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Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 56
🕑 Added 2024-10-14 07:12:58 +0000 UTCLuna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.
No Problem!
Luna VI query: Tell me about the day that Nathan became a father.
Your request will generate an account from multiple points of view. Do you wish to proceed?
Luna VI query: Yes.
***
Ryo’s perspective:
Ryo leaned against the glass railing, his gaze drifting over the blue leaves in the atrium garden below. Over the past few months, he had come to realize that the Irisians rarely visited this place, making it an ideal spot for conversations without being confined to his or Elysira’s rooms.
Beside him, Elysira watched a line of guards crossing the floor below, her claws tapping impatiently on the glass, betraying her eagerness to resume their conversation once the guards were out of earshot.
Ryo, however, was less impatient. He glanced at her, still adjusting to her new look. She wore a military jacket, much like the one he had worn in the mountains of the Ebon Range, paired with light jeans and shoes that most Irisians would probably find distasteful. Every inch of her skin was covered, except for her neck and face—the only places where she could display her emotions.
Over the past month, he had watched her transition to this style. It began with her desire to hide the scar left by her missing tail using human pants. That led to matching shoes, and finally, the jacket—to conceal her growing belly.
She wasn’t worried about Amara or the elders noticing; her greater concern was how the rest of her people might view her, labeling her a traitor more than they already had. After all, Amara’s forgiveness couldn’t erase the past from the minds of those who still held it against her.
As he watched her, Elysira’s orange eyes tracked the guards as they disappeared from view. She turned to him, speaking as soon as they were gone.
"We can’t keep living like this, Ryo. Amara’s baby is due soon, and we don’t even know how long you can stay on Irisa after the mission ends." She pointed to her eyes, frustration evident in her tone. "This blue makeup is driving me crazy. I’m tired of hiding and waiting for you to decide. I need to know what we’re going to do when the mission is over."
As she spoke, red filled her face, intensifying the contrast with the blue around her eyes.
"It depends on what the Prime Minister says," Ryo replied, unfazed by her rising temper. "I told you already. I could be ordered to stay or be sent back to Mars. Ivanov gave us the money, but I’m still a soldier. We agreed you’d go with me, wherever that is. Why are we having this conversation again?"
He watched as her mouth opened and closed, recalling their ups and downs over the past months. There had been rough patches after she first introduced him to the children, but also good moments—especially after Nathan convinced him to apologize and be more open with her. Yet, despite it all, their relationship never felt solid. It always seemed like things could fall apart at any moment.
He envied Nathan and Amara. They seemed to bulldoze through their problems so easily, and Ryo often attributed that to Amara’s elevated status and Nathan’s civilian freedom. But deep down, he suspected they were simply better at communicating—something he was still learning to replicate.
"I won’t know what’s wrong unless you tell me." He was tempted to ruffle her hair playfully, like Nathan always did with Amara, but the very idea felt childish and foolish.
Elysira’s eyes met his, and he noticed purple concentrating along her neck, deepening with each breath. "I... can’t go with you."
Can’t go with him? Ryo’s gaze sharpened, anger bubbling beneath the surface. He saw the purple spread across her face, but clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. A flood of negative thoughts rushed through his mind—how could she just decide this? Had someone influenced her? Why agree to have a child only to stay behind?
But he didn’t let the anger take over. He unclenched his fists, taking a deep breath before speaking, his voice harsh but measured. "Explain your reasons."
Her skin was still flushed with purple, and her eyes avoided his. "I’ve thought about this a lot." Her voice was soft, hesitant. She glanced at him, but his expression remained firm, though her orange eyes always had the power to reach him.
"When Amara’s baby is born, it’ll be one of a kind. And when ours comes, it’ll be the second. They’ll grow up alone—different from everyone around them. Can you imagine being the only human in the world? That kind of loneliness is scarier than being shunned. They’ll be fundamentally different, and there’s nothing we can do to change that..."
As she spoke, her fears became raw and exposed—fears that their child wouldn’t be accepted, that they might be exploited by either species. Ryo’s anger dissolved into understanding as she continued, and by the time she finished, he felt a strange new fear of his own.
"...I want to go with you, but it wouldn’t be fair to take our child away from the only other being like them."
By the time she finished, Ryo’s expression softened, and guilt flickered within him. He hadn’t fully grasped her fears before—he’d been so focused on their future together that he hadn’t considered how isolating it would be for their child. Now, her words told him what he had missed. Her concerns were valid, and the life he’d envisioned for them might not be what was best for their future. Silently, he began to agree with her, realizing that staying on Irisa might be the better choice after all.
Seconds passed as her anxiety grew, but eventually, Ryo spoke, his voice sending a wave of purple across her face. "You can’t go with me. I understand." His hand moved to her cheek, gently touching her skin. As his fingers lingered, he watched the purple recede, giving way to gray instead of yellow.
Sharing her sadness, Ryo’s thoughts raced for a solution. Even in the worst case, he could visit Irisa while on leave. And with money no longer an issue, he might even consider taking steps toward a full discharge, though that was a decision for the future. Just as he was about to bring up those possibilities, their moment was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps. Elysira’s skin instantly shifted back to blue, her emotions once again concealed.
The source of the footsteps was a male Irisian, likely a guard, sprinting toward them. The first thing that struck Ryo was the oddity of it—it wasn’t every day that he saw an Irisian making such a noisy entrance. As the guard approached and stopped abruptly, bowing with his tail wrapping around his legs, Ryo’s second thought was the urge to punch him. Why now, of all times?
The reason quickly followed. "Princess Amara has gone into labor, and we can’t find Nathan anywhere. Do you have any way to contact him?"
Elysira’s neck shifted to purple in surprise, while Ryo’s brow furrowed. He suspected Mia or Reynolds might have better means to reach Nathan, but then he recalled how communication systems often only worked flawlessly when higher-ups were involved. Perhaps this was the case with Earth’s comms as well.
Without hesitation, Ryo made a decision. Turning to Elysira, he said, "You go check on the princess. I’ll find the plant lover."
Both Elysira and the guard stared at him, momentarily speechless. Seeing their surprise, he added, "What? I think I know where to find him, that’s all."
Before they could respond, Ryo was already running, disappearing into the corridors and leaving them behind.
Nathan's perspective:
Under a massive tree with vines tangled in its canopy, Nathan sat cross-legged, leaning against the trunk. In his lap was an old book, both his hands gripping it as his mind struggled with the contents. Over the past three months, Nathan had abandoned botany entirely, redirecting his focus to the cultural aspects of the Irisians. This shift had meant spending more time in Caladris’ library than wandering the forest above the dome.
Though he didn’t mind being a 'library rat' deep down, he knew this sedentary work wasn’t for him. To compensate, he had taken his reading outside, settling under the shade of the tree while the dangerous blue light filtered down around him, adding a small thrill to the normally peaceful activity.
The book he was reading wasn’t about Irisian history or culture, as his studies usually were, but about something he had once dismissed as trivial—their language and names. His newfound interest hadn’t stemmed from the translator’s shortcomings, but from a conversation with Amara. They had been discussing names for their child, and it struck Nathan just how little they knew about each other's languages—especially when it came to names.
By Amara’s choice, the gender of their unborn baby was kept secret, known only to him and a few humans. Something about Irisian succession rules and elder politics that only Amara truly understood. But ever since Reynolds had revealed the gender to them, the topic of boy names had become a focal point in their lives, leading them to some unconventional methods.
Nathan’s first idea had been to immerse himself in books, hoping to find a name that sounded good in both languages. But he quickly discovered that replicating many of the Irisian phonemes—especially the clicking sounds—was beyond him. They then tried Amara’s suggestion: turning off their translators to expose themselves to each other’s unfiltered voices. That experiment led to several days of comical misunderstandings, but it also brought them closer, as if they were rediscovering each other in a new and unfamiliar way.
With the mission nearing its one-year mark, Nathan realized that life with Amara would never be ordinary. No matter how well they got to know each other, there would always be new experiences and new 'firsts' to share. Some might find this daunting, but for Nathan, who was an adventurer at heart, it was exhilarating. The idea of being with anyone but Amara was already unimaginable, his days with Samantha long forgotten in favor of the exciting future he saw ahead.
Determined to refocus on the names, Nathan returned his attention to the book. He used the integrated system to summon a floating window with a video of Amara pronouncing some of the tricky Irisian names. Just as he was slipping into that perfect flow of concentration, a voice called out from the distance, pulling him back.
"Get moving, I need you to follow me!"
Turning away from the book, Nathan looked up to see Ryo jogging toward him, his face slick with sweat under the harsh blue light. Ryo’s usually well-kept black hair was now glued to his forehead, damp and wild from the heat. His breathing was slightly labored, and his expression contained the casual frustration of someone who had clearly been looking for him for a while.
Still seated, Nathan’s mind raced to find a reason for Ryo’s sudden appearance. "Don’t tell me that—"
"You’re about to become a father. Now get your ass away from that tree and come here! I don’t know how much you’ve already missed," Ryo said, surprisingly not sounding indifferent.
Shock and hesitation consumed Nathan for a moment. This wasn’t supposed to happen this week; he and Amara had made so many plans for when the moment finally came. Had something gone wrong? Had Reynolds already been summoned? His thoughts spiraled as he considered the possibilities, panic creeping into the edges of his mind.
Ryo reached down and yanked the book to the side. "Forget this damn book. Let’s go."
Only a moment of hesitation held Nathan in place before he set the book on the ground and scrambled to his feet. "How’s Amara?" he asked, his anxiety clear in his voice.
They were already on the move when Ryo replied, "I don’t know."
With the blue light hitting his skin and the AI warnings of radiation fading into the background, Nathan pushed himself to keep pace with Ryo as they made their way above Caladris' dome. His breaths grew shorter as they hurried along, and it wasn’t until they reached the elevator that he realized how out of breath he was.
Unlike Nathan, who always waited for an Irisian to assist with the buttons, Ryo casually pulled out a pocket knife and pressed it into the hollowed-out space designed for claws, triggering the controls without hesitation. As the elevator began to move, Ryo smirked. "If I broke something, I’m counting on you for a royal pardon."
Despite his ragged breaths, Nathan smiled, Ryo's unlikely humor offering a small break in the tension. But the chill running down his spine didn’t ease. The thought of what awaited him on the other side weighed heavily on his mind.
When the elevator doors opened and the path toward Aldrinch’s building stretched out before him, Nathan turned to Ryo, who stood with his arms crossed. "Are you coming?" he asked.
Ryo’s reply was immediate. "No. I’m sure there are enough people to bother you two in there already."
As Nathan stepped out of the elevator, he glanced back, and Ryo gave him a small salute, a hint of a smile on his face as the doors closed behind him.
Nathan allowed himself only the briefest of smiles before refocusing. His mind raced along with his legs, and countless scenarios of what he might find when he reached Amara ran through his head.
Once inside, he didn’t think twice before heading for the staircase. He passed a guard at each flight of stairs, barely glancing at them in his haste. However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the occasional flash of yellow on their skin. It wasn’t surprising—he was familiar with some of the guards, especially after the increase in security following Queen Khala’s incident. But he barely registered their presence as he pushed onward, driven by the thought of reaching Amara as quickly as possible.
When he reached their floor, he was greeted by a small crowd of Irisians gathered in the corridor outside the room. Aldrinch and three other elders huddled together near the left wall, whispering among themselves, while Elysira and Yelara stood by the door, exchanging quiet words. A little farther off, the only humans present—Reynolds and Mia—were speaking more loudly by the window, their conversation tense in his perception.
This raised an immediate question in Nathan’s mind, one he couldn’t afford to leave unanswered. He hurried toward Reynolds, his heart racing.
"Nathan!" Mia greeted him, but Nathan ignored her and stopped directly in front of the doctor.
"Why is everyone here? Who’s with Amara?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.
Reynolds, sensing his anxiety, placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "It’s tradition for the mothers to be alone during childbirth, Nathan. But don’t worry—I’m monitoring everything through the connection with her nanites. Even though your son arrived a little earlier than expected, everything is proceeding smoothly."
Alone? The concept felt absurd to Nathan. A flash of anger flared in his chest before the implication hit him. If his son had arrived early, that meant—
"They’re waiting for you inside," Elysira’s voice broke through his thoughts, followed by the soft sound of the door unlocking.
In that instant, everything else vanished from Nathan’s mind. Without a second thought, he moved past the military-dressed Elysira, completely oblivious to her unusual appearance. His legs carried him toward the door as if on autopilot.
The door clicked shut behind him as he entered, but Nathan’s eyes were fixed on the bed ahead. Wet towels lay scattered across the floor, but he barely noticed them. His focus was entirely on Amara, who lay half-covered, cradling a tiny blue figure with black spots nestled against her. The baby’s colors blended so seamlessly with hers that it was difficult for Nathan to make out any details.
He stood frozen, trying to absorb the scene as if his body had forgotten how to move. Amara didn’t rush him. It was in his own time that he finally willed himself forward, stepping over the towels as he made his way closer to her. A question still bothered him, but he voiced it with concern rather than anger.
"Why did you go through this alone?"
"An old tradition," Amara replied, her orange eyes locking with his. "In ancient times, the huntresses would give birth alone in the mountains. They would look through the fine membrane around their babies, and if they saw a child missing an arm, a leg, or a tail, they would never break that barrier with their claws. They would leave the baby to drown inside and climb down the mountain alone with their sorrow."
Nathan blinked, caught off guard by the darkness of her words. He didn’t understand why she’d bring this up now—until she shifted and gently raised their baby, showing him the tiny back.
"No tail," she said softly, "but he is perfect, is he not?"
Nathan’s breath caught as he saw the four small limbs moving slowly, the absence of a tail clear. His son’s ears, more like his own than Amara’s, made him ache to see the rest of his face. But before he could respond, Amara’s skin flushed with yellow, her excitement evident as she continued without waiting for his answer.
"Take a seat, you need to see this."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Nathan complied without thinking, his worry dissolving into warm curiosity. He joined them on the edge of the bed, eager to catch more details of the baby’s tiny face.
Amara, oblivious to his inner thoughts, laid their son on her chest, and her body shifted to a solid, vibrant yellow. It wasn’t just an emotional display—it was a conscious choice that made the black spots on her body disappear into a smooth, uniform yellow.
Nathan didn’t fully understand why she had done it, but as he glimpsed the baby’s face, now contrasting against the bright yellow, he felt a surge of joy. However, the moment was fleeting, and in an instant, the baby’s skin mimicked his mother’s, blending with her yellow form until it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
"This is—"
"He can already mimic me," Amara interrupted, her voice bright with pride. "His brain is developing normally, just like any healthy baby."
Like any baby? Nathan almost laughed, the playful atmosphere melting away his earlier tension. His hands were sweaty from all the running, so he resisted the urge to reach out just yet. "Come on, little guy. Quit hiding. Let me see your face."
Amara, understanding his eagerness, gently placed their son on the blanket beside her, giving Nathan a clearer view. The baby’s tiny nose had downward-facing nostrils, just like a human, and though his hair was short, its color-shifting properties were unmistakably Irisian. Only the baby’s sleepy eyes remained hidden, refusing to open.
"Say dada," Nathan teased softly, knowing full well it was too soon for that. But at that moment, all he wanted was for those little eyes to meet his.
Nathan’s wish was granted when his son’s eyes finally fluttered open, revealing a striking green that matched his own. For a brief, magical moment, Nathan felt an unbreakable connection, something entirely unique between them. But as with all good things, it didn’t last. His son’s face scrunched up, and his skin shifted to a muted gray. A loud wail soon filled the room, shattering the tranquility and bringing with it a strange sense of normality—this was parenthood, after all.
Amara’s tail coiled protectively around the baby as she pulled him close to her chest, her eyes flashing with a sharp look toward Nathan, as if he’d done something terrible rather than simply say something playful. She shifted their little boy in her arms, trying to make him more comfortable, but his cries only grew louder. She then attempted to feed him, but the wailing continued unabated.
Nathan stood helpless, scratching the back of his head, feeling that now was definitely not the time for any more words. He could only watch as Amara tried everything in her power to soothe their son, her frustration growing with each passing minute.
The crying persisted for what felt like an eternity, but eventually, quietness returned. Amara looked tired, her shoulders slumped as her eyes met Nathan’s. He could tell she was holding back any words, afraid that speaking would set off another round of crying.
Just as Amara seemed to settle into a moment of peace, a knock came at the door. It was Elysira, inquiring how things were going. That single knock was all it took to set their son off again. His cries immediately resumed, louder than before.
Amara groaned softly, resigned to another battle with their baby’s emotions. As Nathan glanced around, he realized the magnitude of the situation. Their son’s cries meant they had to calm him down again, they still needed to choose a name, the elders were surely waiting to see Amara outside, and Mia and Reynolds likely had plenty to discuss. The next few days—and possibly weeks—were going to be filled with endless responsibilities and adjustments.
It hit Nathan then, as much as he hated to admit it—he might need to contact the space station. The mission would have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future, and when the time came to contact his parents, he could only imagine how hard it would be to explain just how much his life had changed in less than a year.
***
This was an account based on the day that Nathan became a father. The previous narrative is based on the events of the ninth month of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
Comments
Ziemir
I was thinking I could end this story arc with 15 chapters, but it seems it will need a few more chapters to finish the plot and tie up all loose ends. I'll try to write longer chapters so that the story can end nicely somewhere between chapter 60 and 70. In the future, I might come back to it with a sequel or some extras.
Rohn Carver
Last chapters? I hope we get at least some kinda continuation for the 2 hybrid kids.
Ziemir
I have a few images in mind for the Irisians when I write them. I'm not sure if Patreon allows images in the comments, but I'll send them to you via message once I find the folder where I stored them. As for the kid, he doesn’t have a tail, and his skin texture leans more toward his mother’s, with little texture. But (minor spoiler ahead) it will be revealed later that he can also sweat to dissipate heat, so it will be somewhere in between. As for the rest of you comment, that would be a heavy spoiler, but what I can say is that there will be a hints of the far future in the last chapters.
Rohn Carver
I was thinking; I wonder when we'll get another chapter. An then the ping from my email notifications hit with this. So now a question on the child's appearance. How much is give and take? Still unsure what exactly the irisians look like. They've got chameleon abilities on crack, and tails, skin texture? So does the kid look like a human slightly pointy ears color shifting hair regular nose same human eye color as the father. But with irisians skin?. Now onto the second *Hopeful* idea is that while Nathan and Amara had a boy. The other two, elyasara and Ryo have a girl. And the two grow up to be a perfect match for one another. This'll do 2 things, ensure that they both have someone who understands them. And rule out what typically happens with cross species hybrids being sterile, and that'd be a good "marketing" example for what the future could hold.
Ziemir
you are speed
Rohn Carver
Great
