If I end up killing Riven in my rewrite, you better believe Darcy will suffer.
Her entire thing during the rewrite is trying to have control over every little thing in her life. She will pull several all-nighters because she doesn't want to sleep and risk nightmares. She will go fuck with a random guy's head after Liliss fucks with hers to get some semblance of control back.
And above all else, she is self-destructive.
She's not going to go out drinking or anything, but again, the all-nighters. If she feels herself getting drowsy she will drink tea so she doesn't fall asleep, pick at her nails, or run her hands through her hair because she knows that if she gets close enough to falling asleep she will panic and she will indeed lock herself in the bathroom and cry until she eventually collapses and falls asleep.
Riven is the first person Darcy feels comfortable around, besides Icy and Stormy. Hell, she actually manages to sleep around him on occasion. She allows herself to cry around him.
So here are the options for Riven dying:
Darcy accidentally kills him. This leads to Darcy wallowing deeply in self-hatred, and she feels like she is becoming Liliss. She killed one of the few people she trusted. She's losing control over her sense of self, even though killing Riven was an accident. Does she truly deserve nothing? Is she just a weapon? She's not pissed, she's just sobbing over his body and Icy/Stormy needs to drag her away from him.
Iorda (oc) accidentally kills Riven. There's a fight, she attacks Darcy, and Riven jumps in front of the attack because he still doesn't want Darcy to suffer even though he was just locked in a cell. If this happens, either Iorda isn't making it out of this season alive, or we continue with the Imprisonment AU idea (gurl gets locked in a cell until season 6 when she becomes of use). If this happens, I can see Darcy becoming far more ruthless and controlling, especially as the years go on. She is becoming more like Liliss, and she is forcing herself/learning to enjoy it.
Darcy finds out that Riven accidentally died during the final battle. She realized that she and her sisters caused this. I feel like if this happened she would protest more against helping Darkar while in Light Rock, and maybe would even 'heal.' But once she gets out, she's not as self-destructive as she was, but she's very apathetic about life. She just doesn't care.
OR Riven accidentally ends up dying in the cell. Darcy doesn't know how powerful her psychic powers are with the dragon flame, or maybe Liliss pulls some evil grandma shit. Once again, Darcy blames herself and is sobbing over his body.
Icy kills him. Darcy and Riven are fighting. Riven is pissed and feels betrayed, and Darcy is trying to convince him that she did love him and that she's sorry for all the manipulation, but she did what she had to do. Riven literally stabs Darcy in the back, and she chokes on blood weakly, "I know I... I... deserve this..." And then weakly, looking up at Icy behind Riven. "I'm sorry..." Riven gets stabbed and dies. Darcy feels more betrayed than hurt, becomes more apathetic and like she's never going to find something good in life.
[Draft of the 5th idea because the angst is real]
[A battle is going on at Cloud Tower, in one of the big rooms or smth]
Darcy, avoids an attack: W-wait, Riven let's talk about this
Riven: Talk?!
Darcy: Yes, talk
Riven: You threw me into a cell, Darcy! What the hell was that? After... after everything that happened—Actually, you know what? I bet all of this was just some big fat lie of yours, wasn't it?
Darcy: It... *sighs* It wasn't a lie
Riven: And how do I know that? How can I believe that everything you told me was just not some sort of manipulation? How can I trust that—
Darcy: Look, Riven. It wasn't just control. In the beginning, it was, but then...
Riven: Then what?
Darcy: I... trusted you and... I mean it when I say that
Riven: ...
Darcy: Please, just...
Riven: What?
Darcy: You can... still come with us
Riven: You three are starting a war!
Darcy: And we can't back out on it now. We have the dragon flame and things... We're already too far gone. I'm... too far gone
[Darcy steps forward and takes Riven's hands in hers]
Darcy: Please, Riven
Riven: ...
Darcy: I... I did...
[Darcy sighs, looking away slightly. The two of them embrace each other, Darcy calmer. Riven is tense. Darcy buries her head in his shoulder]
Darcy: I still do... Lov—
[Riven with a small knife, stabs Darcy in the back and she slumps down to the ground, breathing in shakily]
Riven: I-I...
Darcy, hoarsley: No I... I g-get it
[Darcy glancing up, seeing Icy approaching Riven from behind]
Darcy: I deserve it...
[Icy stabs Riven and BOOM BAM Darcy gets more trauma]
