[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

[iustitiae]

[connor can see what she thinks she's doing long before she starts speaking to him. he'd been trying to more or less act like he didn't like that might deter her from wanting to talk to him, but no luck. the whole classic hair behind the ear - it's cute, but that's pretty much all it is to him.

now he's just gotta let her down slowly. being this beautiful can be hard sometimes!!]

Are they worth the money? Probably not. But they're pretty good.

[stauncherhearted]

[Oh. Love.

Nancy is damn cute, let it be known. You didn't get the police commissioner to let you stay in one of his properties without being at least damn cute.]

Well I guess I'll just have to judge first hand.

This your usual sort of spot?

[iustitiae]

Yeah, when I go out.

[which has been less these days, which might be made obvious by the seltzer instead of a real drink.]

This doesn't seem like your kind of place, though, you're too well put together to be with the post court crew.

[stauncherhearted]

[She ducks her head a little, laughing.] Yeah? I thought lawyers were all supposed to dress impeccably. I got this top in Camden, trust me, I'm far from Chanel suits.

But you're right, I am not a lawyer. [cue the bartender arriving with her martini. Yes, please, and thank you.]

[iustitiae]

You're right about the impeccable part - mostly - but after a long day of running around taking care of things? Look around, no one looks like they did this morning.

[using those detective skills.]

[stauncherhearted]

Is it all that much running around? I thought you had aides to do that sort of thing, and that most of it's making grand appeals to the jury.

[For a criminal, she's got no idea about law]

[iustitiae]

[connor laughs]

Well, I'm one of those aides and not one of the lawyers, but yeah. It's still stressful to them.

[stauncherhearted]

Ah! [She points at him, as she's handed her martini.] That explains it. Y'know, I always figured if there was stress it was about the money. Tell me it isn't.

[She wanted lawyers to exist that cared about their clients. At least if their clients were innocent.]

[iustitiae]

Oh, it's totally about the money. Don't have any illusions about it.

[hilariously, this is not something connor 100% believes even if he'll swear it up and dow but ANNALISE SURE DOES}

[stauncherhearted]

Oh good.

Well, not good, but at least my suspicions are correct.

Are you getting paid, for the aide work, then?

[iustitiae]

[he laughs ironically. not so much.]

In experience and connections! Keeps me warm at night.

[stauncherhearted]

Good lord, you poor thing. Tell you what- I'll buy you your next drink. How's that sound?

[She had no reason to, truthfully, but she didn't exactly mind his company.]

[iustitiae]

Far be it for me to turn down a free drink.

[this is a bad idea but by all means connor]

[stauncherhearted]

My type of man! [She smiles.]

So what's your name?

[iustitiae]

Connor Walsh.

[he offers his hand. he should probably tell her he's gay before she gets too excited, let her down softly.

but free drinks....]

What's yours?

[stauncherhearted]

'm Nancy. [Just her first name, as she shakes his hand.

So he was gay, she was a prostitute, neither of them really needed the other. But hey, she's got a drinking partner for right now and that's what mattered.]

[iustitiae]

Cheers.

[that's right it works in its own way.]

So you know what I do, what do you do?

[stauncherhearted]

Cheers, [she echoes, and then comes her favorite part of the conversation.

She bides her time answering by taking a drink. She was never good at this part.]

I am, well, I'm a sex worker.

[iustitiae]

That's cool.

[connor's super chill about this, actually. there's no judgment here.]

My boss defended a sex worker recently. She was pretty cool. This guy died and his family claimed she'd given him a heartattack by being too good.

[stauncherhearted]

[Nancy is 100% taken aback by this. She is even more happy she decided to buy him a drink now.]

Really- fascinating. I've heard of that happen. If you've got a bad heart. Doesn't have anything to do with skill at all.

[iustitiae]

Well now there's a whole public record of witnesses testifying that she's great. What a thing to leave around for the annuals of time, right? That we should all be so lucky.

[he's joking, murder is bad. he takes his work very seriously. etc.]

[stauncherhearted]

[nancy laughs]

Well, at least she's got some killer recommendations.

[puns.]

[iustitiae]

[connor laughs, slapping his hand against the table.]

I like you.

[stauncherhearted]

thank you- you're not so bad yourself.

[and for that she orders them their next round.]

[iustitiae]

[he likes her even better with each round she orders but shes definitely gonna out drink him]

So why are you picking on these sorry men? They can't be that fun.