Tumgik
#we love Lucien but we also make fun of him
acourtofthought · 3 days
Note
Would you still consider it a celebration if Gwynriel’s book is next, bc it at least confirms endgame couples?
I will be very happy for Gwynriels and very relieved that it will help lessen the ship wars though I think I'll still feel disappointed.
I want Elucien to happen but I also adore Elain and Lucien as individuals so an Elucien confirmation isn't the entirety of what I want for them.
Az and Gwyn absolutely deserve a HEA and their own healing arcs but there is something to be said for the fact that right now, they are surrounded by love even without a relationship. Yes, they have their own internal struggles but they have a really strong support system, people that have their backs, that encourage them, that believe in them. Az and Gwyn both have their found families but neither Elain or Lucien do.
Elain and Lucien are regularly pushed to the side in favor of the other characters. I understand why that is, SJM has to stay on course with the narrative that they still need to find the court where they'll thrive, but in the meantime that has resulted in them being misunderstood by the others. It results in others speaking for them, the others not encouraging them or helping them find their powers. Hell, Feyre has known about Lucien's real father since ACOWAR and it's almost two years later yet she's still letting him wander around aimlessly thinking he has no place to go.
A Gwynriel book being next means we're going to have yet another book of Elain floating around the River House with no real purpose. Lucien drifting between Spring and the Human Lands while Tamlin remains depressed which means Lucien will feel the effects of that. Elain again not having the chance to have a POV on how she's feeling about the loss of her father, being made, Graysen's rejection, Az's rejection, how Nesta and Az believe she shouldn't be allowed to do anything dangerous. If a Gwynriel book takes 6-9 months, that means nearly three years will have passed from when Elain will have been forced into the Cauldron, given powers from the Cauldron that she still hasn't fully explored and hasn't been given help on training, a confirmed mating bond that remains unaccepted and unrejected, and we will have never had a single person actually ask her how she feels about any of that outside of Feyre's "you couldn't say a single word to him?"
I will be happy for Gwynriels but how can I personally be super excited when that means my two favorite characters will once again suffer for another 6-9 months without having the same support system in place that Az and Gwyn already do?
Gwyn and Az might not have romance yet but they are respected and loved by their friends and we've witnessed that on page. Meaningful moments, moments where their found family have gotten personal with them and asked them to get personal in response (though Az is kind of terrible in that area, we've seen Cassian and Rhys at least try).
Lucien has "friends" in Vassa and Jurian but we've never actually seen that connection, we're just told it's there so we have to assume it is.
And when he tried to open up to Feyre, she made fun of him.
Elain has "friends" with the wraiths but again, we're just told about it rather than witnessing moments that make us actually feel it. And yes, her sisters love her but they don't try to connect with her (Feyre only thinks of her as a pleasant companion).
And the IC, while friendly enough with Lucien, don't necessarily embrace him with any kind of true respect. There's always this underlying current of "can we trust him?", "what can he do for us?" And of course we know Az has issues with him.
The need to prove that both Elain and Lucien belong somewhere other than where they currently is starting to feel a tiny bit overdone to the point that it's a bit cruel, and while that to me would be a perfect time to end their suffering, I can only imagine what another book of that would look like.
33 notes · View notes
hellodarling1357 · 3 months
Text
Flames and Embers - Cassian x Vanserra!Reader (slow burn)
Summary: As Beron's sixth child, and only daughter, you had spent your whole life being overlooked and under utilitised. It wasn't until Amarantha's reign that your talents were truly recognised for what they were - too bad you were forced to make a bargain to keep them secret
A/N: Hi! This started out as a request I received the other week but then turned into something completely different and so far from the original request that it’s now getting it’s own multi-part story
This will eventually become a Cassian x Reader fic with a bit of angst, fluff, slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, and all the other fun tropes we know and love!
Enjoy 🥰
Word Count: 3k
Being the only daughter of the Autumn Court’s High Lord, alongside having seven brothers to compete with, you had been overlooked for most of your life which was just fine by you.
You had used the cover of being just a female in an archaic court to your advantage and took the time to observe and learn whatever you could. After being forced to witness how your brothers treated Lucien, you had always tried to have his back, which only went so far when any show of defiance from you was met with a beating. When Lucien had been forced out of your home, you had been heartbroken it had come to it but also happy that your youngest brother could finally become his own person and escape the cruelty that had followed him around his whole life.
Eris had always tried to keep an eye on you. He wouldn’t give up the façade in front of the others, however, he would find the time whenever he could to take you out riding into a long-forgotten part of the woods where he would teach you how to fight. The day you landed him on his ass had been one of his proudest moments, but that didn’t stop him from upping the pressure, forcing you to become stronger and more tactful in each step. Knowing that you could easily take on the rest of your brothers is what kept you from lashing out at their comments and actions towards you; with Lucien gone, you had become their next punching bag to which your father turned a blind eye.
Then Amarantha showed up and everything was turned on its head.
It was in no way a pleasant 50 years, however, you managed to stay out of harm’s way, no doubt at the hands of Eris' doing, and managed to avoid most of the horrors that occurred. However, once the human girl, Feyre, had arrived, you made yourself more present in the ongoings of Amarantha’s court, unable to leave the girl fully alone and fending for herself. Your need to help her was further spurred on upon realising that Lucien appeared to be her friend.
Lucien. The thought that your brother, the one who had managed to escape the past 50 years of torment, was now here as well had you feeling as though you had somehow let him down, even though it was completely out of your control. You hadn’t been present the first time Tamlin had sent Lucien to seek out Amarantha, the time when she had so viciously carved out his eye that even some of your brothers seemed somewhat affronted. However, you were there now. You had watched on in horror as Lucien defended Feyre, and then the 20 lashes Tamlin was forced to give after he helped with the first task…
Once Lucien had been allowed to retreat to his room, you had spent the next hour finding out as much as you could about Amarantha's plans for Feyre and your brother. With healing supplies in hand, you ventured into the sprawling court to where you had been told Lucien resided. With a quiet knock on his door, you entered the room and felt your heart break at the shaken, broken form of your brother. Despite the clear pain he was in, he had leapt off the bed at the sight of you and was quick to pull you into a tight embrace.
“Y/N,” He had exclaimed, carefully surveying you for any signs of injury. “Are you alright? What’s happened? Cauldron, I’ve missed you.” Then he was pulling you into another hug that left you in tears.
When was the last time you had seen him? It had been decades.
“I’m fine,” You brushed him off and made him sit so you could assess his injuries. “You look like you’ve seen better days.” He made a non-committal sound in response, taking in a deep breath at the sting of the healing balm you helped spread across his back. You pushed onto your heels, assessing the damage and your makeshift attempt of bandaging the wounds.
“What can I do?” You asked, feeling just as helpless as you did when growing up.
“Check in on Feyre. Please. I can’t…I can’t do anything, not now. And whatever game Tamlin is playing, he won’t go see her. Please. She’s all alone.” You hesitated for a moment but found yourself nodding.
“Of course. Of course I’ll go and see her.” You lowered your voice, not trusting that anywhere in this place was truly safe. “Does she truly love him?” If she did, then you all had a chance of getting out.
“She does.” Lucien answered, a small smile tugging on his lips.
“Anything else, let me know, alright? I’ll go and check on her.” You gave your brother a final hug and then slipped from the room, making your way towards the dungeons.
*****
“Feyre?” You whispered into the darkness, the guards were in the middle of their rotation, so you had few valuable minutes to slip in and out undetected, the limited healing supplies and food you managed to take with you were clutched tightly into the folds of your dress.
An incoherent groan sounded from further down the dark, cage-lined corridor. You hurried over, halting in your steps when you saw her sitting against the wall still covered in blood and mud, a pained expression on her weary face.
“Feyre? I’m Y/N. I’m Lucien’s sister, he asked me to check on you, see how you were holding up.” You tried to stay optimistic but the wound on her arms was nothing that you could fix. Maybe before Amarantha stifled everyone’s magic you would stand a chance, but not now when all you could offer were some clean rags, a bit of water and a scrap of bread.
You knelt on the floor in front of her cell, unable to get in without your magic or access to the key.
“I know it hurts, but are you able to move a bit closer, I can’t help you from here.” You cringed as you watched Feyre grit her teeth, slowly moving across the floor, pain evident on her face.
“Y/N?” She asked in a strained voice, you nodded with a small smile, passing her the bread which she quickly bit into. “Lucien told me about you. Said that you were here.”
“I don’t have long, here, give me your arm I’ll do my best to clean it but there’s not much else I can do. At least not right now.” You wiped away the blood and muck that lingered from the first task, trying not to grimace as you took in the severity of the wound. The sound of movement spurred you on, quickly ushering her to drink the water and finish the bread so you could leave before getting caught.
“I’ll try to get back here soon, okay?” Feyre was already making her way back towards the rear wall where she slumped against it. You were almost out when a small voice called out.
“Y/N? Thank you.”
*****
Managing to obtain some of the healing balm that you had used on Lucien's injuries, you kept to the shadows as you made your way back down to the dungeons.
You had been keeping an ear out for what Amarantha’s plans were for the girl; if she planned on healing her before the next task or leaving her in the dark cell to fend for herself. Either way, you couldn’t be too obvious in your efforts to help, lest you get caught and wind up dead for the blatant disregard of Amarantha's orders.
The sound of voices had you slowing in your steps as you overhead the back end of a conversation. Someone was in Feyre’s cell with her.
“Oh, that’s wonderfully gruesome.” You recognised that voice, but surely it wasn’t…
Feyre swore at the male, earning her a chuckle as he taunted, “Such words from a lady.”
You edged closer to the cell, unsure what your next move would be from here but still unwilling to leave her to fend for herself against Rhysand.
“Get out,” Feyre’s voice was frail as she tried to show her strength against the High Lord.
“Don’t you want me to heal your arm? Or is that what Y/N Vanserra is here to do? I know you’re there, Y/N.” His voice called out to you now.
Shit.
You approached the cell; it was too late to turn back. Your best chance was to play along with his games, there was not point in running, not when he knew you were there and that it clearly wasn’t your first visit.
“Hmm, wiping away the grime was a valiant effort, and what’s this you have?” The healing balm disappeared from your grasp, reappearing moments later in Rhysand’s hand. “Well, that’s not going to do much against the infection and broken bones.”
Rhysand turned back to face Feyre, “But how about a trade? I’ll heal your arm in exchange for you. Two weeks every month, two weeks of my choosing, you’ll live with me at the Night Court. Starting after this messy three-trials business.” You desperately shook your head, trying to tell her he couldn’t be trusted.
“No.”
“No? Really?”
“Get out.”
“You’d turn down my offer – and for what? A fool’s chance that this healing balm will work? Or are you holding out for your friend – for Lucien, correct? After all, he healed you before, didn’t he? Then convinced his dear sister Y/N to come down to tend to you after the first trial.”
Now Rhysand turned to face you, giving you a look that had you thinking he could see your every thought, which, you remembered with dread, he probably could. You had never been taught how exactly mental shields worked but you did your best to block him out. It clearly wasn’t enough judging from the chuckle and assessing look he gave you before facing Feyre again.
“The way I see things Feyre, you have two options. The first, and the smartest, would be to accept my offer.” Your eyes widened in anticipation as Feyre spat at his feet, but Rhysand continued pacing the length of the cell.
“The second option – and the one only a fool would take – would be for you to refuse my offer and place your life, and thus Tamlin’s, in the hands of chance.”
Rhysand had stopped pacing, staring hard at Feyre who had turned white as a sheet and looked as thought she may pass out at any moment.
“Let’s say I walk out of here. Perhaps this healing balm will work,” He tossed it back to you, desperate in your attempt to grab it before it could shatter to the floor. “Perhaps Lucien will come to your aid and offer his magic. Or perhaps he won’t come at all. Between you and me, he’s been keeping a low profile after his rather embarrassing outburst at your trial. Amarantha’s not exactly pleased with him. Tamlin even broke his delightful brooding to beg for him to be spared – such a noble warrior, your High Lord. She listened, of course – but only after she made Tamlin bestow Lucien’s punishment. Twenty lashes.”
Feyre started shaking, eyes darting up to you in confirmation and what looked like betrayal. You hadn’t told her about the lashes.
“Although, from what I heard, the punishment wasn’t overly effective seeing that the wounds somehow healed over within a few hours without the assistance of magic. You would almost think that something like that healing balm you've got there, Y/N, was used despite Amarantha’s order that there was to be no assistance provided.” Rhysand tutted as he turned to you with a smile that made your stomach coil but said no more on the matter.
“So, Feyre, it’s really a question of how much you’re willing to risk it. I don’t need to invade your thoughts to know that you’re wondering if that fever of yours is the first sign of infection. I already know that you’ve slowly been realising that you’re dying.” There was a beat of silence in which Feyre stared back at him with such hatred, you felt your pulse quicken at the thought that it may be too late to help.
“Well?”
“Go. To. Hell.”
Before you could react, Rhysand lashed out and twisted Feyre’s arm, her scream echoing throughout the cell as she thrashed against him. But he kept his grip, twisting the bone a final time before releasing her arm as she half sobbed and panted through the pain.
“This is the last time I’ll extend my assistance. Once I leave this cell, my offer is dead.” Feyre spat at him again but remained silent.
With a disappointed sigh, Rhysand began to ripple with darkness. You weren’t sure what to think; you couldn’t trust him but if Feyre really was dying and this was her only chance of survival…
“Wait.”
The darkness around the High Lord vanished, solidly appearing again with a grin as he faced Feyre.
“Yes?”
“Just two weeks?”
“Just two weeks. Two teensy, tiny weeks with me every month is all I ask.” He was kneeling in front of her now as he purred out his terms. As if suddenly aware of how much time you had already spent down here, your senses picked up, listening closely for any sounds of the returning guards, but there was nothing.
A surge of magic had you turning to face the cell just as Rhysand grabbed Feyre’s arm. She let out a scream before fainting, head falling against the wall.
“What did you do?” You yelled, banging on the bars of the cell in a futile attempt to get in.
“Exactly what we bargained for. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you, Vanserra.” Before you could process his words, Feyre was suddenly sitting up, with the blood and mud completely gone you could do nothing but watch as some colour finally returned to her cheeks. Letting out a sign you offered her a small smile, at least he had kept his word and healed her arm. The remainder of the bargain was something to think about later when you all got out of this mess. If you all got out of this mess.
“What have you done to me?” Only then did you notice the black swirls that covered her skin and the large eye tattooed in the centre of her palm.
“It’s custom in my court for bargains to be permanently marked upon flesh.”
“Make it go away.”
“You humans truly are grateful creatures, aren’t you?” Rhysand stood back up, darkness wafting around him again. “I think I’ll wait to tell Tamlin about our little bargain. I do wonder if he will be as appreciative as you are. Rest up, Feyre.” And then he was gone in a shadow of night.
“Feyre? Are you alright?” You knelt on the floor outside the cage, surveying her for any signs of potential harm caused by Rhysand, but she just looked tired, troubled.
“I’m fine. My arm is fine. I just feel stupid, he didn’t do that to help me, he did it to hurt Tamlin.”
You let out a sigh, “We’ll deal with that later, alright? At least you’re not about to die, so we will take that as a win.” Standing back up you surveyed her again; she was so young and had already faced so much more than most of the fae here. “I’ve been here too long, I need to go before the guards return. But, Feyre, I’ll be back. I promise.”
*****
You slipped out of the dungeons and hurried down the corridor, quickly ducking behind a corner at the sound of the guards returning.
“Hello, Y/N.”
You jumped at his voice, heart hammering in your chest as you turned to face Rhysand where he casually leant against the wall, picking at his jacket as he surveyed you with mild interest.
“I was starting to wonder about what you had been getting up to after all these years here. We never see you at any of our Lady’s…festivities.”
“I must have missed the invite.” You tried to step around him. You had gone this long without piquing the interest of any of Amarantha’s cronies, managing to stay relatively to yourself, and you’d be damned if you were forced to show your face now.
“Interesting,” His violet eyes continued to assess you. “You know, it doesn’t surprise me really. I remember back when we were just children, playing court whilst forced to join in on the formalities. You always managed to remain in the shadows, yet even back then, you somehow knew everything and got away with so much.”
You stared back, eyes narrowing as you waited for him to continue. He clearly had some angle he was getting at.
“Yes. Those particular skills may be useful to me one day. And while I’m in such a giving mood, how about a bargain of our own? You be my eyes and ears,” You scoffed, already shaking your head as you attempted to walk away again. “And in return, I’ll keep your role in all of this quiet. You wouldn’t want Amarantha to know that it was you who helped Lucien, and now Feyre, would you? After all, I’m sure she would be pleased to be reminded of your presence in her court.”
Glaring at him, you knew he had you cornered. The satisfied smirk that played on his face told you that he knew as well.
With a reluctant sigh you stretched out your hand which he firmly grasped.
“Fine.”
“Lovely.”
You refused to break eye contact with the High Lord as you felt his magic encase your upper arm and shoulder, no doubt leaving a similarly intricate pattern to the one now splayed across Feyre’s arm.
You looked down to see if there was any visible evidence of the bargain, but it was completely covered by your dress. Good. At least that would stop any questions from being asked.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Y/N.” And then he was gone in another shadow of darkness.
425 notes · View notes
shadowandlightt · 3 months
Text
Of Nightmares and Memories /three/ Azriel x reader
Series Warnings: Kidnapping. Mistreatment. Cursing. Pining. Violence. Depression. Talks of suicide. Eventual smut
Part One Part Two
Tumblr media
The night of Calanmai came. You were buzzing with energy. You dressed in old clothes, and wrapped yourself in Lucien’s cloak, trying to hide your scent as best as possible. To anyone else out there, it would look like you belonged to the fox. That you were his and no one else’s. Which would also keep you safe from anyone creeping a little too close. 
“Stay with me, do you understand?” Lucien questioned. 
“I know, I know.”
The beat of the drums outside grows louder and louder. You could feel them in your soul, begging you to run out and join the fun. You ached with anticipation. You were going to leave this dreaded house and finally see your brother again. 
You just wanted to lay eyes on him and know that he was still in there somewhere, and wasn’t the monster everyone believed him to be. Certainly he was doing what he had to do to survive? Certainly your sweet caring brother was still in there, buried deep within? 
“Come, we don’t have much time,” Lucien said, leading you out of your rooms. 
You shiver against the cool night. Though you weren’t sure if it was the cold that was making you shiver, or the thought of seeing him again. You couldn’t tell him who you were, couldn’t allow him to realize you were still alive. 
He would destroy the spring court and with it any hopes of beating Amerantha at her own game. If Feyre could just admit that she was in love with Tamlin, which somehow you had a feeling she was slowly falling for the Lord of Spring, everything would change. Maybe you could go home again. 
You longed for home. Longed for Valaris, and the group of fae that you called family. You longed for Cassian and Mor constantly fighting and joking. You longed for Amren and her grumpy nature. And Azriel…your Az. The person who seemed to understand you more than anyone else in the world. You longed for him most of all.  He was so quiet and understanding, and so beautiful in every possible way. You wished you would have told him. But you were still just a child. 
You were still so young when Tamlin and his family took you. Barely even eighteen, but you aged slower somehow, so while you were of age, you barely looked sixteen. So small and young. So much of your life stripped away from you. 
You feel Rhys before you spot him. You feel the night rippling off of him, calling your own powers out to play. The headache slowly sets in at the base of your skull as you try to reign in your own shadows and darkness. 
He’s talking to Feyre, and for a moment you smile, because you could see them together in another life. Perhaps if she’d been born a Fae. Perhaps if Rhys needed to be the one to break Amerantha’s curse, and not Tamlin. Because you hated the idea of Tamlin getting to be happy with Feyre once this was all said and done. You hated the fact that she would live out her few good years with that beast. 
“What do we have here?” His silky voice questioned, violet eyes looking you over, “Already have a play thing, Lucien?” 
“Not quite,” I spoke up, daring him to recognize me from beneath the glamor.
you could feel his mental claws scratching against my shields, looking for a way in. He would not find one, of course. Having been trained to block him out since you were old enough to understand the concept.
His eyes narrowed at you, taking a step closer towards you. Meanwhile, Lucien hissed at you to stay put while he dragged Feyre back to the manor house, leaving you alone with Rhys. You ached to tell him, but you couldn’t. If you told him you’d be dead before the next moon rise. 
“Who are you?” 
You bite back the bile that rises in your throat, “Lucien’s…friend.”
“No, you aren’t.”
You only smirk and try to force your way into his head again, sweat starting to bead on your forehead. 
“If you were his friend, you wouldn’t be full of faebane.”
“Maybe I choose this.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” he tisks, “Poor little lamb, stuck in spring.”
“I’m far from a little lamb,” You hiss back, hating that you sound and feel weak. 
You are weak, in every way that matters now, you’re weak. And Rhys can’t do anything to help you. He can’t take you away from here, he can’t save you. Because he can’t even save himself. He’s stuck under Amerantha’s thumb, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. Your only hope is that poor human girl to actually fall in love with Tamlin. What a fate that would be. 
Lucien returns, dropping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you close. You had to do something, anything to try to let him know you were alive. That you were here. You were right there, just silently begging for him to notice you. So you did the only thing you could think of and flung out what little power you had left. You scratched down his mental shields, already feeling sweat beading on your forehead. 
At this point he’d turned his back, ready to move away from the boring conversation. But your little outburst caused him to spin back around and stalk towards you. You thought he might go for your throat, might kill you right there for daring to do anything to him but he didn’t. 
“I could kill you right where you stand,” He hisses at you, “Without breaking a sweat.”
“Ah, but you’d have to catch me first,” you struggle to say from the strain of the faebane, “I hear I’m like the wind.”
His eyes widen, hands reaching for you, before Lucien took hold of you and dragged you away. You were back in the manor house before you could even think. Lucien started to yell at you, drowning out the sound of the drums outside, which were growing louder and louder. The rite would start soon, Lucien would be needed.
“What did you say to him?” He demands. 
“Nothing, you heard me.”
“No, that meant something!” 
“Just something I used to say as a child,” You shake your head, “I’m going to bed. Have fun.”
You wave him off as you go. You felt heavy and tired. But somehow so invigorated. Your brother was still your brother, you knew that. Deep down he was still Rhys, and not the monster everyone believed him to be. Deep down, he was still there, just waiting to come back out like everyone else. 
That night you dreamt of your wings. Flying over Valaris with Rhys and your mother. Laughing with Cas and Az at the House of Wind. You dreamt about everything, and at the same time nothing. 
“I’m going to get you, little star!” Rhys laughed from behind you as you ran away from him. 
“You’ll have to catch me first!” You yell, jumping off of the ledge, “I’m like the wind!” 
The air catches your wings and pulls you along. You smile and giggle as you pivot to avoid Rhys again. The wind whips through your hair as you fly, you don’t bother trying to stop it. It only makes you laugh harder.  You feel so free as you fly higher and higher over the city. You wonder for a second if they can hear you laughing down in the Rainbow. 
You’d have to stop back down there today, you wanted to listen to the music some more. Maybe purchase a painting or two for your rooms. Maybe you could convince Cas or Az to come with you. 
Arms reach around you, causing you to shriek. Rhys’ laugh filled your ears and you relaxed into his arms. It was rare to have moments like this now. Your father kept him so busy, much to yours and your mother’s dismay. 
He pulls you in close and laughs as you nudge him with your elbow, “I love you, little star,” He whispers to you above the wind. 
“I love you too, Rhys.”
When you wake the following morning, you have tears in your eyes. Your pillow is wet with them. You do not get out of bed that day.
Tag List
@historygeekqueen @wallacewillow0773638 @sstrohma @saltedcofeesotch @hnyclover @thelov3lybookworm @queerqueenlynn
316 notes · View notes
thelov3lybookworm · 4 months
Text
Presents (part two)
Part 1
Summary: Y/n has found her mate, and she will not tolerate any untoward behaviour towards him. Especially from her family.
And she will show them exactly what will happen if her mate does not get the respect he deserves from them.
•○●⛦●○•
A/n: *dreamy sigh*
enjoy! ❣️
•○🌑○•
It was one of the family dinner nights, so that meant everyone was going to be present in the river house.
It also meant Y/n was on edge.
She was no child who didn't understand when someone disliked a person, and she was also very good at reading people, so that meant she understood very perfectly that her family was not very fond of her mate.
For whatever reasons she could not understand.
It was also the first time she would be meeting her family after almost two months of the mating frenzy having Lucien and Y/n locked away in the cabin Y/n owned in the in the Illyrian steppes.
He had her busy for two. Fucking. Months.
Y/n was not complaining.
Not when she found herself being wrapped up in his warm body afterwards, soothing all the pleasant aches in her body. And simply just watching him lie next to her, knowing he was hers and completely hers, watching peace settle into the harsh lines of his cruel face...
Yeah, she definitely was not complaining.
The voice she had come to love since the moment she met him called out her name, and she rushed downstairs to meet him in the foyer.
There he stood, facing the doorway and fixing the cuffs of his dark blue shirt which clung to him in the most delicious ways possible, the stark wite pants she had picked out for him accentuating his thighs and ass. His fiery hair hung around his shoulders, a small bun on the back of his head, the thin braids Y/n had insisted on making hanging between the loose strands... he looked mouth watering, to say the least.
He turned to her as soon as she stepped closer to him, and smiled.
Every thought flew out of Y/n's head as she watched his forearms flex while he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, the chunky bracelet Y/n had asked him to wear sitting snugly on his wrist, shining in the dim lighting.
"Y/n?"
Y/n blinked, her eyes moving slowly to meet his. "Hmm?"
A small grin spread on his face, and he leaned forward to tap her nose. "I asked if you were ready."
"Oh? Oh yeah, I am ready."
His grin widened, ad he leaned forward to place a soft kiss to her lips. "Then we better get going before we decide it's not worth socialising."
"What makes you think I am not already thinking about that?"
Lucien threw his head back as laughter poured out of his pretty lips, and Y/n held herself back from acting on the urge to taste his laughter.
He had been laughing a lot these days, and a warmth spread through Y/n everytime she heard the beautiful sound.
As soon as Y/n went to retrieve her shoes, Lucien grabbed them, then crouched in front of her.
"Let me." He gently grasped one of her ankles in his hands, slipping on her heels.
"Lucien, you don't need to do that-" She whispered, pink tinting her cheeks.
"But I want to."
Once he was done, he stood, dusting of his pants, He extended his elbow, inclining his head towards the door, his eyes shining. Y/n grabbed onto him as the two of them winnowed from the snowy mountains to the pathway leading to the river house.
"After you, my lady." He opened the door for her, waiting until she had entered the warm space before following.
Feyre and Nyx came into view as soon as Y/n and Lucien had hung their coats on the rack.
"Y/n! It's been so long! I hope you had a fun time." Feyre wiggled her brows, and Y/n rolled her eyes, picking up a giggling Nyx and walking into the sitting room where everyone was sat.
Cassian stood, a wide grin on his face, as he made his way towards Y/n.
"Where have you been? Rhysand wouldn't tell us other than you being on a mission." Cassian glared accusingly at Y/n's brother, but then he froze. His eyes widened, then flew to Lucien, who stood just behind Y/n.
His mouth opened a couple of times, eyes moving rapidly between Y/n and Lucien, before he gagged a little.
"I hope you don't start fucking on every surface in this house. It is not appropriate."
Y/n raised her brows. "You would know a lot about appropriate behaviour, right?"
Cassian grinned, pulling her in for a hug, and Y/n could feel Lucien suppressing the urge to growl in possessiveness. "Congratulations, you two."
Then, to Y/n's surprise, after Cassian let go of her, he pulled Lucien in for an embrace too. By the look on Lucien's face, he hadn't expected it either, though he appreciated it.
That was when Y/n noticed the stillness in the air in the room, and she glanced around to find Mor, Amren and Azriel in various states of shock, with Feyre smiling at Cassian and his antics in teasing Lucien, Rhys staring into the fire place, his hand wrapped around his glass of wine.
•○●⛦●○•
"You seem a little shocked." Y/n mumbled, accepting the glass Feyre passed to her after everyone had settled down on the dining table. The spread of food on the table surprisingly only consisting of all of Y/n's favourites.
"No one told us about you- and him." Mor returned, colour climbing up her cheeks in embarrassment.
Y/n rose a questioning brow at Rhysand, who splayed his palms in the air. "I thought you might want to tell them yourself. I didn't realise you would be away for almost two months."
The last part was mumbled, and it brought out a blush on Y/n's face thinking about exactly what happened in that time.
"So... you are mates?" Mor questioned, and Y/n could tell she was uncomfortable.
Y/n grinned proudly, nudging a smiling Lucien's shoulder with hers. "Yeah. We are."
"Congratulations." Mor mumbled, her eyes trained on her food.
"Pity." Amren said, emotionless.
The whole room fell silent, the air becoming heavy and strained.
Y/n's blood boiled, her fingers tightening on her fork as she stilled. Lucien had stiffened too, though he did not look up from his food. Y/n glanced at him, finding him chewing tightly as he blew out a breath.
And then Y/n let her eyes flit to Amren, who didn't bother to even pretend like she had said something wrong. She took a deep drink from her goblet, her eyes never leaving the contents of her goblet or food.
Y/n set down her fork, leaning back in her seat. She stared at Amren, taking in all the features the petite female had as she imagine how fun it would be to gouge out her eyes with her bare hands, how fun it would be to peel the skin off the ancient being's bones.
Rhys whispered her name, trying to get her attention. Y/n could see in her peripherals that Lucien was straightening too, his eyes now trained on Y/n. His hand came to rest on her thigh.
"Y/n." He mumbled, and Y/n could feel him opening up a window in his mental shields to get her to talk to him.
Y/n was also aware of how Azriel and Cassian went stiff, their shoulders bunching up as if ready to spring up any moment to restrain anyone who might jump up to attack.
"What did you say, Amren?" Y/n's voice was deceptively calm and soft, as if she wasn't planning on torturing the living daylights out of Amren, her ancient powers be damned.
"Y/n." Rhysand spoke more insistently, his panic beginning to come off of him in waves.
Amren met Y/n's eyes then, her eyebrows rising. "I said pity. It would have been better to be without a mate than have a coward and backstabber for one. Amarantha should have pulled out his heart instead of his eye."
She said it so nonchalantly, as if talking about the weather and not a literal being. As if she knew she was right. As if what she was saying couldn't have hurt anyone.
Y/n could not stop her power from escaping the leash she kept on them.
She did not even try to control them, anyway.
Her mind opened up, the power she contained in herself reaching out to caress the massive fortress Amren had around her mind.
Amren jerked, her eyes widening just a fraction when Y/n brought down a battering ram on the walls.
It took a lot of effort to reach Amren's brain, but Y/n didn't mind, not as panic flared in Amren's ancient gray eyes when Y/n didn't stop, the walls around her mind crumbling until there was nothing but dust left, even as Y/n was left panting from the amount of force it took to do that.
Y/n purred in satisfaction in Amren's brain, stalking around her consciousness for a moment before Y/n sunk her claws into her.
What the hell are you doing, girl? Stop!
Amren's panicked voice filled Y/n's head as her surroundings faded, and she focused solely on controlling this powerful being.
Apologise to him, Amren, and maybe I will consider letting you go without much harm.
No! Amren spat, though her fear rose like a tide.
Y/n smiled, a fire lighting in her veins.
Then say goodbye to you sanity, Amren.
Y/n reached into Amren's mind, dragging up the memories that were buried the deepest, and without looking at them herself, she projected it directly into Amren's brain, making her believe she was reliving the horrors.
Amren began screaming, clutching her head as she stood, the chair screeching loudly before it fell with a crash, and everyone around the table stood, not knowing what to do.
Please stop! Stop! I will beg for his forgiveness. Please, just stop!
Y/n let the memory go, though her talons stayed embedded in Amren's mind.
Amren panted, her eyes flitting up to meet Lucien's, who stared back, wide eyed.
"Sorry." She gritted out, clutching the table with her hands.
Y/n clucked her tongue mentally.
Sorry for what, Amren? I know you can do better. Come on, don't be a brat.
Y/n spoke softly, caressing Amren's mind with a soft touch, as if talking to a kid.
"I am sorry, Lucien." Amren glared at Y/n when she retracted her claws just the tiniest bit. "Please forgive me. I should not have said that."
Satisfied, Y/n pulled away her talons, meeting the wide eyes of Mor and Azriel, letting a bit of her powers show in her gaze before settling back into her chair as if nothing happened and picking up her fork.
Lucien leaned in after he had sat back down, his breath curling around Y/n's ear as he whispered, his mouth close to her. "That's my lady."
A blush spread across her face, and she met his eyes for a moment as he leaned back, turning to his food.
"You know, this chicken is really good." Y/n mumbled-if only to pretend like she was not holding herself back from jumping her mate's bones- genuinely impressed as everyone began settling down. Except for Amren, who stormed out of the room, but not before Y/n spied a hint of fear in her eyes.
Y/n sighed. She would have to apologize to Amren later when everyone had gone to sleep.
Y/n didn't hate Amren, at least not yet. But if Y/n had not done what she did, everyone would have continued walking all over her mate. It was a necessarry evil, and Y/n was all too happy to do it if it meant everyone treated her mate with even a fraction of what he deserved.
Not that she was planning to stay long enough for them to get a hold of themselves.
It was a few moments before the tension in the room began lessening, and Y/n continued eating.
It took even longer for everyone to start talking again.
And when they did, Y/n felt Lucien opening his mind once again, and this time she slipped in.
Yes?
She could feel his pride, though his face was expressionless as he chewed and listened to the debate Rhys and Cassian were engaging in.
You want to go home?
Y/n grinned, knowing her answer but still deciding to tease him a little. Will there be dessert?
If you want there to be. A small smirk made its way onto his face.
Hmm. I guess we could go...
He shook his head slightly, shifting in his chair.
That was when Y/n realised that he was masking his scent, because what she saw under the table... everyone would have been aware of his little situation by now.
Y/n's mouth dried, and she swallowed. "Um... We both are a little tired, so we will be taking our leave now."
Cassian's brows rose. "One would assume you are going home to get tired."
Lucien laughed softly, his eyes crinkling as Y/n rolled her eyes.
"Bye, Nyxie." Y/n waved at the little boy, who babbled at her.
Y/n stood, grinning when Lucien glanced at her helplessly.
I can't stand like this!
She laughed, grabbing his hand and winnowing away, the last sight she saw being a giggling Cassian and Rhys, shaking his head with a smile.
The moment Y/n and Lucien materialized in the foyer of the hidden away mountain home, his lips were on hers, his hands gripping onto any part of her he could reach.
Y/n kissed him back without any hesitation, laughing a little at his desperation. He nipped at her lower lip in retribution, and Y/n pulled away, grinning up at him, though it took a great effort to do that.
He wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead on hers. Y/n's arms hung loosely around his shoulders, playing with his hair.
It took a moment for the both of them to catch their breath, but when they did, Lucien stole the breath away from Y/n again when he opened his eyes.
Swimming in his eyes was so much love... Y/n could have never fathomed someone ever looking at her with such emotion.
He smiled softly. "Thank you-"
"Don't." Y/n mumbled, caressing his jaw. "Don't thank me for that. For anything."
His eyes shone, and Y/n knew the silver lining his eyes was not because of his sadness.
He was happy, and he practically glowed with it.
"I love you. So much. I can't even imagine how I ever lived without you before."
Y/n laughed, tears springing to her own eyes. "Stop, you are going to make me cry."
"I will wipe the tears for you then, but I will never stop telling you how much I love you."
Y/n brushed her nose against his before she buried her face in his neck, gigging.
"I love you. And I would level the whole of Prythian if it meant no one would ever disrespect you ever again."
"I'm sure that won't happen again." He said dryly.
Her cheeks were hurting from how hard she was smiling, but Y/n did not care.
"So, where were we?"
•○🌑○•
General Taglist: @bubybubsters @eos-princess @nightless @harrystylesfan2686 @cassie6392
Lucien taglist: @kennedy-brooke @hnyclover @minnieoo @mirandasidefics @sidrapotter
285 notes · View notes
musings-of-a-rose · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
Pairing: Lucien Flores x f!reader
Word Count: 5700+
Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. 
Notes: I know. We have 2 pictures and a one-sentence movie description. And yet, here I am, being a slut for this man’s characters. @rhoorl, this is for you!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
❤If you enjoy the fic, please consider giving me a warm beverage! (It is not required in any way!)
→Tell Tumblr this should be shared with others by reblogging! That's what the algorithm loves (it's how it works here. I don't make the rules!)
**Reader is not described
Main Masterlist
Lucien Flores Masterlist
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Great. Another dinner party. I swear my roommate is trying to kill me. 
“Come on. It'll be fun, Decaf!”
“You know I hate that nickname, right?”
Claudia chuckles, reaching out to squeeze my arm. “Then stop being so-” she gestures with her free hand “-blah.”
“Ouch.”
Claudia sighs. “You know what I mean. Ever since Dan you just haven’t been..the same.”
I stiffen at the mention of my ex’s name. “He put me through hell, Claudia.”
She nods, placing her hand back on my arm in a placating gesture. “No, of course! He was an asshole! But you shouldn’t stop living your life because of him.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, exhaling loudly. “I know that. But I just…need some time. And having a dinner party every other weekend is not helping.”
She blows a raspberry with her tongue. “You know you love my parties. Besides, they help you loosen up.”
They don’t. I pretend to drink while my friends get drunk, eventually leaving when the party gets too much to handle. It’s not that they’re mean or anything. I just don’t enjoy being the only sober person in a room full of inebriated people. 
“And besides, Marcos specifically requested your famous tiramisu for dessert!” She gives me a pointed look, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. 
“I don’t-”
“We can go shopping tonight! Maybe Marcos can come over to uh, help.” She winks at me, and that smirk finally pops up.
“I’ll make the dessert but I’m not going. I mean it this time, Claudia.”
Tumblr media
I sigh, looking at my reflection in the mirror as I smooth down my simple black dress. I say no and somehow I always end up going. How does she do that?
The doorbell rings and I hear the faint excited tone of Claudia welcoming someone in. I do one last quick hair check and force a smile on my face, taking a moment to look in the mirror to make sure it doesn’t look too forced before I head downstairs, closing my door behind me. 
“Decaf! There you are! Marcos is in the kitchen. Why don’t you help him with the wine he brought?” Claudia turns to put Marcos’s coat and umbrella on the coat stand, Marcos anticipating the rain that’s forecasted to come at some point.
“Wine isn’t really my-”
“There she is!” Marcos pops his head out of the kitchen, flashing me a brilliant smile. “Could you get the wine opener for me?”
Fake smile affixed, I nod. “Sure.” I follow him into the kitchen, turning to glare at Claudia over my shoulder who smiles and gestures towards Marcos before turning back to answer the next knock at the door. 
I grab the automatic wine opener from the drawer, Marcos smiling at me as I hold it up. “Thanks so much, D!” Well, at least it was better than Decaf. Even though I knew he knew where the opener was. 
“Of course. Do you remember how to work this thing?”
“I think so.” He takes the wine opener from me, gently brushing his fingers against mine in a not so subtle hint of flirting. He affixes the opener on the bottle and presses the button, watching as the electric opener does its thing.
It’s not that I don’t like Marcos. He’s attractive, nice, deep hazel eyes, and obviously likes me. He’s smart too, starting up his own bio med tech company with just an idea and a promise. I could be content with him, I guess. If it wasn’t for this odd feeling at the back of my brain about him, something I could never pinpoint exactly. Even so, I’m just not attracted to him no matter how hard I tried. And I promised myself after Dan that I wouldn’t settle just so I didn’t feel lonely anymore. 
“You look beautiful tonight, D. That dress fits you perfectly.”
I smile, knowing it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Thanks, Marcos. How’s work? The prototype coming along?”
He smiles and launches into a long winded explanation of what exactly was going on as he follows me around the kitchen, helping me set the food on the table while Claudia pours wine and passes out hors d'oeuvres for the other guests - there are about 12 of us total. He’s cute when he talks so passionately, but again I don’t feel any connection. And the feeling at the back of my brain scratches at me again, but I push it down, putting another smile on my face. 
Dinner starts, an appetizer of vegetable soup ladeled into bowls. Claudia is every bit the chef her mother is and more, making even the simplest dishes delectable. When the roast comes, a recipe passed down several generations in her family, another knock raps at the door. Claudia looks around at everyone, mentally counting before looking at me, her eyebrows raised in a are you expecting someone? Question. I shake my head, Claudia starting to push her chair back but I stand, placing my napkin on the side of my plate.
“I got it, Claud.”
Conversations resume behind me as I leave the room, walking down the hall to the front door. A quick glance out of the peephole shows me a man, silky button up shirt with a print of random brushes strokes stretching across his broad shoulders as he puts a cigarette out on the front steps, pushing his shoe into it. I slide the lock back and crack the door open, his eyes snapping up to my face and the air rushes from my lungs when I meet his gaze. Dark brown eyes bore into mine and he cocks his head slightly to the side, smiling slightly. Oh shit is he wearing two chains?
“Good evening, miss.”
Oh shit I hadn’t said a word.
“Oh. Uh, hi. Can I help you?”
He smiles a little wider, tossing his thumb over his shoulder. “My car stalled and my phone is dead. Could I come in and call someone?”
I don’t entirely believe his story, but something in his eyes makes my brain go fuzzy and a warmth I haven’t felt in a long time start between my legs. 
“S-sure. Come on in.” I open the door wider and he smiles at me, nodding as he walks past. 
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure anyone would be home. Seems a lot of people are away for the weekend.”
“Oh not really. People around here don’t actually live here. It’s their second homes.” In fact, ours was Claudia’s parent’s second home. Which is the only way I could afford a place this nice. 
“Ah. That makes sense.” We stand in the entryway, his eyes scanning my face with that little smile still playing at his lips. It’s several long moments before I realize I’m the one who should be talking. 
“Oh! Uh, can I take your coat….” It’s then I realize he doesn’t have one, not even carrying one. 
He chuckles. “I think I’m good. But thank you for the offer.” The lights hit the chains around his neck and I swallow hard, wondering what it would be like to feel those chains smack me in the face over and over and-
Laughter erupts from the dining hall and..oh shit I never asked his name. 
I tell him my name. “But you can call me D.”
“What’s that short for?”
“I…don’t want to say.”
“That bad, huh? I’ve had some bad nicknames in my time.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. But my name is Lucien.” He extends his hand and I shake it, melting internally as I feel how large his hand his, how warm, and my brain wanders away on the thot train of exactly what I want those hands to do. Another round of laughter from the dining room breaks my trance and I give my head a little shake, dropping his hand. 
“Dinner party,” I gesture down the hall towards the dining room. 
“Ah. I thought you just dressed beautifully for fun.”
I can feel the heat in my cheeks and I glance away, tucking hair behind my ear before looking back at him. “I uh…you said your phone is dead?”
“Oh. Yeah.” He pulls it from his pocket, turning it to show me the blank screen.
“I have a charger. Come, I’ll let you use it and then you can come have some food if you’d like?”
“Oh I don’t want to impose.”
“It’s no bother. Really.” I let my hand rest on his arm, giving it a small squeeze. Who even am I right now?
His eyes flick between mine before he nods. “Lead the way.”
I yell to Claudia that I’m getting my charger and she doesn’t question it, diving right back into whatever story she’s telling as I lead Lucien up the stairs. To my bedroom. What am I doing right now? Before I can think further, I’m at my door, opening the handle and crossing to my night stand, pulling the end out of my own phone and extending my hand. “Here. Let me charge it for you.”
He hesitates a moment before placing his phone in my hand. “I appreciate it, D.”
I plug in his phone and open mine. “Do you have a preferred mechanic?”
“For what?”
“Y-your car?”
“Oh! Right! Uh sure. Can I just?” He makes to grab my phone and I let him, hiding a smirk when I notice that the tips of his ears are red. He taps away at my phone and holds it up to his ear, ordering a mechanic to his car.
“Hey, what neighborhood is this?”
“Destiny Falls.”
“Destiny Falls….great…thanks.” He taps the screen and hands me back my phone. “Thanks.”
I take the phone from him, feeling his fingers touch mine, a chill running down my arm and straight between my legs. “N-no worries.”
He stares at me for a long moment, his eyes moving down my body and back up. “You mentioned dinner?”
“Shit! Sorry! Yeah, uh this way.”
He follows me back out and down the stairs. I can feel his eyes on my ass and so I put an extra emphasis on my walk, an extra sway in my hips and I swear I hear a small groan coming from him. 
“Hhhm?” I ask.
“What? Oh, I uh, I’m hungry.”
I open the door to the dining room, Lucien following me in. Everyone turns their heads to look, Claudia’s eyes moving furiously between us both before she stands. “Who’s this, Decaf?”
I widen my eyes at her, willing her to never use that nickname again. “This is Lucien. His car broke down a couple blocks away and no one else is home. His phone died so he couldn’t call anyone. He’s going to wait here for the mechanic.”
Lucien holds up his hand. “Hi. Thank you for allowing me into your home.”
Claudia smiles, waving him up. “Of course! Are you hungry? Let me get you a plate.”
“Oh I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense! Decaf, could you get him a plate and a chair? Marcos, scootch down a bit and we can put Lucien’s chair at the end.”
I look over at Marcos, who’s eyes are narrowed at Lucien, a hard look in them. 
Men.
I roll my eyes and turn towards the kitchen, motioning for Lucien to follow me. “Come on. I need those hands.” It’s not until we’re in the kitchen when I realize what I said.
“So. You need my hands, doll?”
“I meant for the chair, but we’ll see if I can find another use for them.” What the fuck did I just say?
He chuckles, his eyes darkening. “I’m sure you’ll find me more than willing to help with whatever you want me for.”
Fuck, he’s looking at me and he has to know what he said. Lucien takes a few steps towards me, stepping inside the comfortable distance between strangers. Does he know that the heat between my thighs is almost unbearable at this point? I’m tempted to get him seated and go take care of myself before I get into trouble. 
“I-”
“Hey, D. Need any help?” Marcos had come through the door. I jump back, startled. Why do I feel guilty? I don’t owe Marcos anything. 
“Hey Marcos. No, I think we got it.”
“Here, Lucien. Let me show you where the spare chairs are.”
Lucien looks down at me and winks before following Marcos. “After you.” 
I make Lucien a plate of food and bring it out to the table, the conversation still moving forward. I set the plate down and go back to the kitchen to get him a drink when I hear raised voices from the back storage closet where the chairs are. I can’t make it out but they’re definitely arguing. 
Ugh, men. 
Then the storage room door pops open and Lucien exits, carrying a chair. The look on his face is hard, anger etching into his face, but then he sees me and it disappears immediately, giving me a smile. “Got the chair.”
He walks towards me as Marcos takes a moment to close the door. “Everything ok, guys?”
“We’re great, D.”
“Because it sounded like you were fighting.”
“Nope. All good.” Marcos’s voice was flat, not his normal charismatic, charming tone he uses to win everyone over. I don’t believe him but it’s not the time to press him. 
Lucien sits at the table and everyone starts asking him questions, his face animatedly answering all of them. The conversation pauses, everyone stopping to drink or eat or talk between themselves. Lucien shifts in his chair beside me, his leg brushing against mine and I gasp, trying to hide it as a small cough. But the twinkle in his eye tells me he heard me and knew exactly what I did. Not even the glare from Marcos at Lucien could ruin the mood for me. Lucien presses his leg into mine further, taking a sip of wine as he cracks a joke and everyone laughs, the ring on his pointer finger sparkling in the light from the chandelier. I can’t take it any more, the throbbing between my thighs is so intense I swear everyone can hear it. I need to get out of the room. 
“Excuse me. I’ll uh…I’ll go check on your phone.” I hastily stand, pushing my chair back. 
“Do you want help, D?” Marcos asks, halfway to standing himself.
“No! Uh, no. I can check a phone myself, thanks.” 
I walk calmly from the room, waiting until the door closes behind me before I take the stairs 2 at a time, closing my bedroom door behind me and pressing my back against it, feeling the coolness of the wood seep through my thin dress, but it does nothing to dull the ache between my legs. I sit on my bed next to my night stand, legs on the floor and put my hands over my face. Get it together. A quiet knock makes me jerk and snap my head up, moving my hands just enough to speak.
“Who is it?”
“Lucien.”
Shit.
“What can I do for you?”
“I uh, just need to check on my phone?”
Oh right.
“Come on in.”
As Lucien opens the door, I lean back slightly, placing my arms behind me and lean on them. Lucien gently closes the door and crosses the room, his pant leg brushing against my bare knee as he reaches for his phone and presses the power button, light shining in his face. I press my thighs together in what I hope is an inconspicuous manner.
“Only 15%. This phone takes forever to charge. Do you mind if I charge it a little more?”
“Not at all.”
“Thanks.” He sets the phone down and turns his head to look at me, his eyes flicking to my thighs that are currently jammed together so tight even water couldn’t get through them.
“Let me help you with your problem.”
I swallow hard. “P-problem?”
“Yes. Your problem.”
“I..I don’t have…” I lose all track of what I was going to say as his eyes darken, slowly raking over my body before landing on my own darkened gaze, smirking at me. 
“I’m an excellent…helper.”
“I..I d-don’t have a p-problem.”
“No?”
I shake my head, not even convincing myself. But then my voice catches in my throat as he gets on his knees in front of me, his fingers gently swirling a random pattern across my knees and lower thighs. My skin sears where he touches me, and I can feel how soaked I’m getting. He gently wraps his hands around my knees and slowly pushes them open, the cool air not doing much to cool me down. My chest heaves as his eyes move up my legs, his gaze disappearing under my shortened dress, honing in on where I need him. 
“I think I found your problem.”
“Y-yeah?”
He slowly slides his hand up my thigh, my breath coming out in little spurts the higher he gets. His hand disappears under my dress and then I feel him, his finger sliding up the middle of me still over my underwear and my hips jolt, immediately betraying all sense of logic in my brain, the side of me that’s screaming this is a stranger!
“Good news. I can help fix your problem.”
“Y-you can?”
“Do you want me to?”
I’m still propped up on my elbows, gazing down at this man who is kneeling between my legs, hand up my dress, rubbing tiny circles into my inner thigh with the tip of his finger, his eyes nearly black with lust, my logic side screaming at me to tell him no, to tell him to stop, to play it safe.
But I’m tired of being called Decaf.
“Yes.”
He smirks, sliding his hands up further, fingers pinching the fabric of my panties before he slides them down and off, tossing them behind him without looking. He gently places my legs over his shoulders, pushing my thighs open wider with his broad shoulders. 
“Show me,” he says it calmly, but it’s also commanding and I shiver.
I grip the bottom of my dress and pull it up over my hips, exposing myself to him. His eyes move to stare at my cunt, darkening the rest of the way. He moves his fingers to spread me and I gasp at his touch as he takes me all in. 
“Fuck!” I yell out as he quickly dips his head and licks up the center of me, his tongue curling around the bundle of nerves. My thighs try to jam against his head but he is so damn broad that all they do is weakly twitch against his shoulders as he works me open with his mouth, moaning into my cunt.
“Oh shit, oh fuck, I-” words tumble from me in an incoherent jumble. I feel one of his thick fingers swirling around my entrance before he pushes it all the way in, the cool metal of his ring brushing against my skin. My mouth is open in a silent scream, but then he pulls his finger out, adding another, his head lifted to watch as he fucks me with his fingers, the lewd squelches filling the quiet room.
He moves his head back down, gently sucking on my clit and my fingers fly to his head, twisting into his beautiful curls and gripping it as I moan his name, his fingers curling inside of me, slowly stroking at that spot. I can feel myself tightening, pulsing around his fingers as he pushes me closer to the edge. But then he pulls his hand out, his mouth leaving me and I huff.
“What the fu-”
He stands, undoing the buttons on his shirt before taking it off, tossing it on the floor. He’s not 6 pack fit but he’s trim, a small tummy poking out by his pant line that I desperately want to bite. His large hands work open his pants and before I know it, he springs free, heavy and ready.
“Take off your dress.”
It takes me a moment to tear my eyes away from him, nearly ripping my dress in half in my haste to rid myself of it. I unlatch my bra too, tossing it wherever it lands. Lucien pushes my legs open, settling himself between my thighs, pressing his chest against mine. I think he’s going to say something but then all words leave my brain as he pushes inside of me, splitting me open, hand clasped over my mouth as I scream into it, hands flailing around simply because I don’t know what to do with them. He burns me slightly from the stretch but I don’t even care. He bottoms out and just sits there a few moments, his own chest heaving with self-restraint. 
Without pulling out, he thrusts further in, pressing at a spot inside of me I didn’t even know existed. A whiny yelp escapes me before his hand clamps over my mouth again, his eyes finding mine as he continues this slow assault. He tentatively removes his hand, my mouth hanging open as jolt of pleasure radiates out from my cunt with every thrust of his hips. 
“Do you want me to fuck you into this bed, doll?”
I nod frantically, my hands gripping his ass in an attempt to move him faster.
“Tell me.”
“Please. Please Lucien, fuck me into my bed I-” he clamps his hand over my mouth again, his hips picking up to a rapid pace as he fucks into me, lifting my leg over his hip to change the angle. Then he somehow gathers my flailing hands in one of his large ones, pinning them into the bed above my head as he continues to snap his hips into mine, each thrust driving me rapidly towards the edge he had already brought me to earlier. The thin chains he wore brush against my face with every thrust, and I moan into his hand. 
And then I fling myself over the edge, each thrust of his hips carrying me further and further into this bliss. I’ve never experienced this, not in this way, not this intense, rolling waves of pleasure pulsing over my entire body. I feel his hand loosen their grip, no longer over my mouth and they squeeze my hips, flipping me over so quickly my head spins slightly. I bury my face in my blankets and moan as he thrusts into me, his fingers digging into my hips as he sets a rapid pace, pushing my back down to curve my ass up further. To my surprise, I feel one of his hands snake around me, finding my clit and applying the perfect touch, perfect amount of pressure as he drives me towards the edge again at a rapid pace. He pulls me up, my back flush against his chest, his arm wrapping around me to continue touching me while the other holds my hair tightly and I come, his name gasping from my lips as I feel his hips sputter against me, a mix of hard and soft grunts in my ear before he loosens his fingers, letting me drop back to my hands. 
He pulls out with a grunt and I immediately feel light, empty, and a little sore but in a good way. He looks at me and I point to my en suite bathroom, still trying to catch my breath. He disappears for several moments before coming back out, a wet washcloth in hand. He looks at me, still in the same position he left me in and moves behind me, pressing the cloth to my sensitive skin. I twitch and hear a low chuckle as he continues to clean me up. He helps me lay on my back, his finger tracing circles around my nippple before giving it a little pinch. 
“We better get back to your party.”
“My what?” I’d completely forgotten there even was a dinner party happening. He laughs, his hand resting on my stomach.
“Your dinner party. Surely your friends will wonder where you are.”
“Maybe. Or we could just stay here, naked, and see what happens?”
His eyes darken again and he leans forward, pulling a boob into his mouth and sucking on it. I gasp but then he drops it, sitting back up.
“As much as I’d love that, we should probably get back downstairs.”
I’m hurt, but he’s right. Soon enough my friends would send a search party. And I don’t want any of them to see this complete stranger, balls deep inside of me. Although if you asked me when he was actually balls deep, I wouldn’t have cared at all. 
Lucien dresses first and heads back downstairs, winking at me before he closes the door. I quickly rinse off, careful not to wet my hair before trying to fix it to what it was before. I smooth down my dress and hope no one notices the difference. I decide to check the power on his phone before I head down, just to give him an update, expecting it to not be any higher than maybe 20%. But when I light the screen up, my eyebrows furrow together. It was fully charged. Why did he lie? Was it just to fuck me? I wouldn’t have cared if his phone was fully charged. 
I take it from the charger and head back downstairs, sounds of laughter echoing up the stairwell. I sneak in through the back door, grabbing another bottle of wine on my way in as an excuse for taking so long. I realize I have no idea how much time I’d spent upstairs, but people were just finishing eating, so it couldn’t have been too long. 
I feel eyes on me, but none more than Marcos. His eyes bore into me, hardening the longer he looks at me. He glances between Lucien and me as I hand him his phone, a look of realization settling into his features. Before I can say anything he abruptly stands up, mumbling something about a cigarette break before heading out on the back porch. A moment passes and Lucien pats his pockets, asking Claudia if she thinks Marcos will let him bum a cigarette off of him. She smiles and tells him he definitely will. Lucien gets up and excuses himself, heading out the back door to find Marcos. 
Claudia keeps looking at me, her eyes narrowing but a smile forming, like she’s starting to piece together what happened. Before she can ask, I excuse myself, heading towards the backyard to find Lucien and Marcos. But when I open the door I hear raised voices coming from further in the backyard. 
“You need to fucking leave, Lucien.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you give me what’s mine, Marcos.”
“It’s not yours anymore, I told you that!”
“That’s because you fucking stole it from me, asshole!”
What the hell are they talking about?
“You say stole, I say borrowed-”
“It took me forever to find you and now you don’t even have the balls to admit you stole from me?”
“Fuck you!”
“No, fuck you!”
I hear the sound of fists landing and I close the last several steps, their fighting bodies moving into my view.
“What the fuck is going on here?”
They both stop, pushing back from each other and looking at me. Marcos tries to put on his normal charming smile, but that nagging feeling about him roars inside of me. “Hey, D.”
“Don’t hey me, Marcos. What’s going on?”
“Oh uh Lucien and I were just messing around, right?” He looks at Lucien who glares back at him.
“No. We were not. You stole from me.”
Marcos narrows his eyes. “And how could I have stolen anything from you?”
“You were my intern! You worked on my project and then you stole it to start your little start up!”
“Wait, what?” I look between them, confused. 
“D, he’s crazy. He’s just some guy off the street. You don’t even know him-”
“Oh she knows me plenty.” 
My jaw drops as Marcos looks between us. 
“Wait…did…did you sleep with her when you went to get your phone?”
I can feel my cheeks heating up but Lucien speaks before I do. “Yeah. I did. I fucked her good. Had her screaming my name. Begging me to fuck her.”
Marcos’s mouth opens and closes, anger flashing in his eyes and I can feel tears pooling in mine, a mixture of anger and embarrassment as Lucien continues to speak.
“Doesn’t feel good, does it Marcos? To have something you want so badly taken away from you? I knew the moment I saw you look at her that you wanted her. So I fucked her first. You take something from me, I take something from you.”
Marcos stands there fuming, looking furious at Lucien, but no longer even looking my way. “You can’t just come in here-”
“I can. And I came in her too.”
SLAP!
My hand stings with the force of contact but I swallow any cry of pain. Lucien brings his hand to his cheek, turning to finally look at me, an odd expression on his face.
“D, listen. Marcos isn’t who you think he is. He-” 
WHAM!
Marcos’s fist collides with Lucien’s face and he stumbles backwards. He rallies quickly, swinging for Marcos. I yell for them to stop but I may as well have been talking to the wall. The men fight, throwing themselves at each other, yelling insults that I can only halfway make out. But then Lucien pins Marcos to the ground, pounding on his face. I run up to him and grab his arm. 
“Stop!”
Lucien looks at my hand on his arm and then at me before glancing down at Marcos who had just passed out. He looks back at me, his face softening as he lowers his fist, slowly standing up with a series of tiny grunts.
“D, I’m sorry, I-”
“Did you just fuck me to get back at him?”
He’s quiet for longer than I’d like, and I hate the tears that start to fall. I’m not delusional. I know nothing would come of it. I didn’t even know the guy. But a part of me had held onto some idea that maybe it was something more, could be something more. 
“Not…not at the end.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He gestures to a couple of chairs. “Can I explain?”
I sit, I probably shouldn’t have but good decisions went out the window a long time ago. Lucien sits in the chair across from me, shifting his weight forward to be closer to me. 
“Years ago, I hired Marcos as my intern. His name then was Juan. He helped me with my research. I had a bio tech lab and was working on some ground breaking tech. But then one day, I come in and everything is gone. He’d stolen everything, all of my years of research just gone. And then I see his face being put up as the new man to watch in all of the science and tech magazines and I see it, my tech being claimed by this imposter.” Lucien spits on Marcos’s body. 
That explains the weird vibe I’d always gotten from him. He was a lying cheat. 
“So what about tonight?”
“Ah. Well it had taken me years but I finally tracked him down. And every time I tried to get close, to get him to confess he would somehow weasel out of it. But then I saw him connected to a social media post about a dinner party. I hired a PI to figure out where and I..well I knocked on the door.”
“So your car?”
“Isn’t really broken down, no.”
“Your phone was fully charged.”
“It was already at 87% when I first plugged it in.”
I sit with this information for a few moments. “So what about…me?”
Lucien’s face softens as he looks at me. “Then there was you. I didn’t expect to see anyone here I actually was intrigued by, but there you were. I pushed it aside to get to Marcos but then I saw how he acted around you, the way he looked at you, the pure desire in every inch of him. So I flirted and got close. You were hot and I figured I could fuck you to make him get super pissed. But then you took your dress off so easily and I could tell you weren’t really that kind of person and I just… lost myself a bit when I was inside you. By the end, I was hating myself for using you. I…I’m sorry.”
Well. There you have it. I was right about Marcos being too charming for a reason, a reason he had now confessed to, recorded on Lucien’s phone no doubt. I’m mad, I want to hit him but I also get it. And damn was he the best fuck I’ve ever had. 
I lean forward, curling my finger around the chains on his neck as I pull him closer. 
“Wanna go for round 2?”
Tumblr media
General Taglist:
@frankie-catfish-morales @chaoticgeminate @janebby @astoryisaloveaffair @balekanemohafe @greeneyedblondie44 @hoeforthefictional @marvelousmermaid @hauntedmama @giuliarogers @icanbeyourjedi @wretchedmo @sunnshineeexoxo @livingmydreams13 @adventures-of-a-noodle @sara-alonso @theewokingdead @punkerthanpascal @giggly-otter @f0rever15elf @phandoz @dirtytissuebox @gallowsjoker @lovesbiggerthanpride @sarahmilesbendrix @booksarekindaneat @mrsudontknowme @swol-bear @charlispersonallyhell @xoxabs88xox @amneris21@gooddaykate @alindeluce @avengers-fixation @paintballkid711 @harriedandharassed   @ladykatakuri @marrianena  @practicalghost @withakindheartx @batdarkladyvampir @justanotherkpopstanlol   @mermaidxatxheart @alexxavicry @ichigodjarin @justreblogginfics @sullyosully @kmc1989 @veryprairieberry @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @morallyinept
191 notes · View notes
sunnybyler · 1 month
Text
i’ve been sitting on my thoughts for so long but i just have to get this off my chest. i don’t like to yuck ppls yum so if you like e/riel pls scroll away nd keep having your fun it’s not my problem. however some of y’all can get mean as HELL and as an elucien i have to get this off my chest. (also warning for gwynriels i’m with y’all i defend y’all here however i do go in a bit on az in this so fair warning). i truly have no idea why e/riels cling so hard to the azriel bonus chapter in acosf because that chapter, more than literally anything else in the series, proved to me that e/riel is absolutely NOT going to be endgame. let me explain:
1. it is explicitly stated that azriel did not think of his relationship with elain outside of a sexual nature. i think some ppl get kinda annoyingly puritanical when trying to make this point when it’s like 100% certain lucien had sexual thoughts of elain too. the point isn’t the thoughts themselves. the difference here is the explicit mention that he didn’t consider anything with her outside of that.
2. the point above ^ is further exacerbated by the fact that az did not give a flying fuck if he killed elain’s MATE. even if elain hasn’t accepted the bond, it would still be extremely painful for her based on what we’ve seen with rhys, feyre, and even rhys’s parents (who weren’t good for each other, yet we saw how rhys’s dad lost it when she died). now of course us lucien lovers know damn well he would never in a million years call a blood duel to try to claim elain (and fuck u rhys for saying that, i usually have your back but come ON you are not the only male who can respect their mate’s autonomy). but az doesn’t know that!? in fact seems to agree with rhys that he could. ppl argue on who would win that fight — my opinion hinges 100% on if powers are fully unleashed but that’s not the point at all. no matter WHO wins, elain is going to feel responsible for someone’s death. of course it wouldn’t be her fault if men decided to be fucking stupid, but with the little we know about elain shows that she would feel so guilty if that happened. but azriel doesn’t seem to give af that anyone fighting to the death over her is the last thing she would ever want. not only did az not think of elain outside his fantasies and therefore not fully care for her, but he doesn’t seem to even KNOW elain in this chapter. now, i could go in on this in acosf as a whole. but i’m keeping it to this chapter alone.
3. and further on THAT point, az doesn’t really give any reasoning on his interest in elain outside of this insane “three brothers/three sisters” thing he fully pulled out of his ass. tbh i almost thing this is sjm’s way of addressing the fan theories on that. now i get it to some extent from az’s pov — seeing his brothers happy with these sisters must fuck with your head after you’d all been bachelors together for 500 years. especially considering how he’s felt unworthy of love his whole life and this seems to support that insecurity of his. i get that it makes him feel ostracized from them, and that he’s now an outlier not being with an archeron. i get that. i do. i sympathize with him here. however that does not change the fact that he isn’t speaking of elain like she’s her own individual here — hell he fully calls her “the other”. i think part of this conversation was him being frazzled, i give him a bit more grace than some do (tho he pissed me off BAD in this scene), but we were fully in this man’s head. did he give us a full reason why he liked elain besides his brother’s mates and his sexual thoughts?? they would’ve at least crossed his mind when rhys was grilling them if sjm was trying to set up her next romance here. as it is, we have literally nothing to imply azriel actually likes elain herself and not the idea of being closer with his brothers.
4. az has kinda a habit of ignoring the reality of the women he’s attracted to in some way. he has his own version of them in his head that he puts on a pedestal. now i could do a whole psych eval on this man and how he thinks he’s unworthy of love and therefore only allows himself to have feelings for women he knows/thinks he can’t have. but to focus on this chapter alone, my points above ^ about how he doesn’t really think of elain outside his fantasies/bringing him closer to his brothers and not really understanding her pretty much wraps it up there. i mean he even talks about how he thinks his scarred hands don’t belong on her because she’s so perfect in his eyes. that’s not love, that’s obsession and it’s unhealthy. he clearly thinks himself below elain and ignores that she has her own flaws too.
5. aaaand i saved the biggest for (almost) last….. GWYN. this is a genuine GENUINE question. why in the fucking hell. would sjm make half the chapter focusing on az & gwyn if she was teasing e/riel. like that makes no sense. not to be annoying and mention chekhov's gun but that idea applies to relationships too. i’m sorry but she couldn’t be more explicit about her future romances. you could argue “oh well it’s because there’s gonna be a love triangle”. y’all. elain has. elain has a mate. there already IS a love triangle. there was absolutely no reason for her to bring gwyn into this chapter other than her preparing us for a future relationship, literally none. especially with all the romantic subtext (hell not even subtext, just TEXT). gwyn getting him to talk about himself so easily when he’s so quiet usually, him taking the idea of making her happy and he “buried the image down deep, where it GLOWED QUIETLY” (which SCREAMS mating bond to me but even if it’s not it’s clearly something he cherishes deeply), the SHADOWSINGERS SHADOWS SANG FOR HER!?
6. the fucking necklace regifting. oh it’s bad. OHHH ITS BAD. when the girls realize it’s gonna be SO messy but im hoping sjm doesn’t go the stupid cat fight route bc neither of them did anything wrong. az did. i’m sorry i’m dunking on him so much in this post i rlly don’t hate him i just think he needs like decades of therapy (which tbf don’t we all) which i unfortunately don’t think sjm is going to give him before giving him his romance. but even the biggest azriel lovers have to admit that this was insanity. a few points on it here. first, if it’s so easily regiftable then it couldn’t have been that well thought out in regards to elain. say what you will about lucien’s gifts, even argue that he gave her jewelry too. but elain was actually shown wearing pearls. az’s gift seemed shallow to me — it was something pretty, and elain’s pretty, and it had a flower, and elain gardens. it’s clear lucien put SO much more thought into his gifts, whether he succeeded or not (which i need to remind y’all — we still don’t know. maybe she liked the gifts maybe she didn’t, but regardless she acted the way she did bc of her feelings about the bond, not the gift). and azriel has spent so much more time with elain than lucien has. if that necklace really felt like elain to him, he could’ve kept it or returned it. but nope. buddy gave it to a whole other girl bc he could easily associate it with someone else. he clearly felt some special pull towards gwyn too, going out of his way to give it to her. he had ONE meaningful conversation with her. i already discussed the quote earlier that makes me think mating bond personally. but no matter what, him giving her the same gift he gave someone he was pursuing romantically is a clear sign of what’s to come (and probably a setup for some sort of drama that i don’t think im mentally ready for).
so there we have it! why i think that the bonus chapter thoroughly proves that e/riel is not going to be endgame. i honestly think it’s possible they might be a thing for a minute (tho i could also see this being the closing of that chapter), but i don’t think it’s going to last. sjm just gave us too many blatant hints that elain and az would NOT work together long term, and that azriel in particular is more suited for someone else. i might’ve missed some points bc there is SO much that goes down in this tiny chapter so lmk if there’s other stuff you picked up on!
135 notes · View notes
i-sneezed · 5 months
Text
Some Elriel evidence that doesn't get much attention.
First of all, if you're just having fun with your ships, you do you, man. I'm not here to rain on your parade.
However, there are so many people out there that are CONVINCED of Elucien/Gwynriel that I can't take it anymore and I have to throw in my two cents, so here we go. I'm gonna break it down by ship.
Elucien
There's no way, bro. And we can set aside the fact that if that ship were to sail it would be the same sort of love story as Nessian (reluctant mates).
The most obvious thing to discuss here is that Elain is clearly not interested. And neither, to some extent, is Lucien.
Let's look back to ACOWAR when Lucien talks to Elain in the library. He thinks about Jesminda. "[She] had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him. Elain had been...thrown at him."
Like Azriel, Lucien wants to be chosen. He's had it before and he sees the value in it. Unfortunately, he's a fae male and he has a hard time ignoring his instincts where his mate is concerned, so he keeps trying. Even though he can hardly stand to be in the same room as her. Whereas Vassa...
Elain, on the other hand, has absolutely no interest in a mating bond. After Graysen breaks her heart in ACOWAR, Feyre says, "Some sliver of hope had been shattered today. That Graysen would still love her, marry her--and that love would trump even a mating bond."
Obviously, that quote is in direct reference to her ex-fiance, but we see Elain reconfirm that desire in ACOFAS when she tells Feyre explicitly that she doesn't want a mate. I don't think it's personal to Lucien, I think she rejects the idea of being told who she should be with. Of being robbed of choice.
We learn from Nesta in ACOSF that their mother always said Elain would marry for "love and beauty". I think for Elain, a mating bond is not the same as love. Also, small aside, but who is constantly regarded as the most beautiful of the bat boys?
We haven't seen them have a conversation about their mating bond yet because why would we? That will happen in Elain's book (which is most likely next).
Gwynriel
I feel like this one is more dangerous to get into so I'll tread lightly.
Firstly, the majority of evidence for this ship comes from a bonus chapter that the majority of the fandom doesn't even know exists. Anyone who listens to the audiobooks doesn't know about it unless they poke around ACOTAR stuff online.
It doesn't make sense for an author to essentially change the entire trajectory of a story in a bonus chapter that most people don't know about.
Also, I think a big problem with the BC is that people read it after they finish the book, so it can feel like the most recent thing to happen in the story, but it's not. It happens about 2/3 of the way through ACOSF and a lot happens after that.
But before we get into that, let's talk about the shadows. People lose their damn minds that Az's shadows dance for Gwyn and vanish for Elain. The truth of it is that we don't know what dancing shadows actually mean, though. It's the first time we've seen it happen. However, we have seen his shadows vanish for someone other than Elain.
In ACOMAF, when Feyre meets the IC for the first time, they vanish for Mor. "Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder as she dodged his outstretched wing...The lurking shadows vanished entirely as Azriel's head dipped a bit."
So we know that the shadows vanish in the presence of someone Azriel has romantic feelings for, but we don't know what makes them dance.
Then, at the end of the BC (after he said he didn't even consider Gwyn to be a friend) he feels a spark of joy in his chest. Good. My shadow man deserves happiness.
But we know that it doesn't last because at the very next training right after Solstice, Neta comments that Az is "More aloof than usual" which clearly shows us that he is far more hung up on what happened with Elain than whatever may or may not be going on with Gwyn.
For her part, Gwyn becomes more comfortable around Azriel after Solstice. We love to see it because the poor girl has been so traumatized and, like Az, she deserves to be happy.
However, at no point does Nesta or Cassian suspect there to be any romantic connection between them. Not like how Nesta did with Az and Elain. ("His secret to tell. Never hers.").
And then at the climax of the book, Gwyn is thrown into the Blood Rite. At no point is Az even half as frantic as Cassian (which a mate would be) and he is way more preoccupied with whatever's going on with Eris.
At the end, when Nesta is getting ready for her mating ceremony, Gwyn tells her that she's not ready to leave the House of Wind again. Poor thing has been re-traumatized because of what happens in the BR and can't stand to leave the House. And y'all think she's ready for any kind of romantic relationship??
Nah, let Gwyn heal without the influence of a male.
Elriel
So I'm got gonna talk about the rescue, him figuring out she's a seer, giving her Truth Teller, or any of the usual stuff because that's been said and said and I have nothing to add to it.
Instead, I want to talk about what I believe their trope will be and share my evidence with the class. Cool? Cool.
Okay, so, I think we all know that if Elriel is endgame then their trope will be forbidden lovers.
Personally, I am of the opinion that the purpose of Az's bonus chapter was to confirm that for us, not suddenly change the entire trajectory of the story.
But forbidden lovers makes so much sense for Elriel because of what we've seen in the books, not just the BC.
Looking at ACOMAF again, Mor tells Feyre, "'Azriel's got no shortage of lovers, though, don't worry. He's just better at keeping them secret than we are.'"
Then, in ACOSF, when Feyre's talking about how Elain figured out she was pregnant first, she says to Azriel, "'I think she's got you beat for secret-keeping'".
So it's already in-canon that Azriel can keep his lovers secret very well and that Elain is just good at secrets in general.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
A moment I never see anyone talk about is something that Cassian observes at a family dinner. "Elain had already departed with Feyre, claiming she had to be up with the dawn to tend to an elderly faerie's garden. Cassian didn't know why he suspected this wasn't true. There had been some tightness in Elain's face when she said it. Normally when she made such excuses, Lucien was around, but the male remained in the human lands with Jurian and Vassa."
Elain already has secrets the IC aren't privy to. So what's one more?
134 notes · View notes
famouscyclenerd · 2 months
Text
The "two bonds" theory
Ship o'hoi!! Long post ahead!!!
The theory (made by e/riels) claims that there are two bonds: "true bonds" and "cauldron" bonds.
The difference primarely lies in the "snapping moment".
The "true bond" aka "true mates/love", the bond snapping when a couple first looks at each other, doesn't happen. It takes time, they are attracted and drawn to each other first.
The "cauldron bond" aka "breeding bond" (created by the asteri for powerful offsprings allegedly) the bond snaps into place instantly. The male turns possessive and territorial to ensure hanky panky. The mates end up hating each other as the instincts to claim their mate dies down over time.
*I had so much fun with this! And with each day, we are one step closer to acotar news. So I felt the need to respond (?) to this before the next couple is announced! :)
They compared feysand, nessian, e/riel and elucien. They also touched on Rhys' parents, but there is too little information about them to really use it. I will however be using some moriel quotes.
I'll be comparing them all to elucien :D
Let's take a look at feysand. First of all, when Rhys first met Feyre she was human and Rhys had an inkling, a pull if you will. He didn't want to let her go, but had to. He wanted to kill the males who were forcing themselves upon her. Because of the bond. It didn't snap into place... until she was turned fae.
"(...) and had begun to fade into the nearest shadow when he went rigid. His eyes locked on mine, wide and wild, and his nostrils flared. Shock - pure shock flashed across his features at whatever he saw on my face, and he stumbled back a step. Actually stumbled."
"But Elain was staring over Nesta's shoulder. At Lucien - whose face she had finally taken in. Dark brown eyes met one eye of russet and one of metal."
"His face was pale as death as he stared at Elain."
This was Feyre and Rhys' first meeting after she was turned fae. Same goes for Elain and Lucien. The bond snapped instantly for the males. Both were shocked.
Speaking of first meetings... (note we have Feyre's POV in both instances, we do not know what Lucien nor Elain were thinking*.)
"The night seemed to press in closer around him, made me hesitate to speak - made me want to run in the other direction."
"I took a step back."
"(...) I backed up a step."
"As Lucien took off his jacket, kneeling before Elain. She cringed away from the coat, from him-"
They had both been in terrifying situations (Elain in the cauldron and Feyre threatened by the lesser faeries) and their mates were still strangers to them. Even if Rhys scared them away, even if Lucien tried to cover and warm her with his jacket. They drew distance.
In acomaf, Rhys talks about his experience with the bond between them.
"And this beautiful, wonderful thing that had come into my life, this gift from the Cauldron..." hmmmm🤨
"When I went to leave you... I think transforming you into Fae made the bond lock into place permanently. I'd known it existed, but it hit me then - hit me so strong that I panicked."
Being turned into a fae will make the bond more detectable, according to Rhys. It hit him strongly even when he already knew of its existence.
Lucien was repeatedly reaching for Elain as she was dragged towards the cauldron. So much so that the king of Hybern had to cast whatever spell he used on him.
"Lucien staggered a step forward as Elain was gripped between two guards and hoisted up."
"'That is enough.' Lucien surged for Elain, for the Cauldron."
"Elain remaind shuddering on the ground, Lucien's coat draped around her. She did not look at the Cauldron behind her (...)"
"Water poured forth, Lucien hoisting Elain in his arms and out of the way."
He freed himself after and went to Elain. Nesta was next in line, and although Lucien was free to roam, his entire focus was on Elain and her safety. This was before the bond snapped into place.
"(...) I hadn't seen her (Mor) in fifty years, and my first words to her were, 'She's my mate.'"
Rhys would have blurted that out to Feyre had he not winnowed. Sounds familiar?
"Lucien's hands slackened at his sides. His voice broke as he whispered to Elain, 'You're my mate'."
It is clarely a shock no matter what. But it must have been even worse for Lucien, as he had always believed Jesminda to be his mate. He had not had the opportunity to spend time with Elain before she was turned, to have established at least an inkling to their bond. A tragic, yet hopeful realization. He had little time to process this, given the situation they were in.
"I felt your pain, and sadness, and lonliness (...)"
"And from the devestation on his face, I knew he'd heard every word. Seen and heard and felt the hollowness and despair radiating from her."
They can both feel and sense emotions through the bond. It is a very intimate thing, though Feyre had no idea at the time. Elain might, and she could feel incredibly exposed to Lucien, knowing that it's difficult to hide true feelings and thoughts from him.
"Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of the newfound boldness to be seen."
Although we don't know exactly what is happening, Elain could surely feel Lucien's disappointment and longing for her.
But are the bonds different?
Here, both Rhysand and Lucien pulls on the bond:
"I was pulled from sleep by something tugging at my middle, a thread deep inside."
"'It felt... strange,' Elain breathed. 'Like you pulled on a thread tied to a rib.'"
Very similar, don't you think?
"Cauldron mates" are "immersed in all these territorial and possessive emotions". They have an "aggressive reaction". (Though Lucien didn't come across as aggressive)
Yet both Rhysand and Lucien were willing to let their mates choose who they wanted to be with.
"... for three months I tried to convince myself that you were better off without me."
"'The day of your wedding, I'd planned to get rip-roaring drunk with Cassian, who had no idea why, but(...)'"
"'And then I'll ask your mate how he survived it - knowing you were engaged to someone else. Sharing another male's bed."
✨Bonus✨
"Standing before me was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen." Feyre to Rhysand
"'You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'" Rhysand to Feyre
"But he couldn't breathe as she faced him fully. She was the most beautiful female he'd ever seen." Lucien to Elain
"And he could have sworn something sparked in them as she met his gaze." Elain to Lucien🤭
Up next, let's do nessian! This will be shorter as I feel we have more info on feysand and little to none between Elain and Azriel, as they do not have a bond.
Upon first meeting, Cassian was paying an overly obvious amount of attention to Nesta. Staring at her over and over again, it was borderline rude lmao. These males loves to stare at their mates. Keep in mind that Cassian too, met Nesta before she was fae. Something Lucien and Elain never got to. At least that we know of.. (And remember what Rhysand said about Feyre being turned into fae and what it did to his acknowledgment of the bond.)
"Cassian was seizing up Nesta (...)"
"Cassian watched every bite she took, every bob of her throat as she swallowed."
"Lucien just stared at my sister (...)"
"Lucien was staring at Elain as he spoke."
"He only glanced at Elain (...)"
And the sisters loves it of course!
"Nesta didn't bat an eyelash as she studied the handsome features, the muscled torso. Then turned to me. Dismissing him entirely."
"(...) whose face was a calm void while she traced a finger over the embroidery on the couch cushions."
Both males are drawn to their mates, longing for them.
"I wondered why no one had yet to mention what now shone in Cassian's eyes as he gazed at my sister. The sorrow and the longing."
"I sensed no ill will, no conniving. Only concern for her... And sorrow. Longing."
"'I would never hurt her.' A bleak sort of honesty in his words."
↑ This goes against the "Cauldron mates" description. I find the "cauldron bond" to be a bit... problematic? They mentioned that the only couple who had one of these bonds were elucien and I find it to sound a bit... like Lucien wants to SA her... Though Feyre sensed no ill will on Lucien's end!
And Lucien still longs for her in Silver Flames. They didn't fully disclose when the baby-making instincts would turn to hate, but it's been around two years since the bond snapped.
"Cassian's heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien's face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing."
There is tension between both couples. The females ignores while the males feels the hurt and longing of it. Mating bonds are sacred to Fae, it is not a known thing amongst humans. Both Nesta and Elain clung to their humanity, Elain having particulary more difficulty with coming to terms with her new body. Nesta grew to love it, though the mating bond was a different story.
"'Not everything in my life is about your sister, you know.'"
"'I'm not always in this city to see my mate."
There's unresolved tension between both. Well, at the time for nessian. Rhysand, Lucien and Cassian all claims that their mates feel "shackled to them". It is an obsticale in the relationship, will they fall in love or is it simply the mating bond?
"(...) she'd developed a keen awareness of his presence in any space, any room. She hadn't been able to stop it, to block it out (...)"
Mates are keenly aware of each other in close proximity.
Let's move on to e/riel!
They met at the same time as nessian. Cassian was preoccupied with Nesta, whom was trying not to acknowledge him. Rhys was fixated on Feyre, but at the same time fighting the anger toward her sisters due to Feyre's upbringing. It was awkward, to say the least...
"Elain said to Azriel, perhaps the only two civilized ones here (...)"
Azriel and Elain made small talks. Azriel: "a polite, bland smile on his face." and Elain: "Her shoulders loosned a bit." Likely feeling relief for breaking the tense ambiance from the rest. Az is being polite, and so is Elain. No strong feeling however.
There is not much to remark on this encounter. Nothing to compare to elucien as there is no pull, neither feel drawn to each other. Cassian is staring down Nesta as he is drawn to her, Azriel is not doing the same to Elain. They talk, as many don't. And that's it!
They met again in Hybern, where Az was shot with faebane aka bloodbane. It is used to neutralize powers, a bond might feel dulled, but it won't vanish.
"Azriel cried out in pain. She (Mor) froze."
"Mor looked at Azriel - and there was real fear there. Fear - and something else."
"Azriel hissed - but covered her bloody fingers with his own."
Az had no reaction to Elain during this scene. It was an intense situation, drawing reactions from the couples. Feysand, nessian, elucien and moriel all had moments, but not e/riel.
"Both wanted to join us at the Hewn City, but someone had to guard the city - part of their long-held protocol. And someone had to guard Elain, though I certainly wasn't about to tell Lucien that. Cassian swearing and pissy, got the short end of the stick, and Azriel only clapped him on the shoulder before heading up to the House to prepare."
"(...) Lucien now stood in the sitting room, close to Elain's side"
"Cassian casually slid Nesta behind him, his fingers snagging in the skirts of her black gown."
Lucien wouldn't have hesitated to guard Elain (neither would Cassian), though he was busy being useful in other things. Azriel was not very interested in playing guard for the city - for Elain, and was more than happy to leave her. Males are highly protective of their mates. It is seen time and time again.
As mentioned previously, mates are keenly aware of each other. Like the nessian quote.
Here is an example of Elain being in the same room as Lucien and Azriel. Both instances takes place in acofas:
"(...) hoping to keep his focus on me. Knowing it was an impossible task."
"Az, to his credit, gave Mor a smile of thanks, a blush creeping over his cheeks, his hazel eyes fixed on her. I looked away at the heat, the yearning that filled them."
No attention to Elain, though she was in the very room...
"But Lucien's attention went right to the hallway toward the back, his nostrils flaring as he scented Elain's direction. And who she'd gone with. A low snarl slipped out of him-"
Jealousy. He is jealous when Azriel and Elain are alone, in acofas too with Graysen and Elain's history. Rhys is jealous of Feyre and Tamlin plus Tarquin. Cassian is jealous of Nesta and Eris. Azriel has been jealous of Mor and Helion (both in acowar and sf) as well as Lucien and Elain (in sf).
Azriel is currently juggling his feelings toward both Mor and Elain. The others are not interested in anyone other than their mates.
"'I'm a mated male now.'"
"Given that his own status as a mated male made him uninterested in any sort of female company these days."
Cassian is not seen with anyone else, thinking of anyone else. Same with Rhys and Lucien, of course.
"The ancient healer jerked her chin toward Lucien. 'See what he can do. If anyone can sense if something is amiss, it's a mate."
Now... Lucien was apart from Elain for months after Hybern. Azriel was there.
Elain's body had been mutilated, altered against her will. She had in the process lost her fiance and everything she had built in her previous life as a human in the Mortal Lands.
She wasn't eating nor sleeping. Had lost a ton of weight. "Her skin was so pale it looked like fresh snow in the harsh light. I realized then that the color of death, of sorrow, was white."
She does not do well inside all day.
"I want to go home."
"She was supposed to be married next week.' 'So she keeps saying, over and over.'"
"A shell." "A void."
Elain was severly depressed, having lost almost all forms of functions. She mourns her human life, while being cooped up in House of Wind. A place she rarely visits later on.
"I have seen many victims of trauma before. Her symptoms match well with many of those invisible wounds."
It is well-known that Lucien is the one who tells her she needs to get outside. "She needs fresh air." "Take her to the sea. Take her to some garden. But get her out of this house for an hour or two."
"Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her." "'I... I was sleeping, but I heard..." She is already improving after being moved and being able to go outside in the garden.
"'What can I get you Elain?'"
"'Sunshine.'"
Azriel is the one who figures out that she is a seer.
"Azriel's hazel eyes churned as he studied my sister, her too-thin body. And without a word, he winnowed away."
This happens after Elain thinks she dreams. He becomes suspicious of what she says, the way she behaves. And likely goes to the library to put his theory to the test. He's a smart guy, let's be real!
"The Cauldron made you a seer."
He does figure it out, putting a name to it. And Elain feels a wash of relief from indirectly being told she is not crazy. Though even with powers, the invisible wounds linger.
I would argue, that it's fair to draw comparisons with how Cassian had no idea what Nesta's powers were. They too, were taunting her. It is frustrating to not be able to understand a part of yourself. Though a power is not something that is wrong with you, but a strenght once you master it. Rhysand was the one who used his daemati powers, going into Nesta's mind and realized her powers were pure death.
What do we know about mating bonds?
We know that once the bond is accepted, the couple falls into a "frenzy" to ensure that the male impregnates the female. It is already a known thing. Both feysand and nessian experienced this.
Rhys claims that the bond becomes more prominant if both parts are fae, and it hit him like a slap to the face just like it did to Lucien.
Mating bonds will make the males possessive over their mates, showing signs of jealousy and the want to protect and keep their mates safe. Elucien, feysand and nessian went though this.
The chant: "you are mine, and I am yours."
"''You're mine,' he snarled." "Say it again,' he murmured. I knew what he meant. 'You're mine.' I breathed."
"(...) the words, the sense chanted. Mine. You are mine, and I am yours. Mate."
"'Say it,' Cassian whispered against her skin. She knew what he meant. Somehow, she knew what he meant. (...) 'You're mine.' He groaned, thrusting hard. She whispered, 'And I am yours.'"
The similarities are prominent. Nothing alludes to Elain and Lucien having a different bond than the rest of the mated pairs.
And there is no canon text supporting Azriel feeling drawn to Elain from the start and vice-versa.
There is mutual sexual attraction between Elain and Azriel, confirmed in Azriel's bonus chapter, but beyond that there is nothing in support of a mating bond between them. Both are attractive individuals, Elain is resisting the mating bond and Mor isn't giving Azriel the signs he so desperately wants from her.
Rhys, Lucien and Cassian have been longing and waiting for their mates ever since they've known of their existance.
Meanwhile Azriel hadn't gotten that far with his planning. Certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to.
100 notes · View notes
daliasmay · 2 months
Text
The most ridiculous arguments I've ever seen from E/riels is not about "the smell of bread and roses", no, but about the sunshine she needs in her life, black dress and about that godforsaken city. It takes a megamind to use such arguments.
"Velaris has sunshine", "There's sun in the NC too", "The NC is a sun court we remind you", "Some flowers can bloom in the dark"
Even if the NC has a sun, it it still a night fucking court. n-i-g-h-t. This word means something, isn't it? Spring also has nights and it wasn't a right place for Feyre anyway. And you'd think Elain and Elucien's words about sunshine are just about only the damn flowers and the sun in the sky that rises in the morning and goes down in the evening. Please!
"They dressed her badly so that Eris would ignore her, lol", "They dressed her like that on purpose because they didn't want Elaine's beauty to overshadow Nesta's"
What the fuck?
Eris is completely indifferent to Elain as a woman. It isn't difficult to understand. And he is Lucien's brother, just fun to remember, who saved his life, looked at him with sadness in ACOWAR and visited him in ACOSF. Eris was interested only in Nesta. He is also a fashionable male and he looked at Elain with ✨assessing gaze✨. I suppose he's also noticed how much the black colour doesn't suit her (She used the perfect complement to her black dress - pearls - but even that couldn't save her from the colour that sucked the life out of her), not to mention the fact that he probably knows that she's his brother's mate. So delulu and simple demonstrating a zero reading skills if they understand the text like that. Basta!
It is also equally unfair to both sisters to say that. Nesta is a queen without her sisters, she is amazing woman by her own without any "help". She doesn't need any favours.
Elain is amazing woman, no need to dress her badly on purpose to make someone shine.
Sisters are amazing by their own. They all have their own powers and characters. I feel so sorry for those who don't understand it and use such stupid arguments to explain their ship.
"She is ok in Velaris, Velaris is her home, no need to worry about the Hewn City", "Her home in Velaris and in the NC. She doesn't want to leave the place where her family and nephew lives!!! She has a work - tending to Feyre's gardens and helping people in Velaris with theirs. She is happy!", "The Hewn City is not Elaine's place, that's why she was ridiculous there, Cassian meant that", "She can live in Velaris, she was healthy there!", "You want to take her away from the family that she loves and that loves her. You are a misogynist and Elain hater!", "Cassian is an unreliable narrator, he understand nothing in fashion. We can't believe him!"
PLEASE!
Night Court is her home, but not the Hewn City and Illyrians lands. Night Court is her home, but only in the borders of that retched city. How can they claim that the Night Court is her home, and at the same time erase most of the Court, including its official capital and royal residence?
Velaris is a huge hole that has been closed for thousands of years, and The Night Court is not Velaris, ThE CoUrT oF DrEaMs, how SJM called them, who loves to segregate their own citizens and think about 90% of the Court as scum and lowlifes, and do nothing to make their lives better.
If the Night Court is her home, don't sort its parts.
Cassian is an unreliable narrator, but Feyre with her fantasies and "What if the Cauldron was wrong?" is a very-very reliable narrator, yes-yes. Selective reading will strike you one day and it will be very hurt.
And here we are, with Elain and flowers, when she said the opposite to Nesta in ACOSF. Being Feyre's gardener and personal family baker aren't about her personal growth. Like being Azriel's personal houseplant.
The black dress was a metaphor. It is so cute how they can see things that are not there, but miss the log in their own eyes. (the rose necklace and the whole Azriel's bonus chapter, I can't).
I really don't know how they came up with that.
Tumblr media
60 notes · View notes
lorcandidlucienwill · 5 months
Text
Ok man, I'm getting extremely tired of the Elriel's stagnant arguments. So let me debunk them. Forbidden romance! No, for God's sake, it is NOT forbidden. Feyre and Rhysand would support them both if Elain and Azriel truly loved each other. Not like Lucien would try to get in between them anyway. ElAiN dEsErVeS a ChOiCe! Choice implies multiple options! That means Lucien is a choice too! Elain has chosen Azriel for now! That doesn't mean she can't change her mind! Besides, haven't you EVER heard of the reluctant lovers trope? Be creative please. BuT wHaT iF tHe CaUlDrOn WaS wRoNg? Yeah, the Cauldron could be wrong about Eris and Mor, or it could be wrong about the Lady of Autumn and Helion. Why does this one line HAVE to be referring to elriel? SJM often uses lines like these to foreshadow plotlines yes, but she is never THAT obvious about it. Rhysand was being a hypocrite stopping the Azriel kiss! You could argue that he was, sure, but he was also trying to prevent a major political scandal. SJM isn't going to write Rhysand being wrong in any situation, lmao. Love or hate the character, it doesn't matter. That's just the way she has written him. Elain is an introvert! No. She's just traumatized. Nesta, her sister, says it. Lucien is a fake mate! Azriel showed mating behavior? Uhhhh no. Azriel went after MOR in the King of Hybern scene. Lucien went after guess who? Yeah, ELAIN. It was Nesta who realized Elain was gone and began to worry. Azriel only volunteered after Cassian couldn't go because he was wounded and he was the easy option aside from Feyre because he could hide in the shadows. And guess what? He saved Gwyn too! Maybe he just has a savior complex! Lucien is the one who was concerned about Elain's mental and physical health. Azriel seemed pretty chill when she wasn't eating. And he did NOT want to look after Elain. He made fun of Cassian for having to do it. ElAiN hAs TwO mAtEs! SJM is not going to write that. It would fuck everything up. She wants both characters to be happy. Gwyn is a lightsinger? Probably not, but so fucking what if she ends up being one? You think that's gonna deter Mr. Torturer Azriel? If anything that'll only bring them closer. Nice try. BuT luCiEn Is InTo VaSsA! NO. STOP IT. HE WAS CANONICALLY SEEN TO BE LOOKING AT ELAIN WITH LONGING IN ACOSF. DON'T SPREAD LIES. Vassa is definitely more into Jurian, which is a pairing that makes sense. Lucien is a side character. Um...no? Lucien has been around since book 1. He was a very significant character in that book as well. And in books 2 and 3, he might not have had as much screentime, but almost every moment he had was monumental. We see him survive the Night Court. We hear his story of fulfilling Calanmai, implying he is also chosen by the Spring Court. We have him helping Feyre kill off the twins of Hybern, bring back the army with Vassa, balance 3 roles and still dress immaculately, dominate Cassian with one word. He is also connected to almost every potential plotline in existence. Ok, this one isn't Elriel but some people say TaMlAiN! Because of the spring court foreshadowing. Guess who lived in the Spring Court for decades? Lucien! Guess who is the current Spring Court ruler but isn't doing much of ruling? Tamlin! Guess who also was able to do Spring Court Calanmai? Lucien! Wow, it almost looks like Lucien is going to replace Tamlin! SJM is not going to put one sister with another sister's ex anyway, that's weird. Elain has her chosen family in the Night Court in Nuala and Cerridwen! She belongs there! No. Just stop it. SJM could not be more clear with that line about the black dress sucking the life out of her and Elain being bothered by the cruelty in the Hewn City. Guess who is also pretty averse to violence? Oh yeah, Lucien! As for chosen family... Feyre had Tamlin and Lucien. They didn't end up being her chosen family, the IC did. Nesta didn't find her chosen family until her book. Lucien's band of exiles are not his chosen family either. Lucien and Elain are just really good at making friends.
93 notes · View notes
thenightling · 2 years
Text
Why does Morpheus make Nightmares?
As we have a few newbies in The Sandman fandom I have seen the question of "Why does Morpheus make Nightmares?  Why doesn't he only make good dreams?"  Because that is not his function...
I'm a little insulted on Morpheus's behalf that you would expect him to only make happy / sweet dreams. He's the ruler of dreams and nightmares. He tells you this in the very first issue. Dreams AND Nightmares.  And he loves his Nightmares. 
Tumblr media
Cain, Abel, Lucien, Eve, Mad Mod Witch... These are nightmare folk. And good people in his eyes. Loyal subjects who do what they were made to do... scare the Hell out of you.
Think of “This is Halloween” from Nightmare before Christmas. "Tender Lumplings everywhere. Life's no fun without a good scare.  That’s our job but we’re not mean."
Tumblr media
Morpheus loves his nightmares. He loves all things Gothic and spooky. From Gothic castles, ravens, Jack-o-lantern headed grounds keepers, haunted houses like the House of Secrets and House of mystery..  He seems to even favor creating Nightmares over happy / pleasant dreams.
Nightmares are just as important as "good" dreams. They teach you what you are afraid of. They show you your fears. Sometimes they help you to confront and face them. They also teach you to appreciate what you have because often you wake up and thankfully it was just a dream, none of it really happened. You still have your loved ones or your home.  Sometimes pleasant dreams can be crueler than nightmares because the pleasant dreams are about things you’ve lost and will never have again.
Nightmares can be cathartic. They teach you what you fear, how to face them, and to appreciate what you have. Sometimes they can be thrilling and inspire creativity just as much as a pleasant dream if not more so. How many great horror novels and films were inspired by Nightmares? Most of them, on some level.  We need our Nightmares as much as we need our Happy dreams if not more so.
1K notes · View notes
ystrike1 · 10 months
Text
The Archduke's Gorgeous Wedding Was a Fraud - By 은려원 (8/10)
Tumblr media
A gradual slow burn yandere and a slavishly devoted stalker are bitter enemies in this story. Their rivalry grows deeper when they fall for the same woman. This is an otome isekai. It would have been a solid 9 if it wasn't, but it is still above average.
She is a painter with magic. Her paintings can take shape and come to life. That's a cool power, but having a special ability can suck. She shows up as a slave in the beginning, because assholes love to collect rare things.
In the original story "Shay" was a dumb stalker who was only interested in drooling over Archduke Lucien. He goes yandere for Shay later....after her body is randomly possessed by a Modern Korean Woman with No Flaws.
(Sigh)
The otome isekai part is needlessly complicated and annoying, but yeah.
It's there.
Tumblr media
In the beginning we think Shay was a total loser with no friends who died unloved. Now, in her second new life she is a slave who gets bought by Lucien.
Lucien needs a beautiful, magic wife.
He doesn't want to get married, so he buys Shay to use her as a shield. It's actually a really cruel plan. He's tired of dealing with suitors. He knows Shay will get attacked but that's not his problem.
Tumblr media
Poor Shay.
She spends a whole chapter gushing about her new pretty face.
She acts sassy and then it all becomes clear.
Lucien isn't mean.
It was love at first sight and he doesn’t know.
He dropped big money to make sure nobody would buy her.
He thought her anger and pain on stage was beautiful. He talks about using her but yeah...no...
Tumblr media
Lucien proposes when he figures out that Shay is not affected by his latent magic. He has the blood of the Sun God. It makes him sexually irresistible. Women are creepy around him. Predatory. They steal his hair and they constantly try to break into his home etc.
He's strong.
That's the only reason why he isn't a concubine in a harem somewhere...
Tumblr media
Shay says yes.
Her name is changed to Titania permanently....
...
...
Seriously why is this an otome isekai?
She agrees to marry him and protect him with her magic.
They become a good team.
Lucien really likes having normal conversation with somebody who isn't trying to take his pants off.
Tumblr media
There's a horny princess who wears suits.
Kind of yandere...but not she only cares about collecting and controlling beautiful people...actually she's kinda boring moving on.
Tumblr media
The other yandere is Kun. He knew Shay. He loved her BEFORE Shay became Titania. (Hence his yandere behavior feels less...legit)
This sucks.
Imagine with me here.
Story opens.
.
Shay is an idiot stalker who gets sold off as a slave because everybody hates her. Lucien comes to save her because he knows she isn't affected by his magic. She's just regular crazy obsessed. He tells her to please chill in exchange for cash and she agrees because she's been reduced to a slave. She needs money/the fake marriage to live another day. Shay cruelly leaves Kun behind because she is finally with the man she likes, and he pines over her. He did bad stuff and crimes for her, and she is all he has in this life. Blah blah blah Shay learns to like Lucien as a person, not an object, when they get closer. She realizes that letting Kun fawn over her is bad for his mental health. She apologizes and helps him get a hobby maybe and plot twist Lucien is also a yandere. He's worse than Kun ever was, but he hides it for the sake of her smile. Real marriage. End. Everybody in the trio becomes a better, more well-adjusted human being.
But nope otome isekai I guess.
Tumblr media
Kun's intro is good.
He bested Lucien in combat before.
Both men see each other as a real threat. Lucien can't just snort and kick him out.
Titania has no clue who he is...but Kun says nothing but yandere shit about his love for Shay.
Something happened to make him so obsessed, but the author probably won't explain because...say it with me...
Otome isekai...
Tumblr media
Lucien gradually becomes more jealous.
His thoughts get more unhinged too, and it's fun.
He's a doting yandere, and he doesn’t know it yet. He designs a fine painting room for Titania. He hates it when mere servants gawk at her beauty, and the sight of Kun makes him go quiet with rage.
He's good.
Tumblr media
I really, really like the contrast. These two yanderes are not the same. They have their own charm points. Too bad about the otome isekai plot holes though.
188 notes · View notes
stargirlie25 · 4 months
Text
so many people say that Elucien and Gwynriel would be boring but Vassien and Elriel would be so much fun!
NAURRNAURNAUR
There is nothing forbidden abt elriel lets be honest. The only reason rhysand forbid them is not because he hates them its because he saw that it is just lust. Not some emotional bridge between them. Do we remember when Feyre went into luciens mind and she sensed what he was feeling towards elain? Its safe to say Rhysand did just that with azriel and then forbid it because his feelings are not even serious!! Do you seriously think Rhysand would forbid elriel if Azriel was falling in love with Elain? No. If he saw that they were in love, he would accept it and protect them because in ACOWAR he said that Elain would be supported if she decided against the bond. If later in the series Azriel said, ''i love Elain and she loves me'' Rhysand would 100% be supportive. The only thing in the way of elriel is Elain herself.
Now that we got rid of the fake forbidden aspect, what about Elain and Azriel. No forbidden love. Just Elain and Azriel. They are both accepting each other with wide arms. There is nothing interesting about that. In real life sure. Although now you have to think. In a book that only has words and leaves everything up to your imagination how would Elriel be interesting besides plots? No in real life your partner does not have to challenge you. Although in a high fantasy novel with these specific characters, they do nothing for each other. Elain would not help Azriel grow and Azriel would not help Elain grow. Lets be honest they both need growth. Azriel would just try to protect her and push down the idea of Elain doing big things. Not that its her fault but his shadows would continue to hide from her. They are apart of him! Elain and Azriel do have an understanding between each other but so does cassian/feyre and nesta/rhysand. I never thought they were romantic until ACOFAS. Also reading about another sister finding herself in the night court and a bat boy will bore me to death. Elriels have no other reason to say they are interesting other than forbidden love and plots. Its gone so far to say Elain will be a spy like azriel. ''The hewn city troubled her'' and so will every place Azriel tends to spy in.
Why do i think Gwynriel will be more interesting?
Well first off the fact that we figured out facts about Azriel when he was with Gwyn. Eg, He sings and sleeps with a dagger. Obviously yes his shadows! Although his shadows have been intimate with others but they do something they have never done with anybody, they dance and sing. They lighten around Elain AND Mor. SJM made these two women take away the darkness of Azriel. Then she inserts another, who embraces this darkness and smiles at them. There is multiple times where his shadows are out and he is not happy or he is stressed. I see some people say this is a bad thing. No not really. Azriel is aloud to be upset without there having to be a deeper reason. Also his shadows hid from koschei but who cares about that! Its important to note that he is happy/calm with Gwyn PLUS his shadows are out. That is growth. Not only for Azriel but for Gwyn also. Cassian AND Azriel made Gwyn feel stronger. In the start of ACOSF Gwyn says shadowsinger but towards the end she says Azriel. After the traumatic event, she feels comfortable around him. A man. That is growth. Not to mention after Azriel showed her how, she was able to cut the ribbon and become the first Valkyrie. She had been trying for weeks but after that one little lesson with Az, she cut the damn thing. Lets also note the fact that Azriel likes his space (got that from gwyn) and he isnt ever really taken by suprise. Although can you just imagine all of Azriels walls are up yet Gwyn makes her way in? It makes sense! Azriel said he is never really taken by suprise but Gwyn does that. IMO Azriel showed no personality for a lot of the books till he is with Gwyn. Now i can make a little bit of sense of who he is. Gwyn can simply answer a question and he can simply answer. It's easier on him.
Now Elucien my babies!!!!!!!!!!
We know that there is canon proof that Elain does not belong in the night court and that it sucks the general life out of her. Lucien has been struggling to find a home for so long and yes he has found friends eg,jurian and vassa although i highly doubt the human lands are his home. Elain has also made friends (nuala and cerridwen) although the night court still sucks the life from her. It makes sense though, darkness does suck away lightness. Now ive said before that the day court makes sense for both lucien and elain. For lucien, He can live in a place full of light (which is what he needs) and he can have a proper father figure and find a place where he is fully excepted. For Elain it also makes lots of sense. The day court helps people grow and Elain helps flowers grow. Not to mention it is still connected to the night court because feyre says that rhysands full beats form is helions beast forms are parallel and perpendicular at the same time! So she would still be connected to her sisters and friends. Besides all of this, Elain and Lucien have not yet found themselves. They have tried to find a physical home but there is still something missing. IMO i think Elucien will have the bond in which ''Home is not a place, it's a person'' They have always been the light in dark families so them together? Perfect! I also think Lucien would help Elain blossom. The buds in her mind are closed but light can help them grow! I think it's important to remember that Elain likes to help. She would help the servants at her home back in the human lands and she would help nuala and cerridwen. Although as if right now, every single member of the ic (except maybe amren) coddles her. It always, Elain doesnt go near- or Elain shouldn't- as if she does not have a voice and choice. HAHAHAHA IT RHYMES anyways given how Lucien acts, i feel as though he would help her be stronger in a gentle way. He himself does not like to be coddled or underestimated and says safe is boring. He would for sure understand elain!
Anyways there is much more deeper reasoning but this was all i had energy to write!
67 notes · View notes
shadowandlightt · 3 months
Text
Of Nightmares and Memories /four/ Azriel x reader
Series Warnings: Kidnapping. Mistreatment. Cursing. Pining. Violence. Depression. Talks of suicide. Eventual smut
A/N: We're getting closer to her returning to the IC and I'm so happy about that. I also had a lot of fun writing this part, so I hope you enjoy!
Part One Part Two Part Three
Tumblr media
The following days were much the same, watching from a distance as Tamlin worked hard to woo the young Feyre. Your eyes rolled every time he tried to complement her. She didn’t belong here. Just like you didn’t belong here. She was too much of a dreamer to become a High Lord’s wife, or little play thing. Too much of a dreamer to be held down by his endless rules and customs. 
She deserved so much more. You deserved more. 
Imagines of wings and starlight fill your head every time you close your eyes. You could see all of them, laughing at The House of Wind over dinner, having a grand time without you. They moved on, you know they had. But you couldn’t move on from them, no matter how hard you tried. You yearned for them. 
You yearned for Cassian and his brutish humor, the kind that always got him in trouble with your mother, but always made you laugh harder than you should. You yearned for Morrigan and her never ending support when your father was being particularly dastardly. And Azriel….oh how you longed for him. The gentle touches of his shadows, the shy smiles, and rare bouts of laughter. Besides your brother, you missed Azriel most of all. 
He was your Az, and yet you had no claim to him. But he seemed to understand that you belonged to one another. Maybe that’s why you made the promises you did. 
Where you go I go, but whatever we do we do it together. 
You made that promise before you flew for the first time. You were too afraid to fly as a child, but when Azriel came along and had to learn so late in life….well you got over your fear for him. You grasped his scarred hand in your tiny one and led him to the edge of the House of Wind. Why they decided that was the best place to learn to fly, you’ll never quite understand. 
But it was then that you looked up at him, tears in your eyes due to fear, that you spoke, “Where you go I go.”
He nodded slowly, hair blowing in the wind, “But we do it together.”
“Together,” You agreed, holding his hand tighter. 
And together you leapt from the ledge and let the wind take hold of your wings. Together you wobbled, but still stayed afloat. Together you figured it out, never once letting go of the other. And when you landed back on the roof, you held him so tightly as he laughed. And it was then that you decided that was the most beautiful sound you ever heard. It was then that you decided you would do anything to hear that laugh and see that smile as much as possible. 
And it was then that he decided he would always protect you, because you were his just as much as he was yours. 
“He’s sending her back,” Lucien’s voice drew you from your thoughts. 
“He’s what?”
“Your brother came,” Lucien says, face pale, “Took her mind, threatened to crush it. It isn’t safe for her here anymore, time is almost up. So Tam is sending her back.”
“He’s a damned fool,” you hiss, “She’s in love with him, it’s plain as day to see! All he has to do is get her to admit it, but he can’t do that, can he? He’s giving up, all because my brother decided to come and scare him?”
“You weren’t there.”
“No, I wasn’t, but when does the brutality of the Night Court surprise Tamlin?” You question, “He’s seen it first hand, he knows what we’ll do to him. Why do you think he keeps me full of Faebane? Huh?” 
“Y/N-”
“He knows I could shred all of your minds so easily,” You nearly laugh, “I could make Rhys look like child’s play if I really wanted to. You think he is vile and violent? See what happens when I have all of my powers, Lucien. There’ll be nothing left to bury. I could raze the Spring Court to the ground and not feel a thing about it.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I’m a prisoner here, don’t think that I wouldn’t take the first chance to escape,” You shake your head, “No matter who I have to kill. I might still be a child compared to the rest of you but I’m a child of the Night. Brutality is in my blood.” 
“You aren’t like them-”
“Oh? Am I not? Just because I’ve been docile so far doesn’t mean it isn’t inside of me. I am a wolf in sheep's clothing. I always have been, dear Lucien. I am the most dangerous person in this manor, and he’s a fool to forget it.”
His face contorts into something that you aren’t quite able to read. Pride wells in your chest knowing you’re doing your job. You want to feel sick about it, want to feel sick about the role you’re playing. But if it brings you one step closer to your brother then you can’t bring yourself to feel bad about it. All you want is to go home again. You just want Rhys to hold you and tell you everything is going to be alright again. 
“Tamlin deserves what's coming to him,” you hiss, “You all do.”
“You don’t mean that.” 
“Oh but I do. I hope Rhys enjoys breaking every single one of you. And if he doesn’t, I will,” You take a step closer to Lucien, “By the cauldron I promise you, I will break this court apart piece by piece and I will laugh as I do it. And I won’t stop until he’s the only one left standing, and all he has to claim is rubble.” 
It rises up in your chest, and you feel it escaping through your fingertips, the darkness you used to run from long ago. You smile at it, feeling it wrap up your arms and cascade down towards the floor. It took a lot of energy to conjure it. You would be exhausted afterwards. But it would be worth it. 
Lucien took a step back, and then another. Head shaking. You knew what you looked like. A vile smile on your face, darkness twirling all around you. You looked like your big brother. You felt the power flowing through your veins, what little you had left of it anyway. 
“Don’t underestimate me, Lucien.” 
Tamlin sent Feyre back to the human lands the following day. You watched from your window with a scowl on your face as the carriage took her away. Tamlin was giving up and damning all of you in the process. Amerantha would come for him soon enough, and then there would be nothing left for you but to run. 
Maybe you could make it to the Night Court, maybe you would be lucky. 
“Once she comes, you’re free,” Tamlin spoke over dinner that night. 
“Perhaps,” You do your best to sound bored. 
You had to control your heart, so you didn’t give away how scared you truly were. If she found you, you would be dead in an instant. Or maybe she’d use you as a toy to get Rhys to do her bidding some more. He was already her whore, but perhaps she wanted more. She wanted him on his knees for her. And even you knew that he bowed before no one but his court. 
“Maybe I’ll stay here, I’ve grown quite fond of this place.”
“Liar.” Lucien bites out. 
One look from you though and he stands down. What he doesn’t know is you slept for almost twelve hours after your little display earlier. It took everything you had, all of your energy and what power you had. But it was worth every second to see the look on Lucien’s face. To know that you were still able to scare him enough. 
“Something you add, Lucien?” You question, venom dripping from your words. 
His head shakes, swallowing deeply. It only makes you smirk. You were so close to going home, to any semblance of home. Maybe your brother wouldn’t be there, but you’d be free. The Court of Nightmares had to be better than living here. 
“You should hide,” Tamlin says slowly, “They’re coming.”
“Now?”
He only nods, and reaches for more wine. He seems too calm. But then again he’s already given up. He gave up the second he sent Feyre back across the wall to her family. You can’t help but scoff as you rise to your feet. You expected him to fight back, maybe even for Lucien to fight. But you didn’t expect them to just lay down and roll over and let Amerantha march her cronies in here and take everyone. 
“You’re a coward, Tamlin.”
“So you’ve been saying for hundreds of years.”
“You should have just killed me.”
“Heard that too.” 
Your eyes roll, “I hope you have fun as her dog.” 
“Enjoy your freedom, Y/N.” 
You scoff again, “You best hope I never get the chance to kill you, Tamlin. I won’t make it as quick as my brother made your family's death.” 
Tag List
@historygeekqueen @wallacewillow0773638 @sstrohma @saltedcoffeescotch @hnyclover @thelov3lybookworm @queerqueenlynn @minnieoo @maddybraps @mariahoedt @witchymomfrien
299 notes · View notes
honeybeefae · 11 months
Note
Congratulations on 2k followers! We absolutely love you and what you write for us. We appreciate you and everything you do! For your ask spree, what if Lucien was appointed High Lord of Day Court but tradition states that to make it official he has to consummate the union with his Queen. And they’re mates or the reader is given to him and they’re both nervous and holding back but really want it. I don’t really know just drama and smut ensue 🔥
(I hope this is okay and it was so much fun to write and I wanted to write more but it was already nine pages long)
Royal Duties (Lucien Vanserra x Reader)
WARNINGS: Arranged marriage, worries over abuse, SMUT, 18+, super sweet, loss of virginity?
All eyes were on you as you were presented before the new High Lord of the Day Court, Lucien Vanserra. He had just recently taken over after the death of his father and although he was able to pick up on things rather quickly, the fine print of his crown made him raise his eyebrows.
It was written that the next in line to be the High Lord must not only take a Lady but also consummate the marriage. This was to ensure that the line would not end and that the thrones never sat empty. Lucien could have his pick of any court member or even one of his subjects in the villages. It was all within his hands.
And he had picked you.
You did not know why and had spent the better half of last night and this morning trying to figure it out. He had chosen you out of a lineup of noblewomen in the court, not even sparing a glance at the others once his gaze fell on you.
As far as you knew, he didn’t even know your name. This complete stranger had turned your world upside down with a point of his finger and wave of his hand. You were still coming to terms with it as your ladies dressed you in the court’s colors, making sure not a hair was out of place as the veil was draped over your head.
“My Lady, you are a vision.” Yuri smiled as she fixed the train of your dress. “Our High Lord will be most pleased in your attire.”
“Most pleased indeed.” Savit agreed, finishing the final touches of kohl and powder. You gazed at your reflection and barely recognized the woman staring back at you. The one in the mirror was fierce and beautiful, a true Lady of the Day Court. But that wasn’t who you were.
“Is he…” You swallowed as your voice squeaked in nervousness. “Have you heard anything bad about him? Does he treat…people like us fairly?”
Savit caught onto your worries and ran a soothing hand down your arm. “He is a good man, my Lady. He will treat you well.”
The words gave you some comfort but it all disappeared when you heard a knock and saw the advisors waiting for you with pleasant smiles on their faces. You almost tripped over your own feet as you followed behind them, the grand doors to the ballroom waiting to open for you.
“Good luck my Lady.” They bowed slightly just as the doors opened, revealing a room full of your family, friends, and other people of the court. You stood there for a moment, too scared to move, until you looked up at the front of the room.
Lucien was standing there, a vision of his own as the white robe clung to his body like water. His hair was halfway tied up and his golden crown was atop his head, matching the color of his mechanical eye. He was staring at you, drinking you in just the same, and gave a small smile when your eyes finally connected with his.
Something in his aura told you it was going to be okay and so you took a deep breath, held your head high, and gracefully walked up the steps until you were facing him. Golden light filled the room as the priestess said her words, both of you tuning her out as he held your hands.
His thumb was stroking the back of your knuckles in comfort when she finally ended her prayer, looking at the two of you expectedly. Your eyebrows were knitted in confusion until Lucien gingerly dropped your hands and lifted the veil off your face to reveal yourself to him.
Your very breath was stolen from your lungs as he gave you a wider smile, turning to grab the crown on the pillow beside the priestess and placing it atop your head.
He pulled away and admired you as the entire room erupted in applause, your heartbeat drowning out everyone as Lucien bent down and gave you a simple kiss on your lips.
It made your mouth tingle as he pulled away and you had to resist the urge to touch your lips where he had just been. You could feel him watching you as you turned to the room and gave them a smile and a wave, both of your hands conjoined as you walked down the steps and back through the doors you came from.
After that you barely had time to converse with your new husband as you got introduced to everyone in court, all of them bowing and offering bountiful gifts of different sizes and shapes. A grand buffet was served almost immediately and you noticed it had some of your favorite foods along with Lucien’s.
You didn’t have much time to eat though because the music started up and the festivities went in full swing. People were dancing, drinking, and dining while you were being whisked all around the room so much that you thought you would get whiplash. 
The entire night was like a dream and you found yourself actually enjoying his company. He was funny and sarcastic, whispering jokes into your ear about certain members of the court as they approached you. You were pleased to notice that he seemed to enjoy you as well, the two of you conversing easily over many different subjects.
Everything was going great until you heard an advisor stand up, his glass raised, and shout, “To the marriage bed!”
It was luck that you hadn’t eaten much because as soon as those words registered in your head, you felt your stomach drop with nerves. Your mother and sisters had given you a brief explanation of what would happen tonight, telling you it was not very pleasurable but to grin and bear it for the new High Lord.
They had warned you of pain and bleeding but had made clear that you should not cry. You felt your hands go clammy as Lucien grew distant immediately, dropping your hand and frowning. Did he not want this? Were you not desirable?
“Off you go, we must hurry!” One of your ladies whispered into your ear, taking your arm and gently leading you to a side room. You turned to look for Lucien, uncertainty in your eyes as he watched them lead you out.
“I thought he would be taking me here, Yuri.” You mumble as you are brought into a grand bedroom with a four-poster bed. 
“He will meet you here later.” She assured you as she began to undo the ties of your gown. “We need to get you oiled and ready for him before then.”
“Does he not do all that?” Your voice was laced with confusion and concern as the dress fell off your body, leaving you in the lacy undergarments they had put you in earlier that day. Savit took the dress and laid it on a hook, shaking her head at your naivety. 
“No, my Lady, he-” She began only to jump in fear when she heard the door open up. All three of you turned and were shocked to see Lucien standing there, his lean frame resting against the doorframe.
“Leave us, please.” He ordered. Both Yuri and Savit stood immediately, bowing their heads and gathering their things quickly. You were near trembling when the door shut behind them. It was the first time you had been alone with him.
“Do you, um, I just,” You were fumbling over your words as you wrapped your arms around your body. “Is there anything I can get you?”
“I won’t touch you if you do not want to be touched,” Lucien assured, walking towards you in two long strides. “I do not want to force you to do anything of that sort, though I realize the irony of that statement given our quick marriage.”
The corners of your lips turned up in a smile. “It’s not that. My mother told me what would happen tonight.”
“Do you not know yourself?” His voice had dropped an octave, realization dawning on him. “Have you not been with any man? Or woman?”
Embarrassment made your cheeks heat up as you shook your head once, fiddling with a stray string on your panties. “No. I haven’t. Does that displease you?”
“Displease me?” Lucien chuckled in disbelief, shaking his head in bewilderment. “Displease me? What about you? Mother above, I picked you because you seemed smart and capable and beautiful, I just assumed you had lovers before…and for this to be your first time?”
He began to pace around the room as if he were battling with his inner morals. You felt guilty for making him upset or whatever emotion he was currently experiencing. You let out a breath and reached out for his arm, stopping him midstep. Lucien’s eyes instantly fell on your body, his skin turning warm from arousal at the sight of you.
“I will be fine, Lucien. I promise.” You gave his arm a tiny squeeze. “Shall we get on with it?”
You didn’t wait for him to confirm, too afraid you were going to lose your nerves, as you climbed atop the bed and laid on your back. According to your mother, this was the position that would hurt the least. Lucien watched you with amusement as you situated yourself between the pillows, noticing the slight shakiness of your hands.
It wasn’t until you began to pull down your underwear that he stopped you, following you up the bed and gently grabbing your wrists. “You look absolutely silly, Y/N.”
“I’m not trying to look silly.” You huffed in frustration. “My mother told me this is how it is done. I lay here, you do something down there and I just look up at the ceiling. Simple as that.”
“Cauldron save me…” Lucien mumbled under his breath. “I’m sure that some people do it that way but this is supposed to be pleasurable for the both of us.”
“That’s not what I was told.” You purse your lips, rising up on your elbows. “Are those men still coming to watch?”
His frown returned as he rolled his eyes, the mechanical one whirring. “Unfortunately but these curtains will be drawn so they will not see you or I. I want you to feel as comfortable as you can tonight.”
“Really?” You ask with a raise of your brow, smiling as he gave you a sincere nod. “Well, if you truly mean what you say, could you, um, show or maybe tell me what it’s supposed to be like? I was told there will be pain and if I am being truthful, I do not deal with pain that well.”
The air between the two of you seemed to shift as his gaze darkened. “I have no problem showing you what your body and mine can do, but I need your consent first. This should not be out of force of duty.”
“Consent to what, exactly?” You breathed as he hungrily drank in your body once more. 
“To touch you, Y/N,” He replied huskily, raising a hand and skimming his knuckle down your arm. Goosebumps followed in his wake and you felt small tingles of excitement going down your spine. “To taste you, to make love to you…”
“Do I have your permission?” 
“Yes.” 
Your reply was instantaneous as was the kiss that followed. He tipped your chin so you were looking up at him, his body hovering over yours as his lips pressed against you. It felt like fireworks this time instead of tingles, the kiss was deeper and longer than before.
He tasted like sunlight and cinnamon, an intoxicating combination that made you crave more. When he tried to pull away you surprised yourself and him by throwing your arms around his neck, bringing him back to you.
“I didn’t know you would be so eager.” Lucien teased as he nipped at your bottom lip. Your thighs pressed together in need as he trailed his lips from your mouth to your ear. “However, I must say it is a good look on you.”
“Please, Lucien.” You panted, not even sure what you were truly asking for. It was like your body was on fire and his lips were the only thing that could put it out. 
“What do you need, my lady?” He asked you, appearing in your field of vision once more. “What do you want me to show you?”
“Everything, just, please! Please touch me!” You whined. 
One of his hands trailed down your neck, his fingertips ghosting over your skin until he brushed against one of your clothed nipples. It made you suck in a breath when he pulled on it, testing your reaction.
Lucien’s pupils were blown wide as he had you raise up and remove your bra. You threw it somewhere to the side, your body buzzing with excitement as he licked his lips at the sight of your bare breasts.
“You are gorgeous…” He hummed as he took both of them into his hands, squeezing the flesh while watching you bite your lip in need. Slowly, with his eyes focused on you, he took one of your nipples into his mouth and sucked. You couldn’t hold back the moan in your throat at his action, your eyes closing as he lavished you with attention.
“Feels so good.” You praised, fists clenching the sheets as he moved to the other one. The panties you were wearing were wet with your arousal, something that had only happened to you during your dreams, and the lacy material kept rubbing against you in a way that was making you wild.
You hadn’t even noticed you were grinding your hips until Lucien placed a firm hand on your stomach, holding you still. 
“What are you doing down here, princess?” He asked you, his voice teasing. The nickname was unexpected but it made your stomach fill with butterflies. 
“I…I don’t know.” You looked away, ashamed, while closing your legs tightly. “It just felt good.”
His hands came up and pried your thighs apart, admiring the way your cunt glistened in the candlelight of the room. Lucien’s chest rumbled with satisfaction as you allowed him to touch you, his jaw clenching at just how soaked you truly were.
“I’m gonna show you how good you can feel, Y/N.” He growled, peeling your panties off and stuffing them into his robe pocket for later. You tensed, watching him with uncertainty until the first swipe of his tongue had you melting into the bed.
“Oh, Lucien…” You sighed, the feeling foreign but good. He wrapped both of his arms under your thighs and held them apart so he could feast on you, his tongue darting in and out of your hole before coming back up to your clit.
When he flicked your clit with the tip of his tongue you almost jumped in surprise. You heard a small chuckle from him as he repeated the action but this time, this time you moaned loudly. 
“Right there, please.” You pleaded, your face flushed with desire and embarrassment. Logically you should be horrified that he would be anywhere near your sex. It was something you had thought was taboo, or at least had been told, but this pleasure he was giving you made it go out the window. You were on a euphoric high.
As he continued you felt something building up inside you. You started to squirm, wriggling your hips and even humping his face which he did not seem to mind at all. The pressure kept building and building and when you tried to pull away to explain, his hands roughly grabbed your ass and kept you still.
“Wait, Lucien, I feel like-” You tried to get out but then he started to suck on your clit, humming softly, and your entire body suddenly seized in pleasure. 
“Oh, oh!” You cried out, your core clenching as your hips rose high in the air as Lucien continued to eat you out. He drank every drop of your cum as you rode his face, your head thrown back in the pillows.
It was what you imagined heaven to feel like as he slowed down his licks, pulling away to gaze at you. Your hair was a mess, cheeks pink, eyes wide, and your mouth smiling as you stared up at the ceiling. 
“Are you okay?” He asked you, smiling when you rose up to look at him. 
“Can we do that again?”
366 notes · View notes
Almost kisses and a stolen kiss
4 times Dream almost kissed y/n and the one time he did
Word Count: 3,732
Warnings: Pure fluff, Dream being Dream, Dream and reader are both idiots, Dream be is an ass in part 4 (but we love him 😂)
In the Garden - Dream POV
“I thought I might find you here. You know I can grow those just with a thought and a swish of my hand right?” Dream said as he walked toward y/n tending to some flowers.
“I know. But where is the fun in that? Plus I like how calming it is” she said standing up and brushing the dirt off her hands onto her trousers. “Also this way I feel like I’ve left my mark here when I’m not visiting.” She smiled up at him.
“You are one strange being. How did you manage to get dirt on your nose?” He spoke walking towards her. How was it possible she looked so beautiful without even trying? She was one of the most caring people he had ever met. And when she came for a visit to the Dreaming his day was always better.
“I got dirt on my nose? Haha that must have happened when I sneezed earlier” she tried to rub it off with her hands, but she only made it worse. “Did I get it?” She had such a bright smile that reached her eyes. He couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“Not in the slightest. You are only making it worse. Here let me.” He walked towards her and retrieved a tissue from his pocket and wiped the dirt off her nose. He looked down at her. He was leaning in toward her hand now resting on the side of her face when Jessemay came swooping in calling out.
“Sir, sorry to bother you but Luciene needs you for something” called the Raven as she landed on Dream’s shoulder. Dream held back a sigh and stepped away from her.
“Go, we can catch up later” she smiled giving him a little nudge in the shoulder.
“I will see you soon then” he spoke in a soft voice before turning around and heading back to the palace.
In the Library - Y/N POV
You were walking down one of the long aisles of books in the library. You ran your fingers along the spines of the books looking at the titles. The books along this aisle were poetry books and play scripts, smiling at the titles that you recognised. You suddenly felt a shift in the air behind you and you smiled. You turned around to find Dream standing behind you, arms crossed behind is back with a fraction of a smile ghost across his lips.
“It’s getting harder to sneak up on you” he spoke walking closer to you, looking at the books on the shelf your hand was resting on.
“Well maybe you just need to try a little harder” you joked leaning against the book shelf with your shoulder looking up at him.
“Maybe. Or maybe I don’t want to” he spoke softly and picking a small book of the shelf just above your head. He was leaning forward. So he was leaning over you. He pulled a way just as quickly once had the book.
“Have you read this one?” He asked revealing the title. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ one of Shakespeare’s comedies. You had read it, countless of times
“I have. It’s probably one of my favourites of his” you reply
“You know. I met the Bard before he became the Bard. When I met him he went by a different name” he responded flipping through the small book.
“You did? When was that?” You ask moving away from the bookshelf and walking towards Dream who had taken a few steps back.
“I met him on one of my earlier visits with Hob Gadling. I over heard him talking about how he wanted to be a famous playwright. I spoke with him and granted him his wish” he spoke handing your the small book.
“You mean to tell me you are the reason the world got William Shakespeare? You really do have soft spot for the arts and artists” you replied, after all this time of visiting the Dreaming and your conversations with Dream he was still able to surprise you.
“Artist, writers and musicians… they are all dreamers. And I as King of Dreams do like to keep an eye on them and see if they need some motivation” he replied. He closed the gap between the the two of you. He tucked a stray hair behind your ear and looked into your eyes.
“Dream… I…” you spoke softly
Lucienne came around the corner.
“My lord, Merv is here and he has a few things to report… oh..” she spoke. Dream pulled away in an instant his facial expression changing just as quickly.
“Of course. I asked him to check something for me” he gave you a slight nod and he followed Lucienne to go and speak to Merv. You watched as he turned around the corner. You let out a breath you that you had been holding. What was that… was Dream about to … no he wasn’t…. was he?
In Fiddler Green’s - Dream POV
Dream found her lying in the grass looking up at the sky and the clouds. He was perplexed at how she could just lie there and not do anything.
“What are you doing?” He asked as he stood next her looking down.
“Watching the clouds. What does it looking like I’m doing. Come join me for a bit.” She spoke looking up at him.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea” he spoke.
“Oh come on, don’t tell me you can’t take just one afternoon or a few hours off from your duties of Lord of Dreams and Nightmares” she sat up a little resting on her elbows. “Please, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Just take a look at what you’ve created” she begged. Her eyes were so sweet and kind. He couldn’t say no to her.
“Maybe a few minutes” he sat down next to her and smiled
“How are you going to watch the clouds if you don’t lie down and look up at them” she lay back down pulling him with her.
“So you just lie here and look at the coulds? Why?” He asked settling down next to her. Looking up at the clouds
“It’s calming plus sometimes they actually look like shapes. Like that one there almost looks like Merv’s head. And that one looks like a raven feather.” She said pointing out at the clouds as they slowly floated by. He turned his head to look at her and she had the widest smile on her face. That gave him an idea, he turned his attention back to the clouds, there was one that was just a big blob and with a small thought he turned it into a sheep.
“Hey that one looks like a little sheep” she spoke with a giggle. He turned his attention to the next cloud and turned it into a four leaf clover.
“That one looks exactly like a four leaf clover. Wait … are you doing this?” She turned to look at him.
“What is that not allowed?” He said turning his face to look at her.
“No, you are supposed to use your imagination to try and figure what the look like” she laughed nudging him with her shoulder
“Well I was! I was using my imagination to make the clouds” he nudged her back. “Are you mad?” He asked in a serious tone
“I could never be mad at you. It’s sweet and kind. Thank you” she replied turning on her side to face him better and resting her chin in her hand and looked into his eyes.
He leaned up and forward to meet her eye level. And looked right into her eyes. “I’d do anything to make you smile. I don’t think I could ever take you being mad at me.” He spoke softly his eyes looked down at her lips for the briefest second then he sat up and slowly stood up. He reached his hand down to help her stand up.
“I better be off now. Lots of dreamers to attend to. Do you need help getting up?” He asked
“No I’m ok. I think I’ll stay here for a little while. I’ll see you later” she smiled lying back and looking back at the clouds. He looked up the clouds one last time and created a cloud that looked like a dog. He heard her laugh out loud as he was walked away. Her laugh was so infectious and couldn’t help chuckle to himself as he left her lying in the grass.
By his throne - Y/N POV
You walked into his main hall looking for Dream. You hadn’t seen him in a while and missed the little chats you had. You found him sitting on his throne talking to Merv. Your footsteps echoed in the vast hall giving away your arrival, catching the attention of both of them.
“Y/n! Long time no see.” Merv greeted you as he hopped down the stairs and gave you a hug.
“Good to see you too Merv. How have you been?”
“Oh you know. Can’t complain, I’ve been good. Busy but I like to keep busy. How have you been?” Merv asked
“I’ve been good. I’ve spent some time in the Waking world. I feel they are the brink of of success or chaos. I fear it is leaning more towards chaos. So I thought I would swing by a visit to see some old friends” you smiled
“Well I sure hope they don’t cause any chaos. Anyway I better be off lots to do” He turned and did a quick bow to Dream and he headed out the main hall.
Dream was still sitting on his throne looking down at you. You felt a small shiver run down your spine, his gaze was so piercing and held so much emotion in them. Even after all this time you still were unable to read him.
“It’s been a while since your last visit” he spoke from where he sat.
“I know. Like I told Merv, I’ve been busy watching the mortals. Don’t tell me you actually missed me” you spoke as you slowly made your way up the stairs, stopping halfway up to his throne. You didn’t want to venture to far up, you knew how he was about people approaching his throne without asking.
His eyebrows raised slightly at your last comment. “Merv clearly did. Lucienne also did along with some the other dreams. Your little garden did as well. Don’t worry I made sure none of your plants suffered.” He spoke as he stood up and made his way down the stairs and stopped a few above you. He looked down at you with those deep eyes that never gave anything away.
“You know you didn’t actually answer my question” you teased
“I didn’t hear a question in your statement” he responded in low tone taking a step closer to you. Your breath hitched in your throat.
“Did you miss me?” You asked looking up at him.
“Your absence was noted.” He responded taking one more step down so he was one the step above you. You didn’t know what you were expecting from his answer but his answer upset you a little. You took a couple of deep breaths.
“How have been Dream? You create any new dreams or nightmares lately?” You asked trying to move past your slight disappointment.
“There is a dream I have been creating… but it is not ready to be seen by anyone yet.” He responded never taking his eyes off you. You could have sworn his eyes darted to your lips for the briefest second.
“Oh come on Dream. You always used to show me what you were working on.” You teased
“Not this time. It’s not ready” he responded in a sharp tone.
“Aww come on. Can’t you give me a hint at least. Your creations are always so beautiful” you begged.
“No” he spoke his tone almost scaring you. You furrowed your eyebrows he had never spoken to you like that before.
“What has your cloak in a twist today Dream” you joked nudging his arm slightly. The second you did that you knew it had been a mistake. The temperature in the room plummeted and his eyes turned dark.
“I said NO. I would appreciate it if you dropped the subject. Why do you feel the need to push into others business.” He spoke in a cold voice taking a step down to look at you face to face. You took a step down to get away from his cold presence.
“I apologise Dream. I’ll drop it…” you tried to keep your voice calm.
“It is not just about my creations!” His voice boomed “You visit my realm whenever you see fit! You drop in whenever unannounced and without invitation.” He kept taking steps towards you and you kept taking steps backwards. He was growing taller and his face had grown dark. This was the nightmare side of him. The side he reserved when creating nightmares and visiting peoples nightmares, you had never seen it before and you were terrified.
“Dream… you’re scaring me” you spoke
“I am Lord Morpheus and you will address me as such! And you will never come back to my realm. Do you understand?” His voice boomed off the walls.
“You want me to leave and never come back? Fine” you spun around and began to walk out of the hall you stopped halfway and spun back around. “It was a pleasure visiting your realm Lord Morpheus. If it is not to much trouble could you say my goodbyes to the dreams and Luciene for me. I wish nothing but happiness for you Lord Morpheus. I apologise again for my over stepping” you bowed to him and turned back and walked out. You tried your hardest not to cry until you had left the palace and out of earshot of Dream. You made it across the bridge and out of the main gates before you broke down in tears.
Watching the Night Sky - Dream POV
He had finally gotten all his tools back, the dreams and nightmares were back in the Dreaming, rebuilt the Dreaming and had taken care of the Vortex. Now his next stop was to find y/n and see if she would accept his apology. He had been cruel to her last they spoke. He wouldn’t blame her if she completely ignored him or yelled at him. Lucienne had agreed to help him track her down mainly because Lucienne was pissed at him when she found out he had basically thrown her out of the Dreaming. They found her in the Waking world and now he was going to apologise for everything.
He found her sitting on top of a large pile of boulders looking up at the stars. He slowly walked up to her and made his way up the pile. He stood on the boulder next her and looked down at her not knowing what to say.
“You still need to work on the sneaking up on me Lord Morpheus. Though it has been a little over 100 years so I’ll leave this attempt up to lack of practice. ” she spoke in a cool tone not taking her eyes off the sky.
“Lord Morpheus? Not Dream?” He spoke quietly
A shooting star crossed the sky. “Did you know mortals make wishes on shooting stars? Last time we spoke you made it pretty clear I should address you as such” she spat still not meeting his gaze watching the star cross the sky.
“And I have come to apologise for my behaviour… I acted unfairly…” he began but she cut him off.
“Apologise? The King of Dreams and Nightmares has come to apologise for his behaviour.” She turned to look at him as she spoke. Her face dropped when she turned to him. “What has … what happened to you? Not to speak out of turn and risking your anger again … but you look awful, like you haven’t slept in years” she asked with a nervous look in her eyes.
“Not long after we last spoke, when I told you leave my realm. One of my nightmares, the Corinthian left my realm and refused to come back. I went to the Waking world to bring him back and I was captured by a mortal who saw him self as a sorcerer of sorts. He stole my symbols of power and said he would free me when I gave him what he wanted. He held me captive and when he died his son still held me captive” he replied. As he spoke she slowly stood up and fully faced him. She slowly lifted her hand and reached up to his face and placed in on his cheek.
“How long did they hold you?” She asked looking into his eyes. He leaned into her touch breathing in a deep breath and taking comfort in the small contact.
“100 years, I was kept in that glass sphere for 100 years” he replied.
“How did you get away?” She asked looking at him in his eyes, but turned his head and looked away from her.
“Paul the husband of the sorcerer’s son, he wiped away part of the rune circle that was on the floor. I think he might have done so on purpose. It was enough to allow me to escape.” He said looking at the stars. “Do you wish for anything when you see a shooting star” turning back to face her.
“I do, but don’t ask what because I can’t tell you. Then the wish wouldn’t come true” she answered with a slight twinkle in her eyes. “Now that your free what are your plans? I assume you would want to get your symbols back and return to the Dreaming.” She said turning her attention back to the sky, she sounded a little sad.
“For 100 years the only thing that kept me from losing my mind was my goal to get my symbols of power and finding you and doing three things. I would have sooner after getting my symbols of power but I had to take care of The Vortex and begin to rebuild the Dreaming.” He said never taking his eyes off her profile
“There was a Vortex?” She spun back around. “And now you’ve dealt with that you’ve come to find me and apologise?” She asked sounding a little skeptical.
“I realise that the way I spoke to you last was cruel. You only wanted to know what I was creating. And banning you from the Dreaming was harsh of me. I know how much you loved … love visiting my realm” he spoke
“And I apologise for always stopping by with out asking” she cut in
“Still, I never should have lashed out. I never said anything about it. The truth is I always loved your visits and my day was always better when you would visit.” He took a deep breath “I’ve learned that apologising to friends is important, though I’m still learning on how to. So, I would like to apologise for my behaviour and banning you from the Dreaming. I would also like to tell you that you are more than welcome to come to my realm whenever you like, no need to ask before visiting” he spoke looking into her eyes that were shining with tears.
“For someone who is just learning how to apologise that was a really good one. Also that’s only two things. What’s the third?” She asked
“Always the observant one aren’t you?“ he spoke stepping onto the boulder she was on cupping her face in both his hands and leaning down brushing his nose over hers before placing a light kiss on her lips. He be began to pull away to look into her eyes to judge her reaction. But before he could she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in and kissing him back. He moved one of his hands on the back of her head and moved the other to wrap around her waist pulling her in closer to him. He pushed his tongue against her lips she sighed and opened her lips allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth. She responded by chuckling lightly against his lips.
He pulled away and furrowed his eyebrows together. “What’s so funny?”
“You know how I said telling what you wish for on a shooting star is bad luck? Well there are three that I would rotate through. The first one, you would realise what an asshole you were and apologise” she said placing a light kiss on his left check. “Two you would let me come back to the Dreaming” placing a second kiss on his right check.
“And the third?” He asked
“You would stop being an idiot and finally kiss me” she placed a kiss on his lips. He pulled her in close to him and returned the kiss happily. She moved one of her hands into his hair gently tugged at it and he let out a moan against her lips. He gently turned her head to the side with his hand kissed her along her jaw and then her neck. He kissed her in the same spot and sucked on there leaving a small mark on her neck. She let out a sigh and shivered a little “Dream…”
“Hmm yes.” He said with head still against her neck. “Are you cold?” He said pulling away looking down at her.
“A … a little. Yeah” she shivered.
He wrapped her up in his long coat bringing her into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzling her head against his chest.
“Better?” He asked with a light chuckle
“Umm hmm, better” she replied giving him a little squeeze
“What you say about heading back to the Dreaming?” He asked looking down at her
“I would love that” she replied
He gave her a kiss on her forehead and took some sand out of his bag and threw it in the air. And it spun around them in a swirl and he held her close as they traveled back to his realm.
354 notes · View notes