The tumult that had gripped the Nexus had, perhaps, begun to ease as the cosmic conflux passed, but it wasn't over yet. As if solely to bear witness to that fact, the air amid a small copse of trees shimmered, then erupted in a swirl of colors that left a man in its wake. The man threw back the hood of his cloak and took in the night air, scowling as his senses brought a wrongness to his attention.

This was not the world he knew.

Still, he thought after a moment's reflection, it's close enough. I can work w- eh" He turned to look at the nearest house. It was larger than the row-houses around it, large enough to have a small yard in which the trees behind him stood. As he waited, the man cast his gaze around the yard, then nodded as if satisfied before turning his attention back to the house.

Finally the yard door opened and the homeowner stepped out. He was a middle-aged man, wearing a plain cotton shirt and breeches, and his hair was receding at a fair pace. "What're you doin' in my yard" There was that flash of light an' then....you all right?"

"Hmm' Oh, yes, Malden, I'm quite fine." The stranger flashed a grin. "Rude of me, I know, to just pop in unannounced but sometimes these things happen. Now then, I seem to be need of a place to reside."

Taken aback, Malden blinked twice before finding his voice again. "Well, there are plenty o' good inns here in the city." Then a thought struck him. "Wait, how did you know my name" An' what?s yours?"

"Oh, I have many skills. You may call me Lord Black." There was another grin. "As for your suggestion, it's good, but I was actually hinking that this would make a nice little starter home." He gestured to the very house from which Malden had emerged. "You've put some good years into it, you and Carilla, and since your son died in that snowstorm last winter, well, there's a spare room and all." Stepping forward, Black clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. "Of course, that's where the two of you will be sleeping, as I'll be much more comfortable in the master bed. Well, perhaps I'll share it with your lovely wife, I don't know."

"My wife"!" Eyes wide, Malden pulled away to stare at the stranger, but seconds later his expression grew dull and slack.

"Yes, well, she's starting to get on in years, but I've seen her through your eyes and....well, from that perspective she's still quite a looker. How sweet." He looked up at the second floor window, where the woman in question watched, and held her gaze for a moment before she reached up and cast off her robe, leaving herself clad only in a thin nightdress before she stepped away. "Well-rounded. You're a lucky man, my friend. Now then, let's talk about how long you two will be staying on. I think perhaps a week before you start making arrangements to move down to Nyan'din. Your old hometown and all that. Yes, yes!" Gently turning Malden to face the door, Black threw an arm across his shoulders and guided him inside. "That will do nicely."

((link to main Sublimation thread))