You Will Be Heard • •

[harlow winona statham]

It had been a long night, and a long shift. Harlow preferred the night shift, which is how come she volunteered for it more often than most, but tonight had really taken something out of her. She was wiped, and half tempted to crash on one of the cots at the station after she had parked the ambulance back up and was handing the keys over to the team who was taking over from her and her partner. Her colleague was gone with nothing more than a grunt and a raised hand, Harlow mumbling that she knew how he felt. Normally she was the type of girl who changed, grabbed her bag and was gone in a matter of five minutes after her clocking out time, but this morning she was too exhausted for that. Harlow sat on the bench in the locker room, head in her hands until she realised that she was falling asleep like that. Groaning, she forced herself to strip, change, and move her feet one in front of the other until she was outside in the crisp winter air.

Hoping that the cold would perk her up a little, Harlow walked down the street, her arms wrapped around her tired body. She was used to the night shift being busy with a slew of drunken emergencies mixed in with the other kinds of trouble that fate liked to hand out, but the winter seemed to add to the nightmare. More people slipped on the icy sidewalks, hit their heads. Older people had problems with their health and collapsed at home. There wasn’t a quiet moment last night and her lunch had been scoffed down whilst on the way to another emergency response outside of one of the busier New York bars where someone had taken a bottle to the face. New York was by no means a quiet city, which was one of the reasons why Harlow had been attracted to it in the first place. Back in Athens, she had been tormented by the need to rebel, and she had given into that need in a big way, but in New York she was kept busy and on the straight and narrow with how much work needed to be done. Well, at least most of the time.

She had to fight to keep her eyes open as she waited for the crossing to tell her it was safe to move to the other side of the street. Harlow didn’t fancy risking jaywalking this morning when she was barely aware of herself, forget the rest of the world around her. Knowing she still had a subway ride and three blocks after that before she got back to her apartment, she made the decision to stop for coffee. If she didn’t do something she was bound to pass out in the subway car and end up miles from her bed. It was the last thing she wanted when she already felt ready to just crawl between the sheets and not wake up until the following day, which thankfully she could do since it was her three days off now for working ten days straight. The closest place was the Hard Rock, which Harlow turned into and glanced around. Saturday morning meant the place was packed. Her eyes sought out an empty seat and she spied one with a person who already looked like they were about to tuck into a stack of pancakes. Without waiting for a host or anyone else to intervene, Harlow walked around to the table, shrugged off her coat and took the empty seat opposite. “No one else is sitting here, I’m not in the mood to wait for a table of my own just so I can down a cup of coffee, shove a muffin in my trap and then get the hell out of here.” She began before the stranger could ask what she was up to. “I’ve just finished a very long, very tiring night shift where I saw more blood and heard more drunk excuses than I ever cared to hear. I just want to have my breakfast and then find my bed.” She grabbed a menu and looked wearily at the breakfast options. “And if you think I’m being extremely rude I suggest you just keep it to yourself right now and go on back to enjoying your pancakes.” She added in her usual Georgia drawl, her words laced with exhaustion that not even an Oscar winning actor could fake.

• • •

TAGGED! open
WORDS! 759!
OUTFIT! Winter Wonder!
LYRICS! Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet - - - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NOTES! <3

[Deleted]

Caitlyn Anya Moore

We don't wanna be at this party anymore
Make up lies and say goodbyes and meet me at the door!

Caitlyn wasn't sure why she was awake so early, especially since she didn't have work today. But she was, and try as she might to fall back to sleep, it wasn't happening. So after a few minutes, she got up and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Not that there was much, Caitlyn realised as she looked around the small kitchen. She sighed and went to her purse to check how much money she had on her. After counting out the money, Caitlyn bit her lip, thinking. She could go shopping for food and make something when she got home, or she could go out for breakfast, then go shopping. The second option sounded better, so that's what Caitlyn decided to do. She quickly got herself ready, grabbed her purse and left her apartment.

Some time later, Caitlyn was at Hard Rock Cafe, following a host to a table. Sitting down, Caitlyn opened the menu that was on the table and flipped through it as she decided on what to get. By the time one of the waitresses came by, Caitlyn had decided on water, tea and pancakes. As she waited, Cailtyn looked around the place. Hard Rock was pretty packed, from where she was sitting there didn't look like there was an empty table left. Apparently, she had gotten here just on time. Caitlyn wasn't sure how long she had been waiting, but it didn't feel long when the waitress came out with the pancakes Caitlyn had ordered. Caitlyn licked her lips when the plate was placed in front of her.

Caitlyn was just about to start eating when a woman walked over, took off her coat and sat down while talking. Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything for a couple minutes. Once she did talk, she choice her words carefully. "Must have been one hell of a night, then. I don't mind you sitting here, but maybe we should came up with a story in case one of the waitresses gets suspicion." Caitlyn shrugged as she started cutting up one of the pancakes. "Up to you, anyhow."

Harlow // Outfit // Hiiii

[harlow winona statham]

For the next three days Harlow didn’t want to be anywhere near a medical emergency. If it was at all possible she wanted to forget completely that she was a paramedic. She liked her job, but there were assholes out there who made it difficult and Harlow didn’t waste her time being polite to them. If they were getting in her way she let them know about it in a very abrupt and fiery manner. She might have mellowed out just a little since her teenage years, but Harlow had always been a firecracker and it had never been smart to get on her bad side. At least now she was hoping for seventy-two hours of escape from most of that. She knew she was bound to bump into some idiots out and about when she was catching up on her chores, but living in New York City that sort of thing was unavoidable, and Harlow knew that. She had known that back when she had lived in Athens, but New York was bigger and that meant there was double the amount of people who could and would get on her last nerve at the worst time.

This morning though she was too drained to be dealing with anyone trying to cause trouble, and she wasn’t in the mood to be putting up with anyone’s attitude but her own. For that reason Harlow was thankful when the woman she sat opposite didn’t kick up a fuss because then there would have been a scene and she was far too tired to keep her attitude or her temper in check. “I was late getting here, told you to order without me.” Harlow explained, offering up a simple lie without a moment of hesitation. She had become adept at twisting the truth when she was a teenager and her affair with a young politician had been her idea of the ultimate rebellion. No one knew, they had never been discovered, but now she was a skeleton in the closet of one of Georgia’s strongest politicians. She had considered the fact that she might be enough to bring him down if anyone ever found out about his sordid, extra-marital activities with an eighteen year old Harlow. It made her glad that she had called the whole thing off when she had run away to college and turned her back on Georgia. “Although I think they’re a little too busy this morning to even notice.”

Pushing her hair back from her face, Harlow got the attention of a waitress and put in her order. “A large coffee, and the mushroom, pepper omelette, please.” She dropped the menu to the table and blinked rapidly to try and wake herself up again. She needed that coffee more than anything right now, but she was hoping the meal would at least see her back to her apartment in one piece without any impromptu naps along the way.

• • •

TAGGED! @caitlynanyamoore
WORDS! 496!
OUTFIT! Winter Wonder!
LYRICS! Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet - - - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NOTES! <3

[Deleted]

Caitlyn Anya Moore

We don't wanna be at this party anymore
Make up lies and say goodbyes and meet me at the door!

Caitlyn wasn't the type to get mad at much. Or rather she didn't show her anger. She didn't want to upset anyone so she tend to always pretend that everything was fine, even if it wasn't. As far as she saw it, as long as the other person was happy that was all that matter. Caitlyn had a bad habit of always putting others before herself. She had been that way since she was little and not much had change since then.

Caitlyn finished cutting up her pancakes, then picked up her fork to begin eating. It tasted good, but not as good as Caitlyn's mom's pancakes from at Caitlyn could remember. Then again, maybe she was just being bias. Caitlyn offered the woman a small smile. "Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were still coming or not," she said, playing along. Looking around, seeing the packed place and the waitresses hurrying to one table to another, Caitlyn figured the woman was right. Turning back to the woman, Caitlyn said, "But you're right, they're probably to busy to notice."

She continued eating as the woman ordered. As she was done and the waitress was walking away, Caitlyn put down her fork and said, "By the way, I'm Caitlyn." Normally, she would offer her hand for the other person to shake, but decided not to this time. Caitlyn figured that if the woman wanted to shake hands, she would say something.

Harlow // Outfit // Hiiii

[harlow winona statham]

Harlow was the way she was for a number of reasons, but the anger and the occasional reckless behaviour had been there since her childhood. It stemmed from her step-father and the cold relationship she had with him. Rodney had been nice enough at first, but when he moved in and married her mother he became a totally different person to Harlow and she had fought back, growing more and more stubborn with him as she got older. He was the reason she broke rules, fought against authority, and generally got off on pissing others off at times. It wasn’t how it was supposed to be, but just how it was. These days she never spoke to the man even when she went home to see her mom because she knew nothing remotely close to nice could come out of her mouth.

This morning, Harlow didn’t care much for anything beyond getting some food in her system and then getting to bed for a good few hours. If some waitress wanted to kick up a fuss then Harlow would cause a scene that would have her questioning her job by the end of the shift. She had done such things before when she had been much younger, but that streak of trouble had never left the dedicated paramedic. It was one of the reasons why she was a paramedic and not a doctor; her bedside manner was most certainly lacking. “Trust me, the worst thing for any of these people to do right now is question me. I’m far too tired to play nice.” She had reached that breaking point hours before when she was trying to stop a drunk man with a gash on his forehead taking selfies of himself in the back of the ambulance. His phone had almost ended up as smashed as his face and nose was. She suspected he wouldn’t wake up as merry as he had been when Harlow was trying to clean him up and get the story from him.

Harlow blinked at her company for breakfast this morning, remembering just now that this was a total stranger she was sitting opposite. “Harlow.” She drawled in the same southern tongue that she had never been able to lose no matter how much she tried. It clung to her name more than any other word, she felt, and dug in to it like a reminder that she couldn’t escape Athens, or Georgia, no matter how much she immersed herself in New York City. Her stomach let out a low growl and Harlow looked around quickly. The waitress could not bring her order quickly enough.

• • •

TAGGED! @caitlynanyamoore
WORDS! 444!
OUTFIT! Winter Wonder!
LYRICS! Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet - - - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NOTES! <3

[Deleted]

Caitlyn Anya Moore

We don't wanna be at this party anymore
Make up lies and say goodbyes and meet me at the door!

Caitlyn's childhood was one of happiness and joy. She looked back on it fondly. She had great parents that loved her, an older brother that looked out for her and to younger siblings to care for. However, she realised early on that, sadly, not everyone had a wonderful, caring family like her. So when meeting new people, Caitlyn didn't bring up how great her childhood was unless that person asked about it. If the person responded positively, Caitlyn would continued talking about her parents and siblings, otherwise Caitlyn would change the subject after a bit.

Caitlyn was a little surprised by what the woman said when she spoke again. Having nothing to say to that, Caitlyn looked down at her plate. She had never been one to make a scene or cause trouble for someone else. She saw no point in doing that, no matter how tired she was she had always managed to keep a smile on her face and a positive out look on things. Whenever someone asked how she managed to do that, Caitlyn would just shrug and answer with an honest, "I'm not sure." That was just how Caitlyn was.

When the woman introduced herself as Harlow, Caitlyn looked up, a small smile on her face. "Well, Harlow, it's nice to meet you." Of course, that's what Caitlyn said to just about everyone she met. Meeting new people and talking to them was one of Caitlyn's favourite things to do.

Harlow // Outfit // Hiiii

[harlow winona statham]

Harlow resented most people who spoke of happy childhoods and held fond memories of their families. She had been promised all of that once. She could recall her mom promising her that her step-father would be the greatest man in her life, and the best thing that the fates could give her after they had snatched her biological father from her life even before Harlow had sucked in her first breath. It had all been a lie, and Rodney had turned out to be more monster than man. It was all because of him that Harlow hated hearing about other people with their happy homes, perfect memories, and the idealistic world in which they had come from. In her mind, none of it could be real and the fairy story life was just another great big lie they told themselves to make it all seem more bearable.

She was known for her harsh views, and her angry outlook on life. So far, no one she had met in life had been able to change that about her, and even when Harlow was happy she was still bitter and borderline cruel when it was entirely unnecessary. Some people even found it difficult to believe that a woman with such a cynical outlook on life, and who could carry such hatred in her bone, was actually a paramedic in the city. Harlow wanted to help people, she wanted to tend to their injuries and health problems and get them to hospital where they could be treated by specialists and with equipment that could prolong their life. She was just the emergency response; the woman who could save their lives in the first instant. She didn’t want to get to know them, hear their stories, or be there when they woke up and came to their senses. She wasn’t, as they say, a people person. She repelled most people with the glare she walked around wearing most days when she was slightly more awake than she currently felt.

Harlow was too tired this morning to come out with her usual quips and comments. She was so tired she was barely thinking straight or paying attention to the world around her. “You won’t think that if this food doesn’t arrive soon.” Normally, and even with Harlow’s generally bitter disposition, she did have a modicum of patience, but when she was so tired there was just no time to play nice and polite; at least not from her viewpoint. Thankfully, as though they knew what might await them if it took much longer, the waitress suddenly reappeared at Harlow’s side and deposited her breakfast in front of her. It was with the same level of depleted energy that Harlow picked up her knife and fork and started cutting into the omelette, lazily lifting the food to her mouth and chewing it up slowly.

• • •

TAGGED! @caitlynanyamoore
WORDS! 480!
OUTFIT! Winter Wonder!
LYRICS! Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet - - - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NOTES! <3

[Deleted]

Caitlyn Anya Moore

We don't wanna be at this party anymore
Make up lies and say goodbyes and meet me at the door!

When Caitlyn realised that not everyone had a wonderful family like she had, she found it upsetting that some kids came from broken homes. Honestly, one of Caitlyn's biggest wishes was for all children to have a happy, loving home. Sadly, she knew that wasn't likely any time soon and that greatly upset her, though she try to not let that show to much. She wanted to look at the positive side of things. Help one child at a time, make a difference to that child before moving on to help another one.

Caitlyn smiled a little at Harlow when the woman spoke. She wondered what what Harlow would do if she didn't get her food soon. While she was a little curious to what Harlow could do, Caitlyn also didn't want to found out, mainly because she didn't want a huge fight happening. That would be bad. But Caitlyn didn't have to worry about that, because soon, Harlow's order was arriving. Once the plate was set on the table and the waitress was walking away, Caitlyn turned to look at Harlow.

"Well, good thing that arrived when it did. It would be awful if it took any longer and an argument broke out. It may have ruin my good opinion of you so far," Caitlyn joked. She looked down at her pancakes as she started cutting up the second to last one.

Harlow // Outfit // Hiiii

[harlow winona statham]

Harlow didn’t think she was cut out for a happy ending of her own. There was too much cynic left in her to accept such a thing as soulmates or the promise of happily ever after. She had found a harsh dose of reality back when she should have still believed in Disney Princesses and their promises of Prince Charming. Twenty-odd years later she was just waiting for someone to come along who wasn’t going to use some cheap pick-up line recycled from the weekend before, and who wasn’t going to try and give her the world on a string. Harlow wanted neither of them, and if she was being truly honest she had been so casual in her approach to men and dating, that she was left jaded by them. She didn’t trust an honest man because she had never really known one. In her young life she had already been a politician’s mistress, and seen just how bitter and twisted men could be when they didn’t get their own way. It shaped her into being strong, but it also left Harlow with a warped sense of trust for the opposite sex.

Despite how slowly she was chewing her food, Harlow wasn’t taking her time with breakfast. She wanted to get it down and then get home to get herself down on a soft pillow. It had been a long night and the more her mind dwelt on it, the more she was thankful of her time off now. Even if she slept straight through until her next shift it would be totally worth it. Scoffing, Harlow didn’t look up as she switched from omelette to coffee. “You’re one of the very few with one of those.” Moving back to her omelette, Harlow paused only to swallow the piece in her mouth. “A good opinion, I mean.” She had never been popular, at least not for being kind or good. She might be a paramedic now, saving lives, but she still had a surly attitude. Back in Athens she was certain that there were people who would rather spit on her than talk to her, but Harlow could honestly say she didn’t care about that. For everything that she had done during her acts of rebellion, she couldn’t find it in herself now to give a damn or regret any of them. They had made her who she was, even if they were terrible mistakes for other people after they had grown up and escaped that unruly adolescent phase.

• • •

TAGGED! @caitlynanyamoore
WORDS! 424!
OUTFIT! Winter Wonder!
LYRICS! Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet - - - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NOTES! <3