Upside Down --> An Odd Number of Stars; Canon
Grape 28. Maximum Capacity
Flavour of the Day 39. Hobson Jobson
Cherry. Tense
rating: G words: 957 notes: because I love Helen
Juliet considers throwing the little clock she bought for her desk away. It’s a constant reminder, ticking, that she’s still here at 2.30AM. She buries her head in her arms and wants to cry.; Juliet and Helen are still working at 2.30AM
For Amnesty Week, III. A Sky Full of Stars Challange
Juliet considers throwing the little clock she bought for her desk away. It’s a constant reminder, ticking, that she’s still here at 2.30AM. She buries her head in her arms and wants to cry.
“They still haven’t called?” Helen’s voice is sympathetic as she stands at the doorway. Juliet mumbles a reply into her arms. “What?”
“I said, I fucking hate Jersey and I don’t even know where it is.” Juliet straightens, repeating herself and rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.
“It’s a channel island.” Helen explains helpfully, sitting down in the chair opposite Juliet with a comfortable smile.
“How are you this awake this late?” Juliet asks, suppressing another yawn. Helen’s smile doesn’t change.
“I’ve had eight cups of coffee and two espressos today.”
“Is that even legal?” Juliet demands, and Helen laughs.
“Probably not for me.” She admits, picking up one of the rubber bands littering Juliet’s desk and fashioning a sling shot between her hands. Juliet watches in fascination as Helen tries, and fails, to aim and throw a paper clip through her slingshot before she gives up and sighs. “This is such hard yakka.”
Juliet, who is dropping off, is jolted awake. “What did you say?” She demands, blinking rapidly at Helen.
“Yakka.” Helen repeats serenely, picking up one of the large, what Juliet refers to as, paper crocodiles.
“I am pretty sure that’s not a word.” Juliet usually things Helen’s made up words are cute, but its too late for that.
“No, it is.” Helen disagrees, clipping the crocodile clip onto her finger and yelping in pain as it pinches her. She puts the clip back onto the table and looks up at Juliet. “It’s kiwi slang. Means work, you drongo.”
“I won’t be insulted, despite that fact that I am pretty sure that that’s an insult, because it’s too late and you can’t speak English.” Juliet sighs and lets her eyes flutter closed.
“It’s a valid word!” Helen mumbles to herself, though she’s examining Juliet thoughtfully. “You need to stay awake.” She reminds her friend gently. “You’ll get the call, it’ll be through and bam, you’ll be able to go home.” She promises. Juliet sighs and rubs her temples. Helen’s grinning again, all of a sudden.
“What?” Juliet’s immediately suspicious.
“You need to get up. You’ve been sitting in that chair since 8AM this morning.” Helen points out and gets up herself, signalling her intent to leave.
“I can’t.” Juliet points towards the phone. Helen’s smile broadens. She leans over Juliet’s telephone, stares at intently and then presses a button which makes one of the dials flash lightly.
“Now you can.” Helen disagrees. “That cute techie on 34th floor showed me this trick today. As long as you stay in a 500 feet radius of this baby, all the calls will be directed to your cell.” Helen grins impishly and offers Juliet a hand. “Come on, you need to get out.” Juliet shakes her head, but Helen’s expression doesn’t change, so Juliet takes her hand and followed her friend, who’s basically skipping to the elevator.
“I see you gave up on your shoes.” Juliet comments wryly: Helen’s skipping around in her stockings, but she looks comfortable and Juliet realises she envies her.
“Yeah. I took them off after ten.” Helen admits, pressing the button waiting for the elevator. They stand in silence, listing to the elevator shudder and creak in the shaft. Juliet realises she’s still holding Helen’s hand and lets go, quickly. Helen doesn’t notice. The lift appears, opening to a bright shaft of light that hurts Juliet’s eyes as she steps in.
“Where are we going?” Juliet asks as Helen selects the top floor of the building. The elevator shoots up with disturbing speed that always hurts Juliet’s ears.
“It’s a surprise.” Juliet gives Helen a deadpan look, but the kiwi just smirks and shrugs. “Bite me.” She challenges Juliet’s look, and Juliet’s too tired to bother, so she just follows Helen out of the life when they arrive on the top floor.
Helen grabs Juliet’s hand again; Juliet doesn’t understand why, but the kiwi seemed to prefer physical contact when she leads Juliet, so Juliet obliges. They walk another flight of stairs to a floor that Juliet didn’t even know existed, where there’s a metal staircase that seems to never stop and then suddenly the humid August wind is tugging at Juliet’s hair.
“We have a roof?” She calls to Helen, over the noise of the cars below. Helen smiles.
“Yarp. Awesome, right?” She’s exhilarated. “And look at the stars tonight!” Juliet looks up and grins. She’s high enough that, despite all the light pollution, she can see quite a few stars.
“Look at that.” She coos. Helen looks up and shrugs, unimpressed.
“This is nothing compared to a clear night in New Zealand.” She scoffs, but she does sit down on the concrete to better observe the sky. Juliet stands for a moment longer, before joining her friend on the warm concrete.
“Thanks for bringing me here.” Helen shrugs.
“The janitor told me about this place when I was still a trainee.” Helen admits, her relentless smile notable absent as she looks up at the sky. “I told him I missed home, and he reminded me that the stars are the same everywhere. So when I miss home, I come here.” Juliet glanced over to see that Helen was crying. Small, wordless tears trickled down her face.
“I miss France too, sometimes.” Juliet admitted, patting Helen’s back.
“I miss home all the time.” Helen clarified with a sigh. “But I have to get used to New York. I’m here to stay.”
Flavour of the Day 39. Hobson Jobson
Cherry. Tense
rating: G words: 957 notes: because I love Helen
Juliet considers throwing the little clock she bought for her desk away. It’s a constant reminder, ticking, that she’s still here at 2.30AM. She buries her head in her arms and wants to cry.; Juliet and Helen are still working at 2.30AM
For Amnesty Week, III. A Sky Full of Stars Challange
Juliet considers throwing the little clock she bought for her desk away. It’s a constant reminder, ticking, that she’s still here at 2.30AM. She buries her head in her arms and wants to cry.
“They still haven’t called?” Helen’s voice is sympathetic as she stands at the doorway. Juliet mumbles a reply into her arms. “What?”
“I said, I fucking hate Jersey and I don’t even know where it is.” Juliet straightens, repeating herself and rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.
“It’s a channel island.” Helen explains helpfully, sitting down in the chair opposite Juliet with a comfortable smile.
“How are you this awake this late?” Juliet asks, suppressing another yawn. Helen’s smile doesn’t change.
“I’ve had eight cups of coffee and two espressos today.”
“Is that even legal?” Juliet demands, and Helen laughs.
“Probably not for me.” She admits, picking up one of the rubber bands littering Juliet’s desk and fashioning a sling shot between her hands. Juliet watches in fascination as Helen tries, and fails, to aim and throw a paper clip through her slingshot before she gives up and sighs. “This is such hard yakka.”
Juliet, who is dropping off, is jolted awake. “What did you say?” She demands, blinking rapidly at Helen.
“Yakka.” Helen repeats serenely, picking up one of the large, what Juliet refers to as, paper crocodiles.
“I am pretty sure that’s not a word.” Juliet usually things Helen’s made up words are cute, but its too late for that.
“No, it is.” Helen disagrees, clipping the crocodile clip onto her finger and yelping in pain as it pinches her. She puts the clip back onto the table and looks up at Juliet. “It’s kiwi slang. Means work, you drongo.”
“I won’t be insulted, despite that fact that I am pretty sure that that’s an insult, because it’s too late and you can’t speak English.” Juliet sighs and lets her eyes flutter closed.
“It’s a valid word!” Helen mumbles to herself, though she’s examining Juliet thoughtfully. “You need to stay awake.” She reminds her friend gently. “You’ll get the call, it’ll be through and bam, you’ll be able to go home.” She promises. Juliet sighs and rubs her temples. Helen’s grinning again, all of a sudden.
“What?” Juliet’s immediately suspicious.
“You need to get up. You’ve been sitting in that chair since 8AM this morning.” Helen points out and gets up herself, signalling her intent to leave.
“I can’t.” Juliet points towards the phone. Helen’s smile broadens. She leans over Juliet’s telephone, stares at intently and then presses a button which makes one of the dials flash lightly.
“Now you can.” Helen disagrees. “That cute techie on 34th floor showed me this trick today. As long as you stay in a 500 feet radius of this baby, all the calls will be directed to your cell.” Helen grins impishly and offers Juliet a hand. “Come on, you need to get out.” Juliet shakes her head, but Helen’s expression doesn’t change, so Juliet takes her hand and followed her friend, who’s basically skipping to the elevator.
“I see you gave up on your shoes.” Juliet comments wryly: Helen’s skipping around in her stockings, but she looks comfortable and Juliet realises she envies her.
“Yeah. I took them off after ten.” Helen admits, pressing the button waiting for the elevator. They stand in silence, listing to the elevator shudder and creak in the shaft. Juliet realises she’s still holding Helen’s hand and lets go, quickly. Helen doesn’t notice. The lift appears, opening to a bright shaft of light that hurts Juliet’s eyes as she steps in.
“Where are we going?” Juliet asks as Helen selects the top floor of the building. The elevator shoots up with disturbing speed that always hurts Juliet’s ears.
“It’s a surprise.” Juliet gives Helen a deadpan look, but the kiwi just smirks and shrugs. “Bite me.” She challenges Juliet’s look, and Juliet’s too tired to bother, so she just follows Helen out of the life when they arrive on the top floor.
Helen grabs Juliet’s hand again; Juliet doesn’t understand why, but the kiwi seemed to prefer physical contact when she leads Juliet, so Juliet obliges. They walk another flight of stairs to a floor that Juliet didn’t even know existed, where there’s a metal staircase that seems to never stop and then suddenly the humid August wind is tugging at Juliet’s hair.
“We have a roof?” She calls to Helen, over the noise of the cars below. Helen smiles.
“Yarp. Awesome, right?” She’s exhilarated. “And look at the stars tonight!” Juliet looks up and grins. She’s high enough that, despite all the light pollution, she can see quite a few stars.
“Look at that.” She coos. Helen looks up and shrugs, unimpressed.
“This is nothing compared to a clear night in New Zealand.” She scoffs, but she does sit down on the concrete to better observe the sky. Juliet stands for a moment longer, before joining her friend on the warm concrete.
“Thanks for bringing me here.” Helen shrugs.
“The janitor told me about this place when I was still a trainee.” Helen admits, her relentless smile notable absent as she looks up at the sky. “I told him I missed home, and he reminded me that the stars are the same everywhere. So when I miss home, I come here.” Juliet glanced over to see that Helen was crying. Small, wordless tears trickled down her face.
“I miss France too, sometimes.” Juliet admitted, patting Helen’s back.
“I miss home all the time.” Helen clarified with a sigh. “But I have to get used to New York. I’m here to stay.”