| Episode: | Season 1, Episode 1 – Chaos! At The Gala |
| Location: | Cohen Residence |
| Written By: | James Cohen Paige Cohen |
| Date: | 08/03/2026 |
| Word Count: | 1,107 |
The sound of the alarm began to blare so loudly that Paige actually groaned before rolling over in her bed. The preteen stared blankly for a moment up at the ceiling where the reflection of the nearby chronometer told her the station time. She rubbed her eyes slowly, gently before rolling onto her stomach and staring at the wall.
“If you don’t come out of that room I’m going to come get you,” James called from the hallway of their shared apartment. The Primarch had a little play in his voice, but only enough to let his daughter know he was both being serious and being playful at the same time.
“I don’t wanna go to school Dad,” Paige groaned as she laid there refusing to move. “Can I just take a sick day?”
James appeared in her doorway, “Paige Mae Cohen,” He said with his arms crossed over his chest. “You have to go to school today whether you like it or not.” He didn’t really have time for her nonsense this morning. There were far too many things to do at his office to be dealing with the sassy remarks from a twelve-year-old.
“Okay, okay,” Paige said and flopped over. The blankets that covered her and at least three stuffed animals went flying off the bed. She sat up, her hair was a mess and her glare toward her father made it clear she didn’t want to get up.
Paige’s bed had been far too warm and comfortable for her to what to move. However, she crawled out of bed, turned off the alarm just as the snooze canceled itself on her, and placed her hands firmly on the stomach of her father. “Get out.”
James nodded, “Okay,” He said even allowing himself to be pushed backwards just enough that when his daughter turned the sliding door closed behind her. “You still need to shower,” He gently reminded her. James turned, leaving her to her own devices for a moment. There were ten different messages on the voice system.
He sat down and began listening to each of them, for the most part they were just reminders about different events he needed to be at. A couple of them were congratulatory messages after his successful campaign. That sort of thing, James finally got to the one from the chief of security for the station and he listened to it.
Jonah Webb was simply reminding James that the upcoming Gala needed a few signatures or something on a data pad. James sighed as he sent the message to his desk at the government office, then he heard the shower turn off. Had she been in the shower the entire time he’d been listening to messages?
James didn’t have time to consider the question before he heard his daughter ruffling around as she got dressed. As soon as she came out of the bathroom her hair was drawn back into a tight bun, and he shifted a little bit. “A bun today, who are you trying to impress?”
“Nobody Daddy,” Paige replied. Her voice was far softer than just a little while ago when she was trying to wake up. Paige sat down and ordered breakfast from the small station near the food cooling unit. A bowl of cereal, “It’s the current fashion.”
James nodded, watching his daughter carefully and wondering when his little girl had begun to care about the current fashion. “Since when did you care about the current fashion?” He asked his daughter, certain that he’d asked that question at least a dozen different times.
Paige grinned, “Oh I’ve always cared.” She told him playfully as she ate the cold cereal in front of her. “Don’t forget there’s no school for the next couple days,” She reminded him.
“No school?” James asked her thoughtfully. He already knew there wouldn’t be any school. There never was for much of the week when the annual gala was just around the corner, and by around the corner he meant just a few days away.
“Right Daddy,” Paige told him. “So I’ll have the entire place to myself while you’re working.”
James shook his head, “You could always come to the office with me and hang out,” He found himself telling her with a playful grin as he watched her. He had been idly reading the latest news report as he spoke to his daughter. At least everything on the station seemed quiet enough.
“I’m not five no more Daddy,” She said with a sigh. “If it’s okay with you, I thought I’d go with some of my friends and wander around the market tomorrow.”
James shook his head, “Can’t do that,” He said to her. “The market will be wild for the next few days as Ascension Global gets the viewing monitors setup. Perhaps you would like to give your friends a tour of the government offices instead?” He suggested.
Paige groaned, “Ugh,” She looked up at him with a smirk on her face. One of her friend’s had a parent who worked in the government building. Paige felt as if her father was already keenly aware of that fact despite him suggesting it in the first place. She shook her head, “I don’t think so Daddy,” She said. “They have to leave part of the market open anyway.”
James put his hands up in mock defeat knowing he’d lost this battle. “Okay, but no boys.” He told her.
Paige rolled her eyes and watched her father as she finished eating her food. She got up from the table and kissed him on the cheek before placing her bowl in the cleaning unit that was behind her. Paige grabbed her backpack, “What day are we going to get my dress?”
James looked at her, that was a good question. One of her dresses had been dropped off to get cleaned and prepped for the event. It was the crimson red gown if he remembered correctly, “The day of the Gala is when it’ll be ready.” He told her, “Have a good day at school.”
“I will Daddy,” Paige told him with a warm smile, “I’ll see you this afternoon. Love you.” She then slipped through the sliding door leaving her father alone to his own devices.
James waved, “Love you too,” He replied warmly before watching her vanish from their shared apartment. He got up, and went inside the back end of the apartment so that he could shower and get ready for the day. There were other details that needed to be ironed out before the gala, that were beyond what his daughter would be wearing.