[FELID_FACTOR]

[skinstealer]

4/29/316- Cecilia

---

DECORUM: The Pristine Charity Ball is a once a year event, but you should treat it as once in a lifetime, do you understand?
CECILIA: Yes, Decorum.
DECORUM: This will be your chance to make a good impression on some of the most important people in all of Solitude, and make me proud...you will be my little princess, Cecilia. 
DECORUM: I chose you because I know you have been working so hard to become the best princess that you can be, and to bring the best quality that you can...you have done well.
 

Cecilia hears a scoff from behind her, but ignores it as best as she can. She doesn’t hear it. She doesn’t hear it, and it doesn’t matter. 

The candy type tries not to hear the knife sharpening noises either.

DECORUM: The government leaders and politicians sitting at our table tonight will have a taste of true luxury, and you will be the one to serve it.
DECORUM: For that opportunity, you should be grateful.
 

Cecilia is quick to respond, not wanting to miss a beat.

CECILIA: I am, ma’am.
CECILIA: I always am.
DECORUM: Good.
DECORUM: Are you prepared?
CECILIA: Yes, everything’s in order…
 

The chef brings the knives over, setting them beside the candy type on the tray. 

They’re so horribly, horribly sharp. 

It’ll be over soon.

DECORUM: You’re going to do wonderfully.
CECILIA: I know, Decorum. Thank you for the opportunity.
 

The tray is picked up, and she’s brought out to the table, hungry leaders lying in wait.

---

 

The infirmary lights are too dim, but they’re familiar, and as Cecilia watches her own limbs grow back bit by bit, she’s filled with a sense of relief. It’s over, it’s finally over, and she doesn’t have to think about it anymore. There wasn’t due to be another party for a whole two months, weeks spent without having to worry about mass consumption…

At least Decorum seemed happy with her, she guesses, though she wishes it wasn’t because Rein, oh that wonderful Rein, enjoyed the meal. She had wished nothing more than that old snake to choke on the bit of candy that it ate, hoping that it found the taste foul- but of course, it enjoyed it, and said that it should not have doubted such a delicacy. 

So that was something fun to deal with. Fantastic. 

The infirmary door opens, interrupting Cecilia’s musings. She glances up, seeing a familiar candy heart type- a bit of dread settles in as she recognizes the princess. 

CECILIA: ...hi, Rosemary.
ROSEMARY: How’s the slices?
CECILIA: They’re healing fine…
ROSEMARY: Good.
 

There’s no sense of sympathy or good will in her voice at all, and she doesn’t sit down. Cecilia shuffles, avoiding meeting her eyespots.

ROSEMARY: It should have been me out there.
CECILIA: I...I’m sorry, I know-
ROSEMARY: You don’t even like doing this. 
ROSEMARY: And you think you’re better than us.
CECILIA: Rose, it’s not- they’re eating us-
ROSEMARY: So? 
ROSEMARY: It’s not like we die, and we always get better. 
ROSEMARY: And we get to be princesses. Stop complaining.
ROSEMARY: Honestly, you’re so ungrateful…
 

Cecilia stops protesting, turning away from the other TCP.

ROSEMARY: Have it your way. I just came to see if you gave up yet.
CECILIA: …
 

Rosemary turns and heads out as quickly as she came, leaving the candy type alone to heal, bit by bit.

---

Heading up to her room after the healing feels shaky with every step, but she’d rather bear it alone than ask for help from any of the other royalty. Her reluctance to participate in the “dinner parties” is known to everyone but Decorum herself, and it’s gotten her a...reputation that she’d rather not endure dealing with. 

She freezes as she reaches the door to her room, that weird serpent type Decorum keeps around as a simple pet waiting for her at the entrance. 

DARLING: ...oh, you’re back.
DARLING: Are you okay? I heard that you usually take a few hours to heal, but it took a little longer than people say it does-
CECILIA: What are you doing here?
DARLING: I have something for you-
 

It pushes a box out from under its chest, but she shakes her head and opens the door. 

CECILIA: I really need to rest, and I’m not expecting any packages.
DARLING: It’s not from anyone, it’s from me-
CECILIA: No thank you-!
 

She doesn’t trust that serpent for one second, closing the door on it. She takes two steps towards her bed before it starts scratching at the door. 

CECILIA: What do you want!
DARLING: Please, I know my...aura, or whatever it is, makes it hard to believe what I’m saying, but I think you and I could get along, and I wanted to get you something to show that…
DARLING: I’d really like it if you gave me a chance-
CECILIA: Fine, but you have to stop leaving claw marks in my door...Decorum would ground us both if she found out.
 

Cecilia storms back over and opens the door, the serpent type stepping delicately inside while nudging the box forward. The candy type picks up the box carefully, bringing it over to her bed before opening it, carefully.

She nearly jumps out of her wrapper when she opens it, revealing it to be a phone.

CECILIA: Are you- are you out of your mind-?!
CECILIA: This is, this is extreme contraband!
DARLING: You already read books about magic!
CECILIA: But a phone?!
DARLING: I have worse, it’s fine! Just hide it in your room, it’s not like they can come in here anyway!
CECILIA: ...how did you even get this?
CECILIA: And why give it to me?
CECILIA: You don’t even know me!
DARLING: Well...I don’t know anyone here, honestly.
DARLING: I’m just Decorum’s pet.
DARLING: But I’ve been learning about the outside world, and...been outside, too.
 

This TCP is completely out of control and going to get itself in so, so much trouble, and she’s about to tell it as much, but it keeps talking.

DARLING: It’s where I got the phone, I just...I bought it, from the nearby market, with cash.
CECILIA: You STOLE?!
DARLING: ShhhHHSHhhh!
CECILIA: You stole?!
DARLING: There’s so much that they never notice...and with this, you don’t need to rely just on books that you find lying around the palace from before the rules got instated. 
DARLING: That’s how you got yours, right?
CECILIA: …
 

Damnit...it has me completely pegged.

DARLING: I can show you a place where you can learn about the world, and being a TCP, and...I don’t know, it could be fun.
DARLING: ...if you want to.
DARLING: There’s just, a lot more out there.
DARLING: There’s a lot more than this.
 

Cecilia hangs her head, thoughts swirling.

She thinks of the knife coming down, and shudders.

CECILIA: Okay. I’ll take the phone.
CECILIA: But you have to show me how it works, and how to hide it, and all of that.
CECILIA: And if I get caught, I’m telling on you.
DARLING: Deal.
 

---

 

After being shown the forums, Cecilia takes to posting on them more than Darling does- writing projects, specifically. Stories about knights and magic, something that Darling finds out to be Cecilia’s favorite topics, and two things heavily banned from discussion in the palace. 

 

But Cecilia writes about them, and when she posts her stories, Darling reads them. 

CECILIA: D-darling! Darling! I got a like!
DARLING: Oh?
CECILIA: Yes! Someone liked my story!
CECILIA: Who’s…[ASPIRING_RAM]?
DARLING: That’s me, Cecilia...but I promise you, I did read it, and I did genuinely like it. Cross my heart.
CECILIA: ...What was your favorite part, then.
DARLING: I don’t know a lot about knights, but...Bunsen seems pretty cool, and I want to know more about that whole fire thing he can do with his hands…
 

It’s the tiniest thing, but Cecilia can’t help but feel like it cuts through the feelings of distrust and unease surrounding Darling, if only just a little.