[open] bright as the day fresh as the moon and stale as the hay

[iustitiae]

i - @ the supermarket
at your favorite tesco (but probably in city of london or enfield), at any time during the month

[look, everyone's gotta shop for groceries. connor's lists have gotten undeniably weirder in the last few months, offering to pick up things for his witch friends ("friends" - friend, in the singular, that's soeki) while here's there. most of this stuff honestly feels like a joke (candles and sage and he's honestly wondering if they're going for eye of newt and toe of frog next), but connor's a good friend and if he's going to be at tesco anyway he can pick up stuff for his buddy.

along with, you know, the usual - good looking produce, the atlantic, condoms, new lightbulb for the broken fixture, cold cereal, pasta, eggs. if you need help reaching something on a shelf, just want random commentary on your life choices, or happen to recognize connor from somewhere (his tinder account? maybe you already know him? the possibilities are endless) this prompt is for you.]

ii - @ the courthouse
city of london, towards the end of the business day.

Shit --

[this is connor, running through a crowd like an asshole, trying not to bump into anyone (but offering "sorry!" if he does, i mean he's not devoid of manners). he's carrying a briefcase with a brief from his boss/professor in it, one that the deadline is approaching, in about thirty minutes, says a quick look at his watch. according to her it was their fault the brief was running so late and despite the wonderful world of the internet, this particular magistrate believed in hard copies, thank you so they'd drawn straws and connor had lost. "good luck with rush hour foot traffic!" yeah, thanks.

he manages to compose himself enough that when he hands the papers off to the clerk (with five minutes to spare!) he doesn't look like a total wreck. mission thusly accomplished has a minute to take a break, relived that he managed to not screw this up and get in her bad graces.

another day, another crisis, right?]

iii - wildcard
[you probably know how this one works! if you want a specific prompt by me let me know that, too.]

Comments

ii

[itsconceptual]

[Five minutes to spare, is it?

There's a young woman standing outside the courthouse, leaning against a wall near a pack of smokers, and as Connor rushes by, bolting into the building, a few loose papers slip through the briefcase, scattering at her feet. She looks at them for a moment, takes a drag off her cigarette, and then leans down to collect them. Some kind of legal mumbo jumbo, she can tell immediately, but she's got little to no clue beyond that.

Another inhale of smoke, another few lines of meaningless text. But he was in such a damn rush, they must be important.

Okay. Fuck. She puts out the cigarette, with the slightest roll of her eyes, and goes inside to seek him out.]

Hey. [Once she finds him, holding up the papers.] Lose something?

[If they happen to be important, he now has three minutes and thirty seconds to get them where they need to go.]

[iustitiae]

[Honestly, he almost ignores her entirely but he recognizes those papers and] Oh, god, what -- [but he doesn't have time for questions, especially considering those are pages 4 and 45 and he just mouths thanks as he grabs them from her, running back into the clerks room to deposit these papers and get them back in the right order.

he comes back. the second crisis has been averted. he's seriously just waiting for another.]

You have no idea how glad I am you found me with those and didn't just throw them away. [seriously, anyone else and it wouldn't have mattered.] I'm not sure who stapled these but they obviously don't know how to use a stapler correctly.

[itsconceptual]

[They do say that crises come in threes -- we'll have to see how true that is.

Effy watches his expression change to recognition and slight horror, but her own amusement at it doesn't show on her face until he's dashing down the hall like a madman. It's weird, though. As far as she can tell, he's just-- ...normal, isn't he? And yet a slight chill runs through her as she watches him.

Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway.]

Throw them away? And let the derelicts of London have their way with them? I'd never forgive myself. [Such levity, many sarcasm, wow.] Sounds like they need lessons, whoever it was. It's not exactly an ivy league skill.

[iustitiae]

You're a true hero for the legal system. [connor is great at sarcasm, too. this is obviously off to a great start.] I'm seriously astounded by the skill it must've taken to miss those two pages in particular, as far apart as they are.

[itsconceptual]

I do what I can. [A faint, cool smile tugs at her expression. Always nice to find a sarcasm buddy.]

No shit. Aren't people supposed to put things on their CV like "attention to detail" for these kinds of jobs? Looks like someone was exaggerating about that.

[iustitiae]

That assumes that people tell the truth on their CV. Most people just make shit up and make it sound impressive.

[itsconceptual]

That's shit. Thought people were supposed to get sacked for that.

[iustitiae]

They are supposed to be, but that doesn't mean it actually happens.

[itsconceptual]

Bummer. [A wry, half-smile.] Sorry your coworker's incompetent.

[iustitiae]

It happens. [he shrugs] Pretty sure that's the bane of any job where there are other people.

[itsconceptual]

Sounds like you're sort of used to it, at least.

[iustitiae]

Unfortunately. Maybe at the end of all of this I can go into solo practice and only have to deal with people when I want to.

[thats literally not how it works but ok]

[itsconceptual]

Think you're in the wrong line of work for that. Isn't dealing with people the whole point?

[iustitiae]

Hey, let a guy dream.

[itsconceptual]

Oh, well. [A kind of amused smile.] I wouldn't want to come between a man and his dreams.

[iustitiae]

A hero of justice and a kind stranger besides.

[how is this interaction working out favorably for them though thats the real question here.]

[itsconceptual]

"Hero of justice." [wow] Bit rich, don't you think? I'm just using up my good deed for today.

[They're both train wrecks happening on different tracks, probably.]

[iustitiae]

Hey, everyone has their reasons for doing things. I'm not knocking yours when it saved my ass.

[itsconceptual]

I'm sure your ass would've been just fine. [A cheeky smile.] Eventually.

[iustitiae]

True, it's a pretty great ass.

[you did not ask for this commentary but now you have it.]

[itsconceptual]

I noticed.

[What? She's allowed to look.]

[iustitiae]

Thanks. Yours is pretty great, too, objectively speaking.

[objectively bc he's gay get it]

[itsconceptual]

Yeah, thanks. [Said in a tone that indicates this is something she already knows.]

I'm Effy. You?

[iustitiae]

Connor.

[he holds out his hand look at his manners]