This should be obvious to anyone who’s even taken a cursory look at my blog, but Lucien is pretty much the only reason I’ve stayed in this trash fire we call the ACOTAR series and its fandom. I have never loved a YA character more deeply and sincerely. I don’t know how this happened. I don’t recommend it.
All the people I ship romantically with this character
Pretty much… everyone. Lucien. Azriel. Feyre. Rhys. Cassian. Tarquin. Andras (sob). Even that fucker Tamlin has a place here because of the fics I and other people have written. Heck, I’ve made arguments for Kallias, and know just about… nothing about him.
My non-romantic OTP for this character
I’m going to go with Mor. Ever since @valamerys‘s fic New Constellations, I can’t get it out of my mind. Their situations are actually quite similar – trapped in an abusive family, nearly killed for sleeping with the wrong person. Trauma survivors. The only difference is that while Mor had the Inner Circle, who supported her and empowered her (let’s avoid talking about the mess that was ACOWAR for the moment), Lucien only had Tamlin, who, y’know, didn’t. So she’s had time to heal and grow stronger, while Lucien has had more trauma piled up on top of the original.
My unpopular opinion about this character
This isn’t REALLY unpopular, but… Lucien deserves Elain. Not in a “he has a right to her” way, but in a “he’s actually a good person who would be good for her” way. Now, I am not the expert as I have written I think 2 Elucien drabbles total (all my Lucien stuff is gay, pretty much) but the nonsense side of Elriel shippers in which Lucien, like, goes into a jealous rage because he can’t have Elain, or where Lucien is literally just forgotten, frustrates me. I honestly think he’s the most human – real – of the characters. He’s made mistakes, but they were born of trauma and fear. He cares about people, but struggles between that and caring for himself. Anyways. I don’t know what my point was. Right. Elucien. Yeah, this is really just a “Lucien is a great character” rant.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
UMMMMM HOW ABOUT IF SJM HADN’T WRITTEN HIM OUT OF ACOWAR HALFWAY THROUGH. *cough* I’m fine. I’m not still upset about this.
ok well first of all Rhys’ dad definitely knows about the gifts. he employs the best spies on the continent, and one of them has the unfortunate job of reporting to the high lord of the night court what his ridiculous heir is getting into this week. but Rhys is wise to this, and so has his own spies deliberately leaking increasingly ridiculous rumors about who, specifically, his lover is, so that by the time Dad hears that it might be Beron’s youngest son that’s getting this fucking portrait, that sounds exactly as unlikely as half the other people on the list, so he essentially gives up with a “whatever, as long as no one’s about to enact political sabotage on us because you’re sending their spouse dick pics, it’s fine” (i do love the letter u wrote tho LMAO)
(Rhys’ dad is smart as hell but No Fun At All and he got saddled with the most absurd charismatic overdramatic scheming son,,,,, the high lord of the night court is Tired)
Rhys’ mom supports rhycien fully and probably has met lucien and likes him very much. (it wasn’t like super official or anything because Rhys is trying to play it Cool. u know how it is.) and I support everything u said about Rhys’ sister. They are partners in crime and she helps get Dad off the scent but suggesting people Rhys might be fucking that he definitely isn’t. She and Mor go shopping for the worst sex toys they can find for Rhys to send Lucien and it’s beautiful.
Oh yes, I think Feyre is way too harsh to Lucien in a number of ways. She kind of lacks self-awareness and this is a consistent character flaw of hers.
Because Elain is sweetness and gentleness and quiet, unyielding strength with a half-hidden streak of savagery that her sisters underestimate, and Lucien is wit and cleverness and blazing loyalty with these depths of sensitivity and kindness that go ignored/ suppressed in the service of his abuser and then Feyre in ACOWAR (who is, frankly, a dick to him).
And there’s a lot to be said for Healing Together, after all that they’ve endured and their weird similarities in losing fiances and never being able to go “home” and being continually dismissed by the people closest to them, but more importantly, their personalities compliment each other, bring out the hidden sides I talked about in each other. Elain tempers Luciens GONNA INSULT EVERYONE [fire emojis] inclinations and draws out his soft side, and Lucien’s playfulness challenges Elain just enough that he gets to see and appreciate her sharpness. And they’re both incredibly empathetic, observant, emotionally articulate people who get a lot out of– rather, who need– a parter who reciprocates that.
Like, consider Lucien, who has made a lot of fucked up decisions and burned a lot of bridges and done a lot of soulless political shit and basically had every good thing in his life ruined or taken from him, being in just. complete awe. of how Good this woman is, how undeserving he is of breathing the same air of a creature who was suffered so much but stayed so kind and gentle, how completely fucking baffling it is that the cauldron would tie them together but how if she’d let him he’d happily spend eternity just… making her happy, making her laugh, holding her while she puts herself back together, anything she wants. And consider Elain, who is broken, who thinks she’s never going to love again, who no longer has a home but begins to find one in this man who’s smart and endlessly witty and has a fire in his soul despite the weight he carries on his shoulders and who believes in her like no one ever has, who sees all of her, not just the delicate little flowergirl parts everyone else sees, and loves her for it without ever asking anything in return so of course she comes to reciprocate it.
that was not 100% coherent but anyway, those are my #thoughts on why elucien is The Best Ship. for further reading please see: all of my fics.
but also who decided that Lucien would call Elain “dove” and “pet” and occasionally “fawn” and somehow this transferred across literally every single fic and I actually love it so much
“Pea/Sweet Pea” is definitely mine (from ACOWAS), and I think “Dove” was jointly conceived by @illyrianazriel and me? Like, I definitely remember multiple conversations about pet names lmao. “Pet” I’m pretty sure was also @illyrianazriel but maybe also @valamerys. The three of us are basically co-parents of this ship and you’ll pry it from our cold, dead hands (that includes you, SJM)!!!
Sarah Viehmann 