A Day For Adventure

=><= //Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!// <== Oh, that's your clock... At the harsh sound, your eyes clench, unwilling to open, not wanting to give up sleep just yet. Five more minutes couldn't hurt, right? [[You're a responsible adult.->Guess I'll Wake Up]]

Just as you make the decision to actually get up, you feel something fuzzy rubbing against your cheek, the something letting out a quiet purr. Seems somebody else wanted you to wake up too. When your eyes open up, you see the familiar face of Ares staring down at you, his eyes wide. He blinks. You blink. He blinks again. You blink again. He purrs and licks your nose. You smile. (color:red)["Come here, you stupid cat."] You coo at him, sitting up. He scrambles away from you, dashing down your front and jumping off the bed. You hear him dash through your cracked open bedroom door. With a sigh, you run a hand through your frazzled bed head, your other going to slap the alarm clock off. Time to get up. You swing your feet over the edge of the bed, catching sight of [yourself]<FirstPass| in the mirror.(click: ?FirstPass)[ (replace: ?FirstPass)[your [face]<SecondPass| and [hair]<ThirdPass|] ] (click: ?SecondPass)[ [The bags under your eyes are hard to miss, and... did you forget to take off some of your makeup last night?] ] (click: ?ThirdPass)[ [God, is your hair really back down past your shoulders? You swear you got it cut last week. And those are definitely a couple of split ends there on your bangs...] ] [[Time to clean yourself up->Bathroom]]

You swing your bedroom door open to find Ares cleaning himself just outside of the door. He glances up at you, as if to say (color:navy)['What're you lookin' at?']. You raise your brow at him, unimpressed, but he simply goes back to licking himself. Oh, he'll come running back to you eventually. Which happens to be the moment you start moving again. Ares gets up and trots after you as you make your way to your tiny apartment's bathroom. As you push the door open, he prances in, hopping up onto the toilet to go back to preening himself. (color:red)["Well aren't you just the most vain little shit in the apartment?"] You ask him. Ares disregards you entirely, wholly absorbed in licking a bit of fur on his paw. He's just lucky you love him. With your piece said, you move to stand in front of the sink and do some damage control. That's definitely some foundation still on your cheek. Still not in the right place to cover the purple bags under your eyes. You yawn at the simple sight of it. God, you're dead tired. Still, work is work, and it's Thursday. One more day after this one and you can sleep until noon. And what a joyous day that'll be. You grab a washcloth and, as the water in the sink starts to warm up, you stare at yourself. You almost forgot it was Thursday. Or rather, almost didn't remember. Everything seems to blend together nowadays. You try to look for the bright side in things, but lately... well, lately it's been a little hard. Still... things could get better. Right? Maybe you'll go on an adventure today. [[Be real.->No Fun Today]] [[That would be fun.->Sounds Like A Date]]

You snort. Yeah, an adventure, sure. Sure, a fancy pantsy adventure. On a work day. For a twenty three year old, grown ass woman. What is even up with you today? From the toilet, Ares lets out a quiet purr, having relaxed into a position that makes him look like a loaf of bread. You start to laugh, stopping when a bit of toothpaste spit finds itself on the mirror. Whoops. Nothing a quick rub with the pad of your thumb can't fix. Ares cracks open an eye to watch you. You shoot him a fake glare. Still, as you move to rinse your mouth, cool water washing over your tongue, your mind starts to wander. An adventure. It'd be nice to get a break from monotony, sure, but... what dumbass adventure would a normal, unassuming person like you even get up to? [[A extraordinary regular day!->A Normal Life?]] [[Unlucky adventure...->This is Gonna Suck]]

As you brush your teeth, you find yourself cracking a stupid smile. Yeah, an adventure would certainly sound nice. It'd be fun to get away from the same old, same old of everyday life, even just for a single day. From the toilet, Ares meowls, clearly perturbed by something. You glance over and cock an eyebrow at him. He stares at you for a moment before meowling again. The two of you share eye contact before he suddenly springs at you. (color:red)["Mmph! Mmrms!"] You shout, nearly falling at the sudden impact. His claws dig into your thin shirt, pricking at your skin as he scrambles up to layer himself over your shoulders. You scowl at him through the mirror, though it quickly fades into an irritated smile when you hear him purring. You roll your eyes and finish brushing your teeth. As you do, your mind drifts back to the whole 'adventure' thing that you find yourself unable to break away from. What kind of adventure awaits you today?... [[Technological! One with robots and threats from space!->The Future Is Now]] [[Magical! One with wizards and warlocks and ancient creatures!->Magic is Everything]]

As you spit water into the sink, you suppose the most you could get would be a deviation from the regular crap that happens on the daily. It'd be nice to get some variation in your schedule once in a while, but you doubt that'd be the case. Just a few small things that shake things up. Yeah, you suppose that'd be fun. Ares seems to agree with your thoughts, purring directly into your ear. You reach up to scritch him on the head. Welp, no point in wondering what today's gonna bring you. You've got a good feeling about today now, though, and your therapist said a good outlook is always key. Still... you glance back in the mirror, staring at your tired, baggy eyes and choppy hair. You should... probably clean yourself up sometime. Perhaps that's what you'll do after work today, instead of coming straight home and passing out. A haircut... a nice warm meal from a quaint restaurant... a pint of ice cream and some funny YouTube videos... You know what? That sounds like a great idea. [[First things first... breakfast.->GoodDay 1]]

Ugh. You drop your toothbrush into its holder and stare at yourself in the mirror for a few moments. Jesus you look gross. You bring a hand up, prodding at the dark bags under your eyes. Dammit. You honestly just want to go back to bed, but you really shouldn't be using your last sick day so lightly. Still, after all the stupid 'adventure' thoughts, you're feeling really... weighed down. A gross feeling of dread settles down onto you as you waste more time staring at yourself in the mirror. Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. You eventually turn away, clenching your jaw. Now you're in a terrible mood, in addition to being tired. Ares lets out a trill, moving to rub against your head. You crack a tired smile, but even he can't lift your foul mood entirely. Still, today's just another day, and you can pass the hell out as soon as you get back from work... if you even make it that far... [[Breakfast time.->BadDay1]]

Yeah, (link-reveal: "you can see it now... ") [//You'd head out of the apartment, and a swirling portal filled with all variety of blues would tear itself open. From within, a being of metal rather than skin. Shaped like a human, but with glowing eyes. Your eyes would widen in fear, and it would march up to you. Instead of smiting you with never before seen tech, it would speak in a synthetic voice. "I'm looking for Penny Serrata." It would say. "This is her." You'd reply...//] Before you can get too into your daydream, Ares lets out a quiet huff into your ear, letting you know that he's hungry. You sigh, putting your toothbrush down. Your hand goes up, and Ares nuzzles it with a purr. (color:red)["Let's get you some food, big guy."] You tell him. [[Breakfast time.->SciFi Part 1]]

A magical adventure... yeah... yeah, (link-reveal: "you can see it... ")["Penny!" Somebody would call your name as you're walking down the street. As you stop and turn around, you'd see him, an older gentleman, with a three piece suit and a cane. You'd turn left and right, because surely he's talking to somebody else? And yet he would approach you. "Penny Serrata." He would wheeze out. "I've finally found you. "Ah, sorry sir, I don't know you." You'd reply. "Perhaps, but I know //you//." And he would place a hand on your shoulder. "Penny, I need your help. Not many have the potential to control the Great Flame. But I sense it within you." "The 'Great Flame'?" You'd ask. "Yes." He would reply, lifting his cane. And then he would pull his hand off your shoulder, and a brilliant green flame would bloom in the palm of his hand. Your eyes would widen. "I have been seeking the Scion of Light for decades. And, now, I have found her..."] Before you get lost in your daydream, something sharp pricks into your shoulder. You yelp in surprise, turning your head to see Ares kneading your shoulder with his paws. You frown. Well, it was probably for the best. You need to prepare for work anyway. [[Who's hungry?->Magic 1]]

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Breakfast is the same old, same old. A bowl of cereal and a glass of the juice of the week, apple juice this time. Ares scarfs down a bowl of his dry food, though you felt merciful this morning and gave him half a tin of wet food as well. He gets the other half for dinner. Your (link_reveal:"phone buzzes. ")[When you check it, it looks like an email from your boss. You scroll through it while you slowly chew on a mouthful of mini wheats. Apparently, he wants you a few minutes early, because they're going to be training a new intern, but they need your help specifically. You roll your eyes and take a sip of juice. What the hell could they possibly need done with a new intern that only you can do? It better be good.] You take a few moments to stare out of the glass sliding door next to the table, taking in the sight of both your empty ass balcony and the city beyond your apartment. Today... you want today to be a good day. A quiet //'chff'// sound catches your attention, and you quickly whip your head to the side to find Ares with his head an inch away from your milk filled cereal bowl. (color:red)["C'mere you little stinker. You already got something special this morning."] You say as you grab him around the middle, hauling him off the table. He lets out a clearly unhappy sound, but you roll your eyes at him. The bowl and glass are quickly whisked away and you actually spend a few moments hand washing them instead of letting them sit in your sink for a couple days before throwing them in the dishwasher. [[Let's get out of here.->GoodDay2]]

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(color:red)["And be good while I'm gone."] You tell Ares as you finish putting on a bit of mascara. He doesn't reply from his spot curled up on your bed, so you just assume he understands. You make sure the collar of your shirt is aligned right. Okay, you look presentable. Good, good. (color:red)["Okay, I'm leaving. Love you."] You say. Ares yawns and curls up on the foot of your bed. You smirk and blow him a kiss before grabbing your bag and heading out of your apartment. Once outside on the street, the sun shines down on you, a gentle breeze ruffling your hair. You run your hand through it, adjusting what the breeze blew out of place. Okay. Okay. You're not feeling like garbage, so today is just like any other day. But now... now for the big question. [[Bus?->GoodDayBus1]] [[Or metro?->GoodDayRideTheRails1]]

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