it has been almost an entire year since i put out new ws content.... but hello i'm back!
chronologically this is ryan's pov and takes place during chapter 15 but onyx and ryan haven't seen each other so the chronological stuff isn't super important here
content warnings: fucked up government mentions, captivity, refusal of wound treatment, whumper pov
masterlist | chapter 15 | chapter 13.1
Bantu knots and glasses brought Ryan his lunch, too. He spared a glance at her nametag this time, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn’t actually be staying long enough to need remember it. Still, he recognized that it was always better to be prepared.
Hi! My name is Dr. Hailey.
Huh. Was the bright red introductory sticker mandated by Dubhe, or had Dr. Hailey just… decided to wear that? And did she wear them for every patient, or just the ones that were rude to her when she wanted to treat them? Ryan couldn't quite recall if she'd been wearing the sticker the last time they'd spoken.
Ryan had less ridiculous things to focus on. Like eating a meal. And apparently, like convincing Dr. Hailey that she should leave. Again. Because after giving him the lunch, she didn't even bother walking away, just staying right where she was to stare at his arm.
“Does it hurt?”
“No,” he answered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “The stab wound in my arm feels just dandy, thanks.”
“I could help you,” she offered. Ryan rolled his eyes. “You know, you don't have to just keep suffering.”
“Really?” he asked, the corners of his mouth turning up with something akin to humor. “Do you really think that just not suffering is an option here? For fuck’s sake.”
“It is an option,” she insisted. “I could treat the wound. I could give you pain medication.”
“Do you need me to spell it out for you, idiot? I'm your prisoner. Pretty sure I've committed more crimes under Dubhe's laws than anyone ever managed to commit under mine. I don't get to stop suffering, no matter how much influence I still hold over pathetic servants like you.”
She smiled, almost guiltily, as if they were in on a secret. “That's none, you know. Do you know that? You don't have influence over me, Mr. Rao. I'm also not even a servant."
"I have plenty of influence over you," Ryan sniffed. "You've left when I've told you to. You haven't said my first name a single time. You've offered me pain medication. You're terrified of me, whether you like it or not.”
“Really?” she asked, still smiling. “Oh, that's funny, actually, that you think that. No. I'm not scared of you. You're a prisoner, yeah, and this is how we treat prisoners, regardless of the crime. You're still a person.”
“Yeah, right,” Ryan sneered. “Dubhe can preach on and on about his bullshit of becoming a better person, but that doesn't actually make it work. You wouldn't listen to him if no one ever had to face consequences for not listening to him. And everyone will still listen to me because of all the people who've had to face consequences for not doing so."
She tilted her head at him. “You really can't believe it, can you? You were so mean to people, just to get them to do what you wanted. You can't imagine a world where people listen to their king without him threatening to kill us. You can't even begin to picture it, can you?”
The look in her eyes felt almost like pity.
Ryan wondered if this was how cats felt after being declawed.
“I don't want you touching my arm," he said after a moment. "You're a coward, a liar, and an idiot, and you don't understand how the crown works. But since I know you're scared of me, and I know you're supposed to fix my arm, I do have a different request. I want to talk to the angel.”
“The… what?”
“Onyx. I'd imagine he's either a prisoner or one of Dubhe's personal guests by now. You may treat my arm in Onyx's presence.”
“If I figure out what the hell you're talking about, I can pass along the request. Don't get your hopes up.”
“I won't let you treat my arm otherwise," he repeated.
"Okay, so I'll pass along the request." She rolled her eyes. "I don't care about your arm. My job is to offer to treat it, not to barter with you. I hope you’re aware that leaving that arm alone will have a lot more negative consequences for you than it will for me.”
"I'll see you after Christmas," Amelia whispered against Kai's neck, holding on tightly to them in the airport lobby. "Thank you for dropping me off."
"Of course." Kai pulled back and smiled. "I have something for you." They opened the tote bag slung over their shoulder and pulled out a box covered in silver wrapping paper. "It's just a little Christmas gift."
"Kai," Amelia sighed, "I didn't know we were doing gifts, I didn't-"
"Don't worry about it," they chuckled, dropping it into her hands. "I wasn't going to, but I saw it and thought of you. You're not allowed to open it until Christmas, but you better text me when you do. And, this," they reached into their bag again and pulled out a plush dinosaur. "For Scout. I didn't wrap it because it's shaped weirdly, but I remember you saying he's obsessed with his dinosaur book right now, so I figured he'd like it." Amelia pouted her lip out and wiped her eye as she chuckled.
"He's gonna love it," Amelia whispered, glancing between the stuffed animal and her partner. "Thank you."
"Why are you crying?" Kai grinned and wiped her eye, laughing softly as she sniffled.
"You remembered what I said about Scout," she muttered, "and you got him something too. You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to," Kai shrugged. "I care about you and Scout. It's just a little gift, okay?" They held their arms out, and Amelia hugged them again, sighing contently against their chest. "I'll see you soon. Call me once you land, and send me pictures of Scout with his dinosaur."
"Of course." She pulled back and stood up on her toes to kiss them. "Thank you, Kai." She stepped away and waved goodbye.
This is going to be ironic, given that this is a Greek mythology ask game, but honestly, I’ve always been a Greek mythology nerd. I got Edith Hamilton’s book on Greek Myths when I was about 14 and read the whole thing. I did a class in undergrad that was all about Greek Mythology. So yeah, always love to know more about Greek mythology and the different stories that came from that time. And the ones that have been rebranded into a more modern story as well!
that’s alright i can bully you for free now <3 madara simp. words cannot express how badly i think you need an eye exam. if you think madara is hot you must be more blind than itachi. mans lived in a CAVE he probably ate bugs and dirt and he definitely doesn’t moisturize. love yourself hailey. you could do better.
