Despite the heaviness with which she'd slept, the unmistakable presence of paws pressing gently into her sides was enough to bring her to a somewhat conscious state, though there was certainly a reluctance in the way that baby blues remained hidden from the early morning. She draws herself a little deeper beneath the warmth of her thick comforter and eight hundred thread count sheets, messy blonde hair splayed across her soft pillow as she nuzzle into the ever welcoming embrace of her bed. Yesterday has been exhausting to say the least, and still as the first light of a brand new day began to filter through the cheap plastic blinds and thin, white linen curtains it was clear there was still a number of boxes left to unpack. All her life, Beylani could only remember having moved once from an apartment she could barely recall to the colonial style single story home that she'd lived and grown up in for the past fifteen years, and while there were hardly words enough to express just how exciting the idea of getting out on her own had been to her, she couldn't remember such a change haven't been so tedious. Packing had been a breeze, but getting it all into the moving truck then getting everything up those stairs and into the one bed, one bath apartment on the second floor had been something she hadn't quite prepared herself for. She thanked her lucky stars for the help that her mother and father had given her - how she could have done it all herself had seemed impossible even now, after the fact - but even with three people it seemed to take hours and hours just to get the boxes and furniture into the apartment, let alone just unpack a few cardboard containers to get out the bare essentials. Like the coffee pot, some clothes, necessary toiletries like her brush and various other hygiene anemities, and of course the night stand that served a dual purpose in the bathroom as the perfect place for her best friend's litter pan.

A small weight settled over Lani's shoulder now, the presence accompanied by kneading paws pressing into the blankets and persistent vibrations that could only belong to a purring feline gently announcing that it was time to get up and tend to the needs of she who surely considered herself queen. It is when she attempts one last time to drift back into the dream world by snuggling even deeper into the covers that the long haired tortoiseshell has no more patience for the blonde girl and the next sensation to be felt is a forceful nudge with a cold, wet nose pressing into her cheek. A soft groan escapes as finally she rolls over onto her back (though this does nothing to waiver the purring companion who easily shifts, standing up and walking along the young woman's slender frame in an ever graceful balancing act only to settle contentedly onto the gently rising and falling chest of her human, paws tucking beneath her ten pound body with jade green eyes staring into now halfway opened baby blues."Who needs alarms clocks, right Chika?", speaks the girl to her cat through a soft yawn as she strokes the felines silken fur, causing Chika's purring to grow in strength and volume. A quiet "mmmrow" is the only reply that is given from the cat whose warmth sinks into the blankets, making it even harder for Lani not to wish she could doze off for just a bit longer. Ah, but she knew better than to try because as soon as her dear companion of seven years knew she was at least partly awake, she would incessantly demand her morning kibble. It was a ritual for the bachelorettes even since they found each other that October morning at the local animal shelter all those years ago. As with life for most girls growing up, friends came and went like the seasons. Some moved away, others simply lost touch, but through the few trying times that had found Beylani and through the birth and passing of middle and high school friendships, even her very first breakups, there had always been that one friend she could always count on to help her forget about her troubles; Chika. They say dogs are man's best friend, and perhaps for most guys that would be true. But for the blue eyed blonde girl the lay there beneath her covers petting the clearly satisfied (for now) creature whose eyes were closed in relaxed contentment, there wasn't quite a friendship on this earth quite like that between a woman and her feline friend.

She could have stayed there like that all morning, with the soothing sound of Chika's purr resonating through the silence that was soon interrupted quietly by the gentle pitter patter of raindrops hitting against the window that pointed west, tucked cozily away with nothing but her thoughts and her dear friend, but there was still so much to do that lazing around the apartment all day just wasn't an option - no matter how nice it sounded."Alright little miss, I should at least get up and start some coffee and get you some breakfast", she says softly to the tortoiseshell with one last loving stroke from head to tail before slowly she begins to sit up, the felines sliding from her perch and onto the bed beside the blonde girl. She remains there for only a moment though as Beylani throws back the covers and turns to slip her feet into the strategically placed powder blue slippers that she knew she would be thankful for on chilly mornings like this, taking a few small steps to the edge of the mattress before she leaps down with all the grace most cats had. She then moves to the doorway and sits there with an almost expectant, over-the-shoulder glance and a small "mrrow" to signal that she, too was ready to start the day (although unlike Beylani's, Chika's day would consist of napping in the places where sunlight would shine through the windows and into the floor or sparse furniture, maybe exploring their new home while she watched her human do all the heavy lifting and rearranging). Beylani smiles at her companion's "encouragement", standing up and stretching her arms out wide, loose fitting black silken pajama shirt sleeves falling down to her shoulders with the gesture that was accompanied by a wide , sighing yawn. Time to start a brand new day and a whole new chapter in her young life.

The wooden door creaks on its hinges as the young woman gently pushes the bedroom door the rest of the way open, Chika being the first to move into the living room cluttered with moving boxes and a futon with a wooden frame and black mattress. No, it wasn't a couch but it was what her parents had given her and it would serve as a perfect place to sit anyway. After all, it's not like she was expecting any kind of company soon, doubting that her friend Maddalyn would be coming by. She hadn't seen the brunette in weeks and she hardly ever replied back to the daily texts that Beylani sent her asking how her day was or how she and Randall, Maddalyn's new boyfriend was doing. Just another instance where she was the last person anyone other than her parents thought of. Pushing these frustrated thoughts aside with silent determination not to let the increasing distance between her and he last good friend from high school get the best of her, she makes her way around stacks kd boxes and into the small but quaint little kitchen to the southern wall of the apartment. Baby blues fall upon the small four cup coffee pot. The best part of every morning. Then suddenly, her excitement for that warm cup of energy is dashed when she realizes that she'd forgotten to unpack the canister of coffee grounds and when she turns to glance at the living room full of moving boxes that, of course like a genius she hadn't marked what they were or what room the contents belonged in, she heaves a sigh. Well, so much for coffee at home. It is then that she is reminded of her other morning task as she feels Chika brush against her legs and baby blues look down to meet pale jade that fix her with an expression she could only imagine as "what about me?". A soft chuckle escapes past her lips as she reaches up to the cupboard above the sink where she'd been sure to store the plastic container that she used for Chika's kibble. At least she remembered to unpack Chika's bowls and food, or else she would have had a morning spent running errands on top of organizing the apartment. She opens the lid and reaches inside the opaque jar to grab the scoop and places a half cup into the cream colored ceramic dish designed with white paw prints all over the outside of it. She then places it on the floor in front of the sitting feline patiently waiting with her tail sliding slowly back and forth across the white tile. No sooner than it hits the ground does she happily begin to take petite mouthfuls of food, crunching with every one. Beylani watches her friend for a moment, that small yet gentle and loving smile upon her lips."At least one of us is starting the day off perfectly", she says to the eating cat before moving out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Since she couldn't very well make coffee here, she may as well check out the café she'd driven by on her way to Riverdale. She'd almost not even seen it, and had it not been for the long wait at the stoplight, she could have very easily missed it altogether. Besides, this gave her an excuse to have a brief adventure of her own before beginning the grueling task of unpacking, and so she draws back the shower curtains and turns on the hot water. The next best thing to a morning cup of coffee was a nice, warm shower - or so thought the blue-eyed blonde.

She doesn't know much much time passed, but as she turns off the water, hair soaked and smelling of strawberries thanks to the shampoo and conditioner with matching body wash, she can hear her phone beginning to ring. She hurriedly grabs the towel from its place on the toilet seat and dries off, wrapping her hair in one towel and her body in another before leaving the bathroom and rushing into the bedroom perhaps no more than thirty long strided steps later but arrives at her nightstand a moment too late and the phone goes silent. Lips turn into a small frown as she picks up the Note 5 to see that she had missed a call from her mother who was most likely wanting to just check in on Beylani to ensure she was settling well. Her parents had been reluctant when she told them she was ready to move out and start a life of her own, and at times it felt like she could never get away from their prying texts or calls but then again she was their one and only child so in a way she could understand why they so often seemed to smother her. She unlocks the phone and opens a quick text message, writing in it "Sorry mom, was in the shower. Will call when I get back home and start unpacking". She glances now at the time on her phone. 7:15am. She wasn't sure why it seemed later than that, but at this point she was simply ready to go and get some much needed coffee. She dresses herself in the floral blouse she bought just a month ago and her favorite pair of blue bootcut jeans and goes back into the bathroom where she begins drying, brushing, and curling her hair as was the typical morning ritual. Satisfied and refreshed, she leaves the bathroom and returns to her bedside where she collects her phone, keys, and black leather purse given to her last Christmas and makes her way for the front door though before she can leave she looks around for Chika. The feline was easy to find, perched in the living room window staring down at the street where people were already rushing about on their way to work or running errands."I won't be too long, so behave yourself", she speaks with a grin as the tortoiseshell doesn't even turn her attention away from whatever has caught her interest, the only indication that she'd heard the blonde girl being the flick of her ears. Surely if her new neighbors knew she was talking to her cat this much, they would think she was crazy or something but she didn't really care to be bothered with the opinions they would soon gather of her themselves. No sense in worrying about such silly things.