#Lunar Empress | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gingerale2017 · 2 months ago

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a kaider fic where Cinder happens to get pretty drunk one evening, which is somewhat unlikely of her to do, but Kai, being sober, is just taking care of her and watching her go from sarcastic, sassy and aloof Cinder to a complete softy. The whole time he’s helping guide her comfortably to bed she’s just confessing her undying love for him, but as if it’s a big secret of hers. Like (slurring her words) “Kai, I’m so in love with you. Promise you won’t tell anyone?” And he thinks it’s very cute and funny. + Other stuff she loves about him, like his hair, that she might not so casually and deeply admit she admires

YEAH YEAH YEAH LET'S SPEED WRITE THIS

Kai stared at the empty glasses of champagne crowding Cinder's seat with amazement and bit of envy because stars knows how useful those glasses would have been an hour earlier. But it was his wife's empty chair that concerned him most when he told her to sit still while he said goodbye to the ever so bland and boring diplomats around ten minutes ago.

There were three glasses of champagne when he found her and now there were nine. How much could a girl drink in ten minutes?

He sighed, rubbing his forehead as he went to go look for her. Luckily, most of the important people had left already so they wouldn't have any gossip to bring home, had they found her. Who knows how unpredictable she was acting under the influence? He couldn't really tell because her attitude changes depending on her alcohol intake.

He walked around the ballroom where servant droids were putting away decorations and storing away all the tables. An event of appreciation for all the Commonwealth diplomats and their spouses had taken place here in the palace with Kai as its host. He wanted to congratulate his bureaucracy for all the hard work he's seen them do, which was evident with how much the Commonwealth had changed for the better. So he gave a party and speech where he encouraged to relax and drink. Unfortunately, the partners of the politicians took the command "drink" a little too seriously, including his own. He had seen many men and women drag their flushed and smiling spouse away before they could cause embarrassment.

Now he had to go haul his own, maybe not flushed but definitely smiling girlfriend to their bed, if he could find her. He tried to act normal as he walked on the marble floors. Human servants would bow, he would smile, and asked androids if they'd seen the empress. They all answered no with apologies until one droid lit up.

"Yes, I have seen Her Majesty at the bar thirty seconds ago."

His stomach dropped. He knew Cinder had a rather high tolerance to alcohol than most because her processing system, something about it made alcohol pass through her system faster, but she could still get drunk. And he suspected by now, if she wasn't already, she was very drunk.

We walked as fast as he could around the droid to bar where were his wife was asking the bar droid for spiked lemonade. He approached her carefully, as to not spook her because in this state she could harm herself.

"Please, one more drink!" His girlfriend begged the android bartender. "I swear I'm not drunk." "Based on the alcohol percentage of the cocktails you drank and your height and body weight, my estimate is that you are severely under the influence. I advise you to not consume any more alcohol tonight." The male robotic voice responded. Cinder pouted and threw her body over the counter.

Kai huffed in surprise. In the nearly two years he'd known her, he'd never seen her under the influence. At least, not this badly. What triggered her to drink so much? Did someone say something? Or was she feeling particularly rebellious tonight?

Cinder giggled to herself as she traced the empty glass with her fingers. Kai got nervous at her proximity with the fragile cup as she wasn't even looking at it. He made his move them and very gently laid a hand on her shoulder blade.

She jumped at his touch, wildly flinging the glass, but Kai smoothly whisked it out of her grasp. She spun around and looked at him with her once nicely-done hair covering her eyes.

Her face burst out in a big smile as she recognized him. "It's you." She mumbled.

He couldn't help but smile back. Even in this delirious state, she was adorable. "It's me. You tired?"

Cinder tried to swipe the hair out of her eyes with not avail. Kai helped her out, tucking the soft chocolate strands behind the fizz of her ears. "Nah. I mean- A little." She paused, quirking her mouth to the side. "Thanks. Is it time for bed?"

Kai checked his watch for her sake; he already knew it was late. "Yes, it's way past our bedtime." False. As policy makers, their bedtime was way later than now on an average day. But tonight was an event, so it meant they could sleep in. How rare.

Cinder frowned. "Crap." She zoned out for a second. Kai gulped, wondering if he should snap her out of it, when she started giggling. "Don't tell that bartender guy, but I think I'm drunk." She proceeded to snort and laugh even louder. Panicking, Kai covered them both with his back by pressing them to the counter. He didn't want the lingering party-goers to ridicule the new Lunar Diplomat for having a too little self-control or some manure like that. Hopefully, no one recognized them.

"Why are you drunk?" He asked, half-guessing she wouldn't give a clear answer.

Her giggle fit became a soft chuckle as she pressed her face to his stomach and played with the buttons of his dress shirt. Kai's hand naturally found the base of her head and stroked her hair slowly. "Thorne said I never lived if I didn't get absolutely wasted at at least one formal event, so I-I wanted to prove him wrong but then I-I got g-got mad and it was too late to stop so I kept going." She chuckled. "And I kept going. And it felt too fun to stop."

She lifted her chin upwards so her gaze could peer into his, so large she was practically doe-eyed. "You're not mad at me, right?"

It was his turn to laugh. "Of course not, my love. I'm just confused. This isn't something I've seen you do-"

"Oh good. I was worried." She sighed and wrapped her arms around his torse. He froze for a second, then leaned into her embrace.

"How about we go to my room tonight? I know you like it better than yours." He tempted.

He could feel her smile grow. "Yes please!"

Despite her enthusiasm, it was hassle to get to his room. He had rolled up his sleeves in concentration and had one arm stiff against her waist; the other arm opened doors and stole things from her oppurtunist hands. Her body squirmed against his grip relentlessy, excited by every idea that crossed her mind.

For example, she would ask to do outlandish things she would laugh at while sober. 'We should go swimming!' She offered. Kai bit his tongue from noting that she couldn't swim. 'The pool is closed' he said in return. 'How about a stroll in the market?' She begged. Kai stopped himself from groaning. 'The market is closed.' He explained. 'Can we visit the gardens?' she asked. Kai wouldn't have minded that if she wasn't drunk. 'Can we please go to bed?' He countered.

Kai couldn't help but wonder why she was commenting this. Perhaps they were things she truly wanted to experience but was too embarrassed to say while sober. He wished to tell her someday that it is okay to want these things, even if they sound stupid or silly. Everyone yearns for crazy things, even borderline outlandish. It's not so embarrassing.

At that Cinder stopped, causing Kai to almost trip over himself. "What's wrong?" He walked in front of her and cupped her face. Worried, he asked her again.

"I'm sorry. I'm annoying you." She apoligized, lip trembling.

Kai's heart broke a little at her genuine sadness. "No you're not, no reason to say sorry, my dearest."

She sniffed. Her hands slowly and clumsily made their way up his arms to her cheeks and rubbed his wrists. She seemed to do it absent-mindedly as her gaze landed away from his stare. Stars, even while out of it she possessed crazy tons of power over him. The smallest motion of her fingertips made his knees go weak.

"I was thinking about you. Earlier." She started to confess.

"Oh? I hope you only thought good things if me."

"Oh yes. I like the silly little names you give me. Like 'love'" She giggled. "No you're my love! Kai-" She gasped, her whole body jumping with the motion. Suddenly, her eyes widened with an inexplicable craze and gripped his wrists with such tightness that his skin started to go red. "I have secret."

"You do?" He leaned in with curiosity. Her earlier words made his cheeks go pink. He was so glad to know she liked being called those nicknames. It was something he picked up from his father growing up, and it came so natural to him that he couldn't keep himself from calling her pretty names. "You can trust me, sweetheart."

"O-okay. It's so secret, though. It's secret secret. But you can't tell anybody. Anybody. Promise?" Her voice began to slur over.

Kai nodded enthuisiastically. "I promise."

"Kai, I'm so in love you. Like super in love with you." Cinder shut her eyes and shook her head sporatically. "Don't tell anyone, you promised!"

Kai's body shook with silent laughter at her 'secret secret'. He ducked his head so she wouldn't misinterpret the pure joy of his grin for a mocking one. Stars, he was thinking of proposing soon: he sure hoped she was madly in love with him. "I know, darling." He tilted his head to the side and met her wild eyes again. "Hey, wanna know my secret secret."

She nodded, bobbing her head (that was still cradled by both of their hands by the way) like an apple in water. "I won't tell anyone. I'm good at keeping secrets."

"I know." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm like super in love with you too." He flashed one of his winning smiles, the one with the slight exposure of his teeth, and the one Cinder confessed to liking the most.

Her jaw hung open for a bit. He gently pushed it closed as she laughed. "We have the same secret!"

"I know. Crazy right?" They giggled in unison. Cinder might have snorted. "Let's go to bed, my love."

"Okay." She pulled away from him and paused, expecting him to lead the way. He hesitated, missing her embrace for a moment, then let her latch onto his arm and carried on.

She got less distracted by her impulsive thoughts and more analytical. She was quiet now as she turned her ever studious eye towards him. What was she thinking? He tensed slightly at her silence. Maybe she suddenly felt the urge to turn away from him. Yet, she still held onto him tightly.

Before he could overthink himself to ruin, she spoke softly. "You have a very nice neck."

Kai felt heat rise up into the same spot she complimented. "Thank you?" He responded, a surprised chuckle ripping through his lips. They paused, mere steps away from his room.

She smiled widely. "You're welcome." Her eyes glanced at his blush that was unrelentlessly climbing up his skin. "I love when it does that too." She giggled.

Kai rubbed his neck with his free hand. "What, blush?"

"Oh yes. It's so adorable. It's like giving you away when you try to hide something." Though with an already slurred speech, she adapted a lisp. She was the adorable one.

"You're absolutely right, Cinder." He started to pace to his door, shaking his head with soft laughter.

She clumsily followed him as he walked in. "You got a nice frame too. At first glance, you look skinny, but your shoulders and back prove that you got some muscle on you." She giggled and traced his back.

Kai spun around, his laughter growing in volume. She continued on.

"And your hair. Kai, how I love your hair!" She threw herself in his arms, taking the chance to run her fingers through the top of his head. "It's always so soft, and smells so good, and so pretty."

She liked his hair! For some reason, he felt like he was in grade school again and received confirmation that his crush liked him back.

Her eyes were glittering at this point. They might be man-made but they held so much emotion. They were beautiful.

Her gorgeous smile lit up every corner of her face. Taking a page out of his book she cupped his face and leaned him towards her. "You're so pretty." Her eyes flickered around his face, taking him all in. Kai has been studied his whole life, and, though at first he resented it, he grew passive to the action. Now, he reveled in her gaze. It may sound selfish, but he wanted to hear what parts she liked about him, what parts she found attractive, and even what parts she was repelled by. The glitter in her eyes twinkled even stronger as she put parts together. "So, so pretty."

"I think you're pretty." He murmured.

"I like how you talk to me." She confessed, matching his tone. "So sweet. So gentle. So genuine."

Kai bit his lip from chuckling at her lisp that returned again. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough. His body rocked with laughter and he dropped his head into his should, hugging her tight.

"I like your hugs too." She said, hugging him back. He continued to laugh.

Once his fit died out, he noticed how silent she became. He pulled away worried only to find dropping eyelids and an unsteady posture.

"You tired?" He asked. She nodded, her gaze unfocused. "Let's sleep."

He picked her up bridal style, handling the full weight of her metal extremities for quick short steps to his bed. He lay her down gently and she curled up into fetus position, already half-asleep. After tucking her in, he watched her for a second, how her chest moved slowly, and her face relaxed into a peaceful expression. He adjusted her hair again and moved to change into clothes for sleeping.

Cinder startled and grabbed his arm, pulling him down weakly. "Don't leave me." She croaked, falling asleep again.

He chuckled, giving up on his attempt to sleep in something comfier. Kai at least was able to snag off his tie and belt. "Me? Never." He yawned, hugging her waist.

"Goodnight Your Majesty." She mumbled, barely audible.

Sleep was already invading his mind. "Goodnight my Cinder."

A/N: SO SORRY ANON FOR TAKING SO LONG. I FORGOT THIS WAS IN MY DRAFTS. I'm posting this for the other anon that asked if I had any fics... which I do! Anyways, I'm sure this is riddled with grammar mistakes and ooc, but idc, I DID IT. Hope you enjoy somewhat (I DID LOVE WRITING THIS CONCEPT)

tagging: @just2bubbly @cinderswrench @cindersassasin @the-wee-woo-royal @deprivedmusicaljunkie @crescentchat @wheresmymom-imlost @salt-warrior @rapunzelfromthemoon @briggycat @impossiblesuitcase @kaider-is-my-otp @definitelynotisabel @wassupnye @therealkaidertrash21 @cinderswirecutters @hayleblackburn (these are for my kaider ONLY fics so please ask if you want to be tagged or removed <3)

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impossiblesuitcase · 10 months ago

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I've seen people argue that Cinder choosing to become the empress of the Eastern Commonwealth when she explicitly states that she doesn't want to be royalty is out-of-character. I counter argue that that is a oversimplification of her personal insecurities and a misreading of her character arc.

Cinder's key reasons for not wanting to be royalty are 1. She doesn't want to fail people. 2. She desires anonymity, and 3. She doesn't believe that she will be accepted by others--"She had seen the prejudices of the people in the Commonwealth. Something told her that they wouldn't be as accepting of her as a ruler. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be empress. She was still getting used to the idea of being a princess."

Cinder is naturally afraid of the responsibility she would have to bear as a leader. However that does not translate to her being inactive. Cinder is keenly interested in social justice. She encourages Iko to petition the government to initiate change for androids in the very first chapters we meet her. She takes an active part in the revolution, not just for the preservation of her own life, but because she genuinely cares about the citizens of Luna. This is affirmed by how Cinder prefers to be called a revolutionary over a princess--her politics mean more to her than her lineage. Once crowned queen of Luna, she is tireless in enacting changes to the country. If she truly hated being in this position as queen, she would have taken a much more passive stance and allowed the thaumaturges to manage the kingdom. In Wires and Nerve she demonstrates how deeply she cares about the welfare of her people and fights against threats to her country personally even when she is strongly encouraged against it. And then, once she abdicates her throne, she becomes an ambassador to facilitate peaceful relations between Earth and Luna. Released from her birthright, she could have resumed life as a mechanic, still hassled by paparazzi, but no longer held accountable for political peace. But Cinder chooses to stay a politician because she has always genuinely cared about using her power to help others. She represents the powerless as having been that once herself.

Cinder desires a life without public scrutiny. But where does this originate? This desire is an extension of Adri's abuse. Because she was mocked for being cyborg, she wished to hide from people in general so they do not uncover her secret. But she sacrifices this luxury when she decides to go to the ball and tell Kai of Levana's plot. Later, she comes to accept that--born into fame--she would never enjoy a life of anonymity.

Connected with her insecurity as a cyborg, Cinder fears that she will not be accepted by others. She believes this as a byproduct of the discrimination she faced from fellow shopkeepers in New Beijing Market such as Chang Sacha. However Kai makes it clear that the people of the Commonwealth have come to appreciate her, even wanting to make a "statue [of her] where [her] booth used to be at the market" and "action figures" of her. Although she will always have critics, Cinder is generally liked by Earthens and praised by them for abdicating her throne, promising an end to Lunar tyranny.

Kai is right when he tells her that she "would make a great leader" even when she "never wanted to be queen." Why? Because her wants and her abilities are different. The 16-year-old Cinder we first meet opposes her birthright as queen because she has the weight of the universe placed on her shoulders with just one sentence. She's an unloved, inexperienced teenager--of course she's more than hesitant! However she grows to embrace this fundamental part of herself, even having "pride" to declare that she is "the rightful heir!" Cinder becomes loved and becomes experienced. For her to remain the same girl in the prison cell, terrified by the prospect of being a princess would be a stagnation of her character development. It may not be the life she chose, but it is all the same the life that she accepts.

When Kai asks her to consider becoming the empress in the future, Cinder agrees and takes "in the first full breath she'd taken in days." We don't see a girl paralyzed with fear or regret. Rather, she feels relief because she can envision this prospect and not be crushed by it. And finally, when Kai proposes, she excitedly looks forward to these things: "She would be Kai's wife. She would be the Commonwealth's empress. And she had every intention of being blissfully happy for ever, ever after." Cinder's vision for happiness welcomes being the empress despite the hardships attached to it, and she is the most motivated, willing and hard-working candidate for the position.

#tlc #lunar chronicles #the lunar chronicles #linh cinder #kaider #emperor kai #empress selene

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