#chat; Iko

[shinigxmi-muses]

    “Funny that most Intoners control their Disciples... Ain’t it funny, Iko~?” Six is all bright smiles, turning to their own...Disciple, beside them. Comparatively, storm clouds to the sunny disposition of the Intoner he served.

    “...Hilarious.”

    “Knew it~!” Six chimed, legs swinging in their chair. “So...funny. I thought I’d always be jealous of them...but I’m so much happier like this, you know~ I certainly wouldn’t want this any other way.” ...Iko almost seems to smirk at that.

[crescentmoonrider]

black cat satomi is semi-canon, but i like him as a black cat with white socks hehe

also ive seen kyouji designs where he's like a doberman, but honestly i think he'd be a mutt. large dog for sure, but unidentifiable

[just2bubbly]

Pls thodi aur Kaider fluff likhdo

For the person who send this ask, thank you! Fluff likhne mei bohot time laga, hope it's fine! Abhi you can enjoy the fluff :)

Masterlist

Love Me Like a Dog

Cinder's perspective-

"Do you think adding some pepper would balance the sour taste?" Kai asked, licking the stew from the spoon.

"I don't think it works like that. Also please don't lick the spoon like that," she said, trying to not show her disgust. For someone who had grown up with an array of instructors, Kai tended to act barbaric more often than not. However, it always happened in the confinement of their small kitchen, he never seemed to forget any dining etiquettes or indulge in his more human side with anyone else.

"Sorry," he said, wincing a little, his face didn't show much remorse though.

"I think we could add a little sugar to put out the sour taste." She suggested, grabbing the jar of sugar off the counter.

Kai nodded in agreement as he took the jar from her, "-this time don't dump the entire jar!"

"Cinder-" he groaned, "-that was one time."

"And I could have got diabetes because of it. It was 1/2 kg of sugar, I cannot fathom how you managed to mix all the contents together."

Kai ignored her remark, showing a tongue to her.

"Such a baby," she said, flicking some flour in his direction, which he carefully avoided.

"Let's not be violent, Cindy," he commented. He tasted the stew he was working on, and having been satisfied with its taste, cheered on self-win.

She smiled at the sight, Kai looked adorable in his denim shorts and lime green shirt, and the apron reading 'in an argument kiss the chef' did add its charm- Cinder clicked a picture of him to share on the group chat.

Cinder: attachment, "The Emperor says butter is too expensive, these days."

She keeps her port aside and drains the water from cooked noodles. Switches on the gas and adds shallots and garlic to saute, while grating ginger simultaneously. Noting how the ingredients aren't brown enough, she pulls up the message bar in her internal media screen and notes the various replies to her text.

Thorne: tell the Emperor, YOU ARE RICH

Thorne: and how do you think it's expensive when you decide the prices of commodities?!

Cress: I don't think Kai decides the cost of grocery products

Iko: CINDER CINDER CINDER

Iko: TELL ME YOU KISSED HIM TOO MANY TIMES IN THAT

Thorne: @Cinder please don't answer that

Cinder: I did, he is loml <3

Winter: Cousin, what does loml mean?

"Cinder, that's burning."

She blinks her messenger away, the smell of burning shallots causes her to cough and notes the sorry state of her finely chopped shallots and garlic.

"Don't tell me you got distracted again," he sighs, throwing away the burnt veggies, "-I just told them you are the loml."

"- Is that a reason or an excuse?" He asks, eyebrows rising towards his hairline.

"The truth, Kai." She huffs, chopping the shallots again.

"Well, if it helps, you are the love of my life too," he whispers, kissing her hairline, as he hugs her from behind, chin resting in the crook of her neck, "- don't read messages or you might chop off your fingers," he suggests.

"A good husband would offer to help."

"A better husband believes in sharing the workload."

"Way to go, Emperor!"

"I'll set the table, don't burn the kitchen down," he says, kissing her cheek before he rummages through the cupboards for cutlery.

She doesn't scroll through her inner port screen this time and adds the noodles to cook. The spice causes a burning sensation behind her eyes and she wonders if they have the tolerance for it- deciding to check the taste for herself, she coughs, her throat and tongue are on fire and gurgles a glass of water.

"Fuck," she mutters under her breath, adding a spoonful of sugar in the pan, she mixes the content one last time before turning off the gas. Cinder sets the container in the small dining space, sitting across from Kai as he asks, "White Wine?"

"What's the occasion?"

"I feel like it and it was just sitting there in the cupboard." He states, pulling out two glasses for her lack of disagreement. He serves the stew with smoky mashed potatoes, while she pours wine into their respective glasses, and this time Kai clicks a picture of their appetizer to send on their group chat.

She eyes him, "-what?! I need them to know your kissing didn't stop me from making good food."

Chuckling at that, she dives into the food, and like Kai mentioned her kissing wasn't enough distraction.

"It's good," they murmur together and later chuckle at themselves.

"I didn't ever think potatoes could taste so good," she remarks, getting another spoonful of stew.

"I told you to trust me."

"Henceforth, I will. You should cook often."

"I know, I used to. I was too self-conscious to eat with the staff present and to eat alone meant asking the staff to work extra, so I preferred cooking alone. This kitchen was Dad's gift when he found out about it. Somedays we used to cook together, he wasn't very good at it so he mostly used to stick to the chopping part." He explained, fondly sharing the memory.

"I despised cooking. Iko used to take care of most of it while we lived at Adri's which was a blessing. But on some occasions, Pearl would want something more interesting and I was supposed to cook on those days- Peony used to cook then and I did the dishes later."

Talking about Peony and her life before she met him no longer brought any grief. Cinder wondered what Peony might have thought seeing that Emperor Kaito cooked for her regularly, she would probably faint this one out thinking it was a dream, the thought made her smile.

"You know," Kai said, twisting his fork around,"-we could get a pet."

"A pet?"

"If that's not much trouble, or if you aren't a pet person."

"Nah, I didn't mean it like that, just surprised. What pet are we talking about?" She asked, puzzled at his out-of-the-blue remark.

"A dog- are you a cat person?"

"I don't think I have a preference."

Truth be told, Cinder remembered an old black mutt, lying outside her shop, a shabby animal, its hair colour faded, its body weak as it struggled to move. The boy in the next shop used to call it Sadie. On rainy days, it used to hide between buildings and stall corners, the sight always did things to her fabricated heart, but there was not much she could do to help it.

"Well, I have an inkling about a dog," Kai says, taking her thoughts off the rain-drenched mutt.

"Anything that made you think about it all of a sudden?"

"Cinder," he sighs, hands moving through his hair," I saw a dog. Poor thing was still a child, very bony. I might have brought it to the Palace."

"You mean you did."

"Yes, I did. She would mostly stay with the Palace dogs, but I wondered if you would like if she grew up with us." He admitted, showing his remarkable baby face, something she couldn't say no to.

"I'd like that. We could go see it after dinner." She exclaims, smiling as Kai grins in victory.

"You would love her. She looked abandoned when I saw it during my meetup. I couldn't just leave it there," Kai explained.

-

"Why keep her in the Palace Kitchen?" She asked, moving through the long files of kitchen countertops.

"It needed a warm place and Mary agreed to look after her, till the vet gave a green signal to introduce her to the others."  

"That's quite thoughtful," she murmurs, eyes falling to the corner that contained a large box.

Kai signalled her to come closer, and she saw a child, her retina scanner showing its breed and some related information. She blinks them away, focusing on the sleeping form of the dog, the rugged brown fur begging for a wash.

Cinder stumbles on her step as she lowers herself down, the noise enough to wake the dog up. It leaps towards Kai, who is already smitten as he picks it up.

"You remember me!!" Kai shouts, kissing her head, as it wiggles around in his arms, tail wagging in excitement.

"Do you have a name, baby?"

Her big brown eyes stared at her, "I don't know, maybe Mary has kept something."

"We can try saying names, maybe she could like something?" She suggests, lowering herself to the knees.

"Works for me," Kai says, from next to her, the dog licking at its face as she sat in his lap. The scene makes Cinder warm to her toes.

"How about Ollie? Do you like Ollie?" She asks, the dog doesn't give much of a reaction.

"Lila?" Kai offers, and like the prior name, there isn't any show of enthusiasm.

Without much thought, Cinder says, "Sadie? Like Sadie Maddie?"

And the dog leaps to that, moving around in circles as it barks loudly in excitement.

"I think she likes that, right Sadie?" Kai asks, Sadie nudges her nose against Kai's and licks up his face, some way to show her approval.

Kai grimaces, saliva covering his face as Cinder giggles, which causes the dog to turn and now she is licking Cinder's face.

"Karma coming back at you, Cindy," Kai jokes, picking up the dog.

She sits there, mildly disgusted with saliva sticking to her face, however, she could foresee many such face licks if Sadie stays up with them.

"Oii, c'mon, I don't know about you but I would appreciate a wash. So would Sadie," Kai calls from the doorway and Cinder is up on her feet, walking behind them.

"Let's stop by the dog troop for some essentials," She remarks, once they enter the lift.

Kai grins at her, Sadie still in his arms as he closes the distance, capturing her lips with his. The dogs squeezed between the two, yelps, making the two break apart, chuckling.

"Looks like we have got supervision."

"Rather sweet," she says, leaving a quick kiss on his lips, as she ruffled the fur of her new baby.   

-

A/N: My cousin recently adopted a dog and I have been begging my mum for one, unfortunate that she despies all form of pets! :/

taglist: @gingerale2017 @impalasquiptyseven @impossiblesuitcase @cinderswrench @slmkaider @fangirlforever0704 and anyone who wants to be tagged.

[impossiblesuitcase]

Cinder being called “Cin” is very cute. Are there any other things you think they’d do when they’re closer that weren’t mentioned

I think Kai picks out some of her outfits for her. When Cinder isn't sure what to wear and Iko isn't around to babysit her, Kai picks out an outfit for Cinder along with the jewellery. Kai braids Cinder's hair when she's brushing her teeth because he wants to know how to do it on their future daughters; Cinder won't be able to as the hair gets caught in hand metal hand joints.

Cinder--despite having dreadfully limited cooking skills--learns how to cook from Kai's mother's recipes. She keeps it a surprise, and the look of Kai's face when he comes home from work and smells his mother's cooking makes all the spilled sauce and accidental burnt ingredients worth it. When he takes his first bite, Kai has tears in his eyes. He gives suggestions on things that would make it more authentic to the original recipe.

At the end of a long, tiring day, they go for a run around the gardens together, rain or shine. The palace guards get pretty used to them whizzing past, laughing and chatting to each other.

[anotherrosesthatfell]

Respectfully, I had a heart attack ☺

GOSH 4.7 K PEOPLE CHAT WITH E.L.A DREAM?! 💀💀💀💀💀💀

WHAT THE CHATS ABOUT, HE IS MARRIED, DID THEY PLAY AS IKO OR SEBASTIAN OR HIS CHILDREN OR??!????!?? 4'5'7/5/5=4/5/5*5=5/

I am still shocked.

[analexthatexists]

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!

Here's what's in store for you…

———————————————————————

Introduction

Helloooooooo, I'm AnAlexThatExists, I exist and occasionally do stuff. Pronouns are She/Her and sometimes I'll hype-fixate over an OC or 2 or 3 or 27... That's kinda it for now honestly.

My ask blog is open for either general stuff, things I’m working on, Will Wood infestations, or asking my OCs stuff!

My reblogging side account is @analexthatdoesntexist

Please do not repost, trace, or steal my content!

———————————————————————

Stuff I’m Into!

UTMV/Undertale (Main Fandom)

Deltarune

VR Chat

Roblox (Regretevator & the Yume Nikki Fangame community)

ENA

The Amazing Digital Circus

Cookie Run Kingdom

Bendy And The Ink Machine

Yume Nikki

Dreams of An Insomniac and anything by Pastra really yeah

Current Obsessions:

Spooky Month, TADC, MLP/Pony Town, Cookie Run Kingdom

Tags!

General Tags (CHECK TAGS FOR MORE)

#alex's ocs (all of my assorted ocs, goobers, critters, etc) #alex draws stuff (check out silly stuff i draw) #alex says stuff (listen to the weird crap i say that is usually just me rambling or saying random stuff not really involving anything) #late night rodent rambles (I get sleepy and say weird funny random stuff at night so I made a tag for it LOL) #ask the rat (asks and responses) #the anal-exthatexists incident (my name gets mistaken for Anal so much that i made a tag documenting everytime it happens) #THE WILL WOODENING (because my mutuals wish to torment me) #alex has an idea (posts that include AU ideas/concepts that sometimes additionally have concept art on them) #alex teases something (teasers and sneak-peaks at upcoming projects like AUs and OCs)

Hex!Sans Tags

#Hex!Sans (Everything involving or mentioning Hex) #Ask Hex!Sans (For the questions snd answers given and to and by Hex) #Hex!Sans LORE?! (Every lore or story related post received this tag) #Hex!Sans Fanart (For all of the AMAZING fan-art of Hex that I get!)

Stuff by ME!

ASK HEX!SANS [CURRENTLY CLOSED] Masterpost

OCS (Sorted New/Old from Top/Bottom) Cherry "Cheery" Pit (MLP OC) IKO (ENA OC) Hex!Sans Nightshade!Sans Bracket!Sans

Stuff I'm included in / associated with!

SH!Nightmare for @thelunarsystemwrites' UTMV Superhero AU

Older/Discontinued Projects

UTMV Infection AU The Origin of the Idea What is this? The Main Cast Dreamtale Resurrection AU (#DT!Resurrection AU)

———————————————————————

[thelostbaystudio]

The Lost Bay update

Hey folks, sorry I've been away for a while, I've been busy working on The Lost Bay - First Look., and I’ve just dropped the latest update!

I think we’ve reached a milestone here!

What’s new?

1.An Area generation/exploration procedure for the Sleep Country district. You can generate 10 000 000+ different areas with just a few dice rolls!

In the last few weeks I chatted with members of the community asking how they’d want the exploration tables to be designed. Here's the feedback that I got.

Half of the folks said they’d want more lore injected in the tables, to get a better sense of the game world.

The other half asked for modular tables that allowed for maximum replayability.

With this update I think I’ve reached a nice compromise, not going too much into details here, but basically I’ve split where + who + what into separate tables. The procedure is highly reusable, and the what table entries have strong moods that help define the setting. And, you asked for it, the tables are written taking into consideration solo play.

2.A beautiful map designed by Strega Wolf van den Berg, it’s so exciting to see a physical representation of the Bay!

3.Two non-human NPCs: the Dogpack and the Spider Nest. I had fun designing those two, particularly their Moves. Moves are a simple way to give personality to the NPCs you create, and to make combat a surprising and fun experience.

4.I’ve modified combat rules and a few other mechanics, the game engine is more consistent, quicker, simpler. Small tweaks that have great effects. If you are planning to play the game I’d recommend downloading the latest version. You might not notice all the revisions, but trust me, they’ll make the gameplay experience better.

What’s coming up next?

Not 100% sure in what order, but here are the things I’m working on:

A couple more Vibes (playable character classes)

A new Reborn Vibe (post-mortem playable character class)

More NPCs

Exploration tables for the Mall Nation district

Errands prompts (solo and group adventure prompts)

Solo support (oracle, and complications table)

Better online character keeper/sheets

And the Creator Kit

Creator Kit and Third party publisher license

As I’ve mentioned a few times already, the development of the game has been influenced so much by the feedback of the community. And I know that several of you have plans about making supplements/adventures for TLB. The Creator Kit, which will probably drop with the next update, is intended to support the community and the creation of 3RD party modules. It’s a series of guidelines and toolkits to facilitate adventure design, like: take off checklist, tips, designer commentary, and modules you can use to build the next kick ass TLB thing.

Along with the release of the Creator Kit will come the Third Party Publisher license, I’ll reveal more about it in the next update. 

If you haven't done yet, grab the game! If you're on a limited budget don't worry, Community Copies are regularly available for free https://the-lost-bay.itch.io/thelostbayrpg

Have a great day/week

Iko

[ranger-jedi-knight]

Writing Patterns Tag Game

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Tagged by @itstimeforstarwars

1) Found A New Padawan

THE BEGINNING:

A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away.......

2) Unending Pressures (9-1-1 TV show)

Buck smiled as he listened to Eliza chat excitedly on his shoulders about what she learned in school.

3) In Another Life

Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin as the boy walked into their room with a smile.

4) Standing Firm (9-1-1 TV Show)

The hustle and bustle of the ER surrounded the group as they waited for an update on Buck’s condition.

5) The Protective Group Chat (AKA FANP Group Chat fic)

Feral @CmmderWolffe

I have only known her for a day, but if anything happened to her I would literally kill everyone in this chat and then myself. And I know my General agree

6) From The Shadows

Creeping up on her companion, the 25-year-old Stewjoni pulled out her sword.

7) Song Of The People

Yavin 2 was a dismal place.

8) All For One And One For All (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous show)

Disembarking from the ferry, five teens looked at each other as they fiddled with their pockets, or in one girl’s case, fiddling with her phone.

9) We’re Here For A Reason (Camp Cretaceous n Clone Wars cross over)

The ship shook under their feet and Ikoe could only yelp in shock when she almost fell over

10) Coming Undone

Ikoe pulled her hood further over her head as she walked out of the marketplace toward the ship she had scavenged with Hevy, Wooley, and Blue's help.

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what the pattern is LMFAO. Like half are pleasant/happy/neutral while the other half seem to be kinda angsty. Literally two start with someone smiling lol. Though the fic starting with ‘Yavin 2 was a dismal place’ is somehow the funniest line to me in the list. But in general, I seem to try using the first line as a way to set the tone of the fic by either what they’re doing or what it looks like in number 7’s case which is interestin since some of these were started either 2022 or for my Found a Padawan earlier. So it’s good to know this is how I’ve been starting my fics for awhile.

Ok tagging!

@housewifebuck @devirnis @mochinek0 @yukipri @silverwhiteraven @nobodyfamousposts and anyone else that wants to!

[my-fic-team--via-da-template]

Second Day of Presentations: Strangest Character

https://madelinejrose.wordpress.com/2020/09/15/the-winner-of-the-strangest-character-silmaril-award-2020/

Iko was a nominee for this category! And since I was the one who nominated her, I bet she sat with the others I nominated. She probably had so many interesting conversations (including with the winner! I nominated the winner!). Oddly enough, one of her teammates is acquainted with another of the nominees (Ms. Track/Lady Quack of The Nicholas Book).

After Miracle Max was announced, Iko probably went over and hugged him and Valerie both at once. She’s nice like that.

A few other team members arrived this day, too. Father Brown and Flambeau arrived together, and afterward ended up talking to the Council of Days (another of my nominations!). Father Brown had a lot to talk about with all of them, but Flambeau gravitated a little more toward Syme (understandably). They probably had a grand chat.

Ray and Murdock also arrived this day, and they probably had a whole lot of fun. Spending time with a few like-minded peers, you know.

[cheritzteam]

[MM] Notice on Halloween and Rika's Birthday Event

Hello, this is Cheritz.

If we were to pick one event that we absolutely should not miss out on celebrating in October, it would be Halloween!!🎃🎃🎃 And to celebrate that bone-chilling and sweet-loving holiday, we have prepared something special that everyone can enjoy!

Moreover, at the following November is the birthday of Rika, who wants to share her happiness! We hear that she is very excited to spend some quality time with you, so come and celebrate her birthday with us!

< 1. Halloween Event : Mystic Halloween Party>

Is anyone getting goosebumps yet? We hope you are ready to participate in a totally new type of event this Halloween!

You can now choose your replies on Twitter, just like you did while playing the game! The ending you get from the Mystic Halloween Party will be completely up to you! Place a vote on the option of your choice and follow the story as it unfolds.★ So don’t forget to take part and explore various routes!

*The story will follow the majority. *The endings can be different for each language (Korean, English, Spanish).

*Designed by Freepik: www.freepik.com 

Halloween Event Period : 27th of October - 30th of October

< 2. Birthday Event : Spending November with Rika>

Rika is planning to bring bundles of joy as well as various questions in November, so feel free to share your answers with her on Twitter! :D

< 3. Game-Access Event >

Log in during the following period to see the new title illustration and intro chats featuring Rika in celebration of Halloween!

Intro Chats: 31st of October - 3rd of November (KST) Title Illustration: 31st of October - 30th of November (KST)

Please also note that if you log in during the following period, Rika will send you a lucky gift of 30 hourglasses!

Event Period: 31st of October - 3rd of November (KST) *Can be received only once during the event period. *Can be received by entering Mode Select > Main Menu.

[Winner Announcement: Intro Chats for Halloween and Rika’s Birthday]

하연 Jaidyn Pjwantspoptarts anarki Iko Cookie Anxivert Emi

*Please refer to the following notice to find out more about the <Making My Very Own Game Intro Chats!> event! [MM] <Making My Very Own Game Intro Chats!>: (Link)

We wish you a happy Halloween and hope you will join us in celebrating Rika’s birthday! Have a healthy and happy day.♥

Thank you.

Best,   Cheritz

[sunnymimis]

My Love Live! OCs in Sasaki-Gumi! 🧡💖💙 Facts about them below!

Akina Kamenashi

The former leader of StarX, a school idol group formed in her youth.

While not an idol anymore, she is still as outgoing and chaotic as she used to be!

She works as a talent agent and acts as Hisa's "manager" of sorts.

Her fiancée is Miyuki Honda, @miru-p's OC. She proposed shortly before moving to Tokyo to find Hisa!

She looks forward to her video chats with Miyuki as much as Miyuki does, and is very cheesy about showing her love for her fiancée!

There is a part of her that misses being an idol, which pushes her to try and live vicariously through Hisa at times. 

However, she realizes this is wrong and eventually apologizes to Hisa. 

Hisa Chiba

Formerly a member of StarX alongside Akina and Iko, Hisa has now moved on to continue being an idol!

She still texts her friend (and crush) Tsuki Shimizu, @miru-p's OC, every day. Tsuki is her biggest fan and runs her fanclub!

She loves the color pink and cute things.

She treasures the accessories Tsuki makes for her and owns a phone charm and sticker made by her as well!

Eventually, she meets Yusaku (my OC) when he got lost looking for Shiro's bakery, and reunites with Tsuki there for the first time in years! 

She is Haruka's little sister, and at this time doesn't know Haruka is still alive. One day she will, though, and they'll reunite too! 

Iko Natsukawa

Iko is also a former member of StarX, and is now a famous basketball player!

They travel the world, but they always love coming home to their apartment they share with their wife, Kaede Kuragi (@miru-p's OC)!

In fact, most of Iko's basketball team knows about Kaede and how much Iko misses her when they're away from home.

Iko has a tendency to get lost easily, even when back home in Tokyo.

He has a "manager" that he unwittingly picked up along the way somehow by the name of Takeo Nakayama. One day I'll design him...

She enjoys being home with Kaede the most!

[just2bubbly]

I liked your story, I don't want to read Cinder's angst like this, I need her remembering, and seeing her happy with her husband and children (and her Rampion Crew friends) gathered for a meal or something similar

Thank you !

hii, thank you sending in the ask! happy to know that you liked it :) wrote something that isn't necessarily happy Cinder but isn't sad Cinder either. hope you like it!! <3

If you are first time reading, better read after this, not mandatory but it will make more sense

Masterlist

Distant Memories

Ship: Kaider

Words: 2.1k

Genre: Angst

A/N: SOSN isn't canon in this fic, Future fic

Cinder's Perspective-

"Stars above, I'm so full," Thorne groaned, stretching his legs to pop the joints that had been sitting for a while now. 

"For once I agree, it was a lovely meal," Scarlet adds in praise.

Cinder and Julian murmur their thanks, both quite pleased with the work they had done. Julian grins at her and mouths a 'told you so' making Cinder roll her eyes. She had freaked over making dinner at such short notice for all of them, Julian had assured her on multiple accounts but it was unheard of. Cinder wasn't necessarily great in the kitchen, more times than not she broke dishes and glassware unknowingly. Her metal hand held the containers too tightly, resulting in cracks that made the container and food stored within discard-worthy.

"I'd get this cleaned. You spend time with them," Julian told her as he collected the used cutlery. 

"You don't have to. Let me help you, I'll spend time with them later. Besides all of them are staying for a while." She argued back, removing the leftovers in small containers. They might reheat it and consume it tomorrow. Julian always said that "leftovers taste the best" to which she begrudgingly agreed.

"Love, if the signs are right, Thorne would be out before we are done. So go, I have this covered," he said nudging her out of the kitchen. She goes on her toes and kisses him, giving in to his requests as she mumbles an 'I love you', a sense of happiness setting over as she joins the most reckless people she has come to love. 

"Would you guys like to do something?" She asked, they had some board games from Julian's childhood in the basement. It could be fun to play them with a large crowd, she thought. 

"Cinny, I'd love to join you, but I have eaten enough to sleep for days. You guys continue without me," Scarlet admits, Cinder chuckles softly, hugging Scarlet through her large belly. She shows Wolf and Scarlet to the guest room.

As she walks down, she thinks how not many would be eager to play a competitive game on the heavy meal they had had. She is surprised to see the crowd she returns to, Cress and Iko are glued to the screen watching some romcom. Jacin and Winter are nowhere to be seen, so she assumes they have decided to call it a night too. 

Thorne is sprawled on the couch from where he calls her, "I'd- well I wanted to talk about something." 

Cinder's interest peaks as she joins him on the couch, forcing him to sit to make room for her. 

"Go on," she tells him, Thorne glances at his wife and Iko sitting on the thick carpet and towards the kitchen before saying, "Maybe somewhere alone."

This alarms Cinder, she is on her feet in an instance suggesting if the backyard is good enough. Thorne nods as he follows her out through the back door. The chill of a November night stills them, the icy breeze blowing in their face.

"Do you want to go out in the cold?" 

"Not the worst I have faced," Thorne addresses, passing her as he walks barefoot on the lawn. The dew on the grass blades feels cool against her skin, the moisture sipping through.

"What's this about?" She asks, diving straight into the topic. She wasn't the one to beat around the bush, her nerves couldn't support the anticipation. She skimmed through the chats they had had in the recent week, trying to find something that Thorne might have dropped that reflected something being out of place.

"I don't even know if this concerns you—" Thorne says, Cinder cuts him off, "—Thorne put it in words, you are making me worried sick."

"I have got an invitation," he says at last shoving his hand into pockets. He stares into the night sky, the darkness against the twinkling lights of multi-storey buildings. The moon shining bright above, Cinder looks at it thinking of old times. Luna and her once-last lifetime there. 

"That's all?" She asks exasperated. Unable to fathom how a single invitation has got Thorne so troubled. He fails to answer her prior question so she continues," From who? Your Parents? But- you mentioned that you cut ties with-" 

"It was from Kai," he snaps, stopping her from bringing up his parents. 

Kai. Stars.

She is shocked over what to say, so she silently stares ahead at the city lights spread around her house. When the initial shock had calmed, she asked, "What does it say?" 

"He invited me and Cress, well, to the New Year's Dinner. He says 'It's for the old time's sake'." Thorne described, his voice dulling out on nostalgia.

Cinder isn't able to express her surprise in words. 'For old times sake' was such a cliche phrase but it was just like Kai to use it to make a point across. She shouldn't have expected any less, he was a born diplomat.

The last time they had spent New Year's together felt like ages ago, it was ages ago- when they were still dating. It was Cinder and Kai and everyone and not whatever else this has become. 

Cinder had last seen Kai at an event when she was required to be present as ex-Lunar Queen for the Intergalactic Peace Treaty modifications. Then, she had been like a stranger to him, she couldn't recall if they had exchanged formalities, if she had even been in the same room with him.

"And what did you reply?" She asked trying to keep the conversation going so her mind won't betray her. 

"I'm here to ask you that," he says, causing Cinder to spin around. 

"The New Year's in 4 days and you haven't replied yet?!" She almost yells, forcing herself to keep her tone in check. She doesn't need anyone to know she is talking about Kai in her backyard while her husband washes dishes.

"Cinder, things didn't end on the best of notes. For fucks sake, I'm sure he believes I'd decline the invite. He said 'I understand if you have plans made and can't make it'- It's like he knows I'd decline." Thorne points out, his frustration clearly showing. 

Cinder does seem to forget that her breakup with Kai resulted in a lot of things ending on bitter notes. Especially for Kai.

She hates to look at it this way but it felt like she stole Kai's friends from him. Julian always said that Kai didn't put the effort to be friends with the crew afterwards and she shouldn't blame herself for that but Julian didn't know Kai like she did. Kai willingly stopped putting in the effort because he believed he wasn't entitled to their friendship- unlike Cinder.

She knew how he had sent gifts for Winter and Jacin on their wedding day, choosing to not attend the small ceremony for personal reasons. Iko who was still part of the Lunar administration often came across Kai, she never brought it up to Cinder but knew the friendship was civil for the two. He let all of them go along with Cinder, those years ago. 

"Are you willing to go?" She asks, her voice calmer this time, curls around in one of the outside chairs. Thorne joins hers, putting his legs on the hardwood of her coffee table. 

"Yes," he admits, now staring at her. Cinder already knew the answer yet something deep inside her hoped for a different one.

"Why?"

"Cinder," Thorne sighs, his hand pulling at his face before he continues, "All those years ago I chose you and I don't regret it. I love you but I loved Kai too. You got everyone out of the relationships but Kai didn't get anyone. It is foolish to think that one feels not guilty for not being there for a friend."

Cinder continues to remain silent, she knows after the revolution Thorne had spent a lot of his time at the Commonwealth. So much so that it was clear, he and Kai were better friends than them. The break-up took a lot from Kai- friendship with Thorne being one of them. Thorne's words had opened up some wounds she liked to keep unattended. The guilt encompassed her being like always when Kai was brought up in conversation. 

Realizing his misstep, Thorne pulls her chair towards him, "I'm not blaming you, Cinder but I want to give Kai a chance. I promise I won't bring you up with him or him anywhere near you. It's just- his invite reminded me of the 19-year-old lost boy without friends and it broke my heart. I want to be there for his happiness and sadness like I was for yours. Like he was for mine."

She understands where he is coming from. Thorne and Kai had clicked after the revolution, one might have taken them to be brothers. Kai had helped Cress and Thorne transition into a settled life from their nomadic ways. Thorne wasn't much help when Kai needed it.

"Ok," she nods in approval. Thorne seems to not hear it, so he makes her repeat it.

"I don't mind if you visit Kai for New Year's," she says louder. He whispers a thanks, Cinder isn't sure what for.

"Do you think the others are invited too?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her- if she would be having the same conversation with the others in the morning, the least would be to be prepared to talk about The Emperor who still unnerve her. 

"I don't think so, he seemed hesitant to ask me. Can't imagine him asking everyone else," he wondered. 

Cinder glances towards the door, Julian's working under the white light of the kitchen. Still doing dishes probably. She remembers her life as a mechanic a lifetime ago. Julian looks up through the window and catches her staring at him, he winks at her. She attempts to smile at him, but it's too dark for him to notice the smile lines not forming. 

"Do you think it will be awkward?" 

"Hell lot," Thorne laughs, "I don't know what to get him. Cress might know of something. It's been years since we last talked, it's going to be so weird." 

She recoils on the inside but meeting Kai is Thorne's problem and she won't ponder it. Pulling her knees to her chest to bring herself some warmth, she says, "Thank you for choosing me." 

"Cinder," he reprimands "It was my choice." Hearing his words, the conviction with which he says them, she smiles, sadness lingering. She curls in his side, head laid on his shoulder. They sit like that, lost in their own regrets and maybes. 

"Do you ever think about maybe?"

A chuckle blooms through her lips unknowingly, she had thought about it so much- how she hadn't tried enough, how Kai wasn't cooperating, how she should have been closer, given up the crown sooner. It took a while to come to the realisation that they were doomed from the beginning. They never really stood a chance. 

"Sometimes that's all I can think of," she admits softly in the dark, her words uttered more for herself than for Thorne.

Cinder had moved on from her relationship with Kai for some time now, she was married to Julian, someone she loved very dearly. More than Kai too. But Kai had seen something in her when no one wanted to look at Cinder.

When someone gives you that much attention and becomes a reason behind all your actions or habits, it's difficult to move past that without acknowledging how much they matter. Kai was that person to her.

Kai was no longer a lover but someone who would always be her well-wisher, no matter how harsh she might have been on him. It was just something he would always be, an admirable guy.

"It's strange how you guys were the ones that got everyone together only for you to not make it," he said, satire hitting every word. 

Cinders overlooks the comment, "You should get him fondo from the place near your house. The one where you proposed Cress. He used to love it back then, might as well like it now," she suggests instead. 

Thorne nods in acknowledgement and pats her head as he stands, "I'd take them along. Why don't we have some hot chocolate? It's getting cold out here- Julian bragged how he made the best ones! I'd like to taste them!" 

"Oh, he absolutely does. We might have marshmallows to top it," she says, and seeing how Thorne continued to stand still, yells, "C'mon, hurry up! Think Julian might not be too tired to make it."

Thorne laughs, "He had made it for you even if he was asleep." 

And as Thorne had mentioned, Julian does.

__

A/N: Hope I did your request justice, it wasn't very 'moving on' like because I tried replying for multiple requests with this!

tagging: @gingerale2017 @fangirlforever0704 @salt-warrior @slmkaider @impossiblesuitcase @cindersassasin @therealkaidertrash21

[impossiblesuitcase]

Cut, Comb, Detangle, Repeat - part ii.

Chapter 2: Comb (Out Dead Ends, To Make Way For Living)

Thorne (just now): man, its so peaceful here

Thorne: quiet

Thorne: like it was meant to be this way

Thorne: just the four of us on the farm and NO one else

Cinder sat in her solar flare, flicking the icons on her portscreen’s displayed documents. It pinged with a message—probably another from the group chat. Thorne and Cress were visiting the Benoit Farm and he spared no expense in reminding everyone else that they weren’t at the reunion. The chat had been quiet, never wanting to indulge Thorne too much, but his photos had garnered some dramatic messages from Iko and happy proclamations from Winter: “Wish we were with you!”

He had, of course, messaged her privately with some inane question about Luna politics. Their spasmodic conversations ranged from totally nonsensical to serious queries about each other’s well-being to photos of whatever they encountered during the day.

Thorne: Is thaumaturge garcia related to alexander garcia

Cinder: ???

Thorne: You know alex

Thorne: taht idol on jetsetters

Cinder: I’ve never watched it.

Thorne: but like are they related

Cinder: Considering he’s Earthen, probably not.

Thorne: is garcia a common last name on luna

Cinder: Common enough.

Thorne: why are you using proper grammar

Cinder: My retina display autocorrects everything.

Thorne: sad

Thorne: youll never have a cool comm style

Cinder: if i use my port its different

Thorne: aww

Thorne: you switched to your port just for me

Thorne: so theyre not related

Cinder: i really dont know

Thorne: what about daniel garcia??

Cinder: who

Thorne: luna citizen

Cinder: there are 128 citizens with that name on luna

Thorne continued to insist on a connection between the two, and as meaningless as the conversation was, Cinder appreciated the idle break.

Cinder felt her body slumping forward as exhaustion dragged on her. Closing her eyes to dispel the throb from the glaring lights, she lay her head on the desk with a feeling of loneliness creeping into her chest. Normally she was too busy to concentrate on being thousands of kilometres away from home, but in the quieter moments it was hard to block it all out. Especially not when she was talking to Kai, whose sincere smiles and crinkling eyes and habit of running his hands through his hair made her heart clench.

Her port buzzed with an incoming vidcomm and she accepted, not bothering to check the ID or turn her camera on.

“Man, it’s pretty dark on Luna. Complete blackness. Nothing to be seen.”

Cinder grinned goofily. “It’s what my brain looks like right now.”

“What, a no video engaged icon?”

“Nothingness. No thoughts, no comprehension.”

Kai’s chuckle warmed her chest. “And yet you speak. I’m honoured to witness it.”

“To you? Always.”

It was his turn to smile. “How are you doing?”

She lifted her head from the desk and sat up, turning on the video function while ignoring her probably haggard appearance. She doubted Kai would care.

His face brightened at seeing her. The throb behind her eyes subsided at seeing him, only to be replaced with a throb of longing in her stomach.

“Confused, tired, maybe delusional. How are you?”

“Torin’s telling me I need to sleep more, but other than that”—he lifted his hands in an extended pause—“alive and functioning.”

“What time is it?” She didn’t need to ask, as her display could bring it up in 2.3 seconds. But she missed him, and she wanted to believe asking it would pull them closer.

“Late. But I wanted to see you before I sleep.” He leaned forward, looking at her intently as if to memorise her face again. “I miss you.”

She settled back into the chair, her voice dropping in melancholy “I miss you. And you need to sleep, you have the state meeting tomorrow. Don’t let your prep to go to waste.”

“Ugh, Cinder, you’re being smart and rational when all I want to do is talk to you forever.”

They talked for forty minutes after that as Kai prepared for bed and Cinder ignored remaining royal comms. She spent half of it in her office before wandering out to the tall, ancient hallways, Kinney trailing dutifully behind her. The glass windows never cast a reflection back to her, but the mirrors placed at random intervals sought to compensate for its lack.

Cinder caught herself in one such mirror, eyeing the rumpled dress and shambled hair with indifference. She trusted Kinney and the other staff to hardly care what they thought of her physical appearance. Her personal estheticians ensured her skin was prescribed a perfectly tailored routine, but her forgetfulness meant she didn’t exactly adhere to it as well as they would have liked. Blemishes and dark circles and the occasional acne scar were on display in the absence of a glamour, but she was often praised for the authenticity rather than criticised by her subjects.

She normally opted for light pants and shirts (unless Tressa stepped in and completely vetoed her preferences), but today’s meeting with the Lunar Court had her in regal attire. The long lace sleeves reached her wrists and the pleated skirt, though rich with petticoats and chiffon, hung in a slim silhouette. She didn’t pay the getup much attention, but when passing through the portrait hall she spied something similar at the end. Cinder couldn’t help but pause at the flickering image of her mother, stuck in a perpetual smile that made it seem like she was about to start talking. It startled her every time she saw it.

Kai had his port positioned on his bathroom bench as he washed his face. He looked up at the drop in sound. “You all right, Cin?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Stuff in this place still catches me off guard.”

Kai peered closer at the screen, jumping when he noticed a sliver of the holographic Channary’s head peeking into the corner. “Ah, the creepy portrait of your mother, right?”

She flexed her jaw. “Yeah. I don’t why, but it weirds me out more than the others.” The hall was lined with kings and queens from endless generations. For as grand as the Eastern Commonwealth Palace was, its monarchy was in its infancy compared to Luna.

Kai toweled his neck. “You do look like her with your glamour. I wonder what she looked like without it.”

Cinder shifted to the left, the image changing perspective with her movement. It was eerie, to see the woman she resembled but had no tangible connection to. She felt drawn to look at it, but didn’t know why. It irked her while giving her a distinct impression of dread and longing all at once.

“I guess it’s just weird.”

“I did a double take when I saw it, but, well, it makes sense.” He buried a hand in the towel and pressed it to the bench. “She’s your mother, if anyone were ever to doubt it.”

“Dr. Erland said I looked like her,” she murmured, but turned her head to shake away the abstraction. “Anyway. The woman is dead and gone.”

Kai smiled at her. “And you are alive and well. Thankfully.”

She exited the hallway to wander the private wings and talked aimlessly with Kai. Eventually he expended his final bluffs of things he needed to do in his night routine, and finally admitted to being ready for sleep.

“You should’ve been asleep an hour ago,” she berated softly.

He glanced to the side, lips forming the slightest pout. “I wasn’t ready then.”

“Excuses, excuses.” She yawned, then slowed her steps as she watched him settle into bed. “I’ll let you go.”

His face was forlorn. “Talk tomorrow?”

She smiled. “Of course. I love you.”

He kissed his fingertips and gently pressed it to the port camera. “I love you, Cinder.”

Her heart welled up with emotion as she shut off the connection. They had said their first I love you’s months ago, and though she’d wished it had been in person, she knew they were separated for too long to conceal it.

It wasn’t late on Luna, but her heart had already gone to bed.

Feeling pensive, Cinder wandered to the door she knew she’d been approaching but pretended she hadn’t. Since the staff had first shown her here days after her coronation, Cinder had returned three times. This was the fourth, and yet she still didn’t know why some kind of magnetism attracted her back to it.

Kinney stayed by the door as it creaked open, having kept his respectful distance to not encroach on her conversation with the emperor. She crept into the room and didn’t bother to turn on the lights though the curtains were half closed. It was the same as she’d left it, in that it was the same as she’d found it the first time. Winter had told her that it used to, apparently, have a mirror until Levana stormed in and destroyed it in a fury.

Her mother, the late Queen Channary, was not remembered well in this palace. Other than being flighty, unreliable and wholly apathetic to the country’s needs, Channary was known as a selfish creature, and the memories of her outbursts on servants and merciless punishments lingered as folklore. Cinder couldn’t help it; she’d researched about her mother, scouring for details that could give her understanding.

Channary was a terrible person, evidenced enough merely by what she’d done to Levana. But whispers suggested that she had—perhaps—some sense of morality. She had taken suitors, but not through manipulation. It wasn’t fun that way, she was wont to proclaim. The same couldn’t be said of Levana, whose control over Evret had been relayed to Cinder by the Sir Garrison Clay, mourning over his dear friend. Any sympathy she’d felt for Levana’s trauma fled in her revulsion of how the sixteen-year-old princess manipulated and assaulted the grieving guard.

Cinder paced the room to the bed and sat, smoothing her hands along the untouched sheets. Though her mother was terrible, she couldn’t fight the longing in her chest for a parent. She remembered just before Dr. Erland had told her she was Selene in prison; the very idea that she could have a family, even parents still alive, had blossomed so quickly within her.

Now she knew her mother was evil, her father unknown, but she still felt the sadness of a child stripped of a loving parent.

Perhaps her hurt stemmed from what she’d discovered in examining this room. Beside the bed was the sweetest, most delicate cradle, and the realisation that her mother had cared for her personally struck a dismal chord in Cinder’s heart.

“She died of...regolith poisoning, was it?”

Kinney perked up. “Apparently so, Your Majesty. That was not revealed to the public at the time, but your freedom of information acts have made that much clear.”

She hesitated, not sure what to ask. Not sure what she wanted to know. “...Is that a painful death?”

She could let her retina display give her a full rundown on the condition, but she’d shut off her netlink. She didn’t want to know the horrible details.

“Lengthy, and painful, yes. It causes stress to the individual and their family.”

Cinder imagined her mother dying without knowing why. In pain. She couldn’t resonate with the woman, couldn’t look past her evil, but death had marked Cinder on many occasions. She knew its terror.

But Channary’s family—Selene had been her family. And according to the first hand accounts of maids and housekeepers, Channary had loved her Selene. This bassinet proved that though she may have very well been a horrible mother, she did love her daughter.

———

“Get out!” The screech reverberated off the walls, slamming into the servants as they cleared the way for the queen. She marched readily past the entourage, her face flushing red as unstoppable coughs racked her body.

Phlegm and mucus pooled into her elbow from where she was covering her mouth and soiled her sleeves. She had just reached the door of her quarters when a maid approached and extended her arm to offer Her Majesty a handkerchief.

The queen glared a thousand scalding daggers into the woman’s eyes, and with a single flick at her will, forced the woman’s hand into a choke hold—cutting off her air supply. She held it for five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.

Finally when the coughs threatened to claw out her throat, she released the maid and slapped the handkerchief from her hand. The woman sank to the floor, gasping for air and rubbing her throat.

The coughs grew in worse intensity, and the queen entered her room with a sharp slam of the door. She fell against the wall as the hacking persisted, becoming more and more uncontrollable. It was a despicable, dry sound that made her entire body ache and her lungs scream mercilessly at her. Though she did not know what a diaphragm was, the muscles groaned within her torso, hating her.

After agonising moments where she felt she would surely die, the villain in her throat subsided to stinging wheezes and then sore rasps for breath. Only when the sound quieted did she hear another frequency, just as loud but unheard over her debilitating cough.

The cry of a baby blended with the last remnants of croaks, and Channary finally opened her tearful eyes to source the sound. It was just below her, a tiny figure tugging on her skirt and digging into her feet.

Selene stared up at her mother, chubby cheeks red with tears and wails. The baby was over a year old now, and since she had been able to walk she had no issue toddling over to express her complaints with those in her direct vicinity. Still, she sought her mother’s attention the most.

Channary let her racing heart and the dull throb calm as much as it was willing to. Selene went on wailing, looking up to her mother and waiting for her to intervene. She scooped up her daughter but did not stand, hardly trusting her shaking arms to carry the weight. The cries turned to whimpers as Channary stroked the fine tufts of hair. Her breaths evened out, but were still short, and sent sharp stabs into her sternum.

“Now, now,” her voice cracked on every word, “there’s no need to cry.”

Selene didn’t care much, flailing her arms anywhere they could reach along Channary’s arms, neck and bosom. “Come on Leeny. Lee-ny,” she sung, her voice winded and fragile.

The baby soothed after a few minutes of Channary slowly swaying her. She sat up straighter and went to stand before another fit of coughs overtook her. Selene’s crying resumed, distressed at her mother’s affliction. When both of them fell back into manageable noise levels she stood and trudged across the room. Her feet were dead weights and her toes burned as they dragged along the carpet.

Selene gasped, her eyes redirecting to every point of interest in the room. She pointed her pudgy finger to the mirror where it reflected a rainbow onto the floor. Channary guided them over and Selene babbled as she pressed her hands to the surface, leaving grubby fingerprints on the glass.

Channary smiled at her baby’s infatuation with touching her reflection. She looked at her own and flinched at her sallow skin. She still thought she was irrefutably, untouchably gorgeous, but without a glamour she saw how sickly her appearance had become. Her body was thinner, her shoulders slumping and eyes drooping. Her lips were coarse from biting them and dark bags hung from beneath her eyes.

She still had the same high cheekbones, the same narrow vixen eyes and warmed brown skin that had never seen sunlight. Those features were mirrored in Selene, and she was proud people would see the resemblance between them. A beautiful queen could only birth a beautiful princess. Selene would be her mirror-image, a perfect copy and extension of her mother in looks and beliefs alike.

But even the consolation of artemisian families and numerous men who chirruped of her beauty could not evade the truth. Dr. Elliot had told her weeks ago, but she’d refused to accept it.

She would not admit it was her fault. That night she stole away to the outer sectors for an affair, and then met his friends, and their friends, and found herself having liaisons on the furthermost parameters of the domes a few nights a week. Apparently it wasn’t far enough.

“Mama,” Selene gabbled before it descended into drivel. Channary shifted Selene to her left arm, slow lest she set off into another coughing fit. Her eyes bored into themselves through the looking glass and Channary rested her damp cheek against her baby’s hair.

“You know Leeny,” she breathed and kissed Selene, “I think you’ll be a great queen.”

Selene spat, but Channary didn’t care about the drool now staining her bodice.

She flattened Selene’s unruly hair with a clammy palm. “Not the most beautiful queen, that will always be me.” Her hands rested atop the head for a moment longer. “But a great queen.”

Selene lifted her hand in a fist so it held Channary’s cheek in the softest punch. “You must remember that being queen is a right, okay? You must remember that, hm?”

Channary tilted her head to lean into the tiny hand, and Selene was surprised, eyes widening with heavy breaths. “Remember that…” A burning, sickening cough. “That it doesn’t matter what you do with it, as long as no one takes it away from you.”

Her eyes grew serious, imploring Selene to listen, to understand. Channary had never been book smart, and she knew people thought of her as academically unintelligent. Oh the queen is lovely to have around! they'd chatter. Such a doll, such a character. Her head’s certainly not all there though!

Channary acknowledged this happily. Why read and learn when you could drink and enjoy the luxuries you so clearly deserved?

But if she wished to give her daughter any wisdom, it would be this.

“You’ll be the queen because that is your right. And trust me my darling, they will try to snatch it from you.” Her expression soured. “They’ll try to grab every last thing they can from you, and you can’t let them.”

Selene’s mouth parted, gaping unknowingly. It was so charming it broke Channary’s resolve. “I wish I-I could be there to help you through it.”

She sank into the floor as she dissolved entirely into sobs. She’d denied that she was dying in every second, every worried glance of staff, each irate outburst as her anxiety grated on her. But here, with only her child and herself, there were no excuses, only apologies.

She had never sincerely apologised for anything in her life, each halfhearted condolence undercut by aggression or disinterest. This was her first apology. The first one she had ever meant.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, hapless and pathetic in her crumpled dress on the floor. “You’ll be alone when I should be with you, and I”— a choke escaped her scorched throat—“I’m so sorry.”

It was delirious from there on out. The room, full of useless furniture and trinkets she thought she’d use one day. The bed she’d taken men whose names and faces left her mind as quickly as a fan’s spinning blade.

The queen, always perfect and flirty and gregarious, in a teary heap on the floor.

She cried until her hateful lungs took over and Selene began to cry again. It was even more heartbreaking, that her baby was scared simply because she was. The empathy Channary had never possessed so clear in her offspring.

Channary cried until her eyes were barren, until the tears fell and coated Selene’s wispy hair. She was disarmed by her own transparency, or rather, her usual lack of it. She expressed her anger, but never her fear. People received the brunt of her aggression as a result, but she was the queen. She would be adored, whether people liked it or not.

But she didn’t care about any of them, not the court, not even her annoying sister. Selene though, she loved.

Knowing that her daughter was seeing her cry worsened it all; Selene was the only person that she loved almost as much as she loved herself. She wanted Selene to know that her mother was okay, that she would be cared for.

It wouldn’t last much longer.

The light streamed in and bounced off the mirror just over their heads. Channary buried her eyes into Selene’s hair, hoping it would hide the regret, the sorrow, the shame.

———

Cinder blinked as light cast over her face, illuminating her hair. The ends were orange in the light and the sharp flooding memory of Peony’s words stabbed into her stomach. Her retina display brought back the footage of that day that, impossible as it felt, was only three years ago. The cut had been choppy and immature, but Peony had insisted and Cinder loved her sister—her family.

There was no mirror to look into, but she knew it had grown long. The bangs were past her chin and there was no fringe to cover grease splotches. Cinder’s eye snagged on a hairbrush placed on the vanity. She strode over, her dress brushing the cradle and tinkling the little bells inside.

The brush was silver and embossed with tactile markings, smooth symbols and shapes that Cinder knew were significant but held no real meaning to her. It felt taboo to touch, to acknowledge her mother’s things. Her mother was evil and she didn’t care for her.

Maybe it’d be easier if Channary had never cared for Selene. It would be easy to discard the parent that discarded her. But her mother had loved her, kept her in her room and glowed at the prospect of her motherhood. Cinder couldn’t say that her longing excused her mother’s actions, because it didn’t. She was a torturer, an abuser.

Yet Cinder knew she grieved the childhood she’d never had. She hated that the one time a parent in her life loved her, that woman was irredeemable. No matter the circumstances, Cinder would have never had a parent who loved her that she could love back unconditionally.

Before she could stop herself, Cinder was running the brush through her hair, feeling the soft swooping and wishing she felt guilty for doing it.

———

A week later, Tressa pinned up Cinder’s hair and complained about the length. “You keep pulling on your hair like this and you’ll have permanent dead ends.”

Iko nodded from in front of Cinder as she adjusted the queen’s sash. “It could use a cut.”

Tressa plucked a pin from her lips. “I’ll schedule it in. Oh, do you want bangs?”

Cinder craned her head—to the disapproval of the girls who yelled “hold still!”—and uttered thoughtlessly: “Bangs?”

Tressa listed her head. “It’s your signature look, but it’s grown out. We can cut them again.”

Cinder almost flinched, and Iko’s acute detection scanners noticed instantly. She rested a hand on her best friend’s shoulder knowingly.

Cinder exhaled a long, measured breath. “Sure. Bangs are fine.”

The bangs were cut, and Iko smiled wistfully as they examined the look in the mirror. No words were said as Tressa pottered around, packing away tools and talking to herself. Words weren’t enough for the two, and neither could shed tears in mourning for their lost family.

But they had each other, and Iko’s cold fingers were a perfect comb for Cinder’s mousy locks. The next time Cinder returned to Channary’s room, the brush was placed back and left there.

Notes -

Parts: 1 2 3 4 5

DISCLAIMER - I am in no way condoning Channary as a person. She is literally evil, and I hope I conveyed that. However, a very real experience many children have is trying to grapple with the fact that their parent is a bad person, even if they were loving.

Channary said in Fairest that "being queen is a right", so I wanted to explore that. This post is like a genius explanation so please read it.

tag list: @salt-warrior @cinderswrench @cindersassasin @just2bubbly @zephyr-thedragon

[cheritzteam-es]

[Mystic Messenger] Anuncio del Evento de Halloween y el Cumpleaños de Rika

Hola, somos Cheritz.

Hay a finales de Octubre un evento que no nos podemos perder jaja Nada más ni nada menos que Halloween!!! 🎃🎃🎃 Para pasar un Halloween dulce y escalofriante hemos preparado un evento que todos podamos disfrutar!

Además la felicidad de Noviembre, Rika quien siempre está detrás de los telones ha aparecido para compartir felicidad a todos por su cumpleaños~! ¡Festeja junto a nosotros y Rika quien se ha quedado fantaseando pensando que la pasará contigo!

< ① Evento de Halloween : una sospechosa fiesta de Halloween >

¿No sienten un aliento escalofriante en algún lugar? Para este nuevo Halloween hemos preparado un evento un poco diferente!

¡El modo elige tu propia historia que estaba en el juego, ahora podrás experimentarlo en las redes sociales! Está en sus manos Coordinadoras saber como terminará la sospechosa fiesta de Halloween que se subirá al twitter ! Si votas la opción que quieres la historia continuará por el hilo que haya obtenido la mayor cantidad de votos★ ¡Disfruta de diferentes rutas en la Red social!

*Las historias pueden desarrollarse de manera diferente en cada idioma.

Duración del Evento de Halloween : 27/10 (Mar) ~ 30/10 (Vier)

< ② Evento de Cumpleaños : Noviembre junto a Rika >

Por su cumpleaños Rika con mucha felicidad se conectará a las Redes Sociales! Entérate de las preguntas que tiene Rika y déjanos tu especial comentario↖(^o^)↗

< ③ Anuncio de Evento inicio de sesión por Cumpleaños >

Entra durante el período del evento y disfruta de la imagen de portada de Halloween y el cumpleaños de Rika y los Intro Chats! ​ Duración de los Intro Chat :​ 31 de Octubre (Sábado) ~ 3 de Noviembre del 2020 (Martes) Duración de la Ilustración de Portada : 31 de Octubre (Sábado) ~ 30 de Noviembre (Lunes) ​ Además, si inicias sesión en el período mencionado abajo Rika ha preparado un regalo de la suerte (30 Relojes de Arena) que tendrás en tu cuenta del juego⌛ ​ Aplicación de los Relojes de Arena : 31 de Octubre (Sábado) ~ 3 de Noviembre del 2020 (Martes) *Una única vez al iniciar sesión la primera vez durante la duración del evento. *Al ingresar a Mode Select > Menú Principal

Evento Intro Chat de Halloween y Cumpleaños de Rika : Lista de las Creative MC seleccionadas

하연 Jaidyn Pjwantspoptarts anarki Iko Cookie Anxivert Emi ​ *Para mas detalles del [Evento Escribiendo mi propio Intro Chat] ingresa en el anuncio de abajo! [Mystic Messenger] Anuncio del Evento del 3er Aniversario  “Intro Chat”: (Link)

Que pasen un bonito Halloween, ¡Festejen con nosotras el cumpleaños de Rika! Todas las coordinadoras tengan un día feliz y saludable♥

Muchas Gracias

De Cheritz.

[chamomile-camel]

@/iwaizumi & m*iko...PRIVATE CHATS EXIST Y’KNOW🙃🙃 @noya-sleftankle

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Lewis Tan, Wu Assassins 

You may recognize actor and martial artist Lewis Tan from his roles as Shatterstar in Deadpool 2 and Zhou Cheng in Marvel’s Iron Fist. Known for performing his own action sequences, Lewis began training in drama school at a young age, while learning martial arts from his father, action director and stunt choreographer, Phillip Tan. You can catch him as Lu Xin Lee in Netflix’s Wu Assassins, which premiered last week. We got the chance to chat with Lewis about Wu Assassins, stunts, and some of his favorite things. 

How does shooting action sequences differ from shooting other types of scenes?

Depending what I am doing, it can be very demanding, not just emotionally but physically. It requires so much endurance, giving 110% when they call “action”, take after take, day after day, when your body wants to shut down, usually dealing with injuries, extreme set conditions, choreo to memorize and much more. Finding the truth and expression in the movements, making the fight tell a story, that is the challenge. It has required many years of training to be able to deliver at this level. 

What’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you on set?

Each set has special and unique memories, a different country, different directors and actors. I almost drowned while filming an MMA scene wrapped in heavy chains in a water tank in Korea, I basically lived on a pirate ship in the Bahamas for Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Flipped off a moving truck with swords in my hands in the coldest winter in Ireland, and just recently fought back to back with Iko Uwais in a rainstorm in Canada, I could go on for days, too many great memories, I live for these moments. 

How would you describe Wu Assassins to a five year old?

A very violent action fantasy that you can't watch yet. 

If you had a catchphrase, what would it be?

No plan B. 

What’s the first thing (book, movie, show) that you remember being a fan of?

Star Wars. 

What’s your favorite character arc or storyline from Wu Assassins?

I enjoyed watching Lawerence Kao who plays Tommy, he is a wanna be gangster dealing with a heroin addiction, I think that's the first time I've seen an Asian actor play that. Also my character Lu Xin, you see him change completely through the season, he is flashy, cocky and smooth but underneath is dealing with massive pain and a monster complex. It comes out and nearly destroys everything.

How would you spend your ideal day off?

With good music and a pretty sunset. 

What are you most excited about right now?

Wu Assassins, Euphoria and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Thanks so much, Lewis! Wu Assassins is now streaming on Netflix. 

Photo by: Ben Cope