so i think i should probably introduce myself or do some sort of welcome to my blog ... or whatever
you can call me mena, i am a girl and i will post tlc related stuff here but i am from other fandoms and might reblog anything related to that from time to time
will probably post fics (or head cannons ? what are they called help), quotes from the books and just... random thoughts i have on them ... yea .. will do that đđ
i mostly ship all the ships of tlc, but im a sucker for Kaider so lol, also love all the brotps of this series
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Sometimes found family is a lost princess who mainly identifies as a mechanic, an android whoâs jealous of everyones tasting buds, an emperor whoâs trying his best, a retired wolf mercernary whoâs actually soft, a no bs farmer girl, a hallucinating princess and step cousin of the other princess, her self announced very stoic very serious bodyguard, a captain who actually cannot fly very well and a hacker girl with major social anxiety
Oh and also the bodyguard used to unwillinigly help imprison the hacker girl
And the hacker girl is actually the long thought dead daughter of the emperors doctor
And the no bs farmer girl is actually the granddaughter of the mechanics princesses Guardian
Oh and also most of them are in love with one of the others
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Say thank you to people who make free stuff you can use however. Thank you repeating pattern artists, thank you texture artists, thank you background artists, thank you royalty free music artists, thank you font designers, thank you thank you thank you mwah mwah mwah
Kai seems like the type to stand up to any criticism or ignorant comments targeted at Cinder. How do you think heâd respond to that in support of his lovely wife
"I don't see that her being cyborg is relevant." He could just reuse that line forever đ He would definitely respond in a such a logical and condemning way that the reporters would be left stammering and people online would make vids called "Best Emperor Kai disses."
I know I tend to post all the cutsie kaider bits, but I also believe that moments like these show the complexity and depth of their relationship just as much as their lovebird scenes. Both of them are clearly very distressed with the conflict between the state of the world and their relationship. Kai is upset because he felt that Cinder wasnât completely honest with him about herself, and her genuineness and honesty was a significant part for the liking he had taken towards her. But Cinder makes a good point in her own defence that, yeah, his character at the time probably wouldnât have handled the news very well. Then Kai revisits his concern about her hiding this information from him âforeverâ, obviously implying he saw something in their relationship, which is why when she shuts it down with a reminder of their differences and that âthere was never going to be a foreverâ it stings for him (and most likely her as well). A thing I like though, is how in this moment, their relationship between an emperor and a cyborg is labeled as an âabsurdityâ. This is so amazing because they literally go on to defy adversity, this being part of it. And now for the awesome part, MORE EMOTIONAL CINDER! I REPEAT! MORE EMOTIONAL CINDER! (This part breaks my heart a little though). When Kai asks her how many times she manipulated him, sheâs clearly taken aback by this because she never did. Then it says âa fire stoked behind her eyesâ when she asks him if he was worried that he âmay have had actual feelings for a lowly cyborgââŠ
MY POOR BABY FELT LIKE CRYING. BUT SHE CANT. You canât tell me she wasnât upset and hurt by that. A lowly cyborg.
And this ladies and gentlemen is why Kaider is all around beautiful. Because they had THIS. This hurt and conflict that makes all their love. That. Much. Better.
And how later, Kai affirms that yes, he probably would have never spoken to her again if she'd told him at that point. Pretty gutsy of him to admit that.
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the literal crown prince of the eastern commonwealth after his crush said no to going to the ball with him twice, ignored 6 of his comms, and didnât want to go eat lunch with him:
We have to remember that--by the end of Winter--the general public haven't actually seen Kai and Cinder interact. Their only widely known interactions was their brief time in the elevator and their conversation at the peace ball. The public have no idea of their dynamic, no reason to ship them. So it's understandable that their relationship is so controversial and poorly-received (for multiple reasons). It's even said that there are comedy sketches mocking their relationship. With Kai supporting Princess Selene in the revolution, this relationship reads as a PR stunt. And let's not forget the kidnapping.
So at some point after the revolution, Cinder and Kai do a laidback interview together--maybe on Thorne's podcast--and the public finally see their dynamic, their chemistry and banter and mutual sarcasm, and there's a collective moment of "oohhhh, that's why they're together." They have a lot more fans after that.
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The classroom was still, the quiet only broken by the intermittent low thrum of the air conditioner and styluses scratching against portscreens. The ticking countdown loomed before them on the digital whiteboard.Â
The whisper carried like a shout. âKai!â shot past three identically neat rows of desks to where he sat.
Kaiâs brow twitched. He re-read the question on his screen, attempting to block out the persisting voice.
âHey!â it came again, âHey Kaââ
âLijun,â intoned their teacher Kang-dĂ ren, âThis is an individual assessment, not a group project. Leave Kai alone and return to your test.â
Lijun sagged back into his seat. A volley of giggles bounced off the walls but were quickly stifled by Kang-dĂ renâs steely look. Kai reached into his pocket, produced a tissue, and dabbed at his sweaty palms.
The class managed to restrain themselves until the clock ticked down to 0:00. Immediately students turned to their desk mates, whispering, âWhat did you get on question 5?â âThat one on integers was bogus,â âI swear 90% of that wasnât on the curriculum,â âMore like 16%, which you would have been able to calculate if you had actually studied the curriculum, doofus.â The bell rang and everyone shuffled to the door as the teacher announced that their grades would be posted on Friday.
Outside, Kai detoured over to the rubbish bin to discard the tissue. When he turned, Lijun was cornering him between the lockers and the bin. âWhyâd you ignore me?â he snapped.
Kai clutched his port to his chest, refusing to let intimidation reach his eyes. âWe were in a test, Lijun.â
He scowled. His posse of minions sidled up to him, eyeing Kai with boyish smugness. âWhatever. I want you to come to my place after school. Weâre going to play some games. Have some fun.â
The fun was laden with implication. Kai knew from the way this pack picked on the girls in their class and ganged up on the boys at recess that fun would be some form of torture for him.Â
âIâm not interested,â Kai responded flatly, shoving past the wall of shoulders.Â
âHey!â one of the boys yelled, grabbing his elbow. âDonât just walk off.â
When Kai pushed ahead all the same, the boy ripped his port from his hand and flung it on the ground. A crack rippled across the screen.
Kai snatched it up. âIâm going to go tell Kang-dĂ ren that youâre harassing students.â He did his best to keep his voice level in the way he had heard his father speak when dealing with accusatory politicians.Â
âOh yeah,â Lijun mocked, âjust because youâre the prince doesnât mean you rule this place!â
Kai reached the door just before they grabbed his bag straps. He slipped inside the classroom.Â
âLijun again,â Kai said, holding up his portscreen as evidence.
She sighed, standing and spreading her hands on her desk. âIâll go get him. You can leave out the back door.â
He nodded and waited until he heard her trudge to the hallway and inform the recalcitrant youths that their parents would be called again before he left for biology class.
Lijun was correct, though. Kaiâs princely status did little at this school. Everyone here was eliteâthe children of politicians, dukes and dames, celebrities and billionaires. He was grateful for this normalisation. School was one of the only places he didnât feel like the most famous thirteen-year-old in the world. But his lack of leverage did have its downsides. Particularly when it came to playground bullies.
The office door slid open. Lijun exited stiffly, his shoulder trapped under his fatherâs firm hand. When he saw Kai, his expression became impossibly more sour.
Kai darted his gaze to the floor, hoping to play it off as though they hadnât noticed him.
Lijun didnât like that. âYou know, Your Highness,â he seethed. âYou wouldnât be the first royal that people got sick of. Remember what happened to Princess Selene?â
His father dragged him away, but Kai saw a quiver in his deep-set frown. The man, a cabinet member, was publicly against many of Emperor Rikanâs policies and a staunch supporter of an anti-monarchical democracy. Kai wasnât surprised his son had followed in his footsteps.
Lijun mouthed a âDonât push your luckâ as he was led down the hallway. Kai could only look away.
Kai tried to shake off the strange aura, but Lijunâs words were lodged in his mind. He worried, for the first time, that perhaps his taunts were more than childish insults. Perhaps Lijun would sooner see Kai fall into some horrible, fiery accident.
Just like Princess Selene.
âââ
âEverything okay, bud?â Dad asked.
Kai dropped his backpack to the floor, sliding onto the stool by the kitchen island. Dad placed a plate of red bean mooncakes in front of him. âYeah. Just the regular school stuff.â
His father stood behind the bench, wiping his hands on his trousers. He was dressed more casually than normal: a cream t-shirt rather than his formal button-downs, suggesting he hadnât had any meetings today. Kai liked when his dad didnât have meetings. It usually meant that he would be less tired at the end of the day and that the two of them could do something fun together. Kai hoped his own bad mood wouldnât spoil it.
âIs the schoolwork getting hard?â he asked, watching Kai attentively.
âNah.â He lifted his bag with his foot by the strap, reaching for his port. The screen was unsalvageable and when he thumbed the power button only half of the screen woke, the other dead black.
Dad frowned. âWhat happened?â
âMy classmates happened.â
His expression darkened. âLijun again?â
âYeah.â
Dad sighed. It would be an abuse of his power to march into the Principalâs office and demand that the rowdy troublemakers be suspended, even when Kai knew he wanted to. Kai knew that because he himself wanted to give them a piece of his mind, and he knew that he didnât get that indignation from his mother.
âI didnât yell at him, I promise,â Kai insisted.
Dad shook his head. âI know you didnât. Did you tell your teacher?â
He nodded.Â
âGood. Theyâll sort it out.â
They both knew that this issue had been ongoing for months without any signs of being sorted out. But there was no point dwelling on what they could do little about.
Dad nudged the plate closer to Kai. âCome on, this will cheer you up. Iâll make us some milk tea.â
Kai smiled halfheartedly and bit into a mooncake. It was delicious and succeeded at lifting his spirits, even just a little. âWhat are we doing tonight?â
âWeâve got dinner with some British dignitaries. The Annesley family, I believe.â
His spirits fell again. So many for fun this evening. Kai tried to brush it off. âOh, yeah. I forgot about that. So...how was your day, Dad?â
Dad brought the kettle over to the sink, filling it with water. âOh, the usual. Boring legislative stuff.â He winked at Kai. âIâll be happy when youâre old enough to help me out with that.â
Kai rolled his eyes. âYou just want to sit around watching net-dramas all day while I run the country.â
âYep.â Dad grinned. He switched the kettle on to boil and stole a mooncake off Kaiâs plate with a wink.
He liked the idea of working with his dad. It would beat Algebra any day. Since turning thirteen, Kai had noticed a lot of his classmates becoming grumpy, moody and irritated with their parents. Perhaps Kai would have also felt that way, but since losing Mum, he knew his time with his father was precious.
It was with this thought that he voiced an idea heâd had stowed away for some time. âDad? Can we do something this weekend? Maybe go to the snow cabin in the Changbai mountains? The one we used to go to with Mum?â
Dad smiled sadly. âIâd love to. But unfortunately Iâve got an important conference this weekend.â
Kai chided himself for getting hopeful. Dad did his best to spend time with him, but more often than not these days, the answer to his requests was no.Â
âCanât you cancel it?â Kai asked, hoping he would be proved wrong.
âIâm sorry, HÇ zi, Itâs a really important one. But I promise we can do that next weekend.â He began pouring the hot water into the cups.Â
Kai deflated with the use of the nickname. HÇ zi had been Mumâs nickname for him. She said that when he was a baby, he tried to bite her fingers, just like a tiger cub. Dad picked it up after she had died. It reminded Kai of her, softened and calmed him, and Dad tended to use it to mollify him.
It didnât work this time.
âIâm not thirsty,â Kai announced, sliding off the chair.
Dad startled. âKai, please understandââ
He turned and headed to the living room. âI do, Dad.â
As he stomped off, the smell of jasmine wafting up to his nose, he heard his father sigh. His heart clenched.
Kai knew he was being unreasonable. The emperorâs duty was the heaviest in the whole world, and he had billions of lives resting in his palm. He couldnât always make concessions for his son. It was just thatâKai felt more and more was being expected of him. Their fortnightly outings had become monthly affairs, and now once in a blue moon. Dad tried his best to balance both, but more was demanding his attention lately, and the word Lunars was what circulated around the palace the most. Whispers passed from servant to maid, guard to secretary, exchanged in hallways for Kai to overhear.
Kai supposed he had inherited his fatherâs spitefulness, because right now, he wished Queen Levana would just keel up and die.
âHi Jenny,â Kai greeted as he reached them. âAre you feeling better?â
Jenny was as put together as usual with the exception of a reddish glow to her nose. She was dressed in the standard girlâs uniform, and though they followed a strict policy on jewellery and makeup, she rebelled with gothic touches where allowed. Her black hair was tied into pigtails with little skull barrettes. Her lip balm was purple rather than the more common pink and Kai knew her beautiful topaz ring had the hidden internal engraving, Live to die.
âSo I was thinking about what Lijun said yesterdayâyou know, about Princess Selene? And I got curious cause I donât know much about her other than the fact she died in a fire, obviously,â he rambled, taking no breaks between words. âBut then I found something super interesting. Itâs this secret that Queen Levana is hiding, youâll never guessââ
âThat the fire wasnât an accident? And that Levana killed her?â Jenny guessed in a monotone, resting her chin on her palm and staring at the digital bookshelves.
âOh come on, everyone knows that Levana killed her. Thatâs as good as fact.â
This caught Kaiâs attention. âI didnât know that. Is there evidence that she killed Selene?â
Jenny scoffed. âEvidence is relative. Think of the situation: youâre an evil princess who happens to become queen regent when your sister dies. All thatâs standing in the way of you and the throne is a dumb little three-year-old. Wouldnât you want to dispose of her while sheâs young and helpless?â
âNo,â Kai protested, very unfond of being compared to the Lunar royals a second time. âI wouldnât do that.â
âYou wouldnât because youâre a softy,â she corrected. âWeâre talking about a crazy evil lady here. Of course she killed Selene.â
Kai wilted into his seat. Jenny, ever the nihilist, likely made these conclusions long ago. Maybe his father had sheltered him because Kai had honestly never considered it before. Could an aunt really kill her own niece? And a toddler at that?
âStudents.â They all jumped at the scratchy voice. The head librarian stood by the table, glowering down at them. âThis is your study period. I would hope that you three would be diligently studying. You can discuss your flights of fancy at recess.â
âYes, Imai-dĂ ren, sorry,â Kai said respectfully, bowing his head. The others exchanged quick sorrys along with him. Imai-dĂ ren was one other the sterner librarians, cranky and so ancient that even Kaiâs dad remembered being scolded by her when he attended the academy.
Jenny barked out a laugh. Kai slapped a hand over her mouth, smothering her giggles as Imai-dĂ ren sent a searing glare their way.Â
âJen, youâre going to get us a detention,â he hissed, but she all the same continued chortling, the sound only just muffled by his hand. It was probably against the code of conduct for one student to manhandle another so flippantly, but Kai knew Jenny wouldnât have an issue with it. The pair of them had been in the same class every year since kindergarten. Her mother was a renowned Filipina soprano, a favourite of the Imperial family, so the two had always grown up in the same circles.
Also, there was that two-week stint last year when theyâd dated. Well, if hanging out in the library once before school and meeting up twice on the weekend for ice creams can be considered dating. It had fizzled out before it had even begun to produce a flame. Despite the awkward months that followed, they had managed to salvage their friendship. Now a year later, the short spell had made them even more comfortable with each other.
Plus, heâd gotten his first kiss out of it, and he really wasnât complaining about that. After all, even stupid Lijun hadnât had his first kiss yet.
âItâs true!â he protested, splaying his hands before them desperately. âLook: there have been reports that the doctor that treated Princess Selene was executed not long after the fire. Why would she be killed unless she was hiding the fact that the princess is alive!â
She crossed her arms over her chest. âYeah, and how did we get this information? Luna is totally shut up. We canât communicate with people up there.â
He bit his lip, twiddling his fingers on top of his portscreen. Then his eyes lit up. âOh! Because there are Lunars who escaped and came here to Earth! They brought the information!â
This time, Kai guffawed. âThere are no Lunars on Earth!â
Kai reached across the table and patted his arm. âHey, itâs not stupid. It would make a cool story. We just donât think itâs all thatâŠplausible.â
Jenny snorted. Kai kicked her foot under the table.
They worked dutifully for the rest of the period. But as Jenny quizzed Kai on second-era European wars, he stumbled over a few answers. His thoughts were distant. What did Dad say to Levana in those meetings? He knew Luna hated Earth, but why did Dad suddenly seem so stressed about it? Was something coming?
Jenny tutted as she marked down a 16/20 on Kaiâs report. âYouâve been slacking.â
Kai tried to shake the premonitions away. âItâs because you havenât been here this week to supervise me. Okay: who wrote The Communist Manifesto?â
âââ
Kai still hadnât talked to Dad since their tiff. It was mostly circumstantialâthat same night they had dinner with those dignitaries which ruled out the possibility of a conversation. Then the next day Kai went over to Won-shikâs houseâwell, mansionâto play video games. His mum had roped him into staying for dinner and as much as Kai enjoyed the immaculately-crafted dishes from the palace chefs, it was nice to have a normal homemade meal every once in a while.
He came home that night to a brand new portscreen lying on his bed, the lockscreen already set to a backdrop from one of his favourite net-dramas. Dad knew he loved it.
Now it was Saturday and Kaiâs guilt was eating him up.
He knew the conference started after lunch so Dad would still be in his office preparing his notes. At 10:34, Kai switched on the kettle and began assembling a tray of tea and pineapple buns that Won-shikâs mum insisted he take home. He had never paid much attention to how Dad made his tea so he had to do a netsearch on his new port. While flicking through different recipes, a comm from Jenny popped up as a banner on his screen.
The link opened to an article declaring that Escort droids are aliens sent from Planet x7-12 in the Corneia galaxy to transform humans into mermaids through micro-radiation.
Once the cups were no longer scalding to the touch, he tasted the jasmine tea with a spoon; it wasnât as good as Dad made it, but then he didnât make it as good as Mum either, so it was fair game.
He took the tray to Dadâs office at a serv-droidâs pace, careful that the tea didnât slosh over the rims of the cups. It would have been smarter to pour the tea at his destination. Alas, Kai had never carried a tea tray before.
It was thanks to this cautious approach that he heard Dadâs words drifting down the hallway and could pause before he was heard.
âWeâre talking about war, Torin. That threat isnât going to just go away by exchanging pleasantries before and after meetings.â
Kai gripped the tray tighter. He crept forward, keeping the cups steady and listened to his fatherâs escalating voice.
âOf course not, Your Majesty,â said Konn Torin, Dadâs grouchy old adviser. He had been adviser to Kaiâs grandfather and if he somehow managed to be immortal, then heâd probably stick around to be Kaiâs adviser when he inherited the throne in about fifty years.
Kai guessed that he liked him. He didnât like when Torin told him to stop slouching.
âSo why doesnât Camilla understand that? Or any of them on that stupid panel? Do they not realise the gravity of this?!â
He held his breath. He had never heard Dad this angry.
âPerhapsââ Torin hesitated, âperhaps they have not been made privy to the same information we have.â
âWhat? What do you mean?â
Torin sounded unsure. âA conversation I had with Governor-General Andrews. He seemed rather flippant about the matter. He ventured so far as to say that Levana was, ahem, âbluffing.ââ
Dad laughed incredulously. âBluffing? Are they having the same meetings with Levana as us?â
âActually, I would say no, Your Majesty.â
Dad was quiet for a while. Kaiâs fingers were turning white around the knuckles.
âSo Levana is isolating her threats to us,â he said finally.
âThat seems to be the case.â
âBecause weâre her main target,â he growled. âThatâs why she killed off her husband, isnât it?â
Kai blinked. He had heard that Levanaâs husband had died, but it hadnât been big news. He was a mere guard. It was unsettling to hear Dad call it a murder in such an undisguised way. At the time of its announcement, he had never implied such a thing.
Kai knew being the emperor meant keeping secrets. He hadnât known that meant keeping secrets from him.
âCome now, Rikan, we donât know that she seeks a marriage alliance yet. They have nothing presently to offer us,â said Torin persuasively. âThey donât have any bargaining chips for such an arrangement.â
Torinâs confident assurance was marred with a tinge of doubt. Dad was not convinced.
âFor now. But theyâll make a reason.â
Dad. Always the optimist. Always able to find a silver lining.
No. Mum had been the optimist. Maybe he had been mimicking her, pretending to have the same steady faith that she had for Kaiâs sake. Maybe internally things werenât as okay as he always made them out to be.Â
War. Threats. A marriage alliance?
His hands tremored, sending a loud rattle through the china.
Kai heard the dual intake of breath from inside the office. He finally reached the door, peering inside with trepidation.
Dadâs tight shoulders relaxed at seeing him. âOh, hey HÇ zi, How long have you been there?â
âI just came now,â Kai lied. He lifted the tray. âI, uh, wanted to bring you some tea before the conference.â
He smiled warmly. âThatâs very kind of you, Kai.â He sat as Kai walked over to the desk, laying the tray down gently. âWould you like some, Torin?â
Torin coughed, hands tucked behind his back. âNo, thank you. Iâm quite quenched as it is,â he answered, abstemious as always. From the significant distance he maintained between himself and the desk, he had probably surmised that this was Kaiâs first attempt at making tea.
Dad sent Torin a long, pointed look. âTake a seat, Torin. Have some tea.â
Torin sat as ordered and Kai poured a cup for each of them. It was unnervingâhis father, moments before ready to rip out Levanaâs throat, and now the soft, gentle father heâd always known.Â
âDad,â Kai started, a little shakily. âIâm sorry for getting mad at you on Thursday. I know how important your responsibilities are. You donât have to give them up for me.â
He smiled sadly, âThank you, Kai. Iâm sorry I canât always spend time with you. I want toâall the time.â His eyes shone and he reached out to graze Kaiâs cheek. âYouâre a good boy.â
He should feel indignant being referred to like a child, but Kai just felt warm and safe. âThanks, Dad.â
He retracted his hand to sip his tea and beamed. âTastes great! What do you think, Torin?â
âDelicious,â Torin said in the way he might have if Kai had left a rodent in the cup.
Kai shuffled from foot to foot. âDad? Whatâs happening with the Lunars?â
Dadâs openness turned wary. âWhy? Did you hear something?â
âJustâŠsomething some classmates said,â he fibbed, trying to sound nonchalant. âAre they going to declare war on us?â
âNo. I wonât let that happen. They areâŠtesting our patience at the moment. But donât worry about it too much.â He reached for Kaiâs hands, grasping them firmly. âIâll protect our people. Iâll protect you.â
At that, Kai rounded the desk and enveloped him in a hug. Dad squeezed back. âI donât wanna go to Changbai anyway,â Kai murmured into his shoulder. âItâs not cold enough for skiing. Letâs leave it until winter.â
It wasnât true. Kai did want to go, but as he felt his father sigh in relief, he knew he had made the right decision.
He broke away and headed to the door. âGood luck with the conference.â
âThank you, buddy. Iâll see you at dinner.â
On the way back to his room, Kai dwelled on these facts:Â
1. The threat of war with Luna was very real,Â
2. If Dad believed Levana had killed her husband, then she had certainly killed her niece, and,
3. It was the duty of the prince to do something to stop her.
But what?
âââ
He had a nightmare on Sunday. A woman was hovering over him, blood dripping down her fingers that gripped the handle of a knife. He couldnât make out her faceâhe didnât know her, not really, but she knew him. All that was visible in this dank, foggy mist was her gleaming, sharp teeth and black eyes, shining as he crawled up to him.
âYou wonât get away from me,â she sang, though it was more of an echo, paralysing him to the floor.
She lifted her hand and he cried out, covering himself with his arms. But as she took the plunge, her direction shifted.
It landed on a girl next to him. She rolled away just in time, but the woman was undeterred, readying herself for the next strike. The girl was young, younger even than him, and she was crying. âPlease,â she begged him, âPlease! Stop her!â
The hysteria in her pleas broke through the spell rooting him to the floor. His arm shot out and grabbed her, pulling her away seconds before the blade pierced her heart.
âThank you,â she gasped out. His mind blinded him to her appearance, her features, the true tone of her voice. Yet Kai knew her name. And he knew implicitly, that now he had helped her, she would do her part and help him.
âââ
Kai combed his fingers through his hair in the hover on the way to school. He had overslept, spending his precious hours of sleep pacing the floor, trying to shake off his nightmare. When that didnât work, he had analysed it. Broken it down as though it were a vision sent from a deity.
He eventually wore himself to sleep. When Nainsi rolled in to rouse him at 8:15 (activated when he hit snooze for the fifth time) he only managed to dress, brush his teeth and stuff a croissant into his backpack just before his hover left without him.
Deeming his hair acceptable, he opened his bag and rummaged around for the croissant. The hover slowed to a stop.Â
He glanced outside. âWhatâs wrong?â
âWe are experiencing a minor delay due to traffic,â the robotic operator replied.
Kai saw a row of a dozen hovers piled up in front of them. âThereâs never any traffic here.â
âThis route is usually clear at our normal departure time, however as we are precisely seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds behind typical schedule, traffic conditions have worsened.â
He groaned. Homeroom started in eight minutes. He drummed his fingers on his legs, calculating. âHow much longer will it be?â
âApproximately four minutes and twenty-one seconds.â
Gathering his bag and coat, he unbuckled his seatbelt. âDrop us to the ground.â
The hover began to descend. Kai flung open the door before they had even reached the street.
âYour Highness, the journey is not complete,â the feminine voice objected.
âIâll run!â Kai yelled, jumping to the ground and taking off. He sprinted to the end of the street, tearing a bite from his croissant and nearly knocking over a pedestrian and a chihuahua dressed in a pink jumpsuit. âSorry!â he called out.
The academy came into view as he turned the corner, some fellow late stragglers rushing out of hovers. He checked his port watch. Six minutes to homeroom.Â
As he dashed up the courtyard and into the locker bay, he received a good helping of bewildered stares. Reaching his locker, Kai folded over his knees, gasping in air as his heart pounded in his temples.
A chuckle cut through his wheezing. âHey, whatcha running from, Prince? Finally realised what was coming for you?â
Kai closed his eyes, holding out a hand. âLater Lijun, I donât have time for this.âÂ
Lijun looked positively furious when Kai opened his eyes, but he just turned, pressed his thumbprint to his locker keypad and stuffed his bag inside.
âOh, so you think you can just talk like that to me, huh?â Lijun snarled, ripping the pastry from his hand. âYou think you can justââ
âYeah, yeah, harass me later, I gotta go.â Kai seized his wrist, took another bite of his croissant, and sprinted away. Lijun would make him regret that later. But he had greater priorities right now.
The digital clock above the schoolâs trophy cabinet read 8:47. Three minutes left.
âTell me what you know about Princess Selene being alive.â
Notes
Did you know that every member of the Rampion Crew has a short story about their childhood EXCEPT for Kai? This is an egregious oversight and I had to remedy this immediately.
Btw this is set when kai is 13 because right now cinder is 11 and waking up for the first time so itâs like princess selene is waking to the world and to kai!!
I donât come to tumblr as often as i like, but i know i come here every time I canât sleep and reading these make me feel so much better. i enjoyed reading a story about a younger kai interacting with his father đ„č
also that is the cutest nick name ever I might just cry about it
The classroom was still, the quiet only broken by the intermittent low thrum of the air conditioner and styluses scratching against portscreens. The ticking countdown loomed before them on the digital whiteboard.Â
The whisper carried like a shout. âKai!â shot past three identically neat rows of desks to where he sat.
Kaiâs brow twitched. He re-read the question on his screen, attempting to block out the persisting voice.
âHey!â it came again, âHey Kaââ
âLijun,â intoned their teacher Kang-dĂ ren, âThis is an individual assessment, not a group project. Leave Kai alone and return to your test.â
Lijun sagged back into his seat. A volley of giggles bounced off the walls but were quickly stifled by Kang-dĂ renâs steely look. Kai reached into his pocket, produced a tissue, and dabbed at his sweaty palms.
The class managed to restrain themselves until the clock ticked down to 0:00. Immediately students turned to their desk mates, whispering, âWhat did you get on question 5?â âThat one on integers was bogus,â âI swear 90% of that wasnât on the curriculum,â âMore like 16%, which you would have been able to calculate if you had actually studied the curriculum, doofus.â The bell rang and everyone shuffled to the door as the teacher announced that their grades would be posted on Friday.
Outside, Kai detoured over to the rubbish bin to discard the tissue. When he turned, Lijun was cornering him between the lockers and the bin. âWhyâd you ignore me?â he snapped.
Kai clutched his port to his chest, refusing to let intimidation reach his eyes. âWe were in a test, Lijun.â
He scowled. His posse of minions sidled up to him, eyeing Kai with boyish smugness. âWhatever. I want you to come to my place after school. Weâre going to play some games. Have some fun.â
The fun was laden with implication. Kai knew from the way this pack picked on the girls in their class and ganged up on the boys at recess that fun would be some form of torture for him.Â
âIâm not interested,â Kai responded flatly, shoving past the wall of shoulders.Â
âHey!â one of the boys yelled, grabbing his elbow. âDonât just walk off.â
When Kai pushed ahead all the same, the boy ripped his port from his hand and flung it on the ground. A crack rippled across the screen.
Kai snatched it up. âIâm going to go tell Kang-dĂ ren that youâre harassing students.â He did his best to keep his voice level in the way he had heard his father speak when dealing with accusatory politicians.Â
âOh yeah,â Lijun mocked, âjust because youâre the prince doesnât mean you rule this place!â
Kai reached the door just before they grabbed his bag straps. He slipped inside the classroom.Â
âLijun again,â Kai said, holding up his portscreen as evidence.
She sighed, standing and spreading her hands on her desk. âIâll go get him. You can leave out the back door.â
He nodded and waited until he heard her trudge to the hallway and inform the recalcitrant youths that their parents would be called again before he left for biology class.
Lijun was correct, though. Kaiâs princely status did little at this school. Everyone here was eliteâthe children of politicians, dukes and dames, celebrities and billionaires. He was grateful for this normalisation. School was one of the only places he didnât feel like the most famous thirteen-year-old in the world. But his lack of leverage did have its downsides. Particularly when it came to playground bullies.
The office door slid open. Lijun exited stiffly, his shoulder trapped under his fatherâs firm hand. When he saw Kai, his expression became impossibly more sour.
Kai darted his gaze to the floor, hoping to play it off as though they hadnât noticed him.
Lijun didnât like that. âYou know, Your Highness,â he seethed. âYou wouldnât be the first royal that people got sick of. Remember what happened to Princess Selene?â
His father dragged him away, but Kai saw a quiver in his deep-set frown. The man, a cabinet member, was publicly against many of Emperor Rikanâs policies and a staunch supporter of an anti-monarchical democracy. Kai wasnât surprised his son had followed in his footsteps.
Lijun mouthed a âDonât push your luckâ as he was led down the hallway. Kai could only look away.
Kai tried to shake off the strange aura, but Lijunâs words were lodged in his mind. He worried, for the first time, that perhaps his taunts were more than childish insults. Perhaps Lijun would sooner see Kai fall into some horrible, fiery accident.
Just like Princess Selene.
âââ
âEverything okay, bud?â Dad asked.
Kai dropped his backpack to the floor, sliding onto the stool by the kitchen island. Dad placed a plate of red bean mooncakes in front of him. âYeah. Just the regular school stuff.â
His father stood behind the bench, wiping his hands on his trousers. He was dressed more casually than normal: a cream t-shirt rather than his formal button-downs, suggesting he hadnât had any meetings today. Kai liked when his dad didnât have meetings. It usually meant that he would be less tired at the end of the day and that the two of them could do something fun together. Kai hoped his own bad mood wouldnât spoil it.
âIs the schoolwork getting hard?â he asked, watching Kai attentively.
âNah.â He lifted his bag with his foot by the strap, reaching for his port. The screen was unsalvageable and when he thumbed the power button only half of the screen woke, the other dead black.
Dad frowned. âWhat happened?â
âMy classmates happened.â
His expression darkened. âLijun again?â
âYeah.â
Dad sighed. It would be an abuse of his power to march into the Principalâs office and demand that the rowdy troublemakers be suspended, even when Kai knew he wanted to. Kai knew that because he himself wanted to give them a piece of his mind, and he knew that he didnât get that indignation from his mother.
âI didnât yell at him, I promise,â Kai insisted.
Dad shook his head. âI know you didnât. Did you tell your teacher?â
He nodded.Â
âGood. Theyâll sort it out.â
They both knew that this issue had been ongoing for months without any signs of being sorted out. But there was no point dwelling on what they could do little about.
Dad nudged the plate closer to Kai. âCome on, this will cheer you up. Iâll make us some milk tea.â
Kai smiled halfheartedly and bit into a mooncake. It was delicious and succeeded at lifting his spirits, even just a little. âWhat are we doing tonight?â
âWeâve got dinner with some British dignitaries. The Annesley family, I believe.â
His spirits fell again. So many for fun this evening. Kai tried to brush it off. âOh, yeah. I forgot about that. So...how was your day, Dad?â
Dad brought the kettle over to the sink, filling it with water. âOh, the usual. Boring legislative stuff.â He winked at Kai. âIâll be happy when youâre old enough to help me out with that.â
Kai rolled his eyes. âYou just want to sit around watching net-dramas all day while I run the country.â
âYep.â Dad grinned. He switched the kettle on to boil and stole a mooncake off Kaiâs plate with a wink.
He liked the idea of working with his dad. It would beat Algebra any day. Since turning thirteen, Kai had noticed a lot of his classmates becoming grumpy, moody and irritated with their parents. Perhaps Kai would have also felt that way, but since losing Mum, he knew his time with his father was precious.
It was with this thought that he voiced an idea heâd had stowed away for some time. âDad? Can we do something this weekend? Maybe go to the snow cabin in the Changbai mountains? The one we used to go to with Mum?â
Dad smiled sadly. âIâd love to. But unfortunately Iâve got an important conference this weekend.â
Kai chided himself for getting hopeful. Dad did his best to spend time with him, but more often than not these days, the answer to his requests was no.Â
âCanât you cancel it?â Kai asked, hoping he would be proved wrong.
âIâm sorry, HÇ zi, Itâs a really important one. But I promise we can do that next weekend.â He began pouring the hot water into the cups.Â
Kai deflated with the use of the nickname. HÇ zi had been Mumâs nickname for him. She said that when he was a baby, he tried to bite her fingers, just like a tiger cub. Dad picked it up after she had died. It reminded Kai of her, softened and calmed him, and Dad tended to use it to mollify him.
It didnât work this time.
âIâm not thirsty,â Kai announced, sliding off the chair.
Dad startled. âKai, please understandââ
He turned and headed to the living room. âI do, Dad.â
As he stomped off, the smell of jasmine wafting up to his nose, he heard his father sigh. His heart clenched.
Kai knew he was being unreasonable. The emperorâs duty was the heaviest in the whole world, and he had billions of lives resting in his palm. He couldnât always make concessions for his son. It was just thatâKai felt more and more was being expected of him. Their fortnightly outings had become monthly affairs, and now once in a blue moon. Dad tried his best to balance both, but more was demanding his attention lately, and the word Lunars was what circulated around the palace the most. Whispers passed from servant to maid, guard to secretary, exchanged in hallways for Kai to overhear.
Kai supposed he had inherited his fatherâs spitefulness, because right now, he wished Queen Levana would just keel up and die.
âHi Jenny,â Kai greeted as he reached them. âAre you feeling better?â
Jenny was as put together as usual with the exception of a reddish glow to her nose. She was dressed in the standard girlâs uniform, and though they followed a strict policy on jewellery and makeup, she rebelled with gothic touches where allowed. Her black hair was tied into pigtails with little skull barrettes. Her lip balm was purple rather than the more common pink and Kai knew her beautiful topaz ring had the hidden internal engraving, Live to die.
âSo I was thinking about what Lijun said yesterdayâyou know, about Princess Selene? And I got curious cause I donât know much about her other than the fact she died in a fire, obviously,â he rambled, taking no breaks between words. âBut then I found something super interesting. Itâs this secret that Queen Levana is hiding, youâll never guessââ
âThat the fire wasnât an accident? And that Levana killed her?â Jenny guessed in a monotone, resting her chin on her palm and staring at the digital bookshelves.
âOh come on, everyone knows that Levana killed her. Thatâs as good as fact.â
This caught Kaiâs attention. âI didnât know that. Is there evidence that she killed Selene?â
Jenny scoffed. âEvidence is relative. Think of the situation: youâre an evil princess who happens to become queen regent when your sister dies. All thatâs standing in the way of you and the throne is a dumb little three-year-old. Wouldnât you want to dispose of her while sheâs young and helpless?â
âNo,â Kai protested, very unfond of being compared to the Lunar royals a second time. âI wouldnât do that.â
âYou wouldnât because youâre a softy,â she corrected. âWeâre talking about a crazy evil lady here. Of course she killed Selene.â
Kai wilted into his seat. Jenny, ever the nihilist, likely made these conclusions long ago. Maybe his father had sheltered him because Kai had honestly never considered it before. Could an aunt really kill her own niece? And a toddler at that?
âStudents.â They all jumped at the scratchy voice. The head librarian stood by the table, glowering down at them. âThis is your study period. I would hope that you three would be diligently studying. You can discuss your flights of fancy at recess.â
âYes, Imai-dĂ ren, sorry,â Kai said respectfully, bowing his head. The others exchanged quick sorrys along with him. Imai-dĂ ren was one other the sterner librarians, cranky and so ancient that even Kaiâs dad remembered being scolded by her when he attended the academy.
Jenny barked out a laugh. Kai slapped a hand over her mouth, smothering her giggles as Imai-dĂ ren sent a searing glare their way.Â
âJen, youâre going to get us a detention,â he hissed, but she all the same continued chortling, the sound only just muffled by his hand. It was probably against the code of conduct for one student to manhandle another so flippantly, but Kai knew Jenny wouldnât have an issue with it. The pair of them had been in the same class every year since kindergarten. Her mother was a renowned Filipina soprano, a favourite of the Imperial family, so the two had always grown up in the same circles.
Also, there was that two-week stint last year when theyâd dated. Well, if hanging out in the library once before school and meeting up twice on the weekend for ice creams can be considered dating. It had fizzled out before it had even begun to produce a flame. Despite the awkward months that followed, they had managed to salvage their friendship. Now a year later, the short spell had made them even more comfortable with each other.
Plus, heâd gotten his first kiss out of it, and he really wasnât complaining about that. After all, even stupid Lijun hadnât had his first kiss yet.
âItâs true!â he protested, splaying his hands before them desperately. âLook: there have been reports that the doctor that treated Princess Selene was executed not long after the fire. Why would she be killed unless she was hiding the fact that the princess is alive!â
She crossed her arms over her chest. âYeah, and how did we get this information? Luna is totally shut up. We canât communicate with people up there.â
He bit his lip, twiddling his fingers on top of his portscreen. Then his eyes lit up. âOh! Because there are Lunars who escaped and came here to Earth! They brought the information!â
This time, Kai guffawed. âThere are no Lunars on Earth!â
Kai reached across the table and patted his arm. âHey, itâs not stupid. It would make a cool story. We just donât think itâs all thatâŠplausible.â
Jenny snorted. Kai kicked her foot under the table.
They worked dutifully for the rest of the period. But as Jenny quizzed Kai on second-era European wars, he stumbled over a few answers. His thoughts were distant. What did Dad say to Levana in those meetings? He knew Luna hated Earth, but why did Dad suddenly seem so stressed about it? Was something coming?
Jenny tutted as she marked down a 16/20 on Kaiâs report. âYouâve been slacking.â
Kai tried to shake the premonitions away. âItâs because you havenât been here this week to supervise me. Okay: who wrote The Communist Manifesto?â
âââ
Kai still hadnât talked to Dad since their tiff. It was mostly circumstantialâthat same night they had dinner with those dignitaries which ruled out the possibility of a conversation. Then the next day Kai went over to Won-shikâs houseâwell, mansionâto play video games. His mum had roped him into staying for dinner and as much as Kai enjoyed the immaculately-crafted dishes from the palace chefs, it was nice to have a normal homemade meal every once in a while.
He came home that night to a brand new portscreen lying on his bed, the lockscreen already set to a backdrop from one of his favourite net-dramas. Dad knew he loved it.
Now it was Saturday and Kaiâs guilt was eating him up.
He knew the conference started after lunch so Dad would still be in his office preparing his notes. At 10:34, Kai switched on the kettle and began assembling a tray of tea and pineapple buns that Won-shikâs mum insisted he take home. He had never paid much attention to how Dad made his tea so he had to do a netsearch on his new port. While flicking through different recipes, a comm from Jenny popped up as a banner on his screen.
The link opened to an article declaring that Escort droids are aliens sent from Planet x7-12 in the Corneia galaxy to transform humans into mermaids through micro-radiation.
Once the cups were no longer scalding to the touch, he tasted the jasmine tea with a spoon; it wasnât as good as Dad made it, but then he didnât make it as good as Mum either, so it was fair game.
He took the tray to Dadâs office at a serv-droidâs pace, careful that the tea didnât slosh over the rims of the cups. It would have been smarter to pour the tea at his destination. Alas, Kai had never carried a tea tray before.
It was thanks to this cautious approach that he heard Dadâs words drifting down the hallway and could pause before he was heard.
âWeâre talking about war, Torin. That threat isnât going to just go away by exchanging pleasantries before and after meetings.â
Kai gripped the tray tighter. He crept forward, keeping the cups steady and listened to his fatherâs escalating voice.
âOf course not, Your Majesty,â said Konn Torin, Dadâs grouchy old adviser. He had been adviser to Kaiâs grandfather and if he somehow managed to be immortal, then heâd probably stick around to be Kaiâs adviser when he inherited the throne in about fifty years.
Kai guessed that he liked him. He didnât like when Torin told him to stop slouching.
âSo why doesnât Camilla understand that? Or any of them on that stupid panel? Do they not realise the gravity of this?!â
He held his breath. He had never heard Dad this angry.
âPerhapsââ Torin hesitated, âperhaps they have not been made privy to the same information we have.â
âWhat? What do you mean?â
Torin sounded unsure. âA conversation I had with Governor-General Andrews. He seemed rather flippant about the matter. He ventured so far as to say that Levana was, ahem, âbluffing.ââ
Dad laughed incredulously. âBluffing? Are they having the same meetings with Levana as us?â
âActually, I would say no, Your Majesty.â
Dad was quiet for a while. Kaiâs fingers were turning white around the knuckles.
âSo Levana is isolating her threats to us,â he said finally.
âThat seems to be the case.â
âBecause weâre her main target,â he growled. âThatâs why she killed off her husband, isnât it?â
Kai blinked. He had heard that Levanaâs husband had died, but it hadnât been big news. He was a mere guard. It was unsettling to hear Dad call it a murder in such an undisguised way. At the time of its announcement, he had never implied such a thing.
Kai knew being the emperor meant keeping secrets. He hadnât known that meant keeping secrets from him.
âCome now, Rikan, we donât know that she seeks a marriage alliance yet. They have nothing presently to offer us,â said Torin persuasively. âThey donât have any bargaining chips for such an arrangement.â
Torinâs confident assurance was marred with a tinge of doubt. Dad was not convinced.
âFor now. But theyâll make a reason.â
Dad. Always the optimist. Always able to find a silver lining.
No. Mum had been the optimist. Maybe he had been mimicking her, pretending to have the same steady faith that she had for Kaiâs sake. Maybe internally things werenât as okay as he always made them out to be.Â
War. Threats. A marriage alliance?
His hands tremored, sending a loud rattle through the china.
Kai heard the dual intake of breath from inside the office. He finally reached the door, peering inside with trepidation.
Dadâs tight shoulders relaxed at seeing him. âOh, hey HÇ zi, How long have you been there?â
âI just came now,â Kai lied. He lifted the tray. âI, uh, wanted to bring you some tea before the conference.â
He smiled warmly. âThatâs very kind of you, Kai.â He sat as Kai walked over to the desk, laying the tray down gently. âWould you like some, Torin?â
Torin coughed, hands tucked behind his back. âNo, thank you. Iâm quite quenched as it is,â he answered, abstemious as always. From the significant distance he maintained between himself and the desk, he had probably surmised that this was Kaiâs first attempt at making tea.
Dad sent Torin a long, pointed look. âTake a seat, Torin. Have some tea.â
Torin sat as ordered and Kai poured a cup for each of them. It was unnervingâhis father, moments before ready to rip out Levanaâs throat, and now the soft, gentle father heâd always known.Â
âDad,â Kai started, a little shakily. âIâm sorry for getting mad at you on Thursday. I know how important your responsibilities are. You donât have to give them up for me.â
He smiled sadly, âThank you, Kai. Iâm sorry I canât always spend time with you. I want toâall the time.â His eyes shone and he reached out to graze Kaiâs cheek. âYouâre a good boy.â
He should feel indignant being referred to like a child, but Kai just felt warm and safe. âThanks, Dad.â
He retracted his hand to sip his tea and beamed. âTastes great! What do you think, Torin?â
âDelicious,â Torin said in the way he might have if Kai had left a rodent in the cup.
Kai shuffled from foot to foot. âDad? Whatâs happening with the Lunars?â
Dadâs openness turned wary. âWhy? Did you hear something?â
âJustâŠsomething some classmates said,â he fibbed, trying to sound nonchalant. âAre they going to declare war on us?â
âNo. I wonât let that happen. They areâŠtesting our patience at the moment. But donât worry about it too much.â He reached for Kaiâs hands, grasping them firmly. âIâll protect our people. Iâll protect you.â
At that, Kai rounded the desk and enveloped him in a hug. Dad squeezed back. âI donât wanna go to Changbai anyway,â Kai murmured into his shoulder. âItâs not cold enough for skiing. Letâs leave it until winter.â
It wasnât true. Kai did want to go, but as he felt his father sigh in relief, he knew he had made the right decision.
He broke away and headed to the door. âGood luck with the conference.â
âThank you, buddy. Iâll see you at dinner.â
On the way back to his room, Kai dwelled on these facts:Â
1. The threat of war with Luna was very real,Â
2. If Dad believed Levana had killed her husband, then she had certainly killed her niece, and,
3. It was the duty of the prince to do something to stop her.
But what?
âââ
He had a nightmare on Sunday. A woman was hovering over him, blood dripping down her fingers that gripped the handle of a knife. He couldnât make out her faceâhe didnât know her, not really, but she knew him. All that was visible in this dank, foggy mist was her gleaming, sharp teeth and black eyes, shining as he crawled up to him.
âYou wonât get away from me,â she sang, though it was more of an echo, paralysing him to the floor.
She lifted her hand and he cried out, covering himself with his arms. But as she took the plunge, her direction shifted.
It landed on a girl next to him. She rolled away just in time, but the woman was undeterred, readying herself for the next strike. The girl was young, younger even than him, and she was crying. âPlease,â she begged him, âPlease! Stop her!â
The hysteria in her pleas broke through the spell rooting him to the floor. His arm shot out and grabbed her, pulling her away seconds before the blade pierced her heart.
âThank you,â she gasped out. His mind blinded him to her appearance, her features, the true tone of her voice. Yet Kai knew her name. And he knew implicitly, that now he had helped her, she would do her part and help him.
âââ
Kai combed his fingers through his hair in the hover on the way to school. He had overslept, spending his precious hours of sleep pacing the floor, trying to shake off his nightmare. When that didnât work, he had analysed it. Broken it down as though it were a vision sent from a deity.
He eventually wore himself to sleep. When Nainsi rolled in to rouse him at 8:15 (activated when he hit snooze for the fifth time) he only managed to dress, brush his teeth and stuff a croissant into his backpack just before his hover left without him.
Deeming his hair acceptable, he opened his bag and rummaged around for the croissant. The hover slowed to a stop.Â
He glanced outside. âWhatâs wrong?â
âWe are experiencing a minor delay due to traffic,â the robotic operator replied.
Kai saw a row of a dozen hovers piled up in front of them. âThereâs never any traffic here.â
âThis route is usually clear at our normal departure time, however as we are precisely seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds behind typical schedule, traffic conditions have worsened.â
He groaned. Homeroom started in eight minutes. He drummed his fingers on his legs, calculating. âHow much longer will it be?â
âApproximately four minutes and twenty-one seconds.â
Gathering his bag and coat, he unbuckled his seatbelt. âDrop us to the ground.â
The hover began to descend. Kai flung open the door before they had even reached the street.
âYour Highness, the journey is not complete,â the feminine voice objected.
âIâll run!â Kai yelled, jumping to the ground and taking off. He sprinted to the end of the street, tearing a bite from his croissant and nearly knocking over a pedestrian and a chihuahua dressed in a pink jumpsuit. âSorry!â he called out.
The academy came into view as he turned the corner, some fellow late stragglers rushing out of hovers. He checked his port watch. Six minutes to homeroom.Â
As he dashed up the courtyard and into the locker bay, he received a good helping of bewildered stares. Reaching his locker, Kai folded over his knees, gasping in air as his heart pounded in his temples.
A chuckle cut through his wheezing. âHey, whatcha running from, Prince? Finally realised what was coming for you?â
Kai closed his eyes, holding out a hand. âLater Lijun, I donât have time for this.âÂ
Lijun looked positively furious when Kai opened his eyes, but he just turned, pressed his thumbprint to his locker keypad and stuffed his bag inside.
âOh, so you think you can just talk like that to me, huh?â Lijun snarled, ripping the pastry from his hand. âYou think you can justââ
âYeah, yeah, harass me later, I gotta go.â Kai seized his wrist, took another bite of his croissant, and sprinted away. Lijun would make him regret that later. But he had greater priorities right now.
The digital clock above the schoolâs trophy cabinet read 8:47. Three minutes left.
âTell me what you know about Princess Selene being alive.â
Notes
Did you know that every member of the Rampion Crew has a short story about their childhood EXCEPT for Kai? This is an egregious oversight and I had to remedy this immediately.
Btw this is set when kai is 13 because right now cinder is 11 and waking up for the first time so itâs like princess selene is waking to the world and to kai!!