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Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Okay! Rest up ^^

An I hope so too! We'll just have to see what happens with this virus

Plenty of Sharks in the Sea [BuzzingBee & Dagger]

Yeah, I'm excited to see how things play out later on between them, haha. Did you still want to go the route of having Daniel try to help the Italian mafia catch her toward the beginning or did you have another idea?

Plenty of Sharks in the Sea [BuzzingBee & Dagger]

Picking up strangers at a bar could be as easy as flashing smiles and throwing around compliments or as complicated as a choreographed dance. Alex liked to think that she was intuitive when it came to determining just how far she needed to turn up the heat to get what she wanted. When the bartender stepped over to fulfill her drink request, she leaned over the counter to call out “Manhattan” over the music, so he’d know what she’d been drinking the first time. The man nodded wordlessly and swept up the empty glass to set aside to be washed by another bartender before he set to work making her another cocktail.

While she waited for her drink, she turned back to Daniel, who was looking a little smug in response to her comment about his appearance. It seemed like she’d been right about her guess that he took pride in the way he looked. She pocketed that tidbit of information away for later use just in case she needed to think of a reason to flatter him again before the night ended.

Leaning casually against the counter, she nodded along attentively as he explained that he was out celebrating a friend’s engagement—although he didn’t miss the opportunity to hint that he’d had successful presentations before. Wizard of the humble brag, she thought amusedly, continuing to fit together the puzzle pieces of who he was in her head. The allusion made her wonder what exactly he did for work though. If he was giving any presentations at all in New York City, he had to hold a position of some importance.

“Well, that’s good to know,” she laughed when he clarified that the friend who was currently hitting on Whitney wasn’t the same one who’d just gotten engaged. “If it was, I’d feel bad for his fiancée. Whitney over there doesn’t mess around.” As she spoke, she peered over her shoulder at the two, who were already practically attached at the hip as they teased and flirted with each other over drinks. From just a glance, she could already tell the redhead was ready to jump at the chance to go back to his place if he asked her. She was eyeing him as if he was a sirloin steak from Eleven Madison Park.

Turning back to Daniel, Alex pondered over his assessment of engagement parties. “I’ve never been to one, so I’ll have to take your word for it,” she admitted with a shrug. Weddings weren’t exactly commonplace among the homeless men and women of the streets, so there was no practical need for couples to get engaged either. Telling him that she’d never been to an engagement party wouldn’t give away her dirty little secret by itself though. She was sure there were plenty of other women who hadn’t attended events like that either, especially at the plucky young age of twenty-two. “If it was really that boring, I guess I’ll just have to do my best to keep you entertained over here, huh?” she added with a flirtatious wink.

The bartender returned with her cocktail, and she picked up the glass, pretending not to notice the way his dark eyes subtly wandered down to her chest. Unlike Chad, though, this man’s stare was gratifying rather than unnerving. It was funny how the same action could be perceived so differently just based on the way she felt about the person attached to it. While the first guy she’d talked to had made her want to put on a heavy coat, the suave businessman made her feel like the sexiest woman in the room. She couldn’t help but adjust her posture a little to show off the curves he was discreetly admiring.

“I just came here to get out of my apartment for a while… have some fun,” she answered his question, smoothly lying through her teeth. “What’s the point of living in the city that never sleeps if you don’t take advantage of the hot spots around town? And I have to say, this one is turning out to be quite hot.” Intentionally, she bit her lower lip as she grinned at him waggishly. “At the risk of sounding like a cliché, do you come here often? I’ve only been to this bar a couple times before, so I’m not exactly a regular.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

My internet got weird right when I was trying to upload that post. Hopefully it doesn't create a duplicate like it did the last time ^^;

Graduation got cancelled, but my friends and I want to throw a party to celebrate later on in the summer if it's possible. A lot of us just graduated last week, so we're trying to do something as long as it's safe

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“I don’t mind it at all,” Cas said honestly when Iris thanked him. “You’re not as much trouble as you seem to think you are, you know. Considering everything you’ve been through, you’re keeping it together really well.” He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to suddenly wake up with no memories of who he was. If she’d had daily breakdowns instead of stepping up to lead him back to the capital, he wouldn’t have blamed her for it in the slightest. “If anything comes back to you that you feel like you need to talk about, I’ll be your listening ear too,” he added, not wanting her to feel like she needed to process all her memories alone.

As they approached a fork in the road, he looked down each path while she explained their options. To him personally, it didn’t make much of a difference whether they headed into the adjacent district or continued walking toward the capital. However, based on what she said, it sounded like detouring through Eulmore would give them the best chance at finding a shelter to use for the night. If continuing toward the central district meant they might end up walking the extra length for nothing, he preferred taking his chances down the other street and seeing what they could find. Worst case, they would have to make another camp, but he was hopeful that they would come across a place to stay. Bel Bicis had been a disaster, and they’d still found an empty apartment there, after all.

“I think it’s worth a shot,” he decided, turning back to her with a shrug. “If there’s even a chance we can find shelter, we might as well take it. It’s not like we’ve got a better option anyway.” Having made up his mind, he gave her hand a tug as he led her toward the road she’d indicated that would take them to Eulmore. Despite the firmness in his voice, he hoped the next district, which if he remembered correctly was the eighth, wouldn’t be a repeat of the eleventh. If he saw any more dead bodies that day, he wasn’t sure if he could make it all the way to the capital without breaking down along the way. As one who’d grown up in the lap of luxury, he could only take so much death and destruction without losing his composure—or being plagued with nightmares, apparently.

Looking over the road they were walking alongside, he wished they could have gotten access to a car. Driving would have been much faster than walking all the way back, and they could sleep in the cab instead of go looking for a new place to lay their heads every night. It was too bad they didn’t have one, but there was nothing they could do about it now. Knowing how little the people outside the capital had in general, he didn’t feel right about stealing one when the owners of any cars out here probably needed the vehicles much more than he did.

“When you said it’ll take a long time, what did that mean?” he asked, glancing up at the darkening sky. The sun still hadn’t disappeared, but it looked like they didn’t have much daylight left before sunset hit. He was hoping to reach a shelter before dark if it was possible.

Plenty of Sharks in the Sea [BuzzingBee & Dagger]

That probably would have gotten them kicked out of the bar xD

Whitney and Alex are both fiery personalities, just in different ways. Whitney is super expressive and bubbly while Alex is more observant and calculating. Both of them can have passionate outbursts though cx

Plenty of Sharks in the Sea [BuzzingBee & Dagger]

“Ooh, good answer,” Alex grinned as the new guy took Chad’s place beside her. Already, she could tell she was going to enjoy talking to him much more than she had the last man she’d wasted her time on. Not only was he eye-catching, but his subtle aggression made him all the more intriguing to her. Just the fact that he’d approached her while she’d been in the middle of a one-sided conversation with another man was proof that he was the type of guy who knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to do what it took to get it. However, he wasn’t a raging douchebag like Beefhead had been. There was a delicate balance between smoldering confidence and flagrant forcefulness, and he was already proving to be a master at walking that line. She wanted to see what else she could uncover behind his charming smiles while she had him at the bar.

“I can’t turn down an offer for free ammunition,” she winked at him playfully when he volunteered to refill her drink. “Just keep up that smooth talk, and I’ll think about saving the next splash for someone else.” She may have been a little tipsy from the first drink, but one more couldn’t hurt that much, right? She wanted to convince Moneybags to pay for her dinner later, and in her experience, accepting an offer for a drink was a quick way to imply enough interest in a man to keep him around for a while. Although, she didn’t need to do much pretending in this case. If she’d been a normal girl out on the town, she would have been genuinely interested in getting to know the debonair man standing next to her. But, alas, she was a homeless tramp who would have to return to her construction site castle at the end of the night. Woe is me, she thought exaggeratedly as her eyes found their way back down to the expensive-looking shirt that fit his frame so nicely.

The sound of his urbane voice coaxed her to lift her gaze to his face again, where she saw that his smile had softened into something friendly. Apparently he had body language down to an art too. “Wow, two for two,” she mirrored his expression, though the smile that decorated her lips was a little more enthusiastic. “My name’s Alex. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Daniel.” The line she used on most of the suckers she hooked at the bars around New York City flowed effortlessly off her tongue when she said it to him. It was easy to walk through the routine when she was looking into the eyes of someone who truly fascinated her rather than the men she pursued just for the free food.

Keeping up the flow of conversation, she went on, “So, what brings you to Devil’s Share tonight? Celebrating a successful business presentation?” As she posed the question, she reached out to touch his arm in a simultaneous indication of the clothes he was wearing and a believable excuse to find out if he was as fit underneath the sleeves as she’d guessed.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That's true. Just enough time to give them false hope before everything catches on fire xD
Oh boy, my next few posts will probably be super long because of the doubling haha. I definitely want to write out both Crow's POV with Evelyn and Hazel's with the other thieves and Penelope cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow spent the majority of the ride to Silverpool chatting idly with Naida and looking around the region that used to be his home. The closer they traveled to the border, the more he recognized. The sights of the familiar forest stirred a sense of nostalgia inside him that was equally as warm as it was painful. The outer villages would always be his home in his heart, but since the moment he’d agreed to be his father’s viceroy, he’d closed the door to returning to them forever. Now, he would only visit in passing and he probably wouldn’t have many opportunities to stay longer than a few days at a time. He was going to miss the life he’d built for himself as a thief, but even as he rode through on horseback now, he couldn’t say that he regretted the decision he’d made.

As much as he’d loved the outer villages, he’d always been at his happiest when he was with Penelope. Choosing between her and everything he’d known had been difficult, but there was no doubt in his mind that becoming a nobleman for her had been the right choice. Now that the status barrier that had kept them apart was gone, there was nothing left standing in their way of being together. He’d do it again a hundred times over if it meant they could finally stop sneaking around and get married.

So, while he had mixed feelings about returning to the villages in which he’d grown up, he didn’t find himself tempted to run at any point. Rather, he rode along compliantly with the knights, only balking at the journey when he became hungry around noon and demanded to have lunch before they continued down the road to Silverpool. Even with one break, they made great time to the village thanks to Otto’s prodding. The sun had yet to fully set on the horizon when the viceroy slid off his horse’s back and stretched his legs. Around him, the others did the same. He could tell they were all starting to get just a little sorer as the days went on, though no one verbally complained about their aching legs aside from a few grunts and grumbles here and there.

“I’ll find out what the availability looks like at the inn,” the baron announced as he handed the reins of his steed off to Percival.

“While you do that, I’m going to get a drink at the tavern,” Crow volunteered his own plan. He was still a little hesitant to speak with Evelyn now that he was a noble, but he couldn’t pass through Silverpool without saying hello to her. Stopping by the Black Dagger was the perfect excuse to do so before the group retired to their room for the night.

“It would be better if you stay close to the inn, Collin,” Otto turned to him with a frown.

“The tavern isn’t far from here,” he justified, handing Baine over to Preston. “It’s one of my favorites in the outer villages, so it would be a crime not to visit while I’m here. I’ll come back when I’m done.”

Otto studied him quietly for a moment before he exhaled in reluctant resignation. “Fine, but if you must go, take Rayner and Princess Mannering. It would give me peace of mind to know that you’re not alone.”

Because I could be in danger or because you don’t trust me not to take off? The former thief wondered to himself. He would have preferred to visit Evelyn without the chaperones, but he had a feeling that the compromise was as much as he was going to get out of the stubborn baron. “Fine,” he agreed curtly. “I’ll be back soon.” Without waiting to find out if Otto would change his mind again, he turned around and headed down the dirt path that would carry him to the Black Dagger while the two knights hurried along to catch up with him.

--

In the camp behind the waterfall, the band of thieves were lounging around the hearth, preparing their supper for the evening. Hazel stirred a pot of rabbit stew, while Rikki and Alistair were gambling with their homemade dice. Since Crow had left, a lot had changed. They still participated in protecting the villagers during battles, but their motivation to do so had slowly begun to taper off. Out of all of them, their former leader had been the most convicted about defending the peasants, so without him around to remind them why they did it, they found themselves sticking closer to their hideout more often than not. The lethargy brought on by the winter season hadn’t helped them with that either, as the cold wind beyond the falls deterred them from venturing outside in the first place.

Although they had been sad to see Crow go, they’d eventually settled into a new rhythm that was becoming their new normal. Hazel had stepped up as their new leader, albeit reluctantly, and was doing a fine job of getting them through the most treacherous time of the year. Despite her initial reservations, she was a natural at taking over the role. She was intuitive when it came to making decisions, and her attentiveness to detail allowed her to make sure they had everything they needed in advance to survive until spring. She was the best replacement the thieves could have asked for, and they were thankful she’d come into their lives before Crow had gone off to the inner kingdom with Penelope.

She was happy that she was staying with them too. For a while, she’d contemplated going back to Silverpool to be with her mother now that she was pregnant, but she’d ultimately decided to wait until spring, so she could make sure that Rikki and Alistair were cared for while they were still adjusting to life without Crow. Of course, she was still going to leave eventually—a cave was no place to have a baby—but for the time being, she’d turned her quarters in the hideout into a comfortable home. The thieves had given her the softest blankets and the warmest animal furs to make sure she wouldn’t get sick during the winter, and they always gave her first pick of their meals, so she could “eat enough for her and for little Simon.” They were endlessly considerate, and she couldn’t have asked for better company while she was carrying her late husband’s, their old friend’s, child.

That particular night, she’d volunteered to make their supper to return the favor for all the meals they had been making for her over the last few weeks. So she was the one sitting closest to the falls when they had an unexpected visitor.

At the sound of a familiar, feminine voice calling their names, all three of them looked up at once and turned toward the opening in the rock wall as the knight stepped into view. “Penelope?” Hazel blinked in surprise. She and the others had assumed it would be quite a while before they ever saw her or Crow again after they’d left. The sight of one of them now was perplexing, and she wasn’t sure whether she should be excited or worried by her appearance.

The thieves had apparently settled on the former. “Penelope!” Alistair exclaimed as he and Rikki both scrambled to their feet to hurry over to the lieutenant. He wrapped his arms around her in an unabashed embrace while she kept a slight distance, still battling through the emotional carnage of everything that had happened between her and Crow after the knight had come into the picture. Overall, Hazel thought she was doing much better and had accepted that things wouldn’t change, but she could tell the female thief was still a little bitter that he’d left her for a noblewoman. The lingering disappointment would take time to fully disappear.

“Is Crow with you?” Rikki asked tentatively, peering around Penelope’s shoulder with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. They all knew what his real name was since he’d divulged it in his letter to them, but since they’d always known him as ‘Crow’ and not as ‘Collin,’ they still referred to him by the alias. Not seeing him with the knight, she turned back to Penelope with a puzzled expression, demonstrating the same confusion Hazel felt about the sudden situation.

Slower to react than the excitable criminals, the herbalist rose to her feet to join them as well, eager to hear the lieutenant’s explanation for her spontaneous visit that evening.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It's been good! We celebrated my graduation yesterday and then Mother's Day today ^^
Now my husband and I are going to get ready to head back up to our home in about an hour