Rogue Sloth

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It was great! Nice cloudy day, which I like because the sun isn't so harsh on my eyes, haha.
We also got to play with a bunch of puppies, so I had a lot of fun.

It's my dog's adoption day, so I had to celebrate him a little this morning before I got to work on my post. This was a fun one to write because of the melee cx

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas didn’t know what he’d been expecting when he’d told Iris to go along with Ethan’s demands, but when she stepped in front of him, willingly shielding him from the gun aimed in their direction, he felt his heart stop. He knew the rebels wanted him dead and that it was entirely likely they would shoot him where he stood. It wasn’t like he wanted to be killed either. However, he’d rather they shot him than go through her to get to him, which was the very situation she was putting them in by standing between him and the other two men. Judging by the feral look in her ex-boyfriend’s eyes, he might actually put a bullet in both their hearts if that was what it took to have his way too.

“Iris, stop it,” he hissed, panic written on his face now that she was putting herself in danger alongside him. He’d given up for the sake of making sure she stayed safe. If she was going to openly take his side and fight Ethan, his efforts were pointless. Injured and unarmed, they were outmatched by the rebels, so their chances of getting away were slim to none. The only logical choice here was for him to surrender, hope they wouldn’t shoot him between the eyes, and pray that they wouldn’t be too harsh on her for helping him escape the first time.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he and Iris were not on the same page, because she began trying to reason with Ethan. Inwardly, he groaned, predicting that negotiating would get them nowhere. The rebels’ goal was to sever the lineage of the crown, as had been made quite clear to him by Regis on multiple occasions. It didn’t matter what they thought of him. That he was Atlas’s son gave them all the cause they needed to kill him and pretend like they had done Aspiria a major service by doing so.

As Ethan mocked Iris and aimed his weapon at her, Cas felt a mixture of fear and anger stir inside his chest. He narrowed his eyes, loathing the way the other man spoke down to her as if she was stupid. Getting to know her, he knew she was anything but. He wanted to leap to her defense, to tell Ethan that he was the one who should shut up, but with a gun fixated on her heart, he was smart enough to bite his tongue. He didn’t trust her ex-boyfriend not to kill her if he said something that would make him mad. Unless they had a way to turn the tables on the rebels, he needed to stay focused on keeping her alive.

Yet again, Iris’s agenda was apparently vastly different from his own. Cas’s eyes widened as she suddenly lunged at Ethan, grappling with him for the gun. For half a second, he worried that she was going to get herself shot, but he didn’t have time to think about it for long. In the next moment, he came to his senses as he realized that Thomas was springing at him with one arm cocked back to swing.

It wasn’t the turn of events he’d been expecting, and he’d never been in a real fight before—even the one with Regis had just been an act of self-defense—but he fell into the rhythm almost instinctively. As Thomas threw a punch at him, he quickly dove to the side, so the other man’s fist only grazed his cheek and then pivoted on his foot to return the blow. The rebel didn’t seem to have anticipated that he would fight back, so his punch hit its mark. His fist crashed into Thomas’s jaw, and the rebel staggered. Surprise flickered across his features for no longer than a second before he leapt again, and they brawled, grasping at clothes and exchanging heated blows as they raced to overpower each other.

Cas’s first impulse had been to flee, but now that Iris’s life was being threatened too, he couldn’t leave her behind. Despite her desperate command for him to run, he stayed, doing his best to fend off Thomas so that he could join her in her scrap with Ethan. In the back of his head, he found it fascinating how the surge of adrenaline cushioned every strike his opponent managed to land. He was vaguely aware of the pain when Thomas punched him in the jaw or kicked at his knees, but it wasn’t enough to discourage him from fighting back. He stayed on his feet, using everything he could to gain an edge over the rebel.

Unfortunately, he didn’t take into account the fact that determination alone wasn’t enough to win against someone who had more experience than he did. As he threw another punch at Thomas’s head, the rebel took him by surprise, catching hold of his arm and twisting it until he he’d pinned the limb tightly behind his back. Cas grimaced painfully and drove the elbow of his free arm back into the other man’s ribcage, but Thomas merely grunted and pinned that arm as well.

The motion jarred his injured bicep, and the prince bit his lip to stifle a cry as the torn muscles were contorted agonizingly. Desperate to break free from his hold, he stomped his foot down on Thomas’s shoe, but his effort only made the rebel twist his arms further behind his back.

“God damn it!” Thomas snarled, apparently pained by the trick even though it hadn’t worked. “Stop fighting or I’ll dislocate your fucking arms.”

“Let me go!” Cas snapped back, struggling against his grip. In response, the rebel twisted his arms again, and he gasped as pain shot through his shoulders. He’d dislocated his shoulder once before when he’d played rugby, and he could tell that Thomas was getting dangerously close to ripping his arms from their sockets.

Reluctantly, he stopped writhing and panted to catch his breath, spitting blood on the ground from a cut on the inside of his mouth that had opened after Thomas had punched him in the jaw. He hadn’t given up just yet, but he needed a breather and wouldn’t have a chance of winning if the other man followed through with his threat to dislocate his arms. Still concerned about Iris, he looked up to find her and Ethan, hoping she was okay.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Glad you're feeling better! I spent most of today hiking and picnicking with friends, so I'll write a post in the morning ^^

~Bonsoir~

When Victoria took credit for the Wynter’s attack, Vail shook his head adamantly. “It isn’t you fault,” he insisted. “They’ve held a grudge against my family for over a century because we’ve stood in their way of dominating the human race. Even if the timing of this attack had something to do with you, it was only a matter of time before they came after us again. All they needed was an opportunity.” Because of his father’s unwillingness to see the danger, the result most likely would have been the same even if the rival clan had attacked them under different circumstances too.

“I’m sure you’ve heard a bit about the conflict between my family and theirs, but the hatred runs far deeper than just a feud over one woman,” he went on, deciding it was necessary for her to know the entire story now that she was so thoroughly entangled in the ongoing plot. “My uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was the leader of our clan before my father. Under his rule, my family was revered as the most powerful dynasty of vampires in all of England. We were protectors of our kind as well as governors who kept them in check, operating under the idea that the best way to coexist with humans was to feed only as necessary and otherwise leave them be—the same rule we abide by today.

“We’ve always understood that even though we’re physically superior to human beings, starting a war with them would be to our deficit. They’re a resilient and vengeful people who will defend themselves at the expense of life and limb. It’s more practical for us to prey on them only as necessary rather than pick a fight that can only end badly for us in the long run; and because the other clans view us as the paradigm of how vampires ought to conduct themselves, they’ve adopted the mentality as well.

“That’s why the Wynters despise us. They’re warmongers who believe that we should rule over humans because we’re superior. Even though my father hasn’t actively stood in their way since he took over as the next leader of our clan, he’s continued to support my uncle’s dogma, which means every other clan has too. The Wynters can’t garner enough numbers to overpower the humans when none of the other families are willing to join them in their efforts. As long as we were still seen as the alpha clan, we were an obstacle in their path to domination.” He used past tense when he spoke because he was no longer sure where his clan stood now that the Wynters had managed to run them out of England. Because of the success of their last attack, it seemed like the rival clan had finally taken over as the new ruling dynasty. They had won.

“After that Wynter massacred my family, those who survived had to leave London for their own safety,” he explained with a nod when Victoria seemed confused about why the Hygraces had come to Scotland. “Coming here was the most practical choice.”

When she rested her forehead against his and inquired about how he and Katherine were doing, he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. “My mother is coping,” he replied when he pulled back. “It isn’t easy for her, but she’s been taking care of my father in the summer house, making sure he drinks enough blood to stay alive.” He considered the second half of her question. “I suppose I’m mostly tired. It’s been difficult seeing my father reduced to this, but wondering whether you would come back to me was even harder. I haven’t visited my family very much while I was waiting for you to wake up, but now that I know you’re alright, I’d like to see them later to find out how they’ve been doing recently. Migrating to an entirely new hunting ground can be tricky.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Okay, no rush! I have a couple other posts I need to write today as well as two errands to run ^^

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Thanks! It was fun, and I'm back home now :)
Gotta get caught up on all my writing today, haha

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas wished he had an answer for Iris, but truthfully, he had no idea how his father would react if he tried to vouch for the other districts. He wanted to believe Atlas was a just ruler who didn’t know how bad life was beyond the capital and who would leap at the chance to rectify the situation. However, it was highly unlikely that a king could be so out-of-touch with his people. It was far more probable that his father knew exactly what was going on and had kept the information from him for some reason. Probably because he knows I wouldn’t have been okay with it, he theorized, looking down at the pothole-filled road they were walking beside. He believed in an Aspiria that was a utopia for people of all classes, not just for the elite and wealthy.

No matter what the monarch had been trying to do by keeping him in the dark, he had to wonder how Atlas had thought he would react when he eventually found out the truth. It was a temporary solution at best. When he became king after his father passed, he would have found out everything on his own. Economics may not have been his best subject, but he wasn’t so hopeless at it that he would have missed such a gaping discrepancy between what he’d been told and what was actually going on in the country. If he went back to the capital, he was eager to question the king to find out exactly what had been going on in his head for the last twenty-four years.

When they walked further along the road, and Iris told him that she thought she had enough money left to treat him to dinner, he smirked. “You sure do know how to make a man feel special,” he jested, teasing her hand with his thumb. “I’d love to be your dinner date.” He knew that dinner beyond the capital was likely to mean more sandwiches and bottles of water, but when that was their only option, he couldn’t complain. I was interesting to him how quickly his mentality shifted when he was in survival mode. At home, he could afford to be more picky with his meals, choosing to eat almost exclusively gourmet dishes to satisfy his expensive palate. However, on the run from the rebellion, plain food suddenly seemed more delicious.

He was mulling over the thought when he noticed that Iris was starting to look around as if she was worried about something. Tardily, he took notice of the sound of an old engine and realized they were no longer alone on the road. He glanced over his shoulder after she did, spotting the vehicle that was approaching them just before she pulled on his hand and told him to run. Without replying, he followed the order, slipping his hand out of hers to take up a sprint at her side. In the back of his head, he knew they weren’t going to get very far though. Running as fast as they could, they still couldn’t outpace a car, and the walls that bordered the road were too tall to climb over. He just hoped that whoever was behind the wheel wasn’t really after them—

Suddenly, a gunshot rang in the air, and Cas felt his heart leap into his throat. Whoever was in the car was most definitely after them. His fight or flight instincts kicked in, prompting him to sprint faster, which ultimately only caused him to stumble when Iris froze at his side. Caring more about staying with her than he did about escaping, he forced himself to stop, staggered to catch his balance and turned back to take her by the arm, trying to encourage her to keep moving before the shooter was in range to hit them. “Iris, come on,” he urged her frantically. “It’s harder to hit a moving target, so—” He didn’t finish the thought before he was interrupted by the voice of the last man he’d ever wanted to see again.

The prince blanched and looked up to see Ethan and the other rebel that had broken into the capital, Thomas Howard, out of their vehicle and on their feet. The former was aiming his gun directly at them. In that moment, his thoughts raced a million miles per second as he hurried to think of a way out of the situation. He didn’t want to give up without a fight. If Ethan caught him now, he would probably just send him back to Regis, and he dreaded the thought of finding out what Iris’s father would do to him after he’d already escaped once. A shiver zipped up his spine as he imagined being beaten and stabbed all over again by the alcoholic sadist. He couldn’t go back, but he also couldn’t risk Iris’s life by disregarding Ethan’s orders.

If he’d been alone, he would have been desperate enough to turn tail and flee in the hopes that Ethan wouldn’t be able to hit him if he ran in an irregular path. However, he didn’t want to chance that Iris would be shot in the crossfire. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself. So, trembling with a mixture of fear and adrenaline, he let go of her arm and averted his gaze as he reluctantly held up his hands in defeat.

Facing her father again was the lesser evil when compared to getting her killed. The rebels might punish her for turning traitor, but she was still one of them, so he was fairly sure she would be alright. He was the one they wanted, after all, not her. He took a steeling breath. “Just do what he says,” he murmured without looking up from the ground, keeping his voice low enough that only she would hear him. “I don’t want you to get hurt… He’s after me, so just go along with it so he doesn’t shoot you.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Percy is a classic introvert xD Quiet around everyone except the person he's interested in lol
He's too nice to actually try any funny business, but he's inadvertently getting on Crow's good side anyway

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Fortunately for Crow and Percival, the rest of the group was still out cold by the time they finally got back to the inn in Silverpool. Unfortunately, when they returned, the sky was already beginning to lighten ever so slightly, preluding the come of the dawn. The viceroy crept back into his bed to get what sleep he could and dozed off fairly quickly after his long night, but it didn’t feel nearly long enough before he was disturbed by the sound of shuffling in the room. As usual, Otto and Rayner were awake bright and early and had begun putting their armor back on to continue on their way to Younis.

He groaned irritably and buried his head underneath his pillow, wishing they would be more considerate of those in the tiny space that didn’t want to jump out of bed at the first hint of sunlight. The only other person making a move to get up was Preston, and he suspected that was only because the servant was afraid of getting on the baron’s bad side by resting when he was expected to be working. Naida was still sprawled out on her mattress, still asleep and unfazed by the jostling of armor, while he and Percy merely stirred at the sound, both reluctant to leave the comfort of their soft, warm beds before they absolutely had to.

Meanwhile, Otto was merciless in his efforts to rouse them.

“Come on, you three,” he barked, causing Naida to jolt awake with the loudness of his voice. “We’re off to the border today. There’s no time to waste lying around.”

“Why are we rushing?” Crow griped into his pillow, obstinately drawing his knees in as he curled up on his mattress. “There isn’t an inn at the border. We’ve no reason to hurry there since we aren’t competing with anyone else for a room.”

“And you think it’s better to cross into enemy territory after dark?” Otto challenged, only to falter when Crow looked up at him with narrowed eyes. He seemed to realize belatedly that even though the former thief was inexperienced, he still outranked him. Clearing his throat, he stumbled to rectify the situation, “It is our duty to keep you safe, Collin. By crossing into Younis before dusk, we’re far less likely to come across as hostile to any nearby battalions. They’ll be able to see our uniforms as well and know that we aren’t part of Brerra’s armed forces, so our appearance will invite questioning rather than a blind ambush.”

Crow studied him contemplatively. It was a sensible enough explanation that he couldn’t see any reason not to trust his word, but Percival’s observation still stuck out in the back of his mind. He was going to start paying closer attention to the things that came out of Otto’s mouth, so he could question the man if something seemed suspicious. If the baron really was operating on something behind their backs, he wasn’t going to let him get away with it without any pushback.

For now, though, he was still half asleep and didn’t have the presence of mind to pick a fight. So, grumbling his reluctant submission, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to summon the strength to pull himself together. On the other side of the room, he could see that Percival wasn’t any better off. The knight seemed to have been motivated to get up by Otto’s theory about arriving in Younis before dark, but he looked a mess. His long hair was hopelessly tangled, and he had dark circles under his eyes that the viceroy guessed matched his own. Theroulde either didn’t notice his exhaustion or didn’t care, because as soon as he was on his feet, he turned around to give him an order.

“Granger, once your armor is on, go with Lockton’s attendant to gather the horses,” he instructed curtly.

“Yes sir,” Percy bobbed his head in a bow and bent down to gather the metal plates he’d left in a neat stack at the foot of the bed.

Watching the exchange, Crow waited for Otto to look away and then shot the knight a sympathetic look. It may have been Percival’s choice to accompany him in the middle of the night, but he still felt bad seeing the older man boss him around as soon as he crawled out of bed in the morning.

Percy took notice of his expression and shrugged silently as he layered his body with his gold-trimmed armor.
“It’s too early for this,” Naida whined as she slid off her mattress and picked up her armor that she’d stowed away more haphazardly than Percival’s. She was blinking against the light more than usual, looking a bit hungover after all the drinks she’d finished the evening before. “Are we going to be getting up at sunrise every day of this trip?”

“If all goes according to plan,” Otto replied in his usual no-nonsense manner.

Privately, Crow wondered why it mattered to him so much that they left early in the morning every day. To him, it was the same if they left early and arrived at their destination in the afternoon or slept in and arrived in the evening. This time, the baron had the necessity of not startling the Younisians on his side, but what about after? Once the knights on the other side of the border knew they were there, it seemed inconsequential if they left early or late. He couldn’t think of a reason why it was important unless it had anything to do with Percival’s guess that the baron was working on something else while they were traveling to the Younisian castle.

Maybe he’s trying to orchestrate something to take credit for the success of this parley? He pondered as he put on his surcoat. He couldn’t think of a way that Otto could pull the metaphorical rug out from under his feet, but the baron was clearly more experienced than he was when it came to assignments like this one. If there was a way for him to come out of it looking like a hero, chances were that he, as a former peasant and criminal, wouldn’t instinctively know what it was.

Deciding there was no point in fretting over it for now—even if he tried to question the older man, he knew Otto would just deny all accusations—he got ready to leave and walked with Naida and the Therouldes out to the front of the building once they were finished putting on their armor and gathering any belongings they had brought into the room. Not long after, they were rejoined by Preston and Percival, who had prepared the horses and brought them over from the stables.

Crow took Baine from his attendant and climbed up onto the stallion’s back, where he waited for the others until they were all off the ground. As usual, Otto and Rayner walked their steeds over to the front of the group, while Percival took up the rear. The baron twisted at the waist to peer over his shoulder, checking that everyone was in place before he nodded to himself, “Right then. Let’s keep moving.”

Stifling a yawn, Crow drove Baine forward with a squeeze of his heels, trying not let the horse’s steady gait lull him back to sleep. It was going to be a long ride that day, and he hoped they reached the border quickly, so he could make up for the sleep he’d lost when he’d visited his old companions. Passing out on his stallion’s back and falling to the ground seemed like it would be unpleasant.

“You’re tired too?”

He stiffened and turned his head at the sound of Naida’s question. His half-sister was eyeing him with a knowing expression, marked by the beginnings of a smile that she was apparently too weary to pull. “I’m hungover. What’s your excuse?” she asked, guiding her horse to stride a little closer to his.

“I’m fine—” he attempted to lie, though his body chose to betray him in that moment by forcing the yawn he’d just been trying to suppress. Unable to fight it off a second time, he brought a hand to his mouth as he took in air and then swore under his breath as the princess snickered at his side.

“Wow, you’re really tired,” she teased him between giggles. “Were you up late or something?”

“I just didn’t sleep as well as I could have,” he shrugged, trying to play it off in spite of the slight flush that crept over his skin. Usually he was a better liar, so he was chagrined that the oblivious princess had caught onto him so easily. “I’ll be fine. I just need to get better rest tonight.”

Naida studied him skeptically, “Are you sure? You look like—”

“Princess,” Percival suddenly called from behind them. “Why don’t you ride back here with me for a while? I’ll teach you about wild game trails you can spot from horseback.”

“Really?” Naida swiveled in her saddle. “Father never let me hunt before.” Swept up in the prospect of learning, she fell back to accompany the other knight, abandoning her interrogation of the viceroy for the time being.

Crow glanced back at Percy, who merely nodded at him wordlessly before he pointed out a small, worn path in the trees to the princess. Knowing that the taciturn man wasn’t the type to converse with someone so casually, the former thief appreciated his quickness to intervene. Out of everyone in the group, the other man was rapidly rising in the ranks of those he could trust. Currently, Preston was still at the top, since they’d had weeks to adjust to each other, and the servant had helped him before. However, he’d thought his sister would be the person he confided in after that. Contrary to his expectations, the royal was more concerned with keeping herself entertained on the journey, so Percival, the knight he knew far less, had turned into a more reliable confidante.

So, saved from having to explain himself to Naida for now, Crow focused on keeping himself awake for the ride and talked idly with Preston, doing his best to distract himself from his weariness while they rode onward to the border.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

If I can, then definitely!

I'm still waiting for the hubs to get back from work, so I squeezed in a post ^^