glad to be in.
Also, Nesta secretly enjoys all the attention and happiness of their family. Cassian knows it though.
Bonus: Cassian loves to call the baby different awful names to make Nesta laugh.
Cassian: How is Hogarth today?
Nesta:
Gwynriel(I have the most thoughts):
When Gwyn asks Azriel how he feels about starting a family the guy is immediately at attention. Patient strategist that he is, the Shadowsinger has been taking notes for nearly two decades during his time as “Everyone’s Favorite Uncle.” He’s paid attention to every complaint about pregnancy and the corresponding remedy. He’s memorized every cure to a cry when he was babysitting. He. Is. Prepared.
Gwyn is about to explain when they will have the highest chances of conceiving but Azriel already knows how her cycle factors into the odds.
Azriel is returning from a mission when he finds Gwyn in the training ring, sparring with Cassian. He can scent she is pregnant, but it’s so early that only he as her mate can tell, there’s no way Cassian could know. Azriel’s instincts take over and when his brother goes to sweep Gwyn’s legs out from under her, the shadowsinger barrels into Cassian full force knocking him out of the ring.
Gwyn is about to reprimand Azriel for stepping in but when she looks at him, he is crying and pulling her into his arms, apologizing into her hair. She’s confused and so is Cassian but finally, Azriel pulls away and tells her she’s pregnant. Cassian offers his congratulations and strongly advises to retire to their quarters…
Where Rhysand is protective and Cassian is proud, Azriel is attentive as hell.
“Your feet? Lay down, we’ll elevate them, I’ll give you a massage and get circulation going.”
“Your back? You should sit, I got this pillow especially for your lower back.”
“Nauseas? I bought a ginger tea. Wait here.”
“Tired? I’ll finish the paperwork, you go to bed.”
“You’re anxious? I’ll tell everyone we won’t make it to dinner.”
He is a firm believer that she’s doing entirely enough carrying their child and he will make this as easy as possible for her.
Early on, Gwyn notices that Azriel is way too worried. Azriel notices that Gwyn is too stubborn to ask for help. They strike a good balance around month five of Gwyn knowing when to ask for help and Azriel knowing when to offer.
Also, Azriel sings to her bump every night, talks to it constantly and is a big believer in belly kisses.
Gwynriel PDA includes Gwyn running into Azriel’s office after training and rubbing her sweaty face all over his. While he goes “Mmmrf, you’re an animal” and blushes furiously.
After eating a slice of pie in the Spring Court, Gwyn finds herself desperate to be closer to Azriel and put an end to their accidental bout of abstinence.
Warnings: NSFW. Very NSFW. Smut. Smuttiness for days.
This is part of the Cherry Pie: ACOTAR Kinktober Smut Extravaganza collection. Make sure to check out the rest of the collection and the other authors!
