(no subject)
Title: Switch Sides
Story: Tempus Edax Rerum
Characters: Nathan, Ruben
Flavours: Pumpkin Pie #14 [Costume]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: N/A
Word count: 1,031
Rating: G
Summary: "You're Nathan Oliver," the man said. It wasn't a question, so Nathan nodded.
12.43 p.m.
4th August 2011.
London, England.
Nathan woke to an entirely empty flat. Well, he assumed from the lack of noise that it was empty - and a quick investigation confirmed that fact. He saw the note on the counter on his second pass through the kitchen. It was from Frankie, just said that she and Kris were fine - they'd gone for a meeting. Nathan sighed. He didn't know what the meeting was about, but he could guess who it was with. Other travellers.
He walked back into the bedroom and decided to hunt for some clothes; Frankie had found him these bottoms after all. There had to be other things lying around here - they might be her ex-boyfriend's clothes or something, but if they fit him, he wasn't going to worry about it.
He needed to get home to see his family. They'd be worrying about him by now, he knew that bit. He'd been gone for a while.
Nathan searched the drawers and found what he was looking for in the bottom one - a couple of pairs of jeans, t-shirts and underwear. He frowned at it; maybe these didn't belong to an ex-boyfriend after all, but he could always reimburse the guy.
After he changed, Nathan scribbled a note of his own and left the flat. The door had a latch, so it locked behind him as he made his way down the stairs and out onto the street.
It was as busy as ever out here but Nathan had a pretty good idea of where he was and so headed in the direction of home, noting that he felt a lot more alert than he had the day before. At least he really was getting better, he supposed.
He tried not to think of time travel. Every time it popped up in his mind, he pushed it aside; there were more important things to think of, right now.
Though, Nathan didn't have to think anything, or feel anything aside from alarm when a man grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him down a side street, down an alley that led to the back of some nightclub. When he let go, Nathan stared, scared and positive that he was far too weak to fend off any kind of attack.
"You're Nathan Oliver," the man said. It wasn't a question, so Nathan nodded. Did this have something to do with Frankie?
"You've been staying with Francesca Harlow," the man said. Nathan nodded again and the man nodded to himself, like it confirmed something.
Nathan took a moment to look him over. He didn't want to forget anything; clearly this guy was mental or something and he wanted to be able to give Frankie a good description, later. He was in his early thirties, maybe, with dark hair and dark eyes. Those eyes were wide, imploring as Nathan tried to take everything in. The guy was only a little taller than he was.
"What do you want?" Nathan asked finally.
"You need to stay away from that girl. From that family. They're dangerous."
Nathan shook his head. "Kris just saved me- Frankie saved me- They can't be dangerous."
The man laughed. "You have no idea what they did. What their little association does. They're not the only group in the travelling world, you know. They're just the strongest. The bullies. Do you know what they did to us?"
Nathan took a cautious step back. "No," he said quietly.
"They imprisoned us. Tortured us. What makes you think the children of that generation will be any different?"
"They are different."
The man shook his head. "That's not- That's not even why I'm here. Nathan. We need you to come to us. With us. If you side with them, you'll destroy the world. If you side with us, you'll fix it."
"Me?"
"You help Francesca. You give them ideas about how to crush this opposition - us - and we are only fighting for our lives. What do you think they are fighting for?"
Nathan paused, torn. It was true, aside from that attack on Frankie, he'd not seen either of the sisters in any external danger. He shook his head. This guy was a stranger. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't.
"How did Frankie know to come and see you the day that cafe in Paris exploded?" the man asked and Nathan froze.
"What?"
"They need you," he said. "And what better way to entice you in than with a pretty little girl who, when you first meet her, is saving your life?" He took a step towards Nathan and everything about his body language screamed honesty. "We only need you to help us, Nathan. We would never ask you to risk anything, not as much as they would."
Nathan shook his head. This didn't make sense; he didn't understand time travel and he had no Artefact and he didn't know this man-
But how had she known? She could have visited him at any point in his past; so why had she chosen that day, that day when he'd almost died?
"I need an Artefact," he said quietly. Unless she'd lied about that, too?
"You do," the man confirmed. He put an encouraging hand on Nathan's shoulder and his voice softened. "She didn't lie to you the whole time, Nathan. It is possible she even liked you. But the people she works for- Maybe you can save her from them in time, hmm?"
Nathan nodded. He knew he'd made his decision; he could feel in his bones that he would go with this man - but something deep down was nagging at him, telling him to turn and run, run as fast as he could without stopping or looking back.
"Are you going to come with me?" the man asked. Something about that tone of voice was just the wrong side of dangerous, but Nathan ignored it.
"Yes," he said. "If I can help Frankie and her sister, then, yes."
"Good," the man said. He had a cheap plastic watch in one hand and he held out the other to Nathan.
Nathan took it.
Story: Tempus Edax Rerum
Characters: Nathan, Ruben
Flavours: Pumpkin Pie #14 [Costume]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: N/A
Word count: 1,031
Rating: G
Summary: "You're Nathan Oliver," the man said. It wasn't a question, so Nathan nodded.
12.43 p.m.
4th August 2011.
London, England.
Nathan woke to an entirely empty flat. Well, he assumed from the lack of noise that it was empty - and a quick investigation confirmed that fact. He saw the note on the counter on his second pass through the kitchen. It was from Frankie, just said that she and Kris were fine - they'd gone for a meeting. Nathan sighed. He didn't know what the meeting was about, but he could guess who it was with. Other travellers.
He walked back into the bedroom and decided to hunt for some clothes; Frankie had found him these bottoms after all. There had to be other things lying around here - they might be her ex-boyfriend's clothes or something, but if they fit him, he wasn't going to worry about it.
He needed to get home to see his family. They'd be worrying about him by now, he knew that bit. He'd been gone for a while.
Nathan searched the drawers and found what he was looking for in the bottom one - a couple of pairs of jeans, t-shirts and underwear. He frowned at it; maybe these didn't belong to an ex-boyfriend after all, but he could always reimburse the guy.
After he changed, Nathan scribbled a note of his own and left the flat. The door had a latch, so it locked behind him as he made his way down the stairs and out onto the street.
It was as busy as ever out here but Nathan had a pretty good idea of where he was and so headed in the direction of home, noting that he felt a lot more alert than he had the day before. At least he really was getting better, he supposed.
He tried not to think of time travel. Every time it popped up in his mind, he pushed it aside; there were more important things to think of, right now.
Though, Nathan didn't have to think anything, or feel anything aside from alarm when a man grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him down a side street, down an alley that led to the back of some nightclub. When he let go, Nathan stared, scared and positive that he was far too weak to fend off any kind of attack.
"You're Nathan Oliver," the man said. It wasn't a question, so Nathan nodded. Did this have something to do with Frankie?
"You've been staying with Francesca Harlow," the man said. Nathan nodded again and the man nodded to himself, like it confirmed something.
Nathan took a moment to look him over. He didn't want to forget anything; clearly this guy was mental or something and he wanted to be able to give Frankie a good description, later. He was in his early thirties, maybe, with dark hair and dark eyes. Those eyes were wide, imploring as Nathan tried to take everything in. The guy was only a little taller than he was.
"What do you want?" Nathan asked finally.
"You need to stay away from that girl. From that family. They're dangerous."
Nathan shook his head. "Kris just saved me- Frankie saved me- They can't be dangerous."
The man laughed. "You have no idea what they did. What their little association does. They're not the only group in the travelling world, you know. They're just the strongest. The bullies. Do you know what they did to us?"
Nathan took a cautious step back. "No," he said quietly.
"They imprisoned us. Tortured us. What makes you think the children of that generation will be any different?"
"They are different."
The man shook his head. "That's not- That's not even why I'm here. Nathan. We need you to come to us. With us. If you side with them, you'll destroy the world. If you side with us, you'll fix it."
"Me?"
"You help Francesca. You give them ideas about how to crush this opposition - us - and we are only fighting for our lives. What do you think they are fighting for?"
Nathan paused, torn. It was true, aside from that attack on Frankie, he'd not seen either of the sisters in any external danger. He shook his head. This guy was a stranger. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't.
"How did Frankie know to come and see you the day that cafe in Paris exploded?" the man asked and Nathan froze.
"What?"
"They need you," he said. "And what better way to entice you in than with a pretty little girl who, when you first meet her, is saving your life?" He took a step towards Nathan and everything about his body language screamed honesty. "We only need you to help us, Nathan. We would never ask you to risk anything, not as much as they would."
Nathan shook his head. This didn't make sense; he didn't understand time travel and he had no Artefact and he didn't know this man-
But how had she known? She could have visited him at any point in his past; so why had she chosen that day, that day when he'd almost died?
"I need an Artefact," he said quietly. Unless she'd lied about that, too?
"You do," the man confirmed. He put an encouraging hand on Nathan's shoulder and his voice softened. "She didn't lie to you the whole time, Nathan. It is possible she even liked you. But the people she works for- Maybe you can save her from them in time, hmm?"
Nathan nodded. He knew he'd made his decision; he could feel in his bones that he would go with this man - but something deep down was nagging at him, telling him to turn and run, run as fast as he could without stopping or looking back.
"Are you going to come with me?" the man asked. Something about that tone of voice was just the wrong side of dangerous, but Nathan ignored it.
"Yes," he said. "If I can help Frankie and her sister, then, yes."
"Good," the man said. He had a cheap plastic watch in one hand and he held out the other to Nathan.
Nathan took it.