Profile
Cecilia
"is leaving your stove on a bad habit or something?"
cecilia snored lightly in response, her tail twitching slightly as she dreamed of soft breezes and quiet days-- the direct opposite of her current living situation.
---
the girl's studio apartment was... quaint, for lack of better words. not a penny out of cecilia's pocket went towards rent, so she never even thought about complaining about the size.
on one wall was a small window with a clunky ac unit clinging to the windowsill. a modest futon covered in thick, mismatched blanket, pillows, and sheets was next to the window. only a few paces away sat the "kitchen"-- or rather the oven, sink, and below-average sized fridge. next to the closet door was the bathroom door. toilet, sink, and bathtub, of course. no bells and whistles, but it was clean and simple. perfect for one person who is not so picky.
the one light on the ceiling didn't work save for the fan, so the only light sources were the copius amount of candles across the apartment, the single tall lamp in the corner of the room, or whatever sun and night-light-pollution snuck in through the sheer white window curtains.
her futon functioned as a couch, bed, table, stepstool-- oh why even bother, the list goes on. that nest was where she smoked her first and last cigarette on her 17th birthday, coughing the smoke out the window like some delinquent trying not to disappoint their parents. it was where she cried happy and sad tears over her new corporate job, where she slept and ate, and where she stared blankly at the ceiling fan most nights.
some weekends she'd get a call from her brother, sending his best regards and updating cecilia about her sickly mother's health. he'd tell her "thank you" about 45 minutes into the conversation, make sure to pay the utilities for her studio, then apologize for having to cut their call short. the line would click, and she'd return back to the typical buzz of the ac unit in the window and honking of the city traffic beneath her.
part of her missed how close her family was. how they'd come to her flute recitals, her piano recitals, her vocal recitals. how she'd watch her brother compete in debate competitions despite how much they bored her. sometimes, when she sat alone on her futon, she would recall the family dinners growing up.
that was back before her mother's anemia was debilitating, of course.
after their mother's condition declined, her brother quickly became consumed by work. work, work, work. while he buried himself in paperwork, emails, and late night coffee runs, their father spent most of his time in the hospital which had become an extension of their own home.
...
an even bigger part of her knew not to miss it. she knew that those days were gone. there was a new normal now. it was selfish of her to be stuck in that, elfish of her to want to return to normalcy when it's just not possible. with her brother's help, she got a job at the new yorkie branch of h.g. corp at 16. in return for room and board, she would work for a smaller check and the hours were long, late, and rather unpredictable.
"such is life," she'd tell herself.
that is how she ended up here, alone and asleep on her futon, spending her young adult years leaving boiling water running on the shoddiest electric stove ever made.
---
the mysterious figure prancing through her home was quite familiar with the layout. they knew that she frequently fell asleep waiting for her instant ramen to start boiling. this person was the one turning it off every night. they knew that her window was cracked slightly, letting the city smog filter in, and they knew that her light would flicker and buzz incessantly if the light switch was flipped on.
"what am i to do with you?" the shadowy figure paced back and forth.
the presence of another person barely woke cecilia from her slumber. her eyes were still crusted shut and her head was pounding. the girl couldn't even get herself to wake up all the way.
the figure's gentle touch on her cheek reminded her of her childhood. it must be a good dream.
"i wish i could tell you i'm doing well mom. i miss you." her voice was slurred and cracking, evidence to her half-asleep state.
"oh... ew... no more of that, please." the stranger pulled their hand back in a snap as if they just touched hot coals.
cecilia frowned and rolled over, falling back asleep.
---
the light was bright. blinding, even. brighter than usual.
cecilia shot up. soft, velvety duvets slipped down.
"what the fu-"
"good morning, chamberlain cecilia."
the blank expression of a stranger met with cecilia's shocked face.
"...huh?"
and so began her new life in amae...
