Trash Panda

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Definitely. I can get it all done before the presentation time though, so I'm not completely stressed out.

Also Cas and Iris are so cute. I love them cx

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

If not for the sound of shuffling on the other side of the door, Cas would have thought that Iris wasn’t in her room. He stood in the corridor for just under a minute, guessing that she had either just crawled out of bed or had been in the adjoining bathroom when he’d arrived. He hoped it was the former. When he and his father had stopped by earlier in the morning, she had looked thoroughly exhausted, so it would be relieving to know that she had gotten some sleep during the day. If he’d had the time, he would have done the same thing, but unfortunately, the socialites of the capital couldn’t seem to function without reassurance from the royal family that the terrorist attack wouldn’t affect their assets. He rolled his eyes. The three hours he had spent taking their phone calls would have been better spent napping.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door finally swung open, and he was greeted by the sight of Iris, long blonde hair still damp from the shower she had taken. Even in her casual clothes, she looked good. His dark brown eyes swept down and up her frame in a quick once-over, just as entranced as he always was. She seemed to have managed to rest at least a little too. The dark circles under her eyes had faded, and the color had returned to her cheeks—quite a bit, he noticed. His gaze lingered on her face as he took in the attractive detail, until he realized she was blushing. She was staring back at him, and she was blushing. He bit the inside of his lip to stifle a smile, happy with her reaction.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been ogled by a woman. He usually caught a few glancing in his direction when he went out in public—and sometimes men as well—and the media often made a show of broadcasting the fact that he was still single. Popular gossip articles liked to pose guesses about his “ideal” partner and circulate rumors about why he had never had a long-term girlfriend. One of his favorites was a particularly saucy story about a secret lover from a neighboring country who had moved to Aspiria and now worked at a strip club in the heart of the capital. Supposedly the woman had won him over with her exotic dancing and sultry body, and he had a forbidden relationship with her in the privacy of the back rooms.

Of course, the rumor was completely untrue—he’d only been to one strip club in his life when Jay had insisted it was necessary for his twenty-first birthday—but the wild tales the writers came up with were entertaining nonetheless, and they fueled the public’s interest in his dating life. Seemingly every woman in the capital under thirty wanted to be the first to “steal his heart” and become the princess who would one day reign at his side as queen. Money and power were enticing commodities, after all. If only they knew that Atlas was determined to arrange a political marriage for him though, they might realize that his love life wasn’t as thrilling as they believed it to be.

Unlike the wandering eyes of the other high borns in the capital, Iris’s stare wasn’t unwanted. Caspian’s heart somersaulted in his chest as she stuttered and flushed a deeper shade of red, further confirming the effect he had on her. He was just as smitten, and the grin he’d tried to suppress broke free to take over his mouth. “I’m surviving,” he shrugged, stepping past her into the bedroom to stand by the edge of her unmade bed. “Did you manage to sleep?” He turned around and leaned his hip against the mattress, slipping his hands languidly into his trouser pockets. Although he was so tired that he could have swayed on his feet, he tried not to let it show. There was nothing that could be done, since he had to give a public address in an hour, and he didn’t want her to worry or chide him for pushing his own needs aside.

“I’m leaving soon, but I wanted to come by first and ask if you’ve had dinner,” his eyes dropped fleetingly to his watch once more as he compulsively monitored the time. “If you haven’t, we can eat together. I feel a little bad for leaving you here by yourself all day.” His smile turned sheepish. “I promise I’ll be around more often after this mess is sorted out, but for now, do you want to have dinner with me?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, we went out for dinner and my parents are in town to visit him ^^

It was good! I may not have as much time to write as I thought I would because I just got assigned to do my midterm presentation on Monday, and I thought it was going to be on Wednesday ^^; I have two less days to prepare for it now, so I have to work on it a lot over the weekend.

-

UPDATE: I got about half of it done tonight after working diligently for a few hours, so I’ll hopefully be able to get a few posts up tomorrow and Sunday now! The roller coaster of my college career continues xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Nice! It’s my husband’s birthday today, so we’ve got some plans today and tomorrow to celebrate with our friends and family, but I’ll be trying to keep up with posts in between ^^

~Bonsoir~

A pleased smile pulled at Vail’s lip when Victoria declared that she trusted him with every part of her being. He could tell by her occasional questions that she wanted more than just an informal, secretive relationship with him, and he truly did want to give her more than that. He was grateful that she was willing to be patient for now. It would have been selfish of them to put their romance above the threat of the Wynters, because he knew that doing so would only further distract Peter and sever their trust in one another. For the sake of the slim chance that the clan leader might take his advice about preparing for war one day, he would have to keep meeting with the Crest heiress subtly. It was for the safety of his family, and he was glad that she seemed to understand his reasoning.

When she repeated the plan back to him, he nodded. “And no later,” he assured her. Even though he was the one who had insisted that they wait, he wasn’t eager to postpone taking another step forward with her either. Since her lifespan was so brief, it felt to him like they didn’t have very much time. The few decades they would have together were a mere blink compared to his immortal existence. The knowledge didn’t deter him from investing in her as a mate, but it still saddened him to know that the woman who had stolen his heart would only be able to hold onto it for thirty or forty years. He didn’t want to wait any longer than was necessary to stop hiding and be with her every day.

Leaning down slightly, Vail met Victoria’s lips as she kissed him and then met her blue eyes adoringly. “And I’ll miss you as well,” he agreed with a quiet exhale, though a soft smile graced his lips when she called him her love. Although she had been ill at the time, he had enjoyed the days they had been able to spend in his bedroom after he’d whisked her off to the Hygrace manor. It had felt like a window into the future that he longed to share with her, one in which they didn’t have to spend more time apart than together. He hoped the next three days would pass by quickly, so he could return to see her again.

“Stay safe, Victoria,” he advised, his thoughts wandering back to the ominously quiet Lord Spencer. “If you need me before the end of three days, don’t hesitate to tell me. I meant it when I said you’re mine, and I protect what’s important to me. As long as I can help it, I’m not going to allow him to hurt you again.” His lip curled slightly at the mention of the rival vampire, but the cold expression vanished as he planted one more kiss on her cheek. “Barring any incidents, I’ll see you in three days.”

Turning to the door, he stepped out into the cold night and casted her one last glance over his shoulder. “I love you,” he said to her once more just before he closed the door behind him and began the walk back to the Hygrace manor.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I'm officially free from my crazy homework load! Hopefully I can get back to replying to posts within 1-2 days like I used to

How's the new position at work?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Writing speeches for his private lessons had always been slightly intimidating to Caspian. Writing one that would be heard by the entire capital city was completely petrifying. As the sole heir to the crown, he was used to being in the limelight, but most of the time, he was free to be himself—with some careful restriction of his words in front of the media, of course. He was either dodging impromptu interviews with reporters in the streets or reading scrolling scripts off a screen when he was asked to attend talk shows. None of those interactions carried the same weight as publicly declaring the execution of two people in front of a crowd. This time, he was going to have to hold himself with the same authority his father always seemed to ooze without any effort at all. As one who wasn’t confident in his own ability to lead a country, he overthought and second guessed his meager speech until he was even less certain of its quality than when he began.

Sitting at Atlas’s oversized executive desk in his private office, the prince tangled his fingers in his thick hair as he stared down at the paper in front of him. His brows were furrowed in frustration, and he held the end of his pen between his teeth. He’d written and rewritten the short address for the last two hours, but he still wasn’t satisfied with the scrawling words on the page. The sentences didn’t feel like they flowed together, and the words didn’t feel like they carried the same weight as the ones his father would have used. He wished the king would have been well enough to handle the situation by himself. Who would listen to the ramblings of an inexperienced twenty-four-year-old?

Suddenly, he jumped at the sound of a knock on the door and looked up. “Come in,” he called, the pen dropping onto the desk from his mouth as he forgot about it in the moment.

At his permission, the door peeled open and a familiar face appeared. “Your Highness,” Jacob inclined his head in a polite bow as he stepped into the office. The guard eyed the paper on the table and then dropped his gaze to the wadded-up rejects on the floor. “Have you been working on a speech this whole time?” he asked with a tentative frown.

Cas flushed and turned away from him to look at the cherry wood bookshelf on his right. “Maybe,” he muttered.

Jacob studied him contemplatively. A shadow of an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lip and then vanished. “I’m sure what you’ve written is fine, Your Highness,” he assured his prince. “The address is in less than two hours. Why don’t you take a break to get ready and have some dinner?”

“I don’t know…” Cas looked down at the scribbled speech disappointedly and then sighed, picking up the paper and holding it out to the guard. “Here. You read it. You’ve heard plenty of my dad’s addresses before, so you can tell me what’s wrong with it.”

Jacob complied wordlessly with the request, striding evenly across the room and taking the sheet from the prince’s outstretched hand. He reviewed the messy lines attentively for a few minutes while Cas watched him with his arms folded over his chest and an uncertain frown plastered on his face. After a silence that felt like an eternity, the guard shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re so concerned about,” he said, handing the paper back. “It’s compelling.”

“Seriously?” Caspian arched his brows in disbelief. “You’re not just bullshitting me because the address is in an hour and a half, are you?”

“I’m serious,” Jacob insisted, his amused half-smile returning. “This is exactly what the people need to hear. Now come on,” he waved a hand. “You need to look the part too.”

Cas blinked and looked down at himself, belatedly realizing he was still wearing the old t-shirt and joggers that he’d thrown on that morning. With everything that had been going on, he hadn’t had a chance to comb his wild hair, shower, or even brush his teeth. “Yikes,” he winced, standing up from the plush leather chair behind the desk. “You’re right. I’ve got a lot of work to do, don’t I?”

--

With Jacob hurrying him along, Caspian made quick work of preparing to make a public appearance. First and foremost, he showered and took care of the hygiene he had neglected when he’d first woken up. Once the basics were out of the way, he shaved the stubble that peppered his chin and tamed his tousled hair with a thin application of mousse until he looked presentable. All in all, the tasks took no longer than half an hour to complete, and he headed out of his bedroom to finally make good on his promise to Iris that he would stop by to see her when he had free time.

As he walked down the hall, he tugged uncomfortably at his shirt collar with one finger, disliking how tight the stiff fabric was around his throat. It wasn’t often that the laidback prince wore a suit, but in this case, the occasion called for it. To look professional, he’d put on a pair of pressed black dress pants, a maroon button-down shirt, and a matching black jacket adorned at the top with a black and grey checkered tie. It was a handsome ensemble, but he preferred his loose t-shirt and joggers any day of the week.

His dark brown eyes flicked down to his watch, and he took a deep breath. He only had about another thirty minutes before he had to leave for the public square. It was barely enough time to check in on Iris and shovel down a quick dinner of whatever he could stomach when he was still stressed about the speech. Wanting to squeeze in as many minutes with the amnesiac as he could, he stopped outside her bedroom door and raised a fist to rap on the solid panel.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Moving along steadily xD Fingers crossed I can get back to my old speed of replying within 24 hours

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Riding alongside Penelope, Crow watched the surrounding trees pass by while he chewed bites of the rye bread Preston had given him. He kept a halfhearted lookout for movement, but it was difficult to stay focused when it was still so early in the morning and he hadn’t finished filling his stomach. Instead of staying alert, his thoughts wandered to unimportant things such as pieces of past conversations that he recalled when a sight triggered the memories and musings about what his father might have been doing while he waited to find out if the Younisian king would accept the peace treaty. He wasn’t particularly lost in his thoughts, but the whimsical subjects were enough to keep his mind occupied when he was too tired to stay focused on any one topic for more than a few minutes at a time.

For once, everyone in the group was quiet—even Naida was still groggy enough not to complain about the lack of conversation—so the former thief heard Penelope take a deep breath and shuffle in her saddle at his side. He glanced at her, taking notice that she looked just as tired as she had been when he’d first greeted her when they’d woken up. It seemed like she hadn’t gotten much sleep at all on the floor. He made a mental note to try to persuade her to share a bed with Naida at the next inn if they came up short on sleeping arrangements in Wellspring. Even if the princess did toss and turn in her slumber, it had to be better than a guaranteed night of sleeplessness on hard, wooden slats.

When the knight spoke, Crow’s green eyes flicked up to meet hers and he smirked. “Speak for yourself,” he teased, popping another bite of bread into his mouth. “The gods know I won’t willingly sit on a horse all day unless I’m given something to eat first. You really ought to learn how to be more of a pest, love. Maybe you’ll get some breakfast next time too.” He winked at her playfully and tore the remaining bread in half, holding out one piece to her. “But since I love you, I’ll share my spoils just this once.”

Cirque du Sombre [Siaya Dragalorn & Summer]

That was great timing actually, because I just got caught up yesterday xD I had an online world history class that I was only taking for the credits (just finished it yesterday - it was an 8 week course). I'm also taking a class that teaches BIM software. It's building information modeling that uses Revit and Lumion to create virtual, photo-realistic buildings. It's what a lot of major architecture firms are starting to use to show clients what their projects will look like and create more accurate blue prints for construction. I love it! There's a lot more detail work involved than engineering software like AutoCAD, but the end results are gorgeous.

The biggest time-consumer is my capstone though. It's so massive that it's a 6 credit course instead of the usual 3, and we have a board of professors and volunteers in charge instead of just one teacher ^^; For my project, I'm designing a domestic violence help center that focuses on DV victims' mental well-being. I spent the last two weeks researching the crap out of trauma psychology, biophilia, and all sorts of other stuff that I can use in my design to help survivors rehabilitate. I'm also going to be visiting a shelter in my town today to get a more hands-on look and take some physical measurements :)

So yeah, I've been busy xD How have you been?