Simon keeps his love of the Steel Samurai a secret... until a certain spirit medium enters his life. Written for the following PWKM prompt: "Maya Fey/Simon Blackquill - While visiting Phoenix, Maya Fey meets a man who just might be cooler than the Steel Samurai. Bonus points if Taka takes an immediate liking to her (hey, she managed to charm Polly, so why not another bird?)."

After the events of AA:DD, Athena asks Simon to instruct her in Japanese swordplay in order to feel closer to her mother. However, Simon himself is hesitant to take up the blade again... Slowly reconnecting under this premise, they face their pasts and the changes they have undergone over seven long years. Lots of introspective, AA:DD spoilers. Cykesquill, slow build.

We have the testimony of Harry, but witnesses can be notoriously unreliable, especially when they have only part of the story. This is a biography of Severus Snape from his birth until his death. It is canon-compatible, and it is Snape's point of view.