Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Kane managed to piss off both Crow and Naida xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

For a moment, Crow felt like they were falling into a comfortable rhythm as the subject of his future responsibilities was dropped. However, the short-lived peace was shattered with the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He peered around Penelope’s shoulder as one of the noblemen from a different table approached the knight with a greeting. The sight made him want to groan. It seemed like any time he got his hopes up that he would be able to spend time with her, some other man would swoop in and try to steal her away. He supposed he should have been happy that her increased popularity was a sign that she was gaining influence in the inner kingdom, but he wished their time wouldn’t be interrupted so often. Until they were publicly courting, he couldn’t do anything to prevent it either.

As the nobleman flashed a smile at Penelope, Crow lifted his mug to his lips to stifle a sour expression. He had already known why the stranger had sought her out, but it was still vexing to watch someone else flirt with her when he was sitting right there. If they hadn’t been trying to keep their relationship a secret, he would have slipped his arm around her waist to show Papert that she was already spoken for. Instead, he took a slow breath and reminded himself that it didn’t matter. Whether anyone else was aware of it or not, Penelope was with him, and that wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. The other man was wasting his time.

Unfortunately, the reminder wasn’t enough to stop him from tensing when Papert politely asked to join them. A sharp ‘no’ was on the tip of his tongue, but he restrained himself. He was put off by the thought of allowing the nobleman to join them, but he also didn’t want to come off as overly hostile when the newcomer hadn’t knowingly done anything to feed his temper. Coming up with a more tactful excuse, he turned to the other man with parted lips but didn’t get the chance to turn him away before Penelope spoke first.

Crow glanced at her, bewildered, and then blinked in surprise when Papert squeezed in next to the knight on their side of the table. The noble was surprisingly shameless.

Of course, Naida noticed it too. “What was your name again? Papert?” the princess queried, studying the blonde with a frown as she tried to place him.

“Kane Papert, my lady,” the nobleman replied with a respectful nod.

“Oh,” Naida’s eyes swept over the three people sitting across from her. “Sorry, I don’t remember where I might have seen you before.”

Probably because you were busy downing goblets of wine, Crow thought dryly, suddenly remembering that Kane was one of the men he’d seen Penelope dance with at the party. It looked like he was still trying to stand out from the other nobles who’d begun vying for the lieutenant’s attention.

“Anyway, we were just celebrating Penelope here,” the princess went on with a thin smile. “She did so well with her speech that she earned a few drinks and a fun night out with her friends.” The slightest emphasis was added to the last word, and Crow guessed that his sister was trying to hint that Kane wasn’t included in the statement. He sipped idly at his mead, keeping the nobleman in the corner of his eye as he watched to see how he’d react to Naida’s frosty comment.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It's an American thing, I think. One of our presidents established the national park service a long time ago. It was a good thing too, because otherwise big corporations would have probably destroyed a lot of amazing places.

It was great! I've been there a few times now, but it was a bucket list thing for me to visit when the canyon was snowy. I finally got to check it off my list! :D

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

A national park is an area of land protected by the government ^^ Basically, it was determined to be important, so no one can legally build on it or do anything else to harm it. We went to the Grand Canyon, which is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. I only live like an hour and a half away from it, so my friends and I thought it would be a nice day trip! There was snow in the canyon, and we threw snowballs over the rim, haha.

Also, I might get a post up tonight, but if I don't, I'll have one up tomorrow!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow is just trying to stay sober for both of them lmao

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Apparently Penelope’s will broke faster than Crow had expected. He glanced at her amusedly, knowing full well that a little could go a long way for the lightweight knight. At least he could hold his liquor well enough to have a couple drinks without losing control of himself. As long as one of them stayed alert, he was still hopeful that they could keep his sister in the dark, especially if she didn’t intend to hold back. With that thought in mind, he lifted his own mug to his lips to take a long draught of the honey-colored drink.

Unsurprisingly, the mead was rich and sweet. It was of a finer quality than anything the villagers on the border could make with their limited resources, and it slid down his throat so smoothly that it was dangerous. He set the glass back down on the table, impressed that even the aftertaste wasn’t bitter. If he hadn’t restricted himself to two mugs, he could have easily forgotten to pace himself and polished off more than he could handle. It was like drinking a liquid dessert.

“It actually does,” he admitted, returning Penelope’s smile. “But I still have to say I like Evelyn’s mead the best. This one might be smoother, but you can’t compete with nostalgia.” He winked at her playfully. “Not that it matters what I think anyway. I noticed the glares I got when we came inside. This place would be just fine even if I said I hated it.”

“Maybe now, but not for long,” Naida rebutted, taking another swig of her cider. “Everyone is still getting used to the idea of you being the viceroy, but once they settle down, you’ll have the power to ruin a tavern like this with just a word.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Crow wrinkled his nose. He already had to be careful enough to protect his own reputation. The idea that he could hurt someone else with just a thoughtless remark was a weighty burden to bear.

“You get used to it,” the princess assured him sagely.

“Hm,” Crow grunted noncommittally and turned back to Penelope. “How’s your drink?” he asked, attempting to change the subject to something more pleasant than his newfound responsibilities.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

She'll have to be extra sneaky to get Crow to cave xD He's determined not to get involved.

Okay! We'll see what happens lmao

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Of course, the first thing Naida did after everyone had ordered their drinks was suggest a drinking game. Crow rolled his eyes. He supposed he should have expected it since the princess was also friends with Olivia, and the wild knight was known for causing trouble whenever there was a mug in her hand. However, she was going to be disappointed, because he’d learned his lesson the last time he’d gotten roped into drinking more than he felt comfortable with. This time, he planned to have no more than two glasses of mead that he would make sure he didn’t take his eyes off, in case his sister decided to try the same trick Olivia had by switching his drink.

It seemed like he wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to get drunk that night either. He glanced sideways at Penelope as she quickly shut down the princess’s idea. He hadn’t been sure if she would agree to participate or not, since she didn’t have the same reservations around alcohol that he did, but he was relieved that she had chosen not to play Naida’s game. Knowing how much of a lightweight she was, it could have been trouble if she’d had too many drinks and forgot that they were trying to keep their relationship a secret until after he spoke to his father about courting her.

When Naida protested by saying that they hadn’t celebrated since the knight’s speech, Crow bit his lip to stifle a laugh. They certainly had celebrated her success, but it had been a bit of a private affair. “No, you don’t,” he shook his head when his sister wrongfully assumed that he would join them. “I’ve told you before that I prefer to be sober. That still hasn’t changed.”

“Why are you both being so boring tonight?” Naida whined. “I don’t want to be the only one who’s drinking. That’s not fun at all.”

“Maybe you should have asked us about our plans before we got here,” Crow teased her, folding his arms on the table. “Anyway, we can still enjoy ourselves without getting drunk. We do it all the time.”

“I wish Olivia was here,” Naida groaned, dramatically laying her head down on the table. “She’s always willing to drink with me.”

“Trying to guilt us isn’t going to work,” Crow said dryly. He casted Penelope a mock look of exasperation and then glanced over his shoulder as the bar wench returned with their drinks.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow is probably gonna end up being the babysitter this time, unless Penelope stays sober too, haha

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

As the others picked up their pace, Crow hurried after them, just as eager to escape the cold weather as they were. Up ahead, he could see the glow of a hanging lantern through the white flurry around them, and above the lantern was a sign that read: The Grumpy Dwarf. He stared at it with interest. After going his whole life as an illiterate peasant, it felt surreal to finally be able to make sense of the symbols he had always brushed off as meaningless in the past. He had gotten used to reading words written on parchment, but it was the first time he had found a use for his new skill in a setting like this. It was oddly empowering to know that he could understand any message that had been written on any kind of surface.

The viceroy was drawn from his introspective thoughts when they stepped inside the tavern. Right away, the snow that had collected on his head and shoulders began to melt in the warm room, and he brushed it off to keep his cloak from becoming too soaked before he took a look around. Despite the fact that they were still in the heart of the kingdom, it almost felt like they had traveled back to the outer villages. Men and women talked and laughed jovially amongst each other, and the smell of ale hung thickly in the air. He felt a smile creep over his features as he took in the atmosphere. His sister had picked a great place to spend the evening.

Following the two noblewomen over to an empty table, Crow caught sight of the knights who had been staring at him. If the men had been sober, their lingering gazes would have made him bristle, but he could see the flush in their cheeks that told him they were probably quite intoxicated. Even if they tried to pick a fight, he had learned enough about combat to fend them off long enough to get away. He would just have to remember to keep them in the corner of his eye, so he would be ready to jump to his feet if they approached.

“It’s better than I expected so far,” he said approvingly, sitting down next to Penelope since Naida had pulled her usual stunt to push them together. Like everything else in the inner kingdom, he could see a blanket of wealth that separated this establishment as a place meant for the elite, but he was learning to look past the social differences so that he could enjoy himself.

“Just wait until you try the drinks,” Naida grinned, waving her hand to get the attention of a bar wench. The girl stepped over to their table, her hazel eyes sweeping over all of them and then doing a double take when she caught sight of the viceroy. Crow guessed that she was familiar with his old wanted posters, since she worked in a building whose walls would have been plastered with them.

Recomposing herself, she offered the group a small smile, “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have a cider,” Naida chirped.

“Just a mead for me,” Crow said, shrugging off his cloak now that he didn’t need the extra layer of clothing to keep warm.

The wench nodded, scribbling down their requests and then turning to Penelope to take the last order.