#speaking of what is cinder's name as an empress. empress cinder? empress selene?

[eerna]

her Earth crown is much bigger than her Luna crown was

[just2bubbly]

Cursed Souls

Masterlist

TLC Ship Week 2021!

*written for tlcshipweek2021- kaider for the prompt 'Cursed'

@kaiderforever

Summary:

"Thorne, Do you think I'm cursed?"

"What?"

"Uh- like do you think I'm cursed? that Cinder- s-she is-"

"Is suffering because of you?"

"You really love Cinder."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

...

Grief can make your mind think distressed thoughts, Kai with a haywire mind turns to Thorne for help- feeling overwhelmed just moments after the rebellion as he waits to hear news of Cinder.

A snippet of Kai alone with his thoughts as he waits outside the OT following the brutal injury of Cinder in Winter.

Ship: Kaider

Words: 2.5k

Genre: Angst, Hurt-Comfort

Prompt: 'Cursed'

__

*Sort-of canon-divergence.

Kai's Perspective:

Saying that he was anxious would be an understatement of his (let's assume long) lifetime. Everything around him was intense. After making sure that the Earthens were in a secure place, Kai followed by Torin had hastily returned to the Throne room. He could not focus on anything after Iko had told him that Cinder had gone to face Levana- alone.

Kai was praying to anyone who would listen- he prayed for Cinder's safety. Everything around him had been so rushed in the last few days- he had been high on adrenaline since the time he had helped Cress stick to the plan, coming back for crowning Levana as the Empress, to the sudden outburst of Lunars, the rebellion, him being captured and later escaping.

Kai was not sure how he remained on his own two feet walking through the pale halls of Artemisia Palace.

"Kaito, she shall be fine", Torin assured.

Kai was not going to buy it- how could Cinder be fine with a tyrant like Levana, who was likely trying to kill her?

He yelled at his own mind for letting Cinder go alone to confront Levana.

All of a sudden the sound of gunshots was heard, followed by a cry of pain making Kai look in horror at his advisor. He hoped it was anyone but Cinder. His heart was pumping loudly- at some inhuman speed and the rush of adrenaline forced him to walk faster than humanly possible. As the elegant and large doors of the throne room became visible, memories- horrors of incidents that would likely haunt him for the rest of his days flooded in Kai's mind.

Now was not the time to be sentimental- it was the time to be brave and help Cinder... if she was in a position to be helped.

The sight that was before his eyes stopped him in his tracks. Kai was dumbstruck at the sight of so much blood pooling in the throne room- the red a stark contrast to the pale marble floor and the real condition of the usually-disguised face of Levana- the face behind the glamour was enough to make him go stiff and be rooted to the spot.

However, Torin shook him out of his reverie to point out things- people. No, not just any people, his newly made friends.

He exhaled sharply when he saw Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf alive. He could not say the same when his eyes fell on Cress and Cinder. A sob escaped his shaking lips as Kai ordered Torin to call for doctors.

As he ran towards her with a thumping heart, he hoped he would not collapse at the sight of Cinder's misery.

A pool of dark red blood had surrounded her, her bosom had a knife- it did not take much to conclude that Levana had stabbed Cinder. His cheeks were damp with moisture as he huddled next to her- not sure what to do. Cinder coughed blood, her face gone pale because of the loss of so much blood. She could not cry but the worried lines along her forehead full with beads of sweat as she nibbled on her lower lip to think of anything but the wound- to avoid screaming with agony were enough to speak about her misery.

"Cinder," he cried through trembling lips.

"Kai, help Cress first. I won't-" she said through irregular words. Even in death, Cinder thought about saving others above herself.

"Shh, she is going to be fine. You're going to be fine." He said with questionable certainty. He had never known any person who had been stabbed to know how fine the after-effects were. Yet he refused to lose hope.

"Kai," she said smiling a bit sarcastically. As if both of them knew that they were lying to each other- to console, to convince.

"Don't speak I'm here- help is coming. Try to breathe. You're going to be fine." He said trying to assure him more than her.

"No- listen, Kai, look at me I might not have enough-" she hacked blood mid-sentence. Her stuttering words were cut short due to her current state. However, Kai very well knew what she was to say.

"All my ears to you, Cinder." He smiled at her, the same cheeky smile he had shown her at the garage, where they had met for the first time.

"Don't mourn for me Kai," she said. "-And I know I will not make it. My time as the revolutionary is over. I was not meant to be Queen or Princess. I trust you to do what you can for everyone," she muttered through ragged breaths, stopping from time to time to inhale sharply.

Kai would mourn for her death even if she prohibited it, even if it was forbidden. His throat ached as he tried to form sentences, probably not the last one she would hear.

"Cinder you are going to live through it. You will live long enough to rule yourself and do what you can for Luna." He said as his voice threatened to quiver, to cry out loud. He knew she was slipping away from him, as her glazed eyes rolled at the back of her head, eyes that would spontaneously shake looking at the ceiling. He would not lose her- hadn't he suffered enough grief to last a lifetime?

She closed her eyes and as calm resided over her features, Kai thought he had lost her. He could not hold it anymore, he cried not giving a damn- the Emperor of EC was crying for his beloved who was in his lap. Dying.

"No, Kai. I am a lowly mechanic. The Emperor should not cry for someone like me- Be h-happy Kai," she said with her eyes closed. It felt like she could bear to gaze into his eyes.

Kai begged for a miracle. How he wished that he would wake up and all this would just be a bad dream. He hoped that Cinder would live to see that she was never just a lowly mechanic. How she was always more than someone to him!

She cleared her mouth to say something instead a sharp breath was inhaled. Her lips now red with her own blood.

"You were the happy ending to my tragic life, Kai. I hope you remember that," She murmured.

He did not know if it was her or fragments of his own imagination speaking to him. He watched over as the others raised her and lay her across a stretcher. She was taken out to someplace where Kai followed blindly. They argued over something with Torin in the corner as he kept losing his mind- little by little.

He wanted to tell her, wanted to say them till she believed it.

"His ending without her would no longer be happy."

Still, he could not mutter any words as he choked on his own sobs. he was not brave enough to think that Cinder was dying inside. His haywire mind failing to register the happenings around him.

Torin appeared beside him and held him tight, unknowingly muttering soothing words- not knowing how to comfort the grieving Emperor. He stood outside white doors while Cinder lay inside, he cried his heart out on Torin's shoulder having had no clue if she was alive or not. He refused to listen to anything, he refused to talk- to ask about her state.

His mind played back the whole scenario over and over trying to make sense of his messed-up present.

Selene had been a mystery to him, she was a lost princess born out of his imagination, Torin used to describe it as a lost cause once. When he gave up on her, Cinder walked into his life. When the matter was revealed, he had hope. Selene and Cinder- just different names had been his hope for a long time, his ray of hope was struggling indoors. She was far away from him, from the world. He clutched on tightly to Torin trying to make sense of his falling apart life.

"T-Torin, is she a-a- okay?" he inquired.

"She will be."

"You think so?"

"Yes, Kai. She is a strong woman."

He remained silent for a long time- staring at the doors that would not allow him to enter. Trying to avoid thinking about the 'what-ifs'.

He did not move from his position for the entire day, keeping himself rooted to the seat before the door, with Torin beside him.

"You killed her, Kai. You are responsible for her fate... if not for you she would have never been drawn into this mess-"

"-She would not be dying right now"

"How selfish of you to use her for your own gain!?"

"She was just a poor girl aching to be loved- and look what you did!"

"You cursed her"

"'She is dead because of YOU"

He opened his eyes- panting for breath. All the voices sounded like Levana... she was dead right? He had never bothered to check if she was alive or dead, as he was in the haste due to Cinder's state- could she have survived?

Realizing he was just hyperventilating, it was a nightmare- nothing about it should trouble Kai into thinking that the tyrannical Queen was alive. He might have dozed off, sitting in the medical chamber of the palace, he thought trying to make his mind stray away from the loud thoughts of his mind.

'Was he cursed?'

Kai did not have many people in his life that he would have claimed to love, but the ones he did were either dead or dying.

'He had loved his parents, hadn't he? And where were they now?', He thought bitterly.

They hadn't even be buried like royals ought to, their goods burnt down to prevent the spreading of the disease to Kai or others. Their bodies were cremated in an incinerator as a precaution. Kai could not even be near them, being asked to see the whole ordeal from far away for his own safety. He had lost both of them to Leutomosis.

He loved Cinder and there she was a few metres away from him, perhaps already gone on another journey beyond life.

Maybe he was a cursed person, otherwise, why would all his loved ones die? Was he not capable of love? Could he not love anyone without having to lose them? And the ones he loved would all wither and die, while he watched them from far away?

Or was she the cursed one?

The girl who could not be loved, the one who would have a near-death experience, every time someone tried loving her. Cinder and Kai- were they two cursed souls?

Didn't she say, 'You were the happy ending to my tragic life.' and hadn't he thought, 'His ending without her would no longer be happy'?

Did she think he was responsible for her tragic life- her death? Hadn't she been an outcast for a major part of her life thanks to Kai, who failed to realize the sorrow of the cyborgs living in his own nation?

Were they just going to be each other's broken, sorrowful endings?

Not able to cope with his overwhelming thoughts, he looked around for Torin, only to find him nowhere.

He gawked at Thorne, who sat adjoining him and asked, "Thorne, Do you think I'm cursed?"

Thorne was confused, to say the least, maybe he was being too vague so he briefed, "Uh- like do you think I'm cursed? that Cinder- s-she is-"

"Is suffering because of you?" he provided, as Kai failed to continue. He nodded slightly, confirming that he was thinking the same thing.

Much to his surprise, Thorne smiled, not the flirty smile that usually did but a genuine smiled that reached his eyes and said, "You really love Cinder."

Taken aback by his remark he asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are so alike, I can only imagine if the roles were reversed she would be here thinking the same thing."

"You think so?"

"I know so"

"What makes you so confident?"

"You had no idea how tensed Cinder was when you decided to marry Levana to prevent the wolf-hybrid soldiers from doing more damage. She never said it but she thought that she was responsible for all the mess created in your life."

"Okay," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Kai, what makes you think you are cursed anyways?"

"It's just- you know, all the people that I have cared about are dead and I do care about Cinder and she is inside fighting to stay alive- I just think I'm cursed, not capable of loving people," he explained.

Kai, would not admit it but saying it aloud made it seem foolish. Thorne would likely laugh at him for feeling he was 'cursed'- like was he even thinking through before popping the question to Thorne.

"Really Kai, sometimes I wonder the future of your country if you happen to be sentimental- how did we get two so feeble-minded monarchs to look after us?!" He asked, dramatically- can always rely on Thorne to disguise his sorrow with charm.

Kai rolled his eyes thinking to himself, 'why did he bother in the first place?' and looked away.

A sigh escaped him and he stated, "You are not cursed, Kai."

Now Thorne did have his attention, it might have been the first sincere thing he said after Cress was taken in OT. Kai realized how he was not the only one waiting for some news outside the medical chamber, not the only one who was afraid.

"You care about your advisor, umm what's his name?"

"Torin," Kai provided.

"Yeah Torin- you care about him, probably look up to him as well and he is neither dead nor trying hard to stay alive. You care about your people and I don't think all of them are dead right now, now are they?"

"No, they are not," he said even though it was a rhetorical question.

"I'm just afraid," he admitted after a long time to which Thorne honestly replied, "Me as well."

He looked at Thorne, trying to understand his grief- if Cress did not make it, Thorne would not be able to live with the guilt- knowing very well that he was responsible for her loss, that if not for him stabbing her in the stomach she would be alive.

"They would make it, right?" he asked, terrified of what Thorne would say.

He did not reply just pressed his lips in a thin line and looked before him. None of them was capable enough to answer it. So, Kai looked ahead as well and prayed because that's what all he could do. Pray.

"Kai stop thinking about bullshit things like being cursed."

Kai nodded, pointing out that he was listening and likely not going to think about how he might be cursed.

He thought before saying it aloud, rolling the words over and over before finally saying them.

"You are really a nice guy, Thorne. No wonder Cress really likes you."

__

A/N: I had promised I had come up with angst, and see here I am- keeping my promise to you guys.

I know I have knocked a lot of medical facts, I know she should be unconscious within seconds but I just choose to overlook it for my plot. I wanted some deep farewell/ goodbye shit before Cinder becomes unconscious (builds up the angst you know).

I wanted to this idea for a long time now, Cinder's almost-death through Kai's POV. This fic was likely going to have a different ending than one the it has now- I was just going to live the ending in grey area but I had to change it to keep up with the prompt 'Cursed' for ship week. Don't blame me writing angst, I am just writing ship week prompts- and apparently all of them happen to be angst!

Tell me what's on your mind after reading it!

Votes and comments are always appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Taglist: @cinderswrench @gingerale2017 @linhcinder686 @shellyseashell @ladyvesuvia @shelbylmkaider @levanariddlebackup @cindersassasin @kaider-is-my-otp (Tell me if you wanna be added/removed)

[princessselene126]

Those Who Can’t Do 2: Dessert

Inspiration struck me and I somehow managed to write this entire chapter in an hour and a half. I have no idea how that happened, but it did and I actually really like how it turned out. Me liking how this fic is going so far is absolutely wild to me. 1554 words in which Cinder and Kai meet! It’s pretty damn cute if I do say so myself.

Those Who Can’t Do Masterlist Empress Selene Masterlist

Cinder looked down at her watch and swore under her breath. 

Shit. Shit shit shit!

She was running late. This was only the second time she was meeting with Senator Konn and his fiancee, she couldn’t be late so soon after they hired her. They’d think she was unprofessional. They’d want to fire her. They would fire her. 

She hopped over a puddle as she raced across the street in the direction of Benoit Bakery and Catering. It was still a good three blocks away. With another glance at her watch, Cinder decided “to hell with it” and broke out into an all out sprint. People running on the New York sidewalks was nothing new so no one even spared her a glance. 

She nearly lost one of her flats on 1st Ave, but it was fine. As long as she got there in time. She rounded a corner and finally saw the familiar crimson logo sticking out from the building. Pausing just before the door, Cinder took a second to compose herself before stepping inside.

The delicious scent of baked goods, roasted meat, sauteed vegetables greeted her like an old friend. She walked over to the counter and rang the bell.

It only took a few seconds for a curvy woman with an abundance of curly red hair stepped out from the back. When the woman’s brown eyes landed on Cinder, she immediately smiled. “Cinder, good to see you.”

“You too, Scarlet. Are my people here yet?”

She shook her head. “No, you’re right on time. They haven’t come in yet.” Scarlet leaned over the counter, resting her elbow on the stained wood to get closer to Cinder. “Are you really doing Senator Konn’s wedding? I couldn’t be sure if you were serious on the phone or not.”

“Why would I lie?”

“To get me to cover something when I’m already overbooked,” Scarlet deadpanned. “We’re getting pretty popular, you know.”

“So I’ve heard.”

The bell above the front door chimed and their attention turned toward it. Senator Konn, Ming, and the young man that was on the cover of the magazine Iko showed her last week walked through the door.

“Sorry we’re late,” said the senator. “We planned ahead for traffic, but as you can see, not well enough.”

“A few minutes isn’t a problem, right, Red?” Cinder looked to her for confirmation.

Scarlet shook her head with a welcoming smile on her face. “Not at all. I have a table set up over by the window.” She started leading the group back toward the front of the small space. “Unfortunately I was only expecting two people with Cinder, so--”

Cinder waved her hand. “I’m more than fine not tasting today. Last time I was here I think I gained ten pounds.”

 “Good. You need to get some meat on your bones.” Scarlet pinched the skin of her forearm to prove her point.

“Go get the hor devours.” Cinder quickly swatted her hand away then turned her attention back on the men standing beside her. As Scarlet disappeared into the back, Cinder whispered, “Sorry about that. She can be a bit… eccentric. But her food is worth it. I promise.”

The younger man laughed and for the first time since they’d entered the bakery, Cinder got a good look at him. He was handsome with his jet black hair messily styled and and copper eyes gleaming. She was surprised to see that instead of wearing business clothes like the senator and his fiancee, he was wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans.

“Miss Linh, this is my son, Kai,” said Senator Konn. “I hope you don’t mind that he joined us today.”

“Not at all.”

She reached out to shake Kai’s hand and was once again surprised. This time it wasn’t by how he looked, but what he did. Instead of shaking her hand, Kai brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. 

She blinked.

He smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Linh,” he said as he gently let go of her hand.

She cleared her throat. “Y-you can call me Cinder.” And then she added, “You all can. Ms. Linh makes me feel old. I’m only 24.” She hoped the last bit sounded like a joke.

It must have come out right because Kai, Senator Konn, and Ming all smiled at her. Was she blushing? She felt hot. Dammit, she was probably as red as Scarlet’s hair right now.

Speak of the devil…

Scarlet came back carrying a tray of hor devours, her husband following behind her with another before heading back to the kitchen. She raised her eyebrows at them.  “You can sit down, you know.” Setting the tray on the table while the men took a seat, she spared a glance back at Cinder. This time her brows furrowed. “You okay? You look a little flushed.”

Suspicions confirmed.

Cinder was, in fact, blushing. Scarlet asking about it only served to make her even more red. “I’m fine.”

Kai’s eyes flickered up in her direction and Cinder did her best to ignore him.

Deciding a change in subject was her best option to forego any more embarrassment, she asked, “what do you have for us, Scarlet?”

They got through the first two courses without any trouble. Scarlet told them what was in each appetizer and the entrees, getting into details about vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options as well. They were all things Cinder had heard before.

About halfway through tasting entrees though, Kai turned his attention back on her. “So… what made you want to be a wedding planner?”

Cinder huffed a laugh. “That’s a long story.”

“I got the time. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together the next few months.”

“We are?” 

Senator Konn looked over at them with an apologetic smile. “Yes. Ming and I are particularly busy during fall, so we asked Kai if he’d be willing to do most of the planning with you. He knows what we do and don’t like, probably better than we do ourselves, so we trust him with the details.”

Cinder stared at the senator for a few seconds. It wasn’t like she could say no to him. He was a senator and she was a wedding planner who needed the type of clientele this wedding was sure to bring her.

“Of course. There are certain things I’ll need you both to be around for though. Fittings for example.”

He nodded. “Yes, being around for necessary things like that won’t be a problem at all. It’s the little details that we don’t have the time for.”

“Alright.” Cinder looked back at Kai. Why did he have to smile so much? No, it wasn’t the smile that bothered her. It was how perfect the smile was. It was the genuine kindness and interest in his eyes. It was the way he looked at her with respect and not like an object.

Fuck.

“So, it looks like I’ll be scheduling with you then, Kai?”

“Yeah. And I’m pretty flexible, so we can work around your other weddings. Let me know when works for you and I can be around.”

“If only everyone was like that,” she joked.

The way his nose crinkled up when he laughed was very cute, she realized.

“So, why wedding planning?” He asked again.

“Those who can’t do, plan.”

His head tilted to the side like he was a confused puppy and not a handsome 20 something year old man. “What does that even mean? Like… can’t get married?” Kai laughed, looking at her like she was crazy.

She probably was.

It was fine.

“Something like that.”

Much to her relief, Scarlet came back with the next round--dessert. Even though cinder said she wouldn’t try anything this time around she did snatch a piece of lemon cake. Well, it was more like Scarlet forced the plate in her hands and threatened her to eat it. Either way the cake was delicious. It always was.

After picking out hor devours, meals, and desserts, Senator Konn and Ming left the bakery. Cinder expected Kai to go with them, but much to her surprise--that’d been happening too often for her liking today--he stayed behind.

“Want my number so you can text me when you need me?” he asked.

Cinder had to take a few seconds to process what he said. He was… he was saying he was going to give her his number so she could… wedding planning. That’s what he meant. “Yeah. S-sure.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened to a new contact, and handed it over to him.

Kai typed in his name and number, texted himself winky emoji so he had her number, then handed it back to her. “It was really nice meeting you.” Usually when people said that it sounded so fake, but somehow Cinder knew he meant what he was saying.

“You too, Kai.”

“Really though, I’m free whenever. If we need to do something at the last minute, it shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know and I’ll get wherever you need me.”

“Okay. I’m going to put some things together, then let you know what the next step is sometime tomorrow.”

Kai smiled at her, making Cinder’s heart skip a beat. “Can’t wait.”

[tlc-fics]

A Rose of Thorns - Chapter 1

I did it. I finally did it. ‘I invented time travel.’ You’d think with all the advancements our society has made since the war, we would’ve figured it out by now, but sadly that is not the case. ‘Until now’, I think smugly. I turn the small, smooth device over in my hands. To think, I made it out of an old portscreen. It took me three months to perfect the electrical formula necessary to transport someone in time, another two to figure out how transport where you are (in case you are in a place that doesn’t exist or is very dangerous in another time or if you are trying to find a specific person), and yet another month to get all the materials I needed to actually build it. But it’s finally done. And pretty attractive if I say so myself. Now to try it out. But, where should I go? I could see what the world was like before the war. That would be educational. Or I could see what my future children are like. And who I have them with. No, definitely not. I should stay out of my own lifetime. I still don’t know the risks of time travel. All I know for sure from my calculations is that any significant changes in the space time continuum will result in a sort of “time pocket” so that no paradoxes are created. But that doesn’t mean seeing myself in the past or future can’t have other disastrous effects. Besides, there’s one place - er, time - in particular that I want to visit. I want to see my parents when they were young. You see, my parents, Carswell and Cress Thorne, were big players in a revolution that led to the treaty between Luna and the Earthen Nations and also eventually ended Luna’s monarchy. The biggest player technically would be the Empress of the Eastern Commonwealth, Cinder. Her birth name is Selene and she was the last queen of Luna, before she dissolved the monarchy and turned it into a Republic. She also killed her evil aunt with the help of my parents and their other friends. A few years after all of that, she married Kai, the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth. Talk about a power couple, right? It would be amazing to see them when they were my age. Or at least close to it. I want to see them after the war, but before they had kids. And of course I want all of them to be together. Cinder, Kai, Iko, Scarlet, Wolf, Winter, Jacin, and my parents of course. I know the perfect time. Scarlet and Wolf’s wedding. More preferably, the day after. It would be a lot easier if I was already at Scarlet and Wolf’s farm, but unfortunately I haven’t been there in nearly five years. I am currently at my lab, which is in the backyard of my family’s house in the American Republic. We live in the snowy land of Toronto, Canada. It might seem an odd choice, but my parents say that a hot climate would remind them of when they got stranded in the dessert. Yeah, the revolution wasn’t fun. I put in the date I knew from the scrapbook Winter gave my mother - and Cinder and Scarlet - one year for Christmas and the longitude and latitude of the farm, which I configure with the help of my portscreen. Now to see if it actually works. I take a deep breath and press the button. =========== I am standing in a field of tomatoes. Well, I think wryly, at least I know I got the transportation part right. I carefully make my way out of the field and toward the house. Even if I didn’t travel back in time, I can at least get Scarlet to make me something to eat. I can even see her kids, Cosette who is fifteen, and Raoul who is eighteen. I may or may not have a small crush on Raoul. I haven’t seen him in three years, not since the last time we all visited New Beijing, but we still chat a lot on our portscreens. Both Raoul and Cosette inherited Scarlet’s fiery red hair and Wolf’s luminescent green eyes, making for two very attractive individuals. Neither ended up getting Wolf’s modified genes that made him, well, part wolf. He was experimented on during the evil queen Levana’s reign, turning him into a super soldier covered in fur with sharp canines and an insatiable appetite. Actually, Raoul does have the last one. But that’s probably more because he’s a teenage boy than because he has wolf genes. I reach the front door and hesitate a moment before knocking. What if it did work? What do I do? What do I say? I barely have a moment to think before Scarlet opens the door. Or at least, I think it’s Scarlet. She looks so…young. “Who are you?” She asks suspiciously. Right. She has no idea who I am. “Uh, I’m um…” So articulate. “My name is Rose. Are you Scarlet Kesley?” Yes, my name is Rose Thorne. If you know my father, you know my name is a semi-cruel joke. If you know my mother, you know my name is a symbol of beauty on Earth. She eyes me carefully before speaking. “Yes. Are you paparazzi? We’ve told you-” “No! I’m not paparazzi. I’m…” How do I explain that I’m her friend’s kid from the future? I clear my throat and take a deep breath. Might as well get it over with. “My name is Rose Thorne and I am from the future.” The look on her face tells me just how crazy I sound. “What?” “I know it sounds crazy, but I’m a scientist and I invented time travel. This is my test run.” “Okay, that much I can almost understand. But, your last name is Thorne?” Her look becomes scrutinizing as she looks me up and down, analyzing my every detail. From my short, blonde hair and blue eyes, to my five-foot-three height and light smattering of freckles across the bridge of my nose, to my unfortunate figure - or lack thereof. “Um, yes. My parents are-” “I can guess. How do I know you’re not lying? I do have to admit that your resemble to Cress is uncanny, but you could just be some random teenage girl that wants to get an inside scoop on the first Lunar-Earthen wedding.” “Oh! I can prove it.” I had anticipated doubt and had brought a family picture featuring my parents, my fourteen year old brother Flynn, and I. I show her the picture and see as her face goes from skeptical to incredulous. “You really are, aren’t you? Come on in. I imagine there are a few people who might want to meet you.” She opens the door wider and lets me walk past her. “Everyone’s in the living room. Do you know where that is?” “Yes.” I head in that direction and she follows behind. Even turned away, I can feel her gaze beating against my back. I come into the living room and see everyone just sitting around, talking and laughing. And they’re all just so young. After a moment, Cinder sees Scarlet and I and stops talking. Slowly, everyone’s attention comes to rest on me. Jacin is the first to speak. “What the hell? It’s unlike you to let in a stranger, Firework.” I smile at the familiar nickname. It’s the only way he ever really shows endearment. “She’s strange all right. But, maybe not as unfamiliar as we think.” Scarlet comes around me and sits beside Wolf on the arm of the couch. He looks at her worriedly. “What does that mean?” Cinder asks. She stands and to says, “Just who are you exactly?” “My name is Rose,” I say, “I invented time travel thi- well, not this morning. It would be the morning for me, but it’s about 20 years into the future for all of you.” I watch as everyone tries to process this information. “You invented time travel? But, you’re what? Eighteen?” I turn my head and see that the speaker is none other than my dad. “Sixteen actually. I’m a bit of a science prodigy.” “Tell them your last name.” Scarlet says. Her look is very intense. “Her last name? Why is that important? I would think the fact that she travelled in time is a bit more significant,” says Kai. “Well… I my last name would be of some interest I suppose…” “What is it? It’s not like, Blackburn or anything is it? You’re not gonna kill us are you?” My dad again. Of course. “What? No. Besides, killing you wouldn’t do anything anyway. By coming here and interacting with all of you, I’ve created a pocket in time. After I leave, everything will reset to its original timeline.” I was stalling. I’m not sure why, but telling my parents who I was made me nervous. What if, with no parental biases, they don’t like me? I don’t think I could handle that. I’m too much like my mother when it comes to disappointing people. “You’re stalling,” my mother says, “you’re rambling like I do when I’m stalling. It’s okay, you can tell us.” I gulp and take a deep breath. “My name is Rose Thorne. I’m the daughter of Cress and Carswell Thorne.” Silence. Everyone but Scarlet is wear masks of disbelief. “Oh,” my dad says after a moment, “I guess it makes sense. You look a lot like Cress. Maybe a little taller.” “Three inches taller. I take great pride in it. And yes, I definitely favor my mom, but I have your eyes and natural charisma.” There I go rambling again. It made my dad smile though. “This is interesting. So, not only did you invent time travel, but you’re Cress and Thorne’s daughter,” Kai says. He indeed seems intrigued. “So, what are we like in the future?” “Yeah!” Iko exclaims. “Do we have any children?” She seems to have overcome any shock. As is her way. “Iko, I doubt you have any kids, seeing as you, well, can’t have any.” Cinder says gently. “Actually,” I correct, “she has two adoptive daughters. Aiana is an android with a faulty personality chip. Iko discovered her when she was three from an owner desperately trying to sell her. She was a service-droid then. Cinder managed to have a special escort body made that allowed her to grow up at the same rate as her human sister of the same age, Lila. They’re both fifteen now. In a couple of years, Aiana will be getting her final body.” Everyone is staring at me in astonishment. Well, Iko just looks really excited. “Really? I have two daughters?” Her eyes reflect her happiness. “Yes. You didn’t want any sons. You said they wouldn’t be as much fun.” “Of course she did. What about the rest of us?” Cinder asks. “Um, let’s see. You and Kai have three kids. It’s kind of confusing though. Because Miljan is the oldest at eighteen, his full title is Crown Prince Miljan of the Eastern Commonwealth. No last name, like Kai. But the twins, Ash and Ella, do because they won’t be taking over the throne. The people of Luna demanded that the Blackburn family name be carried on so Ash is Ash Blackburn. But, you wanted to make Ella a Linh in honor of Peony so she’s Linh Ella. It’s weird.” “Wait, so our kids all have different last names?” Kai asks, he seemed a little confused. “Yep. It’s weird, like I said. And ironic because the Blackburn family name won’t be being carried on anyway.” I say. “Why not?” Winter asks. “Because he’s gay.” More shocked looks. Everyone when I’m from is okay with it, but it’s understandable that they would be shocked. “Wow, that is ironic. So, are you our only kid?” My dad asks, in order to keep the conversation going. “No,” I groan, “I have a little brother, Flynn. He’s insufferable. He thinks he has dad’s charm, but he doesn’t. He thinks he’s so smart because he’s good at math, but I don’t see him inventing time travel. He also thinks being fourteen makes him old enough to make adult decisions. I’m sixteen and I still ask for adult advice when I have a big decision. I mean, honestly, he is such a child.” “So he’s just like his dad then?” Asks Wolf amusedly. “No. My dad is charming and tolerable. Flynn is not.” They all gave me amused looks. Meanies. Just then my portscreen started ringing telling me I had an incoming comm. I guess it would make sense that I would still have service. I look to see who it is and blush. Raoul. “Um, sorry, give me a sec.” I answer and Raoul’s face pops up. I get excited at the prospect of telling him about my achievement. He’s the only person I told about my plans for my invention and I know he’ll be excited that it worked. “Hey, Short-stuff. How’s your project going?” He pauses and looks confused as he looks at what’s behind me. “Where are you? Why does it look like my house?” I can’t help the huge grin that spreads across my face. “It worked! I travelled back in time! And it looks like your house because it is your house! It’s the day after your mom and dad’s wedding!” He laughs and I feel myself blush again at the way his face lights up and how his beautiful green eyes crinkle. I’ve got it bad. “Woah, slow down. It worked? That’s awesome! So are you with our parents now?” “Yeah!” I flip the camera so he can see them. “Stars! They all look so young!” “I know right? No wrinkles or grey hair anywhere.” “Woah, woah, woah,” my dad says his arms out in front of him. They had all been sitting somewhat stunned as I spoke with Raoul. “Grey hair? Wrinkles? I don’t think so. There’s no way I, Captain Carswell Thorne, have wrinkles.” I laugh. “Don’t worry. You all aged well. The wrinkles are smile lines and the grey hair is minimal.” After that, I spent a little more time talking with Raoul and introducing everyone to him (have you ever introduced someone to their parents? It’s weird). Eventually I hung up and was immediately teased about my obvious crush on him. That went on for awhile before they got tired of it and started asking about the future again. I told them about the Kesley children first since I had been talking to one of them. They had already gotten to know Raoul so I told them about his fifteen year old sister, Cosette. I told them about Winter and Jacin’s kids next. I started with seventeen year old Snow, and how she would eventually be the next empress of the Eastern Commonwealth after her inevitable marriage with Miljan. Then I continued with the other twins, Timber and Bianca, and their strange platinum blond hair and gold eyes that contrasted beautifully with their dark skin. I told them more about Aiana and Lila, how Iko had wanted a child after seeing everyone else with one and told them how Aiana’s aging worked with her unique bodies. I probably spent two or three hours talking to them. It was so fascinating telling them about themselves twenty years later. But, of course, I eventually had to leave. I set the coordinates and said my goodbyes before sending myself back to my lab. ============== I end up right back in my lab. Not much longer after I left. I guess Raoul’s call affected when I could come back. This could be invaluable information. I quickly lock the time travel device in my lab safe and pull of my portscreen and comm Raoul. He answers quickly, looking somewhat confused. “Hey, what’s up?” “Hey, how long ago was our last comm?” While we’re talking, I pull out my lab notes and start writing. “About two minutes ago, is that why you called?” He looks confused again. “Yeah, I’ll explain in a minute. How long after,” I check the time I left, which I had written down for this very reason, “9:05 a.m. did you comm me?” “Uh, let me check.” He seems to focus on nothing, which I imagine means he’s checking his logs. “I commed you at 9:10 a.m. and the comm ended at 9:32.” I check the time and see that it is 9:35. “Aces. So, interacting with people in my time while I’m in another affects when I can come back. This is incredible.” “Wait, really? That’s amazing.” Indeed it is. “Yeah, thank you Raoul.” “No problem. Oh! I forgot to tell you earlier because of the whole time traveling thing but, my parents were talking about how they want to invite all the kids over for the summer. Even Miljan is getting a break from his duties if he wants. They said it’s been way too long since we’ve all seen each other and I agree. I’m sure your parents will be telling you about it when you go inside but, I wanted to tell you myself because I was so excited. I mean, it’s your choice if you wanna come or not but, I just wanted to say that Cosette really wants to see you and I’m sure everyone else will be excited too and I am realizing that I’m rambling and I’m gonna stop now.” If I didn’t know any better he almost sounded…nervous. But, that’s crazy, right? “Really? I can’t wait. Obviously I want to come. I’ve missed you guys so much! I can’t wait to see everyone! But, the last day of school is Wednesday! And it’s Sunday! I have to start packing now if I want to be ready!” I was already mentally preparing everything I would bring when Raoul’s laugh brought me back to now. Spades, that laugh will be the end of me. “Okay, well you go pack and I’ll see you in a few days.” “Can’t wait!” I hang up and am practically on Cloud Nine as I walk back into my house. I walk in through the kitchen door and see my mom and brother sitting at the island and my dad doing the dishes. “Hey, Rose, guess what?” Flynn starts, clearly excited. “We’re going to Scarlet and Wolf’s farm this summer and I need to pack? Yeah, Raoul commed me.” Technically I commed him, but they don’t need to know about the time travel part of my day. “That’s not all. While you kids are at the farm, the adults are going to the Bahamas for a beach vacation.” Said my mom, stretching her arms as if she could already feel the warm sun on her skin. “No parental supervision? That’s dangerous.” I say jokingly, grabbing an apple off the counter. “We trust you, Snow, Raoul, and Miljan to be responsible enough to take care of everyone.” My dad says. He finishes with the dishes and turns around and leans on the sink. “Besides, you’re all old enough to take care of yourselves and you’ll all be taking care of the farm to keep yourselves busy.” “That’s not what I meant.” “Oh, I know.” He winked at me and I rolled my eyes. “Carswell, don’t encourage it!” My mother said indignantly. “Oh, c'mon. I’m just kidding.” He defended. “Besides, Rose already has a boyfriend. Right?” “Not anymore. He started pressuring me for stuff and spreading rumors so, I dumped him.” I say. Stars, that happened last week. My boyfriend of a month, Andy, kept asking me to send nudes so I told him to screw off. Then he started saying we had sex, but lucky everyone knows me well enough to know I wouldn’t have sex after a month of dating. Lucky me. “I heard about that! He’s a douche.” Flynn says. “Thanks, Flynn. I’m just glad it’s over and I can pretend that relationship never happened.” I walk toward the stairs. “I’m gonna go pack. I have to secure all of my chemicals now so I can be sure I don’t forget any.” I start up the stairs and hear my brother say “nerd” when he thinks I can’t hear. But it’s his loss, you never know when you’re going to need hydrochloric acid.

[wordsablaze]

Thirty: Win Some, Lose Some

A Month Of Kaider Just some fairly long daily drabbles for the life of AU Cinder and Kai… A Kaider tale. Enjoy!

Warning: knives, blood, character death.

Cinder can feel her anger.

She can feel it burning in her bones, spurring her on as she marches through the stone building.

She's by herself, having all but ordered Thorne and Cress to go and find out about the others.

She's not sure exactly why she'd done that. She'd like to think it was because she'd wanted to protect her friends, but she knows that there's been this desire to face Simone by herself, to win with her own strength rather than the strength of her friends.

With every step she takes, with each solid thud of her boots on the stone floor, she can feel her anger spiralling louder and angrier until it's all that she can see, all that she can hear, all that she can feel.

And it only gets worse.

It gets worse because, instead of finding Kai or facing Simone, she's met with Levana's cold gaze.

"Selene?" Levana sounds outraged.

"I'm still alive," Cinder says plainly, a smirk playing on her lips.

Levana stiffens. "So I've noticed."

"Where's Kai?" Cinder asks briskly.

Levana raises a perfect eyebrow into a perfect arch. "Why would I tell you?"

Cinder grits her teeth, looking past Levana's sneer and scanning the room for any piece of information that might be remotely useful for finding the one she seeks.

"Look at me." Levana's usually sickeningly sweet voice is dark, laced with frustration and a hint of desperation.

Cinder only ignores her, knowing that Levana is fake.

She's not fake in the sense that she might vanish if you blink, but she's a different kind of fake where she puts on so many different faces and facades that nobody can tell who she truly is and so her daily routine poses the question: if you're never the same person twice, are you really real at all?

Cinder doesn't think so.

So she pays little attention to her Aunt, instead looking for a way to get to Kai.

Success.

On the back wall, a door, hidden by camouflage, as if waiting to be spotted.

Levana steps in front of it, filling Cinder's line of vision and blocking her path to Kai.

"I wouldn't disturb the newly wedded couple, it's bad luck."

"Bad luck doesn't work on those who don't believe it exists," Cinder hisses.

Levana only smiles.

But that smile, the smile that's constantly mirrored on Simone's face, sparks a reminder inside Cinder's brain.

It's funny how memory works, coming and going as it pleases, taking cherished moments and handing back old ones that you'd long since left behind.

And, in that second, Cinder's memory decides to rope back a recent event: a boy, from the back of a classroom, suggesting that she ask about Simone's father.

Cinder smirks. "Who's Simone's father?"

Levana's breath hitches halfway into its exhale and she narrows her eyes. "What?"

"Who is her other parent?" Cinder asks slowly, folding her arms as silence rings in the air.

Levana doesn't reply for a few seconds, then shakes her head. "Why does it matter?"

"You tell me," Cinder orders instead of replying.

Levana frowns again and Cinder can't help but think she looks a lot more peaceful when she's frowning, the action natural and genuine as opposed to her usual smirk, a clearly synthetic gesture designed to fear and intimidate, hiding what she really thinks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Cinder shrugs. "Why not?"

"Because then you'd understand why both you and Simone are infatuated with that boy."

Cinder pauses, her resolve wavering as she considers Levana's words.

Levana strides forwards, her smirk widening and her malice growing, and Cinder steps back, not out of fear but out of confusion as she tries to untwist the messy truth she's been handed.

"Who is her father?" Cinder asks again, so much more confused now than she was before.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Levana's voice is soft but dark, menacing.

"Obviously, that's why I asked."

Cinder wants to sound flippant and sarcastic and in control but her voice wavers and she can't make herself loud because there's too may possible explanations running around her mind.

And then Levana whispers a name.

A single name.

A name that causes Cinder's heart to shiver and her mind to freeze and her blood to turn to ice.

Because it's a name she's all too familiar with. Because it's a name she's been hearing her whole life and still sometimes hers even today. Because she's grown up stumbling over the letters in that name, laughing at the meaning that name holds.

Because it's the name of her father.

She shakes her head. "No."

But Levana isn't lying, she's not warping the facts, and she's not trying to manipulate anyone. For once, she's telling the truth, plain and clear, and Cinder wishes that she wasn't.

She doesn't want it to be true.

But it is.

And Cinder is forced to stumble back as the truth dawns on her, and it's not soft and pastel like the sunrise, it's harsh and bitter and raw and full of words she wants to give back and throw at the universe, or perhaps a black hole, and never see again.

It's only now that she wonders if that boy was trying to help her or not.

"Do you understand now, Selene?" Levana questions. "You are my step-daughter."

"I'm not your daughter." Cinder shakes her head, clenching her fists.

Levana laughs then, a shadowed sound, and smiles. "You do not get to choose your family."

Those words are Levana's mistake.

Until recently, Cinder had believed those words to be fact, but now she knows better, and now she knows that Levana might tell some truth but she certainly doesn't always stay away from blatantly lying to get her way.

So Cinder shakes herself out of Levana's words and folds her arms, stepping forwards again to regain her status.

"You can't tell me that you think this is right."

Levana cocks her head, apparently confused.

"You can't tell me you think it's right to force someone into marriage."

Cinder shakes her head as Levana shrugs, and she starts to march forwards, so she doesn't notice the blade until it's brushed against her skin and lured the liquid rubies from inside her veins to the surface.

It's not a deep cut and it's definitely not worse than her other injuries but it's still an inevitable shock, like the way people can ignore a stab wound if they don't see it happening but they'll scream their heads off at the smallest papercut.

She winces, stepping back.

There's a grin on Levana's face that should never be on anyone's face, that shouldn't even exist at all.

But Cinder laughs.

She's so buzzed with alredaline that she ignores the sting of metal on her skin and snatches the offending object away from her Aunt to use as her own weapon.

Surprise is not an emotion Levana wants stories associate with herself but she can't help when it flickers on her face.

"What are you doing?"

Cinder just chuckles. "Did you really think any force on earth could stop me from fighting to find my boyfriend?"

Guilt is not an emotion that Cinder feels when she pushes the cusp of the knife into Levana's arm. It's almost surreal how easily she manages to complete the action, watching as Levana's features twist into a grimace and small beads of crimson start to gather at the new opening in her skin like prisoners escaping from their cell or water escaping from a dam.

She pulls the blade from Levana's arm and lets her stagger back, clutching her arm and cursing at Cinder.

Cinder just walks towards the door, smiling as it slides open with ease, courtesy of Cress, with a touch of WiFi, and she slams it closed behind her before she carries on down the hallway.

She's turned three corners before she hears the familiar tone of Kai's voice, his soft, muffled words filling her mind with how loud they echo inside her ears.

It's not hard to open an unlocked door.

Cinder's breath misses a beat as she walks into the room.

She can see the back of Simone's obnoxiously bright white wedding dress but the colourless fabric is strained with smudges of red that can't be anything other than blood.

She growls as she sees Kai standing in front of the wall, his shoulders rising and falling as he breathes heavily.

The two of them don't notice her at first, as she expects from those who are in the middle of a fight, but Kai's eyes widen and Simone freezes before she can deal her next punch, spinning round faster than should be possible in wedding attire.

"How are you still alive?" Simone hisses.

Despite the threat in her voice, Cinder's not paying attention because she's just noticed that Kai's continuously shifting his arms behind his back, and that he's not standing like that by choice, but rather, because his hands are handcuffed together.

"I never pegged you as someone to start a fight with an unfair advantage." Cinder raises an eyebrow.

Simone glares at her. "It's not unfair."

Kai scoffs behind them, "Exactly how was it not an unfair fight?"

Cinder doesn't know what she's doing until she's shoved Simone aside and placed herself in front of Kai, a protective scowl written on her face as firmly as the stars against the night sky.

Simone puts her hands on her hips and matches Cinder's scowl. "Why are you here?"

"My boyfriend is here."

"He's not your boyfriend," Simone says.

Again, Kai scoffs, "Speak for yourself."

She knows he wants to lace their fingers together but, since that isn't an option, he keeps his arm pressed against hers, his warmth feeding her strength and his presence acting as a comfort.

"Hey, Empress," Kai whispers, his breath brushing her neck.

She smiles. "Hey, Emperor."

Simone rolls her eyes but there's a hint of something else in her eyes, a sort of jealously that's born from sadness and regret rather than aggression and greed.

"Back off, Simone," Cinder practically growls.

"Why? He's married to me."

"Again, that was hardly my choice," Kai says. "I'm sure you're well aware of that fact."

Cinder bites her lip but, before she can even think about telling Simone that they're related in a way very different to what they'd thought, Kai steps forwards.

He steps right in front of her and Cinder suddenly has the urge to kiss Wolf because she remembers the handcuff keys he'd given her.

As she's working on unlocking the cuffs as subtly as she can, Kai starts to talk.

"Has she told you yet?" he asks Simone.

Simone frowns at him. "Told me what?"

"Has she told you what Cinder is to you?" Kai asks.

Cinder could swear her blood runs cold at the thought of Kai knowing Levana's secret. But she's not really surprised, knowing that Kai may seem oblivious but he's actually very resourceful.

Simone just looks baffled. "What? She's nothing to me."

As she says that, Cinder's done with his cuffs.

Kai rolls his wrists before entwining one hand into hers, the other raking itself through his hair, a small habit that he can never seem to shake, no matter how tough of an exterior he forges for himself.

"What are you two hiding?" Simone hisses, her voice leaking frustration.

"We don't have much in common," Cinder says. "but we do have the same father."

Simone takes a few seconds to process the information before she shakes her head. "You're lying."

"We're not," Kai assures her.

Cinder knows Simone will believe Kai because he has this natural air of innocence around him that makes you want to trust him, makes you want to spill your secrets to him, makes you want to listen to everything he has to tell you.

And so Levana's secret is revealed.

But Simone doesn't take the news as calmly as Cinder had. She screams and tugs at her hair and lets loose a torrent of curses aimed at anything she can see, before launching herself forwards.

Cinder doesn't think before throwing the knife forwards.

The piece of glass Simone had planned to stab Kai with creates a cut from below his collarbone to the back of his neck but doesn't penetrate his skin, and he's still alive when he stumbles, his back hitting Cinder's chest.

Cinder puts her arms around him, kissing his shoulders because he's alive and Simone was planning to kill him but he's still breathing and it's okay because he's fine.

A strangled scream leaves Simone's lips as her knees buckle and her body crumples, sobs escaping her as she falls to the ground.

Kai gasps, slipping out of Cinder's hold as he kneels beside her.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispers softly.

Even if there is an odd sort of relief within her, she can't help feeling remorse for the girl, for her sister.

"You're the best," she says to Kai before her eyelids flutter and she moans, her skin paling when she curls up and her breathing deepening as she slips into unconsciousness.

Kai whispers something before softly kissing her forehead and Cinder squeezes her hand.

"I'm sorry," Cinder mumbles sadly.

Kai squeezes his eyes shut, shaking his head. "This wasn't fair either."

Cinder nods because she doesn't know what else to do.

The two of them leave the bride lying on the floor, their fingers intertwined as they walk out of the door.

It's both sad and happy and Cinder decides that emotion is a spectrum rather than a set of options. Emotions are like colours, all individual but with endless shades and merged colours and multitudes of combinations that mix them all together.

Cinder tightens her grip on Kai.

He's her anchor.

And he's alive.

That's all that matters.

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