Natalie and Edward came rolling out of the portal onto cobble stones. Rain was gently falling making everything dark and damp around them.
“Get off of me!” Natalie yelled pushing Edward off of her. “What the hell were you thinking Ed? You could have gotten us killed with a stunt like that!”
Edward sat up, propping himself against a nearby wall. “I couldn’t just let you leave OK?” he said rubbing his head. When they’d come rolling out, he’d managed to hit his head against the ground.
“But I told you what would happen if someone came with me and left their world. How could you do this Ed?” Natalie now propped herself up against the wall next to him.
“You didn’t take me, I came on my own. That had to count for something right? And look, we’re both here and as far as I can tell everything’s alright,” he said, grinning at her and chuckling.
Natalie wasn’t finding this so funny. Taking her staff she knocked him over the head. “You’re such a jerk Ed! Just because we can’t see what happened doesn’t mean that something didn’t happen!”
“Ow! Hey! What did you do that for?? That hurt!”
Natalie just sighed. “You’re an idiot Ed, I swear. Oh well, nothing we can do about it now.” She stood up and transformed back to normal. She looked down at her t-shirt and jeans. There was no way she was going to fit in here looking like this. Then she looked at Edward, he should be alright, even with that bright red coat of his. “Come on, I have to find another outfit.”
“Why?” he asked, standing up now too, rubbing his head again. If the landing hadn’t given him a knot up there, her hit certainly would. “Where are we anyway?”
“Victorian England and right now I stick out like a sore thumb. This isn’t exactly something that people around here wear,” she said as she walked to the end of the alley they’d landed in and looked around for anyone. The last thing she wanted was to be seen right now. “Now let’s see…”
“So how are we going to get these clothes anyway? I mean we could make them with alchemy but we don’t have the stuff to…”
Natalie shook her head. “I don’t know if alchemy will even work here Ed. Remember, we’re not in your world anymore and it’s very possible that the principles that applied there don’t apply here.”
“Oh. So then what are we going to do?”
Natalie waved for him to follow her. “The only choice we have, ‘borrow’ some.” Edward looked at her like he wanted to say something but then thought better of it.
He did as she asked and they snuck their way into the next alley before anyone saw them. In there was a clothes line and from it hung a few sets of men’s clothing. “Perfect,” she said as she walked over and took a pair of black pants and white button down shirt from the line. “Crap, they’re wet.” Natalie shook her head. “Should have expected that.”
Edward took the cloths from her and draped them over his arm. “Well, let’s see if alchemy works. If not, we’re no worse off right?” He clapped his hands together and then placed one on the wet articles. In a flash of light they had dried. “Not bad, seems we’re good here, for alchemy at least.” Handing the clothes back to her he noticed some other things on the line. “You find a place to change, I have an idea…” he said with a grin.
Natalie looked at him curiously as she took the now dry clothes from him. “What’s going through your mind Ed?”
“Don’t worry; I won’t get caught, just go change OK?”
She just shook her head and ducked into a doorway where he wasn’t going to see her. While she did, he went back over to the clothes line and took a few other things down. He then placed them on top of a box that was sitting there and transmuted them into something else.
She came out of the doorway all changed and found a place to stash her other clothes. As she did, she saw the light from his transmutation. “Ed! Do you want us to get caught? I thought you said…” Her voice trailed off as he turned around and held up what he’d made. It was a long jacket exactly like his except in black with the symbol in white on the back.
“Edward…” she said as she went over and ran her fingers over the edge of the fabric.
“Put it on,” he said as he indicated that she turn around. She did and let him help her put it on.
She took a step back and spun around so he could see how it fit her, her long, green ponytail and the edges of the coat floating out around her as she did. His breath caught a bit in his chest as he watched her. This look really did suit her.
Once she stopped she went over and hugged him. “Thank you…” she said softly.
Edward swallowed hard then drew in a deep breath and exhaled it to keep his wits about him. Gently, he returned the hug. “You’re welcome.”
After a moment she let go of him. “Now, let’s see what we’re dealing with. I’m not entirely sure where in this world I dropped us exactly so I need to see what’s going on.”
Edward nodded and they made their way out onto the main street for a little exploring.
No comments:
Post a Comment