[James Clark]

Date: Thursday Sept 25, 2008
Location: Spring Valley, suburbs of San Diego, CA

September was always hectic at the group home, the kids struggling to transition from summer back to the routine of school. The new arrivals in particular had it rough, still reeling from a sudden shift in where they had to live, the unfamiliar group sessions, the raw trauma they pretended not to feel that James tried to coax them to talk about. Not to mention the bureaucracy of it all. Schools requesting medical files faxed over, the state needing verification of social security numbers, guardian ad litems wanting written reports to present at court.

It was a terrible time for Tabby's impromptu lunch date to run over. Thursdays were supposed to be her day to pick up Peter from school. Now, though, she was all the way out in Pine Grove, stuck in traffic for another 40 mins and it fell to James. He'd have to put off the letters of recommendation he was supposed to write again and he'd have to ask the other social worker Karen--who was terrible at working with the quiet ones--to help settle in the new girl who still hadn't said a single word in the two days since she'd arrived.

James sighed, inserting his car key into the front door and twisting to unlock it. He slid into the drivers seat and started the ignition, immediately cringing back at the sudden blast of 92.5 Kiss FM blaring through the speakers. His daughter Sami kept changing the stations on him and now the Plain White T's were attacking his eardrums instead of something more palatable, like Tears for Fears. Hey there, Delilah, don't you worry about the distance-- James turned the knob of the stereo left, trying not to think about the millions of things still on his mind. He needed to mow the lawn tonight before it rained all day tomorrow and he needed to remember to bring out the trash and the compost before garbage pickup in the morning. --I'm right there if you get lonely, give this song another listen--

Again, a crappy day for Tabs to be home late.

He reached over to the glove box and rummaged around, fingers passing over cassette tapes and sunglasses before finding the cell phone he was looking for. He flipped it open, glancing at the battery life on the tiny pixelated screen. 10%. His wife was always reminding him to charge it but he hated the damn thing and it never got reception anyway. Texting took forever, pressing down on the same number to shift between letters. It was confusing and stupid. A hassle. So much easier to just call someone.

He started dialing his wife's number, but either the battery was too low or he didn't have enough signal. --Close your eyes, listen to my voice, it's my disguise, I'm by your side--

Shaking his head irritably, James shut off the car and opened the door again, grabbing his shoulder bag purely out of habit as he headed back towards the group home. Cell phones were more trouble than they were worth. He didn't have time to go back inside, all the way up to the second floor to his office. So, instead, he pulled two quarters from the change in his pocket and made his way to the payphone mounted at the side of the building. He fed the coins into the slot and punched in his wife's number on the thick silver keys, waiting impatiently for her to pick up but not surprised when he got her voicemail instead. She was probably driving, after all.

"Hey, Tabby, it's me," he said, not even attempting to hide the annoyance in his voice. "I got your message. It's about--" he glanced at his watch. "--2:40 and I'm on my way to Pete's school now. Can you pick up pizza or Chinese or something on your way back? You'll have to take Sami to volleyball practice at 7 'cuz I have that meeting with the Warringtons tonight. I really don't have time for all of this today." He paused, hearing the resentment in his voice. He looked upwards, pulling in a long breath. He should apologize, probably. She didn't know how late her lunch date would go and she didn't know the traffic patterns out in Pine Grove. But still, he was pissed. This derailed his whole afternoon and evening. "I'll see you at home," he said, his tone softening a little, but that's all he was willing to give at the moment.

Hanging up the phone, he glanced again at his watch. He had 20 mins to get to Peter's school. "Oh, it's what you do to me," he softly sang--slightly off key--that damn song stuck in his head as he headed back to his car. "It's what you do to me."

Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: None!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

Imani still wasn't feeling one hundred percent after her jump back so far. At least she'd stopped shaking and her head no longer felt like someone was taking an icepick to the back of her skull. She'd traveled back fifteen years under an assignment from the Sector to bring back a man named Avery James Winslow. At least that was supposed to be his name from their records. Which strangely there weren't many records to begin with. There was an Avery James that had gone missing in 2018. But they couldn't be one hundred percent sure the two were the same person. What they did know is Avery James Winslow seemed to be a little boy that was mysteriously found alone in the woods in the 70s. Claiming he wasn't supposed to be here but the police reports that had been dug up all seemed a little inconclusive. As most things were in the 70s. But the sector had little interest in a boy that had supposedly possibly just been sent back in time. What they had issue with happened because of Avery James Winslow.

The issue was a child he was going to have. One that would cause far too much death and destruction. And would bring Gifteds not only into the light but under attack. They would be seen as dangerous and unpredictable. All because of one girl who couldn't control her powers. Imani felt bad, really she did. This man had a wife and kids. He had a life. She didn't want to rip him away from that but what choice did she have? He wasn't supposed to be here! He wasn't even supposed to have been born yet. Were she able to have jumped back further Imani might have been able to stop him from being sent back in time in the first place. That would have stopped the child from being born and would have stopped the heartache he was going to inevitably feel but this was her only option.

She'd waited outside of his job. After years in the foster system himself she found it kind of nice that he started working with foster kids too. Imani wondered if it was because he was looking for something. Or someone. Someone like him. Someone that had been misplaced in time and was as lost and confused as he would have been. She watched him go to his car as she sat in her rental. Parked just across the street she watched him move to the payphone to call someone. Though from where she was she couldn't hear what he was saying. His expression seemed frustrated though. Imani wished she could leave him to go about his day. Go home to his wife and kids and unwind. But she didn't have that luxury.

So she took a breath and climbed out of her car while he was still in the booth. There was a lie on her tongue she'd prepared to get his attention. To get him to talk to her. Her dark eyes were wet, as if she'd been crying. Which is the look she was going for as she tapped his shoulder just before he got in his car. Her expression was one of uncertainty, even a little fear as she took a hard swallow before she spoke. "Um...Excuse me I don't mean to bother you," her voice was soft and a bit hesitant as she waited for him to turn around. "Are you Avery Winslow?" She pulled her hands close to her chest. Making herself seem smaller, unthreatening. Even a little nervous as she fidgeted with the heart shaped locket that hung around her neck.

notes. Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

Just as he reached for his car door, James felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned, expecting to see Karen or one of the teens from the group home. Instead of a familiar face, though, he was caught off guard by the young lady standing next to him. She was slightly taller than him (not a difficult feat by itself), but she still seemed small and fragile, her shoulders hunched inward as her hands fidgeted with some necklace he couldn't quite see. His eyes widened at the sight of her face and hands, the white skin contrasting against her dark complexion. For a second he thought they were burn marks or evidence of some kind of abuse. Acid, maybe?

He pulled in a sharp breath, wondering if she was in some kind of physical pain. How recently did this happen? Was she in some kind of danger now? He glanced around the parking lot, confirming they were alone, before looking again at her, assessing. She seemed fine physically. The discoloration was too perfectly symmetrical around her mouth, too clean running up along her arms. Must be some kind of skin condition. Fine, good. Okay.

Still impossible to ignore the intense waves of desperation she emanated. Physically she might be okay, yes, but emotionally? Clearly, she was distraught and uncertain. He started to get a bad feeling, like he was going to have to let her down easy. She seemed what? Late 20s, early 30s? About the right age for someone who had a child young, maybe got into some trouble, trying to clean herself up... He'd seen this before. A young mother coming to the group home, hoping to have contact with her son or daughter. Many of the kids in foster care still had living parents, parents who were unfit to care for them. Drug abuse, prostitution, mental illness, the list went on.

"Yes, that's me," he said, smiling pleasantly at the young woman, his eyes softening with compassion. "You can call me James, though." He cocked his head, rolling his eyes at himself, attempting to keep the mood light and easy. "It's my middle name." He thought he did a pretty decent job, actually, of hiding his inner frustration. He really didn't have the time for this and, if she was a mother of one of his kids, then she really shouldn't be here. It was a court violation.

The thought of picking up Peter nagged at the back of his mind, but the school was only 10 mins away. He could spare a few minutes for whatever this was about. Besides, it was difficult to ignore someone's pleading eyes, wet around the corners. "Come on, let's sit a second," he offered, motioning to a picnic table along the grass that bordered the parking lot. He was careful not to touch her, having dealt with enough traumatized people in his time to know better, but he stayed close enough to her side to offer comfort and support. "What can I help you with?"

Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: Found some time tonight. Muhahwah. Enjoy! Let me know if you need more to work with!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

Imani noticed the initial shock he had at first seeing her and wasn't surprised. Likely he was thrown off by the spots of discoloration on her skin, as a lot of people were at first. Most people in the current time didn't think too deeply about it but knowledge about the condition wasn't as wide spread in the early 2000s. As Imani had been painfully aware of when she was younger. She was a bit worried he might cause more of a scene about it for a moment. Luckily though he seemed to get over his initial shock. His concern with her appearance wasn't something she wanted to focus on or toy with.

As he clarified the name he'd prefer her to call him Imani sniffled and offered a curt nod. As if his name was currently the least of her concerns but she was trying to be polite. Which, at least was true. When he offered to sit down she chewed on her bottom lip nervously and hesitated a bit. Before she joined him at the picnic table and swallowed hard. Looking much like a woman trying to work herself up to say something that she was scared to express. She let out a breath and looked at the table between them. She was sure he thought she was probably hoping he could help her see a child again.

"I...I'm really sorry to be bothering you but I heard...Well I heard you um," she grit her teeth and toyed idly with the locket again as she took another deep breath. Her voice lowered to just above a whisper. Just loud enough for him to hear her as she finally brought her dark eyes up to meet his. "I heard that when you were a boy you were found in the woods and said you weren't supposed to be here," she started. Searching his face to see how he might react to that being brought up. He wasn't exactly a little boy anymore and she worried maybe he'd been convinced after all that he hadn't actually had a time anomaly event.

"I...I know I probably sound crazy but I've tried talking to the police about this and none of them believe me," her voice was rushed, desperate before she bit her bottom lip again. Her eyes moved back down to the table. Uncertain and startled looking. "I'm not supposed to be here," she breathed out, this time sounding like she was talking more to herself than to him. "And I have to get back to my little brother." Her eyes lifted back up to his with a sort of pleading that he might believe her.

notes. Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

As he sat down at the picnic table, James unzipped the outer pouch of his shoulder bag, pulling his business card from the inner pocket. He waited patiently for the young woman to gather the courage to sit as well, using the moments of her hesitation to start thinking of the best ways to politely--but firmly--redirect her to more appropriate channels. As she fidgeted again with her necklace, he realized it was a heart-shaped pendant, maybe some kind of locket. He wondered what might be inside, perhaps a picture or a locket of hair, but he supposed the physical object itself was likely less meaningful than the memories attached. That was certainly the case for him; the simple necklace hidden under his shirt was neither flashy nor particularly memorable, but he'd clung to it nonetheless all of these years...

When the woman finally lifted her eyes, James met her gaze, prepared to smile encouragingly. He had to lean forward slightly across the table in order to hear her whispered words--and what she said left him completely shocked. He froze, the color draining from his face, his eyes still staring into hers but now without focus, as if he was looking past her. How did she know what happened to him as a boy? That was over 30 years ago but, all of a sudden, the panic he'd felt then was fresh and raw, feelings of confusion and terror resurfacing.

---yeah, i can totally beat you across the monkey bars, joey, you think you're so tough in second grade. little hands grip the bars tight, ready, set, go! the kids on the wood chips all start rooting for their chosen winner, he can feel the adrenaline, hands grabbing bar to bar to bar--ouch! the ground is cold and rough, his arm against the root of a tree. joey, where are you? the school is gone, it's nothing but trees and the kids aren't there. mrs. sanders? joey? my arm, i can't move it, it hurts so much, mommy? mommy, where are you?---

James blinked, forcing himself to push away the memory. He looked down, seeing the business card in his hand, now crushed and wrinkled from the force by which he'd been gripping it. He hadn't thought about that day in the woods for years, but that wasn't to say he had forgotten. No, it was impossible to completely forget. After the initial adjustment to life in the 70s, his entire life ever since had been a constant sense of deja vu. When CDs replaced cassette tapes, he knew all about them, using words and making comments that nobody understood until a year or two later. Same with the DVD replacing VHS, the internet, YouTube, Netflix, on and on. Sometimes it creeped his wife out; sometimes it creeped him out.

He had a secret journal, a private collection of every memory he could dig up from his life before waking up in the woods. It was currently hidden in the lining of his shoulder bag. He'd only been six years old, not exactly the right age to know about politics and major world events, but he'd learned over the years how much a child really absorbs day-to-day. Besides, the more he slipped up, the more the people around him became uncomfortable and suspicious; he'd learned long ago to pretend he knew nothing of the future.

James looked at the young woman across from him, eyes flicking back-and-forth in rapid thought. Was he looking at a mirror of his six-year-old self? The fear and the uncertainty on her face, the desperate need to be believed? Had she also been ripped from her current time and dropped in 2008, confused and lost? How long had it been for her? Long enough for her to research him, to find him. She wasn't supposed to be here? Neither was he.

He knew he should say something. Anything. The silence between them was growing into an uncomfortable chasm. He tried to smile at her, tried to say something encouraging about finding her little brother. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. What was he supposed to say? He'd searched for years and years to find a way back to the future and he'd uncovered a lot of interesting people along the way, but he had never found anyone with time travel. He couldn't lie to her and tell her things would be okay. Besides, what if he was completely off base and she was really just a young mother looking for her child like he initially thought?

James abruptly stood up, standing to the side, his face turned away from the young woman. He rubbed a hand over his cheek, thinking. After another moment, he slowly turned and caught her eyes again. "Okay, maybe you'll think I'm crazy," he said, pulling in a deep breath. He wasn't sure he should do this, but if he was wrong, then it wouldn't mean anything to her. And if he was right, then--

"Trump vs Hillary. Stranger Things. Elon Musk."

Each word came out strong and clear, but he couldn't help the shakiness underlying his voice. He looked at her expectantly, realizing that he was just as desperate for someone to believe him as she seemed to be.


Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: lol, longer than I thought! I can add more dialogue if you need more to work with, just lmk!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

She watched the realization wash over his face. How his eyes suddenly became glazed and distant. As if physically he was with her but mentally he'd gone somewhere far away. So maybe he did still believe he'd been dumped in the wrong time? Good, that would make this a whole lot easier. She could give him one person who wouldn't think he was crazy. She could offer him some sort of semblance that he wasn't alone. As he suddenly stood up though Imani blinked in surprise. For a moment she was worried he might just walk away. That maybe he actually didn't believe her. Or maybe he didn't want to believe her.

Once he turned to her Imani knew she wouldn't think he was crazy. Because he wasn't. This wasn't the time he was supposed to be in anymore than she should have been. The only thing was, she could get him back to where he was supposed to be. Well, relatively speaking. She couldn't do anything to change how much he'd already grown. When he began rattling off various names for people and things Imani was confused at first before she took a breath. "Trump won," she did her best to keep the malice out of her voice as she spoke. It wasn't the time to get into a political debate with someone who didn't even know what current politics were like. "They came out with a Stranger Things season two but I never actually watched the first season," it just hadn't been something to really capture her interest. "And Elon Musk bought Twitter."

Likely a lot of what she was saying would be news to him. But it at least proved that she was serious in what she was talking about. "Look, I can show you something," she said as she reached into her bag to pull out her Samsung Galaxy Flip. A phone that wouldn't exist for decades. She unfolded it to show a picture of her and her little brother as her phone lockscreen. "My phone shouldn't exist right?" Admittedly it hadn't had signal since she jumped back so it wasn't as if she could make any texts or calls. She couldn't even connect to any internet. So it was little more than a paper weight currently. But it was proof. Though she was certain he would have remembered smartphones.

"I don't have any signal, I can't open over half of my apps, I can't connect to the internet," Imani looked down at the picture of her and her younger brother. It was a dreadfully old picture from when he was sixteen. But it was still one of her favorite ones. "I don't- I...I don't know how I got here or why and I'm so scared!"

notes. Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

A huge stupid grin spread across James' face as she began talking. He obviously had no way of verifying who won the 2016 election or how many seasons Stranger Things had or why a billionaire would want to buy Twitter. The mere fact that she had heard of Elon Musk, knew that such a TV show existed, and didn't blink at the idea of Trump running for president indicated that she really was from the future. Nobody from 2008 would have any clue what any of that meant.

As she pulled out her phone, he nodded along, unable to stop himself from letting out a quiet burst of uncontrolled laughter. He hadn't seen a smartphone in years, barely remembered what one really looked like. The excitement swirling inside him continued to bubble up and he knew that he might actually look a little crazy--but he couldn't help it. For three decades he'd lived with this massive secret just beneath the surface, underlying everything he did, and he'd never met anyone who could really truly understand.

"I'm sorry," he said, biting his cheeks to stop himself from laughing. He looked from the woman's phone back to her eyes. "I believe you, I do, I just--" He shrugged one shoulder, cocking his head to the side and unable to keep the smile off his face. "It's a lot to take in, you know?"

James took a step closer to the young woman, reminding himself that all of this was completely new and terrifying for her. She hadn't been in the past for 30 years, hadn't had time to process everything. She must be scared out of her mind, probably didn't appreciate his sudden fit of laughter. With a conscious effort, he forced himself to pull it together and focus. Looking more closely at her phone, he considered the picture. Clearly it was the same woman, albeit much younger. How long had she been in the past? What time was she from? How did she find him? He had a million questions bursting to ask all at once.

Again, he bit at his left cheek, forcing himself to re-focus. "That's your little bro?" he asked, nodding towards the picture on her lock screen. "You both look great." He needed to pivot back towards her and her problems before he completely lost it.

"Tell me what happened," he said, looking at her sideways, not forcing her to look him in the eyes directly. He wasn't sure how tough talking about all of this might be and too intense of a gaze might scare her off. "How long have you been here...?" He trailed off, realizing he still didn't know her name.

Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: Enjoy! Let me know if you need more to work with!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

The excitement radiating off of him was palpable. Almost electric. He was like a kid on Christmas seeing a hundred presents under the tree all for him. Had Imani actually been in distress with no clue on how to get back to her time the reaction might have startled her. Might have made her feel even worse. As it were though it was kind of nice how excited he was. Maybe he'd be a bit happier to get back to a normal time period? The one he was supposed to be in. His laughter when he saw her phone was actually a little startling but mostly because it was just surprising.

When he claimed that everything she said was a lot to take in Imani help her phone a little tighter. "You're telling me..." she muttered with a heavy sigh. When he asked about her brother Imani tried to give a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, his name is Hasani," she said as she flipped the phone closed again and placed it back in her bag. The last thing she needed was some other random person seeing her with a device like that in this time period. Him asking about what happened and how long she'd been here made Imani wring her hands together. "A few days?" It came out more as a question. As if she wasn't quite sure exactly how long it had been. "I think two or three I...I'm not sure."

She grabbed one of her braids that hung over her shoulder and began toying with it idly as she looked down at the table again. "I remember I'd been cleaning up my apartment," she started with her voice still soft and anxious. Though not as panicked as it had been before. "When I was carrying some laundry to the livingroom to fold I tripped over one of my brothers shoes and when I stood up I was in someone elses house," her face flushed a bit red as she chewed on her bottom lip. Her knee began bouncing under the table as she took a breath to try and calm herself. "Obviously the man that was home freaked out when he saw me in his house and called the police," Imani let out a slow breath as she finally turned her eyes to him.

"That's where I heard about you," she mentioned with another attempt at a small smile. "One of the officers there said that there'd been a similar incident with a little boy decades ago and once the man decided to not press charges on me the officer told me where I could find you and...here we are."

notes. Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

As the young woman began to speak, James sat back down at the table across from her, paying attention not just to the words she was speaking but also to the way she wrung her hands nervously together or played with her hair. She seemed a little calmer now than she had a few minutes ago--and that was good, of course, but James didn't know how long it would last. She had come to him for help, for answers, for some way to get back home and James had no. freakin'. idea.

He'd given up on any hope of returning to his time at least 15 years ago, if not longer.

The intense excitement from moments ago was still there but it was slowly dissipating at the sight of the woman's knee bouncing and the persistent worry in her voice. As thrilling as it was to find someone else like him, to find someone to share this massive secret he'd been keeping his entire life, James knew that she was going to have it a lot harder than he ever did. He'd only been 6 years old, a child whose world consisted of his parents and school and a sister that didn't care about him. A small world with small obligations and small worries--like who was faster on the monkey bars, him or Joey?

This woman? She had a whole life, a brother who she clearly cared about, probably had some kind of job, a tons of friends, maybe a boyfriend. She had family and connections and obligations in a whole other time, how could she just forget--

Shit! James glanced down at his watch, trying not to make it too obvious, but he had his own obligations in the here-and-now to worry about. He still needed to pick up his son, but--James looked at the woman's pleading eyes--

He could spare another minute or two. Besides, selfishly, he wanted to keep talking to this woman, wanted to ask her so many questions, wanted to see that cell phone of hers again, maybe look at her driver's license just to see the date she was born, the expiration dates on her credit cards. He believed her but there was something...comforting about seeing the proof physically in front of him, something solid to touch and hold in his hands. If he was just a little late picking up Peter, that would probably be okay...

"That sounds awful, finding yourself in someone else's home like that," James said, giving her an encouraging smile. "Like that scene in the second Back to the Future movie, am I right?" He grinned, wondering idly if people still watched that trilogy in the time she came from. Of course they did, right? It was a classic, how could they not?

"I was at school, playing at recess and suddenly--" James started talking faster, realizing how much he wanted--needed--to share this with someone who would understand. "--the playground disappeared and I was in a whole new place, trees everywhere, nobody around for miles." He shrugged one shoulder, turning his head to the side as he remembered. "I learned a few years later that I was in the same place, really, the school just hadn't been built yet."

He paused, glancing down at the picnic table and tracing his finger around a small area of chipped paint. "I know how scary this must be," he said, wishing that he could say something to let her know it would be okay, that she would get back home. He felt guilty: it felt so good to finally have someone to talk to and, if he was honest with himself, he was actually very glad she was here. "We will figure something out," he said, raising his eyes back to hers, trying to offer her comfort and reassurance even if he had no clue what to do to help her.

"It was 2018 when time shifted for me," he said, never having said that out loud to anyone before. He couldn't help the buzz of elation from revealing it--and that only made him feel more guilty. "What year for you?"

"Oh, and I'm sorry," he quickly added. "I didn't catch your name?"

Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: Enjoy! Let me know if you need more to work with!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

As he finally sat down it seemed that he was still buzzing with excitement. But perhaps he'd decided to reign it in as to not seem insensitive towards her. She could imagine though how it might be exciting. For years no one believed him and now here someone was saying they not only believed him but had experienced the same tragedy he had. It only made her feel worse. Tugged at a string in her heart for what she was going to have to do. After having been ripped from one life only to be ripped from another. One where he'd made friends, family, a life for himself. But she couldn't focus on that. This wasn't only her job but it was for the good of hundreds of thousands of people. Lives that would be lost because of one little girl. Imani just had to remind herself of why she was here.

As he looked down at his watch she wondered if he was supposed to be somewhere. Meeting with someone? Picking up his kid from school. She wasn't even totally sure what time it was. Traveling in time always made her phone act pretty wonky. Especially traveling backwards. When he brought up the movie Imani offered a small chuckle. "I haven't watched that movie in years," she said with a small sigh. "It used to be one of my dads favorite," something that was still a classic and tons of people loved but it wasn't as popular as it had been back in the day. As said they'd figured something out she offered him a small, hopeful smile.

"It was 2023 for me," she answered honestly. Besides, at least then he'd have some idea of the year once she dragged him back to it. Hearing that he'd been jumped back as a child in 2018 made her let out another soft chuckle. "I was twenty seven in 2018," already living in America, already having lost her parents. Granted that had only been five years ago for her. Realistically James should have only been an eleven year old little boy. He should have still been in school, learning who he was, making friends. Yet here he was, a grown man that was older than she was. Time could be so strange.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she said quickly as he mentioned that she hadn't given him her name. "My brain has been so scattered," which would have made sense for someone still grasping at the fact that they'd been randomly shot fifteen years into the past. "My name's Imani, Imani Dubois," she offered out her hand to him for a proper greeting then looked down at his watch again. "I'm not keeping you am I? I'm terribly sorry," Imani still didn't want to jump forward just yet. Having jumped so far back in time her body was still recovering, meaning her Gift was too. Trying to jump forward again now could be unpredictable. They might land back only ten years in the future or accidentally jump back another fifteen.

"I'm sure you have things you're supposed to be doing," she bit her bottom lip softly and pulled her phone out enough just to look down at it. "What time do you have? My phone has been so buggy since I got here," she said with a slightly frustrated sigh.

notes. Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

2023.

For most of his life, he'd been counting the days, weeks, months, years, waiting to catch up to 2018 and he still had a whole decade to go. James pressed his finger harder into the chipped paint on the picnic table, quickly calculating how far into the future this young woman was from. 15 years. It seemed like an insane amount of time. In 2023, his mortgage would be fully paid off. Sami would be done with college. Peter would be buying his first alcoholic drink. It was crazy to think about. It really was the future--a mere five years past what should be his present and yet so far beyond his comprehension.

He had so many questions! Did everyone drive electric cars? Was college all taught online? Were video games all virtual reality? Did the Gifted still live in secret? Was there--

As she introduced herself, James forced his attention back to her. It was good that she was opening up, and he was pleased to see how much more confident and self-assured she seemed now than when she'd first tapped him on the shoulder. He took her hand, shaking it with a quick and confident grip. Making eye contact, his expression softened into one of total compassion, and he gently squeezed her hand before letting it go. Of course she was totally scattered, how could she not be?

He cocked his head, confused by her last question. What did her phone have to do with knowing the time? (It didn't occur to him that most people used their phones as their main timepiece in the future.) "Uh, it's--" he glanced at his watch. "2:49 p.m." He was cutting it close, that was for sure. Peter's school got out at 3.

"Yeah, I've got a pretty busy day, actually," he admitted, throwing her a grin as he shrugged one shoulder. "But don't be sorry, I can spare another minute or two." It was a total lie: he was already going to be late, even if he left immediately, but James couldn't leave Imani like this.

"Listen, do you have a place to stay?" He rummaged through his shoulder bag as he talked, pulling out a pen and another business card. "The lady who runs this great women's program owes me a favor and I know she's got a room available, no questions asked." He scribbled a name and address on the back of his business card and glanced back up at the woman across from him. He paused a second, then lowered his voice, leaning forward a little.

"Imani, look, I--" He pulled in a short breath. "--I wouldn't tell anyone else about, you know, where you're from. Nobody is going to understand or believe you and--"

He pushed the business card towards her, pausing again, not sure if he should continue or not. He didn't want to scare her any more than she already was, but she had a right to know. "--and I've heard rumors about this government agency that takes an," he struggled to find the right word, "interest in some of these more odd occurrences."

Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: Enjoy! Let me know if you need more or want any edits!

[Imani Dubois]

[attr="class","painfullight"]

[]

"2:49 already?" She asked shocked as she let out a soft exasperated breath. Though she hadn't missed the confused look on his face as she mentioned not knowing the time because her phone was messing up. "I'm sorry for keeping you," she apologized, though he insisted she didn't need to be sorry.

Imani did in fact have a place to stay. She was currently in a hotel provided by the Sector. Which had been a bit of a pain explaining that she did in fact work for them. But she'd had all her paper and credentials prepared when she came so she wasn't running around on her own. As he slid her a business card she took it and nodded as he explained that she shouldn't tell anyone else what had happened to her. With a hard swallow she chewed on her lip before she placed the card into her bag. "Trust me, after how the police looked at me I wouldn't dare tell anyone else."

"I don't even know if I'd believe myself if I didn't have my phone and my bag on me," and all her clothes, and knowledge of the fact she'd come here herself. Someone suddenly just popping up in another time was extremely bizarre. "Is there another time I could talk to you? When you aren't very busy?" Imani still needed time to recuperate from such a long jump. And eventually she'd want to give Avery the opportunity to say goodbye to his family before she took him back to the present.

"I'm...a little lost around here," she said with a small nervous chuckle. Imani wasn't totally lost. She'd been a teen around this time. While she'd still been living in France then they'd traveled around enough that she knew how things worked.

notes.Sorry this ones's a bit short! Let me know if I need to change or add anything!
tag. James Clark

[James Clark]

"Eh, everyone's a little lost sometimes," James said, leaning back casually and throwing her a half-smile. "But at least you're not alone," he continued, catching her eye again and nodding once, a silent gesture of encouragement. "I'm glad you reached out." He still wasn't entirely sure how she'd found him exactly, caught up as she was in the confusion and haze of being displaced. He'd done a pretty decent job of keeping to himself all these years, quietly living in a time where he didn't belong, doing his own private research carefully under the radar. What a random stroke of luck for Imani that some old-timer cop had remembered his story from 30 years ago.

He sat quietly a moment, giving both of them a chance to catch their breath and their bearings. He'd learned time and again, dealing with the kids under his care, that it wasn't always the words that mattered, so much as the simple knowledge that someone else was there, someone who understood and cared. He didn't want to leave her, still looking so uncertain and shaky. For a second, he considered inviting her to come with as he picked up his kid, but he didn't think Tabby would appreciate a young beautiful woman like Imani tagging along, skin condition or not. He'd always kept his professional life separate from his personal life and wasn't sure how he'd explain Imani to his wife without lying.

Standing up, he pulled his bag over his shoulder and leaned both palms against the table. "I should be free for a few hours Saturday afternoon," he said, looking off to the right as he thought about his schedule. He considered for a moment, trying to come up with a public place to meet where they would still have enough privacy to discuss things without fear of being overheard and sounding insane. "Let's meet at Broadview Park, around one o'clock?" He pointed to the road west of them. "It's an athletic complex two blocks that way, tennis courts and baseball diamonds, that sorta thing--but they're not using it much while the field house is under construction."

Looking down at his watch, James felt the rush of the day overwhelm him again, his annoyance with Tabitha resurfacing for messing with his routine. He had to go, before Peter ended up in the after-care program, costing them an extra $2 per minute he was late. He hesitated, looking Imani over again, assessing her state of mind. She seemed okay, certainly better than before. "Call me if you need anything," he said, gently touching her shoulder. He lingered a moment longer, conflicted, but finally smiled and turned, rushing back to his car.

In the end, he was only six minutes late picking up his son--which in the grand scheme of things, was not very much time at all.

******

It was one of those perfect Saturdays in September, the California temperatures hovering in the mid-seventies, a light breeze drifting carelessly through the trees. James sat on the bottom row of the bleachers, leaning his back into the metal ridge of the row above, absently watching two squirrels chase each other around the trunk of an Aleppo Pine. He was dressed more casually than usual: a fading pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt with his daughter's school name (St. Michael) and mascot (a falcon head) printed on the front, and a baseball cap with the words 'Assistant Coach' embroidered across the front panel.

Sami's volleyball team had just finished their second-to-last game of the season, just barely winning against St. Peter, going into overtime and finally scoring 28 to 26. It was the first win of the year and the girls had gone nuts with excitement, high five-ing each other until their hands turned red. The head coach, Jessica's dad, had insisted on getting ice cream afterwards and everyone was still there at the Dairy Queen, his wife and Peter and Sami. He'd left just as the team was winding things down, having already made plans to take two cars, so Tabby could bring the kids home and he could make it to Broadview Park by one o'clock.

He was early, but he gladly took the extra quarter hour to sit and wait, thinking about the mysterious woman he'd met two days before. Imani Dubois. Fellow time traveler. Crazy. Ever since he'd rushed out on her in the parking lot, he remained anxious about meeting her again, worried that he might have imagined the entire conversation, worried that she wouldn't show, worried that she'd randomly pop into some other time again.

The squirrels scurried up the tree, jumping from branch to branch, never faltering. He followed their movements, little bushy tails flashing between clusters of leaves, and thought about how time was like an Aleppo Pine, with branches spreading out in all directions, everyone going about their lives with the same confidence of those squirrels, trusting the branch would always be there. Except...he'd slipped from one branch to another 30 years ago and now Imani had fallen down another 15. Would she ever be able to climb her way back to the branch she came from? What was she going to do if she couldn't? What was going to happen if she was stuck, just like him? If that was the case, he had his shoulder bag from work at his side, filled with information about resources and job applications and--

James ran his tongue over his bottom lip, abruptly looking away from the furry animals in the trees. He didn't want to think about that yet, didn't want to imagine the crushed look on at that young woman's face. He planned to hold on to the high of the volleyball win as long as possible, choosing not to worry about it until Imani showed up. He glanced around to see if she was nearby, but he only saw two teens playing basketball at the far end of the field, the tennis courts empty. He settled back again. For now, he'd lounge here quietly, eyes half-closed, content with his thoughts of the middle school volleyball game.


Tag: Imani Dubois
OOC Notes: Enjoy! lmk if you need more or want any edits!