got (modern) She couldn't afford to lose her -Dany x Baahal-

Daenerys tapped her fingers against the wooden table of her office desk. She had not heard from Bäahal in a while and was panicking. Their relationship had genuinely improved, and she was happy about it. For once, they could have normal conversations that didn't end in tears and screams. For once, they could share a meal without being at each other's throats. For once, she was given enough space to think about what she did to her sister over the years. Perhaps she owed it to Jon Stark, who actually showed her what healthy relationships with your siblings were. He encouraged her to make amends with her sister and try to get to know her better. Little by little, she stopped seeing her as a burden to carry and more as a person to actually get to know.  

This made her reflect upon the things she did to her sister. She ignored her at times and turned a blind eye to the pain she felt and the violence their brother, Viserys, inflicted upon her. Daenerys indulged in violence as well. Unlike Viserys' physical violence, Daenerys' was mostly psychological. She would hurl insults at her, would force Bäahal to remain financially dependent on her, and would treat Bäahal like a stain in the family. With hindsight, it was clear as day that she carried the guilt and rage of both her parents. Rhaella hated Bäahal, not the child herself, but what she embodied. Every time she looked at Bäahal, she saw her husband's infidelity. She felt like salt was rubbed on an open wound every time she looked at that other child and took it as an insult to be forced to welcome her into the family and pretend that she had always belonged there.  

Aerys' guilt was overwhelming. he messed up with both of his families. He couldn't bring himself to leave Rhaella for Sunni because he didn't want to break his family apart but he also didn't want to stop seeing Sunni because he was in love with her.  He felt a duty to both and because he refused to make a decision, everyone ended up suffering. It was easier to hate on Bâahal than to love her and for more than a decade, Daenerys did everything in her power to keep her sister on a leash. She even went as far as to break a relationship she had with a young dornish heir by buying his loyalty. He didn't hesitate and dumped Bäahal with such quickness that it made Daenerys nauseous.  She bought her sister's heartbreak and that wasn't the only thing she did to hurt the silver heiress. She used her for a deal with Bronn and sold her body for some piece of land to repeat what Bäahal accused her of.  Before Jon, it didn't bother her.  Now that he had opened her eyes to the reality of what she did, she felt disgusted with herself. 

How could she repair her relationship with her sister? How could Bäahal trust her again if she ever learned that she bought her breakup? Daenerys was worried about losing the budding loving relationship between the two of them because of her actions. She was worried about losing her sister for good. It sent her shivers down her spine and she grabbed her phone to look at the latest texts they exchanged lately. The conversation was nice, trivial even, they were planning a dinner together and Bäahal insisted on cooking something for the two of them. Daenerys' lips trembled and she put the phone against her chest. No one should ever know what happened and she made sure to remind the dornish prince to always keep his mouth shut lest he wanted to feel her wrath but she knew she couldn't control people to such an extent. Sooner or later the truth would be revealed and Dany didn't want it to blow up in her face. 

She couldn't afford to lose her..

She couldn't. 

Phoenix (Dragon) -Plagued by Dreams

Dreams of burning this whole world into ashes plagued the princess' nights. She yearned to breathe fire and was desperate for the freedom to assume her dragon form again.  The situation was dire and she knew that it would be ill-advised to reveal her dragon form (and the dragon blood in her veins) when everything and everyone wanted to either bind Dragons to their will or erase them from existence. So she had to wait. She had to yearn. She had to endure.

Lucretia - How did it feel?

How did it feel to be the last of one's kind? How did it feel to know that there would never be another being like you? 

Despair. 

That was how it felt to know that you were the only one who could keep the culture alive. That with your death, there would be nothing but legends, rumors, and in the worst case, nothingness.

Lucretia wanted to join her people in death. She wanted to die and be comforted in joining the spirits of those who went before her. She wanted to but also felt the desire to protect and preserve what was left of her culture and her people. She wanted to honor the dead and decided that if she survived, it was her duty to keep the memories of her people still alive. 

Still... 

She felt despair. 

She felt a hole that didn't grow smaller with time. 

She felt alone. 

She was alone.

COPG: Life and Death of Ayasha: Aftermath of the death of Jupiter

 "Could you feel it, Ayasha?"

The stern voice of Gaea echoed through the walls of the Prima Donna. She appeared out of thin air, in front of Ayasha who was sitting at the fountain. Despite her attempts at locating her sister, the goddess of knowledge was not able to locate her. The only explanation she had was that Pride found a way to cast a spell that constantly kept her cloaked from her Eye, but how could he achieve such a feat? His magic was powerful, but to cast a cloaking spell that covered the whole Earth was a feat unheard of. Ayasha was so deep in her panic that she didn't even think about the possibility that Elpis was carrying a magical object that allowed her to remain cloaked while walking the mortal realm. Instead, what she did feel was the death of Jupiter and that concerned the goddess because she had an idea of who killed the god. 

"I felt it, mother. I felt the death of Jupiter."

"You're livid. I thought it was to be expected that no inferior god would be a match to your sister."

"Did you come here to gloat, mother? How easy it must be for you to walk around and laugh at my attempts to save our lives when you do nothing for us!" She pointed out. Gaea wrinkled her nose and she crossed her arms above her chest.- 

"Watch your tongue, child."

A brief flash of light crossed Ayasha's eyes and she clenched her fists as a biting tongue to stop her from talking back to her mother. The golden goddess put her hand against her chest and she tried to regulate her breathing.  Gaea was upset. Flowers started to grow through the concrete at her feet. Ayasha picked it up and focused on it to rile her mother up some more.

"Or what, Mother?" -She lifted a brow and tilted her head to the side, allowing some of her blonde strands to fall on her chest- "Are you afraid that it would set things in motion faster than anticipated?"

"No! I don't! I just don't understand why it's taken so long for you to find and deal with Elpis."

"She is well protected! that's why! Her Sin is with her and he is very powerful! Jupiter was supposed to simply tell me where she was. He was supposed not to engage with her because I knew that if he did, she would have killed him. He couldn't stop himself from talking to her.

"Elpis is vindictive. If anything, it is one of her fatal flaws. She is relentless when it comes to punishing those who wronged her. Jupiter beat her to an inch of her life a long time ago. Did you think that she would have forgotten about it?" - Gaea chuckled. She wanted to laugh at her daughter's lack of hindsight.-

"I did not. I assumed that he would be clever enough not to engage with her and just tell me that he spotted her. I guess I underestimated the male ego."

"No. You overestimated yourself. " -She lifted her upper lip and walked closer to her daughter- "I think that you should instead help your brother preparing the war. There is no way to avoid the war so we should try to focus on it instead of trying to locate her." -She then crossed her arms above her chest-

Ayasha blinked, ready to throw venom at her mother but found herself unable to. Gaea was right,  no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find Elpis and it was indeed wasting her time to try and locate her. Deep down, Ayasha knew that she was terrified of a confrontation with her sister. She was terrified of death and the end of her existence as was Gaea but instead of being honest with herself, she hid behind schemes and plots so she wouldn't have to articulate her thoughts and face her fears. her mother caught her at her most vulnerable and for the first time in a while, she couldn't reply. She had no comeback, nothing to say to her mother, and was just left speechless. 

"That's what I thought. Ayasha, if we put our head where it matters, we should come out of this victorious."

Would they? Ayasha desperately needed to believe her mother. She desperately needed to be comforted and she couldn't hold herself back and threw herself at her mother's feet. Gaea looked at her daughter and shook her head. Ayasha cried and whispered demands for forgiveness. Gaea grinned and asked her daughter to rise so she would see her face and she wrapped her arms around her frame to pull her into a hug. Gaea was delighted to see that Ayasha's mind was broken and she could use it for her own benefit and she would.  She would. 

Doya: shorts -About Thanksgiving.-

 With Thanksgiving around the corner, all I can say is that I am grateful for you. I am grateful for your presence in my life. I am grateful for Team Free Will. I am grateful  for everything we've lived together for nearly a decade now.

xxx

Here comes the holiday season. I hold onto some of these because they remind me of those I lost. I hold onto some of these because while I don't remember faces and voices anymore, I can still remember my feelings. Still.. we don't like the holidays in our house unless we spend them doing our job.

COLBY: I don't know how to tell you

 Sometimes words get stuck at the back of our throat and I would look at you, and you would look at me, and silence would settle in between the two of us. 

Sometimes, I don't know how to tell you that I love you and because I do, I am ready to sacrifice everything so you could be happy. I don't know how to tell you that I am very aware that you can't be satisfied with the life you lead because you will always seek more. You will always...always... be on the move because you can't handle settling down. 

This is who you are, a black stallion. This is who I love. The gangster, the soldier, the MP, and the Father. This is you...who I love and while I can't always articulate the way you make me feel... I can still look into your blue eyes and let you know.

HOTD: confronting Aemond part 3: what to expect?

How can you still love me after I've done?"

He was self-aware of the very person he became. He decided that it was out of necessity and that remorse couldn't be allowed in his heart. Aemond convinced himself that he did it for his family, for his people, and his realm but deep down, he knew that these were nothing but words in the wind. Ceryse told him that power had corrupted his soul, that she didn't recognize the man she used to know and love and he met her words with contempt and silence. That was until their last conversation where he almost hit her as her words felt like venomous knives thrown at him. Bitter truth he refused to acknowledge until the half-blind Velaryion reminded him of what he had become. 

He expected Ceryse to leave him, to be so disgusted by the man he was that she would refuse to associate with him any longer. He expected her to spit in his face and tell him that she would give up and let his grandsire do whatever he wanted to do with her. What was the point in fighting when she was effectively without any ally left? Still.... Still... She didn't leave him. Still, she was there, cupping his face and looking at him with a warm and loving gaze instead of contempt and hatred.  Still, she claimed that she loved him despite everything that had happened. Still, she refused to leave his side, even when her very life was at risk.  Aemond's purple eye softened its gaze and he bent a bit forward to plant a kiss on her lips. He repeated his question, this time in a whisper. 

"We do not choose who we love. My heart beats for you and I know your heart. I know your heart...." -She then closed her eyes and put her other hand on his chest.- "However, I see that you're losing control and I cannot sit and watch you destroy yourself and everything that you are and love. Please. Please....don't get lost in the depend."

SoA: I am ready to kick him out of my life!

It took me years to recover from the pain he inflicted on me. It took me years to recover and become myself again. He thought he had destroyed me. He thought he had hurt me to the point that there was nothing left behind but he was wrong. So wrong!  I finally found a place I can call home and a friend I can call family. I finally found peace in my life, and joy to the point that I forgot about his very existence. 

I found my place in Charming, with Maya and I would be damned if I had to leave again and hit the road. I would be damned if I had to look past my shoulders because I am worried about him. I am ready, I think, to kick him out of my life forever. 

Gabriel Starmaker: Letter from Michael

My dear sister, 

I cannot hide the anger I felt upon discovering you deserted the Silver City.  You ran away without any notice, or without giving us the chance to have a mature conversation, and for what? 

Raphael told me that you didn't approve of the way your brothers and I are dealing with Humanity and demons but you never even debated with us. 

I can see how my words were misinterpreted and how it ruffled some feathers when I said that father wasn't speaking to you anymore and you shouldn't try to speak as if you still were.

Come back at once. I think you have spent enough time throwing your tantrum and you should return to our home so you could explain why you ran from our united front and why you're sowing division.

I care for you, sister. I care for you deeply and I would like to see you again. I miss you dearly, so be reasonable and come home.

Your brother Michael,

Ruler of Heaven. 

Leona- Anna (trivia)

Anna tries to convince Leona that it would be best if she doesn't try to take on her whole former tribe. A werewolf without a pack is at its weakest no matter how powerful they are. Leona was powerful, but not enough to be able to reclaim her power.

She was one of the first to welcome the woman in her tribe, quickly forming a bond with her and seeing through the mist of anger suffocating her. Leona admits that without Anna, she would have been stranded and perhaps dead after she ran from her Uncle and the rest of her pack.

Anna holds a comfortable position in her tribe, as she is the healer and her pack trusts her. She knows that with time, Leona's natural leadership could sway her people to her cause and help the princess reclaim her throne. But does she want it?

TB headcanon: She doesn't like when he's hurt

Sara doesn't like to see her when her baby is hurt. She is willing to go to great lengths to either help him feel better or destroy whoever made him feel that way. 

Obviously, it doesn't mean that she would risk her life and face the boys for example. She wouldn't put herself in danger, at least not willingly, because she's still a scaredy-cat and still very passionate about surviving. 

But if she can confront the person and read them to filth? oh, count her in!

Klasma: A covenless witch

 Covens... 

How long had it been since Nëela had a coven? Centuries, yes centuries since she was cursed. A coven was to a witch what a family was for a human: Vital.  The witch had a coven when she was born. Her parents were her first coven, and they belonged to an actual coven of witches that felt like an extended family to the young witch. She grew up loved, cared for... and protected, up until Klaus went on a killing rampage and slaughtered her whole family and almost all of her coven. The survivors took her under their wings and helped in her upbringing. She still had a coven. They still taught her the ropes of being a witch and she excelled in the task. She was a quick learner and she managed to quickly prove to be powerful and knowledgeable.  Despite the loss of her parents, Nëela never felt alone because her coven was with her day and night, all year long. She always had doors opened for her, sabbaths celebrated together, and a sense of belonging that gave her a meaningful life. 

It was unnatural for a witch to live without a coven...

What went wrong? She helped Elijah Mikaelson protect his family. In her mind, she didn't do anything wrong. She simply repaid her debt to the Original who saved her life several years ago. It was always taught to her that no good deed should go unrewarded and for Nëela, saving another's life was her way to reward the good action that led to saving her life. Still, the witches of her coven didn't agree with her because she helped the enemy. Witches from her coven decided to punish her the best way they knew. They would grant her immortality but in doing so, would strip her away from her right to a family, to a coven, and to meaningful and deep connections. They essentially cursed her to a life of pain and solitude, which were the worst things to happen to a witch. A life without companions. A life without a family... A life spent in pain. 

It was the worst punishment a witch could get, to become covenless...

It hurt, to watch these young witches talk about their covens with excitement and pride and to be unable to join them. It hurt, to witness them celebrate Samhain and dance in the full moon with fellow witches. It hurt...To see them be embraced by their peers and willingly share across covens what they knew. It was a painful reminder of what was lost and what could never be recovered. Nëela was banished from existing covens and could never ever enjoy the joys of fraternizing with fellow witches. She would never be able to find comfort in the arms of her kind and would never be able to make her own coven because she was cursed to be hated by all. So what was left for her? She was to walk the Earth for all eternity, unable to form a coven of her choosing. 

Yet here she was, the Cursed one!

Here she was, the Covenless witch!

TB: Bonding with Ryan again.

 As soon as Ryan saw Sara he ran to her and gave her a big hug. He was happy to see the older woman who offered to take him on a date so they could bond and eat ice cream. Homelander dropped his son at her apartment in the morning and informed the pair he would come back when he wouldn't be needed at work. They kissed briefly before he flew off to the tower. She then turned to look at Ryan who was already staring at the pictures scattered around the apartment. He noticed that there were very few pictures of Sara as a child or with her family. He saw the one she took with Dotty at the swimming pool and pointed at it while looking at Sara. 

"It's the only picture of you with someone."

"I don't have a lot of pictures I like." She replied earnestly. - "But it's not really the question you wanted to ask, is it?" -He shook his head and walked to the kitchen counter.- "Go ahead. Ask me what you really want to ask."

"Why don't you have a picture of your family?" 

Sara smiled and gently walked towards the fridge. She grabbed some ice cream and put a couple scoops in two bowls. She didn't expect to be asked a soul-piercing question so early in the morning and was wondering how she was going to respond to him. She had to be honest, to answer truthfully because Ryan would not appreciate being lied to. She didn't want to hide that part of herself either but was afraid of how she would talk about it. She pinched her lips together and slowly put the bowls on the kitchen counter. She then went and grabbed some spoons. She handed the spoons and sat on the stools at the kitchen table.

"It's a long and not-so-nice story, Ryan. Are you sure you want to know?"

"yeah. I want to know."

"Well....My parents always told me that my powers were a gift from god. I didn't know any better because I was just a 5-year-old girl. They were very stern and cold parents to me. When I didn't perform well, they punished me very very hard." -She paused for a second and then took a deep breath- "it felt like a prison rather than a family. I grew up without having friends and because I became the sole breadwinner of the family, I had to work hard every day and earn money for my family."

"They never celebrated your birthday?"

"They only did it once, when I was 5 years old. Most of the time they left me at my aunt's place and with my cousins while they spent the money I earned for them. My cousins hated me, so I always came home with bruises and wounds but my parents never cared for this." -She took a spoonful of ice cream and ate some, while Ryan mimicked her and took some too.-

 Sara's voice started to crack as she told her story. She didn't want him to see her lose her composure or try and dig deeper into her past. Being truthful and clinical seemed to be the way to go as it allowed the supe to tell her story without feeling like crumbling down. Ryan was perceptive, he realized that it was hurting Sara to remember her past but before he could tell her to stop if she didn't feel like it, she resumed talking. 

"Then, when I was 15 they were murdered. Back in the day, we didn't know who did it, but rumors had it that they had wronged Vaught. I learned not so long ago that it was true. Mom stole from Vaught the Compound V that gave me my powers. Nobody in my family wanted to take me in, thinking I was the child of the devil, so I went to an orphanage and stayed there until I turned 18 and met Dotty, the blonde woman in the picture you saw on my fridge." She then furrowed her brows- "That is why I don't have any picture of my family." She then gave a faint smile at Ryan who nodded quickly. 

"It sucks..."

"It sure does! But hey, I'm alive!" -She grinned and gently reached out to his head so she could stroke it gently. Ryan gave her a crooked smile and resumed eating his ice cream- "And I'm with you today, so more reasons to be happy. I have been wondering, do you think that you'd like it if we took a picture with your dad? I've been wondering if this was a good idea, you know?"

"I'd like to have a picture, an actual picture, and not some PR stunt! If we took one, where would you put it? On your fridge?" -She shook her head- "You're going to frame it?" -She nodded and he grinned- "Cool!"

"Cool!" -Sara grinned and then looked at her fridge. She understood why the child would have asked her about the lack of family pictures. She never really thought about it before, about the lack of candid shots that showed she had an active and happy private life. Sure, she didn't have her family, but she had been in relationships before, she had a life before...And nothing to show for it. Her black eyes moved from left to right and she furrowed her brows.- "Ryan. Be honest with me. Did you ask to come here or was it your dad?"

"I asked to come. I wanted to spend the day with you. Why?"

"I'm happy you chose to be with me. I can be a little boring though. There's no video games here. I read mostly. I also cook, and I watch TV."

"It's okay. I don't like boring. What do you like to read?"

He was laid back,  far more than she thought he would be for a teenager his age. She tucked some hair behind her ear and gave him a sheepish smile while he kept eating his ice cream. Her fingers tapped against the marble table and she licked her bottom lip. Well, she liked to read fantasy books and romance and sometimes she bought books because she was petty and wanted to laugh, like the Deep's books. She chuckled and pointed at the book that was still on the couch she was sitting on moments earlier.

"I like fantasy and romance, but these days I am laughing at the Deep's biography. He sucks and his book sucks even more." She then leaned her cheeks against the warm palm of her right hand and smiled at Ryan who smiled back at her. He didn't have a definitive opinion on the Deep, mostly because he didn't spend much time with him but he knew that his father hated the supe with all of his guts. He knew that a lot of people didn't like the Deep so it wasn't a surprise to see that Sara laughed at him.- "Maybe we could read it together today and we can have a good laugh?"

"We could! or maybe I could ask you some more questions about your family?"

"Only if I can ask you one about yours!" -He nodded and took another spoonful of ice cream- "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Well... How did it feel when your parents died? Now that you're a megastar, did your family try to reach out to you? And...Who is your family today?"

"You really pull no punches, do you? mmmhhh, let's see. I was the one who found my parents' bodies. I was scared, but I also felt relieved that they were dead. I was old enough to realize that my parents never loved me and only saw me as a tool for them to use as they saw fit. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. I wanted to have parents, people who were supposed to love me, people who were supposed to care for me... instead, I got people who hated me and wanted to use me. So at first, I was shocked. I cried for them. I was scared that whoever did this would try to come for me. But then... I simply sighed and it felt better. I felt warm. I was free! Does that make me look like a monster to you?"

"No. I got it. I understand. They were never your parents, they just brought you into this world but they never were your parents."

"yes..." -She replied, wiping a rogue tear that fell down her cheeks- "As for your second question. My Aunt and cousins tried to reach out to me. Recently. At first, they wanted to undermine me and my success. They called me the devil on TV, they got paid to tell the press about my past and the tabloids loved them for that. Recently, my aunt became very sick so they decided they would try to bully me into giving them money. I refused. I'm not giving them a cent."

"I'm glad they can't hurt you anymore." -He said while taking another spoonful of ice.-

"They will still try and I am sure they will get creative but I am not afraid anymore. I'm not alone." -She then paused for a moment, so she could eat a little bit of ice cream- "And to answer your last question. Dotty is like a mother to me. I consider her like my family and for a while she was the only family I had but then I met your dad and I met you." She then cupped his cheek. "And if you want to be my family, I would be very happy." -He blushed and gave her a crooked smile- "Do you want me to be part of your family?"

"You're...You're pretty cool yeah." -He said, still sheepishly smiling. She understood that he was being coy and didn't insist.- "I know you care about my dad and I know you care about me too. I can feel it." -He added, his blue eyes now set upon the older woman.- "And it feels good to know that."

"Yeah? I have been wondering...Do you... Does your mom have a grave? I was thinking that maybe you would like to visit it sometime and talk to her?" -She watched him stiffen at the mention of his mother and his face darkened a little.-

"I don't want to go to her grave. I don't want to see it! She's dead, Sara! She's dead and I killed her! You said you were a monster, but I am a monster! I am a monster!" -He yelled-

Sara realized that she pushed the wrong buttons on this child and shook her head. She stood up and immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders to press his head against her heart. He was just a child, he didn't kill his mother on purpose, how could he think that he was a monster when he was far from it? She pressed a kiss to his forehead and then cupped both of his cheeks. 

"You're not a monster, Ryan! You're not a monster! if anything, you're a wonderful kid, okay?! I know you feel responsible for your mom's death but you aren't responsible for it. The adults in your life, Vaught, the boys..even your mom put her life on the line. She knew the risks and she wanted to protect you, what happened wasn't your fault and I refuse to let you think otherwise." She held him so tight in her arms that the child couldn't help but cry. He held onto her and cried harder. "I know you miss her. I know you miss her. I'm so sorry."

He didn't speak but he nodded and Sara knew that he was listening to her.  Her heart broke for the child because unlike her, he had a family that he lost and was missing. She couldn't relate to it but was well aware of how heartbreaking it was to lose someone they cared about. She wanted to protect Ryan and found out that it pained her to see this child hurt. Could it be that she was genuinely attached to the kid? Of course, she was! Of course, she was!

Colby: Telling him about Alfie

 "Come again, Mary! Who talked to you?"

Mary stopped herself mid-sentence as she didn't expect Tommy to interrupt her in the middle of her monologue. He was livid and held his chin with his large hand, making her blink several times.  She put her brush on her vanity desk and turned around to face the gangster who had put the newspaper he was reading on the night desk. The gangster stood up and ran his hand over his face while Mary tilted her head to the side, confused about Tom's reaction to her story. Why was he restless all of a sudden? 

"What's going on? Did I say something bad?" -He shook his head- "I was telling you about my encounter this afternoon. Ultimately, we didn't agree on anything and he left. I refused his offer. Did I do wrong?"

"No. No Mary you didn't do anything wrong. Please, tell me again what was his name?"

"Alfie... Alfie Solomons. Tom...What's going on?" 

As she confirmed what he heard the first time, Tommy Shelby's face became even paler. He couldn't fathom that his woman had been in contact with one of his frenemies. Could he consider Alfie like a friend? They have been associated and they fought against common enemies in the past. He had betrayed him several times and nearly cost him his life and the lives of his brothers. Alfie couldn't be trusted and while Tommy and the man had some level of respect for each other, he couldn't possibly be happy to learn that he snuck into the institute, managed to isolate his Mary, and went as far as threatening her. He didn't call her slurs, which would have meant to anger the Peaky Blinder but he still threatened her. Tom pointed his finger at Mary, looking for something to say to her without alarming the woman. They weren't enemies at the time being and Alfie did compliment Mary on her level-headed judgement. Still, he figured out that Tommy loved this woman, and that put a target on her back. 

"Tom! Stop pacing around at once and tell me what's going on. Do you know that man?"

Tom stopped and put his hands on his waist. Mary stood up and walked to The Shelby who clenched his jaw. He didn't want to scare Mary and it bothered him that he had to throw her into the violence of his world. For years the family agreed that it would be best if she knew nothing about their business. The less she knew, the less she was in danger. For years it worked and she had been able to stay safe and keep her beautiful soul. He didn't want to ruin it but Alfie forced his hand and he was left lowering his head. Mary furrowed her brows and gently cupped his cheek. She lifted his head so she could stare at his face and ran her hand over his hair. 

"Alfie Solomons is a very dangerous man, Mary. We... did business together and he's not really someone I trust. He had no right to come to you and threaten you. He had no right to come and put you in danger."

"Do you think he would have killed me at the institute?" -He shook his head- "Then, why are you scared?"

"It's the possibility that you could have been hurt. It's the possibility that you could have been used against me. It's the fact you were thrown into a world I wanted to protect you from." 

He cupped her cheeks with both hands and gently lifted her head so he could set his blue eyes on her green orbs. Mary's eyes shifted from left to right and dropped her hands so she could hold onto his shirt. She didn't like to see a worried Tom, especially now that the event had happened and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't change the outcome, he couldn't prevent Alfie from meeting Mary and he definitely couldn't keep his own feelings for the woman from his "friend".  She blinked for a moment before he ended up sneaking her arms around her frame and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his frame and kept him tightly held against her.

"I see. It's alright! I'm fine! I didn't realize that you knew the man but I assumed he wanted to reach out to you. Somehow."

"And it worked. I will find him and tell him to never step foot at the institute ever again. I will make sure he leaves you alone and...I will tell you to keep you out of his business."

He would have a conversation with the man, and perhaps, knowing Alfie, they would strike a deal to ensure Mary's protection. He didn't want to admit that Alfie managed to circumvent the presence of the peaky protection he put in the institute and if he managed to do it, Tom's enemies would also manage to do it and he couldn't have it. Tom relished in Mary's scent, the little notes of vanilla filled his nostrils and he felt reassured to be able to hold his woman in his arms. For a brief moment, he relived the death of Grace, the fact she was killed by a bullet meant for him. He had always feared putting Mary in the same danger of losing her life and he refused to face his feelings for her for fear of going through another loss. She could tell that he was afraid. Tommy was rarely pale like death so to see him turn so livid was enough for her to try and comfort him. Her hand stroked his back at a slow pace and she pressed kisses to his shoulders. 

She was fine. 

She was fine. 

She was scared.

-TBC-

Colby: His wanderlust

 Mary's discomfort about his prolonged absences. He knew that she embraced him as he was, with his secrets, with his wanderlust, with his PTSD. He knew that she would not leave his side, regardless of her own desires but he wasn't so blind that he didn't see how much it was hurting her. 

Mary was left behind by every people she needed in her life. Her own mother abandoned her. The nuns who raised her never comforted her. Her own husband, once he made her work for both of them, never met her needs. And her own son died in her arms thirty minutes after his birth. Tommy did his best, he really did his best so she wouldn't feel lonely but it didn't work the way he wanted it to. He still left her to satisfy his need for wanderlust. And she never complained. 

But he could see it in her eyes. The hurt. The sadness. The disappointment and the exhaustion. He could see it in her eyes and he tried to make amends. He tried his best but deep down he believed that he didn't do enough. He believed he could never do enough.

GOT shorts about mornings and fatherhood

 When Bäahal saw Jaime with a baby nephew, the only thought she had at this moment was to see him become a dad. The dad of their children. She hasn't expressed her thoughts just yet but it's just a matter of time.

xxx

My favourite smile is the one he has in the early hours of the day. It is when I realize how lucky I am that he loves me and how I don't want to change this life for anything in the world. I love him. I love you, Jaime.

klasma: Julius x Neela

Julius could still smell his witch on his hand. She might have left him and his werewolf pack, he knew that it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other again.  As a former roman general, Julius craved power more than anything. He resented being turned into a werewolf 2000 years ago, but he quickly learned to embrace his new condition. As a witch, she was extremely powerful, and while he lusted after her uncanny beauty and dreamed of the day he could make her his, it was her power that turned him on the most. 

The fact she needed him  was enticing because he could have complete control over her. The fact she listened to him and was impressed with his ancient knowledge and refined behaviour made him feel larger than life. Nëela was something he needed. She was something he desired and yet, she left. Her magic proved to be far stronger than any manipulation from him. Her determination to ensure her safety was stronger than any threat he could have delivered. She used her magic to bind him and mask her presence and after so long he couldn't find her. 

He could still smell his witch on his hand and he  wanted to take her back. He heard she was back in Mystic Falls but this time she wasn't travelling alone. There was the infamous Hybrid in her company but it didn't scare the werewolf. Why would he? He had crushed vampires with his bare hands in his life and he had destroyed werewolves as well. Why should he be worried about a hybrid? He hated the idea of another pair of hands touching his witch and another pair of lips whispering in her ear. He didn't want another one to control her power and he wanted to find her again, put his hands again on her, manipulate the witch again. he would find her. He would! 

Klasma headcanon: Marcel

Marcel doesn't understand the relationship the Mikaelsons have with Nëela. He doesn't understand why Elijah kept secret his relationship with a witch and kept her under his thumb for so many centuries without telling anyone. It's a bit hypocrite of him to think this way given what he did with Davina but Marcel is convinced that he was righteous in the way he handled /his/ witch instead of Elijah who had been secretive and hiding such a powerful weapon from the sight of his enemies. Another thing he has a hard time with, is the ease the Mikaelson had to welcome the witch. Well, obviously, not all of them are fond of her. Kol doesn't trust her for example and Rebekah is worried about her because she doesn't trust her brother to do the right thing. 

Marcel is worried because he believes that because of Klaus' personality, instead of keeping a powerful ally within the family, he would sabotage this relationship and turn her into a powerful enemy. He witnessed an angry outburst once and it was enough for him to realize just how dangerous she was. He compares her to a nuclear weapon which, in the wrong hands, could destroy the world. He fears that Klaus would end up ruining something good. Good? well, he spent a day with her when she was at New-Orleans and the two of them shared a beer. Back then, he didn't know her relationship with the Mikaelsons but he knew from the start that she was a supernatural creature -only later did he know she was a witch-. They got along well during their time together where he made her visit the supernatural New-Orleans but an incident between her and the vampires of his congregation revealed to him her curse as well as her power.

Judith: Morgan le Fey -Mother-

#Is your hatred for Merlin bigger than the love of your daughter?# 

Morgan felt it, her daughter's presence after almost two decades spent apart. It was faint, so faint that the enchantress wasn't sure she recognized her daughter but when Judith's anger took the best out of her, Morgan was certain that her daughter was indeed outside of Faery land. She bit her thumb and started to walk around in circles. During a divination session, she saw that her daughter was destined to meet with her mother and would offer her a choice. There was a chance that Judith would join her mother and together they would be able to defeat Merlin. There also was a chance that her daughter decided to fight her. Morgan couldn't see past their meeting and didn't know her fate. It was unclear whether she would survive the encounter with her daughter should Judith decide to fight her and that didn't sit well with the enchantress.  She walked to the window, in need for a breath of fresh air and opened it.  

#You felt the raw power of your child and the only thing you thought about was to take it for yourself#

Morgan felt a knot in the pit of her stomach.  A part of her was happy to know that her daughter was looking for her and was looking forward to meeting Judith again. Was her daughter like her? Was she different? She could only remember her grey eyes, brown skin, and honey hair she had when she was born but did she become a beautiful lady? Was she adventurous? Morgan remembered the pain she felt when her daughter was taken from her by her paramour. It broke her heart so much that a few strands of her black mane turned white out of grief.  Wasn't she allowed a modicum of happiness too? Couldn't she just be a mother to her child? Morgan was so enamored with her daughter that she imagined a quiet life with her and her father. She imagined raising her by the forest and giving her everything she didn't have. And for a moment it worked. She forgot about Merlin. It simply didn't last long enough for her. 

#You couldn't love her properly, Morgan my love. You couldn't love your child enough or me.#

A part of her was rejoicing because finally, she would have the opportunity to take the raw power of her daughter for herself. Her desire to kill Merlin was stronger than her love for her daughter. She could do with killing Judith and stealing her power to make herself the most powerful magic wielder in the world. She needed her daughter to succeed and finally put an end to her centuries-long feud with Merlin. She realized that she was extremely comfortable with the idea of killing her own flesh and blood if that allowed her to best her worst enemy.  She still remembered the horrified face of her lover when she let it slip that such raw power could finally help her kill Merlin.  He looked at her as if she was a monster and in a way, perhaps she was. Certainly, she was. How could a mother relish the idea of killing her daughter for her power?  

Yes, how could she?