#kaider au

[cyborgcourt]

Maybe I’m just a fiend for Kaider in every universe they exist in, but omg Kaider where Kai is a girl. Princess/To-be-crowned empress taking time out of her hectic schedule and making her way down to the market to see the pretty mechanic she yearns for. Making every excuse to see and/or call her, even thinking about purposely breaking things for her to fix. Happy June, everyone

[gingerale2017]

Imagine Nanny Kaider AU.

It would be lovely if K's little daughter grew fond of Cinder. She and the household staff would help them fall in love, until one day, he couldn't bear the tension he felt for Cinder and they kissed in his office. Then his deceased wife's sister arrived, and things got a little complicated, since she was in love with him, but he never reciprocated her feelings.

wow, you got it all thought out anon! i can’t say i’m not proud. this is really interesting. so, who would kai’s precious wife be? her personality? is she like cinder, or completely different? also, her sister. would she not feel guilty for loving her dead sister’s husband? or was she after him the entire time?

i LOVE the idea of cinder bonding with kai over a child. i really think she would have motherly instincts from time to time, but hesitant to show it because she thinks she’ll have bad habits because she only had adri as an example. but she bonds super fast with kai’s kid, and genuinely wants to look after her. kai, already being attracted to her, is very happy to just watch cinder and his daughter play with each other and laugh. and then he gets really close to cinder. and they kiss! yay!

i also thought of a similar au, but kai’s sister is the one with the baby, but the father dipped and she has a tough schedule as a nurse, so kai’s always helping out. one day, his phone breaks while watching over his niece, and he loses sight of her while at the mall, but cinder ends up finding the girl and returns her to kai. then, she fixes his phone for free, and he makes sure to get her number, and it’s barbecue chicken from there.

[oceanspray5]

Been obsessed with Beth Crowley's Midnight for Kaider but another song I have on loop atm is Porter Robinson's Everything Goes On. I don't even play LoL and barely know what Star Guardian is but I'd be lying if the story between Xayah and Rakan didn't have me intrigued. So now ofc it has me thinking of a Kaider AU along those lines. Not exactly sure how it'd work but maybe:

Channary gets to live a few extra years. Manages to get a marriage alliance proposition agreed to with King Rikan and hence Kaider grow up visiting each other on Earth and Luna more or less ala @impossiblesuitcase's fic.

Except Channary does die eventually and Cinder isn't old enough for the throne yet so Levana steps in. For this to work maybe the throne passes on to the heir on their 18-21st birthday?

Everyone thinks Levana killed Channary (she didn't) but everyone knows she's going to kill Cinder. Her days are numbered and she knows it despite Kai's vehement denial. I imagine they'd be around 14-16 here?

Except Cinder does end up "dead" in a fire. In a more plot heavy version of the headcanon, perhaps Levana implies Earthens brought the matches and killed Cinder and vows to "avenge" her neice unless she gets reparations. But even if we avoid this whole plotline, Levana does try and pass it off as Cinder dying in a fire.

Earth and Luna mourn and Kai is inconsolable except he refuses to believe he's dead. He grabs on to the slightest sliver of a rumor and holds on to it like its his lifeline. He throws himself into investigating it, discreetly when eventually Torin and his dad and the royal therapist force him to put an end to it.

In this version Cinder doesn't end up in a healing stasis for quite as long. Perhaps a year or two at most. When she wakes up, shes a cyborg and has immense memory loss from the trauma. Garan adopts her, gets Letumosis and dies. Adri and Pearl are their witchy selves. Peony and Iko remain angels.

So you have the setup:

Prince Kai of the Eastern Commonwealth sneaking into New Beijing because Nainsi broke right before he had the conclusive proof he needed to show his dad and Torin that his Selene was alive. At this point everyone in the Commonwealth seems to think Kai is in a deep grief he'll never recover from and atp everyone's wondering if Prince Kai will ever find himself a bride now that he's 20 and still hung up on his childhood love. Its that pity and condescention that only infuriates Kai more so he keeps searching.

He ends up at the budding yet already renowned mechanic Linh Cinder's booth. Kai sees her and does a double take, afraid he's seen a ghost. He could cry because if he's not mistaken, the girl in front of him is his Selene. Except Selene doesn't recognize him. Doesn't know who he is besides the Crown Prince despite his extremely efficient disguise comprising of one inconspicuous hoodie.

She's so different now too. Her fine silks and once shiny hair is now replaced with cargo pants and a grease stained shirt, her hair dull in its luster and sheen now. She has a grease splotch on her forehead that Kai yearns to wipe from her brow but restrains himself. She's just as beautiful as the day he lost her, maybe even more so. But a doubt does creep in for a second...

Maybe he has it all wrong. Maybe she's just a doppleganger. How and why would Selene even be working as a mechanic in the Beijing market instead of coming to him for help or telling the world she's alive? How did she survive the fire even though in his heart he always knew she did. He needs some proof for this too. It's a testament to how not insane he is from his grief at losing the love of his life that he restrains himself from bursting from all these questions and overwhelming her with his grief and affection. Take that Dad! Take that Torin and Royal Therapist!

So Kai swallows down his words and the lump in his throat and the urge to burst into tears and tells Cinder what's wrong with Nainsi and asks her how long it'll take for the problem to be fixed. In that brief interval Kai manages to count at least 10 different ticks that endeared Selene to him. He's memorized every single one since they were kids. He knows this is his missing princess.

He doesn't know why Selene doesn't remember him and it is soul-crushing to know she's right in front of him but he can't do anything about it. He needs to get her to remember or at least gain her trust and friendship long enough that he can break the news of her origins to her gently. Her memory loss runs deep and he doesn't want to freak her out even if that would be the fastest way to laying it all out in the open. But Kai is tactful and shows restraint.

Instead, he ends up showing up to her booth regularly to jog her memory and tries to aski her out repeatedly to the Annual Peace Ball. He hopes if she shows up then it'll help her remember the countless times they spent together at them. Maybe he could sneak her away and show her her old room which Kai had insisted be kept exactly as it was left before she "died". He can't help some affection slipping past the cracks like the fond way he looks at her and the smile he's only ever saved for her.

In summary: if he thought this would freak Cinder out less... He failed.

But Cinder does keep getting random bursts of memories. Sometimes through nightmares. Sometimes through dreams of another life. Of a rather insane mother who doted on her and a charming boy who's love shone in his eyes and gentle touch. She doesn't understand why he looks like Kai and keeps dismissing it as fantasies she's always longed for combined with the exhaustion of Adri's chores. Kai would never like her if he knew she was a cyborg. She has no intention of getting her hopes up.

So Kai keeps wooing Cinder and Cinder keeps unintentionally suppressing her memories or dismissing them, certain Kai's rambling stories about his childhood with the deceased Lunar princess Selene are affecting her sleep.

Now eventually when Cinder gets her memories back it could go one of two ways:

She tells him because it's Kai and her heart bursts with love at how intensely he held on to the trust that she's alive and kept trying to revive her memories.

OR (and my personal favorite cuz angst)

She has the same feelings as in option 1 but is too scared that she'll put him in danger knowing what Levana did to her but also more than that, she's internalized Adri's words so much and the way society treats cyborgs that she's certain Kai would never love her now that she's no longer fully human and has even seemed to have lost her Lunar glamour that may have been able to hide the imperfection of her extremities otherwise that would have made her tolerable to Kai after her little accident in the fire.

So Kai continues to woo his lost princess turned mechanic, more in love with her than ever, new quirks and imperfections and all while Cinder has a daily meltdown about how badly she wants to kiss Kai but also about how badly that would end once he finds out what she's become.

In this AU, Rikan does not die cuz I need Kai stress free so he can continue his shenanigans. Peony also does not die because the only angst we need is Cinder being overly critical of herself and Kai's pained longing to have the love of his life back.

Idk how the rest of the Rampion crew would play into this cuz admittedly I just wanted an angsty Kaider situation where Kai has to save Cinder from herself like Xayah has to for Rakan in the Everything Goes On MV.

Any further suggestions for this AU welcome! Also if someone wants to write it then be my guest and do tag me cuz I am in too much of a writing slump these days to do so myself.

[shellsnbells]

slow dancing in the dark (kaider au)

part ten

summary: cinder is the palace mechanic and kai is the prince of the eastern commonwealth. even though they could never be together, they start a secret relationship.

(sorry this took 20 million years to write sdjmgfnsjdfk)

***

the following week after the emperor’s death, the palace was chaos. a funeral had passed, preparations for the upcoming coronation and ball were being worked on at every moment, and the search for a cure was in more demand than ever. no one wanted to see another beloved leader die to the horrible disease. 

the city was a mix of grief, worry, and excitement. as much as the commonwealth loved kai, they worried he wouldn’t be a good leader at such a  young age, and they didn’t want to see him crack under the pressure. they were hoping the ball would be a break from the darkness. they wanted a night of fun to forget all of the tragedy that their country had been through. 

kai was a nervous wreck, of course, and was terrified of the upcoming events. all he wanted to do was lay in bed for days and block out any responsibilities. unfortunately, that was a luxury he couldn’t have. he was going to be emperor in the next few days, whether he was ready or not, and nothing could change that. 

while everyone was planning the coronation and ball, kai was coming up with a secret plan. he had to make sure cinder would be able to come to the palace without getting caught by her retched family, and that would require some help. so he ended up telling torin he wanted to bring his “friend” to the ball for his healing and comfort. although his advisor was weary of letting an employee be the special guest, he allowed it once he saw kai’s puppy eyes. 

he had his stylist get cinder’s outfit and store it in his bedroom. he hoped she would like it, but he knew she would pick cargo pants over a dress any day. cinder was going to have to tell adri that she was needed at the palace late so she could stay and get ready. everything was coming together, and kai really hoped it would work. it was the one thing he was looking forward to. if everything went well, then they had a chance to really being together, and he wanted that more than anything. 

***

after another day of dreadful meetings, kai was drained. all he could think about was how he was somehow on the same level as these older, powerful leaders, and he would be discussing serious topics and problems with them continuously now. it was weird thinking about how just years go, he was a curious kid, trying to listen and sit it on his dad’s meetings with the same people. 

it was getting late, and he didn’t want to feel sad anymore, so he threw on a hoodie and snuck out of the palace. even though he got a stern yelling from torin last time he did this, he didn’t really care, he needed to see cinder. 

as excited as he was, he was still filled with dread at seeing the phoenix tower apartments. he hated cinder living there. the image of her sad bedroom and the stories of adri’s abuse haunted him, and his patience was the only thing keeping him from taking her away from all of it. 

kai sent a comm to cinder before walking into the lobby, not wanting to freak her out this time. he also didn’t want to risk waking the step monster. 

hey, i’m outside your building. can you sneak down here?

a few moments went by before his portscreen chimed with a response.

you’re clinically insane...i’m coming down.

her message made him laugh as he waited by the front doors. he saw cinder in the lobby, wearing his hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. kai smiled at the sight. she opened the door and waved him inside, ushering for him to move quickly. he walked towards her and glanced around, seeing the office man sleeping at the front desk again.

“are you crazy?” cinder whispered. grabbing his hand and leading him to the back staircase. 

“according to your comm, yes.” he laughed, not even questioning where she was taking him as they stepped down into a dark room. she flicked on a small  light and the metal of tools and work tables dimly gleamed back at them. “is this your secret hideout?” 

cinder shrugged, “you could say that.” after she spoke, they faced each other, their smiles softening. it had been a while since they saw each other in person. the past week had been a mess, and they had both been missing each other like crazy, hoping for an opportunity to communicate without using their portscreens. “what brings you here at two in the morning?”

kai thought of where he was an hour ago, alone in his bed, feeling something missing. his heart ached and he wanted to bring it home. “i just needed you, that’s all.” he spoke with a gentle smile. 

she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. a sigh of content left his lips, and while he felt lighter already, nothing could stop the weight of grief and uncertainty sitting on his chest. “you’ve got me, kai. always.” cinder whispered. 

his fingers wove themselves into her hair, holding her close. he started to think of the ball, of dancing with her in front of everyone, all eyes on them. an idea popped in his head and he began to grin. “cinder?”

“hm?”

“do you know how to dance?” 

cinder’s face fell, looking scared and embarrassed in an instant. “oh my stars, i don’t know how to dance.” her eyes were wide with panic as she spoke.

kai laughed and put one hand on her waist, the other grabbing hers and holding it. “it’s okay, i’ll teach you.” he almost laughed at her expression, but he refrained, instead focusing on getting her in the correct position. “you don’t have to be nervous.” he teased.

“i’m worried i’ll crush your foot with my metal one.” she frowned, looking at the floor. 

kai let out a little laugh. “you won’t. now come on, dance with me.” 

he started to guide her, stepping back and forth, taking it slow. it was proving difficult to dance in a crowded, dim basement but they were making it work. she stumbled a little and he helped her get back into it. she still seemed nervous, like she was sure she wasn’t good enough. but as they kept going, she eased into it, starting to memorize the steps and follow kai smoothly. 

“see? it’s not so bad.” kai whispered as he brought her body closer to his. 

“because you’re doing most of the work.” she giggled, resting her head on his chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat. she wondered how many times kai had to dress up, pick a dancing partner, and waltz across the palace floor all night. probably hundreds, and he would do it a thousand times more in his reign. she hoped everything would work out and he wouldn’t have to pick another partner ever again. 

he rested his head on hers, trying to get as close as possible without messing up their progress. he knew they wouldn’t be able to dance like this at the ball, it would be far too inappropriate, so he took advantage of the moment. as he held her, his heart rushed with warmth, replacing the dark emotions that burdened him all week. “cinder?” 

“yeah?” she picked her head up and looked at him. her beautiful brown eyes met his, that small yet alluring smile appearing, and he swore he saw heaven.

his breath caught in his throat, the words resting on the tip of his tongue. every time he looked at her, he knew, but he didn’t say it. before everything started changing, he was afraid that he would lose her, that saying what he felt would make it all too difficult. but now they had this great scheme to stay together forever, to eventually walk down the aisle, to rule a country together. he allowed himself to be truthful and certain now. 

“i love you.” 

the words filled the silent air as cinder’s eyes widened. he wondered if she ever heard that sentence before. the dancing stopped and she froze, looking shocked. kai hoped he didn’t scare her, knowing he had done enough of that with his marriage and ball proposals. 

slowly, she seemed to come back to earth, and that smile reappeared. “i love you, too.” 

her voice captured him and he brought her back to him, kissing her passionately. it was like their bond had intensified, like a string that couldn’t break, something that would be with them for the rest of their lives. 

once they separated and let air slip between them, cinder laughed. “what?” kai asked. 

she shook her head, “we’re crazy. absolutely insane.” 

he nodded, “yeah, you’re right, but we’re gonna make it work.” 

***

get it...? they slow danced in the dark!!! :)))) 

next part is going to be the ball!

taglist: @strawberry-seraph @duskietapp @winterrhayle @stylampa @wwwwyamd @whyiask @i-swear-im-google @phobidawg @plain-jane-mclain @princesspri222 @marialovesdean @maradovan @moon-swoon @nodrianbcyes @janisarkisian @cyborg-martyr-wolf-monarch @cinderswrench @cindersassasin @cerenoya @idkchatie @half-heaven @dawniebb @scxundress @queen-of-self-love @quietintrovertt @invisiblebobs @lavenderbloo @healing-winston-pratt @hearing-in-color @horton-hears-a-who @cosmicnovaflare @a-salting-the-world @angstycatthatlikestea @poptart-boy @grad-school-fool @gatorademachinegun @girlfriendisthemoon @honey-harper-official @coralsclato @bookishfangirl14 @bakergirl13 @addies-invisible-life @f-r-o-p @disco-funk-and-soul09 @lani-sleeps @daydreaming-optimist @the-sunflowerstar @mistydacat @salt-warrior @love-and-anarchy-au

(let me know if u want to be added or taken off <3

[salt-warrior]

Fic where it's a semi role reversal for Kai and Cinder like modern AU Cinder is a famous actress and one of Kai's favorite stars and they like meet in a coffee shop where Kai works and it's his turn to get all flustered by the big famous star coming in who he may or may not be attracted to

Ah I love this request! Thank you!

A Form of Poetry

Summary: Kai owns a bookstore and one day famous actress Selene Blackburn steps into his shop, leaving him flustered. (WC: 1.6k)

Kai cursed loudly as an unabridged copy of Les Misérables fell off the stack in his hands and right on top of his foot. “They call you The Brick for a reason,” Kai muttered, nudging the book aside so he could set the heaping stack of books within his arms down on the nearest shelf.

He leaned down and picked up the battered copy of Victor Hugo’s infamous book, trying to fold back a creased edge. His foot was grateful that the nearly 3,000 page book was in paperback, but his mind was distressed on the profitability of such a hard-worn book.

Of course, it was a second-hand bookstore, but still; he tried to take in only the best quality of books at Prince’s Paperbacks. Or, at least that was what his father had instilled in him from his youth, before he died when Kai was nineteen and left him to care for the store all by himself. But Kai had never minded his father’s work ethics— in fact, they were what he attributed the store’s success to.

Well, past success.

The door opened with the soft tinkle of a bell, and Kai almost dropped Les Misérables on his foot for the second time in a minute. He set The Brick down before it could do any damage to him and his limbs, and walked to the front of the store with his customer-pleasing smile plastered to his face.

But when his eyes landed on the person— the woman— the goddess— who had just stepped through the door, Kai felt his smile slide from his face. It was her— Selene Blackburn, quite possibly the most beautiful and talented actress on the planet. The one who he had watched on the big screen since his teens. She had been pretty stunning then, but somehow she was more lovely to look at now despite the decades that had passed.

She gave him an almost embarrassed smile, and it was only then that Kai realized that he was staring at her. Well, staring didn’t quite cover it— gawking, was probably more accurate. Jaw-dropped, eyes wide, with the possibility of red upon his cheeks.

“Hi,” she said, waving her hand before him, but less in a way of greeting and more in a way of saying snap out of it.

Kai blinked, his professional grin returning within an instant, though a tint of scarlet still colored his face. He walked toward her, wiping his hands over his button-down and jeans as if he were covered in dust, which in all actuality was a possibility.

“Hello,” Kai returned the greeting. “Welcome to Prince’s Paperbacks. I’m Kaito. Well, actually just Kai— Kai Prince,” Kai sputtered. He tried to place his hand on a bookshelf to steady himself, but somehow his fingers missed the wood and he stumbled to the side.

“Ah,” Selene said, pulling at the strings of her black hooded sweatshirt. Kai couldn’t make out her eyes behind her dark sunglasses, but from the inflection of her voice he could tell she wasn’t belittling him. “You must be the owner then.”

“That’s Kai— I mean, that’s me.”

Her lips quirked up, and Kai felt his heart sputter. Even with her blatant attempts to disguise herself, from the sunglasses and beanie to her baggy sweatshirt and jeans, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. That grin— he was almost positive that he could stare at it forever, even if it was just the teensiest bit lopsided.

“Well I’m Cinder,” she said, lying to him despite the obvious fact that he very-much recognized her. Of course he did— he’d only been a little bit smitten with her since he was seventeen and she starred in the Star Wars TV series remake with Carswell Thorne and Jacin Clay. She was the girl that everyone had had a crush on.

But she still lied to his face for reasons he didn't think the stars could fathom.

“Uh, nice to meet you, Cinder,” Kai choked out her pseudonym. “Like I said, let me know if I can help you.”

“I don’t think you actually said that before,” Selene— Cinder grinned. It was a smile that he had seen on her face a million times; of course, that had been on a movie screen, but still. He could imagine her eyes sparkling beneath those shaded glasses with that teasing look she always awarded to the love interest of every movie she was in. Er, at least he hoped it was that same sparkly smile.

“Well,” Kai swallowed, spreading his hands out wide at his sides, as if he could release all his anxiety through that single motion. It didn’t work. “Is there anything I can help you with today? Any book in particular…?”

“Yes, actually,” Cinder admitted, taking a step toward Kai. It was that same slow, elegant walk she had in every movie, playing every protagonist— confident and sure of herself. Kai stumbled back a step.

“I’m looking for Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez,” Cinder said, the words rolling off her tongue like her own form of poetry. “Do you, by any chance, happen to have a copy?”

“Y-yes,” Kai nodded, already walking back to the classics section. “I believe we have a copy, maybe even multiples?”

He reached the overflowing shelf, looking frantically through the G’s. His eyes stumbled upon Gaimar and Galton and Gann before finally landing on García. First he found three copies of One Hundred Years of Solitude, a rather battered copy of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and an almost-new-looking copy of Of Love and Other Demons. Then his eyes skipped from García to Gardner, with no sighting of Love in the Time of Cholera.

“Huh,” Kai sighed, turning his head to look at Cinder and finding her to be standing only a few feet away from him. He jumped, whacking his head on the shelf and letting out a soft curse.

“Are you okay?” Cinder asked, her hand gently touching his shoulder. Kai felt a bolt of electricity run through him, but he somehow managed not to flinch at her touch.

“Yeah,” Kai whispered. “I just don’t think we have a copy…”

Kai’s eyes landed on a book smashed behind the three copies of One Hundred Years of Solitude, as if it were hiding from him. Kai pulled the triplet books out and grabbed the lost novel. He stared at the cover of Love in the Time of Cholera, his eyes mapping the cream color with a central design he couldn't quite figure out.

Cinder peaked over at the book, saying, “Ah, you found it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Kai muttered, handing it off to her, then reaching his fingers up to touch the sore spot on the back of his head.

They walked to the cash register, Kai still rubbing the small goose-egg forming beneath his hair, and wondering at the odd positioning of the book. Had someone hidden it away, not wanting it to be discovered? But who? He ran this store all by himself, save for weekend help from Cress, and she wasn’t the type to shove books away. Had it been a customer?

Kai scanned the sticker on the book and Cinder handed him a sleek silver credit card with the name Cinder Linh etched into the plastic. Huh, he thought to himself. What a weird pseudonym.

“Would you like a bag?” Kai asked, pulling a rather long receipt out of the small machine and tucking it inside the cover of the book. He tried to figure out what was on the cover— was that a person hidden in the shadows of the intricately designed red box?

“No, thank you,” Cinder said, taking the book from him and shooting one last grin his way. She pulled out a dollar bill and tucked it into the tip jar. “Thank you for your help, Kai.”

“You too,” Kai called out after her. “Er, I meant, have a good day!”

Cinder waved a hand over her shoulder, and then she was out the door and gone forever.

Kai sunk down upon his stool with a sigh, hiding his head in his hands. Selene Blackburn had just come into his shop— his tiny, failing bookstore. She had talked to him— she had touched his shoulder— and she had bought a book from him.

And Kai? Well, he had sputtered and stumbled and whacked his head on a bookshelf.

He let out a defeated chuckle, rolling his eyes at himself as he pulled his head up. That was when his gaze landed on the tip jar with a single dollar bill in it.

“You’re a millionaire actress, yet you only leave a one dollar tip,” Kai grumbled, trying to conjure up any semblance of anger toward her, but couldn’t find it in him. If he was her, and he’d had to suffer through his own customer service, he would have probably left no tip. Well, no, that wasn’t true, but still. Maybe it was all the cash she had on her.

Kai reached into the jar and pulled out the single bill, inspecting it with care. It was like any dollar bill— except for the ten digits scratched over George Washington’s face.

A grin broke over Kai’s face. He glanced from the bill to the door and then back at the numbers listed in a messy scrawl upon the green paper. Then he slipped the bill into his pocket, his thoughts abandoning his awkwardness, and instead allowing for the numbers to run through his head like their own kind of poetry.

Tag List: @kaiderforever @impossiblesuitcase @cinderswrench @cindersnightmare @cindersassasin @horton-hears-a-who @healing-winston-pratt @kaider-is-my-otp @jacihayle @lavenderbloo @phobidawg @instant-karma-official @strawberry-seraph @addies-invisible-life @arushahisatroll @winterrhayle @notarie37 @idkchatie @bookpapaya @lunarchroniclesnet @kittymalechalinethomastair @lani-sleeps (let me know if you would like to be added or removed<3)

[cyborgcourt]

Kaider (or rather Kailene) au where Kai and Selene are both the crown heirs of their respective kingdoms and both their families have agreed to a marriage alliance between the two (now young adults). Their only previous encounter was as children (ages 5 and 6) when the imperial family visited Luna for something. Kai is still the huge loverboy he's always been, and despite only ever meeting as young children, he’s admired Princess Selene ever since.

At only 5 years old, Selene was already known by all the palace as being a wild and free-spirited princess who marched to the beat of her own drum. Kai remembers seeing little her in her special gown covered in dirt while playing with a frog that her mother repeatedly told her to put down. From that moment on, he knew there was something different about her from the rest of her family. Even before the officiation of their marriage alliance, he had already grown a fondness for Princess Selene.

Now for Selene's point of view. Upon being told that she was being married off, she became outraged. She refused to be betrothed to some "boring Earthen boy who every girl fawns over". The thing about Princess Selene is that she is a very strong, confident, and bold young woman. She is the last person you could force to marry some guy they don’t even know. She protests against her mother and aunt, putting up a fight and refusing to go through with it, but to no avail. Adding to it, she keeps receiving gifts and letters and all sorts of offerings from this Earthen prince, but she simply rolls her eyes and ignores them. Did I mention she's stubborn? Then he begins trying to reach her via comm and it only adds to her annoyance and negative perception of him. She thinks a mundane Earthen boy like him would only ever bother a young woman like her with things to do and a life to live.

Ultimately, she's manipulated and forced by Channary and Levana to go through with the marriage. Selene’s practically forced onto the ship that brings her to Earth. When she gets there and is greeted by Kai, she only offers a cold expression to his warm and dorky smile. Every chance that he tries to get to know her, she brushes him off and instead allows herself to curiously study the history and architecture of the imperial palace (to take her mind off the reason she's here).

One day, Kai finds her analyzing some poetic artwork graciously framed on one of the walls. He walks up beside her and says "It's neat, isn't it?" and begins to (cutely and awkwardly) tell her about the history of the piece and information he learned from his mother. Perhaps she offers a rather emotionless response (Wednesday Addams core). Kai considers it good progress. In this moment, Selene almost softens at the idea of this prince maybe having something of a personality underneath all his good looks. But she's reminded of the marriage she was being forced into and walks off.

Through all the cold-shoulder Kai’s been receiving from her, he still finds himself admiring Selene. Her tan skin and brown hair, her sharp features and the way she holds herself. Most of all, he admires her character and her inability to crumble easily under pressure. Including how she ignored all his many previous efforts to communicate, he gives her a LOT of grace. Probably more than she deserves. He gives her the benefit of the doubt, saying her coldness isn't far off from a head-strong girl being forced into an unwanted marriage. But he's determined to show her that, marriage alliance aside, he genuinely wants to get to know her. But he'd be lying if he said it wasn't difficult trying to break down her walls and have her open up to him. It begins to break his heart seeing his love completely disregard him and all his efforts. But nonetheless, he persists.

The evening following their wedding ceremony, Kai wanders the halls looking for Selene and finds her silently crying while sitting alone under a jasmine tree in the gardens. He doesn’t want to intrude on her privacy but also what good husband would leave their wife crying alone? He gently approaches her and begins to console her, being careful not to upset her further because he’s well aware at this point what she thinks of him.

The reality is, she's scared being away from home, on a planet she's never been to before, and so far away from everything she's ever known. On top of that, she’s just married to some Earthen prince. She feels objectified by her family who thinks they can just use her as a pawn in their political business. The whole situation makes her question her own strength and whether the way she's always presented herself — strong, unwavering, confident, not a force easily reckoned with — meant nothing to anyone, and especially to her own family. She's especially upset at her mother and aunt and swears to never see their faces ever again. She doesn't end up completely opening up to Kai in that moment, but she does give him a little insight through her tears. Kai sees this as more progress being made, but he can’t help still feeling hurt, only this time, he feels partly guilty. Like he was holding her back and keeping her captive on this foreign planet, even though the marriage alliance wasn’t his choice neither.

Later that night, she comes back to their living quarters and finds a table full of Lunar delicacies, bath salts, and things that reminded her of home — all with a card addressed to her. It says "A little something to ease your home sickness" followed by a poem Kai wrote through the eyes of the "narrator" and his admiration for a beautiful strong-willed princess with tan skin, brown hair, and a sharp tongue. It's signed at the bottom with "Yours truly, Kai". She takes it all in — the poem, the gifts, the gesture — and stands there appalled. No one has ever done anything like this for her before. Political opponents and enemies only ever took delight in seeing her in defeat or, most of all, vulnerable. Why would this Earthen boy do this for her? Surely he doesn't think they have to be actual husband and wife, does he?

But this gesture is the catalyst that changes the lens in which she sees him through. From then on, she begins to notice him more deeply than before. His copper brown eyes, tousled black hair, and the way he gets so flustered around her and the tip of his ears turn a pink hue. The way he constantly cares for her and her wellbeing despite that not being part of their contract. She begins to fall for him.

Not too long after their wedding, something urgent threatens Kai (possibly to do with the newfound alliance). He’s being targeted by an unknown group and the safety of him and his family is at risk. He’s stressed out and scared and confused by all of this. Selene sees this and begins to feel almost protective of him. Watching this innocent boy — her husband — being threatened by someone was shocking for her. Of course, politicians and royal figures, including her own family, are not unfamiliar with threats and such — but who would want to harm a charming and kind guy like him? He wasn’t evil like her family.

Speeding it up a bit, the whole situation intensifies and the entire palace is on high alert. They haven’t figured out who was sending these threats or how they knew what they knew. Selene begins to care for Kai under all the stress he was feeling. It’s subtle at first and almost shy, but it warms Kai’s heart more than she knows.

Fast forward AGAIN, turns out that the evil group that’s been threatening to kill Kai is none other than Selene’s own family, the Blackburns. Selene is once again outraged at yet another one of her family’s evil and wicked plans. She contacts them for the first time since before the wedding and demands they stop at once. They tell her that killing him was the plan all along and the reason they didn’t let her in on it was because they knew that deep down she was weak and would fall for the poor and helpless Earthen boy.

She immediately tells Kai this but he doesn’t believe that she wasn’t in on it all along. All the times she ignored him and pushed him aside, it was all because she would eventually dispose of him. His heart has now broken even more. Just when he thought he was seeing more of who she was inside, letting her guard down, this happens.

She begins to cry and is trying to tell him that it isn’t true, but he’s too hurt to listen. Who can he even trust? Was he seriously so naïve that he fell for this trap?

Now the tables have turned and he’s the one ignoring her. Selene feels terrible for how she treated him. This was all her fault. For being so stubborn that she hurt the one person who had ever shown her genuine compassion and respect.

Eventually, thaumaturges sent by the Blackburns infiltrate the imperial palace. Selene tries to fight them off and warn Kai, but she gets knocked down. After getting back up, she gets in the warrior headspace, determined to stop her family and make sure nothing gets to Kai.

Unfortunately, she’s not fast enough. One of the thaumaturges gets to Kai, but not without him putting up a fight. It was rough, and by time Cinder got there to help knock the thaumaturge out, Kai had been wounded pretty badly. Now, she was the one holding a bleeding Kai in her arms on the cool marble floor of the palace. She began to cry, shouting for help.

(Btw he’s fine. The wound is bad like a gauge, but nowhere near the severity of Cinder’s stab)

Through stinging pain, Kai’s insisting he’ll be fine. She helps prop him up to sit against the wall while help is on its way. Still crying, Selene is apologizing to him once again, telling him that this alliance was a mistake and that she promises to leave to Luna and never come back in order to protect him and Earth from the evil doings of her family. He looks at her for a moment, and then trying to smile through the pain says “But if you’re not here then who am I going to write my poems about?”. A laugh escapes through her sobs.

Anyway, fast forward one last time, Kai makes a full recovery, all while Selene’s by his side. They end up falling even more deeply in love with each other and live happily forever after with their adorable future children and fields full of garden to write poems in…

So what do we think? Please excuse any typos or grammar errors, I wrote a lot of this on my phone in bed at like 2am😐 I’m not even going to bother rereading it, so if it doesn’t make sense then sorry. Just make up something to fill the holes

just a glimpse into how kaider my brain is. btw I wrote this in the middle of the night instead of studying for my calculus II midterm that’s tomorrow. Wish me luck, soldiers🫡

Tagging my buds @cinderswirecutters and @gingerale2017

[gingerale2017]

can you imagine “The Maid of Manhattan”

AU Kaider, I love this fcking movie sm

i watched that movie a while ago too!! i can see it. question is, who is the father of cinder’s kid?

[gingerale2017]

I am the author of the Kaider maid AU. Sorry if this is so long.

The family is quite kind; they don't force Kai, but it's still an arranged marriage, as both families want to merge their businesses. Except for the daughter (who will marry Kai), who is very arrogant, and in those days, social class mattered a great deal. She's classist and humiliates all the servants, especially Cinder, as if she knows about her relationship with Kai.

I think in the last few days, Cinder tells Kai that she can't stay at the mansion any longer, almost sobbing against his chest, telling him that they can't be together because of this arranged marriage. He hugs her, comforting her, looking for alternatives, but there's no solution until one day all the servants have the day off because the family is going on a two-day trip to a dinner in another state.

So Cinder is left alone, with no desire to go out. She feels a little overwhelmed by everything that has happened lately. While she's busy, she feels hands on her waist and realizes it's Kai. Surprised he wasn't with his family, they start talking until they discover a secret room in another bedroom. They go inside and both become vulnerable with each other, realizing they love each other more than they thought. She wonders, "Why did I have to fall in love with you of all men?"

Kai kisses her, but it's not just any kiss; it's as if he's plotting something. He takes her to bed, and the inevitable happens: she loves him, doesn't she? Hours later, he wakes up with Cinder asleep on his bare chest, having shown her how much he loves her. There they are, the two of them, under the moonlight, naked by the window. He falls back asleep with a smile.

And within a month, Cinder begins to develop a strong personality, things that make him cry, until she faints in front of his friends, and the rest is history (she cries when she realizes she's going to have a baby and knows she has to leave home, far away from Kai). And she leaves...

On the boat, as she watches the scenery recede from the UK, she touches her belly and tells her baby that it will just be the two of them.

i’m sensing a pattern here. i see: infidelity , sex, baby, and time skip where they end up together. which isn’t a bad plot, just something i’ve seen before, yk? one, i don’t think they would have sex THAT early on. kai, given his background, wouldn’t be that quick to be vulnerable with someone. i also think he wouldn‘t cheat on his wife, even if he didn’t love her. personal thing. if it was levana, he totally would. also, he would feel really bar for leading cinder ok while he was in a marriage. the confession would probably go down as “you’re making me feel things, i have a wife, this needs to stop.” he would totally divorce his wife after and collapse in cinder’s arms.

as for cinder, she would genuinely leave before it got too bad… then kai finds her and convinces her to work for him again. they would try to ve friends but find themselves looking in each others and wandering away together and brushing hands and laughing and UGHHH so much tension. maybe when they’re alone after kai confesses how much he doesn’t like his wife (but likes cinder) they kiss. i DON’T think they’d have sex. i’m sorry, maybe i’m vanilla, but they’re both paranoid and very “self-blaming” people. they’d feel HORRIBLE. drunk… ehhh maybe i still dk. i think cinder would stop it from getting to far and run away cinderella style. i know i’m partly responsible for the freakder surge, but that is THE most vanilla couple in the rampion crew.

anyways, the secret baby is just… not kaider to me? cinder’s ahh is not keeping that baby i fear. maybe, in certain circumstances, but still, i don’t think she’d raise it alone. I DON’T THINK SHE WOULD GET PREGNANT, SUE ME.

to be completely clear, this is not a bad au. it’s good. many people enjoy those plots and all that. i’m not a big fan of the cheating and pregnancy trope (unless it’s levana, literally cheat as much as you want idcccc levana is SO evil) but if you are, that’s perfectly fine. if you think this would happen, that’s okay!! me personally, no. but to each their own. whatever floats your boat. I DON’T CARE what you hc and what you don’t hc. YOU SHOULDN’T CARE what u hc and not hc. but the maid au is very cute. it feels ooc to me, but i haven’t read the books in a minute. quick question, though, how old are kai and cinder? it feels very experienced x naive from what i read.