"She looks terrible.
"Yeah, and she's hardly been doing any work at all, me and Margret have been having to pick up all the slack on the Evers project."
"Do you think the chief's being too easy on her? I mean, this is a workplace not a daycare, we can't just keep turning a blind eye."
"Right? I feel like someone should bring it up. He's always been way too nice for his own good."
"And what's worse is it affects us, right? Why should we have to pick up her deadweight?"
Vivian reluctantly lifted her head from her arms where she'd been trying to doze off at her desk. What do they know? What do they fucking know? She started getting up, causing the gossipers to shift their eyes over to her and quickly disperse.
She went into the bathroom and cupped water into her groggy face. She looked into the mirror. Thin blonde hair that looked like it was greying by the second, deep rings underneath her eyes. Tired, deadset grey-green eyes. She'd barely been able to sleep for weeks. What exactly the reason was, she had no clue, only that she couldn't bear the silence in the dark, and would rather have literally anything else in the world to distract her even if it meant staying up nearly the whole night only to wake up early the next morning for work. It was getting really bad now, and she didn't know what to do about it. She couldn't afford a psychologist or even some time off. She just felt worn down by life, like there wasn't any point anymore. Like she might as well just do whatever the hell she wanted instead of trying to improve her life, because it didn't matter, and wouldn't make a difference.
She turned off the faucet and dried her hands. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was already eight and she was starving. She didn't figure staying later would impact the amount of work she was able to do at all in the state she was in. She silently went back and grabbed her things from her desk, clocking out then heading towards the exit. People watched her go, but no one waved her off or said anything. She sighed when she got into her car. It was already dark out and the hunger was gnawing at her, so she headed for some fast food. She was sipping on a soda on the curvy backroads that lead up to her house. The familiar curves and the dark road, and steady hum of the car, slowly became alluring and she found herself drifting asleep. No, I have… to stay… awake. She tried to keep her drooping eyelids open.
She felt them close for a fleeting moment before she shot awake. Her eyesight was blurry and indistinct. Her body felt small and strange. She distantly heard crying and wondered if it was her own. Did I crash? What… happened? She felt wrapping a cloth around her and carrying her in their arms. It must be the EMTs, I must have crashed. I'm going… to sleep. She closed her eyes again and slipped into sleep.
"Oh look! She's waking up! Hey there, Fiona, you're are little daughter now, isn't that special?" Vivian couldn't understand what they were saying. What… language is that? Her eyesight was still blurry as she tried to look around she found she didn't have much control over her body. Oh shit! This must be serious, am I paralyzed? Did I suffer brain damage? Who am I? No, wait, I still remember all that? Why can't I understand them, is this some kind of weird neurological effect? She found that she was crying again
"Oh no! Hush, darling, don't you worry, Mama's here for you." She felt someone rocking her back and forth and she still didn't understand the words, but they sounded warm and comforting.
Wait, wait, wait. Vivian's eyes widened. Little body, eyes blurry, foreign language, being held and comforted, almost, maybe, probably died. AM I A BABY?? AHHH WHY CAN I REMEMBER EVERYTHING? WHY CAN I EVEN THINK?? Don't babies have like super tiny, dumb brains? Is this? IS THIS REINCARNATION? Is there magic? Who are my parents? Am I rich? Wait, wait, wait, this better not be some crazy dream or something, did this really happen?
"Ah, I think she might be hungry, Come little Fiona, do you want some milk?"
AHHHH NIPPLE. OK, calm down. I'm definitely a baby. I just have to.. figure out their language, babies can do that, babies are smart. Then probably my eyesight clears up a little and I can look around, see what kind of family I've been brought into, then, you know, who knows, maybe I see some magic, maybe I turn into a little super genius who can read books at 1 years old hehe. Wait, if I don't know their language am I going to have to learn how to read again? O.O
Within a few weeks little Fiona's eyesight was still kind of wonky, but she could see and experience enough to know that her family was WELL OFF—servants everywhere, giant room stacked with toys for when she was older. When her mother came to her, she was wearing jewelry and fancy dresses. Fancy dresses, wait, does that mean what I think it means? The first time might be an accident, you know, rich people on earth occasionally dress up too, but the second? The third?? HELL YEAH, FANTASY LIFE, NOBLE ORIGINS HERE I COME. "I get to be a little princess." she sing-songed in her head. And princesses learn magic and go to fancy schools and attend tea parties and marry… wait… do I have to marry a prince? Wait, wait, wait. This might not be as good as I think, the whole noblesse oblige or whatever. Oh no, no, no, no. I'M NOT READY TO MARRY A GUY. Please let this world allow same sex marriages, please let this world allow same sex marriages. I WANT TO MARRY A HOT PRINCESS. Or maybe a knight? Oooh liaison with one of my female guards, that'd be so hot. Ok, hold your horses Fiona. God, I'm still getting used to that name, it makes me sound like a certain ogre princess, please god, I want to be beautiful—I'm still just a baby, all that stuff's gotta wait, like, a long time. Sigh. Alright, let's just take this one day at a time, being a baby's kinda gross, but little super genius Fiona here we come.