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Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

When Maisie said the same thing about the rebellion that Iris had earlier, Cas contemplated her words. Unless the two women had rehearsed their spiel in advance, it sounded like they both believed there really had been a good reason for the Scourge to form. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, since he’d always been told that the rebels were just power-hungry troublemakers who wanted to usurp the throne for their own selfish gain. In contrast, he was starting to wonder if there was more to their cause than his father had asserted. Everything in Tongsen was deteriorating and filthy, and he’d seen more homeless people in one district than he’d thought existed in the nation altogether. Even though the people leading the rebellion seemed to be just as corrupt as he’d imagined, he felt a little sympathetic for their original cause if their lives were actually as difficult as they claimed.

Taking the slice of pie from Maisie, he murmured his gratitude and ate a piece while she explained that she hadn’t just been referring to breaking Iris’s heart when she’d told him not to hurt her. “Oh, well if that’s what you’re worried about, I can promise you that she’ll be fine,” he assured her confidently. “Even if the guards at the border try to do anything to her, they can’t if I order them to stand down. My authority trumps even their highest-ranking officers, so Iris will be fine. I won’t let them arrest the person who saved my life.” Objectively, he knew that per the law, Iris should have been arrested for treason since she was part of the Scourge, but she had helped him escape from her father and was now smuggling him back into the capital. Political affiliations aside, she didn’t deserve to end up in a prison cell after everything she had done for him.

As Maisie went on to answer his question, he nodded in agreement that Iris needed to get out of her house. He understood that all too well after watching her father strike her across the face. Regis was an abusive man, and he hoped she wouldn’t go back to him after she brought him back to the inner-city district. Moving in with a close friend seemed like a far better option for her.

Left alone while she walked off to check on her friend, he finished his pie and the beer she had given him. It was a strange combination of flavors, but he enjoyed both anyway, well aware that he couldn’t be picky in a district where even common foods seemed to be in low supply. It also helped that Maisie was a talented baker. She had been right when she’d said this pie was better than the last one. He scarfed it down hungrily, taking hardly any time at all to polish off his plate and then leaning back into the sofa with a contented sigh when he was done.

In a land stripped down from all the luxuries he was used to, he was starting to appreciate simple pleasures more. The food had been good, the furniture was comfortable, and he was going to enjoy being clean for the first time in days. Maisie didn’t have much, but she did have enough to create a warm and welcoming home, and he was grateful that she had been willing to take him and Iris in. This was far better than the bomb shelter they’d stayed in the night before.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned toward the door as the hostess returned from checking on Iris. “How’s Iris doing?” he asked, curious if she was almost done showering but also genuinely wondering about her wellbeing. He’d noticed that she had been gone for a while.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Good luck! ^^

And I understand that. I always get sad when the shows I watch are getting close to the end

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

When Maisie called him out for his trick, Cas dropped his gaze to his lap, shuffling his feet beneath the table. He liked hearing her call Iris’s ex-boyfriend a scumbag, but he hadn’t wanted her to catch on to his feelings for her. It was his own fault though, he supposed. He’d never been a very good liar. It was hard for him to control his facial expressions, especially when a subject came up that he was passionate about. Unfortunately, Iris was one of those subjects. He’d decided in his head that nothing could happen between them now that he knew she was part of the rebellion, but his heart hadn’t gotten the memo yet. Because of that, his expressions and even the timbre of his voice betrayed him by giving away the lingering desire he had to be with her.

“I had no idea it was like this,” he confessed with an incredulous shake of his head when Maisie spoke about her home district. “I’m still trying to figure out how it’s been kept a secret from everyone in the capital. I think—” he faltered, catching himself before he finished the sentence. He had been about to say that he thought his father had something to do with the cover up, but he couldn’t point fingers at the king in front of someone else. Not only was it high treason, but he didn’t want to start a rumor about his own father when he didn’t know if it was true. Until he had more information, he was going to investigate the mystery quietly on his own. “I’m sorry things have gotten so bad out here,” he said in a murmur instead.

When Maisie asked if Iris had hurt him, Cas nodded wordlessly. He didn’t really feel like going into the details. The memory was still fresh in his head, and he was still working through it to decide where he stood with her. He picked up the beer can again and downed another swig as she confirmed out loud that she knew he had feelings for her friend. He couldn’t deny it even though he wanted to. The heart wasn’t easily tamed, and although it didn’t make any sense, his heart wanted Iris. He just wished it would make smarter decisions as he continued to hammer into himself that a relationship between them wasn’t going to happen.

“I won’t,” he promised, turning back to Maisie with a solemn expression. “At least, not intentionally. I can’t help it if she has feelings for me, but I’m not going to act on them. I’m a high born and a prince. It doesn’t matter that I’m attracted to her because I can’t be with someone so far removed from my station. If I let something happen between us, it would be like taking advantage of her, because we’re going to have to part ways for good when I get back to the capital.” Absently, he thumbed the edge of his drink, stung by his own words even though he knew them to be the truth. “So, you don’t have to worry. I care about her too much to put her through that.”

He sipped his drink again while Maisie got up to check on the baking pie. When the oven door was opened, he could feel his mouth water compulsively, and his stomach growled at the sweet aroma. He hadn’t had anything to eat yet either that day, so he was looking forward to having a freshly made meal. At her question, however, he fidgeted uncomfortably. “Um, it was good,” he replied vaguely, hesitant to admit that Iris hadn’t said anything about it because she hadn’t even had a taste. Hoping to keep her from asking any more questions about it, he changed the subject. “Do you live alone or are there other people who stay here with you?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I'm excited to see what you find ^^

And aw dang. Endings are never fun

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas flushed when Maisie said she had only been kidding about his smell. Even after falling for the rebels’ tricks, it seemed like he was still gullible enough to take most of the things he heard at face value. He was relieved that she didn’t mind if he sat on her sofa though. The floor wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the plush cushions had been, so he lifted himself back onto the furniture and sank into the it with a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he murmured as he took the water and pills from her. Popping the latter into his mouth, he took a swig from his glass to swallow them and then chased it with another few gulps. The water she had given him wasn’t purified either, but it was leaps and bounds better than the fishy river water he’d been reluctantly sipping at earlier.

As Maisie went on to answer his question, he set the glass down on the end table and turned toward the kitchen to listen. To his pleasure, it sounded like she wasn’t a fan of Iris’s ex-boyfriend either. He was glad to know that there were others who thought Ethan was a scumbag too. Even though it was petty—if he hadn’t caught feelings for Iris, he wouldn’t have cared who she dated—he felt like he could bond with Maisie over their mutual dislike of the man Iris had been with before.

“It’s fine,” he assured her with an amused smile when she apologized for rambling about her friendship with Iris. The conversation didn’t have much to do with him, but he was just happy to talk to someone who didn’t want to see him dead. Over the last few days, the only people he’d spoken with had been Ethan, who hated him; Regis, who wanted to kill him and turn him into a symbol of the revolution’s success; and Iris, who had treated him kindly, but he still couldn’t get past the baggage of her betrayal in the forest. Maisie was the first person he’d come across outside the capital with whom he felt like he could let down his guard, so he didn’t mind listening to her stories.

When she walked over to sit beside him and pass him a cold beer, his amused smile broadened into a grin. “You’re a saint, Maisie,” he praised as he picked up the can and brought it to his lips. Until now, the only thing he’d had to drink had been water, so the lager was refreshing. He drank a portion of it and set it down on the table, picking up his water to chase it, so he would stay hydrated. However, at her following words, he choked on the beverage.

“The way she… what?” he stammered, prompting her to say it again in case he hadn’t heard her right. What Maisie had just said was what people usually said when talking about someone who was in love with someone else. He knew Iris had insisted that her feelings for him had been real, but he’d found it hard to believe. Or, rather, he hadn’t wanted to believe it, because it would just make it harder for him to let go of his own affection for her. However, hearing her best friend say that she had a way about her when she looked at him made his heart skip a beat. In spite of everything he told himself, the part of him that was a glutton for punishment wanted to be assured that her feelings for him were still there.

But it doesn’t matter because nothing can come from it, he reminded himself again, letting out his breath in a slow exhale as the interest faded from his visage. I have got to stop getting my hopes up. It’s just going to make things more complicated for no good reason.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Okay! I like it ^^

Sorry that one took a little longer. I had to help my husband make lunch, haha. He didn't remember the recipe and did the steps out of order xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

At Maisie’s prompting, Cas followed Iris through the door and took a look around the small home. Like the Nox-Fleurets’ house, it wasn’t anything spectacular. Most of the space was mashed into one multipurpose room, the design of which was considered outdated in the capital. High borns often invested a portion of their annual incomes in remodeling to keep up with the latest interior design trends. He didn’t expect commoners to do the same though. Installing new flooring and countertops once a year was a luxury exclusive to the richest of the rich. In a way, Maisie’s apartment had its own charm because it was uniquely quaint.

He ambled over to the sofa and veritably collapsed onto it, worn out from the walking they had been doing that morning. Objectively, they hadn’t really traveled that far, but since his body was expending energy to recover from his collective injuries, it felt to him like they’d been hiking through the city all day. He had only just started making himself comfortable when Maisie’s comment made him stiffen guiltily. Immune to his own odor, he hadn’t even thought about the fact that he and Iris didn’t smell very good after they’d spent the night on the run. He was probably even worse off than she was, since he’d preluded the bomb shelter by spending a few days in a basement cell.

Not wanting to ruin their hostess’s furniture, he stood back up and lingered off to the side while the others discussed who would shower first. As he listened to their conversation, he was surprised by Maisie’s observational skills. He was practically swaying on his feet with exhaustion, but he was covered from his neck down to his feet in his hoodie and jeans. None of his wounds were visible aside from the scratch and bruise on his cheeks, yet she had picked up on his discomfort and offered medicine to ease his pain. He glanced at Iris, wondering how much she’d told the other girl before they had arrived.

When it was settled that Iris would shower first, Cas seated himself on the floor in front of the sofa, using the furniture as a backrest instead of soiling the fabric by reclining on it. He was eager to soak under hot water—it would sooth the ache of his bruises—but he was glad that he was going to be showering after her. Maisie had been right when she’d said he couldn’t stand up for much longer. Although he wasn’t used to letting others make decisions for him, he was content with the outcome they’d chosen and took advantage by resting his legs while he could.

At the sound of the girl’s voice, he looked up at her with a mixture of quite gratitude and intrigue. She was quite hospitable, but based on the types of food she offered, he suspected she didn’t have much more food than Iris had in her home. He didn’t want to take much if she couldn’t spare it. “Just… whatever won’t be too much trouble,” he answered, leaning back against the sofa’s edge and resting his hands in his lap. “A glass of water would be lovely too.” During their walk, he’d sipped at the water Iris had given him, but it was hard to swallow, especially after he’d made the connection that she’d gathered it from the river. He couldn’t help but think of all the algae and bacteria swimming in it, and the concern of getting sick had stifled his thirst.

“So, you were friends with Iris before she lost her memory?” he queried in an attempt to fill the silence with small talk. He didn’t want her to think he was rude when she was going through so much trouble to help them. However, he realized belatedly that Iris may not have told Maisie about her amnesia. “I mean, did she—?” he cleared his throat awkwardly, praying that he hadn’t said something he shouldn’t have. In a lower voice, he finished the question: “She did tell you about that, right?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

That's exciting! I love introducing new characters. Were you thinking Maisie might have a bigger role in this or will she just help them briefly before they move on?

Cas also just realized he doesn't look at all like royalty right now xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“Oh,” Cas said as casually as he could to hide his relief. He hated that even after everything he’d been through, he still couldn’t stop himself from looking at Iris like more than a friend. Or even a friend for that matter. Over the past few days, it had been easier for him to keep his distance from her because he’d been preoccupied with trying to escape and he’d thought she had been on board with the other rebels’ plan to kill him. Now that he’d gotten away from Regis, and she’d been the one to sneak him out, it was much harder for him to keep his mind from wandering to places he didn’t want it to go anymore. Even if she was helping him, she was still part of the Scourge, and that meant they couldn’t be more than allies for a short time before he returned to the capital. He continued to remind himself of that as she led the way to meet her friend who most definitely was not a man.

After nearly running into Ethan, the prince was on high alert for other rebels in the area. He didn’t know most of their identities, but at the very least, he could keep watch for Iris’s father. Regis was probably furious that he’d escaped, and he dreaded to think what would happen if the rebel leader caught him again. The older man had a propensity for torturing his prisoners—the ache in his arm and abdominals was an incessant reminder of that—and that was before he’d actually managed to get out of the basement. If he ended up there again, he was sure he would suffer from far worse than just a stab wound and bad bruises. So, he continued to keep his head down while they walked, hoping that they wouldn’t encounter any more of Regis’s henchmen before they made it to Maisie.

Luckily, the trip was uneventful. When they reached the complex, he glanced up from beneath his hood and frowned at the sight of the closed door that barred their way. In the capital, every apartment building was secured with a coded access, and no one could get inside unless they had been registered as residents with the landlord. The only exceptions were members of the royal family and high-ranking soldiers, who all had access to every building in the city. So, when Iris opened the door without entering any information or swiping a card, he stared at her in surprise. A broken lock was a major security issue, and it astounded him that no one had come along to fix the faulty wiring. Anyone could get inside and conduct all sorts of criminal activity without the local law enforcement ever knowing. It was good news for them, since they were technically breaking and entering, but he still found it shocking that security was so lax.

Getting tired from the long walk, Cas had some trouble keeping up with Iris as they headed inside and marched up three flights of stairs. He wrinkled his nose at the mildew odor that permeated the building. Everything around them was clearly old, and he hoped there wasn’t asbestos in the walls. Even though there were full proof treatments for cancer, it was still an inconvenient disease to contract. He already knew he was going to have to pay a visit to Dr. Emett to be treated for his surface injuries, and he didn’t want to have to take preventative measures against lung cancer because he was exposed to carcinogenic material as well.

Paranoid about the possibility, he breathed shallower than usual and ended up out of breath by the time they reached the top of the stairs.

Trailing along behind Iris, he looked over the doors that lined the hallway. Chipping paint and peeling carpets were the aesthetic in this building. He felt his stomach twist as he wondered again if the rest of Aspiria really was this poor. It was hard to believe, but at the same time, he was standing in a crumbling apartment, surrounded by hard evidence that their people were being neglected. Uncomfortable with the revelation, he turned to watch Iris as she knocked on one of the doors and a girl around her own age appeared and threw her arms around her in an embrace.

While they spoke, he shifted his weight, suddenly acutely aware of the state he was in. His father had drilled into him from a young age that first impressions were everything, and right now, he looked more like a homeless person than the kingdom’s crown prince. Rationally, he knew it was acceptable given everything he’d been through, but he still hung back somewhat awkwardly, embarrassed by his bedraggled appearance when he was supposed to look like someone the Aspirian people could respect.

~Bonsoir~

Okay, no rush! I'm trying to put together a poster for a presentation, but I'm having a lot more technical difficulties than I anticipated