Trash Panda

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

That's good. How much longer do you have until the convention?

It's a lot of fun, haha.

I posted! Also added another link to a song that'll give you a feel for the kind of music Cas put on for them cx

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“Oh, I will,” Cas laughed when Iris said he could call her an idiot if she ever curtseyed to him. All joking aside, he was relieved she was so intent on keeping up the way they had interacted so far. It lessened his worries that things might change between them later on. He liked having a friend around whom he could speak with so casually, and he had a feeling he was going to like having her around at his home. She was certainly better company than his father. The king rarely left his bedroom anymore, and when he did, it was just to lecture him about ways he could be a better heir to the throne. They hadn’t had a casual conversation since his mother passed five years ago.

As Iris commented on the condition of his car, Cas was drawn from his thoughts. “Well, I don’t do any of the work myself,” he shrugged. “We have people who take care of all our cars, just like they do the house. I appreciate the effort they’ve put in to keep it so pristine though.” He casted her a sideways glance. Every once in a while she made comments like that that threw him off. Just because he was royalty didn’t mean he was that much better off than everyone else in the capital. Every high born he’d met had plenty of servants to take care of their belongings too. It was normal. He couldn’t help but wonder why she would have thought that he cleaned his own house and car and even cooked.

At her mention of his friends, he scoffed. “Yeah, riding or driving,” he confirmed, adjusting a side mirror he’d just noticed Jay had altered when he’d borrowed it. “I actually lent it to one of them the same night I found you. Just looking at the odometer, I’m pretty sure he spent most of yesterday joyriding around the city.” The car was still new enough that there were barely any miles on it anyway, so he didn’t really mind. He just liked giving Jay shit about it, since he technically hadn’t given his friend permission to drive it as much as he had.

“If you insist,” Cas smiled when Iris told him to pick the music. “But that means you can’t complain if you don’t like what I choose, alright?” Looking down at his phone, he scrolled through the playlists he already had set up until he found one he was in the mood to listen to. Hitting play, indie music began to fill the car, and he glanced up at her again proudly, “What did I tell you? Aren’t the speakers great?”

When she thanked him for telling her who he was, he blinked. “You’re welcome.” She was going to find out anyway. He’d just wanted her to hear it from him instead of being surprised by the mansion he was about to bring her back to. “I already know a little about who you are,” he went on, putting the car in drive to take them out of the lot. “You’re Iris, the chocolate-loving dancer who hates hospitals and likes to cook. You’re also fun company to be around, and I definitely still want to get drinks with you.”

Pulling up to the exit, he looked both ways before driving onto the street. “How’s your leg feeling, by the way?” he asked, his brown eyes flicking toward her briefly before returning to the road. “I was thinking, if you’re up for it, we could stop by an outlet to get you some stuff, since you don’t have much. Maybe a toothbrush for starters and some new clothes, so you don’t have to wear that dress every day?” It looked good on her, but he doubted it was comfortable. Something that nice wasn’t designed to be worn casually. He glanced at her again, “What do you think?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Wisconsin-style fast food ^^ It's one of my favorite spots, and they have amazing custard!

Aw, dang. Well I'm glad you have some time to rest then :) Are you going to do more work on your costume?

I'm loving the little flashbacks Iris gets, by the way cx They're fun to read!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“You have no idea,” Cas rolled his eyes exaggeratedly when Iris joked about how boring his life must have been. He wasn’t sure if he would have called every part of it boring, but it was definitely lackluster. Even when he wasn’t studying whatever mundane subjects he needed to learn to be king, there wasn’t a whole lot of variation day to day. He would hang out around the city with his friends or stay home to watch a game by himself. Every once in a while, he had to make a public appearance on his father’s behalf or talk to paparazzi if they managed to corner him in public. That was about it.

“True,” he smirked when Iris talked about how brave she was. “I could be a serial killer. You don’t know.” Despite his teasing, he had to admit she was pretty trusting if she was willing to get in a car with a man she barely knew. She couldn’t know if his intentions were good or bad. If he’d been trying to take advantage of her amnesia, it wouldn’t have been hard, since she had no way to contact anyone, nor anyone to contact in the first place. It’s a good thing I spotted her before she started wandering the streets by herself, he realized, even more relieved that his father had agreed to let her stay with them.

When she responded to his confession, Cas stared at her in surprise. Of all the things she could have said, “I think I saw you on TV once” definitely wasn’t what he’d been expecting to come out of her mouth. Somehow, he liked her anticlimactic reply though. It was nice to hear her act like he’d just told her what he had for breakfast rather than admitted he was the crown prince of Aspiria. He could practically feel the rest of his tension melt away. It looked like nothing was going to change after all.

“I think so too,” his smile returned when she commented on his nickname. He’d never been fond of his full name either. “Caspian” was too proper, and three syllables was kind of a mouthful for just a first name. If people of the older generation like Dr. Emett or his father chose to call him by it, he wouldn’t complain, but he definitely preferred to be known as “Cas” by his friends.

“Please don’t,” he wrinkled his nose when she joked about curtseying. Even though he knew she was teasing, he hoped she wouldn’t feel compelled to force any respectful gestures when she got her memories back. He already got enough of those from all the people who didn’t know him well enough to realize he preferred to be treated like everybody else.

At her last comment, Cas blinked, not expecting that she could actually understand why he’d kept his identity a secret from her. “Yeah, that’s exactly right,” he nodded and then smirked again. “Hey, if you get it, maybe you’re from a pretty high ranking family.” That would have been something. However, he couldn’t say for sure, since her family had yet to call the hospital asking for her. If she was from one of the wealthiest families in the capital, he would have thought they’d come looking for her right away.

Stepping over to the passenger-side door to the backseat, he pulled it open and then turned back to Iris. “Here, I’ll take your crutches for you,” he said, relieving her of them to stow on the floor in the back of the car. Once that was done, he shut the back and opened the front door to the passenger seat, offering her a hand to help her sit down if she needed the assistance, since it was a low-riding vehicle.

When she was inside, he trotted around to the driver’s side and climbed in. The interior of the car was solid black with leather seats, so it had warmed up a little since he’d parked it. He turned on the AC to make it more comfortable. “So, do you remember what kind of music you like?” he asked, turning on his phone to pull up his music app. “I can turn some on for us. The speakers in this car are amazing.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It was great! I love getting food with everyone ^^

Nice! Days off are the best.

It's been really nice out lately :) I love the fall season. Not too hot during the day, and not cold enough at night that long jeans and a jacket aren't enough to keep warm!

Got my post done too. Cas finally admitted he's the prince cx

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Iris’s reaction to seeing him brought a grin to Cas’s lips. He wasn’t helping her for the sake of being praised, but it felt good to see how happy she was that he was there. It made him even more eager to bring her the news about his ability to offer her shelter until she could go home. Even though it wasn’t as great as her own family showing up to collect her, it was better than wandering the streets with nothing. He hoped she would like staying at his place too. She would have her own private room—extra private, in fact, since she would have to stay in the empty side of the mansion—and there were plenty of things to do without even leaving the grounds of the estate. She wouldn’t have to go far to find entertainment, which meant she wouldn’t have to risk straining her still-healing leg.

“Thanks,” he glanced over his shoulder as Iris mentioned his car. He was proud to own the latest model produced by Vitality, the most prestigious manufacturer in Aspiria. As a member of the royal family, he even got to buy it before it would be released to the public in the upcoming month. Of course, the vehicle had been paid for with his father’s money, but everyone in the capital lived off the earnings of their predecessors, so it was normal to him.

When she said she wanted to change her outfit, he nodded in understanding. It probably wasn’t very comfortable to wear the same dress three days in a row, especially since she had been laying in it in the dirt on the first day. Maybe if she was feeling up for it, he could take her to go shopping for some new clothes later today or tomorrow after his economics lesson. He made a mental note to ask her about that after she finished settling in.

“It’s no trouble,” Cas lifted his shoulders when she thanked him for everything he’d done for her. “Honestly, this has all been the most interest thing that’s happened to me in a while, so maybe I should be the one thanking you.” Though it was a joke, he really was glad that he’d been the one to find her in the woods. Visiting her in the hospital and now helping her reorient to normal life was a nice break from his regular routine of studying at home and partying with his friends.

At her request to ride shotgun, he laughed. “Only if you think you’re brave enough. This baby can go from zero to sixty in under three seconds.” He rested his hand proudly on the hood. Not that there were many places where he could actually accelerate that fast in the city. Most of the time, he kept close to the speed limit since the streets were packed densely enough that speeding excessively was too dangerous to manage. The car was more for looks unless he could manage to take it out to the countryside. Maybe someday when the war with the Scourge was over, and it was safe to venture outside of the capital again.

However, before they could leave, he still had one more topic left to address.

“Also, before we go anywhere…” his smile faded as he prepared himself to bring up the topic he’d been avoiding. “I have something I need to tell you.” He exhaled. “I’m not just some random guy who happens to live in the city. I’m… the king’s son. My full name is Caspian Maydestone. Maybe you remember it?” He averted his gaze with a bashful shrug. “I didn’t want to tell you because, well… I kind of liked that fact that you didn’t recognize me, but if we’re going back to my place, you should know who I am.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I definitely recommend it ^^

Nice! I've been out all day and just got home. My weekend has been great! I've been a lot more social lately, which is great food for my inner extrovert xD My friends and I even went out for lunch after church today, so that was fun. How's your weekend?

Thanks!

I'll get started on my post in a few minutes :)

Cirque du Sombre [Siaya Dragalorn & Summer]

Turning his back on the gate, Rayth walked with Oscar back into the heat of the after party. Having already fed, he was ready to get some sleep—vampires could get food comas too—but now that he didn’t have the excuse of introducing Lune to the circus, he would have to help tear down the yard like everybody else. It was probably going to take a while too. He’d been one of the first to snag a victim, so he would have to wait for the rest to finish feeding before they could even start taking everything apart.
The incense didn’t do anything to help his weariness either. After being exposed to it for as long as he had already, he was starting to find it harder to think straight. It wasn’t the best timing, since he still needed to tell Frieda that the new girl had escaped. He would have preferred to have that conversation with a clear head.
He yawned broadly and shook his head, trying to clear away the mental fog that was becoming more annoying with each passing minute. As soon as he was done talking to the ringmistress, he planned to go lay down someplace where the air wasn’t quite so thick with drugs. It was what he usually did in between feeding and packing up the circus equipment, since he wouldn’t be of any use to anyone when he couldn’t even remember what he was supposed to be doing.
“You don’t seem as worried as I thought you’d be,” Oscar spoke up suddenly from his side. “Since you lost the girl Frieda wanted you to keep an eye on, I mean.”
Rayth glanced down at him, taking a moment to let his echoic memory recover what the brownie had just said to him before he replied, “I wasn’t going to force her to stay. This place is a land of nightmares to a human. She had every right to leave if she couldn’t handle it.”
His tongue felt thicker than usual. He didn’t like it.
“But you’re human too,” Oscar pointed out.
“Only half,” Rayth countered, flexing his fingers on his right hand to stay grounded. “It was easier for me to adapt because I already knew how to function around the supernatural, at least a little. And besides,” he frowned, watching a nearby succubus drain the essence from a man she had locked lips with. “It doesn’t make any sense for her to be here anyway. Frieda put this place together to protect us from hunters. Lune doesn’t have to worry about being hunted, because she’s… well… normal.” He furrowed his brows finding it harder to summon the words he wanted to use.
“I guess so,” Oscar shrugged. “But Frieda still told you to watch her, so she’s going to be upset, right?”
“Probably,” the half-vampire agreed. Spotting the ringmistress up ahead, he sighed, “Actually, I’ll find out now. See you later, Oscar.”
“Good luck, Fangs,” the brownie saluted him as if he was a soldier about to throw himself into enemy lines.
Parting ways with his friend, Rayth made his way over to Frieda, who had, of course, already spotted him approaching.
“Ah, Rayth,” she turned to him with a smile. Her smooth German voice tempted him to relax. “Is there something you need?”
“No,” he shook his head, the motion making his vision swim for a second. He could tell he needed to get off his feet before he started staggering. “Can we sit down though? Preferably away from the incense. I need to talk to you about something.”
“Of course,” the faerie said. Her smile seemed to waver ever so slightly, but it could have just been his imagination. She gestured for him to follow her. “Come. We can speak by the big top. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I liked Far From Home a lot, actually ^^
Have you seen Into the Spiderverse? It wasn't made by Marvel, but it was sooo good!

I ended up getting busy, but I finally got my post done! Super excited for the secret Cas is going to have to share with Iris cx

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EDIT: I added a faceclaim for the king, since I feel like he appears often enough to have one ^^

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

On his way back to the hospital for the last time, Cas felt a mixture of eagerness and apprehension. He was glad that he was going to be bringing Iris good news, that she wouldn’t end up homeless just because of one unfortunate accident. After everything she’d been through, she deserved to have something go positively for her for once. Plus, he had to admit he liked the idea of being the one to help her get her memories back. He’d enjoyed their last two talks, so he looked forward to spending more time with her. She was definitely the kind of person he could see himself becoming friends with in the long term. The only problem was that he didn’t know if things would stay the same between them as they had been.

He still had to tell her the truth about himself. As hard as he had tried to put it off, she needed to know that he was the crown prince of Aspiria. He wanted her to hear it from his own mouth rather than realizing it when they showed up at the Maydestone mansion. Now that she was coming to stay with him, he couldn’t hide it any longer. He just hoped it wouldn’t change how well they had been getting on since they’d met two days ago.

Pulling up to the hospital, he was about to bring his car around to the valet drop-off, but slowed down instead when he caught sight of a figure leaning on crutches outside the front of the building. Iris? His eyes widened as he recognized her. If she was outside, they must have released her already. He glanced at the digital clock on his dashboard. It looked like his guess about the hospital not keeping her past noon had been right, because it was barely half-past eleven. He’d arrived just in time.

Quickly, he changed direction to circle into the pick-up spot by the front doors. Like the rest of the royal family’s vehicles, his white sports car had privacy tinted windows, so he wasn’t sure if she could spot who the driver was from outside. It didn’t matter though, because as soon as he put the vehicle in park, he climbed out to stop her before she could leave.

“Iris!” he called to get her attention as he trotted over to where she was standing. “Hey, it’s good to see you on your feet. I don’t think I ever have before.” He smiled, hoping to cheer her up since she was probably upset that her family hadn’t come to get her by now. Part of him was disappointed in them too. It had been three days since he’d found her, so he was surprised no one seemed to have realized she’d been in an accident. Whenever he was even late for curfew, his father always got worried that something bad had happened to him. He had thought all parents were like that.

Putting the thought aside for now, he went on to deliver the happy news. “Looks like I caught you at the perfect time,” he propped his hands on his hips. “I was just on my way to tell you that my dad gave you his stamp of approval. You can stay at our place until you get your memories back! Or until your family calls looking for you. Whichever comes first.”