Twenty Minutes Before

[Lovely]

November 4, 2006
London


Elias sat at his kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee as he flipped through the newspaper. He was wearing a black shirt that was tight enough to show off his six pack, and a pair of dark blue jeans. The TV was on, but was muted for the moment as he paused on an article about a recent murder in the back pages of the london post.

Mari walked up the stair to the door, checking the address on the slip of paper in her hand with the number by the door. Taking a breath she rang the bell and waited.

"It's open." He called to the door as he closed the paper and reached out for the remote to click the TV off before standing and padding to the door, bare footed.

She tried the handle and slowly swung the door inward. Her head peeked in, blonde curls shifting as her head moved to look around. "Hello?" She called softly, stepping in. Her head turned to the direction he was coming from, before he actually got in view. "Good Morning." She said, just before he appeared in the 'hall'.

"G'day." He said as he gestured for her to enter the foyer of his nice flat. From the door there was a little hall before the area opened up, a raised area held the kitchen and a 'breakfast bar' along with a small square dining table. Circling behind the raised area lead to two rooms, one upstairs the other down, sharing the wall with the bathroom. To the right of that was a door to the roof of the building the wall almost completely windowed. In the area before the raised area sat a couch and chair along with a coffee table and a wide screen TV on the wall.

Mari's eyes swept the place quickly and she nodded her head. "So where do we do this?" She gave a small smile.

"Couch is comfy." he commented turning from her and moving into the 'living room' He wore gloves on his hand and seemed to expect her to close the door behind her.

Mari closed the door and followed him to the couch, perching ladylike on the edge.

"So y'called, I guess y'want t'know somethin'." He said sitting, and pulling a leg onto the couch as he turned and looked at him, right to buisness.

"Well I want to know alot of things." She smiled. "What do you get out of doing this? Obviously you don't need money... oh yes." She reached into her purse passing the agreed upon amount to him.

He reached out and took it, placing it on the table without even taking a second look at it. "Practice." He said with a shrug. "Wha'd'y'need t'know?" He asked sitting against the arm of the couch again.

"Aren't you supposed to know that?" She arched a brow, her smile still seeming amused.

He leaned forward and leaned on his knee. "Humor me."

"Hmmm well you see I have a reason for being here.... But I need to know you are for real... I can't afford some hack...getting it wrong. No offence, sorry I know it's kinda harsh."

He chuckled and nodded, pulling off his glove, he reached out, palm up. "Give me your hand." He said.

Mari reached her hand out to place it lightly in his. She took breath and waited.

[Lovely]

Elias's eyes glowed blue briefly before he closed them, he spoke softly. "Traffic in london can be 'azardous some times. y'were comin' down th'ill an' y'didn' see th'othah cah tha'didn' see y'eithah. It was close wasn'it?" He asked releasing her hand and looking up to her, his eyes still glowing slightly, but not as much.

Mari nodded softly. "Wasn't me driving, but I suppose...that's a minor detail?" She sort of smiled.

"Tall gent, brownish hair? Green eyes I believe." He smirked.

Mari chuckled softly. "Contacts...I think he was trying to be cuter or something." She waved her hand and looked at him. "So why do you do this? You obviously have a gift... a real one."

He shrugged. "Pays the bills." Which was a lie, he had plenty of money. "And better than a real job."

"Ah...." She sighed, not sure what to say. "Doesn't look like it pays too babdly... you seem to be well off."

"A lil' 'elp from the folks." He tilted his head slightly.

"Well you do seem to have everything you could need.. or want. Though not living in splendor, you're comfortable.." Mari looked around again and then tipped her head to match his. "This is just something to pass the time? You don't have a real passion to do something with it?"

He leaned forward slightly as he replaced his glove. "I only have a real passion for one thing." He said, his voice dropping low for a moment before he leaned back again and smiled. "Everything else between those moments are things to pass the time."

She reached over and patted his hand. "Thank you... and I'm sorry to have wasted your time." She stood. "It was a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand to shake his.

He stood as well and took her hand. "My dear." He said taking a step toward her. "You wasted no time, an' don't be rushin' off so fast. Allow me to get y'somethin' t'drink an' we can discuss this proposal y'ave."

Mari gave him a odd look. "What ever do you mean?" But she didn't rush off.

"I know you didn't come all the way out 'ere for nothin', I'd'ate t'spoil such a long trip." He said taking a step back and moving up the steps to the small bar. "What's yer poision?"

"Anything without alcohol? I do have a long trip home."

He poured pulled out a cola for her and a bottle of beer, a local brew, for himself. Passing her the can he gestured for her to sit again. "So what brought yew all th'way t'london t'see me?"

Mari sipped her cola and looked at him a moment. "I came to check you out. The people I work for had an interest and sent me to see check out the information they were given." She stated simply.

"An'what would th'people y'work for want with me?" He asked.

"You have a gift... one that could be useful to them." She smiled.

"Glad somebody does." He smirked.

"Well I think you are very gifted, if it counts for any-" Her purse dropped as did her soda, her hand came to her forehead as the other reached for something to catch her. Her knees buckled as the vision racked violently through her.

[Lovely]

Elias stepped out to catch her, his arms hooking around her waist as he lowered her to the ground.

She twitched a little as he lowered her to the floor. "Oh... that was a bad one...." She breathed heavily and sought to steady herself as the images 'filed' and she made sence out of what she saw, this took a matter of seconds as the info relayed in her mind. "Um... I.. need to make a call."

"There's a phone on the table." He said nodding to the end table as he shifted and stood, holding a hand out to help her up."

"Thank you it's long distance... I've got.. mine." She reached for her purse and pulled out her cell. Mari let him help her up, before shakily walking to the window. She dialed and waited. "It's Mari... code blue level two... get Badger away from the simulator now." She spoke in a firm voice and waited on hold for a couple moments.

Elias opened his beer and paced away from her to give her some privacy, though still listening in.

"Still here... is he ok?" Another pause. "Hey, yeah.. check panel three." A chuckle. "huh? sweety... speak in complete sentences. I just had a skull pounding vision.... You're welcome... get that fixed ok? We'll go for beers when I get back... Celebrate you not blowing up.... ok talk to you then." She closed her phone and turned back with a smile, though it was pained.

He rubbed his neck as his gaze layed upon her again. "Where were we?"

"Me telling you, that you had a real gift or something like that.."

"Or somethin' like that." He chuckled. "So what exactly are y'askin' of me?"

"I'm not asking anything."

He nodded. "Very well then, if that's all..." He said taking a step to clear the path to the door for her.

She chuckled. "You have potential.... you just need drive." She walked past and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for not letting me crack my head on the floor."

"Glad I could help.. as for drive... I have no need... y'want t'know why I really do what I do?" He asked, arching a brow at her. "Besides practice of course... it allows me t'break up the monotonous boredom of m'life." He shrugged. "Never at a need for anythin'... except somethin' t'do."

"Well.." She sighed. "Something to do is great and all...for a job." She looked him in the eye. "And normally you wouldn't be lacking in things to do... but this is not a 9-5 kinda job... this is a life...."

"An' I'm not exactly nine t'five right now eithah. Besides, I'm tired of playing psychic... too many suspect more than that as it is, an' probably would die t'show othahs th'truth about me."

"Well...then perhaps we do have more to offer you, than we thought."

"Go back t'the'states, 'ave a drink with yer friend, make yer report, an' maybe I'll 'ear from y'in time." He said as he opened the door for her.

"Would you like that before or after your neighbor three doors down stabs you?"

He smirked. "Thanks fer the warnin', before would be nice."

"Care for a vacation on us? Pick you up in two hours? Exactly twenty minutes before the stabbing?" She tried to smirk back, but it ended up a warm smile.

He touched her arm and grinned. "I'll start packin'." He said.