Friday 4:58 p.m
The late afternoon sun was hidden away behind large dark clouds leaving the world below unsaturated and grey, like an old faded photograph. The clouds promise of an impending rain fall left the city streets nearly bare, except for two girls who walked along a long stretch of cracked sidewalk next to a string of small stores and the occasional restaurant.
“Looks like we're going to be late again” Aria said to Adagio.
They both wore matching uniforms consisting of grey pants with a red stripe going up the side of the leg, and black shirts with a logo sprawled across the chest, along with small name tags shaped like military dog tags around their necks.
“Like I care” Adagio scoffed “Besides, I'm too excited to worry right now. I can already taste sweet revenge”
“Yeah, good for you, but if we keep showing up late for work we're going to end up getting fired” Aria said with a hint of legitimate concern.
“Oh please, don't make me think of the days when we could just sing a tune and convince strangers that their wallets would rather be with us” said Adagio.
“Also because we'd have to find another place that pays us in straight cash. What's with these humans and constantly needing info from us just to live. No, you can't work here without some dumb account thing. No, you can't buy that because you can't prove you're a certain age. No, you can't come in here without an I.D!”
“But alas, now we march to the ever filthy doors of...” Adagio stopped to shudder “Sargent Pain's B.B.Q and more”
“It's the 'and more' part that bothers me” Aria said as she looked up at a restaurant marked by a neon sign with a roasted yet happy looking pig sitting on a table.
“Well, at least it won't get us arrested, unlike some other things we could do ” said Adagio.
“I just wish we didn't have to wear these stupid uniforms” Aria said as she gave a small tug on her shirt
“Don't be such a child, the opinions of these people shouldn't matter to you anyway” Adagio said as they walked up to the restaurant's entrance “Once more unto the breach?” Adagio asked as she grabbed the door handle.
Aria cleared her throat and made a slight gesture toward the door.
Adagio turned to see the manager of the establishment standing inside the building, wtih a dissatisfied frown on his face.
The man glared at them through the glass door as he dangled a pair of keys in his hand. The man wore blue jeans and a white buttoned shirt, as was policy for managerial staff at the restaurant. He then pointed at his slicked back blonde hair.
Adagio groaned “Come on Johnny, don't make us where those” she pleaded.
“That's Corporal Duke to you, private” the man said in an authoritative tone as he furrowed his brow, and intensified his annoyed glare.
Adagio let out an exasperated sigh as she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her hair net. Adagio turned to Aria and saw her fellow siren already attempting to stuff her massive amount of hair into the confines of the net.
Adagio looked back to Johnny “Happy?” she asked.
Johnny's expression lightened and he gave the girls an affirmative nod “Delighted, now get yourselves in here on the double” he said as he unlocked the door.
Adagio grumbled as Johnny walked further back into the restaurant.
Adagio looked at her hair net, then down at her dog tags “Private, Adagio Dazzle” she said in a sickened tone.
“Adagio, help me get this stupid thing on!” Aria grumbled as she wrestled with her hair net.
“Ugh, sometimes you're as helpless as Sonata” Adagio said as she went to assist Aria.
Adagio grabbed Aria's hair and began to tie it up into a large, bulky braided ponytail.
Aria stood with a dissatisfied scowl on her face.
Aria looked down at the ground “So, what do ya suppose Sonata does when we're not at the apartment?”
“As long as we go back and it's not burnt to the ground, I don't care” Adagio replied.
“Probably just sits and watches those stupid cartoons of hers” Aria said as she shook her head disapprovingly.
“She should be out here working like us, not lazing around and watching T.V” Adagio said as she finished with Aria's hair.
Aria stretched her hair net over her head, yet still strained slightly to fit her condensed hair inside it “Well, she nearly had a panic attack at the job interview for this place, so if she was here she'd probably end up getting us fired”
“Too true” Adagio agreed as she began work on her own massive bulk of hair.
Aria and Adagio both looked up at the restaurant's sign with silent disgust for the establishment that if they had not found, they would likely be living on the streets.
“Adagio, do you ever get the feeling like... we're being punished” Aria said in a barely audible tone.
“For what!?” Adagio yelled “Doing what we were meant to do, using the talents we honed to perfection! Having to live in this world and rely on such a place just to live is far more punishment than we ever could have deserved” she said as she glared at Aria “We may not be able to change our fate, but we can drag those girls down with us”
A sinister smile came to Adagio's face as she stretched her hair net over her head. She straightened her back and held her head high as she entered the restaurant; perhaps in an attempt to recapture some of her former grace and dignity.
Aria stayed outside for a moment, silently detesting her fellow siren. But her disdain for Adagio's leadership was only barely overshadowed by her burning hatred for those girls. The thought of even having to pretend to be nice to them sickened her, but such disgust could be temporarily stomached if it meant revenge... and that burning need for revenge allowed Aria to once again avoid the question that had been festering in the back of her mind since she lost her gem.
What's next?
Elsewhere in a small apartment. Sonata laid on her side with her arms and legs sprawled across a couch that was once bright red, but over months of use had been stained, broke, and burnt enough that barely any red remained.
Sonata held a remote in her hand as she absentmindedly flicked between channels on the television set that sat on a box against the wall across from her. She had spent enough time watching the box that she had managed to memorize every one of the 283 channels it picked up. Channel 2 was a shopping channel that Sonata pretended to order things from occasionally. Channel 8 was the news that told Sonata about all the atrocities that this world had to deal with on a regular basis. Channel 30 was the kids show network. Sonata had spent countless hours watching the happy creatures smile and sing their problems away. She had always compared her life to the colorful programs up until the destruction of her gem, and the loss of her singing voice; suddenly her life seemed inferior to the happy lives of the colorful creatures on the screen... this thought eventually soured her tasted for the programs. Usually the presence of Aria and Adagio had always lightened this sag in her perkiness, but since they had been forced to get jobs, Sonata barely ever saw the two when they weren't tired, or grumpy from working.
She stopped on a channel with a man playing a sad tune on a saxophone. Sonata attempted to harmonize with the music, but her voice came out scratchy and off key. Her face scrunched up into a frown as she was reminded of her loss. She placed her hand where her gem once rested as the saxophonist's tune continued on without her.
Sonata had always seen her life as a bit of a fairy tale. But this was no happily ever after, it was just lonely and grey. Adagio had told her that it was entirely the fault of those girls unjustly taking away their powers. In Sonata's mind those girls were the villains of her fairy tale... only, she didn't feel like the good guy either.