Rogue Sloth

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

M: Hey, long time no see! …Or read.

J: How’s life as king? Are you kicking ass and taking names yet?

It took all of five seconds for Caspian’s friends to shoot back replies to the text he’d sent. He smiled as their messages lit up the screen of his phone, always happy to hear from them when it seemed like their lives were headed in such opposite directions lately. Like Iris, he missed the days when he could see them in person pretty much whenever he wanted to. Even after only two weeks, he was feeling nostalgic, and whenever he had a rare moment alone, he found himself thinking about the parties they used to attend together and the games they used to watch in his in-home sports bar. Now, the best company he had around were the stoic guards that patrolled the palace.

I’m pretty sure I’ve got guys to do the ass kicking for me. Things have been alright though. There’s a steep learning curve to running a whole country, so I’m just trying not to drown. How have you guys been?

Sending the text back to them, he laid back on his bed with his cell phone resting on his stomach and his hands propped behind his head. The coffee had kicked in at least, so he wasn’t as dog tired as he had been the last two nights. When Iris called him later, he was hopeful that he’d be able to get through their entire conversation without passing out—or missing it completely like he had the night before. He winced at the memory. Waking up the next morning with the realization that he’d basically ghosted her had felt terrible.

After that humiliating performance, he had to wonder if there was any way for him to get away from the palace long enough to see her at the resort again. He wanted to make it up to her in a better way than just apologizing over the phone, but with a schedule packed from morning until night, he didn’t know how he would be able to pull it off. Just as he was mulling it over, he felt his phone vibrate, and he picked it up again to read the incoming texts:

J: You must be doing something right, because everything’s basically been the same here. We went to a party last weekend at Diego’s place, hooked up with a couple chicks. The usual.

M: He’s leaving out the important part… After we hooked up, he asked out the girl he went home with to go on another date with him!

J: Okay, yeah. She was really cool, and we kind of hit it off. We’re going to the indoor skydiving room this Saturday.

Cas blinked in surprise. In the years he’d known Jay, his friend hadn’t been the type to seriously date a girl. He always seemed to prefer one night stands over girlfriends. However, he was happy that the playboy had met someone he liked enough to see again, so he replied:

Good for you, man. I hope the date goes well. Let me know what happens when it’s over!

Setting the phone aside again, he frowned up at his ceiling. While he was rooting for his friend’s potential new relationship, talking about girls only reminded him of his own trouble in paradise. Restlessly, he checked the time on his nightstand clock, only to see that it was five minutes until ten. Iris would be calling at any moment. He was just as nervous as he was excited to hear from her, and he hoped she wouldn’t be too mad at him for sleeping through their call the night before. He also hoped she didn’t take it to mean that he’d lost interest in talking with her every day. With a sigh to himself, he closed his eyes and tossed an arm over his face. Long distance was even harder than he’d expected it to be.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I threw in the skip :) And depending on how you want to play it, we can pick up where Iris calls Cas, or I can write out some of his conversation with Jay and Miles if you had anything else planned to happen before they reconvene!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“Oh, if you want to be more adventurous, I’ll be ordering you more than just plain cheese pizza,” Cas laughed. “I’ll let you know what we’ll be watching tomorrow too. That part will be the surprise.” He just hoped there would be something good on TV, so they wouldn’t be stuck watching a re-run of a bad Rom Com. After a long day of learning how to lead the country, the last thing he wanted to do was sit through two hours of cringey, fake love stories and awful jokes.

When Iris said she would try to get some sleep, he nodded. It wasn’t too late yet, but knowing how little rest she’d gotten recently, he didn’t want to keep her awake much longer. As much as he would have liked to keep their conversation going, it was better for him to let her go, so she could at least attempt to get some shut eye before the sun came up. “I hope you do,” he smiled softly as he looked up at the ceiling. “And on that note, I should do the same thing. I’ve got a feeling that tomorrow is gonna be a long day… I’ll talk to at the end of it, Iris. I love you.”

After they said their goodbyes, the prince hung up the phone and did his best to recover from the busy day. Unfortunately, his mind was still racing, and his anxiety about what was yet to come didn’t allow him to get much sleep that night. He tossed and turned in his father’s oversized bed until light seeped in through the window the next morning, and he had to drag himself to his feet to find out what his new life was going to look like as the king of Aspiria.

And no amount of grooming could have prepared him for the sheer weight of the expectations that had suddenly been thrust upon his shoulders.

For the rest of that day and the two weeks following, Caspian found himself up to his neck in meetings with the heads of every department he’d known existed in the kingdom—and a few that he’d never heard of in his life. Everyone seemed to have an agenda to fill him in on the latest news and reports and discoveries, pick apart his opinions, and teach him to take over the roles that his father had carried when he’d still been alive. The influx of information was overwhelming, and at the end of every evening, he felt like his head was pounding as his brain struggled to absorb it all.

His over-the-phone talks with Iris were the only solace from the workload, but even though he loved hearing her voice, it was becoming harder for him to keep his eyes open by the time she called him during the nights. Once after the first week, he dozed off while he was still on the line with her, and one time after that, he passed out in his bed before he could even pick up the phone. He desperately missed her, but with so many people competing for his attention, he didn’t find the time to speak with the security team about removing the bounty his father had placed on her head.

Though he tried to ignore it, he could feel that they were drifting apart. It was impossible for the distance not to affect them when they only had, at most, an hour or two to catch up every day and never had the time to see each other in person. His new responsibilities were also taking over his every waking thought until he found himself thinking about her far less than he used to. By the end of his second week as king, he felt disconcerted enough about the change—and about the fact that he’d slept through her last phone call—that he swiped a canned coffee from the kitchen before he retired to his room for the night, hoping the caffeine boost would propel him through to the end of their conversation.

With a plan set and ready, the former prince changed out of his day clothes and settled into his bed, sipping idly at the drink while he returned a few texts with Jay and Miles, both of whom had also been put on the backburner while he adjusted to the monarchy. He still had a little time left before the clock would strike ten, so he wanted to check in with his friends before Iris called him and he talked with her until he was too tired to keep his eyes open anymore.

Match Up in Malibu [Bee & Summer]

“And here I thought you were learning to trust me after we slayed at the last game,” Jett pouted in mock offense. In spite of the remark, he took Anna’s proffered plate, balancing it with his own with the long lost skills he’d picked up in his early days waiting tables, and headed over to the lounge chairs to snag a couple seats for them before the area filled up. Already Madison, Bella, David and Nathan were sitting around the fireplace, chatting about the outcome of the most competitive game of chicken any of them had played in their lives. Bella and David were belly laughing about something someone had said before Jett had gotten within earshot, while Madison noticeably avoided eye contact with Nathan.

As he sat down in one of the empty chairs, Bella turned to him with a grin. “Well, well, if it isn’t one half of our champion team,” she clapped loudly, starting a small round of applause, to which Jett set down his plates to flourish a hand in a bow. “Who knew you’d be so good at pool games?”

“It was my major in college,” Jett quipped, smirking around the straw of his drink. “You should see me play Marco Polo.” The joke earned him another short round of laughter and gave him a nice, natural segue into the conversation. They went on about the games while they ate, reviewing the first one and pitching their guesses about what the next challenge could be. Of course, Bella ribbed him about Nina’s reveal, and the cameramen filmed the whole thing in the hopes of securing a few minutes of TV-worthy talking that could interest their viewers.

When Anna got back, Jett handed over her plate of food, which he hadn’t touched while she was gone. He’d been tempted to steal a piece of chicken just to see if she would actually notice its absence, but there wasn’t a point when he had more than enough on his own plate to stuff himself full to the brim with Hawaiian delicacies.

“That’s because I didn’t,” he told her through a mouthful of pork that he chased with another swig of his drink. He’d already worked his way through about a third of the small mountain of food he’d grabbed from the buffet line, and he nodded at her question. “Everything is great. They’re really setting the bar high for our meals on this show.” He gestured vaguely to the other people sitting around the fireplace as he added, “We were just trying to predict the next challenge we’ll have to do to fight for immunity here. Got any guesses?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Found the time to squeeze in one last post today! I swear, energy drinks give you super powers xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“Very funny,” Cas drawled when Iris went on about his title. Despite his tone, though, a smile played on his lips. Her sense of humor was one of the things that had endeared him to her when they’d first gotten to know each other. Plus, he couldn’t really complain about hearing her make jokes in her current situation. It was better than answering the phone to a voice that sounded depressed. He wanted her to be happy even though he knew she had every reason to be upset with him and with the fact that she was basically isolated against her will.

“I know I can’t, but I’m still sorry you aren’t sleeping well,” he insisted with a frown when she corrected him about the apology. “I wish I could go over there and sleep with you… In the literal sense.” He amended quickly, realizing how his words could have come across. “Not that I don’t want to sleep with you too. It was fun when we did… but I also miss having you next to me when I’m actually sleeping.” Absently, he brushed a hand over the empty sheets beside him in the oversized bed and sighed. “Hopefully I can bring you here soon, so we don’t have to be apart like this for too much longer.”

Appreciative of Iris’s reassurance, Cas felt his smile return, and he nodded to himself. She was right. Everything had a learning curve, and just because this one was steeper than most didn’t mean it was impossible to overcome. He was still only halfway through his twenties. He had plenty of time left to learn how to lead the country and leave a positive mark on it as the next king. He would just have to try not to be too hard on himself in the beginning, when he knew he was going to make the most mistakes. Hopefully he wouldn’t mess anything up that had a lasting effect on Aspiria or her relationship with the surrounding nations.

“I’m sure you’re right, but I still want you here to listen to me vent when things don’t work out,” he joked. “It’s either you or a bottle of whiskey, and I’d rather avoid the hangover.” Not to mention the latter didn’t actually solve anything. The most it could do was take the edge off his stress until he sobered up and had to go back to square one. By contrast, he appreciated Iris’s input and trusted her to give him good advice when he was drowning in his own insecurities. Alcohol could never do that.

He laughed when she said that he’d eaten like a king. “I think it’s safe to say that was the point,” he quipped in return. His dietician was going to have her work cut out for her when the kitchen seemed to insist on stuffing him with the richest foods they could offer. He was pretty sure his father had only stayed thin because of his illness. As a healthy adult, he would have a harder time balancing the hearty meals with the limited time he had available to exercise. His physical wellbeing was yet another thing he would have to juggle amongst all the other responsibilities that had been thrust upon his shoulders.

Iris’s idea of a long distance date night piqued his interest though. “I don’t think it’ll be much of a surprise, but that sounds like fun,” he brightened. “I’ll try to special order some food to your room tomorrow around the time you call me, and I’ll have the cooks here whip up something for me to eat. Maybe we can even find a movie to watch on TV while we have dinner. I’ll have to check the broadcasting schedule and see if there’s anything good playing.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I'm good with skipping ahead soon too, maybe after a little more conversation between Cas and Iris?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas laughed softly, “I’ll do my best not to annoy you then.” He was glad that Iris was feeling well enough to joke with him over the phone. Even though he spent most of his day aching for that late evening phone call from her, there was a part of him that worried she would sound upset with him when she rang. She had every right to be mad. He’d up and left her stranded at a hotel with no company and not much to keep her entertained aside from the TV. The suite was little more than a glorified jail cell too, since she couldn’t even leave the room while his father’s warrant was still in effect. He still needed to figure out how to undo it, so she would no longer have to stay hidden from the guards that patrolled the capital.

Despite her quip about his name, the way she hesitated when he asked how she was doing raised a red flag in the back of the prince’s mind. He frowned at the silence that reached him almost palpably across the line. Maybe she wasn’t doing as well as he’d thought. She even seemed to confirm his suspicion when she finally told him that she was ‘alright’ and brushed off her answer as merely exhaustion. He didn’t buy it. “I’m sorry,” he sighed, leaning his head back into his pillow. For a moment, he debated if he should let her know that he didn’t believe her excuse, but they didn’t have much time to talk lately. Arguing about it wouldn’t change the fact that her situation was less than ideal, so he reluctantly let the subject drop.

“It really is,” he shook his head even though he knew she couldn’t see him. “I feel like I barely have time to breathe. Everyone wants something from me all the time, so I’m just running back and forth trying to get to all of their requests, while Jacob sends guys to make sure I don’t fall behind on the itinerary the PR team has set up every day. It’s a lot more stressful than it was when I was just lined up to take over as king.” Even though his father had done his best to prepare him for the inevitable power shift, he didn’t feel ready at all now that he was actually here. He hadn’t realized just how busy he would be when he was crowned as Aspiria’s next leader. He even had a little newfound respect for Atlas for dealing with everything while he was on bedrest. Monarchs had a lot of expectations on their shoulders.

A smile crossed his lips when Iris told him that she’d watched the coronation. He’d expected it, since there wasn’t anything else for her to do while she was locked up at the Sunset Veil. However, hearing her confirm it and tell him that she thought he would do a good job of keeping to his word stirred a warm feeling inside his chest. “I hope you’re right,” he said, bringing his free hand up to rest behind his head. They would find out soon enough anyway. He was ill-equipped to take over, but he was smart enough to realize that his new duties as king would start the next morning. A shiver trickled up his spine at the thought. He wondered what kind of tasks he’d have to dip his feet into first. Some of the things he’d sworn to do didn’t settle well inside of him.

“I don’t care as long as you ate something,” he insisted with another pointless shake of his head. “I just need to know that you’re taking care of yourself and that the next time we see each other, you won’t be rail thin.” When she asked him about his own dinner, he thought back to the banquet. “I had a lot more to eat than you did. That’s for sure,” he mused. “Lobster frittata, roasted brussels sprouts, orzo pasta, and some other stuff that I don’t know the name of. It was all good though… The orzo was a simpler dish than I usually eat. You might like it. If you want, I could see if any restaurants around here make it and have it delivered to your room, so you can try it.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, he still hasn't adopted the mentality yet, haha. It'll be a slow and steady transition.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas didn’t get as much rest as he’d been hoping for when he’d laid his head down on the pillow. For about two hours, he tossed and turned in the king sized bed, dipping in and out of shallow sleep that left him feeling even more tired than he had been when he’d first started trying to relax. The mattress was too big. Like the bedroom he’d moved into, it just reminded him of how alone he was now that he’d been crowned the new ruler of Aspiria. His immediate family were all either dead or banished, and his friends, while supportive, couldn’t understand what he was going through. They lived the life he wished he could have: one in which their biggest responsibilities were deciding which parties they wanted to attend on the weekends.

Already, he missed the freedom he’d taken for granted when he’d only been a prince. Just a week ago, he’d felt constricted by his duty to his father, but compared to what was coming, the tasks that had daunted him before were like a teenager’s household chore list. He wasn’t ready to lead an entire country by himself, and he’d never felt more alone than he did buried under the covers in his parents’ old bed. Thoughts and worries about all the new ways he could fail swirled around inside his head, and sleep eluded him no matter how hard he tried to give in to his exhaustion.

Above all else, he found himself missing Iris like a limb. Even though he knew she wouldn’t be able to understand his struggle much more than Jay or Miles, she had a way of comforting him that he needed at that moment. He craved her warmth and her touch and her smile and her constant reassurances that he would be a good king. Pining for her presence, he rolled over and curled his fingers wistfully against the bedsheets, wishing she were there beside him. Even though they hadn’t been doing long distance for more than a couple days, he was already feeling the strain of it twisting his heart. It wasn’t easy to wait for a single, short phone call once a night after he’d gotten used to having her with him to hold in his arms.

The clock on the wall seemed to tick slower than ever as he continued to grapple with sleep and bide his time until the little hand struck ten. At long last though, his patience paid off when his phone vibrated on the nightstand in a siren song that he’d been looking forward to all day. He rolled back over on the bed and sat upright, the sheets sliding down into a heap at his hips as he reached for the device and smiled at the increasingly familiar number on the screen.

“Hey, Iris,” he said softly, bringing it to his ear in eager anticipation of hearing her voice again. Twenty-four hours felt like a small eternity to wait between conversations with her. However, when she called him ‘your majesty’ over the other end of the line, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. Out of everyone, he didn’t want her to call him by the stuffy title he’d inherited from his father. “Well, you’re not wrong,” he conceded. “But I always have and always will prefer ‘Cas.’”

Laying back down on the bed, he folded his free arm over his chest and fixed his brown eyes on the ceiling. “How have you been today? Did you watch the ceremony?” he asked, starting down the list of questions he’d been waiting for far too long to voice to her. Another one, even more important than the first two, popped into his head, so he tacked it on as an afterthought: “Have you eaten since yesterday?”