Raj hated mornings.
Not because mornings were bad.
Not because she was lazy.
Not because she disliked work.
Raj hated mornings because mornings meant Alice was awake.
Unfortunately.
Alice was already awake.
Raj knew this because the moment she entered the office—
She found the Queen hanging upside down from the ceiling.
"..."
Raj closed the door.
Opened it again.
Alice was still there.
"Huh."
"Thought that would fix itself."
Alice waved.
"Good morning."
"Why."
"I'm testing something."
Raj wasn't even surprised anymore.
"What."
"The structural integrity of the chandelier."
"You are the structural integrity problem."
Alice gasped.
"That's rude."
Raj walked over.
Grabbed Alice by the leg.
Then pulled.
A loud thud followed.
Alice hit the floor.
"Ow."
"Good."
Raj sat behind the desk.
The actual desk.
The one Alice almost never used properly.
Several stacks of paperwork immediately greeted her.
Requests.
Reports.
Budgets.
Refugee counts.
Infrastructure repairs.
Military expenditures.
And roughly seven documents that somehow had coffee stains despite nobody drinking coffee nearby.
Raj looked at the stains.
Then looked at Alice.
Alice looked away.
Suspiciously.
Raj sighed.
Another day.
A knock came from the door.