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bookofmirth · 1 year

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I was wondering if you would be willing to take on an analysis of Cassian and Nesta’s relationship. I’m a sucker for romance and when I first read acosf I was so excited and happy for all the nessian although there were parts I felt so angry with Cassian because I felt were extremely unnecessary, like making Nesta carry a heavy pack all while not noticing her dehydration, telling her he’s shackled and not getting a decent reconciliation, to name a few. I feel like the story has this imbalance between the two characters because everyone already sees Cassian as this funny, mistreated by society, handsome huge cuddle bear in Feyre’s pov and we see Nesta as this unnecessary asshole in her pov. That, paired with Nesta’s self loathing, is why I can see why some readers are led to believe Nesta is awful to Cassian and might even go as far as agree that she needs to be worthy of him (which is why I have feelings about Mor who is an NC leader and one of her job titles is to help abused women but that’s another topic) then to read it explicitly in Nesta’s pov at the ending of acosf is what made me abandon the ship almost completely. which is a problem because we’ve agreed in previous posts just as Nesta’s pov is subjective by that same logic so is Feyre’s.

I loved reading your thoughts about Nesta and her father since that also didn’t make sense to me. I always figured Nesta’s trauma stemmed from the matriarchal side of her family and it’s helping me come to a certain understanding. I was just hoping maybe your perspective might give nessian a fresh angle I’m missing.

Hello! I will do my best. I assume we probably won't agree 100% but I am very much in the mood to lend some nuance to Nesta's character since the fandom is either intensely anti her or pro her, and both stances distort her character (and tbh some of the takes I've seen COMPLETELY missed the point of her entire character and of acosf, not to mention they are super vitriolic and antagonistic towards other people in the fandom. Calm the fuck down, y'all. No you op, just... the fandom.)

I take nessian as being a very different type of ship than any of sjm's others. Her other ships have tension that usually stops short of cruelty, but nessian are very aggressive as a couple and that energy turns antagonistic sometimes. Their dynamic is what made sjm make them mates, because Nesta is a force to be reckoned with and Cassian is not only strong enough to be with her and give it back, but he doesn't turn away from her either, when so many people in her life have stopped trying (Amren, Elain, Feyre to an extent).

I put the rest of this under the cut because it got very long!

Honestly, it confuses me when people get mad at Cassian for being mean to Nesta because that street goes both ways. They both say horrible things to each other that they know will wound, though Nesta does it first and more often. She calls him a brute and a bastard, when we know that that's one of his major insecurities. And this starts in Wings and Embers!

Her brows flattened. “Leader of the High Lord’s armies, and yet the brute remains. You cannot cow me with words, so you seek to intimidate me through your hulking size.”

Rhys, Az, and Cassian all call each other bastards on occasion but with them it's Bastard (affectionate). When Nesta calls Cassian a bastard/brute, she does it à la Beron and Eris. I honestly can't include all the times that she insults him that way. He lets it go at first, but then we know that, in his POV, this is actually an insult that gets under his skin and something he thinks about himself - much in the same way that Nesta thinks negative things about herself:

They were all staring. Cassian rolled his tensed shoulders, stretching out his wings. He’d revealed too much. Like a stupid brute, he’d let them all see too much, learn too much.

And someone else who uses that against him is Eris:

Cassian clenched his jaw. “So you’re to be my ally whether I wish it or not?” “The brute understands at last.” Cassian ignored the barb.

“It’s the ugliness of his fucking soul that riles me. I don’t care if he calls me a mongrel bastard.” Eris had called him such things today, she realized. Rage rippled through her. “It’s just that, ally or not, I hate him. He’s so slick and unruffled and … I can’t stand him.” He set down his fork and stared toward the window behind her. “Eris and his twisted word games and politics are an enemy I don’t know how to handle. Every time I meet with him, I feel like he’s got the upper hand. Like I can only catch up to him, and he sees through my every fumbling attempt at being clever. Maybe that makes me a stupid brute after all.”

And it's ironic to me that Nesta gets angry at how Eris insulted Cassian in that way, because she has done the exact same thing. So she knows that her blows are landing. In fact, that's why she does it. Nesta has identified a weakness and exploits it in order to push Cassian away, so I'm not surprised that it worked and he snaps. That's the reaction she's going for and that's the kind of behavior she needs to change because she's constantly pushing people away and then getting angry/sad when they leave.

The reason that I am emphasizing the things that Nesta has done here is not to say any of this is her fault, but that they both dish it out, and if we read the whole scenes, it usually starts with Nesta because that's just where she's at in her life right now. I dislike the arguments that because Cassian is older, he should know better or whatever, because 1) Nesta is an adult, and 2) as an Elder Millennial lol I know that age doesn't mean anything when it comes to maturity. In fact, I've lost my fucks with increasing frequency over the past few years. I know 20 year olds who are more mature than 40 year olds. It's just not that simple!

To go back to my initial point about their relationship, I think that even once the intention to harm is gone, now that some reconciliation has happened and they accept the mating bond, they will continue to be that aggressive couple. Feysand are leaders, nessian are warriors, and in the future I see elucien as co-conspirators and gwynriel as competitors. Nesta and Cassian both fight for what they care about, in the literal fighting sense, so it seems natural that that bleeds into their relationship a bit when they are still butting heads and trying to figure out how they work.

There are a couple of things you pointed out that I've noticed other people mention, so I wanted to discuss them!

like making Nesta carry a heavy pack all while not noticing her dehydration

I personally don't have an issue with the hike as a whole (I have another ask where I'll touch on it), but I did read this thing where Nesta passed out from dehydration as being both of their faults. Cassian just isn't paying attention, he forgets that Nesta isn't a hundreds of years old Illyrian tough guy and she *had barely gotten to the bottom of the stairs at the HoW (edit because I forgot she did that just before these shenanigans). Nesta is a grown adult, he's not her babysitter, she could have said something but instead she just suffered. (I wonder if that was also in line with her self-destructive behavior in acofas?) They're basically both being dumb here.

telling her he’s shackled

While he is doing this to hurt Nesta in that scene, all of the acotar mates thus far have said that about their mate. Lucien said it about Elain and Rhys about Feyre, though theirs were in more self-deprecating ways. To me, it just goes back to the push and pull that Nesta and Cassian have. I think the conflict in that scene is that they are essentially talking about two different things - for Cassian, Nesta rejecting the mating bond is her rejecting him. But for Nesta, the mating bond has nothing to do with Cassian and everything to do with her lost humanity. Cassian is taking her reaction personally (and why wouldn't he, when she has spent so much time picking at his insecurities?) and she is thinking of how the Cauldron and being Made affected her (and why wouldn't she, when she is still grappling with her trauma?) They are basically both thinking of themselves! And not considering how the other one feels.

and not getting a decent reconciliation

I think *fingers crossed* that we will see them in a much better place in future books. SJM said that Nesta's story will continue, so I'm just going to be optimistic here. Since the narration won't follow either of their perspectives anymore (we assume) we probably won't get an in-depth exploration of it. In fact, I was surprised when I got towards the end of acosf that I only had 30 more pages because I knew that so much still needed to happen. The end was very rushed but that's a whole different issue 😂

I am curious what you think of them after this! They aren't my favorite acotar ship; that's reserved for feysand and elucien, at least in canon. But I really love Cassian's character for his combination of strength and vulnerability, and Nesta is probably the most complex and interesting thus far, so I enjoy them from that standpoint.

#nessian #ask #unlikelypersonalknight1 #long post tag #nesta #cassian #thoughts on characters

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moodymelanist · 2 days

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Is There A Problem, Officer?

happy day 6 of @nestaarcheronweek, and happy birthday Nesta! I hope you all enjoy this… not so quiet birthday party 😉

Summary: Nesta wanted to celebrate her twenty-sixth birthday quietly, but her friends had… other ideas.

Word Count: 3k

♕♕♕♕♕

Nesta

“Happy birthday, Nesta!” Elain and Feyre said in unison as Nesta opened her townhouse door.

“Thank you,” Nesta replied, pleased to see her sisters. Elain had come bearing cake and Feyre had come bearing alcohol, both of them just as welcome as her sisters’ faces. “And thanks for coming.”

Nesta was turning twenty-six today, and instead of going out and getting drunk with her friends, she’d decided to do something a little more lowkey. She’d quickly learned twenty-five was the age her body had decided to turn on her, and she wasn’t exactly keen to repeat the vicious hangover she’d survived last year.

So instead of getting all dressed up and hitting the town, she’d decided to do something much more relaxed. She’d invited her sisters and some close friends over to order in some food, drink some wine, and otherwise have a good time ringing in Nesta’s birthday. Everyone had been more than willing to go along with it — even Feyre, who was always chomping at the bit to do something more exciting — but Nesta had been looking forward to seeing the people she cared about too much to really question it.

“Like we’d miss your birthday,” Feyre replied as she and Elain walked inside, somehow managing to shut the door behind her without dropping anything. “Even if it’s not as exciting as last year.”

“Sorry I don’t want to spend the next morning puking my guts out again,” Nesta answered as they made their way to the kitchen, rolling her eyes. Feyre’s boyfriend at the time had been surprisingly willing to come take care of her, so she’d been spared most of the aftermath.

“As the person holding your hair back, I’m a big fan of your decision,” Elain agreed with a little laugh. “No offense, Nesta.”

“None taken,” Nesta responded, snorting. She helped Feyre and Elain unload their goodies and the three of them took a few minutes to properly arrange everything on the counter. “Okay, that’s fine for now. Come say hi to everyone else.”

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#nestaweek2024 #Nessian #acotar #acosf #nesta archeron #Cassian #pro nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro Cassian #moodymelanistwrites #Nessian prompts

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suvidrache · 8 months

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Nuada With Pregnant S/O

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 132 | Read it on AO3

Warning: violence towards others.

Nuada would do anything and everything to protect you.

He's going to stay by your side every step of the way.

Anyone who dares to lay a hand on you will not live to see another day.

If, for some reason, he can not be there to protect you. He would possibly have one of the guards watch over you.

He isn't too sure or confident about that, so he also has his sister watch over you.

Whether they listen to her or not is their choice. However, heads will roll if anyone dared to not listen to you.

Nuada would be there for you when you give birth. No one, well, except for you, but no one and nothing is going to stop him from being with you during your labor.

Tag List: @imagineherbrightskies, @unlikelypersonalknight1, @queendeeshorrorimagines, @eli-chris / Join my tag list here!

#nuada x reader #nuada headcanon #nuada imagine #nuada silverlance #nuada #prince nuada #nuada silverlance x reader #nuada silverlance imagine #hellboy the golden army #hellboy 2 the golden army #hellboy

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kale-theteaqueen · 2 days

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A Quiet Kind of Birthday Girl

Written for @nestaarcheronweek 2024 Day 6: Birthday Girl

"'Now that you mention it, I don’t know either. When is Nesta’s birthday?”

She could practically feel the cringe that wanted to work its way across his face as he blinked rapidly, entirely aware he, too, did not know the answer.

It wasn’t his fault. She hadn’t told him because she hadn’t thought it mattered.

“You don’t know your own mate’s birthday?” Emerie followed up; a brow quirked in obvious judgement."

---

Or, Nesta has always kept her birthday quiet. When her family finds out about it, they of course shower her in the gifts she deserves. Only, when she's never before had a birthday that truly celebrates her, being the center of such affection is hard.

Luckily, Cassian knows how to celebrate his mate in quieter ways.

Tag List: @c-e-d-dreamer @podemechamardek @talkfantasytome @moodymelanist @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk @doriansgf @eerievixen @sweet-pea1 @thewayshedreamed @agents-assemble @jsmelodies @unlikelypersonalknight1 @aelinchocolatelover @slipknotvol3 @stylishmuser

#nesta archeron #nessian #archive of our own #acotar fanfiction #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron week 2024 #day 6: birthday girl #pro nesta

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nestasgalpal · 6 months

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Can't think straight when we are together Pt. 4 [Nessian]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Nesta’s Gal Pal masterlist | AO3

Tagging: @zoyaslai @champanheandluxxury @pataytayo @nessiantrashh @dustjacketmusings @saltydreamcollector @generalnesta @simpingfornestaarcheron @arinbelle @a-court-of-valkyries @azrielsgirl @swoopingoccamy @vasudharaghavan @vidalinav @sv0430 @nessianforlife @claralady @sayosdreams @malluzia @dealfea @kylosmomm @unlikelypersonalknight1

This townhouse had been in Rhys' family for generations, its living room a witness to almost all their hangovers, but now that the happy couple had officially moved in, the space was unrecognizable. Feyre's paintings hang on every wall, and instead of the mismatched cups they had collected over the years, a new set was now waiting to be used. The boxes with the old stuff were stored away, so Feyre and Rhys could start filling the rooms with their own belongings.

Cassian's heart warmed when he saw the place. Of course, a part of him missed the sense of familiarity when he entered a room, but at least he got to be part of the new memories they would make here.

The joy of the night was that, and collecting the jackpot. "How in hell did you miss this happening?" Cassian poked fun at Amren, who hadn't guessed correctly in the poll made almost 10 years ago about who would move in with their partner first.

"I thought you and Az would move in together and be the type of roommates who have the entire block wondering if they are really good friends or really good friends." Amren wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Cassian roared laughing again. She waved her piece of paper in the air accusingly, as if it was his fault she lost.

Fifty bucks wasn't a fortune, but it was definitely more than the others got. Mor had trusted her own ability to find a partner quicker than the rest. Amren had put all her eggs in the basket of a bromance that never happened. Az himself had been 15 years old and in love, and therefore it was Mor's name on his piece of paper. And Rhys, in an unexpected turn of events, had tried to make a joke out of putting Amren's name on it next to a poorly drawn knife, as if implying she would be the first one to move in with her partner, but violence would be involved.

Not only didn't he win, but, to his disappointment, he didn't even get a laugh out of the crowd.

So Cassian was now fifty dollars richer than he was that morning.

"I'm a little hurt no one put me." He confessed, the grin still hanging on his lips.

Rhys rolled his eyes. "Come on, man, you know you'll be last. I think Amren's hunch was right: You'll live with friends until all of us move out." The collective agreement when all the guests laughed, had Cassian frowning. "What?" Rhys saw the need to explain himself when he saw Cassian wasn't joining in the laughter. "You are the kind of guy who would rather spend time with friends than anything else. And I'm not complaining!" Again, everyone agreed.

Mor went a little further with the explanation that, apparently, only Cassian needed. "Cass, we know we are lucky to have you. I would hate having to share the best friend ever with anyone but the people in this room. And your career will also benefit from it."

Indeed, his prospects to go pro within the next year did benefit from him not having to divide his time three ways: football, friends and love life. There was still something that bothered him, though. But Cassian knew he should be grateful for how blindly his friends trusted that he would always be there for them. That was his role, after all. Good, reliable, always willing Cassian.

It's my fault, I'm the one who never sought a love life in the first place. Cassian thought, trying to rub it off.

But the itch didn't go away—not fully. Deep down, Cassian knew it didn't make sense, as Rhy's dream career was the exact same one he was pursuing. And love had never been something he was expected to give up in order to achieve it. Just the opposite: they were here celebrating it.

"I mean," Amren was adding now, as the conversation had kept going without him, "we don't even have enough chairs to grant you a plus one, so even if we wanted that for you," She shrugged, "we can't afford it."

Ouch.

"Yeah, I get it." He laughed without feeling it, doing his best to mask it. The topic clearly wouldn't die until he agreed. "As me being in a relationship would be inconvenient for all of us, I promise you I never will." He placed a hand over his heart as he made his vow.

As simple as that, everyone moved on.

The paint color for the walls was perfect. Were they thinking of adding a lamp in that dark corner? Mor made a point to mention how trendy wall molding was at the moment, and Az made a point to mention how that kind of feature only collected dust. The extra cleaning was a dealbreaker for Feyre; she had noticed in the last few days how much dust the paintings collected and wasn't planning on spending even more time cleaning the walls.

Football and the draft being around the corner was the next topic, one Cassian was thrilled to get into. He expected to be picked in the first round, and so did Rhys.

"You've got it, man." There was not a pinch of doubt in his friend's voice. "My dad heard our city's team wants you, so it's a done deal. Next season, you'll be playing for Velaris."

"It would make more sense to pick you in the first round: quarterback, team captain and the mayor's son." Cassian argued.

Az didn't fully agree. "I don't know, Cass. Your stats are better. If they don't pick you in the first round, you might not be there for the second one."

The three of them got deep into the discussion and stopped paying attention to whatever the girls were saying in their parallel conversation. From time to time, Cassian caught Feyre mentioning her sisters or her parents. He knew they hadn't taken her decision to drop out well; otherwise, she wouldn't be here with her life packed in boxes. He made an effort to pay even less attention to her. Feyre's family was a topic he would rather not hear about, for his own reasons.

"There is an implied pressure for the other teams not to pick Rhys if they go with you in the first round." Azriel was insistent on the fact that Cassian would be picked by Velaris' team first, then Rhys in the second round. Cassian wasn't so sure, and Rhys was on the fence. "Obviously, the mayor's son playing for another city wouldn't sit well with anyone."

"Do you see how offensive it is to imply the only reason the team wants me is my dad? I am the fucking captain in the college league!"

"Yet Cass has been MVP for the last three years. Out of four." He added, more worked up by the second.

"I mean, it is a factor, Rhys." Cassian wasn't planning on fooling himself to protect Rhysand's ego. His dad had intel on the team's plans, and knowing that was enough to figure he was part of the conversation... and conclude what that meant.

Neither of the three was budging. "He is your father in some way too." Rhys tried arguing.

Rhysand's parents had fostered Az and him for a couple of years and treated them like their own, that was true. But they were in their twenties now, and while Rhys was getting a townhouse as a gift in the middle of the semester, Cassian and Az paid for their shared dorm on campus themselves. The three of them would always see each other as brothers, Cassian had no doubt, but in reality, Rhysand's father had long ago stopped taking care of them as such. His mom, though, still had them go over for dinner at least once a week, and made sure they had presents under the tree each Christmas.

Just like the last one, the topic of the draft died unresolved, and the night went on. Board games were followed by charades, and the wine kept flowing, making it harder every round to perform.

Cassian did his best to play a horse, although his teammates were having a hard time understanding his gestures. He laughed and drank, focusing on the game as the back of his mind remained unsettled. As he played charades, it played with the idea that something was off tonight.

Perhaps it was the boxes in the living room, so similar to the ones where he and his mom used to put their few belongings when they moved from one tiny place to another. The flats she could afford were never bigger than this living room, and their things had certainly never filled them as much as Feyre and Rhys' did.

It could also be the topic of the draft. Of course, he wanted to stay in the city with his friends, but, as Az had pointed out, his chances were dependent on how much influence politics had in the decision.

The annoying rumble troubling him could, of course, be caused by the same anguishing fear that had a month ago settled in his mind and conquered it. It took on a new form now, but the dilemma was the same as it was the last time: What did he want, and what was he willing to pay for it? In the scenario where Velaris' team didn't pick him and another did, accepting would mean leaving this place behind—his friends. So, again, was his career on the list of things he was willing to sacrifice in order to keep life as he knew it unchanged? It was hard to tell right now, drunk as he was. Especially considering he had been regretting his first call from the moment he made it.

Cassian was repulsed by his own cowardice.

Despite his inner distress, he didn't let any of it show. He was present in the board game and alert enough to stop Amren, his assigned partner, from launching herself over the table and slapping Az when he caught her cheating. Az's life was saved, Cass was thanked, and the balcony door was opened so the smokers could take a break.

"I got this." He let Feyre know when she started picking up the game pieces to tidy up the table. "Why don't you go set up the karaoke?"

She did. Or tried to. Where had they packed it? "If you were me yesterday, would you say the karaoke belonged in the miscellaneous box, the living room miscellaneous box, or the home items miscellaneous box?" She asked him across the room, pointing at each one at a time. They were now alone. Feyre pouted. "This was supposed to be a relaxing weekend! I can't believe I exchanged a spa for an unpacking season."

They both laughed.

"Don't rush it, Fey. You have a thousand little rooms to fill, so the labels you wrote before coming here won't help you make sense of anything."

"There are so many rooms, right?" She smiled. "Not now, of course, but maybe after we've made this place ours, we can start tearing down a few walls and make it more of an open concept."

Nodding, Cassian closed the box that contained the game and put it on the shelf they had taken it from. "I like the little rooms, though. I like the privacy of small spaces better than large floor plans, which I wouldn't know how to furnish." He went to help Feyre figure out the boxes. Two sets of hands and eyes would, or should, find the karaoke faster. "I grew up sharing one-bedroom apartments with my mom. The living room would sometimes be the kitchen as well. Or that, plus the bedroom, not gonna lie."

Feyre nodded, understanding. She had lived like that for a few years as well, when her father's company declared bankruptcy. That was a long time ago, though, and the estate Cassian had wandered through last month was proof of it. Like businessmen do, her dad had found his way up again. Cassian had learned at a young age that connections were more valuable than money itself. If you knew the right people, doors would open for you, no matter what.

That was the problem, wasn't it? Some of the people he was competing against knew everybody, while his claim to success relied on his talent alone.

"How do you imagine your place?" Feyre asked. "Something small in the city?"

Cassian laughed. "The opposite. I want a big place. And far away from here. With a large garden for the dogs I'll have to run." Feyre confessed to liking the idea of animals as well. "I'll have my things all over the place. Not in my room, because the entire house will be mine." She smiled and imagined the place he was describing. "I'll need long hallways to frame all my football memorabilia. I've been collecting it since I was a kid, and it will be the first thing to find a place for. Then, we can fill the rest of the walls with her books, but my football stuff goes first."

Eyes wide, she opened her mouth to say something, but Cassian was too into the picture already. "Plus, I can build her the shelves, but the signed shirts have to go into these specific glass frames. They are custom-made, so I need to take care of them before anything else."

"Right, I'm sure she will understand." Feyre murmured.

Shit.

"I mean, whoever. I might even get the house before I get a girlfriend and won't worry about it for a long time, so whatever." He laughed, struggling not to stumble upon his words. "That's why my things have priority."

"Yeah, it makes total sense." Feyre pretended with him. "You go first."

"Nesta's spoiled ass won't be happy about that." Mor's voice took both Feyre and him by surprise, and the new homeowner almost dropped the bundle in her hands back into the box.

It could be because he had never been able to lie to Mor, but he didn't try to mask the feelings soaking his words this time. "That was unprompted."

"No, it wasn't. You were thinking about her." She countered, as if that explained the comment. "How do I know?" She read his mind again. "Your face changes when you do. You look more stupid than usual."

The silence was awkward, and none of them moved. Cassian didn't want to talk about Nesta right now. And if Mor didn't like her, which was clearly the case, then why did she even have to bring her up?

Feyre was the first to react, but that wasn't much help. "I'll go look for the karaoke in some boxes I have in the bedroom." She excused herself and left.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He snapped when they were alone.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to see you plan your life with someone who doesn't care if you live or die?"

Cassian crossed his arms over his chest and took a step forward. This was not the day to be condescending. "Do you know how fucking insufferable it is being told what you should and shouldn't do as if you didn't have a damn brain of your own?" Mor was taken aback by his sudden aggressiveness. "Keep her name out of your mouth and let me live my fucking life."

He didn't raise his voice, but he was cutting with every word. Mor just stood there, speechless. Cassian didn't know what had taken over him either, he only knew Mor had broken a candid moment between him and Feyre with nasty and unnecessary comments. The first fucking good moment he had had in the entire night.

"Go ruin someone else's life with your self-centered advice, Mor. You are done with mine."

Feeling offended brought her back to life. "I'm your friend, it's my job to protect you!"

His face was probably redder by the second. "From what? A 125-pound girl that needs glasses to read the ingredients on her cereal and spends her afternoons studying the names of pharmaceutical drugs?" The surprising choice of words for his description of Nesta stole a shocked laugh from Mor, as well as from Cassian, unfortunately. That seemed to lighten the mood. "See, now you've made me roast the girl I want!" He accused, a smile lingering in the corner of his lips. Mor was doing her best to contain hers, and he appreciated the effort. "I really want to be with her —read the labels for her and distract her mind when she is burned out. Do you really have reasons to dislike her so much you must stop me? Can't you just get a fucking hobby?"

Accepting that she didn't, in fact, have a specific reason, Mor nodded her head. Cassian saw a glimpse of regret for what she had been doing in her eyes, even if pride hid it again a moment later. All was said, at least as far as his need to defend himself and Nesta went.

"I am sorry, Cass. I am sorry I let some of that ugly overprotectiveness get between the two of you... and us. But you have to understand that I don't want things to change."

Her voice cracked in the last sentence, and Cassian couldn't stay mad because he understood. He understood Mor better than the rest, hence why he expected the same thing from her in return. She had always reciprocated, which was probably the reason it had taken Cassian so long to see she was actually sabotaging things for him. He would have never thought to be wary of her, of all people.

There had always been a silent recognition between the two. It was a bond that never turned romantic, but both had always been painfully aware they had, to some extent, sacrificed their own happiness for the group. Cassian never pursued a love life, knowing they would never be okay with someone taking his focus from them. He had at times wanted to, but the fear of losing what they had in the process and being left out had always stopped him.

Mor, on the other hand, had endured almost ten years of yearning from Azriel, only so she didn't risk the group having to pick between the two of them. Again, out of fear she would end up losing the only people whose presence in her life mattered. She always got that, and saw the same fears in him. Shouldn't she sympathize with his stance more than anyone else? Shouldn't she be the one having his back at this crossroad, where desire to have a life beyond this friendship finally rivaled with the guilt of not doing what was best for them? Now that Cassian, for the first time, was willing to explore which was greater?

In order to protect the group's integrity, Cassian had let the one person he had ever wanted to be with get away.

"I really am." She muttered. They shared a knowing look, and this time, Mor's pride didn't cloud the hurt and regret in her eyes.

Chewing the inside of his cheek, Cassian ran his hands through his hair and said nothing. She reached for her purse, a bag way too big for daily use that somehow was always full to the brim. He saw her dive inside through the corner of his eye but didn't really pay attention until she put a white card in his face. "Here. This is for you. Feyre and I were going to use it, but plans changed." He rolled his eyes and said she needn't make him a gift to compensate, he knew she was sorry, but Mor insisted. "Just take it, will you? And go." He agreed, uncomfortable, just so this would end.

His friend seemed to be waiting for him to do something else, although Cassian wasn't sure what. He looked at the card, as she may want him to be more excited about it. That's when he saw it —the name for the reservation. "Archeron." He read. "How am I supposed to get in, Mor? This is in someone else's name."

The sassy, confident smile was back on his friend's lips. She winked at him and palmed his shoulder. "Let this be my olive branch to you two, okay?" Cassian was starting to join the dots. "And pack a suit!"

#nesta archeron #nesta #nessian #cassian #cassian acotar #nessian fanfic #nessian fanfiction #nessian fic #cassian x nesta #nesta x cassian

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secret-third-thing · 7 months

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Woody Fragrance Recommendations

for @unlikelypersonalknight1 by @secret-third-thing

This was a lot of fun to put together! Let me know what you think and we can make adjustments based on your thoughts! Sorry I wrote a novel <3

If anyone else wants perfume recs, just give me a shout! Tagging @areyoudreaminof b/c you're my only other acotar perfume buddy <3

So the base I was given was Woody (or Pine-sol which in itself is a VERY unique scent). I took some big creative liberties and started us on some different brands that have different types of woody.

Some quick terminology (used mostly correctly-ish):

Fragrance - what I mean when I talk about cologne, perfume etc

(Scent) Family - You'll hear me refer to Woody as a scent family. This comprises of different notes (ex. cedar, pine, sandalwood)

Notes - in this case, I'm talking about specific scents. A fragrance may have Top notes (what you smell first) mid/heart notes ( what you smell mostly after an hour, and base notes (which really come into play after an hour or so. You can smell them all to a degree when you first spritz something, but the fragrance will evolve over time.

Brand No.1: Replica | Maison Margiela (also @ Sephora)

These scents were created to replicate/evoke memories of fairly universal experiences!

Autumn Vibes - Starts off with a burst of sweetness, but settles into a deep woody note. It's earthy and warm, like hugging a tree.

By the Fireplace - You're hit with smokey notes, and then it becomes a delicious spicy/sweet combo. The sweetness comes from the Vanilla, while the Cloves and Sweet pepper give you that burst of spicy. Real LoA vibes here.

Now it's a bit of choose your own adventure here. Both of these aren't woody, per se, but have woody or wood adjacent notes:

Aromatic, sweet , coffee shop vibes? -> Coffee Break

Leathery, sweet, and a little spicy -> Jazz Club

Brand No.2: Imaginary Authors

Literature inspired scents that are mysterious, broody, and truly unique.

Whispered Myths - This scent is considered sweet, woody and animalic, which is hard to describe other than fur, skin etc. (it's not that gross I promise!) There's also some distinct melon in there.

Cape Heartache - This may be the closest scent to what you requested! It has notes of pine and fir. The light, barely there sweetness comes from fruit (and you guessed it...vanilla).

Memoirs of a Trespasser - another sweet, woody scent, but more of a gourmand (i.e. it's that vanilla!!) If you liked By the fireplace but wanted something a little more sweet and less spicy, try this.

Brand No.3: Boy Smells (also @ Sephora)

A brand that puts a twist on traditional scents. These are VERY unusual and contain a lot of notes that you don't see in a lot of commercial fragrances.

Tantrum - this is woody and GREEN. There's a little bit of citrus in there, but I think the green pepper (aromatic note) really shines here. It's SO different than anything on this list

Hinoki Fantome - deep, woody, smoky, very, VERY earthy. This is what I'd consider a DRY wood. If you like Autumn vibes but wanted something deeper, this may hit the spot

Marble Fruit - If you want something way more floral and fruity but still with woody vibes upon dry down, this is a lovely scent. It also leans into aquatic (my fav). But this is definitely the LEAST woody scent on this list.

Brand No.4: The Harmonist

The love of my life probably. Perfumes based on alchemy. Unfortunately, a bottle is so obnoxiously expensive. Get the scent kit first.

Royal Earth - do you want something creamy, powdery, and woody? This combines everything great about traditional perfume with wood. But it's more floral than woody at first.

Magnetic Wood - this definitely starts out with a kick of citrus and floral but then dies dries down to a lovely sandalwood, cedar base!

Golden Wood - another more citrusy wood, but it leans more into fruity (imo) than the above.

Desired Earth - if you want something herby and fresh, but with some cedar vibes, this is for you. You may like this because it's got similar clean vibes as Pine-sol

Anyway, I hope this helped. I had SO much fun putting these together. It forced me to catalog my collection and revisit some favorites. If you find that you're changing your mind or want to try something else, please let me know. Happy fragrance hunting!

#perfume recs by STT

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acourtofkindness · 3 months

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a little love note for @melphss 💕

Hello I want to give a shout out to melphss she is just so wonderful I love how sweet she is I never see a negative remark from her, we’re so lucky to have her in the fandom sharing all her commissions for her beloved characters 💞❤️ I’d also want to shout out to @podemechamardek she’s always been so kind to me from the get go when I see her in my notifications it just warms my heart ❤️ much love to all my wonderful Nesta Moots

from @unlikelypersonalknight1 💕

#acotar valentine's day

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andrigyn · 11 months

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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3rSPF1KunhM0L7ZTavqCVt?si=LjzsI7vzRoOLhYjEE45DKQ&pt=3a7ff73db39b8d0f57c66ea2de800988

@looseleaflettuce @unlikelypersonalknight1 by no means is this complete but I just threw all of em into Spotify 🥰❤️

#NO MORGAN WALLEN HERE #let’s get this summer kicked off right #Spotify

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moodymelanist · 7 days

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Where The Light Won't Find You Chapter 11

happy day 1 of @nestaarcheronweek! this took MUCH longer than I anticipated to get an update, but here we are!! thank you so much to everyone who's been leaving wonderful comments on this fic while I chewed on this chapter. I hope it’s worth the wait 💚

✵✵✵✵✵✵ Nesta

When Nesta managed to pull herself away from Cassian’s touch, she did it with the knowledge that it was a fight she’d eventually lose. Everything in her was screaming for her to touch him, hold him, claim him, and while she knew it was only a matter of time before she gave in, she also knew it was far more important to tell Elain and Lucien what had just happened.

Besides, Cassian wasn’t going anywhere. And judging by the look in his eye, he’d be more than happy to let Nesta have her way with him the way he deserved when the time came— the way they both deserved.

“Come,” Nesta told Cassian again. She reached backwards for his hand, not sure if she could bear it if they were separated right now, and he took it without hesitation.

Cassian’s hand was warm and solid in her own as Nesta led them through the halls, winding their way to the sitting room that had turned into their unofficial meeting room. She regrettably had to let go of him to send Elain and Lucien a message summoning them back upstairs, but it wasn’t as horrible as she’d feared. Cassian had started pacing the length of the room, and the sound of his steady footsteps and the way he found some way to touch her every time he walked past was more than enough to make up for the constant reassurance of his hand in hers.

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#nestaweek2024 #Nessian #acotar #acosf #nesta archeron #cassian #pro nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro cassian #moodymelanistwrites #nesta x cassian #cassian x nesta

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moodymelanist · 4 months

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🎄 All I Want For Christmas Is Snow 🎄

Surprise, @emeriethevalkyriegirl! I’m your Secret Santa! had a lot of fun writing this so I hope you enjoy ❤️ thanks for putting together an amazing event as usual @acotargiftexchange and happy holidays to all who celebrate !!

Summary: Nesta and Cassian’s daughter has never seen snow, so they conspire to give their baby girl her first white Christmas.

Word Count: 4,875

❅❅❅❅❅ Cassian

“Daddy?”

Cassian turned from where he was picking out a book for bedtime to look at his daughter. Seraphina – Sera for short, as she’d been insisting for a while now – looked absolutely adorable in a pair of purple pajamas. She’d just turned five not too long ago and he was so, so thankful she still enjoyed getting a bedtime story and a kiss on the forehead.

“Yes, mijita?” Cassian answered, grabbing one of the My Little Pony books off Sera’s shelf before coming to settle next to her on her tiny bed. “What’s going on in that cute little head?”

“Is snow real?” she asked abruptly. Her hazel eyes had taken on that determined look that meant she wasn’t going to bed anytime soon until she got her question answered.

“Of course it is,” he answered. It struck him sometimes how little she knew about the world, and just how much he and Nesta had left to show her before she grew up. “It just hasn’t snowed here in a long, long time. Not since before you were born.”

“Why not?” she followed up immediately. “I wanna see some.”

“One day, baby,” Cassian promised vaguely. He couldn’t predict the weather any more than the average guy, but he didn’t want to completely dash all her hopes. “The weather hasn’t been good for it yet.”

“When’s it gonna get good, Daddy?” Sera asked with a sigh she’d definitely gotten from her mother. He’d never get tired of seeing a quintessential Nesta expression on their daughter’s face, so he just reached out and smoothed some of her dark hair back to do something with the warmth of affection that spread through him.

“I don’t know,” he told her honestly. They hadn’t gotten good snow in DC for years – certainly not enough for Sera to enjoy it like a child deserved, anyway – and although the weather prediction said they were in for some real snow this year, who knew if that would actually be true. “But the weather people say maybe we’ll get some snow this year. Isn’t that exciting?”

“If you say so, Daddy,” she replied, clearly not believing him but deciding to go along with it anyway. “Can you read my story now?”

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#acotar #acosf #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #moodymelanistwrites #acotar gift exchange #kidfic #pro Nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro Cassian #pro Cassian acotar #Cassian acotar

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moodymelanist · 4 months

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I Guess It's Half Timing (And The Other Half's Luck) — Epilogue

I can’t believe this story has finally come to a close!! Thank you so much to everyone who followed along with me on this fic, I had so much fun writing it and trying my hand at slow burn for the first time 🩷

Also, a very big and special shoutout to the GC for motivating me every month to write this and helping me come up with fun little ideas to sneak in. Y’all kept me going and I couldn’t have done it without you!!

I hope this ties up everything nicely!!! until next time and happy 2024 everyone :’)

✷✷✷✷✷

Cassian

Cassian had been enjoying his dream when he was abruptly yanked into consciousness by the sound of his daughter screaming her head off in excitement.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Sera yelled at the top of her lungs, her little feet just narrowly missing crushing Cassian’s hand as she jumped up and down on the bed. How she’d managed to even climb up without shaking him awake was beyond him, but she’d certainly accomplished her goal now. “Wake up! It’s Christmas!”

“Jesus Christ, what time is it,” Nesta muttered under her breath. She looked adorably grumpy as always, and Cassian fought the urge to tug where her hair pulled into two loose braids for sleep like he was the little kid here. “Okay, okay, Sera. We’re up, I promise, just give us a second.”

“Too goddamn early,” Cassian mumbled right back. He was usually an early riser, but he’d been pulling a lot of long nights leading up to the actual holiday. Sue him for wanting to sleep in a little later than six thirty in the morning. “Sera, mijita, calm down a little, okay?”

Sera had just turned four last month, so they were much more concerned about making an effort for the holidays these days now that the chances of her remembering it were so much higher. She’d been talking about Santa and wondering aloud about her presents for weeks now, and if Cassian hadn’t been so worried about making the day good for her, he would’ve been able to focus on just how adorable she was.

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#acotar #acosf #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #Cassian acotar #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron x cassian #pro Nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro Cassian #pro Cassian acotar #moodymelanistwrites

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moodymelanist · 21 hours

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Wrong Delivery Part Two

hello and happy free day of @nestaarcheronweek !! It’s been such a blast organizing this and seeing all the amazing things everyone has created, and thank you so much to everyone who participated!!

without further ado… the long awaited part two of this fic from Nessian Week 2023. I hope you enjoy 🩵🩵🩵

Summary: Cassian returns Nesta’s package. Chaos and embarrassment ensue.

Word Count: 1.8k

✷✷✷✷✷

Cassian

When Nesta’s package had been accidentally delivered to his address instead of hers, Cassian could hardly believe his luck.

Nesta Archeron was easily the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen, and now he had a real excuse to talk to her for longer than fifteen seconds. He’d taken any and all excuses to talk to her over the eight months that he’d been living here, though their interactions had mostly been quick greetings that ended with her rolling her eyes at him.

Though in his book, that was definitely a win.

Cassian had been enjoying his Friday off — his favorite part about being able to set his own schedule as a personal trainer — when someone knocked at the door. Frowning as he got up, he made his way over and looked through the peephole to see a guy dressed in a UPS uniform walking away. He hadn’t been expecting any packages, but that didn’t stop him from opening the door to see a tiny black box waiting for him.

He bent down and picked it up before heading back inside, shutting the door behind him as he tried to remember the last thing he’d ordered. Maybe one of his friends had sent him something — Mor loved sending them all little gifts whenever she went on vacation — but she usually texted their group chat when she sent packages over. Maybe it was something for Azriel instead…?

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#nestaweek2024 #Nessian #acotar #acosf #nesta archeron #Cassian #pro nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro cassian #moodymelanistwrites #Nessian prompts

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moodymelanist · 1 month

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general taglist refresh

hello friends!! i wanted to refresh my tag list before I get back into the swing of updating fics and preparing for other event weeks. please interact with this post (like, comment, etc) if you want to stay on my tags or get added to the list! I'll put out a new list after a few days xoxo <3

#moodymelanisttalks #acotar

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moodymelanist · 9 months

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The Better To Eat You With

Happy day 4 of @cassianappreciationweek !! Shoutout to @c-e-d-dreamer for being so adamant about monster fucking, and shoutout to @perseusannabeth for making sure I got alllll the knotting stuff in there that we deserved. And I can’t forget @dustjacketmusings for her insistence about Cassian’s large, large hands. hope you all enjoy <3

Summary: Nesta has to make it home from her aunt Ripleigh’s before dark. Too bad the big bad wolf lurking in the woods has other plans.

Word Count: 6.6k

Warnings: Werewolf/human smut ahead!

✵✵✵✵✵✵ Nesta

“Nesta, are you sure you don’t want company?” Elain asked for the millionth time.

“I’m sure,” Nesta replied evenly, reaching for her travel cloak and fastening it around her neck. “I’ve done this walk a thousand times, Lainey. Besides, you know she hates me the least.”

Nesta was due to visit their aunt Ripleigh today, and the older woman lived in a remote cottage hidden deep in the woods. She’d recently fallen ill, so it had fallen to Nesta to periodically bring her food and supplies over the last few weeks. Elain and Feyre had occasionally made the journey with Nesta, but their aunt clearly despised her younger sisters so much that lately Nesta had been making the journey on her own.

“Promise you’ll stay the night with her, then,” Elain continued. Concern swam in her brown eyes as she watched Nesta pull on her shoes. “I don’t like the idea of you walking back home in the dark.”

“Alright,” Nesta agreed with a roll of her eyes. She knew the woods were technically dangerous, but she’d never had a problem with all the trips she’d made back and forth. Still, if it made Elain feel better, she’d make the promise. “I will.”

Feyre was out at the market already, so Nesta kissed Elain on the cheek before heading toward the woods. She’d made this walk so many times she could’ve done it in her sleep, her feet easily finding the familiar path between the trees, and she enjoyed the sound of the woods alive around her as she walked. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and—

“You shouldn’t be out here in the woods by yourself,” someone suddenly said from behind her. “There’s all kinds of monsters out here, you know.”

Keep reading on AO3 here!

#cassianappreicationweek2023 #nessian #cassian #nesta archeron #cassian x nesta #moodymelanistwrites #pro cassian #pro nessian #pro nesta archeron #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #werewolves

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moodymelanist · 7 months

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Hi! Nessian Kinktober time is my favorite. I can see them with a strong breeding kink with lots of dirty talk. Love your work!

happy celebrating the best time of the year 😏 hope you enjoy this one!

TW: breeding kink, dirty talk, pregnancy imagery

When Cassian had approached Nesta about trying something new in the bedroom earlier in the afternoon, she hadn’t expected to like the idea of it so much. She certainly hadn’t expected to end up face down and ass up on their mattress with her boyfriend fucking her like both their lives depended on it.

Then again, it was them. She didn’t know why she was surprised.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Cassian groaned from behind her, his grip on her hips so tight it was almost painful. “So perfect for me.”

Even though she was already two orgasms in, Nesta’s body lit up like a Christmas tree at his words. “Cassian…”

“Gonna keep being good for me, sweetheart?” he asked without missing a beat. At her frantic nod, he added, “Gonna let me come in you?”

“Yeah,” she managed to get out. She had an IUD, so the chances of her actually getting pregnant were slim to none, but that didn’t stop either of them from enjoying this as much as they were. “God, please, yes, I want it—”

“Yeah?” he replied, panting a little. He slowed down his short, hard thrusts so he could grind deep inside her, shifting his grip on her so he could splay one of his large hands across her stomach. “Gonna let me put a baby in you?”

“I want everyone to know I’m yours,” she told him with a loud moan. She couldn’t stop picturing how good it would feel for anyone to know by just looking at her that she was already spoken for. “That you filled me up.”

“That I filled your greedy little pussy up,” Cassian corrected, grinding his hips hard against hers. It was a filthy reminder of how hot and huge he felt inside her, and she loved every second of it. “Come on. I want to hear you say it.”

“I want you to…” Nesta trailed off as Cassian began fucking her again in earnest, her body going haywire at the sensation of him thrusting in and out of her. He felt so good inside her that it was all she could do to finish her train of thought. “I want you to fill my greedy little pussy up.”

“That’s right,” Cassian growled, leaning down so he could talk right into her ear. The force of his thrusts made their headboard slam loudly against the wall, but she was too far gone to care about what their neighbors might be thinking. “So full of my come you can’t even walk. Is that what you want?”

“Yeah,” she moaned. It felt dirty in the best of ways, and she wanted more. “Want it to be dripping out of me.”

Cassian groaned. “I’m gonna fucking pump you full.”

“Fuck yes, come on, give it to me,” Nesta begged, clenching around his cock. She could tell he was close and she needed to feel him filling her up in a way she’d never felt before. “I need every last drop.”

Cassian shuddered as he finally came, thrusting as hard and deep inside of her as he could manage. He slumped against her for a few seconds before he rolled off her, pulled her close, and gave them both a chance to catch their breaths.

“Jesus,” Cassian said after a few minutes, laughing softly like he couldn’t believe what they’d just done. Nesta could relate. “I guess we can add that one to the good list, huh?”

“I think that can be arranged,” Nesta said back with a sated smile.

#acotar #acosf #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #moodymelanistwrites #anon asks #acotar kinktober #kinktober #Nessian prompts

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