Solar Jelly

Goosebumps raised on Marina's arms as the slightly chilly wind twisted her around on the lead lines while she watched the sun sinking to touch the horizon. She swung back and forth, pushing herself off the decorative sconces when she swung in close enough.

The buzz of people hurrying home for supper was just audible at this height. She didn't mind waiting for Check to finish pruning because it meant she got to witness the best spectacle the city had to offer as the hundreds of thousands of windows began to glow softly as dusk settled over the city.

She grabbed onto an ivy branch to swing around and watch her brother carefully snipping leaves from the blighted area.

"Let's go, Mr. Rot Expert. The tree lights are coming on." Marina pointed at the bioluminescent trees that lined the street below which were becoming brighter moment by moment. "We're not supposed to be up here past sundown."

"You don't need to remind me," Check said, snipping a last bunch of ivy from the wall and reaching over his shoulder to tuck it into the large pack strapped to his back.

"It seems I do, since every day you'd be up here way past sundown, which means I'd be up here way past sundown, which means we'd both get written up for unsafe maintenance."

She crossed her arms in mock-anger over her chest, which allowed the wind to swing her out over the void between the buildings again. She bumped gently back into the ivy-covered wall and continued glaring at her brother, who hung several feet away in his own harness, frowning at the wall as he examined another strand of ivy before clipping it.

"Come on!" she insisted.

"Alright, alright. Galna is waiting for me anyway." Check pushed the handful of ivy into his bulging bag and began pulling on the hemp cord to hoist himself back to the building's roof.

"Isn't she always?" Marina muttered. As they ascended, she didn't let up. "Why are you so intent on working so much overtime, big bro? How many credits does one person need, anyway? You've been out here from sun-up to sundown every day for months. You must have hundreds of credits compiled by now. You don't even spend them - Oh! Ohhhh..."

At the long drawn out syllable Check stopped, about to hoist himself up, one hand on the edge of the roof and his booted toe wedged into the decorative line that ran around the edge of the roof, but was really for the purpose of the workers who went up and down the outside of the building maintaining the plant covering that spread over different floors.

His eyes narrowed as he watched Marina pull herself up over the edge of the roof and begin coiling up her ropes. "What was that 'oooohhhh' and what is that smile for?"

With the practice of a sibling, she ignored her brother's stare and refused to make eye contact, instead taking her time examining the lengths of rope that she pulled up before wrapping them expertly around her hand and arm and binding them with the harness.

She nonchalantly remarked, "I need to stop by the Hemp House to get a new section of rope. If you need any, I can add it onto the maintenance hours I do for them. Where are you headed now?"

"I do need another six feet myself, actually. I'm stopping by the chemist's then going to Galna's." Check attached his ropes to his pack and slung the whole thing on his back before absently pushing through the topiary to reach the rooftop door.

"Chemist's, huh? Something you and Galna need from there?" Marina barely contained a giggle then said more loudly, "I'm almost out of my shampoo bar and I need to settle my account with them. Frantin covers their building, so we've got to discuss where else I can do the work to pay it. Hey, I haven't seen Galna in forever. I'll come with you to say hi."