(no subject)
Title: Eyes of a Stranger
Story: Tempus Edax Rerum
Characters: Frankie, Kris, assorted
Flavours: Chocolate Gelato #2 [E pluribus unum]; Rainbow Sherbet #10 [Grey]
Toppings: Gummy Bunnies - 500themes #126 [Don't look away]
Extras: N/A
Word Count: 1,470
Rating: PG
Summary: Frankie's arm tightened around Kris' shoulders and she angled them both away.
9.00 a.m.
4th August 2011.
London, England.
Kris ignored the knot of trepidation that formed in her stomach when she looked up at the looming building before her. Headquarters, she thought, though that thought was followed by the kind of bitter laugh that was becoming all-too common these days.
Frankie glanced over her shoulder, raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question and Kris nodded in return. She walked inside and breathed out a sigh of relief, like she always did.
Every time was the same. Kris hated it here, hated the oppressiveness of it - though she knew she was the only one who would say that it was like that - oppressive. The others saw the high ceilings and the large windows that let sunlight drape across the walls. Kris saw twisting halls and locked doors.
Frankie was talking to someone she knew; though she wasn't as animated as usual and Kris knew it was because of him.
Nathan Oliver. The man currently sleeping in their flat, his face still pinched and grey from his illness, from the excitement of the day before. She'd had to wrestle the story out of Frankie, but she'd managed it in the end. When Frankie had told her the whole thing - and that had taken more than the originally muttered, "I took him on a trip," - she'd pressed her lips together to stop herself from shouting and waking Nathan up.
A headache was brewing and Kris rubbed her temples gently, leaning against a wall as she watched people come and go. The thing was, Frankie was right. Kris didn't travel, but she knew about it, knew the rules and regulations far better than her sister and she knew there should have been someone there. The Guardians - what were they doing?
She ignored the nagging feeling that if Frankie had been attacked like that, then what had it done to the Guardians? There was no time for that kind of thinking.
Frankie was still talking. Whatever she was saying, it was getting heated, but it wouldn't come to blows. For one thing, the person she was arguing with was twice her size and Kris knew Frankie wasn't stupid. Second of all, they were here. It'd just lead to meaningless bureaucracy and Frankie hated that.
Kris stood straight, stretching out her back a little. She still ached all over, but she'd insisted on coming. Sleeping would do her body good, but it would do nothing for her mind. This meeting was more important.
She slipped into the meeting hall without a second thought, eyeing up the benches that were already occupied. A few faces turned her way, recognition in most eyes. But of course. Kris stomped her way up to a middle bench, one where she had a good view of the floor - and of the seats Jeff and his cronies would take.
A man sitting three benches below turned his head to look at her for a long moment. She didn't recognise him; he had to have ten years on her, at least, but she'd never seen him before in her life.
He had grey eyes.
She wouldn't have noticed, she told herself, if he hadn't stared at her for so long, his gaze assessing even as it didn't move. Finally, he looked away and Kris let out a shaky breath.
Frankie joined her a few minutes later, displeasure evident in every line of her body. "Don't know where Kevin gets off…" she muttered, but Kris nudged her, pointing out the man.
"Who's that?"
Frankie frowned at him and then shrugged. "Never seen him before," she muttered.
"That's what I thought," Kris replied. She frowned at the back of his head, like he might feel it, give up and tell her who he was, but he didn't turn around.
Frankie nudged her arm when Jeff strolled in and the few remaining travellers took their seats. Three people followed him; two women and a man, all around the same age. The Parcae followed them and a hush settled over the crowd.
Kris rubbed her temple. "I didn't think they'd hold a meeting so early," she murmured.
Frankie shook her head. "It's an emergency," she replied.
Kris nodded. She knew, of course. Frankie had told her about the hopper, about thinking it was her and panicking. Kris sighed. Something nasty was going on here, but there was no way they'd get the whole truth of it from these people.
"I thank you all for coming here today," Jeff said, when the others had settled. Kris sat back in her seat. This was going to be a long one. "I'm afraid," he continued, "That I have some bad news."
An expectant silence.
"One of our own has been murdered."
The gasps and whispers began, but Kris sat unmoved, watching. Moira swayed gently in her seat and Dionne was watching her closely. So was one of the women - Jeff's second-in-command, Ms. Spencer.
Kris hated her. She always made Kris call her that: Ms. Spencer; gave her a reprimand on manners if she didn't. The plus side was that Frankie hated her too, so they never had to spend that much time around her.
"Who?" someone shouted and the crowd hushed again.
"His name was Stephen Smith. He-" Jeff took a deep breath before he said the next sentence- "He was a hopper."
The noise ratcheted up another level and Kris frowned, rubbing absentmindedly at her head. Frankie reached and took her hand, dropping two aspirin into it. The girl swallowed them, never looking away from the spectacle below her.
"Quiet!" Jeff bellowed. "Quiet!" The noise dropped, but now more people looked scared than upset. It made sense, Kris supposed. Guardians couldn't catch hoppers. But their murderer-?
Ms. Spencer stood, smoothing down her neat navy skirt. "It could be that he was the victim of random violence," she said and Kris scoffed.
Loudly.
She hadn't realised how silent it had been until she saw the faces turned her way - the amused grey eyes of that stranger. She felt her face flush and saw Ms. Spencer adjust her glasses. "Yes, Miss Harlow?" she asked.
Kris swallowed and frowned, irritated. She stood and Frankie touched her elbow briefly but didn't stop her, which was good.
"That's a load of crap and you know it," Kris said, her voice carrying around the hall. Oppressive it might be, but she had to love the acoustics in this place.
Ms. Spencer looked scandalised. "Miss Harlow, you-"
"Oh, stop it," Kris replied scathingly. "It's one thing to protect us because you don't want us going crazy over nothing, but it's another thing completely to outright lie-"
"I don't know what you're-"
"Last night," Kris said, smoothly overriding her and failing to hide the little smirk at the annoyed expression on the woman's face, "My sister travelled to the year 2051. Whilst she was there, she was attacked by - something, something in her mind and if not for the help of her companion, she would never have made it back. Whatever attacked her, it was designed for travellers. Look me in the eyes and tell me there's nothing going on."
The whole room seemed to have held its breath. As Kris watched, the stranger stood. "I was rebounded to the witch trials in Germany and nearly burned at the stake," he said. "Tell us there's nothing going on."
That caused outrage; the trials had been sealed off ever since they'd happened; they'd caught a dozen travellers in those things and it had been deemed too dangerous a time to return to. Jeff raised his hands.
"You're right, you're right," he said. The stranger took his seat again, but Kris still stood, her hands balled into fists by her sides. "There is something going on, though we're not sure what. It does appear that someone is targeting travellers - but we are satisfied that we will apprehend the culprit soon enough."
Discontent. Kris sat down again and Frankie put her arm around her as they both watched the drama unfold. Accusations flew, but there was nothing concrete, nothing Jeff could tell them, apparently.
Moira started laughing and Kris felt her blood freeze. "My murderer!" Moira shouted to a stunned silence. Dionne hurried over, helped her to her feet and tried to get her attention. "My murderer!" Moira shouted again.
She looked up and her eye unerringly found Kris', then Frankie's. Frankie's arm tightened around Kris' shoulders and she angled them both away. "Ignore her Kris, you know she's-"
"Crazy," Kris murmured back. Dionne took Moira from the room.
When Kris looked up, the stranger was staring at her again. This time, the expression in his eyes was something akin to horror and Kris felt her heart drop into her stomach.
Story: Tempus Edax Rerum
Characters: Frankie, Kris, assorted
Flavours: Chocolate Gelato #2 [E pluribus unum]; Rainbow Sherbet #10 [Grey]
Toppings: Gummy Bunnies - 500themes #126 [Don't look away]
Extras: N/A
Word Count: 1,470
Rating: PG
Summary: Frankie's arm tightened around Kris' shoulders and she angled them both away.
9.00 a.m.
4th August 2011.
London, England.
Kris ignored the knot of trepidation that formed in her stomach when she looked up at the looming building before her. Headquarters, she thought, though that thought was followed by the kind of bitter laugh that was becoming all-too common these days.
Frankie glanced over her shoulder, raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question and Kris nodded in return. She walked inside and breathed out a sigh of relief, like she always did.
Every time was the same. Kris hated it here, hated the oppressiveness of it - though she knew she was the only one who would say that it was like that - oppressive. The others saw the high ceilings and the large windows that let sunlight drape across the walls. Kris saw twisting halls and locked doors.
Frankie was talking to someone she knew; though she wasn't as animated as usual and Kris knew it was because of him.
Nathan Oliver. The man currently sleeping in their flat, his face still pinched and grey from his illness, from the excitement of the day before. She'd had to wrestle the story out of Frankie, but she'd managed it in the end. When Frankie had told her the whole thing - and that had taken more than the originally muttered, "I took him on a trip," - she'd pressed her lips together to stop herself from shouting and waking Nathan up.
A headache was brewing and Kris rubbed her temples gently, leaning against a wall as she watched people come and go. The thing was, Frankie was right. Kris didn't travel, but she knew about it, knew the rules and regulations far better than her sister and she knew there should have been someone there. The Guardians - what were they doing?
She ignored the nagging feeling that if Frankie had been attacked like that, then what had it done to the Guardians? There was no time for that kind of thinking.
Frankie was still talking. Whatever she was saying, it was getting heated, but it wouldn't come to blows. For one thing, the person she was arguing with was twice her size and Kris knew Frankie wasn't stupid. Second of all, they were here. It'd just lead to meaningless bureaucracy and Frankie hated that.
Kris stood straight, stretching out her back a little. She still ached all over, but she'd insisted on coming. Sleeping would do her body good, but it would do nothing for her mind. This meeting was more important.
She slipped into the meeting hall without a second thought, eyeing up the benches that were already occupied. A few faces turned her way, recognition in most eyes. But of course. Kris stomped her way up to a middle bench, one where she had a good view of the floor - and of the seats Jeff and his cronies would take.
A man sitting three benches below turned his head to look at her for a long moment. She didn't recognise him; he had to have ten years on her, at least, but she'd never seen him before in her life.
He had grey eyes.
She wouldn't have noticed, she told herself, if he hadn't stared at her for so long, his gaze assessing even as it didn't move. Finally, he looked away and Kris let out a shaky breath.
Frankie joined her a few minutes later, displeasure evident in every line of her body. "Don't know where Kevin gets off…" she muttered, but Kris nudged her, pointing out the man.
"Who's that?"
Frankie frowned at him and then shrugged. "Never seen him before," she muttered.
"That's what I thought," Kris replied. She frowned at the back of his head, like he might feel it, give up and tell her who he was, but he didn't turn around.
Frankie nudged her arm when Jeff strolled in and the few remaining travellers took their seats. Three people followed him; two women and a man, all around the same age. The Parcae followed them and a hush settled over the crowd.
Kris rubbed her temple. "I didn't think they'd hold a meeting so early," she murmured.
Frankie shook her head. "It's an emergency," she replied.
Kris nodded. She knew, of course. Frankie had told her about the hopper, about thinking it was her and panicking. Kris sighed. Something nasty was going on here, but there was no way they'd get the whole truth of it from these people.
"I thank you all for coming here today," Jeff said, when the others had settled. Kris sat back in her seat. This was going to be a long one. "I'm afraid," he continued, "That I have some bad news."
An expectant silence.
"One of our own has been murdered."
The gasps and whispers began, but Kris sat unmoved, watching. Moira swayed gently in her seat and Dionne was watching her closely. So was one of the women - Jeff's second-in-command, Ms. Spencer.
Kris hated her. She always made Kris call her that: Ms. Spencer; gave her a reprimand on manners if she didn't. The plus side was that Frankie hated her too, so they never had to spend that much time around her.
"Who?" someone shouted and the crowd hushed again.
"His name was Stephen Smith. He-" Jeff took a deep breath before he said the next sentence- "He was a hopper."
The noise ratcheted up another level and Kris frowned, rubbing absentmindedly at her head. Frankie reached and took her hand, dropping two aspirin into it. The girl swallowed them, never looking away from the spectacle below her.
"Quiet!" Jeff bellowed. "Quiet!" The noise dropped, but now more people looked scared than upset. It made sense, Kris supposed. Guardians couldn't catch hoppers. But their murderer-?
Ms. Spencer stood, smoothing down her neat navy skirt. "It could be that he was the victim of random violence," she said and Kris scoffed.
Loudly.
She hadn't realised how silent it had been until she saw the faces turned her way - the amused grey eyes of that stranger. She felt her face flush and saw Ms. Spencer adjust her glasses. "Yes, Miss Harlow?" she asked.
Kris swallowed and frowned, irritated. She stood and Frankie touched her elbow briefly but didn't stop her, which was good.
"That's a load of crap and you know it," Kris said, her voice carrying around the hall. Oppressive it might be, but she had to love the acoustics in this place.
Ms. Spencer looked scandalised. "Miss Harlow, you-"
"Oh, stop it," Kris replied scathingly. "It's one thing to protect us because you don't want us going crazy over nothing, but it's another thing completely to outright lie-"
"I don't know what you're-"
"Last night," Kris said, smoothly overriding her and failing to hide the little smirk at the annoyed expression on the woman's face, "My sister travelled to the year 2051. Whilst she was there, she was attacked by - something, something in her mind and if not for the help of her companion, she would never have made it back. Whatever attacked her, it was designed for travellers. Look me in the eyes and tell me there's nothing going on."
The whole room seemed to have held its breath. As Kris watched, the stranger stood. "I was rebounded to the witch trials in Germany and nearly burned at the stake," he said. "Tell us there's nothing going on."
That caused outrage; the trials had been sealed off ever since they'd happened; they'd caught a dozen travellers in those things and it had been deemed too dangerous a time to return to. Jeff raised his hands.
"You're right, you're right," he said. The stranger took his seat again, but Kris still stood, her hands balled into fists by her sides. "There is something going on, though we're not sure what. It does appear that someone is targeting travellers - but we are satisfied that we will apprehend the culprit soon enough."
Discontent. Kris sat down again and Frankie put her arm around her as they both watched the drama unfold. Accusations flew, but there was nothing concrete, nothing Jeff could tell them, apparently.
Moira started laughing and Kris felt her blood freeze. "My murderer!" Moira shouted to a stunned silence. Dionne hurried over, helped her to her feet and tried to get her attention. "My murderer!" Moira shouted again.
She looked up and her eye unerringly found Kris', then Frankie's. Frankie's arm tightened around Kris' shoulders and she angled them both away. "Ignore her Kris, you know she's-"
"Crazy," Kris murmured back. Dionne took Moira from the room.
When Kris looked up, the stranger was staring at her again. This time, the expression in his eyes was something akin to horror and Kris felt her heart drop into her stomach.