moving mountains ;;

cassy iglesias. twenty-two. pharmaceutical assistant. i'll probably forget your name right after you tell me, so i apologise if i call you the wrong thing.

[cassyiglesias]

Cassy hadn't walked as fast as she was in a very long time. Her texts with Mason had her hot under the collar and now she was just needing to get to his front door and to him. To know that he was waiting so desperately for her, his family not home and his eagerness to see her increasing, she tried to speed up every time she got a new text from the boy. God, was she excited. The messages going back and forth from the pair had her more turned on than she liked to admit. They continued all the way up to his front door, and she finally settled her finger on the doorbell, eagerly awaiting the green-haired boy's appearance behind it.

@itsmasonb

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

it was coming close to the evening which would explain the romantic aura about the restaurant . the two seemed a little out of place , adorned in casual wear when a few of the other ‘ couples ‘ were dressed up smart and nursing near full glasses of wine . glancing across the table mason scrunched his nose in her direction , a silent acknowledgement of their surroundings – god , she looked pretty in the candlelight . mason was still cradling an aching heart that hung by a string within the cage of his chest but the other felt like a parachute , a soft landing making him feel like it was finally safe to fall again . “ i like it too – i’m gonna leave any future food endeavours up to you . that’s if the food is as good as you say it is , of course . that’s gonna be the decider , “ as he was about to speak once again a suited male ghosted up to the side of the table , notepad in hand to take their orders and glancing back and forth between the pair . “ you two make a lovely couple , “ the waiter spoke and , as soon as the words left his lips , mason’s eyes blew wide and he released a sheepish chuckle . the heights of his cheeks flushed pink and yet he still didn’t argue , didn’t pipe up to shut down the assumption – maybe for the night they could pretend . “ i’m a lucky guy , huh ?? “ the bright haired boy finally responded before turning the attention back to his menu , ordering the risotto ( as cassy’s recommendation ) and lifting the paper higher than usual to hide the grin that was almost too big for his face . “ and , uh .. just a tap water too , please . do you know what you want ?? “ peeping over the top of his menu those mismatched eyes met cassy’s again , finally dropping his shield and leaning over a little closer in case she needed help picking . he was still reluctant to pry as to why she was how she was , why information seemed to go in one ear and straight out the other , and yet eager to offer assistance despite being near clueless as to how best to help her . “ it all looks so good . we’ll need to come back here and try the whole lot , “

The restaurant was similar to most others in Atlanta; there was always a time in the evening that it begun getting darker, lighting coming from dim bulbs and romantic candles in the middle of tables. The lack of bright lighting meant that a certain mood was set. Though Cassy adored that atmosphere and the variety of couples around them, well-dressed as if the entire evening had been planned just for them, she noted how the pair of them were covered in clothing rather different from that very mood. As she was about to respond, a waitor came over, his eyes darting between then before he mentioned that they made a lovely couple. Eyes wide, Cass - for once - was completely speechless at the assumption, and her cheeks showed a bright rosy tint. A glance towards Mason made her realise that he, too, was surprised at what he'd mentioned and then he told him he was a lucky guy. Eyes wide, the brunette tried to bite back a large grin, her eyes diverting towards the menu to finish deciding on her dish. She wondered if the one thing she wanted her mind to genuinely forget for once, would actually do so. Probably not. "The uhm-- the exact same, thank you." Tilting her head to the side, she glanced up and met his eyes, smiling softly at his will to help her if she was stuck. It was her usual, however, the risotto and a simple glass of water. She had, after all, recommended the dish. "I-.. don't remember what most of the dishes are on the menu." She admitted, sheepishly. "I know what the risotto is, though, I always have that. It's so good. My brothers used to cook me risotto when I came home from school and my parents were at work, which is why I chose it the first time I came here. At least I Think it was the first time.. it might have been the third.. I can't remember. --but I agree, I think we should come back and try more dishes." She grinned. "We're a lovely couple, huh?" Cassy teased with a small smirk.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

at her comment he took a step back , gesturing to his outfit with a cock of his thick brow to draw attention to the fact he wasn’t decked head-to-toe in heavily pocketed beige clothing . “ i’m a normal human being today . i don’t smell like shit , i’m not dressed like i’m in jumanji .. i’m stepping up the game for us hanging out so i hope you’re grateful , “ mason offered her a little nudge , trying to stop the huge smile that was tugging at the corners of his lips . it would give away how hopeful he was for the evening even if this this was just a meal between ‘ friends ‘ . “ i trust your judgement . lead the way , “ any food was good food as long as it was vegan . he was beyond glad that the preachy side of him didn’t have to come out when him and cassy were together – he could pick whatever he wanted from the menu and not be forced to watch an innocent animal on a plate , avoiding an otherwise inevitable conflict . strong opinions in what was right and wrong had made him a few enemies around these parts even if it had all been with positive intent . “ i’ve been shovelling straw all day so i worked up quite the appetite . thank god i have guns like these or i’d be in trouble , “ extending his arm he flexed his bicep although the muscle was swamped by his oversized sweater . they were soon at the establishment ( under cassy’s leadership , of course ) and mason went ahead picking a seat near the window . there was a lit candle between them , a scene set for a more romantic meal than what had been planned , but neither one of them seemed to be complaining . 

Jumanji. What was Jumanji? Cassy's expression crossed with a brief frown for a moment, instead tilting her head to the side to try and figure it out using the context. It must have been something that was related to.. zookeeping? A book or.. a movie, maybe? Shaking herself out of her trance, a blush came to her cheeks at the mention of her being grateful for the way that he'd dressed, and she nodded prefusely. "Sorry I'm not more dressed up.. I was already out of the house before we arranged this-- uhm.. going for food." She chuckled softly. Cassy knew where the vegan restaurant was, that was for sure. She visited many times since she'd moved, and the best part was that they did take-out. "They do the best risotto." She promised, head glancing towards him as she skipped in front, being the leader, her enthuasiasm for their meal shining through. Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Cass looked over to his arms before making a face of approval, though she couldn't actually see the muscles under his cosy, oversized sweater. Maybe one day she would, but she'd believe him for now. The time for responding had pretty much passed, her head in the clouds about seeing his muscles, so she never really said anything as they made their way into the restaurant. Allowing Mason to choose, she was happy to sit near the window. It meant that they could people watch, alongside enjoy each other's company. As they were handed the menus, she realised that she'd never taken notice of the fact that it seemed fairly romantic in the surroundings, before. There was a candle on the table in between them, the room set out with colours that one would assume to be related to romance. Perhaps it was because she came here alone, that she never realised it. Maybe it was now that she was sat with him, that she realised it now. "I like it in here." She decided aloud, looking up from her menu for a second to glance at his own reaction to the establishment.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

( – ❀ ❊ ❁ CLOSED STARTER .  @cassyiglesias·

the day had been long , made longer by the lingering thoughtin his mind that he had company as soon as his shift was to finish . the textexchanges between him and cassy had made mason more and more intrigued ,desperate to spend more time with her ( and without the buzzing voice of hissupervisor screaming at him to get some work done ) . it would be the firsttime the other would see him in ‘ normal person ‘ clothes – the safari themedtwo-piece hadn’t been doing him any favours , so instead following the quickshower to rid him of any strange smells he’d thrown on black skinny jeans and ahuge sweater which was the norm for him . even with the change in outfit therewas no way he wouldn’t be recognised , that was something the bright head ofhair was always good for . “ hmmm cassy !! there you are , “ he cried out , a fingeroutstretched to pick her out the crowd , squeezing past the other patrons slowlyfiltering in and out of the park to join his newfound company . was it normalfor him to be nervous ?? the two of them had only met for a lingering momentbefore , but the flirtiness of their texts had meant the weight of their reunionseemed a lot heavier than before . he wasn’t ready to get his heart brokenagain , not yet , but he safe in her presence . “ let’s get out of here – we’re still grabbing some food , yeah ?? “

Despite texting him all day, Cassy was still oddly nervous to meet the boy once he'd finished work. It was one of the things that made her symptoms worse; nerves and worry. Though she'd taken her meds and she knew that once she was in his company she'd probably be fine. She hated crowds, that was another thing. She disliked the feeling that she was tightly squeezed together amonst people she didn't truly know, though it was probably one of the only things she genuinely admitted to disliking. Everything else was a silver lining of sorts, Cassy happy to do it if it meant she could see a positive. So she found a wall to sit, instead of waiting inbetween those wanting to rush to get into the park, and those coming out. Soon enough, a whisp of brightly coloured hair - he had dyed it again, she noted - stepped out through the crowds with a finger pointed towards her. Not in his uniform, she shamelessly looked him up and down, his clothing style somewhat something she'd decided she adored. A grin soon lit up her features, and she chuckled, standing to greet him. "Uhhh Mason, you're not all decked out as a zookeeper." She chuckled. "Yeah.. of course we are. You know any good places? I know of one, but I've been so busy with my own job and exploring that I don't really go into a lot of places to grab food. I cook my own, a lot of the time, but-- but that.. doesn't matter. That's irrelevent." She frowned, clearing her throat before smiling up at him. "Food."

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

atlanta , california .. none of it mattered . they were all the same to him , two built-up areas filled with fake faces and people out to hurt you . he’d thought going off to college would open his life up to so many opportunities , that he’d fall head-over-heels like the movies promised .. oh , how he’d been mistaken . it was a disappointment he was still working on overcoming . just as mason was about to jet off back to work the girl tugged him back with her gentle words , hovering in position before offering another one of his bright and toothy smiles . how could he just leave her after this ?? their meeting may have been brief , and he barely even knew her name let alone anything else , but a part of him wanted their exploration of the zoo to go on forever . leaning over with an arm hovering over the animal he attempted to pose without them running away from him altogether , ignoring the protests from his supervisor at his belt . “ is that good ?? i’m hardly a model , these guys are totally stealing my limelight . i’ll have a word with their managers later , “ it was then he realised that cassy had dropped the ‘ stripey horses ‘ thing altogether . the actual word had escaped her lips , she’d remembered , and even after knowing her for the best part of an hour he felt an immense pride bloom in his chest ( a place where he’d sworn he’d never bloom again ) . “ you got it . they’re zebras , you’re so right . “ mismatched eyes became foggy , remaining docile despite his frustrations from the constant yapping out the walkie-talkie speaker . hands gave the girl a soft nudge out the zebra pen , enough to guide her onto the main track but being careful not to hurt her . “ go and explore the rest of the place . it’s amazing , make sure you check out the reptile house for me . i hope that photo helps you remember the weird guy from the zoo , “

It was such a simple thing to ask, that Cassy was sure he would agree to it. The girl had gotten into a habit when she was a teenager to document her life in anyway that she could. When she awoke at night, she would write down the dreams she had. When she got the chance, she would sit down and write about her day. She had a notebook with key words that she had forgotten that had come back to her. Another notebook had the names of people that she'd met, or knew, with descriptions of how she knew them, any details she needed to remember that she knew she would forget. So it was only by an onvious nature that Cass took photos of everything. Mostly everything. Especially moments like these, where a seemingly unforgettable zookeeper would make such an impact that she didn't want to forget him. She would make double-y sure. Snapping the image on her phone, she giggled, the background noise not only being of the zoo surrounding them, but a rather irritated superior in his radio. "That was perfect, thank you." She told him, honestly. Mason was incredibly photogenic, even if the entire picture was something of a marvel to her. Looking up, the girl spot for a moment the way that he was looking at her. She hadn't seen it from anyone else asides from her brothers on occasion, before. It was the look of pride. Something she couldn't help but blush at. "--zebras, yeah.. I-I remembered their names, I didn't even realise." She started to grin, smile beaming at the mere fact that despite not knowing the boy, he'd picked up on something so important to the brunette. Placing her phone back into her pocket, she allowed him to usher her out, not wanting to get him into anymore trouble than he already had been. "The reptile house, got it. I don't know a whole amount of creatures in th-- wait, isn't a snake a reptile? Am I gonna see snakes? I don't like snakes, they creep me out. I saw a film about a huge killer snake once-- and no it wasn't Snakes on a Pl--.." being cut off as she realised he was walking away, she called out after him. "Okay, goodbye! It was really lovely meeting you!" And she made a beeline to the very house he had been speaking of.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

“ ehh , not a lot . it’s not like murder-capital or anything , but i know there are a few unpleasant types around here . some drug addicts ‘n shit , people that steal and pick fights with everybody for no reason . i try and keep my distance , “ there were bad parts of every city , but growing up in atlanta since birth meant he’d seen every side  – the fancy touristy parts along with the slums that he’d never be caught dead in at night . odd eyes softened behind long lashes as he observed . cassy was a natural , the ‘ stripey horses ‘ not seeming intimidated in the slightest and approaching her as if she was one of the keepers herself . just as he too went to stoop for a handful of pellets he was interrupted by a tinny , almost alien-like voice at his side . “ pzzzzt . mason . are you forgetting about the cctv cameras ?? “ an unfamiliar voice buzzed from the boy’s belt and he flushed the same familiar pink as before , fumbling with his walkie-talkie , pressing the pad of his thumb against the speaker and holding it up to his own mouth . before he spoke the boy released a giggle over the airwaves – even if they had been caught red handed he was reluctant to part with the girl , wanting to find out every little detail that she seemed so great at hiding and piece together the one person he had so quickly become invested in . “ yeah , yeah . i know . you asked me to feed the stripey horses though , which is what i’m doin !! “ the confusion on the other line caused mason to crack up again , cupping a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter . “ – the stripey horses . the zebras . i’m doing what you asked , just hanging out with a friend too . she’s doing a project on conservation so i thought i’d help out . “ mason wasn’t the best liar but it was worth a shot , rolling his eyes as his supervisor droned on and on , having half a mind just to throw the device in with the zebras and call it a day . “ look , i gotta go .. but this has been awesome . like , really fuckin’ awesome , “ his belt vibrated again , and in a panic he threw his arms around cassy in a quick departing hug . “ don’t forget to visit again , alright ?? i work every day , usually over by the gray australians and the long neck spotchy guys . i’m pretty hard to miss , “

"There's aloways gonna be a few like that, wherever you go. S'pose.. long as they aren't.. y'know, violent or anything, that's okay." She shrugged. Cassy knew, though, never to go out alone after a certain time. If she was out after midnight - a rarity in itself - she was sure to get a taxi or an Uber home if she wasn't with a friend. Her house was only on the outskirts of the main city centre, which was okay. She didn't own a car, she tended to cycle or walk everywhere; since her accident when she was thirteen, she didn't want to learn in concern that she may forget what to do when she was driving or learning to drive, and it would end up either taking far too long, or in a crash. It was safer, that way. Cass was completely invested in the animals who had walked over to her. One in particular seemed taken with her, and began to eat the food from her hand. A large grin had taken over her lips, and she looked back at Mason excitedly, ensuring that she didn't move to make the creature jump. His radio went off, just as she looked back and she couldn't help but listen in. A chuckle fell from her lips at the conversation. Turning back, Cassy realised that the zebra became disinterested with her once the food was all gone. It was an incredible exprience, despite how short it had been. She made her way over towards the boy once more, a frown crossing her soft features when she could hear whoever it was on the other end of the radio. Opening her mouth to speak, she was quickly interrupted by him saying that he had to go. "--oof." She let out quietly when he suddenly hugged her, returning the gesture with a tiny yet disappointed smile across her lips. "--oh this might sound weird, but.. can I take a photo with you and the zebras? To remember it? You can say no, I--.. I wouldn't mind.."

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

california was far from cool . he’d lost his heart there , lost track of his dreams and everything that had seemed positive in the world .. the most he’d got out of the place was a piece of paper telling employers he was more qualified than the rest , but was that really worth everything he was forced through ?? stable mental health would’ve been preferable over good grades , but it wasn’t something he could go back and swap now . “ – no , it wasn’t as cool as it sounds . i don’t think i’m cut out for a place like that , people are so selfish and only care about their damn selves .. atlanta isn’t perfect , every street smells like weed and i’m scared i’m gonna get murdered for breathing sometimes , but it’s home . ” pale cheeks flushed a gentle pink at her comments , ’ great ’ and ’ amazing ’ weren’t usually words he heard in the same breath when referring to himself . “ the stripey horses are calling your name , i can hear them actually .. cassy , caaaasssy , “ his hand found hers to drag her from the bat-cave ( what he so affectionately referred to the enclosure as ) , free fingers closing the handle of the discarded bucket so he at least looked like they were doing real work . “ you don’t have to go anywhere . it’s fun to have someone to talk to – as cute as the fuzzy gray australians are cute they aren’t very chatty , neither are the pink birds .. y’know , the ones that stand on one leg ?? don’t have much of a sense of humour , if you ask me . “ there was no doubt that his supervisor had probably seen the two of them skulking around , mason was sure to get a stern word later on , but none of that mattered in the moment . besides , this was all educational anyway .. that was part of the whole job . “ you gotta let the stripey horses come to you otherwise they might try nibble your hands off , “ the keeper took the lead , taking her throughout another winding trail of alleyways until it opened back out into the park , face-to-face with the zebras staring right back at them , “ go on , you go first . they’ll love you , “

Though Mason seemed deep in thought, Cassy's eyes were distracted by the creatures around them. They were barely flying anymore, seeming as though they'd gotten used to their new visitors. Many of them were now hanging upside down to get some rest. She suddenly recalled how excited she was as a child when she found out that bats actually did that in real life, not just in the television shows and the movies. He spoke again and it shook her from her trance, a small smile on her face when he told her it wasn't as cool as it sounded. She hadn't visited California, but perhaps it wasn't as nice as it all seemed. She much preferred Atlanta to Charleston, that was for sure. "Murdered for breathing? Are there a lot of um.. a lot of crimes here, then?" She questioned, brows furrowed as she became a little concerned. Cass hadn't experienced or even heard of anything terrible, not just yet, anyway. His hand found hers, their fingers laced together, and the girl wondered what that feeling in her stomach was. It was as if butterflies had awoken and started flying around at the mere touch of Mason holding her hand. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, and she bit down on her lip at that realisation. "I saw the fuzzy gray Australians earler! They look so adorable, are they as cuddly as all the television shows let on? Have you cuddled them before? They look so playful." Stopping herself before she went on, she allowed Mason to drag her in the direction of the Zebras (or so she assumed, seeing as she had no idea where they were going). They were all of a sudden in the field, and Cassy tried to remember what he has said about when they were feeding them; she'd been a little distracted by looking around at the route he'd taken her. "Okay-- I hope they'll love me, I'd hate to end up at the ER because a stripey horse bit my finger off." She teased, reluctantly letting go of his hand to take some of the food out of the bucket. Standing and facing them, Cass held out her hand, food in palm and waited, watching as they slowly made their way over. "They're incredible up close.." she whispered, her eyes widening and her grin taking over her lips.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

patiently he watched her , more intrigued at her littlequirks than anything . mason didn’t butt in , didn’t try and cut her offmid-sentence in impatience , but simply sat with his chin in the palm of hishands as cassy finally settled on the word she’d been searching for . he didn’trealise that a slight smile had appeared on his lips the second she found it . “conservation , yeah . i wouldn’t work in some zoos , that’s one of the reasons ididn’t wanna stay in california . everything is so showbiz , so the zoo’s feelmore like circuses sometimes . i hate that , “  his oddly colored gaze focused back on thebats , watching a particular group of them slightly sway as they hung upside-downfor their daily nap . “ the pharmacy is pretty cool , nothing wrong with that .you’re helping people , and i bet it’s pretty fun grabbing all the right pills .like a game or something , “ he had no place to judge anybody . the only reasonhe’d gone onto college was to spread his wings and instead here he was , brokenand alone back in the very place he’d tried to escape from , suffocated withother people’s happiness in the absence of his own . “ i’ve never been to southcarolina , “ he mumbled , glancing back and away from the animals to the girlthat seemed to have stolen most of his attention anyway , “ what made you moveto this shitheap instead ?? bet you’re glad you did though , so you could meetthat weird zookeeper and get your own private tour . i should really get backto it – “ he gestured a thumb over his shoulder , back to the buckets of food pelletshe’d abandoned in favour of hanging out with a near stranger , “ you wanna comehelp me feed some of ‘em ?? the fuzzy vampires eat later , but i’m sure thestripey horses are pretty hungry , “

More often than not, people tended to only have pleasant small talk with Cassy than a proper conversation. Mostly because she forgot small details, or even neglected to remember the last time she'd spoken to someone, and ended up having the same conversation all over again. Her family was used to it, her brothers were at least. As if her amnesia wasn't enough, her ADHD meant that she got incredibly excited about small things, or completely sidetracked and distracted about others. The medication she took worked well to reduce the symptoms, for the most part. It just simply meant that people would tend to avoid a long conversation with her. So for Mason to smile and nod along, genuinely increasing the length of their little run-in, was really something else to Cassy. "You lived in California? That's pretty cool, but I don't think I could live in a place like that. I'd hate to see animals being shown-off in the worst way, that's why I don't like Sea World." She told him with a small shrug. "Oh, it's a great job, really-- not great with the income, but that's okay. I like it because it's kind of like.. yeah, a game, but also a technique to help me try to remember things, y'know? It's mostly old people that come in, anyway, and they don't mind speaking to me too much, not like the younger people." Not that Cassy minded, of course. "I'd just.. been living in my family's house for way too long, just wanted to be independent, new scene and everything. I think it's pretty nice. Besides, wouldn't have met the zookeeper with the great hair and amazing eyes, he's pretty nice." She complimented him, linking her hands together behind her back before raising an eyebrow and grinning at his proposal. "A-Are you sure? I--.. don't mind if you have to get back to it and I have to go, I really would understand that. Feeding the stripey horses does sound pretty great though." Cassy admitted, excitedly.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

the question stopped mason dead in his tracks , eyes blown in the low-light as he stared back at cassy before offering an excitable nod . he was half expecting a cruel joke , a jab at his dietary choices , but the agreement rewarded the girl with a high-five from the keeper . there were a million and one other things he should’ve been doing – the monkeys would need mucking out soon , the reptiles were due their feed .. but he couldn’t help but think the right place to be in that moment was right there , surrounded by fluttering wings ( and butterflies in his stomach ) . “ going on four years , yeah . watched a documentary and never looked back , i guess it’s half the reason i work here . don’t really agree with the whole ‘ keeping animals locked up ‘ thing , but a lot of these guys wouldn’t survive outside in the wild without a little helping hand . a lot of them get released once they’re strong enough , so i guess it could be worse , “ his elbow found it’s way into the girl’s side again in a playful nudge , “ could be working in a slaughterhouse or a gross fast-food restaurant , that would suck . what about you , furry fruit vampire , what do you do around here ?? “ the vibrant boy hadn’t been back in atlanta long and , quite honestly , the majority of his time off-duty had been spent sitting at home and wallowing in the self-pity of his breakup . he hadn’t had much to go out and explore or introduce himself to some of the unfamiliar faces .

The high-five only added to the playful nature of their conversation, and Cassy returned it with a small giggle. She knew the amount of grief vegans got; it was rare she would find anyone encouraging of her choice, instead of the constant jokes and judgment of those who disagreed and verbalised it. So it was nice to meet someone who agreed with her choices, for once, and she was sure he felt somewhat similar. "I-I was going to ask about that.. I haven't been to any zoo since I was little for that very reason, but I've heard good things about this one. You do a-- uhm.. what's the word, it's.. con--con.." Biting down on her bottom lip, Cassy frowned at the ground in thought before her features changed to one of success. "Conservation! That's the word. A conservation programme, so I figured I'd come and see what it was like for myself. They seem very well looked after, even if one of their zookeepers is giving little old me a private tour of the fuzzy flying vampires." She chuckled, swinging her arms slowly side to side as she looked over at him. "Me? Oh, I work over at a pharmacy close to my house.. it's the only job I can do, really, without messing it up real bad. I can't remember a lot, so there's always someone on shift with me, and even if there isn't, they leave me lots of lists since the thing I do is really simple." Giving him a small shrug, she tilted her head to the side. "Only been here six months, though, I moved from South Carolina not too long ago."

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

“ the flying vampires ?? oh , you mean the black leathery foxes with wings . i know exactly where you can find ‘em !! “ as silly as it may have sounded to other people , making up new names for the animals meant they were both on the same page – cassy didn’t have to feel embarrassed for not remembering the proper names if mason didn’t use them either . they were both in the same confused and slightly incorrect boat which took attention away from the girl’s own struggles , something that he figured wasn’t his business to pry into anyway . wearing both the safari outfit and his name badge meant he had free roam of the zoo , providing the girl with a personal guided tour as a ring of keys at his belt unlocked one of the many ‘ secret ‘ doors , leading her down corridors and back-paths to the home where the bats ( flying vampires ) were held . his words were drowned by the fluttering of animals around the darkened enclosure , a few others hanging from the rafters , the older boy tugging cassy closer so he didn’t have to raise his voice . “ y’know they can live for twenty years . pretty cool for somethin’ so small , huh ?? and they’re the only mammal capable of extended flight . others can glide , sure .. but that’s not technically flying . and the vampire ones , “ a finger extended to point one out of the hoard , “ – they only feed on blood . there are some others that just eat fruit , those are the cool ones .. that would be me if i was an animal , eating only fruits and veggies . they’re the vegan icons we deserve . forget morrissey or joaquin phoenix , “

Out of their conversation so far, Cassy had liked a fair few things about Mason. The knowledge he had about the animals around the zoo - the giraffes in particular - was something that she admired. She would have loved to have been able to keep that amount of information in her head, yet she knew she would probably forget it by the next morning. The main thing she admired was that he hadn't taken her memory and said anything about it. Instead, he thought that making names up for each of the animals would be the best way around it. It was incredibly sweet, something that Cassy hoped she would remember about him. They went the back route through the bat enclosure, and the girl found herself being pulled in closer to him so that she could hear him. "Wow.." she commented quietly as he spoke, her eyes adjusting bit by bit to the darkness before she could see the bats a little more, though something he mentioned caught her attention. "You're a vegan too?" She questioned, excitedly. It was rare that the brunette would find someone else that shared the same views as her enough to maintain the lifestyle. "I'd be a furry fruit vampire, as well. They are the cool ones." She grinned, rocking again up and down on her toes.

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

mason knew he should get back to work – the koalas were probably hungry , after all – but he couldn’t seem to drag himself away from the enclosure , but most of all the girl that was beside it . his heart was still wrapped in bubble-wrap , keeping it swaddled and safe within the confines of his chest , but a little innocent chatter couldn’t hurt . squinting and tilting his head the boy’s attention turned to her phone , but he figured it wasn’t really his place to ask questions ; they’d only met a few minutes ago , after all , and it was his job to keep upbeat so the customers kept on coming . “ cassy . “ he responded with an affirming nod , making a note in his brain-bank that was already full to the brim with useless facts about animals . thank god it was his job , or he wouldn’t have a lot of space for much else . “ you don’t need a name badge , i’m sure i’ll recognise you next time . that’s if i haven’t scared you off already . kids at school used to call me a demon ‘cus of my weird eyes , but you haven’t run off yet so i think we’re good , “ the plague of an unfaithful ex-partner had left him cautious of his words , self-conscious and shy , although his usual extroverted self was slowly rumbling beneath the surface . “ what other animals do you like ?? c’mon , i’ll show you . and if you don’t remember ‘em we can just make up our own names , like there’s a whole house over there filled with green scaly dinoaurs .. or there are the monochrome sea birds , the big gray guys . “ slender legs moved mason away from the giraffes and onto the gravel track , beckoning his newfound friend to follow .

Cassy understood that his job was to talk to the zoo's visitors, give them any information they needed and the carry on with their day. Otherwise, it would be a pretty awful zoo if the zookeepers didn't even talk to the people wanting to know more about the wonderous creatures within their establishment. She wasn't lying, though; she could listen to him speak all day about something he seemed so knowledgable in. Cass, on the other hand, would forget simple facts like that. She'd try not to, of course. "I think it would be me who would scare you off. When I was a kid, I could never sit still for longer than thirty minutes. In my class they used to call me the 'whiz kid', not because I was clever but because I couldn't sit down, or sit still, and always had to be doing something. I like your eyes. They're unusual, but unusual isn't bad it's just unique. That's what my teachers always used to tell me - never strange, never scary, just unique." Cass forced herself to stop talking and went bright red from realising she had probably overstepped her mark, biting down on the inside of her cheeks. "The big gray guys.. no! The multicoloured talking birds. Oh! Or the flying vampires, I heard those guys are just real softies." Cass skipped to catch up with Mason as he motioned for her to follow.

[cassyiglesias]

daphncy·:

❛ like i said, you’re my heroine, ❜ daphne said and smiled brightly, keeping her eyes locked with her friend who stood in front of her. tilting her head a little to the side, the blonde saw the other shrug her shoulders and give her a small smile. that sounds good to me, where do you want to go? - oh, do you want to go through the park? nodding her head, the grin on the female’s lips widened at the mention of christmas lights. ❛ yes, ❜ she said and laughed gently, ❛ i would absolutely love to go there. lead the way, lovely! and then you can catch me up on everything. i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever. ❜

It was true; it did feel like forever that Cassy had seen Daphne in, though she couldn't fully recall what she had and hadn't told her friend since that time. She knew they had texted here and there, about their days and anything important, but the brunette couldn't remember exactly what that was. "Perfect, I saw-- I think I saw a flyer for them in the cafe, but I know they're on, I just don't know how." Giving a careless shrug, Cass took a sip of the hot liquid in her own cup. "I don't know if there's anything to catch you up on, I've just been working. What about you, anything new?"

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

“ these ones ?? “ his eyes ( one blue , the other swirled with brown mossy green ) glanced back at her in a childlike excitement to explain more . since he was a kid mason had always collected way too many animal plushies , stood crying at the back of pet stores , wanting to keep rocks and make them part of the family . his job was just a more grown-up version of the exact same obsession . “ giraffa camelopardalis —- or just giraffe , if you’re not feelin’ too fancy . there’s nine sub-species of the things and they’re all awesome with those little horns and all the splotches . their markings are more unique than our fingerprints , “ throwing up his palm and wiggling his fingers toward the girl , he turned his head to coo at the huge beasts that were surprisingly graceful as they moved . “ from africa originally . i could go on about them all day , sorry . “ the hand that had been outstretched fell to offer a shake , tilting the head of hair she’d so nicely complimented , “ i didn’t catch your name . it’s not a really fair competition , you didn’t come with a name-badge . that gave the game away , damn it . “

Nodding eagerly, Cassy forced herself to wait for the response. She wasn't usually this patient when it came to waiting for responses and answers, especially around new people that she felt nervous speaking to, but she was trying her best to keep it under control. Bouncing up and down ever so slightly on her toes, she finally got the answer of what they were. Giraffes. She nodded, whacking her phone out whilst he was talking (very rude, but otherwise she would have forgotten what they were called) and snapped a photo of the animals in front of her. She edited it so that she could add 'giraffe' underneath as a caption. Cassy was sure that Mason could see all this; she had her phone in such a way that he could see the screen if he really wanted to. "I like listening to you talk about giraffes." The rosy-cheeked girl commented, ignoring his apology. "I could listen all day." She grinned up at him. With a giggle at his comment, she stuck her hand out to shake his own - Mason's - and nodded. "Cassy. Sorry I didn't come with a name badge, I'll make sure that's covered for next time." She would most likely forget.

[cassyiglesias]

daphncy·:

as she turned around, daphne looked at the girl who was running towards her and the smile on the blonde girl’s lips widened when her friend caught up with her and she stopped in her tracks. ❛ cassy! hey! ❜ daphne spoke and a soft giggle fell from her lips as she was trying to catch her breath. i was…admiring the art. well, i actually came because i thought you’d want coffee and i was bored being at home. she looked towards the coffee in her hands and the smile on daphne’s lips widened, ❛ oh my god, you are honestly my heroine, ❜ she said and giggled. and then i saw that there were loads of paintings up in the hallways around the cafe so i was looking at those, then realized you’d already gone because i got distracted. daphne laughed softly and took the coffee that cassy had held out for her. ❛ i love latte. thank you so much, cassy, ❜ she spoke and giggled as she wrapped her hands around the cup, feeling the warmth shoot through her tiny body. ❛ come on. let’s go and sit down and talk. ❜

When Daphne called her a herione, Cassy chuckled. It wasn't everyday that she was called such, especially after she ranted about the places she'd been, the things she'd seen when in hindsight, it could have just been a simple sentence. That was what the girl usually had, hindsight. Not that she regret the things she spoke of, they were simply just a little lengthier than what the average person would expect. "It's okay. I figured after such a long day you might be a little tired, and I Was hoping to catch you, anyway." She gave her a shrug and a small smile. "That sounds good to me, where do you want to go? --oh do you want to go through the park? I've heard they've put up some Christmas lights up there that look just incredible in the evening light like tonight, do you wanna go?" She continued, not giving her friend a chance to speak.

[cassyiglesias]

edwardfitzgxrald·:

“So…” Edward addressed the group of students who had gathered in the cafe for his study group, taking up a couple of tables. He tapped a pen against his hand as he spoke, looking at them all. “TL;DR – except do read, it’s fundamental and it’s, you know, a pretty big part of your grade, but whatever – you’re gonna be fine. Look at your old quizzes and tests, review your notes, maybe even take a look at the comments I put on your essays. I don’t jot those down for my health. Alright, I think we’re done here, thanks, guys.” As the students scattered, some going the counter for more coffee but most just leaving, Edward looked around as he noticed someone nearby. “Sorry,” he said. “Education takes up a lot of space, I guess. Feel free to grab a seat if you need one, we’re done.” 

@atlanta-rpgstarters·

Spotting him in the coffee shop, Cassy had paused before she'd walked out. The man, standing in front of all of the kids, teaching them.. something, looked incredibly familiar to the girl. It took all she had in her not to march up there and ask him right off whether or not she knew him. Did they meet at some point in the last six months? Should she know who he was? She didn't know, but the thought alone was bugging her to the point that she was pacing slowly around the coffee shop to distract herself from running right up to him and interrupting his lesson. As soon as she saw that the people in front of him started to move, she walked right up to him, eager to speak. "No, um-- it's fine." She started quickly, blinking as if to remember what she was going to say. Oh yes. "Do I know you? Sorry, you just look so familiar, I can't remember if we've met."

[cassyiglesias]

daphncy·:

( — DAPHNE & ….

     moving out of the school building, daphne smiled at one of the security guys that stood by the door. lately, there had been a lot of students getting into fights, so the school decided to put security more visible, in hopes that it would make the fights and whatnot stop quickly. she moved down the street, her school bag resting on her left shoulder. it had been a pretty long day, and honestly, daphne couldn’t wait to just get out of there and get some coffee. it was definitely needed at this point. she had been so damn tired lately and had almost fallen asleep in class earlier, which was embarrassing. luckily, she hadn’t gotten caught. as she was walking down the street in front of the school, she heard someone running behind her and as she turned around, the grin on her lips widened as she recognized the person. ❛ hey, ❜ she said and laughed softly as she stopped in her tracks, ❛ what are you doing here? ❜

Her shift was long over, yet Cassy didn't want to spend the rest of her day alone in her home. Sure, she had things to do around the house, but she wanted to get out and about. She knew that Daphne was in class; she'd texted her about it earlier in the day. Knowing the time she finished, she'd wandered around the campus a little, finding a coffee shop so the could take it to her once she'd finished class. Though she planned to be waiting outside fot her friend, she'd quickly gotten distracted by the displays of art and the captions that lay beneath. Cassy had looked at her phone to discover she was a couple of minutes late to meet her. So she ran, coffees in hand until she saw her friend from behind. "Daph!" She yelled out, still running until she caught up to her. "Hey." Cass tried to catch her breath before grinning. "I was.. admiring the art. Well, I actually came because I thought you'd want coffee and I was bored being at home, and then I saw that there were loads of paintings up in the hallways around the cafe so I was looking at those, then realised you'd already gone because I got distracted." She shrugged, handing her the coffee. "It's a latte, I hope you like it."

[cassyiglesias]

itsmasonb·:

compared to the tan uniform he was forced to wear the boy’s hair near glowed , both arms weighed down by buckets that were filled to near overflow . whenever it was his turn to feed the animals mason always snuck a few more scoops in even if it made his biceps tremble , near stick-thin legs wobbling at the exertion ( which was all worth it for the look on those fuzzy little faces ) . on his journeys back and forth from enclosure to enclosure there had been one constant — he hadn’t been back in atlanta long , a few months at the most , so he wasn’t too surprised to spy a face he didn’t recognise . this was different though , attention drawn from the fact she had been staring for a good while now with expression scrunched in a confusion he didn’t often see from the older cohort of visitors to the park . 

               “ hey , “ setting down the buckets of various sized pellets the boy padded closer , resting both his hands on the fence and peering over as he joined the unfamiliar girl . “ y’know , these guys have a heart that’s two feet long . isn’t that crazy ?? and they hate to be on their own , that’s why there’s so much of ‘em . i kinda get that . “ fingers pinged the name badge that hung from his shirt pocket , tapping the plastic before gesturing to the safari-like outfit . “ i don’t always look like this , by the way , but i guess it ruins the whole ‘ keeper ‘ vibe if i rock up with jeans and a t-shirt , “ one hand shoved back colored stands , smearing a little dirt over his forehead as he did so , extending his fingertips over the bars to try and coax one of the giraffes over . “ they’re huge things but they’re so gentle , “

Cassy's eyes diverted from the magnificent creature in front of her, mind still reeling through the various list of animals she knew to try to associate it with one on the list. They landed on the boy who had joined her at gazing into the enclosure, firstly on his hair that had sparked a small smile from her lips. "Hi." When he told her that they had hearts up to two feet long, her mouth dropped open slightly, glancing back at them before humming.

A look at the name-badge, and Cassy tried her best to repeat it in her mind, at the same time as listening to him intently. He was interesting. More than interesting. He was nice. "I like your hair, Mason." She grinned, looking back up to it before looking at what he was doing to get the animal over. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she couldn't keep her eyes off the long neck and the spots that were splattered over it. "What are these animals?" She asked him, softly, toe of her left foot twisting from side to side so that she had something to do while she waited for the answer she'd been pondering upon for a while, now.