Rogue Sloth

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas didn’t pay close attention to his lesson that day. While his tutor reviewed complex principles of microeconomics, his thoughts were on his plan to get away from his father. He still hadn’t decided if he would be running for good or if he would just leave long enough to get the point across to the king that he was his own man who would no longer allow anyone else to control him, but either way, he needed a short-term plan to hide out until he could think through the steps he wanted to take next. That plan turned into the idea to book a private suite at a hotel near the edge of the city.

As soon as his lesson ended, he went back to his room and made the call to arrange it under the alias ‘Daniel Smith’—he didn’t have time to be creative—and offered to pay quite a bit extra to make the stay as anonymous as possible. All payments were to be made over the phone, he would be let in and out of the building through a back entrance, housekeeping was to wait until after he checked out before they tended to the room, no calls could go through to the suite while he was staying, and the only people who could know he was there were the hotel manager and a few trusted members of the resort’s security. With the promise of a generous wire in exchange for the accommodations, the manager agreed to his requests without question, and the suite was booked. One of the security guards would be waiting to receive him at seven o’ clock at the northeast entrance, but other than that, he was assured that he would enjoy his stay without any interruptions.

With a place to go now, all that was left was to make sure he would have everything he needed to hide out at the hotel comfortably for a few days. The servant his father sent to help him pack for the asylum was the solution to that. Just after lunch, the young man arrived with a small duffle bag to stuff full of any clothes, toiletries, and other necessities that he would need while he was away. Cas thanked him for the bag and then sent him off, assuring him that he didn’t need help choosing what to bring with him. Once he was alone, he tossed a few essentials into the duffle bag, including a reusable bottle of water and his passport—just in case. He hid the latter inside a pair of boxers for safe keeping, so it would be unlikely for anyone to notice it if his father had the bag searched for some reason before the end of the day.

Zipping up the duffle, he set it down in front of the door and then went to work on the last important precaution he needed to take before he left: making sure no one could find him.

He removed his comm device from its place on his waistband and slipped it underneath his mattress. There was no way to turn it off without triggering an alarm, so it was safer to leave it behind completely. From there, he took out his phone and manually disabled the GPS tracking on the device. There was a slim chance that the guards would notice the signal was gone before he left, but unless anyone was actively looking at it, it was more likely that the change would go unnoticed.

Leaning against the edge of his bed, he exhaled restlessly and checked the time. It was still only about three in the afternoon, so he had about three hours left before he needed to leave for Miles’ place. For a while, he’d gone back and forth about whether he should get Iris involved in his plan or not. He didn’t want to put her in any more danger than she already was. However, as he’d considered it further, he’d realized that it was safer for him to bring her with him to the hotel. If his father deployed the royal security to find him, Miles’ place would be one of the first buildings they searched, since they were close friends. He couldn’t leave her there even if he’d wanted to. She would be arrested on sight.

So, when the clock eventually struck six, he made his move. Slipping on his shoes and heading downstairs with the duffle bag slung over his shoulder—he used the excuse that he was going to put it in the car in preparation for tomorrow since he was already going out—he made his way out to the garage, tossed the bag into the trunk, and climbed into the driver’s seat. Already, his heart was racing anxiously as he felt around underneath the steering wheel for the GPS tracker that was plugged into the vehicle’s OBD. His fingers brushed against the little plastic piece and he hesitated for just a second before he pulled it out and dropped it onto the carpet. With that, there was no way for the security team to keep tabs on him. He was free to go anywhere he wanted and not be found.

Jittery with adrenaline and slightly fraying nerves, Cas steered the car out of the garage and took off down the private road that led away from the manor where he’d grown up, not knowing when or if he would be coming back at all.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I have more than enough content to carry things forward from Cas's POV, so feel free to write for Miles :) I generally don't mind sharing minor characters unless I have something specific planned for one of them too

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It was, haha. I can carry us forward to the evening in my next post too. I just wanted to give you time for Iris and Miles to react to the text Cas sent if you want to write that :)

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

That night, Caspian didn’t get much sleep, but the hours he spent lying awake under the covers gave him all the time he needed to mull over his dismal fate and hatch a plan to avoid it. Until now, he had never refused to follow his father’s orders, even when the tasks he fulfilled left a bitter taste in his mouth. This time, though, the king had pushed him too far. He would never willingly walk through the doors of an asylum to be locked up and veritably brainwashed into believing that he needed psychiatric treatment.

He’d never visited Eternity Meadows before, but he’d heard a few vague stories and rumors about the place over the years. If the whispers were to be believed, the doctors there would prescribe him strong drugs that would leave him in a stupor while they “corrected” his mental ailment, so he wouldn’t be a “danger” to himself, and he wouldn’t be allowed to leave until they deemed him cured. It was cruel and unusual to do to anyone, but it was especially so for someone who was being admitted because of a disagreement with his father. Just thinking about it made him seethe with resentment, and before dawn broke, he decided.

It was time for him to shed his chains and disappear.

The following morning, he was woken up around eight by a maid who stopped by his room to let him know that he had a lesson scheduled with his economics tutor at nine. He was quietly polite with her and climbed out of bed to take a shower and eat breakfast, hiding his roiling emotions underneath a docile mask. For now, he would let Atlas think he’d won. He’d go along with whatever plans the king had for him: attend his lessons, pack his duffle bag for the asylum, do any odd jobs that would keep from rousing anyone’s suspicions that he had a plan of his own. However, as he slid a shirt over his head to head down to the kitchen, he sent Miles a quick text:

Hey man, something came up. I won’t be over this morning. Expect me to swing by later in the evening and I’ll explain everything then.

With that done, he tucked his phone away in his pocket and made his way downstairs, his heart pounding with adrenaline in his chest. A part of him was nervous that he was making the wrong decision, but his father had given him no other choice. If his options were between being locked up in a mental institution and running, he was going to choose the latter. It wasn’t even a question. He just hoped the scheme he’d come up with overnight would be enough for him and Iris to get away without being caught.

Match Up in Malibu [Bee & Summer]

All eyes and cameras were on the pool as Jett and Anna set themselves up for a round against Chloe and David. It was the last game of the night before they determined which team would be safe from being voted off the show, so there was a lot riding on the outcome. Jett adjusted his hold on Anna’s slender legs, waiting for the signal to start the ‘fight.’ It had been a long afternoon—now evening—and he was hoping to win quickly, so they could get dinner, report to the confessional lounge if asked by production, and hit the sack to get a good night’s rest for whatever else the crew had planned for them in the coming days.

Once both pairs were ready, the announcer-slash-referee commenced the game. Jett lunged forward to get Anna close enough to Chloe to start working on the other woman’s balance, falling into their quickly developed push-pull rhythm to knock her off David’s shoulders. The team that had made it to the last round with them was a little more skilled than the others they’d been pitted against so far, but their tricks still worked. Chloe splashed into the pool first once then twice and then a third time for good measure, and the game was over. Jett and Anna had secured immunity from being eliminated from the cast of the show.

As they climbed back out of the water, the announcer practically pounced on them to get a word in before they made it to the towel rack (now that they were done playing, they were finally allowed to dry off). She beamed with a perfected, eager smile that belied her experience in front of the camera crew and spoke with an energy that matched: “That was something else! You two make a fierce team together. Do you think you’ll want to pair up again for future games?”

Fleetingly, Jett peered over her shoulder, preferring to locate the source of the smell of freshly cooked food coming from somewhere inside the house rather than stand outside answering questions. However, building points with the show’s soon-to-be fanbase was probably more important in the long run, so he put on his most charming smile for the audience and glanced at Anna, “Well, she pretty much single-handedly won us immunity tonight, so I definitely wouldn’t say no to being her partner again. I don’t think I can do much better.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Either or. I'll pick up my next post in the morning, but you can add some stuff during the night too if you want!

And wow, that's super warm! It usually doesn't get hotter than like 85 degrees where I live (~30C) Even that is too much for me to be going out on walks or hikes. I prefer when it's under 80 (like 25C maximum)

A lot of people in the Phoenix area hike with their dogs when it's over 100 degrees (~40C) and I think I heard laws have been passed to prohibit it because it's so dangerous for them

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It's definitely the heaviest scene I've written for this RP in a while cx

Our weather has been pretty good! Kinda warm, but the mornings and late afternoons are cool enough to go outside, which is nice. And that's pretty much what I want to do, haha. I've had plans every single weekend for a long time, so I told my husband I want a break to relax at home this weekend xD Or at least if we do anything, I DON'T want to host again because then I get stuck with all the cleaning before and after people come over. I don't mind doing it, but hosting 2-3 times a week has been overwhelming.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

By the time Caspian pulled his car into the garage, the clock on his dashboard displayed that it was exactly midnight. He climbed out from the driver’s seat and closed the door behind him, yawning once again as his body beckoned him to lay down. He’d nearly missed his deadline to come home, but at least his father couldn’t send any of the royal guards to retrieve him in what would have been a humiliating escort back to the mansion. He shook his head at the thought, envious of all the mid-twenty-year-olds who didn’t have to abide by a curfew like a naughty teenager. It was frustrating to still be treated like a child.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it as long as his father continued to insist that he was safely tucked away inside the manor overnight, so he ambled inside to go to his room and get some much-needed sleep.

The lights in the hallways were almost always turned off by the time he came home. Making his way up the stairs to the second floor, he trailed his fingers along the handrail and slipped his phone from his pocket to check idly for anything interesting in the news or on social media. The blue glow reflected off his face in the dark as he tapped through different pages, sufficiently distracted enough that he didn’t notice the thin line of yellow light coming from beneath his bedroom door.

Pushing the panel open, he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of a figure sitting on his bed. He fumbled with the phone in his hand and looked up with a start, shocked to find his father waiting for him with a dour expression on his face. He was sitting rigidly with his walking stick resting across his lap. “Dad, what are you doing here?” the prince blurted out, too confused by the monarch’s unexpected appearance to say anything else.

Atlas studied his son with a frown. He had been waiting for him to return to the palace for almost an hour. It hadn’t been his intention to seek Caspian out this way, but since his heir seemed intent on avoiding him, he’d had no other choice—barring having him arrested for his insubordination, of course. He was still withholding that card though, hopeful that he could reason with the prince before he had to resort to extreme measures. After all, what he had to say would be best received if his son was open-minded.

“Sit,” he ordered curtly, gesturing with one shaky hand at the chair near the window.

Cas swallowed, briefly toying with the idea of turning back around and walking away. He was sure this was about his last meeting with Dr. Foster, and he really didn’t want to talk about that. However, looking at the face of his only remaining close family member, he couldn’t bring himself to ignore the request so callously. Despite his halfhearted grudge against the king, he took a steeling breath and tentatively stepped over to the seat. Hopefully their conversation would be quick.

Once the prince had planted himself in the chair, Atlas nodded affirmingly. A short moment of silence lingered between them before he broke it with a statement, “I’ve been concerned about your wayward beliefs since you returned to me, Caspian.”

Immediately, Cas’s mood soured, knowing they were about to have the same fight all over again. “I know, but I’ve told you already. There’s nothing wrong with my beliefs,” he insisted, crossing his arms defensively. “I’m not doing anything wrong. All I did was defend one person who used to be part of the Scourge. I never once took their side or betrayed our country. I didn’t tell you to show mercy to the other rebels either. The only one I asked you to let go was Iris because she saved my life.” He shook his head exasperatedly. “I don’t know why we’re still on this anyway. She got away from the hospital, so she’s long gone by now.”

“But that’s just it,” Atlas rebutted, causing the prince to furrow his brows confusedly. “She was rescued by the Scourge. If she was no longer part of their ranks, then why would they send a team to save her?”

“They probably just didn’t want our military to learn any secrets from her,” Cas shrugged, employing the lie he’d come up with to explain away Iris’s disappearance a while ago.

“I don’t believe that,” the king said firmly, further surprising his son. “If she was a traitor to them, it would have been more efficient for them to merely assassinate her in the hospital rather than go through the effort of smuggling her out of the capital. Because she’s gone, I’m convinced she’s been working with them all along.” He sat up slightly straighter with an air of confidence as he went on: “Caspian, I understand that you believe she’s on your side, but you must accept that she is an enemy. Now that she’s with them again, your loyalty to her is a liability. I cannot allow you to continue asserting that she ‘isn’t a bad person’ because it’s highly likely that the rebellion will use that belief against you in the near future. You need to understand that as the next king of Aspiria, you can show mercy to no one. Kindness is a weakness, and as your father, I have no choice but to make sure you aren’t a danger to yourself.”

“Where are you going with this?” Cas eyes him cagily, feeling his hackles rise at the direction of the king’s thought process.

Atlas exhaled heavily, “Since you’re unwilling to cooperate with Dr. Foster, I’ve made arrangements for you to be admitted to Eternity Meadows Psychiatric Institution on Thursday. She thinks it would do you good to have round-the-clock therapy without any distractions, so you can properly recover from your Stockholm Syndrome and let go of your attachment to that girl.”

Cas stared at him, stunned into silence. He couldn’t believe it. For a while, he’d known that his father was determined to “fix” him, but he’d never thought the king would go so far as to ship him off to an asylum. It was insane, and as his initial shock faded, it gave way to white rage. “You can’t be serious!” he snapped, standing up abruptly from his chair. “You’re sending me to a fucking mental institution? What the hell, dad? I’m not a lunatic, and I don’t have fucking Stockholm Syndrome! If you can’t tell the difference between basic human decency and a mental disorder, you’re the one who should be admitted! Only sociopaths are that fucked up in the head.”

Atlas’s features hardened dangerously, “You watch your tongue.”

“I will not,” Cas snarled, trembling with fury. In the back of his mind, he knew he should lower his voice and that any passing guards or servants would be able to hear their conversation, but he was too angry to calm down. “I’m done with this shit. You know, I’ve tried for years to live up to your impossibly high standards—to earn your approval—but I can see now that I’ve been wasting my time. You’ve never cared about me. You just care about protecting your goddamn legacy. No loving father would ever lock his only son up in an asylum! It’s borderline abusive!”

“I’m trying to protect you!” Atlas yelled back at him, rising unsteadily to his feet.

“Shut up!” Caspian tangled his hands in his hair. “I don’t want to hear your excuses anymore! You’re always telling me that you want what’s best for me, but if that was true, then why do you only ever criticize me and treat me like an incompetent kid? If I ever have an original thought, you try to crush it to ‘keep me safe.’ Well, guess what? I don’t need your fucking protection!” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m done. Done trying to be your ‘perfect heir’ and done letting you control every little part of my life. I will never be the heartless leader you want me to be, and if you don’t like that, then you can just go find somebody else to be king after you’re gone because I’m done with that too.”

Atlas stared at him, taken aback, before his eyes darkened and he limped forward on his cane, closing the distance between them. “You ungrateful wretch,” he growled. “Everything I have ever done for you has been to make your transition to power as fluid as possible. How dare you, an inexperienced boy, presume to know better than me, your father and your king?” When Cas said nothing, Atlas ground his teeth and, without warning, raised his hand and struck his son across the cheek. “You will obey me,” he ordered in a diminished tone as he turned to walk away again, made weary by their fight. “I’ll send a servant by your room tomorrow afternoon to help you pack whatever you’d like to bring with you to Eternity Meadows.”

The door closed decidedly behind him as he exited, leaving Caspian alone with nothing but his thoughts and the sting of hot tears in his eyes. He stood silently, staring at the ghost of where his father had just been, unable to bring himself even to move. The blow from Atlas’s feeble hand had been weak, but it had broken something inside of him. With it, he had been shown the certainty he’d feared all along that his father would never accept or love him for who he was. All the monarch could see was a ‘boy’ who didn’t do what he was told. He bit down on his lip until he tasted blood, battling the urge to let loose the despair that welled up inside of him. He wasn’t going to yield to his father the victory of making him cry.

Taking a shuddering breath, he stepped over to his bed and laid down, pulling the duvet all the way over his head to block out the sight of the room and squeezing his eyes shut. He didn’t even bother taking off his shoes or turning out the lights as he curled up, drowning in the misery of knowing that in two days’ time, his father was going to ship him away to an asylum for refusing to obey his every command.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Thanks! Sorry it's been taking so long. Losing a huge post when my computer restarted threw off my entire timeline for replying ^^;

I have 1300 words done for this RP so far! It's a reeeaaally long one, but I'm making progress cx

As of right now I don't have plans, but that could always change. My friends are very last-minute people, so we might end up hiking or something. How about you?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, it ended up taking me most of today to finish, so I'm spent on brainpower ^^; I'll write my next post for this RP tomorrow morning or afternoon! Depending on how long it takes. I don't want to get started tonight because I'm sure I'll read it tomorrow and not like the quality xD

Good news is that I'm officially caught up from last weekend! It just took me 4 days lol