He'd been in the middle of a drink, frankly. Alone, murmuring a tune in a language filled with consonants, the soft, thin thread of it filling the room. Coming to the end of it he'd smiled, lifted his glass to drink . . .
And then yank! And there went the world again, shoving him out of proper time and into the dust of another.
Annoying.
His eyes flickered briefly to the shrieking, fleeing boys, but couldn't say he blamed them, exactly. Magic -- or whatever this business was -- should stay in the sights of the people that understood it.
First things first. He rose from the dirt, dusting off pants and hands alike. Digging into his jacket, he produced his NV (which conveniently doubled as a mirror and fortunately still existed), checking face and hair for flaw in the fall.
Second things second. One hand extended, he tested: Pale sparks danced between his fingers, across his palm.
All right. Both matters of importance in place. Only then did his attention veer to the fact that he was not alone, taking in the field of unfortunates around him, then the screaming crows overhead.
Open
And then yank! And there went the world again, shoving him out of proper time and into the dust of another.
Annoying.
His eyes flickered briefly to the shrieking, fleeing boys, but couldn't say he blamed them, exactly. Magic -- or whatever this business was -- should stay in the sights of the people that understood it.
First things first. He rose from the dirt, dusting off pants and hands alike. Digging into his jacket, he produced his NV (which conveniently doubled as a mirror and fortunately still existed), checking face and hair for flaw in the fall.
Second things second. One hand extended, he tested: Pale sparks danced between his fingers, across his palm.
All right. Both matters of importance in place. Only then did his attention veer to the fact that he was not alone, taking in the field of unfortunates around him, then the screaming crows overhead.
Nice touch. Very apt.