#The Curses We Inherit

[reyreadersblog]

No but like what were Avery and the boys thinking when they decided for tgg to take place on an island where was a fire 2 decades ago and where people died (Avery's aunt was one of the victims)

Where they high?

[erikaslumbers]

I'm running out of canon shit to say and think about the team

so

I'm just reading their weapons' lores over and over again

I love how the Ring of Yaxche's passive is an echo (... sorry, former Cyno main here) to Ixquieh's and Ahpub's tribes,

as for the Jade Forged Crown, well, my guess is that

since Ixquieh was an artisan, it might be one of her creations

I also think that

the hero of yesteryear who created the Ring itself might be her too

Lianca's bow's passive,

"song" oh look another Anemo Lianca implication

I like that it references the name of her tribe she created, which itself refers to her dragon mother's name

ANEMO LIANCA

and that it was made by a dragon

and given to her by her dragon mom canonically

Yupanqui's claymore's passive,

there's this whole imagery of verdant paths with him, from Maghan's advice to him to that heartbreaking line about the color fading from them after he lost his passion for life,

I believe they are referring to Inca roads called Qhapaq Ñan, if I'm guessing

that's why the passive is called that in English

they are, well, verdant paths

as for what kinda oath we're talking about here,

who knows

maybe one with himself

with Maghan who first brought up the verdant paths, or with Och-Kan who made their color fade away, who knows

Maghan's sword's passive,

in case you don't know he's a master of the night wind

it's a sword, yes, but also considered as a priestly flute

just something to remember as your Xilonen or someone else whacks enemies with it

Maghan himself probably also whacked enemies with it

Uenuku's spear's passive,

in Chinese translate to "the Promise between Flowing Water and Spring"

it refers to his pact with Hineila,

her being the flowing water, since she's an Oceanid who connect the world's waters,

and Uenuku is from the People of the Springs, so he's the Spring i love stating the obvious

it's also fun that all the aforementioned weapons look assorted with each other. but Lianca's bow was made by a dragon. and possibly, Ring of Yaxche by Ixquieh herself. I wonder if there's a lore reason for it, perhaps she made assorted weapons for everyone or modified their already owned ones to make them match but we're heading into headcanon territory here

the Starcaller's Watch,

it reminds of Kachina's line about Natlanians "growing alongside wind and sun"

I swear I heard it somewhere else in game, in a song or something but I can't find it

not much to say about Mirror of Night, it's another Masters of the Night Wind reference

fun fact, the Starcaller also gifted it to Dinga/Maghan before he left with Xbalanque and co.

it's cute

A Thousand Blazing Suns, which may or may have not been Xbalanque's greatsword

i'd imagine a more... obsidian looking sword for him but i really love this one's design

I really like this one

even after the sun sets (i.e the Pyro Archon, the Sun, is gone)

the dawn will reignite again

it's not the end

the sun will rise again

that's what Xbalanque believed.

...

but for Och-Kan and many people and dragons under his reign

sunset didn't reignite the dawn

the sun set and that was it

[mxmasked-alien]

September Choices Insiders Tidbits

All the brain storm ideas for the weapons in Blades 3! Number 3 for the magic crossbow would have been epic! It looks like a machine gun. I wonder if that's why they reverted back to a more crossbow look. Number 3 shield is so pretty! It look like a shield of the cosmos.

Cg pairing of the LIs. Nia and Aaron, the contrast of them using Light and Shadow magic. Mal with his favorite buddy Tyril and my 2 wives together ❤️ I got a feeling the one with Imtura and Valax is going to be my favorite cg of 2024.

🥹 oh I love them! I hope they get along with our owlbear. I got a feeling Blades 3 is going to be an expensive book lol

So ID 3 next year and Blades 3 for wide release in November. Lol I think they're getting tired of all the people begging for a TCH 3, I'm always seeing a comment under all their IG posts with someone asking for a book 3.

Inheritance? I wonder if they're rewriting/putting a new spin to Rules of Engagement. Though with a goc LI thank goodness. I also wonder if Years Apart is going to be about a long distance relationship or exes getting back together story, like Filthy Rich but no billionaire lol.

I am so so so excited for TeFe tomorrow and AoU coming later this month!! This is a good month of books. And obviously Plus One is coming out in October and Blades 3 in November.

Oooo interesting, so our hunch that it would be about vampires and werewolves was right. They're throwing in TCH references so I wonder if this book is going to take place in a different world, like a fantasy world. I hope we don't play as human. We probably will but it would be really cool if mc was a fairy or a selkie or something magical. Being a human dropped into a fantasy world with LIs more powerful than us is getting old.

Anyway, what do you guys think about the upcoming books?

[nenoname]

now i'm thinking about caryn and her genuinely caring for stan but being unable to help him haunting her for the rest of her life....

[modern-inheritance]

Modern Inheritance: Bad Reaction (Eldest Supershort)

(A/N: I have had this in my head for a while, but Arya showing Iz her scars and revealing the curse Durza left finally gave me a bit of a push for this. Again, Arya and Glen are Platonic Soulmates, Fyrn Breol, and have fought together for 50-60 years, a majority of those without Fäolin. And they just learned like two to three weeks ago that their best friend is alive, only for them both to start going through massive trauma recovery 'it gets way worse before it gets better' type deals. For even further context, Arya is very, very out of it here and just knows that Glen seems to be hurt and is singleminded on fixing that.)

{Glen and Arya tried to test the curse Durza left in her scars. Just a little nick with a scalpel over one of them, just enough to draw blood, and Glen would heal the cut to test if the curse allowed full healing of new wounds over the old.

It didn't...she had warned him that it would be bad, but...for a moment, he lost her again and he didn't know....}

~~~~

BAD REACTION (SHORT)

Arya had seen Glenwing cry before. She had seen him cry at funerals, when he saw newly hatched little birds, when he was angry and sad all at once. She’d seen him ugly cry about the good things and the bad, little hiccups escaping him while he laughed at his outburst of emotion or as he tried to hide the tears streaming down his face as he packed up bloodied medical instruments beside the body of a fallen innocent. 

So she couldn’t pinpoint why hearing him crying, body damn near convulsing with the strength of his ragged, gasped sobs, felt so different this time. Maybe it was because she had never heard him cry like this, nothing so pained, so visceral. It sounded like it was being dragged out from his very core, the deepest parts of himself. 

Arya blinked and tried to raise a hand to touch her cheek. They were wet. His tears had fallen on her face, slid down her cheek and splashed on her forehead. For some reason her movement had Glenwing redoubling his sobs, and it was only when he tightened his grip did Arya realize the man was holding her cradled against his chest, arms wrapped tight around her body, the left one unyielding in places where there should have been some softness yet still so warm. 

Her throat hurt. So instead of speaking she reached out to him and managed to brush fingertips on his neck, unable to raise her hand any higher. Fuck, she felt so, ridiculously weak, weak and sore and like there were thunderclouds arguing in her skull. 

But Glen was crying. Glen was crying and he could be hurt so he had to come first, he was hurting and hurting bad, so she could wait. Fyrn Breol takes care of each other. Pick up the pieces, bring each other back. And Glen was crying and whatever had her muscles aching and body encased in lightning, that could wait until Glen…until Glen was okay because fuck, he was all she had left, and she couldn’t let him get hurt–

“Spirits, I thought I killed you!” If it were even possible, Glen held his friend closer and buried his face into her neck, his words nearly lost to the choked sounds of his tears. He rocked them both back and forth, trying to find some way to breathe. He knew he had to calm down but it had been so…so much worse than he thought, and it had lasted longer even when he had ripped away from the magic–

Head snapping back, a ragged, unimaginable sound of agony, of a soul torn to shreds in an instant. The force of the scream or the body remembering, he didn’t know but blood had already filled her mouth before she convulsed to the ground. Tearing away from the magic felt as though it took eons but in reality it was only three seconds of healing, of attempted healing, crimson still trickling from the tiny cut they had made to test it. The seizures didn’t stop when the link was broken, a handful more seconds until she stilled and her eyes were still open–

“Ari, your heart stopped.” Glen forced it out with a ragged gasp, and, unable to stop himself, his sobbing began anew, curling around her as if to try and protect her from his own memories. “I thought I killed you, I killed you, I didn’t know if I could get you back, and I–I thought–”

A hand settled on the back of his neck. 

“Got me back, though.” Oh, her voice. It was rough and barely above a croak, but he could hear the gentle smile there. “You didn’t kill me, birdbrain.” Arya rested her cheek on the top of his head. “He did. A couple times. But hey…I’m here now. You brought me back.”

“I thought I killed you.”

“I know.” 

“I thought I killed you!"

“Shades can…can eat a bag of the fattest of dicks.”

When he pulled back and saw her cracked, wild smile, tired and sore and teeth stained with blood but very, very much alive and very much still the Arya he knew…

Glenwing broke out in a tearstained laugh and pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t…don’t do that to me again!” 

“Yeah, I’d…like to avoid that too.”

[yaeggravate]

been thinking about this what if the reason why kaeya isn't cursed is because it has something to do with the khvarena? maybe his mother and father had khvarena and abyssal power respectively thus neutralizing or suppressing the curse

[chadsuke]

rules of rose ivy manor is so fun

mc thinks she isekai-d into a romantic fantasy novel but it's actually like. absolute horrors. but she's got no clue and yakety sax's her way out of anything horrid so far

[hauntingblue]

de la tula

[thespacehound]

it’s so validating when I talk to my siblings and they independently bring up that they think our family might have a history of undiagnosed neurodivergency, like thank god you noticed too and I’m not just imagining it 🙏

[wallflowers-in-the-wind]

The type of fanfiction for when the author is unable to provide you with the literary burn you feel inside. Pairings no one understands, moments that drive you crazy, all found in a single moment. Yet it comes at the heavy cost if you are unable to find the fixation you need so you either resort to writing your own or begging strangers to help you find it because no one understands the need.

Alas, there is no cure.

There’s fanfiction…. And then there’s FANFICTION. The kind of shit you happen upon at like 3am or some other ungodly time because you were trying to find a fix for ur fixation at the time and you are just SUCKED IN and every sentence feels like a line of cocaine and it has quotes and imagery that permeate your brain and it’s the shit that sticks around in your consciousness forever and it never goes away and it’s always going to be one of Those Fics.

[nothazellevesque]

one of the funniest parts of coming from a family with a wide array of weird ass health problems is what i like to call “assembling the council”. every time a close family member gets diagnosed with some new oddly specific condition my sisters and i set up a group chat with our cousins on whatever side it developed on and begin discussing the new Funky Genetic Surprise and what the signs are so we can determine if any of us have it/ what we’re supposed to do to manage it (if anything can be done). Past conference topics include:

The Bonus Ear Hole(s)- Infection Risks and Surgical Intervention

The Extra Mouth Bone- Should We Be Concerned?

Enlarged Tonsils- How Big is Too Big?

Random Fainting and You- How To Not Die

Bad Blood: Genetic Blood Conditions That We Need to Get Tested For ASAP

[fushitoru]

the season of thorned roses ⸺ a bridgerton!au

pairing ⸺ duke!satoru gojo x fem!reader

summary ⸺ dearest gentle reader, a new season is upon us as the ton gets ready for a season filled with drama, heartbreak, and passion. after being crowned diamond of the season, duke gojo⸺only looking to marry just to secure his inheritance⸺has his sights set on you, the easiest (and most obvious) option. later, when you catch his saying unsavory things about you on a terrace when he least suspected it, you swear to never marry gojo. as london's fashionable set goes through yet another wedding season, will there be hope for scandalous gossip, hate, and thinly veiled insults, or will we witness blooming love and passion?

genre/warnings ⸺ enemies to lovers, bridgerton au, angst, fluff, eventual smut, suggestive, jealousy, misogyny, regency era au, gojo being infuriating, reader also being infuriating, both of them are clueless honestly, all they do is bicker 💀, some historical inaccuracies, mentions of sex work

notes from the author: im aashi, and this is my first series on this app :p for anyone who would like to know, this does end with a happy ending. ty for reading!

masterlist | drabble | fanart

chapter index

01 ⸺ the debutante

you begin to get ready for your presentation for your debut this season, and satoru steels himself to find a wife. you don't get the reception you'd wanted from some, and satoru will soon curse himself for letting his tongue loose (6.3k)

02 ⸺ the aftermath

after an eventful first ball after your debut, you continue the season with thinly veiled vexation towards gojo. but fate is not on your side; you and gojo keep encountering each other, matching fire with fire (7.8k)

03 ⸺ the manor

you and gojo have just uncovered your mothers' matchmaking scheme: a plan that sends you both to his extravagant countryside manor in kent, arriving a week earlier than the rest of the ton. the question remains—can you endure gojo's insufferable nature during this secluded stay? (8.3k)

04 ⸺ the game

satoru has some revelations about you. both you and satoru share some quite...happening days at the manor, including an eventful game of pall mall. (4.9k)

05 ⸺ the fall

gojo comes up with a strange yet tempting arrangement, but the accident that follows it may cause epiphanies for the both of you. (11.8k)

06 ⸺ the house party

you are bedridden, recovering from your wound, when gojo delivers season-changing news. the house party that follows buzzes with tension, and an unexpected arrival that sends ripples through the ton. (7.4k)

07 ⸺ the rebound

after the arrival of your dearest brother, you pursue a new angle to the season, one to prove that you, the diamond, will not be scorned. new opportunities with duke nanami arise and with it jealousy and bitterness fester in the ballroom. (6.8k)

08 ⸺ the lake

both you and gojo discover contradictory feelings lodged deep in your heart, and a confrontation (with an unexpected ally) leads to a rather....wet conclusion. (4.6k)

09 ⸺ the embers

sukuna takes you on an excurion into town at night, where you both meet a stranger that gives you illustrative insight into gojo. on the other hand, satoru has to suffer his best friend's most terrible plan as of date (10k)

10 ⸺ the art gallery

duke nanami suprises you with an inquiry, and the panic caused by it leads to an encounter with a very unexpected person (4.7k)

11 ⸺ the geto manor (soon!)

drabbles/headcanons

01 ⸺ gojo unable to wake up on time after a wild night (suggestive)

02 ⸺ avoiding gojo after getting your period (suggestive)

03 ⸺ gojo walking in on geto at a brothel (nsfw, not canon)

03 ⸺ gojo when you're pregnant

[thesummerestsolstice]

A List of Very Convincing Reasons why Elrond Peredhel Cannot become Noldor High King after Gil-Galad, written by Dnorle Lehderep

He's like Finwe's great great great grandson; that's clearly too many generations away.

Also he's technically a Feanorian and they're like, super cursed and also dispossessed so maybe he shouldn't be in the line of succession.

No one can agree on whether his claim comes from the Nolofinwean or Feanorian lines. Clearly the best solution to this is for him to not be king.

Galadriel is right there.

He turns into a bird sometimes and everyone knows that birds can't be elf-kings that would be silly.

Yes, he does have one of the three rings "for elvish kings" but Cirdan also has one of those, and he's not an elvish king, so frankly it doesn't matter.

Gil-Galad's will, which states that Elrond inherits the crown, was clearly forged. I will not explain how. Trust me on this one.

C'mon guys he's not even technically an elf. Yes Melian was a queen over elves without being an elf. Yes Dior was a half-elf elf king. I don't see what that has to do with anything.

Do we really need a king?? Apparently some edain are experimenting with a new system called "democracy" and fraknly that sounds a lot better and cooler than having another king.

We'd have to get the crown resized again and that would be a lot of work.

He wears his hair partially down. In public. If that's not scandalous I don't konw what is.

I know his followers keep talking about how great of a leader he is, but they're mostly Feanorians, so clearly that doesn't count.

Galadriel. Is. Right. There.

He probably doesn't even speak Quenya. Don't ask anyone at court to confirm this.

He's very busy revolutionizing the field of medicine in Rivendell right now, please leave me him alone.

Clearly he doesn't wear enough jewelry to be a proper Noldor king.

[melaninfury]

Astrology Harsh Opinions

Back with a vengeance. Thank you 😊

Please don’t take this as astrological facts. These are more my experience and perspective. The whole chart and aspects must also be considered.

It must be gods gift to every Scorpio rising with Pluto in the 1st to seem very devoted to self preservation and just...self. Can be very self absorbed when the power is in their hands. With a Taurus descendant they have stability/peace in some relationships but I notice these people have a thrill for domination and power dynamics but in subtle ways that reflect back to how they want to feel about themselves, enough said.

If your parents are a Capricorn moons, their wounds and detachment from their mother will translate to how they raise and treat you. While they may not hate you or want to treat you with that same coldness but they can't help but resonate with the downright coldness they can carry into parenthood. Some.....some.

For independent souls if your MC (10th house) is in an innovative and independent sign do not and I repeat DO NOT tell your plans or all your ideas to somebody with a moon or malefic planet on your MC. They will control or have alot to say about how you approach and move through your career and navigate life on the outside. They can hinder you or make an emotional attachment regarding your improvement/advancement. Partnerships are great make sure yours can be though.

There is nothing more judgmental and ever questioning then a gemini moon, venus or stellium. Guaranteed aways have something to say.

If your coworkers have personal placements in your 4th, 8th, 12th and 10th. Trust they will be all up in your business, watch your mouth around them. They will talk and spread your business. (honorable mention the 7th house)

You will find a venus on someones ascendant or in their 12th can activate their jealousy towards you and the people you love and give your attention to outside of them. Especially if you surpass the idealism or idea they wanted you to be.

Don't be a fool mars conjunct mercury or these planets in the 7th, YOU know and you need to follow you intuition towards your people (soul family), business and fulfillment. Move away from them people that come against or attempt to hijack your wavelength. FUCK THEM PEOPLE.

Its true if you have 7th and 12th house placements you have hidden enemies/sneaky enemies....enemies of all kinds nonetheless. If this energy is connected to your 1st, 10th, 4th or 9th house i'm telling you now, you have hidden enemies that are coming from alot of places some family, friends or people around you (i.e coworkers). They seek to stop, control or transform you for their own benefit and from their own place of shadow.

Again if your parents are Capricorn moons I just want to start a support group for you and me so we can discuss all of our generational trauma and anger together, fully engage with the fact that your parents can do anything but love you properly.

If your a Sagittarius moon, Laugh...laugh as you cry its gods way of giving you proper antidepressants I do not care what your provider says....jkjk lets all get a therapist and shadow work :).

I personally think telling people to fuck off is the best way to protect yourself. Its the right way and the only way because if i don't get it then its not real. Make it make sense or shut up because I don't have the energy. The math has to fucking math thank you - a tired virgo mercury

I think having karmic synastry or inherited placements from family is a fucking curse. If this lady didn't fair well with her moon mercury and venus why the fuck would you give me that one for her to screw me retrograde...? HELLO god were you listening while I was crying and screaming....!?!?

One thing I fucking hate is being told what to do - sincerely a sag moon. Especially when you fucked it over 3 or 4 fucking times... now your trying to "teach" me something. Play with stop signs and red lights for me respectfully.

If your mars is conjunct a planet listen to your anger and the source, use it to your advantage or to calm down. If its a soft planet like venus, use pleasurable and fun ways to activate and express your needs. If its moon find comfort in taking action to protect and build your needs and home for yourself. If its mercury well, just try to calm down and find ways not to punch people, watch how and what you say because it makes sense why your angry with everyone but yourself. Use it to talk yourself down or scream or perceive a smarter person idk (sorry y'all i'm pissed)

Love yourself well and protectively Venus in the 8th, its precious there and its hard to fully recover from deep seated pain it changes the foundation of how you love or who. Which may be a good or bad thing.

Bump people and their passive aggressive lack of realness and balls to say I either do or don't like you 11 house placements (especially malefic). Cut em off loose ends that aren't productive for how you see yourself and reputation. CUT them off don't just think about it.

Saturn or Mars in the 4th is childhood trauma, the type depends on the connections and aspects to the houses.

A mars in scorpio is gonna do what they wanna do for them every time, your in the way of what they want or who they want...they will attempt to get you gone in secret or in public, I don't make the rules.

Neptune can show where you should or can spiritually protect your mind, body and spirit. I.E Scorpio Neptune in the 9th can use religious ideology or practices to protect or spiritually cleanse. Leverage your spiritual planet. Especially because of its need for strong spiritual hygiene. Sometimes applying the meaning to the energy of the planet can help you learn to define your spiritual practice.

Saturn squaring moon or mercury is emotional/mental pain, it can definitely show hardships involving perception and internalization in your environment. These are planets that rule over socialization and understanding (how we learn to understand the world around us), these are the main planets that show us and guide us on "how". Even if its not real, for example Saturn in the 4th/aspecting moon or mercury allows you to perceive through a lens of struggle or hardships that haunt them, as they grow older or reflect in lessons of life. Growing up in poverty effects how we see or want our inner world and homes to appear after we've endured childhood, this is seen through maturing the moon or saturn/moon hard aspects. Saturn/mercury aspects show the dent in expression and mental clarity that can often be inherited by a lack of stable environment or words being affirmed, later healed through journaling, therapy and expressing the source of what was never said.

If you are a Pisces, Scorpio, Capricorn or Aquarius. Learn to love yourself and who you are (not to say others shouldn't), my dual ruled signs tend to receive a lot more hardships being ruled by malefic and transformative energies. The rising can also show what your parents wanted for or of you, which under these signs can be a weight of something that you never asked or wanted. It can become a burden but allow it to show your strength. Focus on mastering and clarifying who you are to YOU before you find yourself in a job, label, home or relationship that may not be the best but the endurance before the best.

If you are a 9th moon or venus, move. If family and circumstance is bothering you MOVE, even if you cant leave forever or stay away forever. Take the time to learn when to move with the optimism of the heart. Because you may not feel in tune with yourself unless you find what your looking for elsewhere. Elsewhere is usually not with the past and people from the past.

One of the hardest placements to me is Saturn,Chiron, Neptune in the 11th. I truly feel sad when I think about this one, remedy or not who you trust isn't much up to you. Who really is there that you haven’t chosen? This to me is a cosmic rejection. You are not for everybody and everybody isn't for you. Don't easily trust or share because your heart will harden if you let it dealing with that type of public, communal or social rejection. Especially if your a social sign like libra, gemini or sagittarius, etc. Just be careful because it can be painful. Its protection there and ideas, innovative yet strong energy but it can be very lonely.

ALL signs should love themselves and take it easy. Grow up and live strong. Never forget who you are and what you live for.

©️ All Rights Reserved @melaninfury

[starmocha]

would you still love me if i was a carrot? (questions and concerns of a three-year-old boy) [Zayne + Son ★ 1168 words ★ Masterlist ★ Snowdrop Masterlist ★ Series Index ★ AO3] Zayne’s son loves carrots a little too much and is starting to look a little orange. A/N: BTW, you can turn orange-ish from eating too many carrots… /srs Tag list: @lavlynyan @alfredosaws @solifloris @nezuswritingdesk @valkyyriia @natimiles @yourlocalcatscammer @callilypso @likewhyareyousoobsessedwithme @qyuin @asiaticapple @rainbowsnowflake @jasmines-greentea @notisekais @littleapplle @animegamerfox @li-zayne-wife 【 request to be added 】

Zayne was always sure the universe was messing with him by making his wife craved carrots while pregnant with his son. While he was initially convinced it was his mischievous wife herself messing with him, he eventually realized this was a true craving that she couldn’t fight. You would never argue with a pregnant woman, so Zayne had reluctantly tended to his wife’s questionable craving, arguing little, but he had expressed his disapproval and concerns from time to time.

She had ignored him.

Subsequently, she later gave birth to the sweetest little baby boy who was essentially a mini-Zayne, a near perfect replica of him in terms of looks and behavior, but there was always that one odd glaring quirk that he could not ignore from his son: the little boy’s insatiable love for carrots.

Try as he might to sway the boy’s taste with other yummy food, he always found himself back to the same cursed orange vegetable. Unfortunately for the toddler, he would soon learn there was such a thing as too much of a good thing.

“It will only be for a few days,” Zayne consoled his son, carrying him in his arms as the little boy continued to stare at his small hands with confusion, the skin an unusual orange tinge. The young doctor paced around the living room with his son, never once imagining such an unusual conversation to take place.

“I warned you about eating too many carrots,” he continued, his tone a blend of lightheartedness while also still stern, “Now you’re turning into one.”

The toddler looked up at his father with teary eyes. “Daddy?”

“Hm?” Zayne smiled gently as he wiped the tears from his son’s eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Would you still love me if I was a carrot?”

Zayne laughed, unprepared for the sudden random question. The child—while not physically resembling his mother in the slightest—had somehow inherited her tendencies to barrage Zayne with silly questions and hypothetical scenarios. He leaned down, his cheek nuzzling against his son’s in comfort and affections. He sweetly reassured the young toddler, “I’ve already said I would love you no matter what… even if you turn into a carrot… like right now.”

The boy gasped, suddenly worried. “You won’t eat me, will you, Daddy?”

“I can confidently say I will have no intention of consuming any carrots,” he answered, deadpanned.

Zayne held back a laugh when his son let out an immediate sigh of relief. Suddenly, the toddler started tapping his father’s shoulder frantically, the sense of urgency quickly drawing Zayne’s attention as he raised a single brow, wondering what could have troubled his son now.

“What is it?”

“Daddy, we won’t turn into macarons either, right?”

Zayne stared.

The boy frantically continued, “Daddy, you eat so many macarons… you won’t turn into one, too, right?”

“I-I don’t eat that many,” Zayne retorted, feeling oddly offended by the three-year-old’s observation.

“But Mommy said you ate this many last time,” the boy explained, holding up six fingers.

Quietly, Zayne lowered his son’s hands. “Mommy said that to you?”

His son nodded solemnly.

“When did she say this?”

“Um… While Daddy was on the phone with… with… Uncle Greyson!”

Zayne remembered that particular day now. It was the first Saturday in a few weeks since both him and his wife had the same day off work, and with the weather so bright and sunny in Linkon, they had decided on an impromptu city outing as a family. Of course, that also included a stop at a dessert shop.

“Well, six is not a lot,” Zayne insisted, explaining, “It is a reasonable amount to have.”

The boy looked doubtful. “But Mommy only lets me have this many.”

Zayne held back another laugh when his son sadly held up two fingers.

“Because you are so small right now,” Zayne explained, tickling his son’s stomach, making the boy’s frown disappeared instantly as he couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. Zayne pressed a kiss to his son’s temple in assurance, adding, “You can have a little more when you are older.”

“Okay…” the boy answered reluctantly, that hint of disappointment in his expression not missed by Zayne, but he refrained from commenting on it. The toddler looked up at his father with another inquisitive expression on his young face. “Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“Will my teeth really fall out?”

“Whe-where did this come from?”

“Uncle Greyson said—”

“Never mind what Uncle Greyson said,” Zayne interrupted suddenly, mildly exasperated, “It won’t be for a few more years. It’s natural and you shouldn’t have to worry too much about it.”

“What about Daddy’s teeth?”

“Daddy’s teeth are fine,” Zayne reassured him.

“But Mommy said—”

“Never mind what Mommy said,” he interrupted again, already having an idea of what his wife had said behind his back.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I still eat carrots?”

Zayne paused, seeing the worried expression on the suddenly anxious toddler. One part of him wished to denounce the orange vegetable completely, thinking such a cursed thing should be eradicated from the world entirely, but another part of him—his loving paternal side—couldn’t bear be the one to disappoint his son about something he loved, especially when Zayne himself knew there was no actual harm for the boy to have more.

He sighed reluctantly and mustered his most consoling smile. He nodded gently. “You can still eat carrots,” Zayne said, adding sternly, “But only in moderation from now on.”

The boy cocked his head to the side in confusion, not quite understanding his father.

“You can have some from time to time,” Zayne explained, continuing, “Too many and you’re going to turn orange again.”

“Oh…” The boy looked down at his hands once more and then smiled widely at his father. “I don’t mind!”

Zayne looked almost bewildered by the toddler’s bright exclamation. He laughed and tickled the boy again, making the toddler squirmed and laughed helplessly in his father’s arms. “You don’t mind?” he asked, astonished. “Well, Daddy minds. I like my normal-colored son more.”

“Aww,” the boy whined with a pout.

Zayne pressed a firm kiss to his son’s cheek. “Enough of your silliness,” he said as he started to walk in the direction of his son’s bedroom, “Its time for your nap.”

“Aww…” the boy repeated and started to wriggle again in his father’s arms.

“Are you trying to escape your naptime?”

The boy nodded frantically and continued to attempt to wriggle free, but Zayne held him tighter.

“I swear,” he sighed, “You’re turning into your mother more and more each day with your silliness.”

Suddenly, the boy leaned up and pecked his father’s cheek really quickly, surprising Zayne.

He paused in his step and stared down at the boy’s sweet and cheeky smile. He responded with his own smile, sighing helplessly before he kissed his son’s cheek in return. “Just like your mother…” he sighed with a hint of exasperation, adding firmly, “Nice try. It’s still naptime.”

“Aww…”

[22ayla21]

The Shadow of a Mother, the Light of Love

The capricious blood of Maleonor makes itself known once more. The elderly lady of the Draconia lineage, a grieving mother and strict keeper of traditions, is forced to accept that love and stubbornness are a legacy one cannot escape, even across generations.

Silence reigned in the castle halls, broken only by the soft crackling of the fire in the hearth. By the window, in an armchair, sat an elderly woman. Even in her old age, she retained a regal air. Her hair was neatly gathered, and a heavy emerald cloak bearing the Draconia family crest draped from her shoulders.

In her hands, she held an old doll – once the beloved toy of her daughter.

"Maleonor…" she whispered, clutching the doll. "You are still causing us scenes… only now through your son."

The elder of the clan, Malleus's grandmother, had seen much. Wars, palace intrigues, betrayals, losses – all had been part of her life. But nothing had caused her such pain as the death of her only daughter.

Maleonor had been like a whirlwind. Beautiful, daring, dangerous. Incredibly impulsive, headstrong – it seemed not blood, but fire flowed in her veins. And yet – or perhaps because of it – she was loved. But also feared.

How many times had the Senate begged her to be more careful? How many nights had the old woman spent in tears as Maleonor threw tantrums, wondering where she had gone wrong in raising her daughter?

And now… her grandson.

Her only hope. The last link to her own blood.

Malleus.

He resembled her to a painful degree.

When he came and said he had decided to marry a girl from another world – without noble lineage, without magic, without status – she wasn't even surprised.

"I chose her," he had said then. "She is my heart."

She could have objected. Reminded him of traditions, of duty, of the necessity of strong offspring, a worthy heir. But she remained silent.

Because she knew. He was as stubborn as his mother. Just as capricious, just as independent in his decisions. From his father, he had inherited kindness and wisdom. But the passion, the fire, the impatience – all of it was from Maleonor.

And if his mother were here now, she would, of course, exclaim: "I don't have to prove anything to anyone! I am the princess of the Briar Valley! My son is a dragon! And he will love whomever he wants!"

The woman closed her eyes. She could still hear that voice. Sometimes in her dreams, sometimes – in Malleus's voice when he argued with the Senate, defending his beloved.

And now, as the sound of ringing children's laughter echoed through the castle, a bitter, ironic smile appeared on her lips.

"There's your grandson, Maleonor…" she whispered. "You left, leaving a storm. And now – a new tempest."

There was a knock at the door.

"Grandmother?" a familiar voice called.

She turned. Malleus stood in the doorway. Beside him stood a boy – with his mother's eyes, but with Malleus's own stubborn expression.

"We wanted to visit you."

"I've been waiting," she replied, and for the first time in a long time, her voice trembled.

When her grandson burst into the room, creating a real commotion, she… didn't stop them. Because in this chaos, there was life, light.

"You are just like your mother," she murmured, looking at Malleus. "How many times I cursed her for her whims… and how many times I forgave her. Just as I forgive you now."

Malleus leaned down and said quietly, "I understand her better with each passing day. And I understand why she was the way she was. Love makes us inconvenient for the world. But strong."

She chuckled.

"You are her child. To the end. But now you are a father. And I hope… you can preserve what she lacked."

"Family?"

"Wisdom," she replied. "And if your queen managed to tame you, then she has a talent worthy of a crown."

He smiled.

"She is my destiny. As I am hers."

The boy burst into laughter as he tried to climb onto the sofa opposite her. And all she could do was laugh in response.

"Damn you, Maleonor," she whispered. "Even from the afterlife, you manage to create a circus in my living room."

But tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. And for the first time in a long time – not from grief, but from gratitude. For the continuation. For the blood. For life.