Work Text:
“Everyone please stand for the national anthem.”
Praeda rolled her eyes at the echoey announcement over the loudspeakers, but dutifully rose from her chair alongside her classmates. As per usual, she lay her right hand above her heart while her left hand formed a two-fingered point that rested between her brows, eyes fluttering shut.
The music started up, taking on a tinny quality over the speaker system. Almost immediately, Praeda felt a familiar wave of calm clarity and a hint of drowsiness wash over her consciousness. As her eyes became minutely heavier than they were before, her mouth opened on its own as words she knew by heart poured out automatically.
(Song lyrics: English? Foreign? Gibberish? Controlling and dark lyrics for foreshadowing, but subtle enough to pass as an anthem, albeit a bit messed up)
Praeda’s mind faded to a blissful buzz, faintly aware of her lips moving to form the lyrics to the music that she could barely hear now.
Then, nothing. The music had halted, reaching its conclusion, her jaw snapping shut on its own despite her being unable to hear the music or herself at that point.
The loudspeaker crackled to life, “Libera.”
“Sumus liberi,” parroted the occupants of the classroom; of the rooms of children and elders and parents; doctors and maids and lawyers; every being that called themself human within this country that had dropped what they were doing to tune in to the daily nation-wide announcement.
In a trance, Praeda felt her fingers shift off her forehead, feeling a slight pulsing sensation radiating from the point of contact. Her eyes blinked open, and she gasped a great breath of air as she became fully cognizant.
And her day continued. Just as it always had.
Blissfully unaware of the sinister intentions of her dear nation. Unaware of the fact that if something were to happen to their beloved leader, should there be no one to play their daily song, the nation would suffer dire consequences, mass chaos, and civil war.
But Praeda did not know of this. She did not ever need to. She continued on smiling through her day, grateful to be a part of her wonderful family in her wonderful country.