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shellyseashell · 3 years

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MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT

A rough draft of the first chapter of my Cinder Wasn’t Killed as a Child AU because I was hoping this would give me ideas but my brain is still empty. Help?

SELENE WASN’T FOND of the trials — if you could call them that. The punishment was always death, even when the issue could be resolved through jail time or community service. It was something — among a lot of other things — that she intended to change when she became queen in a few short months.

The throne room wasn’t her favorite room either, with one wall practically gone and opening onto a balcony with no railing, so victims could be dropped into Artemisia Lake below. Selene sometimes wondered how many bodies she would find if she drained the lake. The aristocracy sat in rows behind her, Levana, and Winter. They looked like a ridiculous rainbow with their crazy fashions, from feathered hats to huge gowns. Selene wondered how many were glamour.

The only ones she knew for sure were not using their glamour, aside from the guards and the man on trial, were her and Winter. Princess Winter, Selene’s adopted cousin, had stopped using her gift after she unknowingly aided a servant's suffering — at least, that’s how she saw it. Levana, Selene’s aunt and Winter’s step mother, had carved three lines into her face so she’d have something to hide, but that had not stopped her. She wore the scars proudly, even as she suffered from Lunar Sickness.

Selene has learned over the years that her gift did more harm than good, and so did her family. Knowing the importance of being queen and how much change she could make, she used her gift often enough to not have Lunar Sickness. It certainly wasn’t enough to earn Levana’s approval, but Selene didn’t much care.

“Sneaking into a classified building . . . finding the Lunar shells,” Head Thaumaturge Sybil Mira listed off the crimes of the trembling man cowering in the middle of the room. “Your Highnesses, what do you think twice proper punishment shall be?”

Sybil was, of course, addressing Levana and Selene only. Winter was allowed to these meetings for the pure aesthetic and image of having a royal family, but she was not allowed to be included in anything.

Selene glanced at Levana, already knowing what she was going to say. She had that look she always did. Her glamoured auburn hair and pale skin seemed her sparkle, her eyes gleamed, and her lips were curled into a cruel smile.

“I suggest,” she said slowly, as anything she said would be a surprise, “that we kill him by his own hand.”

The man whimpered.

While the choice was ultimately up to Levana, Selene would have a heavy contribution, so she said, “We don’t need to kill him. I would just fine him, but if you would prefer a stronger punishment . . . send him to jail.”

“He would be living with the knowledge of classified secrets.”

“But he can’t escape jail, so the secret wouldn’t get out. We don’t need to kill everyone for something so small.”

Levana held her gaze, and Selene could practically feel the disapproval roll off her in waves. Levana had intended to raise her to be the perfect queen, the queen she thought Luna needed. It was not going to happen. Selene was not going to be a cruel tyrant.

Levana turned back to Sybil. “Kill him.”

Selene looked away as the man was forced to kill himself, only looking up the body had been tossed into the lake. Two servants were already scrubbing away at the blood.

From the other side of Selene, Winter whimpered and ducked her head behind her dark hair.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” asked Sybil.

“The walls are bleeding,” Winter whispered. “We are drowning in blood.”

The court burst into laughter, and Selene jumped up in a rage. “Don’t laugh at her! Lunar Sickness is serious, and being laughed at doesn’t help! Just because she doesn’t use her gift doesn’t mean she’s less than you! She is still your princess, she still deserves respect. And you know what? She braver than all of you for refusing to manipulate others, because she sees the problems of this court, and she refuses ro be a part of them. So all of you, shut up!”

“Selene! Do not speak to people like that,” Levana scolded.

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want, I’m going to be queen, so I have more authority than you.” Selene grabbed Winter’s arm and dragged her into the hall.

Jacin and Iko, Winter and Selene’s respective guards, followed after them. Selene guided Winter, who was taking abnormally large steps and dragging her feet, down the hall, away from the throne room. Once out of hearing range of the doors, Selene spun on her cousin and held her shoulders.

“Winter. Hey look at me. It’s in your head. You understand that? None of that is real. You’re not drowning, I’m not drowning, and neither are Jacin or Iko. Understand? Just breath.”

Winter inhaled shakily and wrapped Selene in a hug. Selene hugged back, rubbing her hand up and down Winter’s back. When it came to her hallucinations, the best thing to do was comfort her, let her know it wasn’t real. Winter knew they weren’t real, of course, but she said they were so convincing that she forgot sometimes.

“Princess Selene!” a voice called out. Selene turned. Outside the door stood Sybil Mira. Her dark hair shone in the hall light, and her heart brown skin contrasted with her embroidered white uniform, showing that she was the head Thaumaturge.

Selene released her hold on Winter, who seemed to have calmed down. “Yes?”

“Princess Regent Levana would like to speak with you in the solarium.”

Selene was pretty sure she knew what this meeting was about. Her outburst in the throne room was not how a queen should act, despite the fact that Levana did the same — for other reasons, of course. Selene squared her shoulders. “I’ll be right there.”

Sybil nodded, bowed, and turned, walking away.

Selene turned to Jacin, a young guard and childhood friend of her and Winter. His blond hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and he stood taller than both her and Winter. “Take her to her rooms. Make sure she’s okay.” She hated talking to her friends like they were less than her, but when they were on duty, it was the way it had to go.

Jacin nodded and saluted her, holding one fist up to his chest, over his heart.

Selene headed in the same direction of the solarium, a large, round room with windows for walls. It overlooked the lake, and it acted as a second throne room, only for smaller meetings — or private talks.

Iko, a girl with light brown skin and braided blue hair, followed behind her.

The ride up the elevator was silent, and Selene knew Iko was itching to ask her questions. Before Selene could encourage her to speak, the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Selene stepped into the solarium. As usual, light shined through the windows, bathing the room in different shadows from the various guards and Thaumaturges lining the walls. Levana sat on the small throne raised on a dias on the wall opposite the elevator.

Levana nodded, acknowledging Selene, then waved her hand in the air. “Everyone else, out. Yes, the guards too.”

It was almost comical, watching the guards and Thaumaturges pile into the elevator. Selene almost laughed, but nerves were quickly overpowering. It was never good when Levana requested your presence alone — completely alone.

Selene brushed nonexistent dirt off her gray dress and approached Levana, stopping halfway through the room. “You requested my presence?”

Levana stood and paced to one of the many windows. “Yes. We need to speak about your behavior in the throne room.”

“What about it?” Selene asked. “I was standing up for Winter, as I should.”

Levana turned. “No, you should let her suffer. It was her choice to not use her gift.”

“Just because Winter sees the corruption of the court doesn’t mean she should be laughed at!”

“The court is not corrupt!” Levana snapped. “I am doing what is best for our people.”

“Right. Because locking innocent people in cages to use their blood for a biological war Earth has no idea we’re waging isn’t corrupt.”

“They killed my parents — your grandparents.”

Selene snorted. “One person. You can’t judge a majority because of a minority.”

Levana sniffed. “Clearly, I haven’t taught you enough.”

“Oh, no, you’ve taught me everything. I’ve learned enough to know what needs to be fixed — to have a whole list. Do you want to hear it? I’ll be queen in three months — might as well hear how much of your hard work will be scrapped.”

Levana snarled and stepped off the dias. Selene didn’t falter, even as Levana got so close she had to crane her neck to see her. She would not give her the satisfaction of breaking. “Everything,” Levana snarled, “I have done has been for the good of my people.”

“You mean our people — and soon, my people. Because believe me — once I’m queen, you will have no power at all.”

Levana smiled as if Selene had just told a funny joke and returned to the dias. “You’ll see soon enough, that you might not have all the power you want. Now, for the real reason I called you here.”

Selene growled. Of course, Levana had riled her up only to tell her that wasn’t what she wanted.

“We’re going to Earth.”

Selene blinked. She knew Levana had been reaching for alliances with the EU — none of which had been successful so far — but they had never been to Earth. They’d always sent Thaumaturges or held meetings online.

“Why?”

“Prince Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth,” Levana said as if that answered all her questions. “He has just turned eighteen, and is the perfect age for a marriage alliance.”

Selene groaned. She had nothing against Eartherns, but marrying one — royalty or no — would be useless. Kaito would be crowned as king consort and would have virtually no power. She’d rather marry Thaumaturge Park just for the sake of someone having power.

“We’re going to the Eastern Commonwealth to negotiate a marriage alliance between me and Prince Kai?” Selene asked, not bothering to bring up the fact that he’d be a useless king. She could always annul the marriage if needed.

“That is exactly what we’re doing.”

But from her smile, Selene got the feeling Levana had other plans.

#I don’t know what this was #it’s short I’m sorry #tlc #naia writes #kaider #princess selene #princess winter #Iko #jacin clay #queen levana #I need ideas #help me

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eyedelater · 7 years

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post about the rest of the ajin anime (seasons 1 and 2)

(nothing special, just a liveblog post)

ajin episode 6

i see that the animation budget saved by doing CGI was instead spent on the fluttery shifty effects of the black ghosts

so satou's ghost is also anvil-headed

right, nagai doesn't have much empathy... hmm... hmm... that doesn't excuse his being an asshole at times

tosaki sure is eager to jump to conclusions as to why satou didn't bring out his ghost

ohh, ghost-to-ghost head collisions can bump some memories back and forth, interesting, i forgot about that...

huh, what is eriko calling kei "onii-chan" for at a time like this? she called him "nii-san" to his face and i think in front of everyone who talked to her about him, right? was that her way of expressing worry about him...?

episode 7

tosaki's gotta get that dekai kane

right, of course he's motivated by comatose fiance. doesn't excuse any of the shit he's done

episode 8

nakano kou. do we seriously have a kei, a kai, and a kou? sounds like a bit of a natural OT3 tbh

episode 9

there we go, nagai kei finally being an indisputable asshole

oh, right, big pharma makes an appearance as an antagonist

sokabe has a very silly face.

i already forgot what IBM stands for and can only come up with IBM he company or ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) without the C

right, ogura's distinguishing feature was not only smoking cigarettes, but being unreasonably dedicated to his brand of smokes in particular. so dumb

episode 10

ogura says a black ghost can only be used once or twice a day, but didn't nagai kei whip em out one after another like it was no thing? is that his special protagonist power that makes him differentiated enough to be the protagonist?

kei's ghost learned how to fell a tree from minecraft

do they really have huge screens up in cities complete with booming audio? the screens are nothing new, but the audio seems unusual to me

episode 11

oh, tosaki finally learned satou's name. from satou's video.

yamanaka-san bought him an oPhone8

"life and money are synonymous" sounds like your typical CEO

omfg satou rode the sinking tower and had a great time

sokabe is still calling satou "hat guy." get with the picture

episode 12

this just in: does satou sometimes substitute a "sh" sound in for an "s" sound?

episode 13

kei demonstrates his shittiness by holding a knife to yamanaka-san's neck after getting sniped. what a dick. oh wait he made it work. well whatever

tosaki says nagai kei is not a fool and as such he probably already scouted out the area, but tosaki immediately also says nagai kei has probably exhausted his black ghost uses for the day, something a fool would do because only a fool doesn't know their own limits and try to use them tactically in such a situation

time for season 2 i guess, episode 2-1

this OP isn't bad i guess

these subs having sokabe say "it's normal for a subordinate to greet his senpai." listen, if you use "senpai," you gotta also use "kohai," and if you use "subordinate," you also gotta use "superior" you can't just pick and choose which words you want to translate

this ending song is horrible

ep 2-2

sakurai emerging from the airplane toilet clearly zipping up his fly out of frame and seeing satou and his eyebrows just turn on a fulcrum and then turn backward like they're pinball flippers

ep 2-3

ah. i was musing over what must be the most popular ship for ajin, thinking maybe kei/kai or kei/kou or tosaki/ogura, but i've had a bit of a realization, and if i know the hearts of the BL community at all, their favorite ship is probably some sinful shit like tosaki/kei. i’ll find out soon enough whether i’m right (haven’t looked at any ajin pixiv tags yet)

ep 2-4

kotobuki, eh. seems like a charming character. oh, this bandanna delinquent is pulling the ol' pee-and-chat

kaito, everyone's favorite punching bag

for the record, i know i've read beyond this point in the manga, but i don't remember shit except that i left off around a chapter where we see shimomura's history.

kotobuki has a small head, maybe he just squeezed through some bars to escape

ah, i just realized the other anime this kinda reminds me of: zankyou no terror. it's got the police/government and the american government trying to intervene aspect to it.

carly meyers doesn't have any kind of american accent... i was kinda hoping she would

neither does doug here. i guess they didn't have voice actors who would have some fun doing a bad accent... or maybe they didn't see it as appropriate

holy FUCK, kaito executed a flying dropkick even though he wasn't on higher ground or anything, what the fuck

kotobuki asks kai what nagai kei is like and i earnestly half-expected him to reply "he's scum" like everyone else does

oh, so kotobuki's got a winged kuro-chan. lucky...

i forgot to write about this in the episode where it was said, but that iowan ajin whose ghost was driving a tractor is such a perfect image i can't stop thinking about it

ep 2-5

so i guess satou's catchphrase is "sssshate" (bc he kinda does a "sha" instead of a "sa") (meaning "now, then.")

the first OP wasn't skippable but i find myself needing to skip this one

there's lots of "pulling up live television broadcasts via a non-television device" in this anime

kou calling shimomura "izumi-san" pls

i like how whoever is nearest the whiteboard is the one to cross the latest victim off the target list

ok, if tosaki is about to be fired (which, hasn't he been for a while now?), that made me think, why is he concerned about his job when he's doing this conspiring with ogura and nagai etc hidden from his superiors? is he concerned about stopping satou, or is he still only concerned about money for his fiancee...? is he getting hella paid for this even though he's less involved in the torture (the real moneymaking activity) than before?

i don't like this dynamic btwn american guy and carly meyers where he keeps correcting her gruffly and she keeps backing off and looking afraid/ashamed.

they had nakano put on a satou hat to be satou ;w;

did shimomura just plug a flash drive into her phone? what kind of compatibility we got in this time period?

how long do neck-stab sedatives take to kick in in real life?

carly meyers's kuro-chan has a gem-shaped head

why don't all ajins just keep a knife or something on them to cut their own throat whenever they get hurt

ep 2-6

tainaka yoko. yup, this is about where i left off in the manga, i believe

whoa there, tosaki just got tased right in the nib nob. that's dirty, american doug

i can't say i feel bad for tosaki getting tortured.

ep 2-7

shut your ungrateful mouth, tosaki, shimomura was LITERALLY just doing her job, which you TOLD HER WAS HER JOB: PROTECTING YOU

how in the fuck did satou get away with playing dead when the other side KNOWS it's ajins they're fighting

why isn't ogura, a native english speaker, the one writing an email to the defense department

ep 2-8

this new OP is ok

ep 2-10

(i spent all of 2-9 doing origami instead of typing)

tosaki don't relapse on your smoking habit :( that's not gonna do anyone any good.

ep 2-11

kai busts in with his signature move and saves the day and he's started calling kotobuki "senpai"

so kei's signature line to kai is "i really have to pee"

kai's like "you're wrong. he (kei) isn't an idiot." that's right, he's actually trash, ask anyone

i can't emphasize enough how bad this ending theme is

ep 2-12

well okuyama-kun has been kind of lovable so far, so if he and others decide to join tosaki's side, that would probably be good

isn't burying someone alive the worst way to try to contain them? because you can't see them directly. they could escape without you noticing

ep 2-13

no kabedonning shimomura >:(

wait wait is tanaka also wearing a satou hat? oh, it's just a baseball cap.

fuck off tanaka don't impale shimomura in the same way twice

oh, one of nagai's new ghost army said the thing that nagai said at the scene where he first saw a ghost :0 about the sick puppy. i like all these ghosts spouting quotes

oh, he cut off satou's head. well, that's the first head we've seen cut off. is he facing the right direction to meet his new self? he closed his eyes too soon for us to find out :\

helicopters are raining in bullets from above like in ghost in the shell (1995) (unless i’m completely misremembering. there were other things that were raining bullets in various directions in that scene so i’m not sure)

so now satou's in custody for the first time.

so satou had an exposition dream

honestly i’m no longer sure where i even left off when i read the manga x years ago, i feel like i may have dropped it because i didn’t care for the boring military shit going on for quite a while, but i feel like i even distantly remember satou being beheaded in the manga...? but anyway i’m gonna (re?)read the whole manga now i guess. overall manga verdict: it had a distant, clammy feel to it, but not bad; the voice for nagai’s ghost was real good; they did a good job with the cgi animation, but it definitely lacks something compared to the art in the manga; the only good OP was the first one; and yeah idk my feeling toward this anime is pretty neutral.

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