February 10th, 1892 — Wellingtonshire

A walk through the street was a good way of escaping the sometimes cluttered nature of his home life - in particular if his house keeper was forgetting that she was not in fact his mother and would begin to chitter at him about some nonsense item in his management of the affairs of the house - which is what he was fairly sure that that was what he was paying her for.

It was a brisk, cold, but dry day. The wind was biting and it made keeping his coat closed around his chest and neck all the more difficult. He could almost feel the chest cold and sore throat now. Some of the last of the winter leaves swirled in the gutter and as his eye caught them his vision narrowed to a dizzy pinpoint and he saw a (person), drenched in foul water.

Bernard turned on the spot, searching the relatiely quiet street for the person from his vision. 'Watch out!' he shouted as the fetted water was tossed by the careless maid over the balcony.

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Alexander was heading off to High Street and had just left his home. His grandmama was on his case lately about finding a nice, young heiress to marry. It wasn't like Alexander wasn't trying, he just wasn't sure quite how to go about things. He'd had romances with ladies before but they had hardly turned out to be 'bring them home to grandmama' types.

His mind was dealing with the unfamiliar sensation of being filled with thoughts when a mans voice brought him up short. Just enough to save him from the water by a mere inch. "Amazing! It was like you knew," Alexander said cluelessly.

  

'mmmh' Bernard acknowledged. It was rare that someone was actually impressed by Bernards abilities, usually he was hushed up and told not to bring everyone down or blamed for the near miss - as though his vision has caused the mishap rather than merely foretold it. Although that was a rather interesting area for future study -whether seer magic foresaw the future, or somehow conjured it into being through some innate power of non-verbal magic. A bit like children and accidental magic when they were feeling particularly strong emotion. He would need to make a mental note to perhaps initiate a study on that when he got back into the office.

'Um...I did.' he tapped the side of his head to indicate that he had had a vision, he was fairly sure it was the universal signal for these things. 'It didn't.....get you did it?' he asked, looking the other up and down his lip curled, not in disdain for the man, but at the prospect of the night soil on his clothing.

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Alexander had no idea what the man was getting at. "I don't think any of it did," Alexander said. "Though why they did not simply vanish it like the maids I have do, I don't know." Unless they had purposely been trying to get either him or the gentleman.

  

Bernard was a modicum less grossed out by the man's continued proximity. Bernard's view that bad things were 'out to get him' - felt born out by a lifetime of bad luck and a confluence of bad events occurring in close proximity.

Sometimes he thought the easiest way to find him might be to become a bad event and happen to him.

'I did know' he clarified for the other 'I'm a seer, so I saw your rather unfortunate interaction in my head' he tapped his temple again.

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Alexander was thankfully able to comprehend that this man was telling Alexander he was a Seer rather than just informing the blond he had use of his eyes. "Oh. Well then, thank you! I much prefer chamberpots contents to be far away from me."

  

Bernard smiled lopsidedly, that looked rather more like a grimacing sneer than a true grin. 'You don't look like a man much acquainted with misfortune?' but it was as much of a statement as a question, giving the man an appraising look, and pulling a cigerette from his pocket, lighting it with a snap of his fingers and extending the packet to the other.

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"Then you would be mistaken," Alexander chuckled for his life had been very much full of misfortune. None of it his fault but at least things had been looking a little up lately. He accepted the cigarette from the other man. "I've had my share but I also don't believe in bringing myself down by dwelling too much, you know?"

  

The other accepted the cigerette and Bernard lit it, taking a number of quick pulls on his own till it was spent and he pulled and lit another one, flicking the butt into the gutter.

'Better for you' Bernard said a little sourly, he had been having visions since he was a child and every single one, without exception had been bad luck, some unfortunate event that had inevtiably followed the vision. 'I've never managed that myself, some people are just cursed I guess' he siad with a mirthless chuckle.

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This man really was determined to be a dreary soul, wasn't he? Not that it was any of Alexander's business how this man chose to react to things in his life. "I suppose so. If they let themselves be dragged down by all the bad and ignore any good going on in their lives."

  

Bernard tried not to take exception to the young man's statement, even if it did happen to feel rather personal. 'I guess it was good for you that I happen to be one of the unhappy souls' he said, 'otherwise you'd be covered in literal shit.' He took a last long drag of his cigerette and tossed it into the gutter where it hissed for a second before going out.

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"This is very true! Might I buy you a pint to thank you?" Alexander chirped, ever cheery and oblivious to any offense he might have accidentally caused.

  

He pulled a cigerette from his pocket and lit up again without preamble, once again offering the other a cigerette. Not one to turn down a drink he had been about to agree, to indicate his assent when the clock in the distant square sounded. He cursed under his breath, 'I'm afraid I have an appointment sir and I've to hurry or be blastedly late for it.' he took out his pocket watch consulting it to make sure the church bell wasn't deceiving him. 'I shall call in your debt another time Mister Echelon' he noted, deciding that the eager young man was mostly harmless and for the most part tolerable - in spite of the fact he was perhaps a little over eager - like an over exuberant puppy. He was sure that the young ladies all fell over themselves for that bright open face and keen smile.

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Alexander accepted the cigarette from the other man but tucked it behind his ear for later. Woah, they had not even provided each other with their names and the man knew his! That was wild to Alexander who failed to consider that his family was relatively well known in society. "Next time you will need to tell me your name," he joked as he too made his merry way.