[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

[outstandingbalance]

If you want my advice, ignore them. It takes effort for ghosts to do much of anything. Don't validate them, and they usually give up.

[iustitiae]

Yeah, well the ignoring thing is much easier said than done.

[outstandingbalance]

Most things are. But it's the best advice I have.

[iustitiae]

I met someone who thinks he can help.

[this is not something you should be sharing with strangers connor]

[outstandingbalance]

Yeah? [It's out now, though, isn't it?] Do you believe him?

[There were definitely people who could. Witches. Humans with gifts. They could do more than she could.]

[iustitiae]

I believe that he wants to.

[maybe that had to be good enough.]

[outstandingbalance]

That's an important distinction.

[Natasha slips her hands into her jacket pockets, cutting a very unimposing figure to the casual observer.]

But it also says something about him.

[iustitiae]

Yeah, he's a good guy.

[that much, at least, connor is absolutely certain of.]

[outstandingbalance]

Good. Those can be hard to come by.

[And convenient when you find them.]

Plus if he knows about ghosts, then he'll probably believe what just happened to you when you tell him.

[iustitiae]

I'm pretty sure his ability to believe shit that shouldn't be real is through the roof.

[outstandingbalance]

That's got to be a comfort for you, from the sound of it.

You mind if I ask how long it's been?

[iustitiae]

You mean with the ghosts? Or with my friend?

[outstandingbalance]

I was thinking ghosts, but either way really.

[iustitiae]

Five, six months? I thought I was crazy, at first. [he takes a deep breath, it's weird unloading on a stranger (who saved his life) like this. but he'd had to learn to be open with soeki, too.] So it's hard to say when the noises stopped being normal flat noises and weird ghost shenanigans.

[outstandingbalance]

Makes sense. If you didn't believe in ghosts before, it's not going to be your first explanation. [Still, there is one way to figure it out.] Do you know who the ghosts are? If they're haunting you specifically...

[Well, if someone close to him died, or if he had unfinished business with someone dead, that would be the easiest way to figure out how long it had been.]

[iustitiae]

[ha ha ha ha does he know]

No, I -- I have no idea.

[outstandingbalance]

[He gets a look for that, but whether he doesn't know or doesn't want to say, Natasha won't push the matter.]

That's rough. Hopefully it won't stick around too long.

[iustitiae]

They're going to want to move on eventually, right? They have to.

[outstandingbalance]

Eventually, usually. But who really knows when? Could be tomorrow, or could be a hundred years from now.

[Judging from what he's said so far, she doubts it'll be tomorrow.]

[iustitiae]

Guess that'll have to be good enough.

[thats not good at all, connor]

[outstandingbalance]

If you don't want to get an exorcist.

[iustitiae]

Do you know where I can find one easily?

[outstandingbalance]

Not off the top of my head, but I could probably find one.

[iustitiae]

[more than he could hope for after all]

It's okay. We'll deal with it.

[outstandingbalance]

I'm sure you will. One way or another.

[It's not said with any particular conviction, but he seems all right. He's made it this far, at least.]

Is it much further?