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Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 51
🕑 Added 2024-09-14 05:50:01 +0000 UTCLuna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.
Certainly!
Luna VI query: What did Ryo do after Amara’s incident in the meeting?
***
Ryo's days on Caladris were consumed by relentless work. Each morning, he left his comfortable palace room to spend the day gathering intelligence on the Irisians, managing to uncover significant data despite their secrecy. After days of pretending to be a harmless human while using tiny robots for espionage, Ryo’s routine was disrupted by a critical meeting between the Irisians and humanity's leadership—a meeting where Amara and Nathan left his head spinning, even though he had been nothing more than a spectator.
As he left the meeting amidst the chaos, Ryo found himself lingering near the long corridor leading to the servants' quarters, where Elysira was still recovering from her wounds. Despite being rescued together and brought to this city, he hadn’t visited her once. This neglect left him with a terrible feeling he couldn’t quite name—anger at himself, perhaps guilt. He was pathologically bad at untangling the mess inside his head.
Minutes passed as he watched several Irisians come and go from that corridor. Eventually, Ryo gave up, turning back instead of advancing. His steps carried him to his room, though his mind remained fixated on the unsettling events of the meeting and the need to discuss them with Elysira.
When he arrived, Ryo immediately noticed that the human-friendly door handle was slightly out of place—different from how he’d left it. Though he had other security measures in place, a gut feeling told him someone familiar was inside. Trusting his instinct, he opened the door without bothering to check the security, confirming his suspicion.
Unlike the first time she had entered his room without permission, Elysira wasn’t using her camouflage. She stood by his bed, dressed in thin, opaque clothing that clung to her form, highlighting the dominant blue of her skin. The fabric was simple, yet it accentuated the alien elegance of her figure. She was holding his knife, inspecting it closely—the same blade Zandrid had used to cut off her tail, which was still missing from her body.
"You kept this knife?" Elysira’s voice was calm, her gaze fixed on the blade, reluctant to meet his eyes.
It was the first time he’d heard her voice in days, and his response came without hesitation. "It’s a good knife."
Elysira moved slowly, following the edge of his bed until she reached the headboard, where she carefully placed the knife back in its original spot. Still avoiding his gaze, she shifted the conversation to a subject he was unprepared to confront. "Why didn’t you come to see me?"
"I..." Ryo usually blurted out whatever came to mind, but this time, the words failed him.
Elysira waited patiently, giving him time to find his voice, but when the silence dragged on, she spoke again. "Amara and Nathan came to see me many times. Yelara also visited—she forgave me for hurting her. She said the wound I caused saved her life when they took her away from the fight." The color of her skin shifted to a somber gray. "Even that new human, Mia, visited me once. She wished me a quick recovery."
"I was busy with work," Ryo said. It was true, but even as the words left his lips, he knew it was nothing more than a convenient excuse.
Elysira didn’t respond. Her eyes widened, and her skin filled with tiny black dots that flickered like raindrops in dust. Ryo stood there, watching the colors ripple across her body, his heart sinking with each new shade of gray that emerged. His silence only made things worse. Without a word, she turned and sprinted toward the door, her gaze now avoiding his, even as she brushed past him on her way out.
In the instant she slipped from his sight, Nathan's words echoed in his mind—reminding him that he might never find another woman like Elysira, someone who could tolerate him. Instinct took over, and before he could fully process his actions, Ryo spun around and grabbed her by the arms. His grip was far from gentle, too harsh for someone still recovering from wounds, but his body had acted faster than his thoughts.
"You really wanted me to visit you?" he asked, the question erupting from deep inside.
He couldn’t see her face, only the cascade of her long hair flowing down her back. But the gray and purple hues spreading across her skin spoke louder than words—emotions Ryo could read better than he could understand his own. "I don’t understand your question."
"In the tent, you said you liked me because I made you feel safe, not because of how I looked." Her averted gaze made it easier for him to speak, his words finally flowing. "How can you feel safe now... after I failed to protect you?"
Elysira's back erupted into a storm of colors—green and even hints of yellow blending with the gray. Still, she didn’t turn around. "Is that why you didn’t visit me? Because you think I don’t like you anymore?"
Even though she wasn’t looking at him, Ryo felt as if she could see right through him, past his defenses and into his deepest fears. And yet, he admitted, "Yes."
"You think I expected you to defeat Zandrid and all his warriors by yourself?" Elysira wrenched free from his grasp, but instead of running, she turned to face him. "Idiot." She locked eyes with him for a brief moment, and the gray on her skin began to recede. Her hands clenched into fists. "Idiot!" she repeated, hitting his chest with soft, weak punches.
Ryo let her vent, retreating slowly as she struck him, red flooding her skin. When there was nowhere left for him to go, he allowed them to collapse onto his bed. Moments passed in silence, her skin gradually calming to a soft blue. Just as he thought the moment might be right to kiss her, his mind snapped back to reality, and he gently moved her aside—not out of fear that she’d resist, but afraid that she might not.
"We need to talk, Ely," he said quietly, still unable to meet her eyes, deliberately steering the conversation away from his feelings.
"Of course we do!" she snapped, a flush of red reappearing around her neck, a stark reminder to Ryo that he’d lost his chance to kiss her. "My tail is gone, and you haven’t even asked how I’m feeling!"
Ryo had planned to discuss the meeting before bringing up her tail, a decision he now realized was a mistake. "I’m sure a good doctor could regrow your tail," he said weakly.
Elysira ignored the comment, her skin flaring red across her cheeks. "When Zandrid picked up your knife, I thought he was going to kill you." Ryo’s discomfort grew, his heart pounding faster. "And when his hand moved toward me, I thought it was the end... but my tail—"
She stopped abruptly, and Ryo realized his body had stiffened, his face flushed and tense as heat surged through him.
"You don’t want to talk about this, do you?" Elysira’s voice softened as she noticed his unease. She moved onto the bed, kneeling over him, her eyes fixed on his, as though trying to draw out the truth.
"We can talk about it. Go on," he said, though he would never admit how deeply the sight of her claws breaking against Zandrid’s armor had shaken him.
Elysira studied him for a moment, then said, "I already told everything to Amara when she rescued me. I can wait until you’re ready to hear it."
Ryo sat up, thinking he was angry at her for assuming he was too weak to listen. But when he glanced at her hands, he saw them gripping his wrist—just as she used to hold him with her tail. The silence thickened between them as he noticed that even the tips of her fingers were clawless, the new ones still not grown in.
For a fleeting moment, the only thought in Ryo's mind was that he didn’t deserve her. Whatever anger he’d felt melted away, leaving only the weight of guilt. He seized her unspoken offer to change the subject, redirecting the conversation to his original intent.
"I just came from a meeting with the leaders of our species," he said. "Do you want to hear something about that princess?"
"Amara mentioned the importance of the meeting." The faint red on Elysira’s neck shifted to purple. "What happened?"
Ryo hesitated for a moment, wondering where to start, but decided to cut straight to the point. "Your people are saying she’s pregnant."
Elysira’s entire body flushed a deep purple, her eyes widening in shock. "Amara visited me just two days ago. She didn’t seem any different."
He studied her face as he spoke. "Well, today she caused a bit of a scene at the table, and when that old witch raised Amara’s head, she had green rings around her eyes." With a mental command, Ryo pulled up a floating window displaying an image of Amara’s emerald rings. He glanced at Elysira’s face, which showed only her usual blue. "The queen also mentioned something about swollen lips."
His gaze lingered on Elysira’s lips, and she caught the not-so-subtle glance.
"This... this..." Elysira's skin flushed deeper purple as she leaped from the bed, her eyes darting around in a panic. "A mirror! Where’s the mirror?"
"You look normal, Ely." Ryo said, trying to calm her.
She ignored him, quickly locating the mirror on the far wall beside the table. Rushing over, she tiptoed against the furniture to examine her face up close.
Ryo watched silently as Elysira scrutinized her reflection, unsure of what to say. Instead of telling her she was overreacting, he let her have her moment. His attention drifted back to the still image from the chaotic meeting, focusing on Nathan’s terrified expression. For once, he sympathized with the botanist.
When he dismissed the floating window, Elysira returned to stand before him, her neck now containing traces of gray. "Nothing," she said, her voice soft but heavy. It wasn’t the reaction Ryo had expected, but her next words explained everything. "Amara was always the special one, and I’m just a servant. I guess that will never change."
"Bullshit," Ryo shot back, his pragmatic nature kicking in. "I doubt that princess has anything more than a false positive in her belly. We don't need to get caught up in all the drama."
Elysira didn’t respond, but the flicker of red on her neck and her lingering gaze said more than her silence. She wasn’t convinced, but she wasn’t about to argue. "I need to see Amara," she finally said. "Whatever happens, she needs me now."
Ryo nodded, hoping he might get a moment to gather his thoughts, but then a notification popped up in his field of vision, an image injection from his brain’s IO interface. The active connection wasn’t the most surprising; it was the name on the incoming call—Prime Minister Ivanov.
He and Elysira exchanged a look. "What do I do?" she asked, a nervous purple creeping across her skin.
Given the identity of the caller, Ryo’s response was automatic. "Accept the call. Only speak if you're asked to."
Elysira’s exterior turned a deep shade of purple, though she quickly suppressed it, her eyes darting nervously as she accepted the call. Ryo did the same, and suddenly they both shared the same view in a floating window—a red mountain in the background where ships were taking off and landing. Ivanov stood in a towering glass-walled building, his youthful, strong appearance exuding confidence. His relaxed posture radiated an almost unsettling authority.
"Ryo Hawthorne, Martian soldier," Ivanov began, his voice smooth and calculated. "Abandoned by your parents in your youth, you entered the infantry’s body enhancement program at sixteen. Slowly and steadily, and despite your abysmal record in leadership and group activities, you climbed the ranks, becoming a sergeant at the age of twenty-five. Your strengths in solo operations and your aptitude for assassination earned you a seat on the Irisian mission."
Ryo blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of Ivanov’s words. This was not how he had expected the conversation to start, and he had never even been informed that his assassination skills had contributed to earning him a spot on this mission.
Ivanov ignored Ryo's visible surprise and pressed on. "Elysira, no surname." His eyes shifted to her with an intensity that made it feel like they were all standing in the same room. "Abandoned by your parents in your youth, you were taken in by Queen Khala, who needed a companion for Amara. You were raised as a servant alongside her, though you were never expected to be her equal. You were envied and shunned by the other servants, who left you isolated after discovering you were feeding us harmless information."
"Amara has already forgiven me," Elysira interjected, her voice trembling, her skin flushing deep purple. She had forgotten Ryo’s advice to speak only when addressed.
Prime Minister Ivanov pretended not to notice her outburst. "A mistake on Amara’s part, overreacting to your minor assistance. And a mistake on ours, failing to provide you with proper equipment in a timely manner, which resulted in you and Sergeant Hawthorne sharing a tent. This led to an understandable but morally questionable relationship. This information would never have reached my desk if not for today’s meeting, where your people suggested Princess Amara might be pregnant."
Elysira stared at him, her expression unreadable, while Ryo remained perfectly still, the posture of a soldier awaiting orders, though internally, a storm raged.
"Sergeant Hawthorne, it’s my understanding that you are aware this... situation may have negative consequences for your career. Is that correct?"
Ryo's response was immediate. "Yes, sir."
"Ms. Elysira, I gather you were unaware of any potential 'consequences' when you got involved with Sergeant Hawthorne. Is that assumption correct?"
Elysira’s skin deepened into a mix of purple and red. "How could I have known? How could anyone have known?" She hesitated, but when Ryo thought she'd stop, she pressed on. "I’m not like Yelara, who tried to—"
Ryo quickly stepped forward, gently placing a hand over her mouth. "She wasn’t aware of anything, sir."
A faint smirk played on Ivanov’s lips. "Sergeant Hawthorne, you’re not a politician, but I’m sure you understand there are two groups right now with very different expectations about how I should handle this situation."
Ryo’s mind raced in confusion, but he answered like a soldier would. "I understand, sir."
Ivanov’s expression hardened as he continued, "There are those who believe I should order you to distance yourself from her and demote you. And there are others who think it would look bad if a man from Earth has a child with the princess while we have nothing. This second group believes I should use this woman's need for a tail and your delicate situation to force both of you into doing what they want."
Ryo felt as though his heart had stopped. Both scenarios were devastating, not only for him but for Elysira as well. They exchanged a glance, and this time, Ryo's panic was written clearly across his face, while Elysira's skin had become a river of purple flowing among her black spots.
Ivanov paused, letting the tension settle before continuing. "I, on the other hand, believe both groups are wrong. There is a third, more appropriate solution."
Ryo’s voice trembled, dreading what might come next. "And what is that... sir?"
"Simple. Making a decision now would be premature. We don’t know what’s happening with the princess yet, nor whether the same might happen with Elysira." Ivanov paused again, locking eyes with both of them. "I propose we wait. Let the princess take the risks first. If I receive word that Earth is optimistic about her condition, only then will I make a final decision."
A chill ran down Ryo's spine. "What decision, sir?"
"Regardless of the outcome, we can heal her tail. But if Earth isn’t optimistic about Amara’s condition, it would be best for you both to maintain a safe distance from each other." Ivanov smiled slightly, savoring their anxiety for a brief moment before continuing, "However, if things look good for the princess, you won’t be ordered to do anything. But don’t be surprised if a large sum of money is offered for both of you to keep doing what you’ve already done for free. Wouldn’t that make you happy?"
Ivanov seemed to believe Ryo should feel relieved, but he wasn’t. Elysira, too, was devoid of any trace of yellow on her skin. Though she appeared moderately composed, Ryo could sense she was barely holding herself together.
After scrutinizing them both for another moment, Ivanov gave a final command. "Sergeant Hawthorne, until we know more about Amara’s condition, you are forbidden from touching the woman beside you. Is that clear?"
Ryo hesitated briefly before responding, "Yes, sir."
"Good. This has been an interesting conversation." With that, Ivanov abruptly ended the call, and the window with his image vanished.
Ryo couldn’t help but see the irony in Ivanov referring to his monologue as a 'conversation.' But he didn’t dare dwell on the thought for long—holding a grudge wouldn’t help him during his next synchronization.
"We..." Elysira’s voice brought him to the present, her skin shifting between gray and purple. "I’m still your girlfriend, right?"
He answered, trying to sound confident, "Of course."
Elysira studied his face for a moment, her gaze sharp, before her eyes widened. Ryo could almost see the realization hit her—that their future together now depended entirely on Amara’s condition.
"I need to check on Amara," she said abruptly, rushing toward the door without waiting for his opinion.
By the time Ryo registered she wouldn't return so soon, it was too late to regret not saying he wanted to talk more, or to warn her about keeping their conversation with Ivanov confidential. Then again, the Prime Minister hadn’t specifically requested secrecy, so it wouldn’t be her fault if she spoke to anyone.
Now alone, Ryo shut the door behind him but didn’t bother locking it, in case Elysira returned. He needed a shower, a change of clothes, something to clear his mind. But instead of doing that, he collapsed onto his bed, still fully dressed, shoes and all.
Ryo reflected on his and Elysira’s situation, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like an unsolvable puzzle. Ever since they got together, he’d almost lost her too many times—once when she was captured, another because of his own foolishness—and now, before they could even settle those previous issues, a new challenge was thrown at them.
What struck him as odd was how sharply their relationship contrasted with Nathan and Amara's. While he constantly felt like his time with Elysira could end at any moment, Ryo couldn’t imagine the same for those two—they seemed unshakable.
Throughout the earlier meeting, not once did he sense the same fragility in them that he saw in himself and Elysira. Amara had stood up to her mother to defend Nathan, and when she wasn’t well, the botanist ran to take care of her. They had protected their relationship under immense pressure, in the middle of chaos. Would Nathan just bow his head and say yes ma'am if that old lady told him they couldn’t be together?
Ryo chuckled in self mockery, remembering how the tables had turned since that moment in front of the tents. Back then, he and Elysira were fleeing, while those two fools had stayed behind, arguing as enemies closed in.
The strangest thing, though, was that he no longer felt even the slightest bit of anger toward them. Maybe Amara had once been the spoiled princess, overly harsh with her allies and a seductress who sought Nathan for some scheme. But after everything they had been through in the valleys, he couldn’t see her that way anymore.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Ryo concluded—perhaps it was time to apologize to Nathan, maybe over a pack of beer or something. He wouldn’t mind hearing another piece of advice as valuable as the one that had kept him from letting Elysira slip through his fingers. But even if Nathan had no wisdom to offer, Ryo wouldn’t care. What he truly wanted, for the first time in many years, was just someone, enemie or not, to listen to him for a few minutes. And right now, Nathan was probably the only other human in the universe who could come close to understanding his plight.
***
This was an account based on Ryo’s actions after the incident in the meeting. The previous narrative is based on the events of the forty-seventh day of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
Comments
Wolf_Senpai
I love the story! :p (also, apparently I AM SPEED lol.)
