Tumultuous Entry [Susan's Awakening]

Susan nodded solemnly, still unable to meet his gaze.
"I will... do my best, sir. Thank you, have a good evening." She had mumbled her aspiration, hesitant to make promises she couldn't keep. The mousy woman could hardly swear that she could believe in herself, it wasn't a simple thing to do. Her best was all she could manage at the moment, though what that was may be terribly under par. With enough practice she would grow into someone that would make Julius proud to have under his command. Some day she may not even need the drugs. But for now she had to look forward to being the bottom rung of the ladder once more.

As Susan turned to leave she pulled her coat around her for comfort... but stopped to dig in her pockets after making it halfway across the room. She had nearly forgotten the most important part of any exchange.
"Sir...!" she called out to the Prince, trotting on her heels along the cracked ground to his side. Shyly, she handed him a business card. It was sharply torn at the edge from the Centaur's assault and crumpled from the ensuing combat, but what was on it could still be made out.
"Th-this is my contact information in case I am needed, sir. I will be available whenever you call. ...S-sir." She dearly hoped she would not offend with this gesture, it would not do to approach this like business. This engagement was much more meaningful and should be approached with the utmost care. However, she was much more terrified of missing her first assignment than she was of looking like a shill. The businesswoman meekly repeated her "goodbye" again as she rushed to leave with reasonable haste. She had wasted enough of the Prince's time.

Susan had sat in her car for nearly an hour before sliding the key in the ignition, caught in an existential daze. The sky had long grown dark and she was exhausted from her ordeal but she needed time to process all that had happened. She was a Cadet now, albeit just barely. Success and failure wrapped up in a mess of an evening, tied with a bow of confusion and delivered to a questionable future. Her life would never be the same, not with that thing lurking in the back of her head. Not with the promise she had gave to lay down her life for the people of Endymion. Susan looked dutifully over her shoulder as she reversed out of her parking spot. First things were first and reality won over: she desperately needed a shower. Tomorrow she would need to purchase a new coat. She wondered what her options were, mentally ticking away at the reasonably-priced outlet stores that carried brand names...