Twilight Tinkering

[very_sharpe]

A small plume of smoke billowed out into an alley between buildings downtown, followed shortly by a laughing, sooty man wearing a black canvas apron over otherwise smart-looking clothes. A formerly white button-down shirt and a pair of deep blue trousers. Thomas laughs, taking his leather gloves off as he looks back to the door he's just escaped through.

"Well, back to the drawing board on that one, then."

Comments

[very_sharpe]

"No, I'm afraid not," he says with sympathy. Thomas knows that most people that come here probably want to find a way home, back to whatever people they left behind. That isn't so for him; the only person he would want to go back to is here. "For me being here is a better alternative, but I know that isn't so for everyone."

[notonemoment]

"Well . . . the conditions here are better than home," he admits, but it's plain he doesn't like what he hears. "I guess I'd better just get used to it." He huffs a wry laugh. "It's not so bad, really."

[very_sharpe]

"It takes some getting used to," he says with a wan smile. "But it isn't so terrible... Strange things happen here, though. I should warn you of that, at least. Entirely unpredictable."

[notonemoment]

"What d'you mean?" he asks. "What kind of strange things?" He's a little wary now, but also incredibly curious. He's seem some weird things in his own home, his own timeline. How different could it be here?

[very_sharpe]

"Oh, ah.. Well, let's see. Several months back people had their deepest, darkest secrets on their backs. Couldn't see it themselves, but other people could. A bit mortifying, actually." Thomas tried a laugh, but it wasn't quite there.

[notonemoment]

"You're kidding," he says. "How— Was it written, or— or projected somehow? Did it happen to you?" He realizes how the question sounds and immediately winces. "Sorry, no, hey. You don't have to answer that."

[very_sharpe]

"We have no idea, but you could take off as many layers as you'd like and it was still there on the skin. Or you could cover it up, and it was there on the back of whatever you wore." Thomas shook his head. It had been disconcerting. "Yes, it did happen to me. But I should rather not tell you what it said. It was... unflattering."

[notonemoment]

"No, I understand," he assures. "Forget I even asked, that was really uncalled for." He smiled wanly and cleared his throat. "What else goes on here?" He can only imagine, but he's almost afraid to be curious.