"Muse" (Rouxls Kaard X Reader)

"Coffee" (Chapter 1)

"Listen, I want this place cleaned before I leave!".

You heard your manager drone as usual. It was your ninth day straight working. You hadn't been sleeping well, due to the very fact that you would work till 3am alone in the attempt to get the place spic-and-span. You worked at Fern Leaf Coffee, the most popular coffee shop in town. The place was severely understaffed, and your health was taking a toll because of it.

"Yes, Ms. Newman." You robotically call back to her as she exits out the back door for a smoke break.

'Smoke break' as she calls it. More like she leaves the place for you to piece back together. You had been working there so long now though that leaving wasn't an option. You made way more being in this Hell hole than justifying going somewhere else. You sighed deeply, holding onto the chipped and worn mop handle. You begin to mindlessly mop the red and black tiled floor. It was already 1am and you were about to pass out from the lack of sleep. You just turned 21 a few days ago, and haven't even had time to get yourself a well deserved cake. Hell, let alone any taste of alcohol everyone raves on about.

You push through another hour of work, sifting through jars and bags of aromatic coffee, placing chairs on tables. The old fashioned place looked as good as new. You pull back your soiled black sleeve, looking at your watch. Your eyelids were so heavy, your (e/c) glazed over from insomnia.

"Ugh..." you groaned, stretching and finding your bag as you head for the door.

Drifting through the rainy streets in your beat up and old car, you blast your favorite song in an attempt to just make it home conscious. You fumble for your apartment keys as you approach your dingy red door. It was a little place, not much to the one bedroom abode. You lived alone anyhow. You never had much time to socialize outside of work and taking classes in (favorite subject that you'd like to get a career in, that is if you want to go to college/trade school). The keys clink inside the lock and door groans as you drag your boots. You don't even bother to place your backpack for a purse on the table. The floor worked just as well. You start taking articles of clothes off as you head straight for your twin sized bed. You fall face first into the pillow. Struggling with the comforter, you left nothing on but your work shirt and underwear.

"Finally, sleep." You whisper under your breath.

But, then again, sleep wasn't your best friend. You lay there, staring at the white blotted ceiling with your forearm resting against your forehead. Tears begin to swell in your (e/c) eyes. Day in and day out, you did the same things. Work, study, go to bed. You had become so stuck in a rut you began to wonder if you were even real. If any of this was even worth it. You mentally slap yourself. No, it was going to be worth it.

You plug in some music that you found soothing, finally feeling the void come upon you. Your breathing slows and then...

*CRASH *

Your eyes jolt open and you sit up hurriedly. Scanning the room, you horrifyingly realize you were no longer in your apartment. In fact, you no longer were even in your bed. You raise your hands, shaking and confused. You saw your fingernails had turned to a cyan hue. You were clothed in a (f/c) robe, lined with hanging frills that swayed in your every move. You push back your hair, attempting to get on your feet. You were standing in a large pile of slippery moss, the room hardly visible.

"What in the actual fu-" you went to whisper until you heard a distant bang that silenced you.

You reach your hands out into the strange murk before you. Denial began to creep in and you laugh.

"Okay, okay. I get it, I'm really sleep deprived but this is just a really vivid dream. I'll wake up any time now for work."

You smile and place your hands on your hips, wiggling in place as if that was going to transport you out of the darkness. Your grin formed into a frown as you heard more and more clinking and clanging in the echoes. You reach your hand out again and this time feel very cold metal. Sliding a finger up and down, you trace what felt like thick prison bars.

"Didn't know I liked to dream about this stuff." You half-ass laugh under the rim of your robe.

A cold spike spears through your soul when you start to hear voices now. Unlike your usual self, since after all it is a dream, you wait for who ever was coming. You tap your bare foot against the mossy stone floor as you now notice a faint blue light coming closer and closer. With what little light was rearing in, you now could see just where you were. You were in and small jail cell, of what looked most definitely like a blue dungeon. The hall seemed endless as the light grew brighter.

You squinted, the lantern that was coming your way was insanely bright. But as your (e/c) eyes came to focus, you saw it was a very tall...man? With your breath caught in your throat, you looked the strange dude up and down. He hadn't seemed to notice you yet and it really didn't seem like he was looking for anything in particular. He had to be at least 6'2, and the man had lengthy snow white hair that flared at the ends, his clothes adorned in blue and fitted as royalty. But what bothered you most was that...he himself was blue, blue! You couldn't see his face very well, but even weirder was he seemed to be missing a nose.

He was only a few feet away now, should you hide? Why? This was just a video your brain seemed to be reeling in a movie theater now.

"Uh, hi?" You flatly call out.

The man jumps out of his skin at your voice, thrusting the lantern towards your rusted jail cell.

"My gods, why is therest a woman here?" He screams rather loudly, his accent instantly raising an eyebrow to you.

You scratch the top of your head as the tall figure just stares at you with his ghostly lamp raised at your cell. You can make out more of his rather handsome yet strange figure. His eyelashes were completely white, his mouth firmly pressed into a scowl. He lowers the bright light, leaning in closer to the cell and you lean back.

"Who are ye? Hmm? Who putst you there? One of thy gaurds?" He demanded, thrusting a long blue finger in your face in the process.

"Excuse me? What? Who the hell are YOU? I just woke up in here!" You raise your voice back, crossing your arms over your chest.

He makes a face that clearly says he doesn't believe you. He straightens his posture, closing his eyes as you stare up at him. He clears his throat.

"Thy am the great Rouxls Kaard. The Duke of the domain." He hotly proclaims.

"What kind of name is that." You snicker.

He takes in a sharp bit of air "Ugh, commoner! Thoust appears to have broken thee rules, so ye better shut thy trap."

A brief moment of silence falls as you do nothing but just lower your head.

"Look, my name is ----. I'm obviously just doing some hardcore lucid dreaming. I'll wake up eventually. Sorry, but you are not real Kaard." You stoically say with a hint of arrogance yourself.

Rouxls clearly was looking at you like you were a basket case. He opens his mouth, but immediately closes it. The gears were turning in that hairy head of his.

"Do you really not know how thee got here?" He softly asks this time, projecting a bit of worry under that fierce attitude of his.

You shake your head, twiddling your thumbs. He cringes with with an odd smirk, as if clearly saying he has no idea what to do.

He peers back over his shoulder, then reachs inside his coat pocket, pulling out a long silver key. Before placing it in the jail lock, he brings his face close to yours.

"Behave yourself, I am taking thee to the king."

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Hello everyone! I hope you liked the first chapter and apologize for any typos and it's length. I'm writing on a phone and it's old at that. I hope to maybe try to write with something else lol.