i'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet

[associate]

Who: Alicia & Kalinda
What: Morning breaks, the fairytale begins
Where: Alicia's room.
When: Backdated to this morning
Notes: Fairy Tale Plot: Sleeping Beauty

Being a single mother of two meant that Alicia was acutely aware when someone was in or near her bed or simply standing in the doorway, waiting for her to wake up. Whatever you wanted to call it, Alicia had morning bedroom senses.

Immediately, as she awoke, she felt a body next to her. She distinctly remembered going to sleep without anyone beside her. Laying there, keeping her eyes closed, she worked through her nightly routine. Her toothbrush drops into the cup in the sink. She spits. She looks at herself in the mirror. She smiles, if only from muscle memory. The light goes out. Her head hits the pillow. No, she didn't remember anything about a second person in her bed which means this was some sort of loss. A stranger was probably laying in her bed right beside her. She'd heard about the Valentines Day loss. Perhaps she was trapped as well. It seemed too convenient, wishing, but in times like these it helped more than harmed. If they were trapped.

If the castle had any decency, her kids would be here - or Will and isn't that a selfish thought she needs to push down. She broke it off with him. It was the best idea at the time. And that was what it had been about, hadn't it. Timing. Will and Alicia had horrible timing. It wasn't the time.

But, now had nothing to do with Will, Alicia, Georgetown or a months long affair that almost came out in court. Now, had to do with the body under her covers next to her, sleeping soundly.

She peeked one eye open, a second following.

She really should be surprised. She should be. But, the castle that gave her dancing lobsters really had a sense of humor. She looked forward, mouth dropping open. She looked down.

"Kalinda."

She spoke firmly, having every intention to wake her up. This was two absurd to move or acknowledge until they were both awake. They needed to assess their situation. That was what they needed to do. She waited until Kalinda opened her eyes. Kalinda would know what to do. She glanced once at her door.

If they were locked in so help her God, the castle would hear an earful.

Comments

[kalinda]

Kalinda was always an alert woman. In fact, she was always someone who was ready to attack a problem once it arose, with full concentration and the attention to match. Not even relaxation trumped the need for a problem's solution when she was involved!

Though this morning, that was certainly different.

Alicia's voice was faint to Kalinda, perhaps even part of her dream. In place of finding solutions in the real world and living through said reality, a lucid dream hidden in slumber would be more ideal for her at this point-- or so her brain was trying to tell her. She would stir in response, lips parting ever so slightly to allow a sigh.

But that voice...

Eyelids would open slowly, body's movements intent on matching that particular brand of sloth. "Alicia?"

And slowly, but surely, the woman would rise, sitting up.

[associate]

"What am I wearing?" she let out, the covers falling as she shifted to sit up. She indicated that Kalinda, too, was wearing something - well, less flattering then Alicia's because Alicia had curves and pants and - was that a sword leaning against the dresser? Her hand came to the back of her head. She'd felt less weight.

Pushing the covers away, Alicia jumped up, scaring Eevee into jumping off the edge of her bed.

In the bathroom, Alicia's fear was confirmed.

"My... hair," she called out. It wasn't altogether unattractive. A little nineties, a little Emma Watson. Grace would probably have liked it. But she herself had not cut it. "Kalinda," she said, returning to her room. "The castle... cut my hair."

[kalinda]

It wouldn't take long, even in a sleepy haze, for Kalinda to familiarize herself with her surroundings. It was Alicia's room, yes, Alicia's bed-- Wait. Since when did she start collecting medieval weapons? Medieval clothes?

And why was she wearing one of the dresses from the medieval summer collection?

Instead of hearing herself gasp, Kalinda managed to yawn, immediately finding herself to her feet... albeit accompanied with what seemed like fifty pounds of silky material and a whole lot of discomfort, half of which was from sheer exhaustion. She covered her mouth gingerly with her hand, eyes falling to Alicia, not bothering to approach quite yet.

"And it managed to slip us into what seems to be a terrible period piece of some sort." She paused, feeling her eyelids drooping. "I take it you're not as tired as I am."

[associate]

Nobody collected medieval weapons, medieval clothes. Perhaps quirky character in a David E. Kelly series but everyone knew that was never how the law worked.

Alicia stood, eyes trained on Kalinda, hair in a pixie cut. Could she wish it back? How could hair be wished back? Could she wish for a hair stylist? A lot was running through her mind.

"No, Kalinda." She didn't mean to be this short with her but, her hair was, so why couldn't she be? Alicia looked down at her vaguely masculine outfit. "I think the castle wants me to be a man." Or a lesbian. But, she kept that inside. Kalinda had never answered what she was. Alicia had never asked again. Kalinda liked things private.

In this case, the more Kalinda kept private, the farther away Alicia would end up. But, Kalinda had promised to be better about that. The past month had been quiet. After returning from Castelia City, she'd settled into the routine of not killing her Eevee and getting used to crazy things. Library books unleashed... but passed all that, Alicia had been researching, trying to formulate a plan of attack when it came to the law.

Alicia furrowed her brow, looking at Kalinda.

"That can't be comfortable," she said, aloofly, already overwhelmed and wanting this to be over with.

[kalinda]

As Alicia mused on the situation, Kalinda found herself intent on rubbing her eyes, perhaps even forcing herself to yawn and stretch in order to wake herself up a little more. She was typically a person who kept all hours-- what was so different now? Was it the dress? She couldn't believe she was wearing this thing to begin with.

"I," She started, shaking her head. "I won't say that this is something that I'm used to wearing. As you very well know."

A hand moved through her hair, and a sharp exhale was heard once she realized her hair was let down, for once. She had never worn it down in front of Alicia. Even when they were in more casual situations, when they were having drinks... She would always be a lot more loose than Alicia was, but she never really "let her hair down", in a literal sense.

"At least yours looks somewhat nice. Different."

Just thinking about it wasn't really helping her groggy haze. To combat collapsing back on Alicia's bed, Kalinda moved to the door and turned the doorknob. Well, good to know that it wasn't locked, like the last time.

"I'd say we could make our escape, but, considering our clothes..."

[associate]

Believe her, Kalinda, Alicia couldn't believe it, either. Even at events, at office parties, Kalinda came in something more sexy then classic - or yes, classically sexy - but never vintage medieval.

It was jarring, seeing Kalinda in both a huge dress and hair loose, falling in waves beside her former friend's face - friend's - formerly former? They still needed to hash that out. But, nothing was easy for Alicia. Forgiveness was on the horizon. She could feel it. But, it was going to take time.

"Different," she echoed, her hand coming to her hair again. Kalinda was right about that. Alicia was grateful that they weren't trapped. But, what fun would extreme makeovers be if they were locked inside her room?

"... These usual last 24 hours?" she asked, thinking back. "Castelia City lasted a week." She shook her head. "Where would we go?"

[kalinda]

She couldn't help but glance at Alicia's hair yet again, the cut itself reminding her of the type of woman who would take separating from her husband to the extreme levels. Changing one's look, one's identity, to damn the man she once knew, to flourish as one's own woman. But that just wasn't Alicia. Sure, she'd take a page from that mindset, though things in her life just did not work that easily.

Just like now.

"It could last a day, yes." Kalinda nodded, though she couldn't help but be that realist she was. "Or it could last a week. Maybe two. It's hard to predict the castle's patterns."

In all of her attempts to rationalize what had been going on this week, Kalinda found herself stifling yet another yawn. "To be honest, though? I'm starting to think I'll need some coffee. Lots of it."

[associate]

Kalinda paying so much attention to Alicia's hair caused her to bring a hand up again, subconsciously. In truth, it didn't look terrible. It suited her. But, it was drastic and it hadn't been her idea which was what really bothered her.

A few days or a week, she wouldn't be happy with it lasting.

"Then let's get you coffee," she replied, looking down at herself again. "What are the odds the castle will allow me to change?"