Chapter 2 Has Been In The Works For Two Months And I Didnt Really Know How To Proceed Without Making

its sad how my mother keeps ranting about how i think im so hardworking but im not/ i need to studying instead of complaining i get bad grades/ look at other people etc etc but the thing is i never said i was hardworking, i never said i study hard, im perfectly aware that i dont study hard and could be more hardworking but like when things like tumblr and pinterest and instagram and netflix and tiktok exist textbooks just arent my priority ya know. also mother, the more you rant the more my passive agressive side wants to do less so maybe just, respectfully, stop bc I KNOW even if I don't exactly act like it.

You realize its easy to acknowlege that you suck/ you need to do shit trust me i knew that since I was eight but the HARD part is doing the shit not accknowleging you need to do shit so i mean 🤷‍♀️

Hi! I'm kind of new to the fandom and I'm looking for good Feysand fics. Do u have any reccomendations for fics/authors? 🍓

Welcome to the fandom! I've read so many amazing fics by so many amazing people over the years, so this list will by no means be comprehensive, but I'll do my best and it'll definitely get long anyway! I hope I didn't bother anyone by tagging them because I'm not mutuals with everyone on this list.

@illyriantremors on both Ao3 and Tumblr has some of the best fics I've ever read. Unfortunately, they left Tumblr and the fandom several years ago, but they have some serious gems. Some of my favorites include a nearly-complete rewrite of ACOMAF from Rhys's POV, and my personal favorite feysand fic of all time, Beneath the Stars, (And its sequel, Between the Stars!) which is a fantastic modern AU.

@quakeriders on both ao3 and Tumblr has so many good one-shots and some multichapters that live in my head rent-free! One of my faves is her demon!rhys AU; and if i get burned, at least we were electrified.

@writtenonreceipts on both ao3 and tumblr has a lot of great fics with really interesting premises. If you're into throne of glass they also write quite a bit for that fandom!

@themoonthestarsthesuriel on both tumblr and ao3 has so much amazing writing! Their fic The Bet was such a wonderful ride.

@mmvalentine on both ao3 and tumblr writes fantastic feysand AUs. I'm still working my way through a lot of their writing, but their tattoo artist au The Bargain is terrific.

@the-lonelybarricade/TheLonelyBarricade on Ao3 has so much amazing writing for a variety of ships! I recently devoured her A Court of Faded Dreams, which is a really unique concept involving Feyre being sent back in time to the beginning of ACOTAR.

@bookofmirth/ABookandACoffee on Ao3 is one of my favorite sources for levelheaded and sensible opinions in this mess of a fandom, and she is also a talented writer! Her fic Turning A Page is so well written, and she has quite a few oneshots for a variety of ships including Feysand.

@arrowmusings on both ao3 and tumblr has a lot of great content that will absolutely destroy you in the best way possible I promise.

@live-the-fangirl-life has so many wonderful feysand fics, as well as a lot of throne of glass writing if you're in that fandom.

@thesurielships has a ton of feysand fics that I adore! If you're a swiftie she has an evermore songfic collection.

Another writer who left the fandom and is also now inactive (to the best of my knowledge) is @sarahviehmann / sv_you_know_who_I_am on Ao3. Before ACOWAR came out they wrote their own version called A Court of War and Starlight that I personally haven't read, but it was immensely popular around the time. Their modern AU My Fair Warrior is really well done as well.

Since you're familiar with my blog, I'm guessing you've already checked out my writing if any of it interested you, but I'm WordsAndWishes on Ao3.

I also went down by bookmarks list on Ao3 and picked out a few of my favorite fics.

Dear Darling - penpal AU!

Going for Gold - Olympic AU - this one does focus more on Nessian but there is plenty of feysand goodness, also a lot of great sisterly relationships.

It's Nice to Have a Friend - Incomplete but a gem! A Modern AU

The Castle of Dreams - Feyre ends up as a tutor for Rhys's sister who just so happens to be a princess.

Don't Look Back - a hs AU that is so much fun and an absolute ride!

What Happens Under the Stars - feysand finds healing together in a modern au. Feyre and Rhys and their journey are written in a very unique way that I love.

If You Hold Me Close - fake dating at an elucien wedding!

Nox Industries - Rhys is a CEO and Feyre applies for a job at his company.

I just know I'm forgetting a ton of people but I hope this is a good starting place!

im sorry i think i was high on the coho hate train and the i hate people who hate on acotar train when i wrote this.

I swear y’all acotar haters who compare sjm (who writes masterpieces) to Colleen fucking Hoover only read the first book. (Which is still a problem because the first book is still >>>>> anything coho can ever conjure in that tiny brain of hers)

And throne of glass!! like ok if y’all hate acotar cuz Rhys fucked in a war tent Rowaelin fucked on a beach I hope thats more acceptable for you. (no but fr tog is also a literal masterpiece. The ending of EoS???? KoA????? hello?)

Idc what you think, I want Elriel to fight after the solstice scene. I want Elain to be even more mad because he ignored her. I want them to act like nothing happened in the beginning and then Az confronts her for whatever reason and I want her to be “oh I thought we were acting like it never happened, since you ignored me all this time”. And I want him to be like “I just think that you misinterpreted what happened and i think we should talk”. And then her to be like “oh now you want to talk? Ok.” And sbam. Gets mad, tells him everything she’s thinking with no filters whatsoever, throws flowers at him. Everything without crying at all, while Az is standing there like “oh shit”.

I mean my girl has been rejected too many times and ignoring her for months after that makes it even worse. Plus she’s always elegant and formal, even when she fights with Nesta. I want her to be like “fuck all of this, I deserve good things”.

"Arobynn once told me that second place was just a nice name for first loser."

-Celaena Sardothien

favourite tog series quotes- (3/?)

Grey’s Anatomy | S6 E16

honestly so valid

Fourth Wing Characters And Their Red Flags (Iron Flame Spoilers)

Violet: really bad at basic math (6+1=??), constantly interrupts people when they’re about to spill the tea, caused a questionable stain on the Tyrrendor Throne.

Xaden: unresolved mommy issues, really bad at 20 questions, stuck in his emo phase, has Endgame by Taylor Swift on repeat so much it seeps into his vocabulary, inappropriate use of the communal gym showers, self-sacrificial to a fault.

Dain: patchy beard, memory thief, used his nepo baby connections to get the wingleader position even though he sucks at it, has a low key crush on Xaden (the true enemies to lovers all along).

Jesinia: writes Xaden & Violet fanfiction with explicit scenes during work hours.

Andarna: forgets to take her melatonin and makes it everyones problem.

Tairn: major exasperated dad energy, v emotional and impulsive, unresolved trauma around Naolin, superiority complex when it comes to gryphons.

Sgael: Not that good at making choices.

Nolon: HIPAA violations for sure, was the true weakest link all along.

Caroline Ashton: dared to be in the book more than Garrick???? Literally wtf.

Brennan: Faked his own death yet chose the most obvious pseudonym ever, so deep in the closet he’s living in Narnia.

Mira: the abusive sibling (she was justified tbh), really bad at getting very obvious hints.

Daddy Sorrengail: literally doesn’t have a name? Speaks in code to his children for plot reasons only. Weak heart (sure buddy).

Rhiannon: Makes every other character look bad because she’s an actual angel.

“My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, and I will not be afraid.”

I am screaming over my own art right now. This came out 10x better than I had initially envisioned and I am so damn proud of it✊🏻

“Bread and Roses” 🍞🌹

Elain, Feminism, and Deeper Implications?

Disclaimer 1: This is my first time posting! I am very new to the “fandom.” I got a Tumblr after finishing the ACOTAR series and wanted to delve deeper into underlying theory, mythology, folklore and themes. I found such thorough and beautiful analyses and theories on here, so I decided to legitimize my lurking and just get an account. I’m not really sure how Tumblr works with the tags. Please be forgiving and kind if I did all of this wrong!

Disclaimer 2: I have read all of SJM’s books. I am “pro”Elain, Feyre, Nesta and every character in the series (yes- even the “evil” ones). I say that bc I have noticed (as a newbie) this fandom has a tendency to get nasty so quickly and we miss the essence of such psychologically complex and dynamic characters. I am a clinical psychologist, and have a great appreciation for how SJM writes all of her characters (villains included). That being said, this is a pro-Elain/pro- woman post. If you don’t like Elain, then don’t read this!

Ok so 🚨 Major HOSAB spoiler below 🚨

Let me just be honest, I knew the ending of HOSAB before reading it (LOL). I couldn’t help but look online and spoil it for myself. I am who I am. I am totally and unapologetically the girl who reads the last page of the book before starting. Guilty as charged.

Anyways, let’s talk about mf’n bread and roses. I tried to look around and see if anybody was discussing the MAJOR sociopolitical and historical implications of this, but didn’t see anything (so sorry if I missed somebody’s post and this was previously discussed). Bread and Roses is a slogan tied to feminist advocacy and the suffrage movement.

On a surface level, “bread and roses” is OBVIOUSLY alluding to Elain who is not present in the scene. I don’t see how anybody could argue that this symbolism is heavily associated with Elain. What I am talking about is the deeper implication for Elain with SJM assigning these symbols to her throughout the series. For whatever reason, I never put it together on the deeper level until it was literally in print, in front of my eyeballs, and I read aloud multiple times “BREAD AND ROSES!!!!” It was in this moment that I realized SJM is more brilliant and, potentially, politically bold than I originally thought.

Because…BREAD AND ROSES!? Let’s briefly chat about the implications of this and how I think this totally ties in with Elain, our most “feminine” coded character in the SJM metaverse. So the slogan “Bread and Roses” was coined by labor organizer Rose Schneiderman in a 1911 speech encouraging women to fight for more than bare minimum pay for necessities (bread)..we also deserve love, beauty, art, and MORE (roses). We deserve to not just survive, but to live: “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.” This inspired the poem “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim, which later became a song, as well as a feminist/civil rights/labor rights slogan that is still relevant and readily used today. In fact, the 2019 Women’s March theme in London was…Bread and Roses. And..just read this:

Bread and Roses

By James Oppenheim

As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses
For the people hear us singing, bread and roses, bread and roses

As we come marching, marching, we battle too, for men
For they are women's children and we mother them again
Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread, but give us roses

As we come marching, marching, un-numbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread
Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew
Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses, too

As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days
The rising of the women means the rising of the race
No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes
But a sharing of life's glories, bread and roses, bread and roses

Notice any parallels? Any buzzwords in there from any specific prophesies you noticed? 😉

The slogan “Bread and Roses” was a rallying cry during the Lawrence Strike, aka “Bread and Roses Strike,” aka “The Singing Strike(!!)” in 1912. The Bread and Roses Strike was a large strike of women textile workers in Lawrence, MA. Many women were beaten and soaked with firehoses in the dead of winter. What was unique, at this time in history, was the “spirit” of the workers who were singing and chanting. I read that singing was an integral part of the success of the strike, as many could not read or speak English. Song was used to bring women together and help others learn the English language.

Are you seeing any possible parallels here, but in a fantasy world with magical powers, yet? Perhaps some “singing” powers as it might pertain to Elain developing more understanding and fluency of her powers? Because…I am!

(I’m going to stay away from shipping bc I am honestly terrified to go there with the fandom and don’t want to get my head ripped off…but yea.)

Ok so how does this tie into Elain, you ask? Elain is disliked by a lot of the fandom (from what I can see) bc she’s seen as “boring.” She’s seen as a bland/vanilla girl who just enjoys her flowers and baking. People use this to justify their stance in the ship war. She’s “too much” in regards to domesticity and simplicity (by perspectives I have read). She’s a very traditionally feminine coded, gender-loaded character..kind of like these symbols which have been used throughout the women’s/civil rights movement to fight with and rally behind. I think people are about to be VERY surprised by Elain. I was already sure of this and then I read that last chapter of HOSAB..and I’m convinced!

Rose Schneiderman in 1911: “What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist—the right to life as the rich woman has the right to life, and the sun and music and art. You have nothing that the humblest worker has not a right to have also. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.”

Sun, music, art…hmmm.

SJM is an unapologetic feminist. In the dedication to KOA SJM wrote:

“For my parents--who taught me to believe that girls can save the world”

Her using Bread and Roses and connecting Elain to bread and roses as symbols throughout the ACOTAR series was intentional. It was not an accident. It is not in place to stand that she is weak and boring. That she is naive and simple. I truly believe SJM has a (large) percentage of the fandom believing that Elain is a simple and domestic woman who just wants to garden her flowers and bake her bread (“she belongs in Spring!”), but Bread and Roses are so much more than that. There is hope for more. There is hope shining through the void to not just survive! But to live! You will not tell me otherwise after that slapped me in the face. Bread and Roses is a rallying cry, still used in civil rights movements to this day! Used to advocate for racial, gender, and social equality. LGBTQ rights, labor rights, politics….Bread and flippin’ roses.

Women do not have to settle for the bare necessities. Women do not have to settle for surviving. We (Elain included) deserve to live! Bread and Roses is a slogan representative of egalitarianism. Balance. No matter our sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, or hobbies…we are ALL deserving of love and beauty. Joy and wonder. Art and song. That’s what Bread and Roses is about.

And…because I can’t resist…an author who has associated such STRONG feminist symbols with a character would never pit that character against another woman over a man. SJM is not going to make this next book about a man’s choice of what woman he wants. It will be Elain ‘Bread and Roses’ Archeron’s choice to get her damn roses. To not simply settle for the bread. I have never been more confident in where the direction is going. Shipping aside, Elain’s book is about the serve.

“Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread, but give us roses”

I would love to hear thoughts or if anybody else picked up on this!