Trash Panda

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas turned his focus back to his food, silently chiding himself for getting flustered for no reason. He hadn’t meant to suggest anything with the hug, but there was a part of him that felt a little giddy about touching a girl as attractive as she was. It was stupid, he knew. He didn’t want to put any moves on her before she got her memories back. What if she had a boyfriend who would call to pick her up soon? Or what if she wasn’t receptive to his advances and it just made everything awkward? He definitely didn’t want to risk putting himself or her in a worse situation just because of one bad idea.

“You may be a puzzle, but we’re putting more pieces together every day,” he pointed out, finishing off the rest of his sandwich as a means to keep from meeting her gaze while he recovered from his embarrassment. It was true enough. The day he’d found her, she had recalled her first name, and ever since then, little details had continued to return to her as well. At the rate she was going, he had a feeling she wouldn’t need more than a few weeks at most to remember who she was. If her family came to get her before then, it could be even faster.

When she asked what he wanted to do, he finally turned to look at her. It had been long enough that the remnants of the blush had faded from his cheeks. “I’m still down to watch a movie,” he said with a smile. The thought of kicking his feet up and sitting around with her for a couple hours sounded amazing. It had been a pretty busy day, after all. He felt like he’d earned a good, long break. Plus, the house staff rarely ventured into the theater, so they would have some time to themselves. He liked the idea of being able to keep talking with her so openly, without worrying about someone eavesdropping on their conversation.

At her mention of his friends, he shrugged. “They’ll survive without me for a few days,” he assured her. Thinking back to his text chat with Jay and Miles, he added: “Actually, they said they want to meet you.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I told them a little about what happened, because they wanted to know what I’ve been doing lately. Not everything, of course, and I told them it was up to you, but yeah… If you’re okay with it, they’ll probably come by to visit at some point.”

Noticing that she was watching him more closely than usual, he blinked. Did he have something on his face? He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth but didn’t feel anything. “What are you staring at?” he asked, deciding to be direct instead of guessing. “I don’t think I’m that interesting, am I?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Can't wait for that xD

Crow has a horse now, and he likes it more than he thought he would cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Heading out of the castle, Crow wondered where John planned to teach him how to ride a horse and where he was even going to find a horse for him to ride in the first place. He’d thought all nobles had their own horses, and since he had come from the outer villages, he didn’t own one. It wasn’t like he could buy one either. He still had no money aside from the small pouch of gold coins his father had given him weeks ago, and he doubted that was enough to pay for an animal. If jewelry was already more expensive than all the money he had put together, there was no way he could cover the expense of a steed. Of course, he could always steal one, but that wouldn’t solve anything, since he wasn’t supposed to keep acting like a criminal now that he was the king’s viceroy. He’d already pushed his luck enough at the market in Bellmare.

He glanced at John, who was walking by his side at a half-step ahead. It was hard to tell if it was safe to ask him any questions, since he’d seemed to be in a tense mood that morning. However, he also didn’t want to leave things unsettled between them. He’d already tried to explain himself yesterday, but he still wasn’t sure if the knight had believed him or not. The thought that Penelope’s father still believed he had been unfaithful to her was off putting to him.

“So, where are we going?” he asked, breaking the silence between them. He was usually good at reading people, so he decided a little conversation might help him determine where the older man’s head was at.

“The stables,” John said without looking at him.

Crow blinked. That was a more obvious answer than he’d expected. “Okay,” he said slowly. “But I don’t have my own horse.”

“The king said you could take one of his,” the knight replied, this time gracing him with a brief sideways glance.

“Oh,” Crow realized he should have guessed that too. Almost everything he owned was a hand-me-down from his father. Of course he would be getting a horse from him too. He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the walk, deciding he’d already tested Penelope’s father with enough dumb questions for one day.

When they got to the stables, John opened the door for them to step inside, and the viceroy took a moment to look around. The walls on either side of him were lined with horses in narrow stalls. He’d seen stables before, but looking at so many animals crammed into one building now, he was suddenly reminded of prison. The horses didn’t seem to mind it though. They all stood tamely in various positions of rest, not even acknowledging the two men who had just entered their space.

“So, which ones belong to my father?” he asked, turning curiously to John.

“All of them.”

“Really?” Crow raised a brow, looking over the animals with bewilderment. “Why does he need so many?”

“It’s a show of power,” John answered disinterestedly. “Go on. Choose whichever one you want except for the white mare on the end. She’s his prized horse.”

“Okay,” the viceroy nodded, walking slowly down the aisle. It felt strange to be looking over a group of living creatures with the intent to choose one as his own. Even when he had helped the knights steal the horses in Younis, they hadn’t been planning to keep them, and he had picked one for Penelope, not himself. Knowing whichever horse he selected would be his for a long time, he studied each one more carefully.

As he strode toward the end of the stable, he paused by a particular beast that caught his eye. At a glance, there was nothing particularly special about it—its coat was an uneven brown and its black mane was slightly tangled—but there was something about its eyes that drew him to it. He stepped closer to the horse and brought a hand up to rest on its long face. Between its eyes, it had a single white streak, the only stark variation in its coarse fur.

“This one,” he said decidedly, turning back to John. “It looks smart.”

The knight stepped over to his side and looked the horse over with a nod. “I’m sure the king won’t have any trouble parting with him. He’s always been fonder of his more impressive looking steeds.”

“Well, he impressed me,” Crow rolled his eyes, patting the horse’s nose. The animal bobbed its head in response to the touch, and he smirked. “I think he likes me too.”

“Perhaps,” the knight said noncommittally. “I believe his name is Baine.”

“Baine, huh?” the viceroy mused, turning back to the stallion with a grin. “I like it. He’s definitely the one I want.”

John nodded, “Do you know how to put on a bridle?”

“I think it’s safe for you to assume I know absolutely nothing about horses.”

“Then I’ll teach you,” the knight announced, taking a step away from the stall. “Come with me, and I’ll show you how to prepare him to ride.”

“Alright,” Crow trotted after him, more eager to learn than he had been before.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“Mhm,” Cas nodded in agreement when Iris said the food smelled good. The meals that the cooks in his family’s staff made were always great, and they had so many different recipes that he never got sick of the dishes they prepared. If it wasn’t so boring to stay home all the time, he probably wouldn’t ever bother to eat out. However, he enjoyed sharing a meal with his friends when he could, so he often went to the restaurants around the capital despite the fact that he had easy access to gourmet food just a few yards from his bedroom.

Walking up to the counter, he sat on the barstool next to Iris and eagerly bit into the sandwich on his plate. As expected, it was as flavorful as always. Stella had lived up to her reputation yet again. “Nope,” he shook his head when she asked if she had taken too long. “You got here just in time. I only got back about a minute before you, so I wasn’t even waiting.” He paused to take another bite and then snapped his fingers as he had a realization. “We need drinks.”

Getting up from his seat, he circled around the counter to open up the cupboard where the glasses were kept. Technically, royal etiquette would have said that he should have waited to ask a servant to get the drinks for them instead of standing to do it himself, but it was an easy enough task that he didn’t feel like bothering one of the maids. They were probably busy with the other chores that needed doing anyway, and he wasn’t so helpless that he couldn’t pour his own water.

He filled two glasses from the tap and brought them back as he sat down again. “Here,” he slid one to Iris across the quartz countertop and took a swig from the other to chase his lunch. Already, he could tell he was right when he’d guessed he was going to like having her around. It was nice to eat with someone else instead of by himself. His father always ate his meals in his room, since he didn’t have the energy to stay out for very long, so thy never dined together anymore.

As she spoke up again, he turned to her with a frown, noticing the discomfort in her voice. That wasn’t a good sign. If she had gotten another memory back, he’d hoped she would be happy. Instead, he had a feeling it wasn’t a pleasant one, so he stayed quiet as she went on to explain what she had remembered.

When she said he mother was a casualty of the rebellion, he couldn’t help the surprise that crossed his face. How had she been a casualty? As far as he’d been told, the Scourge had never made it into the capital. Maybe her mother had been a soldier who died in the war? That made sense to him. There weren’t very many high borns who volunteered to fight, but it wasn’t completely unheard of. Her mother must have been one of the few who had been courageous enough to step outside the stronghold to protect the country. It was a noble way to go.

“I’m glad you told me,” he assured her with a halfhearted smile, feeling some pity for her since he knew it had to be hard to relive the realization that her mother was gone. It would have been a nightmare if he’d had to do the same thing with his. He shivered at the thought. Even though she tried to move on like it wasn’t a big deal, he hung on the subject, not quite as willing to let it go and let her bottle away the sting of the resurfaced memory. He’d tried that before, and it hadn’t gone well.

“You know, not everything has to be happy-go-lucky all the time,” he went on meeting her gaze with a sympathetic smile. He hesitated for a brief moment before he reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders in a side hug. Not wanting to make it awkward by lingering, he let go again after just a few seconds, taking another sip of his water to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. “I’m sorry about your mom,” he offered. “It sucks that you had to remember that, but hey,” he looked up at her again. “That might tell us a little more about your family. Since she was involved in the war against the rebels, she was probably a soldier. Usually, if a couple has kids, only one of them can join the military so the other can stay with the family. That means your dad should still be around. He could call for you any day now.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Great! Except for the tired part, haha.

Me too xD It's due in a week and a half and I still have a lot left. I forgot how long it takes to do some of the parts.

Anyway, I'll get to work on a post now! I'll just be alternating between writing and working today, I think

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yay ^^ How was work?

My day is good so far! My professor cancelled class, so I'm gonna try to get work done on my project at home

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

On his way to the kitchen, Cas felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out to find that he had a new text from Jay this time, requesting an update on “the chick from the woods.” Noticing that his friend had included Miles in the chat, he rolled his eyes. They were both too nosy for their own good. Nevertheless, he’d put off filling them in for long enough, so he sent a quick reply:

She’s fine. Still no memories, so she’s staying at my place until they come back.

Slipping the device back into his pocket, he stepped into the kitchen and looked around to see if there were any cooks still nearby. Luckily, he spotted one older woman who made quite a few of the meals for him and his father regularly. He raised his hand to her both in greeting and to get her attention as he asked, “Hey, could you please make a couple hot sandwiches for me and Iris, the girl I brought back to stay here? Neither of us have had lunch today.”

“Of course,” she bowed to him respectfully and set to work right away, plucking ingredients from the fridge to make their food.

“Thanks,” Cas nodded absently, taking his phone out again as he felt it vibrate hurriedly with responses from his friends. He’d expected that they would probably make this into a bigger deal than it was—they were usually dramatic like that—but he hadn’t thought they would start so soon. He read through the texts as he walked back out of the kitchen, heading to his room to rest for a little while before the late lunch.

From Jay:
You took her back to your place without even going on a date first?? Damn, Cas. That’s hella smooth.

From Miles:
Teach me your ways, master.

Cas snorted. They were already reading into it, and he’d only sent them one message. Typical. He typed out another reply, hoping to get the conversation back on track before it could get any worse:

No, idiots. Her family hasn’t called about her yet, so she didn’t have anywhere else to go. She’s only staying here until she can go home.

He lowered his arm as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. Even though it was only about one o’ clock, it felt much later in the day to him. It was probably because of how busy he had been between his early econ lesson and all the time he’d spent helping Iris buy new things at the mall. If he had the time, he might have considered taking a midafternoon nap, but it wouldn’t be long before the food was ready. Sandwiches didn’t take very long to prepare.

He felt his phone buzz again, but he waited until he got to his room so he could lay down on his bed before he checked the new messages. Once he had settled down comfortably, he looked to see what his friends had said this time.

From Jay:
That’s kinda weird, man. It’s been a few days right? Are you sure she’s a high born?

From Miles:
Yeah, you’d think someone would be looking for her by now. Maybe she’s someone’s servant.

From Jay:
You’d better not kiss her! It would be embarrassing if word got out that the prince was caught macking it up with a maid. LOL

He brought a hand to his face in exasperation before sending a reply:

I wasn’t going to kiss her anyway. I’m sure she’s a high born, but she might have a bf. I’m not gonna make a move on someone else’s girl.

His friends responded within a minute.

From Miles:
Well, can we at least meet her?? I’m dying to see this mystery chick you found in a BEAR TRAP.

From Jay:
Yeah, you can’t hog this all to yourself. It’s like you just walked into a movie. I want in too.

Cas drummed his fingers against his stomach as he laid on his bed. He didn’t mind that they wanted to meet Iris—he really wasn’t trying to keep them out of it—but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. She’d just gotten to his place that day. He wanted to give her plenty of time to settle in and make herself comfortable before his friends bombarded her with questions she probably couldn’t answer. He sent another text:

You can, but not yet. She’s still getting used to being here, so I don’t want to freak her out. I’ll tell you when it’s OK.

Closing out his messaging app, he checked the time and sat up. He hadn’t spent much time in his room, but he was hungry, and he’d told Iris that he would be waiting for her in the kitchen. Deciding he should go back to meet her there, he got up and headed downstairs again. Even from a distance, he could smell toasted bread and freshly cooked deli meat. The appetizing aroma made his mouth water, and he hurried to get his plate.

Apparently he’d left at the perfect time. Just as he stepped back into the kitchen from the hall that led to his room, he saw Iris limp in from the opposite side. Her hair was damp from what he guessed had been a shower, and she’d changed into the new clothes she’d picked out at the mall. His brown eyes swept over her. She looked good in the jumper she’d put on but, unsure if a compliment was appropriate or not, he kept it to himself.

He glanced at the food the cook had set out for them at the kitchen counter and grinned. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said, turning back to Iris. “Because Stella makes the best grilled chicken sandwiches in Aspiria.”

~Bonsoir~

When Victoria smiled at his touch, Vail felt himself relax. It was good to see that she was still responsive, even if she was weak from his bite. He trailed his fingers down her cheek and through her thick hair, keeping a close watch over her just in case she might take a turn for the worse. She seemed to be calm enough to start recovering though, so he wasn’t worried. He would just wait for her to regain the strength to move on her own again, so he could be sure she would be alright without his help.

As she answered his question in a whisper, he nodded in understanding. Though he had never experienced a weakness like she was going through now, he had been injured before. Whenever he took a more serious wound like a gunshot, he would always sleep more often until his body healed. Right now, she needed rest too. He glanced at the window. As much as he enjoyed her company, he knew he shouldn’t keep her from her family for much longer. The best place for her to get better was in her own bed.

He had to wonder how she would make it back though. Even if she summoned enough strength to move on her own, he didn’t expect he to be in any condition to walk by herself, and the cold outside would certainly make her health wane again. However, it was also dangerous for him to accompany her to the doorstep while there were Saints around. To do so would have been practically asking to be killed. Even if he was trying to help her, the hunters would just assume he was killing her somehow and use their misbelief as a reason to murder one of the “demons” they so despised. They made him sick.

Feeling her grasp feebly at his arm, he looked down at her again and shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” he murmured, continuing to run his hand over her head in a soothing gesture. “You didn’t ask for any of this to happen. I should have known better than to take any more of your blood when you had already been depleted too.” In hindsight, it would have been smarter to simply nick her skin to get a few drops rather than sink his fangs so deeply into her flesh when she was in this condition. He wished he would have thought it through before he’d given in to his addiction.

“Just rest,” he instructed her gently, leaning down to kiss her cold forehead. At the moment, the most important thing was getting her strength back, so they could figure out what to do from here.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow and John need the bonding time xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Thanks,” Crow smiled when Penelope wished him luck in writing his letter. Even though he was a relatively fast learner, he knew he would need it. He hadn’t started learning how to write very long ago, so there were still quite a few words he didn’t know how to spell, and according to Udolf, his punctuation was still a disaster. He just hoped it would be legible enough for Hazel to understand. If he needed to, he could include a note to warn her that he’d written the next letter without help, so she could be prepared to try harder if it wasn’t as easy to follow as the first one had been.

Following the knight with his eyes, he waited for her to leave before he took a step away from the table to head back to his own room. However, he didn’t get any farther before a voice got his attention: “Don’t go anywhere, Lockton.”

Turning around, the viceroy quirked a brow as his gaze landed on John Vermillion, who was approaching him from the other side of the room. The knight was stoic as always, so it was difficult for Crow to guess what he wanted. Was it another lesson or had he come to talk about everything that had been going on with Liz? Penelope’s father had seemed furious with him when he’d heard the rumors, so he wouldn’t have been surprised if he wanted to readdress it. He braced himself for an uncomfortable conversation, only to feel his shoulders fall with relief when the older man said something different.

“You’re with me this time,” John announced, stopping just in front of him. He sounded calm enough, but his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. It was a subtle warning, but the viceroy got the hint: Don’t mess with me today.

His eyes flicked back up to meet the knight’s. “More sword fighting?” he asked, assuming they would be continuing from where they had left off the last time he had trained with the older man. Already, he could feel the ache of the bruises he knew he was going to get from their sparring match. He wasn’t looking forward to getting beaten up again.

“No,” John said, bringing further relief to his student. “The king wishes for me to begin your lessons in riding horseback today.”

“Horses?” he wrinkled his nose. Having fallen off the back of one of the monstrous animals in the past, he almost would have preferred the fighting lesson. “He just loves to give you all the skills I’m worst at, doesn’t he?”

“I’m just teaching you all the physical skills you’ll need to be a proper viceroy,” the knight said simply, turning to lead the way out of the Great Hall. “Perhaps you should reflect on what that means for you.”

Crow clicked his tongue. Penelope’s father was definitely still upset with him about the Elizabeth incident. He was certain of that now. “I’m perfectly fit,” he muttered to no one in particular as he followed the knight into the hall. “I just didn’t learn the same skills as you nobles did…” He hoped the lesson would go by quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was give the knight another reason to be mad at him. He sighed, glancing wistfully down the corridor that led to the stairs. At least he would get a break from studying about grammar and Gorman culture. That was a good thing, right?