[ WP ] A time traveler who has no control over his abilities meets his friend , the immortal , for lunch .

The streets smelled of horseshit and the air was choked by smog, and for a moment someone may have heard James McGregor pray that these were smells he wouldn ’ t need to get used to. As he looked upon the dilapidated brothel that towered in front of him he hoped it housed smells that weren ’ t so repugnant and better yet the solution to the dire straits he was in. 
 
 When his foot entered the door he knew that the brothel had already failed on the former as his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of sweat and damp walls. They tried to cover the smells with incense but it only made James light headed. Before he could walk any further a burly Irishman stood in his path brandishing a cricket bat. 
 
 ‘ Can I help you, boy? ’ 
 
 ‘ I-I ’ m, looking for a girl -- - ’ 
 
 ‘ Most men who come here are. ’ He chuckled ‘ what ’ s her name? ’ 
 
 ‘ H-her, her name is Seymour. ’ 
 
 ‘ Ah, Seymour I should have known. ’ James looked at him bewildered 
 
 ‘ She ’ s the most popular lass we got. She ’ s in the fourth room on your right there. ’ He pointed with the cricket bat. Walking towards it the man stood in his way again. ‘ Her time isn ’ t free, jock. ’ 
 ‘ Oh sorry, how much? ’ 
 
 ‘ One guinea. ’ 
 
 ‘ One guinea! ’ 
 
 ‘ I told ya, she ’ s popular. ’ James slapped the pound in the Irishman ’ s grubby hand with reluctance. 
 
 Surprisingly, the room was clean and nicely decorated. It was almost baron if not for a four-poster bed in the centre, a chest-of-drawers in the corner and a dressing table in the other. The room smelled a lot nicer than any other place he had been in the city, the smell of incense was not so poignant and the lime laced curtains combated much of the stench coming from the river Clyde. Seymour stood by the window looking down on busy the cobbled streets, with her elbow in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She looked classy James thought then again she always did. She spun around, her red hair glistened in the candle light as she did so and red lips smiled like cracked porcelain. 
 
 ‘ James! Such a pleasure to see you again. ’ She giggled ‘ Although I didn ’ t think I would meet you like this. ’ Neither did I thought James. ‘ You caught me just in time I was about to have lunch, would you care to join me? ’ 
 
 James spotted the glass wine decanter on her dressing table ‘ A liquid lunch by any chance? ’ 
 
 She giggled like a schoolgirl again ‘ You know me too well. ’ She poured the wine into a chalice and offered it to James. ‘ I don ’ t have the time, Seymour, I used the last of the money on me to speak to you I ’ m not gon na waste it drunk. ’ 
 
 ‘ The last of your money, how much Dara charge this time? ’ 
 
 ‘ A pound. ’ 
 
 ‘ A pound? Oh well, you can expect high demand for a woman who is eternally youthful, sterile and immune to syphilis. You might as well make the most of your time ’ she said as she put his hand under her dress. He pulled away. She looked at him in disgust. 
 
 ‘ You don ’ t want to drink, you don ’ t want to fuck, why the hell are you here? ’ 
 
 ‘ I need your help, Seymour. ’ His words caught the woman off guard, she chuckled then burst into laughter but this time she cackled like a witch. She laughed so hard she lost her footing and fell on the bed. Laying on her back she wiped the tears from her rosé cheeks. ‘ What could you possibly need from me? ’ 
 
 ‘ I ’ ve, I ’ ve lost my abilities. ’ 
 
 ‘ Oh so it ’ s like, like a man ’ s problem you ’ re having ’ she whispered as she pointed to his breeches. 
 
 ‘ No, my time traveling abilities. ’ He blushed 
 
 ‘ Time travel? How the hell am I supposed to help you with that. ’ She said after a gulp of wine. 
 
 ‘ You ’ ve lived longer than any other person on this planet, you must at least know someone who can get me back to the future. ’ 
 
 ‘ Honey, anyone I know who could give you back you ’ re abilities are dead and buried. ’ 
 
 ‘ What about that gypsy, the one that gave you your abilities, surely she must be immortal. ’ 
 
 She swirled the glass in her hand some wine spilled onto her scarlet corset. ‘ I ’ ve not heard from that woman since my first husband bought the elixir that saved my life. ’ 
 
 ‘ So she could still be alive? ’ 
 
 ‘ Fat chance, kid. Besides do you really want an elixir from Ursula? When George bought that potion from the old hag it was to save me from the plague not make me live for another 800 fucking years. If you ask me you ’ re better off staying put. ’ She took another sip. 
 
 ‘ I can ’ t stay here, I need to return home, I have a duty. ’ 
 
 ‘ You and your fucking duty, you know no one appointed you guardian of the fucking space-time continuum. ’ 
 
 ‘ Please Seymour, I can ’ t stay here. ’ 
 
 ‘ Why not? I have to and you fair off much better than me. Do you know how hard it is for a penniless widow with a barren womb in the 19th century? Stay here, get married have children, make the best of this place. Or… 
 
 ‘ Or what? ’ he could see those sapphire eyes glisten. 
 
 ‘ You could marry me. ’ 
 
 ‘ Marry you? ’ 
 
 ‘ Think about it could solve both our problems. I no longer have to be a penniless whore and you get to go back home. You still have that bank account in Florence don ’ t you? ’ 
 
 ‘ How do you plan to get me back home? ’ 
 
 Laying back on the silk covered bed, she began twirling her red locks between her fingers and smiling. And as the smile grew so did the fangs from her upper lip ‘ There is more than one way to skin a cat. ’ 

