Rude Awakening [Work Thread]

Once upon a time in the forgotten streets of a fading city, there was a kingdom that only children could touch. It was the nameless promised land of eternal youth where contradiction was law; it was the palace of paradox where impossible dreams of deathless wars, well-meaning monsters, and coexisting ideals ruled every day. The kingdom knew no nights and no storms, but it also knew no true subjects, for not even its own queen could take refuge within the castle's walls when her court was closed. Underneath the bittersweet sun, the knights and nobles danced amongst themselves, letting the winds carry their fleeting laughs onward into the ephemeral horizon and past it into the future that for them did not exist. Standing amidst the bombardments of giggles and guffaws, a pouting queen stomped her foot furiously against her jungle gym balcony and released a commanding roar that drew the attentive gaze of her false subjects. With a smile lost to time, she curtsied and resumed her scowl as she announced frivolous nonsense yet again, words without meaning that the world would soon forget.


But as she continued her speech with smug satisfaction at the joy and devotedness of her followers, each and everyone one of whom she considered her own to claim, the royal ruler of that kingdom looked up and opened her eyes to where they should have been standing. She had foolishly assumed she'd have their focus forever, but there was no one left. All the faces that were so familiar to her were gone and naught but tattered clothes and keepsakes were left behind in wake of their disappearances. There were countless items scattered across the ground, a sea of rusted mementos called forth by the cruel will of time, but above all else what stood out the most was Suzy's torn red scarf that was strung about all throughout the dirt and grass. Stumbling back off of the now colorless bars in shock and crashing down to the ground below with a deafening thud, the pink-haired girl laid motionlessly sprawled out staring up at the starless sky above. For the first time, she uttered trembling thoughts that would repeat endlessly unto eternity and with a nearby broken branch carved them into her crumbling heart.









Cecilia awoke to the familiar sensation of her fingernails digging into her chest. Her hand was cusped tightly around it and sweat was dripping down her forehead as she gazed exhaustedly up at the ceiling above. Predictably the sleek black alarm clock to her side began to release a wretched shriek into her ears from the safety of the table and the startled Cadet was forced to slam her fist down atop the snooze button. It seemed that she had woken up a minute or so earlier than she was supposed to, but that wasn't anything new at this point... Continuing to lay in her bed for a couple seconds longer, the girl would draw her arm back slowly and let the sting in the center of her body fade before forcing herself to sit up and stiffly stretching in accordance with the call of a new day. "Guess I should get ready. I don't know what they want from me after last night, but..." Her voice trailed off as she snatched her phone and checked the message again. Then, nodding to herself, she set it down and started to slip on her clothes one article at a time. Part of her considered simply coming in with her uniform on, but she rightfully figured it'd draw unnecessary attention and assured herself she could always come back for it later if it was really needed, instead deciding to toss on her typical purple hoodie and dark skirt that were plainly casual in nature.

Opening the door to the living room, she prepared a half-hearted wave, though as usual there was no one there for her to greet anyway. Her hand fell to her side and she yanked a box of cereal from the cabinet without bothering to read the label. Pouring it into a small bowl about halfway and then removing the milk from the fridge to do the same with it, she'd gulp it down quickly, although after her rude awakening she didn't feel particularly hungry. In the end, she just ended up dumping the contents down the toilet and leaving the apartment to spend the time she had allotted to herself for breakfast elsewhere. It probably wasn't a bad idea to start heading toward Seven Stars anyway given the meeting wasn't too far off timewise.

Suzie Q was surprisingly quiet today... Almost eerily so, but she knew that whatever the reason was, it was likely just a coincidence. Cecilia was confident in Endymion's safety and the Cadets' ability to protect it, however, it'd be a lie to say she wasn't a bit on edge lately -- a lie she very frequently spewed to both others and, more often than not, herself. Her performances lately had done much to assuage her worries (as they had partially been intended to) and while the Demon Painter's capture had served that purpose well, her concerns seemed to rise back up and linger for bafflingly inconsistent intervals. The only explanation she could offer as to why was whiplash from the sudden new perspective that Isla's blood offered her, something which was likely enough on its own, however she preferred to just dismiss it outright usually as opposed to attributing an explanation to it. After all, the more attention you gave your troubles, the more they'd naturally come to consume your focus. She hadn't failed yet and she wouldn't any time soon! That was what Cecilia Hunt chose to believe. It was her answer for now and she refused to let it escape her in the wake of a constant and consistent array of triumphs.

Lost in her thoughts, the blaring sound of her phone's notifications would snatch her mind back from its aimless drifting and lob it back into reality. She'd check it and nod to herself before placing the smart device back in her sweatshirt's pocket yet again. There was little else to take care of before heading to the meeting, but noticing a nearby vending machine she figured she might as well nab a pick-me-up from it. After inserting a coin and lifting up the drink she'd study the strange design closely (particularly the vaguely familiar figure on the front) before shrugging and downing it swiftly.

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Laughing reservedly with the wind, Cecilia tossed the drink aside and left another familiar place behind. She could only wonder about the details of the assignment, but whatever they were, they'd reveal themselves to her soon enough. All she could do was go and see for herself. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake!" The girl proclaimed in her head. She walked off and the sun illuminated an otherwise obscure grin that disappeared into the horizon.