#and she does not want anyone discovering the truth of his birth

[lokijiro]

Whenever Loki scrapes his knee, Eir tends to him herself and sends for the queen.

[ravensuperr]

Prompt: Gotham Baby Switch Mystery (DCXDP)

Gotham City is in chaos. Major breaking news has just surfaced: a nurse or doctor (your pick) has been involved in switching the identities of nearly 200 babies over the course of their career. Gotham PD, working overtime alongside other police departments, has been investigating the swaps. The authorities now have a list of affected families, and the shocking implications are that the child you’ve cared for, loved, and raised with all your heart may not actually be yours. Worse yet, the child you buried may also have been someone else’s.

Among the families affected? The Wayne family. And, understandably, the Batfamily is freaking out. The questions are piling up: Does this mean we have a brother or sister out there in the world? Why hasn’t Bruce told us about this? Chaos ensues.

Bruce Wayne, however, is left with only one certainty: the child he and Talia al Ghul had together, a baby born prematurely. The child spent days in the ICU, and the doctors were hopeful, but ultimately, the baby passed away. That tragic event had driven a wedge between Bruce and Talia, and she cut ties with him. When she became pregnant with Damian, Talia did everything in her power to ensure that her second child would survive to term, determined not to lose another baby like their first.

Faced with the turmoil of this new revelation, Bruce does the only thing he can think of: he calls Talia. He tells her about the baby swap scandal and asks if, given the news, she’d like to meet the child who might be their lost son or daughter. Talia, understandably, is furious. Her emotions boil over. The trauma of burying her child, only to now be told that the baby may not have been hers at all, is too much to bear. Her first instinct is to kill the person responsible for causing this pain.

Still, Talia decides to take Bruce up on his offer. If the League of Assassins and Batman work together to gather information, she wants to know the truth. And of course, Damian has just discovered that he may have an older sibling—and he’s determined to meet them first. He’s not going to let anyone else in the family get to them first, calling dibs on being the first to see the once presumed-dead sibling.

Two months had passed, and there was still no new information about where in the world Bruce and Talia’s child was. However, since the news had broken in the U.S., many of Bruce’s friends had stepped in to help. Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen suggested that Bruce's child might have taken a DNA test, as it was becoming increasingly popular among adopted or orphaned individuals who wanted to find their birth parents or potential siblings—whether through sperm donation or other means.

That’s when they discovered that a 14-year-old kid from a small town in Illinois had done a DNA test. This was how Bruce, Talia, and the Bat family found out that their lost sibling—whom they all assumed was a boy—was alive. The confusion had arisen because, when she took the test, Danny had used her nickname, Danny Fenton, rather than her full name, Danielle Fenton, which led everyone to assume she was male. In contrast, Jazz, her older sibling, had written her full name—Jasmine Fenton—on her own test. So, when the Bat family found the results, they expected a boy but were unaware that Danny was, in fact, a girl.

However, Danny and Jazz’s parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton, had never opened the letter containing the letter explain the whole affair. . It had been sent to the Fenton household, but it was discarded as junk mail, with the Fentons assuming it was another complaint about their family, specifically Jack and Maddie’s eccentric, often controversial, scientific endeavors. No one realized the importance of the letter until much later.

The test results showed two key revelations that shocked both Danny and Jazz. First, the two were not biologically related at all. They were not sisters by blood. Second, the test revealed that one of Danny’s biological parents had Middle Eastern ancestry. This was a detail that Danny hadn’t known, nor had she ever suspected.

Meanwhile, as Danny was undergoing a strange and painful transformation, gaining her ghost powers and becoming a half-ghost, she unknowingly shared this moment with a significant event taking place far from Amity Park. On the other side of the world, John Constantine was battling demons. During one such fight, a particular demon expressed an intense fear, saying, “Are we really going through with this? I thought Lady Gotham would never agree to it. Hell, most of us demons don’t want to deal with her wrath.”

Constantine, intrigued, asked, “Why would a demon like you be afraid of Lady Gotham? I’ve met Batman and his insane family, and honestly, half the time, I don’t even believe they’re mortal. But what does Batman have to do with you? He doesn’t even know you.”

The demon paused, clearly shaken. “There was an event where Cronus ( Clockworks) called together all the demons, all the powerful beings, into the infinite realms. During that meeting, Cronus ( Clockworks) revealed one truth: the Ghost King will wake from his slumber. And only a warrior—not from the land of the living, nor from the Infinite realm—will be able to defeat him. This event will happen in every timeline Cronus has seen. But the parentage of the warrior changes with each timeline. This time, the warrior’s parentage is what scares us. Nobody wants to see the wrath of Lady Gotham.”

Constantine narrowed his eyes, sensing the gravity in the demon’s words. “What are you talking about?”

The demon continued, fear lacing its voice. “The decision that was made—bringing this individual, this warrior, into the fight—has caused a ripple effect across the ancient realms. Some of us, those who are eternal, those who have never known death, have already overstepped. Even some of the observers—beings who are supposed to remain neutral—have meddled. Now we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. And it’s not just us. It’s the entire infinite realm. We’re all doomed. Let us pray, Constantine, that the Ghost King never awakens. For when he does, and the warrior defeats him in single combat... that will be when all of our fears come to fruition. It will be the beginning of the end.”

Constantine’s stomach turned as the weight of the demon’s words settled in. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” he muttered under his breath.

“Deadly serious,” the demon replied. “What they’ve done… is beyond repair. And the worst part is, they didn’t even realize it. The actions of the living—specifically Lady Gotham and her vigilantes—have overstepped a boundary. The warriors of Gotham, the protectors, the police, the citizens—even the Joker—are all unknowingly playing a part in this colossal mistake. It wasn’t Darkside, or any of the other cosmic threats or even Supernatural threats that you and those Heroes have faced, that will bring about the end. NO It’s this one misstep. One moment of carelessness. One action, and now it’s too late.”

Constantine stood there, his mind racing. “This prophecy... It’s not just about one person, is it? It's about the whole damn city, the whole damn world.”

The demon nodded grimly. “Gotham is the key. And once the warrior rises, once the wrath of Lady Gotham is unleashed, nothing will stop it. Cronus himself is holding an emergency meeting about this, trying to figure out how to deal with it. And let me tell you—things are not looking good for anyone.”

Constantine cursed under his breath. He realized that the situation was far worse than he could have ever imagined. If the demon was right, and this prophecy was truly tied to Gotham, then they were all in serious trouble. And what terrified Constantine the most was the thought of Batman finding out that someone—someone he loved—was being manipulated, consciously or not. Batman didn’t care about the methods or the reasons; if anyone he cared about was caught up in a scheme like this, the consequences would be catastrophic.

“God help us,” Constantine muttered, more to himself than to the demon. “Because if this gets back to Gotham… none of us are getting out of this alive.”

So if this post gets a lot of likes I will make a part 2 continuing the story. Because this is something that has been stuck in my mind I just want to share it.

[crabsaccharine]

Been seeing posts about the latest SxF chapter, about Anya's birth mother, about the relationship between Yor and Anya, about Yor's mental image of Anya's mother, and it got me thinking, what if Yor was the first person to discover Anya's powers? People usually focus on Twilight discovering her powers, because he would have the most feelings™ about it, but let's be honest, Twilight just isn't in the headspace to handle that information yet. But Yor, while she'd obviously be freaked out, her love of Anya comes before all else, so I think she'd be able to adapt to her new reality without it hurting her relationship with Anya.

Consider: Thorn Princess gets sent to kill some people who worked on project apple, and she knocks over some files and sees a picture of little baby Anya. And there's a file on Anya's mother too, but it's all so heavily redacted that she can't work out anything other than the fact that they were test subjects, and she can't ask the project apple guys cause she just killed them all. So now Yor, who has no intelligence gathering skills whatsoever, has to investigate this all on her own without tipping off Loid or Garden.

Maybe Yor's mind cooks up a story about Dr. Loid Forger, a scientist working on project apple, falling in love with a test subject and having a child with her, and that woman sacrificing herself so their daughter could have a normal, happy childhood. And this all just further lionizes Loid and Anya's mother in Yor's mind, making her feel more inadequate.

Maybe Yor learns everything, and ends up knowing more about Anya's mother than Loid or even Anya herself does. And Anya's powers become a special little secret shared between mother and daughter, the way Anya and Loid have shared the secret of Anya's adoption all this time. (I have this image of Yor purposefully thinking of silly things to amuse Anya, and Loid from the outside ruminating on how the two have grown so close that Yor can make Anya laugh with just a smile.)

It would also test Yor's relationship with Loid. So far, Yor has more or less trusted Loid completely, barring some concerns about her place in the family. She's never had any reason to suspect that Loid wasn't who he says he is, but no matter what, she's not going to find any link between Dr. Forger and project apple, because Dr. Forger didn't exist until recently. And whatever story Anya feeds her to fill in the gaps will have to be vague enough to avoid revealing anything about agent Twilight or the mission, make papa look as good as possible so mama doesn't want to kill him, and also make clear that Loid doesn't know about Anya's past or powers so that Yor doesn't end up revealing the truth to him accidentally. Yor would have to grapple with the fact that Loid has been lying to her from the start, and she doesn't know what his real motivations are, and she just has to trust him anyways, because Anya trusts him, and she'd know better than anyone who to trust, right?

[eruherdiriel]

Dreams and lies

Jon POV, post-canon, book!jonsa ficlet. AO3 link.

~*~

“Who will you say the child’s father is?” Jon asks.

She looks away, closing her eyes and letting the wind hit her face as if it holds the answer. When Sansa opens her eyes, she does not look back at him, but toward the wolfswood, green and dark with the thick spring growth of trees, mosses, and grass.

“Someone I loved. Someone who died.”

He would laugh if there was any air left in his lungs. I am hollow but for my regret. 

“May the old gods give you a son for your grief,” he says. Not only the grief of losing what was between them, but for all the questions to come her way when her condition is discovered. 

Their marriage beneath the heart tree in the Winterfell godswood can never be known beyond their witnesses—Ghost, Brienne of Tarth, and Jeyne Poole. Not even Bran or Arya know, though Jon suspects one or both will be able to work it out for themselves. Either way, the secret will leave Sansa’s babe a bastard to the outside world, unless she claims to have married the nameless dead man she will say is the father.

And what if the child is born with the Targaryen look? Jon fears that most of all.

“I pray only for a healthy child,” Sansa says.

“I shall hope for the same.”

And for her health and safety as well. She is older than his mother was, but he still fears what the birthing bed can do to a woman.

He is leaving Lyanna Stark behind, too, in a way. All his life, his mother was closer and further away than he ever knew, her bones and statue in the Winterfell crypts. Ned Stark’s lie kept Jon alive but his mother a secret, and now Jon will lie to keep his own child safe from their parentage.

Someday it must end, this cycle. But not today.

He shifts on his feet, unable to walk away from Sansa despite knowing he must. How does anyone say goodbye to the person they love? He wants to run a sword through all that has torn them apart—the ghost of his father and the entire Targaryen legacy, and Dany’s destruction that reminded all of Westeros how deadly dragon rule can be.

In the end, the truth of Jon’s birth both gave and stole from him the greatest thing he has ever known.

“Your Grace,” he says with a nod to Sansa, intending to allow her to dismiss him.

“No,” she says, louder and firmer than she has spoken thus far. Then, softly, “Please. I am not your queen in this moment. This is our last��”

Their last moment to be something more, perhaps. But behind her is her queensguard, garbed in grey cloaks with blue undersides, the edges rimmed in white fur with red weirwood leaves for clasps. Jon and Sansa’s last moment was days ago, when he kissed her tears in the godswood, late at night, Ghost a guard at the entry. There will be no long embraces, no lingering kisses in this farewell.

“Sansa,” he says, for her guards are far enough away and cannot hear him. After her name has passed through his lips, he finds once is not enough. A hundred times would not be enough, but this is all they have left to share. “Sansa. My love.”

“I would have made you my equal, Jon,” she says. “My partner. My king. If it were possible, I would have done it.”

Her words make pride bloom in his chest, but he tamps it down. A title is nothing compared to the most precious dreams he is losing. They are slipping away, like water draining through cupped hands.

“You will be a fine lord,” Sansa says. “As you would have been a king.”

It is a cruel reality to achieve half of your desires, only to find it is the half you could have lived without.

“The North has you,” he replies. “There could be no one better.”

She lifts a hand and tugs off her light leather glove, then touches his face. It is a motion that could pass as sibling affection from a distance. Up close, he feels the tenderness and love that goes far beyond kinship, to the kind of touch they were only able to share too few times. The love and passion between a man and woman, a husband and wife.

A queen, and a king.

Clenching his fist, Jon closes his eyes and banishes the thought. That life is impossible for him. He opens his eyes and takes her hand off his cheek, holding it in his burned sword hand, then presses a kiss to the back of it.

Beside them, Ghost is still, not even scenting the rabbit smell that the wind has pushed their way. Spring has come, and prey is plentiful as the animals breed and recover their numbers after the long, hard winter and too many years of war. The direwolf will eat well tonight, and on every night of their journey to Queenscrown.

It will be wasted on Jon. He has found little enjoyment in the taste of food in nearly a moon, when his fate was sealed. Aegon was not Dany, yet the mob hunted and strung him up all the same. The smallfolk’s revenge.

It’s past time for him to leave. Sansa has duties she must attend to, and he has many leagues to travel. But the next time Jon sees her could be years. She promised to visit or to summon him to court at Winterfell, but he cannot bear the thought of pretending she is only a queen and half-sister to him. He cannot bear the thought of seeing a child of his blood grow and change in a million ways between visits, to know that child will forever be as fatherless as Jon himself was motherless.

This is the end for him and Sansa, for the life they should have shared and the family they should have made. Their babe is hers alone now. Jon dips his head, then drops her hand, turns, mounts his garron, and nudges the horse into a walk.

Don’t look back, he tells himself. If you look back, you will never leave. 

But he has always been weak when it comes to her, and after several paces, Jon twists in his saddle. Sansa is standing there, eyes closed again as if to deny what is happening. Tears are streaking down her cheeks. He faces forward again and kicks his horse into a trot, listening to the animal’s hooves thump against the wet grass and squelch in the mud.

The hills dip and rise as Jon rides up the kingsroad, Ghost plodding silently next to him. Flowers bloom alongside the road’s ruts, the new season bringing long-promised life to the North. Despite the growth and beauty, the spring air tastes like a bitter lie instead of the sweet hope he expected.

On the fourth rise, he turns once more. She is still on the hummock where he left her, though Brienne is standing beside her now instead of behind. When Sansa sees he has turned, she raises a hand and waves.

Jon lifts his own hand in farewell, then drops it and regrips the reins, leaving all promise of the life he dreamed of behind him.

[luvcosmos]

CLEMENTINE SLICES

PAIRING: Miguel O'Hara x AFAB!Reader TAGS: Fluff if you squint, Angst, Mentions of Death, Spoilers for ATSV, Not proofread WORDS: 2.3k EXCERPT: This. He thought. This is why he's here. To keep you and Gabi safe, happy. To make sure none of you would ever endure the pain of losing a loved one.

Gabriela’s favorite fruit is clementine.

Her love for the fruit may seem like a small insignificant detail, but it’s one of the first things Miguel made sure to remember before he entered this universe and took the place of your Miguel.

It’s Sunday and today, he’s taken you and Gabi to the park, just like his alternate self always does. The simple routine of sitting side by side at the bench, it’s important to him that things remain the same—with you none the wiser of the truth.

Your head rested on Miguel’s shoulder as you both watched Gabi run around and play. His arm is wrapped around your shoulders and he’s ardently and hopelessly in love with you.

It’s taken him by surprise, that he’ll fall deeply in love. It feels like his feet have been swept off the floor, but he supposes it was inevitable. He’s watched your life with his doppelgänger after all, saw how much you loved so passionately and the way you didn’t tolerate any bullshit from him or anyone.

That’s why he was so terrified when he finally saw you for the first time. He was worried that you’d see through him immediately but by some unknown miracle, instead of the harsh questions of ‘who are you?’ that he expected, you had wrapped your arms around him, scolded him for coming home late but still kissed him so softly and dismissed his strange behavior with an order to get some rest.

Your name has been carved into his heart ever since.

“Time flies by so fast,” You suddenly spoked wistfully, interrupting his train of thoughts. “Look at her, I can’t believe our little girl’s ten years old now.”

Miguel let out a smile, one that softened his entire face and crinkled his eyes at the corners. He squeezed your shoulders briefly with his arm and hesitated for a moment before pressing a kiss to your head.

“Time does fly,” He agreed. “It feels like it was just yesterday when I was holding your hand and supporting you as you worked hard to bring Gabi into this world.”

The lie came so easily to him, that he almost tricked himself that it was actually him in the delivery room while you gave birth and not another man who shared his name and face.

(A pang of pain gripped his heart and there was a sudden urge to run and take you and Gabi to safety. He ignored it though. He made sure that no enemies of his will be able to discover that he has a family here.)

“Oh yeah? That’s not what I just remember from that day.” You began to tease, “You were so nervous - more nervous than me, when my water broke. And you cried when you first held Gabi in your arms that day.”

Miguel felt his heart become soothed at your words, forgetting about his unease as the corners of his mouth turned up.

He remembered seeing that day through the screens, it was Lyla who showed it to him. Gabi was already born when his AI found this universe, but she had gone through previous moments of the life that the other version of him had.

“This might be a sign for you to go live the life you’ve always wanted.” She had said to him then. Who would’ve thought that he’d be here now?

He realized that he’s gone silent for a moment as he got lost in his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he tucked you closer to his side as he decided to tease you back, “Weren’t you also busy cursing me out that time?”

You laughed at his words, pinching his thigh slightly in mock offense as you retorted, “Yeah, well, who else was I supposed to curse at? You’re her father so you deserved it.”

The two of you shared a chuckle and Miguel removed his arm around your shoulders to intertwine his hand with yours. “Thank you for going through all that pain to bring our daughter into this world,” He murmured as he brought your hand up to his lips to press a soft kiss on the back of your hand.

You practically melted at his gratefulness as you smiled fondly at him. “What are you talking about?” You started, “You have nothing to thank me for. It was our dream, after all.”

Your free hand reached up to rest a hand on his cheek, “And I wouldn’t have been able to do it if you weren’t by my side, ready to buy me any food I craved, and massage my feet whenever I needed it. That day might’ve been stressful and painful, but it was worth it.” You added.

Miguel stayed quiet for a moment as he stared into your eyes. It was like an invisible string tugged him closer to you and slowly, watching you for any sign of discomfort, his right hand cupped your chin gently and he leaned in to press his lips against yours.

Your eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of his lips touching yours. The way he kissed you has changed, it’s gentler, maybe even a little unsure, but it has never made you feel less loved by him.

He reluctantly pulled away; his eyes stared at you with an awed adoring look. He nudged his nose gently against yours, “You’re right, my love. It’s more than worth it.” He whispered softly and his eyes drifted over to Gabi.

While he has his eyes on her, you have yours on him and you saw how his body tensed like he was ready to stand up when he saw her trip, but he relaxed when he saw his daughter get up with a laugh. It takes everything in you to stop yourself from smiling at the sight.

Your husband might’ve been acting off the past couple of weeks but he’s still as protective and loving towards your family as ever.

Although, it still bothered you when you couldn’t help but notice the unusual tone of soberness in his voice when he said it was worth it. It makes you wonder if he might mean something else too but before you could ask, Miguel pressed one last kiss on your forehead before slowly letting go of your hand and he moved to take a clementine from the food basket at his side.

“Gabriela will be a little hungry once she takes a break from playing,” He stated. “I should get it peeled for her now.”

He has only started to thumb away the skin of the fruit but somehow, as if she had supernatural senses, your daughter chooses that moment to glance back at you two and immediately hones in on the clementine Miguel is holding.

Her brown eyes widened almost comically, and she waved goodbye to her playmates before running back to where you and Miguel are sitting. Soon enough, the little girl is in front of you with her eyes staring at her father expectantly.

Miguel arched an eyebrow at his daughter, “Can I help you?” He asked with an amused expression.

Gabi only shifted her feet eagerly and held her palms out, her eyes drifting to look at him and the clementine. “Papa, I want one.”

He let out a small chuckle while you smiled fondly as you watched the two interact, silently reaching out a hand to tuck a loose hair softly behind Gabi’s ear.

“Oh, is that why you’re here? Not to say hi to mama and papa, check if we’re okay?” He teased her.

You can’t help but giggle softly and share a fond smile with your husband as Gabi breaks her gaze from the fruit and looked up at both of you worriedly.

“Mama and papa not okay?” She asked immediately with a small frown, standing up on her tiptoes with her hands now leaning on Miguel’s knees as if that would help her see what could possibly be ailing her parents.

Miguel softened and gave his daughter one of those smiles that was reserved just for his girls. If you weren’t so enamored, you would’ve laughed at how comically it looked to have this broad and strong man be so soft and gentle around you and Gabi.

“We’re okay, sweetheart.” He reassured her.

Your daughter, having the same overprotective instincts as her father— doesn’t believe Miguel at first. She ran her eyes over you both, double checking before she nodded with a smile, satisfied with her inspection. “Okay… that’s good.” She scooted closer, her eyes now looking at her father pleadingly.

He clicked his tongue at her, “Clean your hands first, baby.”

Gabi quickly turned to you then as you reached into your bag and pulled out a pack of wet wipes. You opened it and took one before handing it over to your daughter.

“Thank you, mommy.” She said, and under your gentle guidance, she wiped her hands thoroughly and carefully. Once she was done, she tossed the wipe inside the little trash can that you carried along and turned to Miguel once again, showing her hands proudly. “Clean now, papa!” She exclaimed, “Now can I have one?”

“Gabriela, what do we say when we ask for something?” Miguel questioned in a stern but soft tone.

Gabi pouts at him for a moment before she replied, “Can I have one please, papa?”

Your husband nodded his approval with a soft smile and handed her the clementine slice, making sure that she holds it carefully first and won’t ruin her clothes, before turning to you with another slice held gently between his fingers and lifting it up to your lips to feed you.

You smile gratefully at him, popping the clementine into your mouth.

He watched you fondly as you ate and swiftly swipes his thumb below your lower lip. There’s really nothing to clean there, he just wanted an excuse to touch you.

He alternated between handing Gabi a slice of clementine and then feeding you one with a feeling of warmth and belonging in his heart. It’s like this is what he was meant to do all this time, his dreams finally come true. He’d peel a million clementines and more, if only that meant he would always have you and his daughter by his side.

This. He thought. This is why he’s here. To keep you and Gabi safe, happy. To make sure that none of you would ever endure the pain and suffering of losing a loved one. Gabi will never lose her father and you will never lose your husband.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he’s a selfish man. That’s why he feels no guilt or remorse for his actions.

If you asked him, he’ll even say that the Miguel of this universe would approve. He knows himself well enough that he’d want you two to be happy and safe no matter what universe or version of him is present.

So instead of wallowing in guilt, he watched his wife, his daughter with a smile on his face.

(But there’s that pang of pain in his chest again. A feeling of anxiety and worry that he can’t explain.)

He looked around cautiously for any threat of danger that might be causing this feeling. He might not have a Spider-Sense compared to the other Spiders in the society, but he’d be a fool to ignore his gut.

The park is full of other families taking advantage of the sunny weather to relax and spend time with each other. He saw children running around, dogs barking, and couples taking a stroll together. There’s nothing out of the ordinary that could explain this feeling of unsafety and yet his heart continued to beat faster with anxiety.

There’s something wrong. He realized.

He can’t explain it but he’s certain something is wrong.

His body tensed up and without realizing it, he’s got a protective arm around you while his other arm tugged Gabi close to his side.

His unease only intensified when the bright sky slowly turned gray, the sun nowhere to be found. That’s when he saw it. Somewhere in the distance, there is a dark shadow form warping into different sizes and shapes. He squinted his eyes, and it also looked like the form is... glitching?

He wants to run. He needs to run. He needs to take you and Gabi somewhere safe. But his legs aren’t moving, and he can’t move his eyes away from the shadow form no matter how hard he tries.

HE CAN’T BREATHE

He can hear you and Gabi calling out to him, but it sounds muffled. Like he’s being pulled deep underwater and the two of you are far away from him, out of his reach. Out of his protection.

“Miguel!” He heard you shouting now. “MIGUEL!”

His head snapped to the side so quickly that he almost got a whiplash, but the empty side of his bed is what greeted him instead of your face.

Cold sweat dripped down his body as his breaths came out heavily. Miguel looked around with wide eyes, looking for you and Gabi with panic and fear gripping his heart, before he realized it was all a dream.

A memory of his past haunting him like a ghost.

He sighed heavily before swinging his legs to the side of the bed, running a shaky hand on his face as he sat up.

He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to push the memories away but even then, he could still see your face and his daughter. The two people that he failed. The two people that died because of him.

But still, he can’t bring himself to wish that he’ll stop dreaming about you or Gabi. Even if it’s painful and it reminds him of how much he fucked up because of his own selfishness, he’d rather keep on having these dreams than forget about his family entirely.

No matter how much time has passed, he will always carry you two with him. The only pain that he welcomes with open arms, the only pain he will never get rid of, because it’s a pain he deserves.

He will never be able to look at clementines the same way ever again.

[blacklegsanjiii]

I've seen an au where Zeff and Sora were siblings to here it is: ZeffSora!Siblings au

Zeff was Sora's big brother, maybe 5 or 6 years older, and he already was a pirate when Judge married Sora. He never liked the man, but if his dear sister was happy then okay.

After Sora's first pregnancy, things start to be... weird. They couldn't have much contact but still had. Things go this way during 3 years, until his sister's second pregnancy. When she's almost giving birth to the quadruplets, Zeff discovers the truth about Judge and his plans, and to poison. He gets mad, and says he will take Sora and her kids out of Germa.

But Judge discovers he knows. And makes the siblings lose contact. Zeff looks for his sister, but don't find her. He tries to move on, without know Sora give birth and her third son between the quadruplets, Sanji, is the only one who isn't a machine.

He lives with guilty for never being able to save Sora and the kids. Until 6 years later, when he receives a letter, a letter from Sora. In the letter, she tells every single thing, the fact she will die soon because of the poison, maybe less than a month after she writes the letter (Zeff is devastated after he looks the day she write this and is from months ago, Sora is dead now, this is the painfull truth). She tells about her quadruplets, the sad but hopeful fact that the poison worked, even if with only one of them.

She asks Zeff to take her boy, Sanji - the only one who isn't a machine, who has feelings and a pure heart, who funnily enough look like her - with him. Because Sora may have begged Judge to not do anything with him, but she knows the moment she will stop breathing Judge will try something. And his brothers. She tells what her other kids do with Sanji and how guilty herself feels for not being able to do anything to stop them. Sora, maybe so her big brother and her precious baby have a last picture from her, sends with the letter the last picture she and Sanji took together.

And Zeff goes to the North Blue to save the brat, he knows that there's chances Judge already did something, but if not he can still save the boy. He takes a year and half looking for Germa, and he knows Sanji probaly is almost 8 now.

When he finds Germa, he disguises himself and looks for the boy. Until he finds the kid. In a dunsheon with a helmet in his head. Anger boils inside him, and even if he wants to look for the bastard and kill him, taking the blonde out of this hell is the first thing he should do.

And he does it. He takes Sanji out without anyone noticing and makes it seems like Sanji run away himself and fell into the sea. When both are far from Germa, Sanji without the helmet, his wounds treated the best Zeff can do and eating, Zeff start to talk, thinking about telling he is the boy's uncle, until Sanji says:

"You're mom's big brother, right? She used to talk about you"

After this, they talk, Zeff says he knows what Sanji had been through and shows the letter with the photo. And yes, the kid is traumatized, but during the time he is with the man he feels... safe, safe enough to tell about the dunsheon.

Then, both are in the East Blue again (without the rock happening, thank you) and Zeff has a decision. He says that he will stop being the captain of the Cook Pirates and he will start his dream of the Baratie, he has enough money alreafy. And anyone who wants to stay with him can stay.

Between the crew, the only two who stay with Zeff are Patty and Carne, since they were the first crewmembers and knew about the letter and why Zeff go to the North Blue. And then they start the restaurant.

When the Baratie is oficially open, more than half a year after, with Sanji having 9, Zeff gifts the photo of the boy and Sora so the kid can put it in his bedroom. Garp comes to visit some time after, meeting his lover's "child". Zeff tells about the Germa thing and Garp ends up being the third person to know.

Some weeks later, Garp visits again with a idea, he can bring his grandsons! The boy needs friends, right? And his grandkids need some good time after all the thing that happened and his son bring Sabo back! Zeff knows it's a horrible idea but he can give a chance.

At the end, Sanji and the ASL brothers are playing happy outside the Baratie. Garp is saying he knows it would work.

Time pass and it's obvious how these 3 boys have a crush on Sanji. And the blonde may be his cousin but he feels like he is his son. But he knows the best he can do is give ASL a shovel talk.

Ace, Sabo and Luffy end up dating Sanji either way.

OW OKAY DAMN.

So Zeff and Sora have to be like 2/3rds of a set of siblings at least, Zeff abdicated the throne to become a pirate and go look for the All Blue. Sora was married off to Judge in an attempt to keep peace for their kingdom and as much as Zeff objects because that's his little sister, he abdicated. He has no ground to stand on technically. Sora is married off and they keep in contact through letters at the start. But then the letters start dwindling. When Zeff finds out the letters stop entirely and he's not exactly equipped to go hunt Germa down, so he tries to move on, to grieve as any big brother and pirate would. He knows he has a niece and four other niblings out there somewhere, suffering.

Then he receives one more letter from Sora, asking him to come take one of her sons, the only human of her children and that she'll be dead by the time he gets the letter. So he goes to collect the boy because by Davey Jones he will fulfill his sister's dying wish. He reads the letter over and over and imparts every little bit of information about the quadruplets, his nephews, and the elder niece he has into his brain permanently. How much love and care his sister tried to impart on them all but it only worked on his niece and the third quad, Sanji. Zeff lives with the guilt of being unable to save his sister but he gets there eventually, far too long for his and his crew's liking but they get there he disguises himself as a cook and starts working his way to the boy. It takes some time as well but eventually he gets information about where the boy is.

The dungeon. The boy is in the dungeon. Zeff has fury as he goes and finds the dungeon and the boy. The metal helmet too big for his body which is far too small for what the boy should be. Those blue eyes are unmistakable though, those are Sora's eyes.

"You're Uncle Zeff, right? My mom's brother?" The boy asks quietly as he stares at the tall man in front of him, the only thing separating them the metal bars.

"Aye, we're gonna get you outta here, Eggplant." Zeff nods and rips the doors off (COOKS ARE BUILT). Zeff gets him out and to the boat. The crew is looking at the small thing in Zeff's arms as he gives orders to sail away and get as far from Germa as possible. To have cannons ready in case worse comes to worse. They're sat with an engineer trying to pick the lock on the helmet while the doctor is treating Sanji and Zeff is telling the kid about his time as a pirate to keep the kid's mind elsewhere than what's going on with him at the moment. The kid however just looks empty as this is all going on, it's heart breaking. No one really knows what to do so Zeff tells his crew they're headed to the East Blue and Zeff is going to retire to take care of the kid, open a restaurant, settle down. It's Garp's home blue after all so he'll be able to see his boyfriend and give the kid more stability than the dungeon and Germa. He gives his crew the option of coming with him to open the restaurant or to go find new crews to join. The crew members make their decision, most leaving in Loguetown, Patty and Carne sticking with them as they go sell their ship in order to build the Baratie and get opening. Patty and Carne try to get Sanji to play but the idea scares the shit out of the kid for some reason they don't entirely know. Doesn't matter, they'll work on it. Sanji is trying to best his cook and keep up with them but when he can't and he seizes up and cries they try to calm him down and assure it's okay, he is learning, Sanji says something about how he's still a failure. They of course shut that down, Zeff especially because his sister didn't give birth to a failure, dammit! He's going to kill Judge!

When Baratie opens Zeff introduces Garp to his nephew Sanji. Garp is huge and towering like Judge and Sanji is trying to be brave and Garp mentions he has three grandsons on Dawn Island and Zeff tries to cut that train of thought off but he's gone before Zeff can stop him. Sanji is confused about what's going on Zeff and Patty and Carne grumble about the Vice Admiral still doing dumb shit and just look at Dragon. Who trusted Garp with more kids? No one should trust Garp with kids. He comes back a couple weeks later with three boys, two dark haired kids and a blond kid with a top hat, one of the dark-haired boys has a straw hat with a red band and introduces himself as Monkey D. Luffy and he's going to be the king of the pirates and is immediately thumped by the other two as Garp sighs. The other boys are introduced as Ace and Sabo and Sanji introduces himself and Ace asks why he's named three and is then thumped by Sabo. Later Zeff and Garp are alone and Zeff laments to his boyfriend about what has happened with his sister and Sanji and Garp just holds the man and lets him get his grief out.

Sanji is getting used to the boys the best he can, it's not easy after what he's been through with his birth family. He flinches a lot which makes ASL call him a wimp but they don't really understand why he is the way he is. They grew up in the jungle, what's his excuse? But when they're docked on Dawn Island at some point Zeff has kicked him off to go hang out and he meets Makino as he waits for ASL to come get him and take him to wherever they go. Makino and Sanji talk about their jobs and stuff when ASL come in and hear Sanji say his uncle basically kidnapped him to save his life. Makino has been with ASL for a while so she offers her sympathies even if she doesn't fully understand but ASL take him to the treehouse and demand more information which Sanji half gives them. They get closer over the years, to the point all three of them start claiming Sanji is their boyfriend. Zeff deals with it as best as he can, especially when Sabo dies and then comes back with amnesia and scarred to hell thanks to Dragon.

Zeff is fine. He swears it. He's just glad the kid is getting the love he didn't in Germa. It's what his sister would have wanted at least.

[musocia]

Sometimes I like to think that spider used to watch videos of his parents when he was younger. I doubt Norm or Max wanted to tell this young impressionable like six year old that his father was a mass murderer and this is why the parents of your only friends distance themselves from you.

Like just imagine spider had a bad day, maybe Neytiri growled at him for getting to close to newborn baby Tuk or him and Lo’ak got into a physical fight for whatever reason and they’re now grounded from seeing each other for however long. He doesn’t really have anyone to go home to so they can comfort him, Norm and Max are more like the friends of your parents who occasionally watch you during emergencies.

He obviously knows that parents are usually supposed to comfort you when you’re upset, he’s seen it maybe times with the Sully children but he doesn’t have parents or at least he doesn’t believe he does until he does some digging into the labs data base while the adults are asleep. He finds Paz Socorro (obviously his mom bc of their matching last names) and a few links in her file for emergency contacts, he doesn’t even hesitate before clicking on Miles’ name immediately clocking the matching name. He doesn’t read any info on the files before immediately loading the first available video.

A video of Miles just talking about whatever maybe a mission report or just a random message to a higher up but he’s immediately in love, right in front of him is the person he’s longed for his whole life after seeing Jake interacting with the Sully children time after time again. He doesn’t even question his relationship with the man immediately recognizing him as his father: He doesn’t even process the words coming out of his newly discovered fathers mouth before clicking on the next video and then the next and the next… and the next until sunrise, spending the whole time processing everything about his father. His accent, his body language, anything and everything. Maybe he didn’t understand half the words coming out of his fathers mouth but that didn’t matter to him.

There’s still a multitude of videos left but he’s officially out of time as in the next few minutes the scientists will certainly be up and ready to continue their previous nights research.

He goes back to his room to just sit and think about his father and what could’ve been.

The next night he immediately goes to the lab after the scientists are done for the night, stealing a tablet and rushing back to the safe confines of his empty room and decides to watch videos of his mother. The videos are all dated a few months before his birth (unsurprisingly) but he eagerly watches each one hoping that maybe just maybe she’ll mention him and perhaps have a message saved for him. While she doesn’t it doesn’t disturb him too much (can’t miss something you never had.) Spider continues watching videos of his parents every following night eventually recognizing some of their little habits in him, Miles’ way of glowering when too upset to talk Paz’s little snort when laughing and more and can’t help but beam in pride when he figures it out. Especially when he realizes some of his more embarrassing habits came from his parents he comes to wholly embrace them.

He continues watching the videos in secret not really understanding why he keeps it a secret but does so anyways.

Eventually he decides he wants to copy the way his fathers speaks finding the so different accent endearing. He already knows the ins and outs of it due to watching videos of his father for so long, he practices for a while before deeming himself ready. He tries the accent on one of the scientists who IMMEDIATELY stop him mid sentence. They immediately shut him down not explaining why and during a heated argument that ensues the truth comes out.

People who he was once so proud of he only felt shame and guilt about now. Now realizing why Neytiri was always so cold and distant with him.

Only on his worst days is he willing to watch his very favorite videos of his parents. Bad feelings melting away as he delves into the videos immediately returning when the videos end. Shame building up in him as he catches the fondness and love he feels for the monsters in the videos he watches. But that doesn’t stop him from watching them on his worst days when he feels like the only people who care about him are the dead people recorded on his tablet, he isn’t doing anything wrong as long as no one finds out right?

His love develops every video he watches of his parents, no matter how much he tries to fight it. their personalities so very much a like it’s no surprise these people are his parents. Not that he’ll tell anyone about that.

[waterfire1848]

You can do an sokkla au where they, in their senior year of college, had a friends-with-benefits thing, and when they finish their senior year, one day later, Sokka suddenly traveled to another country.

Weeks later, Azula discovered she's pregnant (and she only tells the whole truth to Mei and Ty Lee).

Even with her father's protests against it, Azula didn’t want to give up the baby, even though this changed Ozai's view of her and her assuming his position. (Azula mob's queen? Yes!)

Seven years later, Sokka comes back as a federal investigator, and discovers that Azula has a two little daughters named Omoko "Momo" and Onoki "Nono".

(They're identical to Azula, but have Sokka's eyes. Omoko likes ice skating and taekwondo, and Onoki likes swimming and juitsu. They like to go everywhere with Azula. They prefer auntie Mei over uncle Zuko.)

Hello, anon!!! (I did see your additional ask by the way about the pet lemur!)

Sokka and Azula meet up in class in the start of their junior year of college. From there, they become pretty close friends and grow closer and closer which each passing year. When they become seniors, they start hanging out in one another's dorm rooms and eventually become friends with benefits. They do have some feelings for one another (something that seems to be clear to everyone but them) but don't really act on it because they don't know if the other person sees them that way. For Azula, she just thinks that Sokka sees her a fun partner and someone to debate with from time to time but nothing serious (plus some self esteem issues---because she's so sure everyone around her is terrified since her father is a mob boss---that she tries very hard not to think about). Meanwhile, Sokka thinks that Azula would downright laugh in his face if he said he liked her. This keeps them from advancing to anything more than just friends with benefits. Sokka, for most of his college life, has been working on a project overseas and, after graduating, the company says they want him to come over. (Sokka: Hey. Azula: Hey. Sokka: You doing okay? Azula: Yeah. I've just been having the weirdest cravings. Anyway, you wanted to talk? Sokka: Yes. I...ummm...I got offered a job in another country and I'll be gone for a really long time. It...I don't know if I should ask you about this but since we're....I don't know what we are, but it just felt right to ask you. Azula: Oh, well, I-I can't exactly change you mind or anything, so...I guess you're leaving and we're ending whatever this is? Sokka: I-I think so.). It kills their friends that that's how they left it. It ended so abruptly and it was clear to everyone that the two didn't want to end things but felt forced to. Sokka leaves a week later and, about four or so weeks later, Azula goes into the doctor because she hasn't been feeling well: she's pregnant.

Azula doesn't feel comfortable telling anyone about her pregnancy, especially since she knows everyone would tell Sokka and then he'd abandon his job and come home. She doesn't want to take his future away from him, so she stays quiet. She only tells Mai and Ty Lee at the start and moves into the city so the others can't see her pregnancy. Mai and Ty Lee worry about Azula being pregnant and her connection to the baby, but, in private, Azula really does love that she'll be a mom. She wants to be a good mom and she's beyond happy that her children have such an amazing dad, even if they'll never get to meet him. Speaking of fathers, her own is not happy about this. Ozai threatens to cut her out of the family all together but Azula refuses to get rid of her child. Ozai grows angry and tries to force her to get rid of the child which causes a fight between the two. The fight quickly escalates to the point that Azula kills her father because he was coming at her with so much anger and threatening her children. Azula becomes the leader of her family's mob family. A couple months later, she gives birth to two beautiful baby girls. (Mai: What are their names? Azula: This is Omoko and Onoki. Ty Lee: They're beautiful. They have Sokka's eyes. Azula: They do. Zuko: You really don't want to tell him? Nothing? Azula: I'm not ruining his job. I can raise the girls on my own. Zuko: They deserve to know their father. Azula: If Sokka returns then I will tell them who their father is, but, for now, all they'll know is their mother and aunts and uncle. That's enough. Mai: Zuko. Leave her be. Zuko: I'm never going to think that Sokka shouldn't know. These are his daughters. But I'll respect your wish, Zula, and I won't say a word. Azula: Thank you.).

Time passes, seven years actually, and Sokka returns. He comes back as a federal investigator and starts up a career back in his home city. Of course, he reunites with his family and friends but he also really wants to know what Azula’s been up to even more so when he learns that no one has learned from her in 7 years. Thankfully, Sokka is literally an investigator and knows how to find people. He tracks her down in the city in a pretty nice apartment. (Sokka: Hey, Azula. Azula: Sokka? You’re here? Sokka: I came back a few days ago and I really wanted to see you again. Azula: Oh, ummmm. I- Onoki: Mommy! Mom- *Hides behind her mother* who’s that? Sokka: Hey. My name’s Sokka. I’m a friend of your mom’s. Onoki: Hello. Azula: Sweetie, why don’t you go play with your sister. Onoki: Okay, mommy. Sokka: You have kids. Azula: I do. Sokka: Your husband at work for the day? Azula: I don’t have a husband. Their father is-was away. Sokka: Away? Azula: I think we need to talk.) Azula does finally reveal to Sokka that the girls are his and, rightfully, Sokka’s mad at Azula for keeping his girls from him. That being said, they work out an arrangement where Sokka can come and take care of them to make up for some of the time he wasn’t around.

Sokka falls in love with Onoki and Omoko. The seven year old girls that look at him with his own eyes quickly become his favorite people in the world. He takes them to their events, his work, and out for special treats from time to time. He’s also at the house a lot so he meets their pet lemur. He hasn’t forgiven Azula so his relationship with her is icy but he does respect her wishes for them to wait and find a good way to tell the girls he’s their father. Both girls love spending time with him but it also hurts him deeply that they call him uncle Sokka and when they say they want to go home. Then, one day, Azula texts Sokka that there was an incident with the family business. (Sokka: Azula, what is going on? Azula: Just keep the girls with you. You can tell them who you are, what I did, everything. Just keep them safe. Please! Sokka: I swear I will but what is going on?!? Azula: *This user’s phone has been turned off*). Sokka takes the girls as far away as he can, hiding them in his uncle’s house in another state while he figures out what’s going on with Azula. (Omoko: What’s going on? Onoki: I want mama! Sokka: I know. I’m going to get your mama right now. She was just….getting you a present and needs more time to get it. Omoko: Fine. Onoki: Okay. Sokka: Good. Stay here and be good for grand-uncle Bato. I’ll be back).

Again, Sokka is a federal investigator and he’s pretty good at his job. He returns to his work and finds out that Azula is most likely in trouble with another gang (since he knows she would never leave the girls on her own free will). He gathers as much data and people as he can then heads over to Azula’s hideout (which she gave him in case of any emergencies). That’s where they find a couple men who are able to tell them where Azula was most likely taken. Sokka is able to make a deal with his boss that, in exchange for Azula going free, he can catch him another crime boss that they’ve been having trouble getting: Long Feng. His boss agrees and that night they storm the place where Azula is supposed to be. Everyone else goes after Long Feng and his men but Sokka starts looking for Azula. (Sokka: Azula! Azula! Azula: Mmmm! Sokka: *Finds Azula chained up a gag in one of the closets* Sokka: Azula! Are you okay?!? Azula: I-I’m okay. I’m okay. Sokka: You look bad. Azula: Yeah. Long Feng wasn’t exactly kind to a long time rival. I’ll be okay. Where are the girls? Sokka: Safe. Right now, you just need to worry about yourself. Azula: Okay. I…thank you for coming for me, Sokka. I admit that I didn’t know if you would. Sokka: I was mad, Azula, but certainly not enough to let you die. Azula: It was wrong to keep your daughter from you. I- *Sokka’s kisses her and she kisses him back* It’s been too long since we did that. Sokka: I agree.) Azula finally tells her daughter’s who Sokka is, the two get back together (with Azula retaking control of her organization) and, a couple weeks later, Azula announces another pregnancy. (Sokka: Are you serious? Azula: Yup. There’s gonna be a baby! We’re having another baby! Sokka: *Faints* Azula: Can’t say I didn’t see that coming.)

[acourtofthought]

I received an anon about an hour ago and I wanted to respond to it but because the ask itself could be considered spoilery to HOFAS and my response as well, I wanted to create a new post where I added the question under the "keep reading" button.

Here was the anon:

The first thing I'm going to address is the theory about Truth Teller.

From what I've gathered (though I am not claiming this with any kind of certainty), there is a scene where it's revealed that Az has no idea what Truth Teller is capable of, then we're also told Truth Teller is not able to kill the unkillable in the way that Ataraxia or the Starsword can.

That does leave room for Truth Teller to have some sort of unique ability but I have to say, I think anyone believing that it's super special power is to "cut" mating bonds is being a little silly.

This mysterious dagger that Az uses to torture with, that once belonged to someone of importance in the history of the NC (I'll leave that as a mystery) and it's BIGGGGGG SECRET IS.....drumroll please!!!!!! It's ability to break bonds!!!

That would be cheesy, I"m sorry, but it's true.

My second argument to their theory is that the Asteri / Daglan ruled 15,000 years ago in Prythian.

So if they corrupted the Cauldron 15,000 years ago and it's corruption has lasted through the current events then every single bond that currently exists is corrupted.

Feysands bond? Corrupted.

Vivianne and Kallias? Corrupted

Nessians bond? CORRUPTED

The Cauldron isn't some sort of twisted claw game where every fourth bond is the unlucky recipient of the leftover corruption from what their past masters did 15,000 years ago. Either every bond is tainted because of the Daglan's influence and misuse of the Cauldron or mating bonds have nothing to do with the Daglan.

Yes the Cauldron can be used for evil as the Asteri did to create monsters but once it leaves that persons hands, they have no further hold on it, the Cauldron doesn't remain under evil influence. When in the right hands, when held in a females hands, it creates life (as in the case of the Mother). When in Drakon and Myrim's hands, they were able to turn her fae.

All signs point to the Mother being responsible for mating bonds, the Mother who first used the Cauldron to create life. Bonds that are determined before a characters birth (considering Rhys had dreams of Feyre before she was ever in the fae lands).

And Amren confirms that even the King, even while using the Cauldron for evil, was incapable of breaking mating bonds. So regardless of what we discover about Truth Teller, there is NO WAY that his dagger can do something that even the Cauldron cannot do.

Edit: just figured out more info on TT.

It seems that while the sword is "Made" and considered "matter", TT can undo things, "antimatter". "Done and Undone".

It says with a command from the one destined to wield them, they can be fused, create a place where there is no life or light. A place that is nothing.

To me, that still doesn't suggest anything regarding mating bonds but possibly a place that the weapons, when used together can create and be used to send enemies away.

If they're claiming it can "unmake things created by the Cauldron" then I hope they're prepared to see Az "unmake" Elain as she's Made.

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

Imagine that the Winchester sister is actually the Winchester cousin.

this story is very twisted, sorry but I've been watching Grey's Anatomy and was inspired by Jo's backstory.

Imagine Mary Winchester had a sister (older or younger, doesn't matter) Mary dies but the sister doesn't, she helps John with the hunt and revenge and all that and she was practically Dean and Sam's aunt.

Sister Campbell never wanted to have children and also she believes she is infertile, one day she meets a man in a bar and gets involved with him only this guy turns out to be possessed by a demon, Sister Campbell ends up pregnant, she knows the baby is evil and just like Kelly tries to stop being pregnant but she does not succeed, she continues with the pregnancy, she does not tell John, nor Bobby, nor Ellen, nor anyone else.

When she gives birth she tries again to end the baby's life but can't do it so she abandons the baby, literally never tells anyone what happened to her and loses contact with John.

A few years later John learns that he has a niece and that demons are looking for her, John tries to contact Sister Campbell but is unable to find her so he just assumes she is dead, John raises Sister Campbell's daughter who is now a child as his own (Joh feels responsible for the child as she is a connection to Mary) eventually John confesses to Dean and Sam the truth about "Sister Winchester's" mother.

John would tell Sister Winchester that he was her father only he had not sought her out because he did not know she existed.

When the whole Lucifer comes back thing happens the Winchester sister's powers are activated, there they discover that she is half demon, Sam and Dean are puzzled so they ask Cas to look for the Winchester sister's mother or at least find out if she is still alive or not.

Cas informs the Winchester brothers that Sister Winchester's mother is alive but he does not know where she is (she is hiding from angels and demons), Sam and Dean decide not to inquire further because now that they know that Sister Winchester's mother is not dead, it only means one thing, she abandoned her, again they do not tell Sister Winchester anything to "protect" her.

Obviously the Winchester sister ends up being an important part of season 5.

Around season 9, Sister Winchester is in a relationship with Kevin and for some reason Sister Winchester ends up finding out who her mother is. Sister Winchester gets angry at Sam and Dean, she literally all her life bought the lie that John was her biological father.

Sister Winchester decides to start looking for her mother, but the search is interrupted by the death of her boyfriend, Kevin. This obviously tears her apart since she had to watch him die.

While Kevin was alive, he gave Sister Winchester a ring (you know which ring).

When Kevin returns as a ghost Sam and Dean again lie to her and steal the ring Kevin gave her, again, to "protect" her. Again she discovers Sam and Dean's lie and learns that Kevin is a ghost and becomes even angrier at her brothers, as she had the chance to say goodbye to Kevin but couldn't because Dean and Sam were trying to "protect" her.

Sister Winchester gets so upset that she leaves the bunker and continues the search for her birth mother alone, Sister Winchester ends up finding her mom but obviously her mother pushes her away

I wouldn't know how Sister Campbell and Sister Winchester's encounter would end but let's just say it didn't end very well.

Sister Winchester is found by Dean and Sam and she goes back to the bunker, even though she agreed to go back to the bunker Sister Winchester's relationship with her brothers is the worst, she doesn't even look at them and barely speaks to them.

Besides, Sister Winchester herself is super bad, she doesn't sleep (and when she does she has nightmares) she is not eating, she is in her room all day, she stops doing things like reading or watching TV, besides she hasn't cried, nothing, it's as if Sister Winchester was turned off.

Honestly this was so fun to read and so detailed I barely know what to add 😂

-I think she would be really hurt to find out John wasn’t her father—she’d always loved him, and it also made her feel less connected to Sam and Dean.

-Sam and Dean would try everything to help her after she comes back from meeting her mother. They obviously apologize a million times for lying, and eventually she says she forgives them but she still isn’t the same—she doesn’t really speak, and she never comes out of her room. Sam and Dean spend every spare second they have in there, trying to coax her back into reality.

-it’s Dean who finally gets her to cry. He’s just sitting in her room as usual, only this time he has something new to say…

“I know what we did to you wasn’t right. And I know that you’re hurting because of Kevin…and your mom. But I just can’t do this anymore, kid. Nothing’s the same around here, it’s just not. And I can’t keep going like this—keep fighting—without you. Me and Sam, we need you here. I need you to come back.”

And something about this—no coaxing, no more apologies, just sincerity and accountability and raw desperations—gets to her.

And she decides to get up and keep fighting.

[jabberwockprince]

I'm cooking r1999 OC stuff so i need to ramble about it hehehoho rubs my evil hands together

i had to rewrite this because i lost it but i also sound like a madman so i dont expect absolutely anyone to understand my train of thought <3

I OC-fied Tartaglia a few days ago but I just got around to thinking about his whole character and lore, and it hit me that I can just put his ass in Apeiron <3 I'd like to have an OC in each faction but we'll see how much my attention span lasts

BUT! THIS MF.

I want him to be from Apeiron specifically because the idea of an integer or equally valid number within the island acting like the most fucking feral irrational number is so funny to me. a complete betrayal of the scriptures but that somehow ends up making sense, so you cannot be mad because He Still Operates Within What Was Expected. a guy whose entire existence is just ANNOYING AND IRRITATING AND INSUFFERABLE. perhaps he's a fraction, I'm not sure yet. I'm not looking forward to researching numbers to find one that suits him thematically and shit

most likely considered a genius in an unconventional way, not similar at all to 37. more like still following the theme of opposing/overstepping while working within the guidelines. so maybe something to contrast her

37's talent for numbers is explained as an innate ability to see the numbers in everyone and see their true essence, which causes her to be isolated from the physical world and the people of her own community because she does not experience nor care about reality the same way others do. its impossible to try and understand her, because her insight is so vastly unique, but she can still provide solid proof to support her discoveries with no problem at all, as seen when she confirmed Vertin's number is 0. she cares about the scriptures and numbers, and yet she likes taking the chance to discover one's number away from others just because she can be the first one to do it

so im thinking. Aianteia could be the opposite. he cannot see the numbers in people like her, but their true Forms. the perfect geometrical shapes that can only exist in the abstract world of Forms, impossible to achieve beyond a close approximation. and because he essentially sees the "beauty" in people, he cares for the community, he is friendly and often befriends others rather easily. but he can't fucking explain why he sees the world Like That. nor provide any proof as to why someone is This Form or That Form. which renders him totally useless within Apeiron, because of the importance of proof. he cares about people figuring out their number, to discover themselves and whatnot--he cares so much that he will gladly show you which Form you're meant to be, the way the universe intended it

and THIS is when the themes of battle and war and carnage come into play. when it comes to irrational numbers or the impure, Aianteia connects their "floating points" and knows exactly what to do to purify them. to make their bodies as pure as their Forms. im saying that he basically sees fancy ass geometrical shapes and lines that let him know where to start cutting and slashing and killing. this is something he does out of genuine love and care, so that those who cant even DREAM of studying the scripture can get a fair chance at discovering their number, as irrational as it may be. all they have to do is survive

im thinking. that his scars are self-inflicted because he attempted to do the exact same thing to himself. and he survived. and he figured out his number this way. he cannot explain why or how or give proof as to why he knows THIS is his number (in a way, similar to how 37 knew from birth that THIS was her number) but i like to think that 77 took a good look at him and went "hes right." and everyone had to just. accept that this guy, most likely a very young teenager, found out his number THROUGH THE "WRONG" WAY

WHICH. IN TURN. FALLS WITHIN WHAT 37 INSISTS DURING CHAPTER 05--numbers are the eternal truth because no matter when or where or how you prove something, you and the person at the other side of the planet will come up with the same result. Aianteia has an entirely different approach that led to the same conclusion as 77's mother. once again, the issue is that this is something that cannot be corrected nor given proof. relating to the gnosis of an arcanist, and how arcanum is not a viable method of study because it cannot be verified by a third party. my brain is making connections at the speed of SOUND. anyway. the issue is that he's RIGHT. which would make him a fraction, potentially, since 37 describes them like this

Integers are the living examples of virtues. Fractions can be understood through specific means. Irrational numbers are the free spirits, while imaginary numbers are the existence which doesn’t belong to this dimension of the number axis

so he can be understood through specific means, but no one can figure out WHICH means exactly

I do think that he starts out genuinely wanting to help people achieve their purest self, and somewhere down in the middle of the road he started to have a little too much fun with the idea of being the hand that brings Forms to the world of Matters. and then as he spends more and more time outside of Apeiron, it becomes a dog eat dog mentality, whoever survives gets to be their truest, purest Form -> the strongest get to impose their ideals onto the rest. Aianteia SAYS that he's doing this to uphold the scriptures and defend them in the outside world, and this is partially true as a childish leftover desire from his initial journey. but really, its all about getting the shit beaten out of him and beating the shit out of others now to see who earns the right to live

if the Storm has been going on for 7 years, it started when he was 19, so im thinking he was around 14-15 when he left Apeiron during one of those expeditions. and they let him go specifically because pretty much everyone wanted him gone

from what I remember, both Manus and the Foundation existed BEFORE the Storm? so im willing to say that Aianteia joined Manus before the first Storm ever. but i also dont want to think too hard on time logistics because we dont have the full timeline of the game yet

[fantasyroyalfamily]

The Princess and The Frog (A Vampire/Were Wolf Story- Sims 4)

Once upon a time, there lived a princess from the Kingdom of Wolf Bay (Sims 4 Worlds: Brindleton Bay). However, in this world, this particular princess was half vampire/werewolf, which made her one of the most powerful beings in the world.

Princess Tiana was strong, beautiful, and intelligent, but she sometimes had a hard time controlling her lustful behavior. One day, as she roamed her Kingdom, she bumped into a man who had been disfigured to look like a frog and had no memory of who had caused his curse. The frog begged for help, so Tiana decided to help the frog in the condition that he would give his blood to her. Tiana smelled something different about this gentle frog, so she couldn't help herself. In the end, Mr. Frog agreed.

Tiana wanted to find out more about the Frog curse. She decided to visit Lady Zami, who was one of her father's concubines. Despite being older than Tiana and her father combined, Lady Zami didn't have much information about the curse. However, she did mention that Lady Rain, the only Wizard in the Kingdom, might have the answers that Tiana was looking for.

Tiana traveled to Lady Rain's home, but felt uncomfortable speaking to the Wizard. She was too curious about Mr. Frog, so she pushed herself into her home. Upon arrival, Lady Rain was initially resistant but eventually confessed the truth about Mr. Frog.

Lady Rain confided in Tiana that she was responsible for the curse on Mr. Frog because he knew a secret about the Queen, Tiana's mother. Confused, Tiana asked what secret it was. Lady Rain revealed that Mr. Frog was actually a Duke from a neighboring kingdom who had come to ask for Tiana's hand in marriage. However, Tiana's father had denied the request and as Mr. Frog was leaving, he witnessed Tiana's mother having an affair with another man. Tiana was still confused as why would the affair matter if it was a custom of the Kingdom to have more than one partner, so Lady Rain continued, explaining that Tiana's father had made a deal with Tiana’s mother to keep herself away from her own lover due to he was a half human and vampire, which would cause chaos in the Kingdom if anyone was to know.

Lady Rain confessed that the Queen had forced her to curse Mr. Frog because he had discovered the affair between Tiana's mother and the other man.

Tiana was not surprised by her parents' behavior, but she knew she didn’t want that for herself. In the end, she learned to break the curse and informed her father of the truth, which led to the execution of the Queen, her mother, who she had no close relationship.

Tiana told Mr. Frog everything that she learned from Lady Rain, and with just one kiss the curse was broken.

A year later, and after some convincing, She finally married Mr. Frog (Duke Clyde). She made a deal with her father that she would have a second marriage with Lord Maro Baywolf, a distant cousin. Part of this agreement is that her first born from her and Clyde will be the next ruler of Wolf Bay.

Image Order from left to right (King Ronan -Tiana's Father, Lord Maro, Kyrana & Maro II- Maro & Tiana children, Princess Tiana and her husband Clyde, and her son Naveen)

So Tiana had her huge family , but compare to her father she dreamt of a different Kingdom, a larger Kingdom. She made arrangement between Lunara (Werewolf Kingdom) 's princess and her son Naveen, but also marriage between her son and the Princess of Dracu Hollow (Vampire Kingdom). She hope to make strong to protect all her subjects, but she is unaware of the dangers that roam in the dark.

The majority of Tiana's people is human while the minority are hybrid (hald vampire/half werewolf). Lunara's people does not agree with mixing their blood with other beings.

Another dilemma is Clyde's blood made Tiana temporally human whenever she would drink it, which led to the birth of her son Naveen being human while Kyrana and Maro II were born Hybrid.

We will see in the future would happen to this family and how it will impact the future of the Kingdoms. Will it be peace or tragic death?

We will see.

[melis-writes]

Moth to Flame: Chapter 15 "Revelations" Interpretation/Review 💓

My fellow Moth to Flame girlies know Chapter 15 was a bombshell of a chapter. 👀 The drama and angst came into full force here within revelations, secrets, lies, and understanding but not necessarily forgiveness. Those were definitely the central themes around this chapter.

If you haven't read Chapter 15, please don't read this post any further because it contains spoilers! 😅

That being said, this chapter remains one of the most controversial in Moth to Flame and I don't say that in a bad way, but definitely that every single reader has experienced this chapter differently and thus, the reactions are extremely varied. 👁️👁️

Unfortunately, it's also been the target for nasty comments in particular. 🫤 I honestly don't think any other chapter has had the same treatment. That being said, the interpretation of this chapter will certainly vary from reader to reader and not everyone will 100% see it the same (or you might, who knows! 😂).

Still, seeing that a lot of negativity was being hurled towards this chapter particularly because of Victoria's reaction (exclusively, tbh), I've made a short little interpretation post for our infamous chapter. This isn't to tell anyone how to read/understand it, but setting out the tone/context and give clarity to everything. 💓

You can definitely still interpret Victoria and Michael’s reactions and actions in this chapter differently, not agree with either or, etc for sure. I have nothing against that. ❤️ I’m always curious to know what you guys think, but one thing I will note out front is: Victoria is a character with her own unique personality. I have zero intention on making her “likeable” subjective to every single person’s tastes and beliefs. I also don’t care if she’s seen as “unlikeable”, etc. This is a fictional character and I won’t be told how to write my own characters. 😇

Imagine giving birth barely 2 weeks ago to two babies and then finding wedding photographs of your husband and some random woman in your nursery bag and your husband barely budges once you react to it. It's not realistic to simply brush it aside or go "oh yeah, that must be his ex. How lovely!" and move on.

Getting a lot of "Victoria is weak/whiny/emotional" comments but her reaction was fueled because of:

Victoria found out about Michael's marriage to Apollonia thanks to Kay and Fredo intentionally wanting Victoria to know.

Michael never told or even hinted to Victoria he was married before and he didn't plan on telling her ever.

Victoria gave birth to the twins ~2 weeks ago and is still recovering, hormonal, and raising two very young babies after entering parenthood for the first time. You can imagine the stress she's under already.

Up until then, Michael and Victoria's marriage has been perfect; they've never fought or had an argument before. This definitely adds to how much of a shock this revelation was for Victoria.

How could Victoria not assume Michael had another bride in Sicily? Those photographs are only 2-3 years old. They were very conveniently placed in Victoria's nursery bag of all places. Victoria immediately assumed Michael was cheating on her and someone else knew but she didn't, and this was her way of discovering she was the other woman.

I personally think Victoria's reaction and actions afterward were rational and logical. She tried to leave Michael and would have put up a hell of a fight both legal and family wise to take her babies with her. Yes, she was crying and feeling tremendously heartbroken, but her intention was clear until Michael told her the truth and everything inbetween.

It appeared to me a lot of comments didn't look past Victoria's crying or emotional state which is very normal, a very expected reaction in t his case, especially with Michael in no clear rush to explain things or panicking either... 😐

"How can she be a mafia wife when she acts like this?" How does being a mafia wife have anything to do with your husband potentially cheating on you and the fact that made you upset? 💀💀💀 Mafia wives aren't allowed to have emotions? I'm sorry but that's just ridiculous and stupid.

What I'm trying to explain throughout this chapter is that Victoria's reaction and heartache aren't uncalled for and they don't make her a "weak" person. It makes her human.

If it's one thing I'll make clear about Victoria, it's that she doesn't need Michael. She doesn't need anyone. If she was truly Michael's "other bride" and Apollonia was back in Sicily waiting, Victoria would have filed for divorce and delivered the papers to Michael herself.

Michael is fully to blame here tbh, being a lying piece of shit holding that back from Victoria. We know Victoria would never have reacted that way had he been upfront and honest with her, so this was well deserved. Victoria didn't deserve being lied to or made felt like she was being cheated on. That's the point of the chapter, it delves into Michael's lies and that he'll never change although he does promise to make it up to Victoria one way or another and is insistent on it, but never mentions it again... 😶😶😶 Victoria hasn't forgotten this either, though.

And yeah, so they had hot, sexy make up sex afterward when all was said and done. So what?! 😚 Definitely will never work again but there's a first and last time for everything. 💀

[jaceberg]

[ cis male. he/him ] Welcome to Aurora Bay, JACE BERGERON ! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like LEO WOODALL. You must be the TWENTY-EIGHT year old OWNER OF DRIFTWOOD . Word is you’re STAUNCH but can also be a bit SOFT HEADED and your favorite song is CALL YOUR MOM BY NOAH KAHAN . I also heard you’ll be staying in FISHER COVE . I’m sure you’ll love it!

pinterest. - navigation. ( tw. death & terminal illness. )

THE BASICS.

NAME : jace nathaniel bergeron. AGE : twenty-eight. BIRTHDAY : september 18. SEXUALITY : hetrosexual. HOMETOWN : aurora bay, ca. CURRENT RESIDENCE : seabrook quarter. FAMILY : jocelyn bergeron (mother) , aurthur winslet (father), and unnamed half sister.

PERSONALITY.

+TRAITS : affectionate, magnanimous, & staunch. -TRAITS : airy, boisterous, & soft headed. LIKES : the sea, gaming, traveling, sailing, good company, legos, a strong cup of coffee, legit anything involving the ocean & a cold can pabst blue ribbon. DISLIKES : scary movies, spicy foods, country music (but will still drunkenly sing along. ), ketchup, and his father.

APPERANCE.

Hair : light brown & short. Eye : blue. Body Build : athletic. Height : 6' 1''. Scar/Markings : scar on left leg from getting stuck in a fence as a teen. Piercing : n/a. Tattoos : mothers birth year on chest in roman numerals & traditional sailboat on right thigh for grandfather.

BIO.

( tw. death & terminal illness. )

His mother, a spirited and driven young woman, often dreamt of leaving her small-town life for something more thrilling. When Arthur Caldwell, the owner of a resort franchise, offered her a job as a personal assistant, she eagerly embraced the opportunity. She traveled to multiple countries with him and spent many nights in his company. Their relationship lasted for nine months before abruptly ending when rumors of a possible pregnancy arose. Arthur’s wife promptly insisted that he cut ties with the assistant. Soon after, his mother returned home with a check in one hand, a non-disclosure agreement in the other, and a baby on the way.

Although Jace faced some challenges in his early childhood, he felt relatively happy. He knew that his family was different from others in their town; they lived in a multi-generational household without a father figure. However, he didn't fully grasp the significance of this difference. What he did appreciate was the hard work and dedication of his single mother, who provided for them both, and the love and consistent presence of his grandparents in his daily life.

When he turns sixteen, he experiences the first significant loss in the family - his grandfather. Despite being aware that it was not his fault, he struggles with overwhelming guilt. He believes his actions, such as late outings with friends, constant calls from authorities, and drunken escapades, caused stress for his grandfather. He convinces himself that his grandfather wasted his time and resources caring for a child who wasn't his own. Little does does he know, he was actually his grandfather's world.

At the age of twenty-two, the Bergeron family goes through a series of life-altering events, including uncovering the truth about his father, his mother's passing, and developing a passion for the sea.

He always knew his mother had secrets, like anyone else. She held onto a long list of things she never wanted to be revealed. She wore a facade right up until her last moments. He had a feeling that something was wrong for a while, but every time he asked for answers, she denied him any information. It was as if she refused to face the reality of what was happening. Only three months before she passed away, he found out about her diagnosis. The arrival of the hospice nurse, who set up in their living room, became one of the main catalysts for him discovering the truth.

As soon as he received the news about his mother death, he wasted no time packing his bags. With no clear destination in mind, he simply refused to remain trapped in a home filled with memories. He eventually found himself at the pier, walking onto the first boat that would take him on as a hire.

He had made the ocean his home for several months. He became enamored with the aquatic colors and the freedom that came with being out on the sea. His passport filled with stamps and stickers from the many places he's traveled to, while his tiny room decorated with certificates of career achievements. Although he has a job that offers him plenty of freedom and opportunities to advance, he felt a sense of longing.

Only after completing his first season does he come to realize his true desires. It is in New York City where he unexpectedly encounters a familiar face and reconnects with Emerson Cassidy, reigniting their friendship. A situationship, unfolds over the course of two years until he finally decides to end it. Despite his love for her, he recognizes that she deserves more than someone who comes and goes like the tide. With a heavy heart, they go their separate ways.

At the age of twenty-seven, he sets foot in Aurora Bay, CA for the first time since his mother's passing. The strange feeling of it all weighs heavily on him, especially after the recent loss of his grandmother. He currently resides in his childhood home in Fisher Cove while settling into his new role as the owner of Driftwood Coffee, after inheriting the family business.

HEADCANNONS.

- he's only been back in town for three weeks, as of 6/21/24. - his whole relationship with emerson is unknown to practically everyone, it was very much so a private thing. - due to his last living arrangements jace has a tendency for not understanding boundaries, living in close corridors almost five years tends to do that to people. (so just tell him to fuck off, he’ll understand.) it’s also why he hates being alone. legit loves company at all times ! - currently resides in fisher cove, in his childhood home (x)(x). it's a three bedroom, two bath house with a private dock. - has met his father, thinks he's a piece of shit. - jace's mother was the sole owner/manager of driftwood coffee, and he worked there throughout his teen years until he left. after her passing his grandmother took over ownership, her reign only lasted five years. since his grandmothers passing he has now inherited the establishment. - has a boating license. - currently owns a 2002 Beneteau Oceanis 42CC. his sister (luce) & him sailed/traveled on it this past summer. - proud owner of a magnet collection, and he has collected all of them from his travels. - constantly wears a silver chain with his grandmother's wedding ring dangling from it.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

childhood friends / found family / friends he met during his travels / employees / family friends / bad hinge dates / high school sweetheart / new friends / business mentors / totally up for plotting future plots & brainstorming ideas !

[cljordan-imperium]

WIP ASK GAME - 3rd answer

This is the final answer to @andromedaexists from the list HERE

👀 - A piece of lore you’ve been waiting for an excuse to share

Okay, because this is so far off before this all gets revealed (at least unless my muses decide to change it for me), I have wanted to share this forever.  Yael won’t know it for like….eee gads…I dunno.  Phaedra knows it, but was sworn to secrecy by the Angel Michael, who by the way is NOT an Arch Angel.  No, he is not that lowly.  He too is a Seraph.  

The father of both Phaedra and Yael is…Azrael.  That name seem a bit familiar?  If you’ve been reading along it should.  There is one other person who is tied to that Seraph.  A certain Horseman of Famine.  *grins*  Yes, Yael is Deacon’s SISTER!  (makes “eeeeeee”)   Not only is she Deacon’s sister, but she is his sister in the same way that Abriella and Cruz are brother and sister, so they are technically “twins” because of how divine bloodlines work.   And yes, this does mean that Phaedra is also his sister.  However, the mother’s bloodline in that case is completely different, so she is a true  half-sister.

It is not a coincidence that they are both virgins either.  My poor babies, how they are going to go through it when this all comes out. But there were prophecies involved. Phaedra walked in on a conversation where it was revealed about Azrael and almost lost her life over it, the secret of their father being that big.  Why, well that is something that I’m going to hold back for now.  SPOILERS, DARLING!

It is her paternity that also caused the blowback on Gabriel to be more extreme than would be normally.  Not that his actions ever would have been excused, but Azrael took supreme exception to what was done to his daughter and demanded recompense for it.  Raguel, the angel of Righteous Vengeance, was inadvertently called because of a father’s outrage and signed on for it upon hearing about it.  So Michael was now faced with two Seraph angels who were ready to take out a Throne, whether the action was sanctioned by Div or not.  The three went to Div, and it was more than sanctioned.  

It was during this whole period that Phaedra discovered who their father was, it had always been kept secret.  She and Yael always believed it was due to their father being disgraced or Fallen after their birth.  The truth had more to do with their being related to a Horseman and the ramifications of that.  So, when this is revealed, Deacon too will be unaware that he has two sisters.  

Deacon has always been the quieter of the Horseman and the one that felt like he never fit in.  The other three were always a tighter grouping, along with Arch, and they tried to make him feel included; but he always felt a half-step off with them.  He’s always felt that way and hard to connect with people.  The more he is around Yael, the more they will connect and that is going to be his first clue there is “something” with her.  Finding his sisters, this is gonna be HUGE!  But he may kinda be pissed at dad for hiding them. 

THE IMPERIUM CHRONICLES TAG LIST - @ceph-the-ghost-writer @writingpotato07 @kjscottwrites @saltysupercomputer @careful-pyromancer @late-to-the-fandom @autumnalwalker @perasperaadastrawriting @fearofahumanplanet @jessica-writes22 @dogmomwrites @mjjune @verba-writing

Please let me know if anyone wants +/-

[maddieshifts]

discovering aleksander's truth pt 1 <3

Hi besties!

I keep finding gems on my AO3 :) This is part of my story of learning the truth about The Darkling in my OG Shadow & Bone DR.

This first part is basically just text from Chapter 15 of Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I do not own the rights to the book or the characters. I added my own text towards the end, and from here on out, there won't be any more text directly from the book. I just wanted to provide context without trying to re-write something that, in my opinion, was already written well.

Happy reading!

‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿

“I’m too tired for lessons, Baghra.”

“No more lessons. You must leave this place. Tonight.”

I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m trying to keep you from spending the rest of your life as a slave. Now get changed.”

“Baghra, what’s going on? Why did you bring me down here?”

“We don’t have much time. The Darkling is close to finding Morozova’s herd. Soon he will have the stag.”

“I know,” I said, thinking of Mal. My heart ached, but I also couldn’t resist feeling a little smug. “I thought you didn’t believe in Morozova’s stag.”

She waved her arm as if brushing away my words.

“That’s what I told him. I hoped that he might give up the stag’s pursuit if he thought it was nothing but a peasant tale. But once he has it, nothing will be able to stop him.”

I threw up my hands in desperation. “Stop him from doing what?”

“Using the Fold as a weapon.”

“I see,” I said. “Does he also plan to build a summer home there?”

Baghra seized hold of my arm, “This isn’t a joke!”

There was a desperate, unfamiliar edge to her voice, and her grip on my arm was nearly painful. What was wrong with her?

“Baghra, maybe we should go to the infirmary-”

“I’m not sick and I’m not insane,” she spat. “You must listen to me.”

“Then talk sense,” I said. “How could anyone use the Shadow Fold as a weapon?”

She leaned into me, her fingers digging into my flesh. “By expanding it.”

“Right,” I said slowly, trying to extricate myself from her grasp.

“The land that the Unsea covers was once green and good, fertile and rich. Now it is dead and barren, crawling with abominations. The Darkling will push its boundaries north into Fjerda, south to the Shu Han. Those who do not bow to him will see their kingdoms turned to desolate wasteland and their people devoured by ravening volcra.”

I gaped at her in horror, shocked by the images she had conjured. The old woman had clearly lost her mind.

“Baghra,” I said gently, “I think you have some sort of fever.” Or you’re completely senile. “Finding the stag is a good thing. It means I can help the Darkling destroy the Fold.”

“No!” she cried, and it was almost a howl. “He never intended to destroy it. The Fold is his creation.”

I sighed. Why had Baghra picked tonight to lose all touch with reality? “The Fold was created hundreds of years ago by the Black Heretic. The Darkling-”

“He is the Black Heretic,” she said furiously, her face mere inches from mine.

“Of course he is.” With some effort, I pried her fingers loose and stepped past her toward the door. “I’m going to go find you a Healer and then I’m going to bed.”

“Look at me, girl.”

I took a deep breath and turned around, my patience at an end. I felt sorry for her, but this was just too much. “Baghra-”

The words died on my lips.

Darkness was pooling in Baghra’s palms, the skeins of inky blackness floating into the air.

“You do not know him, Anya.” It was the first time she had ever used my name. “But I do.”

I stood there watching dark spirals unfurl around her, trying to comprehend what I was seeing. Searching Baghra’s strange features, I saw the explanation clearly written there. I saw the ghost of what must have once been a beautiful woman, a beautiful woman who gave birth to a beautiful son.

“You’re his mother,” I whispered numbly.

She nodded. “I am not mad. I am the only person who knows what he truly is, what he truly intends. And I am telling you that you must run.”

The Darkling had claimed he didn’t know what Baghra’s power was. Had he lied to me?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, trying to make sense of what Baghra was telling me. “It’s not possible,” I said. “The Black Heretic lived hundreds of years ago.”

“He has served countless kings, faked countless deaths, bided his time, waiting for you. Once he has control of the Fold, no one will be able to stand against him.”

A shiver went through me. “No,” I said. “He told me the Fold was a mistake. He called the Black Heretic evil.”

“The Fold was no mistake.” Baghra dropped her hands and the swirling darkness around her melted away. “The only mistake was the volcra. He did not anticipate them, did not think to wonder what power of that magnitude might do to mere men.”

My stomach turned. “The volcra were men?”

“Oh yes. Generations ago. Farmers and their wives, their children. I warned him that there would be a price, but he didn’t listen. He was blinded by his hunger for power. Just as he is blinded now.”

“You’re wrong,” I said, rubbing my arms, trying to shake the bone-deep cold stealing through me. “You’re lying.”

“Only the volcra have kept the Darkling from using the Fold against his enemies. They are his punishment, a living testimony to his arrogance. But you will change all that. The monsters cannot abide sunlight. Once the Darkling has used your power to subdue the volcra, he will be able to enter the Fold safely. He will finally have what he wants. There will be no limits to his power.”

I shook my head. “He wouldn’t do that. He would never do that.” I remembered the night he’d spoken to be by the fire in the broken-down barn, the shame and sorrow in his voice. I’ve spent my life searching for a way to make things right. You’re the first glimmer of hope I’ve had in a long time. “He said he wants to make Ravka whole again. He said that-”

“Stop telling me what he said!” she snarled. “He is ancient . He’s had plenty of time to master lying to a lonely, naive girl.” She advanced on me, her black eyes burning. “Think, Anya. If Ravka is to be made whole, the Second Army will no longer be vital to its survival. The Darkling will be nothing but another servant of the King. Is that his dream of the future?”

---

I backed away, taking a deep breath to regain my composure. “I don't know, Baghra. To be honest, neither do you. You are his mother, I can admit that you know him better than most. But you are not him. He is the only one who can truly answer my questions.”

Baghra looked at me, and I could see the disappointment written on her face. She was desperate for me to leave the Little Palace. She was clearly not expecting this much resistance from me.

“Fine,” she huffed. “If you want your answers from him, go to him. Risk your life, your freedom, the whole of Ravka. Risk everything to try and save the love that he is not able to give. He cannot love you, child. He cannot love anyone.”

With that, she stormed across the room, unlocked and opened the door, and whisked up the stairs, leaving me alone once more.