Trash Panda

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Same, haha. Also, I was thinking that at some point soon we could include something about some members of Hope trying to break into the capital. They'd get arrested, and either Cas or Atlas would sentence them pretty harshly for treason. It could make it harder for Iris to decide if she's going to follow through with her original mission or not later on ^^ At the very least, it would give us some action, since things have been mellow so far. What do you think?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, especially because we're usually really busy during the week at opposite times ^^;

Nice! What kind of cookies do you like to bake?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It was great! First one we've been able to have in a while, so I enjoyed it ^^

Yay! Sounds like you need the days off, haha. Glad you've got time to rest :)

I also just got a post done this morning for you! I can't get over how adorable Iris and Cas are cx

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“It’s sort of like a trade,” Cas justified when Iris poked fun at the excuse he’d made at the hospital. “I’m just the only one in my class.” Well, classes plural. He had a lot to learn before he was ready to take over the handling of an entire country. Honestly, he didn’t know if he would ever be ready to accept that much responsibility. It was why he tried not to think about it and why he often liked to pretend he was just another high born instead of the heir to the throne. Putting off the inevitable wouldn’t solve anything, since he would still be crowned king when his father died, but it made everything easier to bear for now.

Unfortunately, the older he got and the more Atlas’s health waned, the harder it was for the prince to ignore the inevitable role he was going to have to step into. Already, he had to manage a few of his father’s duties like meeting with foreign ambassadors to negotiate trade deals on occasion—the king was too sickly to put on a strong face for their neighbors anymore—and talking to the soldiers who guarded the market at the southern edge of the capital whenever they arrested any visitors from beyond the wall who were trying to start trouble. Compared to everything the king still managed, his responsibilities were nothing, but it felt like he was adding new ones to his list every month.

Cas turned back to Iris when she described the kinds of books she liked to read. At her comment that The Art of War sounded enticing, he made a face. “Trust me, it’s not as good as the title makes it sound,” he promised her with a shake of his head. He’d had to read it last year, when his father had been teaching him about military strategy and tactics. To say it was a dull read was an understatement. The content was useful, but it had taken him quite a bit of effort to get through the whole book without nodding off a few times. It was hard for him to imagine that anyone would read it for pleasure.

As she went on to talk about making a new friend, he smiled, glad to hear once again that she appreciated his company. He was sure she meant it too. Out of all the people he had met throughout his life, the amnesiac girl had the least reason to try and use him for her own gain. Even Jay and Miles could have just been spending time with him in the hopes that they could coax favors out of him when he became king. He couldn’t know their motives, but he was certain that her words came from a place of truth.

He was just about to say that he was happy about the way things had turned out too, but before he could even open his mouth, he froze when she suddenly placed her hand over his. The unexpected touch made him blush. Her hand was soft and dainty, and he was torn between turning his palm over to hold it in his and pulling away completely. Apparently he didn’t need to decide anything though, because just as he was wondering if she was waiting for him to do something, she removed her hand, and his trance was broken.

He looked away from her, trying to refocus on the movie. However, it was difficult to do when he could still feel the residual warmth from her fingers on his skin. Privately, he wished the moment hadn’t ended as soon as it did, but he kept the thought to himself. Instead, he shifted to cross both his arms over his middle, too conflicted between his desire to get closer to her and his resolution to keep his distance to give her the chance to do it again.

A long moment passed, silent if it weren’t for the sound of the film playing in front of them. Cas couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Iris, curious to find out if she was as worked up over the brief moment as he was. It wasn’t easy to spot in the low light, but he was pretty sure her face was rosy too. He let out his breath slowly. He’d been trying so hard to keep his hands to himself that he hadn’t even thought about the possibility that she would be the one to reach out to him. Still, he wasn’t completely certain if she was blushing for the same reason he was or if she had been embarrassed by his reaction. Whatever the case, the color he saw in her cheeks didn’t change the fact that she might have had a boyfriend before she’d lost her memories. He didn’t want to step on anyone else’s toes.

Choosing to let the awkwardness pass, he sank down a little lower in his seat and turned back to the movie again, trying to watch without being too distracted by the attractive woman sitting next to him.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yup, haha. It’s future me’s problem xD

Thanks! I did and ended up hanging out with friends, so my day got worlds better ^^

That’s great! Get lots of rest. Sounds like you deserve it!
Also, I’m having a date day with the hubby, so I’ll write a post later!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure I gave more than one maid a heart attack,” he laughed when Iris called him a “super spy.” Perhaps some of the servants had found his childish antics amusing, but he was pretty sure that most of them had thought he was just a nuisance. They always had work to do around the mansion, and he had gotten in their way every time he had interrupted to play spy. Of course, they would never complain out loud, since he was to be their future king and could be punished for speaking out even to a boy, but he couldn’t imagine that they had all been fine with being roped into his games against their will.

When Iris said that she had seen the movie before, Cas grinned, even more pleased with himself for guessing right and putting on a film that she would recognize. Plus, he was excited that another trigger had seemed to work on her. If they continued to find more things she remembered, he hoped it would be like a dam breaking. She would get a few incoherent memories back at a time until everything broke through at once, and she knew who she was again. That would have been great.

“It will,” he agreed confidently when she said her memories would come back to her with time. “Who knows? Maybe by the end of the week, we’ll know your last name and which family you belong to.” If her parents didn’t call first, that was. He was still crossing his fingers that someone would come looking for her soon, so she wouldn’t be so alone. It would have been fantastic if a family member or friend reached out to get her tomorrow. He just hoped it wasn’t a worried boyfriend.

As she asked if his family had a library, he nodded. “Yeah, and it’s actually really close to this room,” he answered, turning away from the screen again to look at her. “I don’t think anyone would mind if you borrowed a few books. I’m not sure what you would find to read though. Most of my dad’s collection is full of boring records and instruction manuals.” He paused, another thought coming to him. “Although, now that I think about it, there might be a few novels mixed in. My mom used to read in her leisure time, and I doubt she was interested in The Art of War.”

His features softened slightly at the memory. When he was younger, his mother had often read short stories to him before bed. Those times were long in the past, but they still brought a smile to his lips. They also made him pity Iris for not being able to remember the good times she’d had with her mother. All she knew was that one of her parents was dead. That couldn’t have been easy.

“What sort of books do you like to read?” he asked, deciding not to dwell on the depressing thought. “If you remember, I mean.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yep, but I did it to myself, so I can't really complain too much xD

Great! I'll probably write a post later. Still trying to get rid of this migraine right now

Thanks! Glad you're doing better than yesterday too ^^ Have a good night!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

No worries! I haven't had time to write yet anyway ^^; I've been super busy writing a school paper and trying to get caught up on a bunch of bills I put off til the last minute why do I do this to myself so I've been trying to get those sorted out before the end of the month.

Definitely gonna take some migraine medicine, because adulting is stressful xD

Hope your day is going better!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Naida's getting bolder xD

Meanwhile Crow is getting more comfortable around John cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It took a lot of time and explaining from John before Crow managed to get his horse ready to ride. He struggled quite a bit with the bridle, disliking how close he had to put his hand to Baine’s teeth to get the bit into place. Even though the stallion had been tame so far, he didn’t trust him enough not to bite. The saddle wasn’t any easier to prepare either. John noticed quickly that Baine had a habit of puffing up his chest to prevent the two men from tightening the strap down all the way. It took some coaxing with food to trick him into relaxing enough for the viceroy to fit him properly. However, he found the horse’s quirk more amusing than frustrating. It only confirmed his hunch that he’d picked a smart one, and he thought it was funny that the animal was food-motivated like he was.

John wasn’t nearly as entertained by the situation. By the time Crow finally got the saddle on the stubborn stallion, he overheard him muttering under his breath about a “waste of time.” Of course, the knight didn’t openly voice his irritation—he was always patient with his student—but the former thief could tell he’d been hoping that part of the lesson would have gone more smoothly.

Once they were finished dealing with Baine, John had Crow help him get a second horse ready, a dappled gray mare who was far more compliant than the stallion he had chosen. According to the knight, he had a steed of his own, but since they were already in the king’s stables, he found it easier to borrow another one of Albin’s horses rather than walk all the way to the place where the castle guards kept theirs. They were just going to practice the basics of riding, so he was sure the king wouldn’t mind.

“So, how do I get on?” Crow asked when both of the horses were ready to go. He looked over the tall beast curiously. It had been over two years since the last time he had even touched a horse, so he couldn’t remember what Penelope had taught him about riding before. If he recalled correctly, she had helped him up on the stallion they had ridden together most of the time too. He wasn’t sure how to mount the animal as gracefully as the knights did on his own.

“You won’t be doing that in here,” John said, stroking the mare’s nose as he slid the reins down from her neck. “First, we’re going to the field.” Clicking his tongue, the knight gave his horse’s reins a tug to guide her out of the stables.

“Great, so everyone will get to watch me look like a fool,” the viceroy muttered to himself, turning to Baine with a warning look. “You’d better not make this harder than it needs to be.”

Naturally, the horse said nothing.

With a sigh, Crow copied John, clicking his tongue and tugging on the stallion’s reins to follow the knight out to the field. Fortunately, it seemed like Baine was compliant when he wasn’t being forced into a saddle, because he came along without complaint.

After a while of walking, they came to a wide open, grassy area surrounded by a fence. Crow peered past John and made a face when he saw that they weren’t alone. Two other knights were already there with young boys whom he guessed were their squires. All four strangers looked up from what they were doing as he and Penelope’s father entered the space, and he averted his gaze. It had been uncomfortable enough knowing that he was at the same level of education as a child, but to actually be taught alongside two boys who couldn’t have been older than twelve years old was humiliating.

“They’re staring,” he muttered, turning to John with a pleading look. “Do we have to work here? I’m sure we could find a clearing in the forest that’s much more private.”

“Ignore them,” John instructed firmly, shutting the gate behind them. “You don’t have enough experience to practice riding outside the fence yet. You don’t want to lose your horse during your first lesson, do you?”

“I pocketed a carrot earlier,” the viceroy said flippantly. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“We’re staying here,” John dictated, ending the debate with an unwavering edge to his voice. Stepping away from the barrier, he stood by Baine’s side next to his student. “To mount, you’re going to put one foot in the stirrup to hoist yourself up. If you’re starting from your horse’s left side, you’ll use your left foot. If you’re starting from his right, you’ll use your right. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Crow fought the urge to roll his eyes at the simplified directions. It looked like the knight wanted to get straight to business, so there was no point in pestering him any further about relocating somewhere else. He just hoped he wouldn’t make too big a fool of himself in front of kids who could probably outride him if he tried to compete with them today.

Following John’s instructions, he turned toward the stallion and put his left foot in the stirrup. He took a steeling breath and threw his weight up and over the animal’s back, gripping the saddle to steady himself, so he wouldn’t overshoot and fall off. Once he was on Baine’s back, he blinked, looking over the field with new interest. It had been so long since the last time he’d ridden a horse that he’d forgotten how powerful it made him feel. Maybe this lesson wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“That wasn’t too hard,” he smirked, looking down at the knight haughtily. “What’s next?”

“Don’t get cocky,” John advised, seeming indifferent to his quick success. “You’re taller than most beginners, so I didn’t expect you to have any trouble with it.”

That’s because I’m not a twelve-year-old, he thought dryly, glancing at the other boys who were practicing trotting around the other side of the field. “Okay,” he said aloud, returning his attention to the knight. “Either way, I’m ready to move on.”

Penelope’s father nodded wordlessly and mounted his mare with ease.

“So, what now, horse sage?” the viceroy asked, leaning forward in his saddle.

“We’ll begin with proper posture.”

Crow groaned.