Outside of Muses: Camden Market, Christmas 2032

[underlondon_npc]

At first glance, the busy street Nix ushers Reid out to looks like something out of a Charles Dickens book, although slightly more sanitised than that. The street is narrow and jammed with stalls selling a massive variety of food, clothing, small animals, tools, odd-looking electronics and virtually anything (and everything) else. Few people in the street look particularly well-off - or particularly clean - although there's a wild variation in outfits, ages, genders and races. There are even horses and carts, although the occasional electric flicker betrays the fact that the horses, at least, are some kind of hologram, and in the sky are pigeons, and odd flying shapes that look as if they might be some kind of motorcycle or quadbike. Far off, and high up, an odd-looking machine like a train or perhaps a tram whirrs and rattles along elevated rails into the distance as it snakes through the tallest buildings.

The overall impression is that of noise and ragged colour and smoky late-afternoon air, all highlighted by the rather incongruous-looking strands of fairylights and the lightly falling snow. London smells odd: not entirely unpleasant, but smoky and damp, with an odd note of petrol and oils, maybe even gunpowder, behind the smells of dozens of cultures' worth of cooking food.

Nix turns to Reid with a laughing, red-lipped grin, gesturing with her furled umbrella. The door she's holding open for him is now that of a pub, the George Cross, with people laughing, shouting and drinking behind them as they had been in Milliways, but unlike Milliways it's far pokier, darker and overheated: it's no surprise that she preferred to drink at the end of the universe, when the opportunity presented itself.

"Welcome to London!"

Comments

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

Reid is already moving through the stacks, eyes running over the titles, taking in words and names and the conditions of various books. He pulls down a volume here and there, flipping open the cover, and maybe a few pages, before putting it back, or keeping hold of it.

It may be somewhat difficult to remove him from the premises.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

She rolls her eyes, entirely unsurprised.

"Flamin' geeks," she tuts, though she's somewhat entertained. "Why I let myself in for these things..."

"If he damages them," announces a disembodied Cockney voice, "He'll have to pay for 'em. Though some'ow I doubt he's the type."

The entire bookshelf next to Reid slides jerkily to the left to allow a plump, middle-aged woman to emerge into view, the sequins on her crimson sari glinting in the dim light of the shop as she attempts to push flyaway salt-and-pepper hair back into place. "Did I hear you say y'wanted a torch, luv?"

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"...Huh?" Reid looks up from a table of contents, blinking a little in the dim light. He hadn't even thought of that, really.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

"Wouldn't mind, yeah," Nix grins, and neatly catches the torch Ottaline tosses to her. "Afternoon, Ottaline! I've brought y' a geek, hope you don' mind."

The woman's laugh is deep and as infectious as her smile. "I imagine I'll live, ducky. Does 'e have a name?"

Nix chuckles. "Spencer, this is the woman who knows the entire city. Ottaline Bhutani, this is Spencer Reid, he's a mate."

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"Dr. Spencer Reid actually," he adds, extending a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

He closes the book, and slides it back on the shelf.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

Ottaline shakes his hand with both of hers, her handshake soft and warm.

"Doctor, is it?" she asks. "Pleased to meet you'n'all, sweetheart - especially if you spend money here." She cocks her head at Nix, birdlike and curious. "He's more polite than the rest'a your mob, Gordon."

Nix snorts. "Probably 'cause he isn't part of it. I'll lead him into bad ways eventually, though."

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"Not the medical kind," Reid says, by way of clarification. "Your selection is rather amazing here."

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

Ottaline nods and smiles. "Nah, love, this is practic'ly empty right now. You should see it jus' after we get new stock in."

She gives Nix a quirky look. "'Aven't you started already? I'm a little shocked, I can't lie."

"That'd be a first," Nix mutters. "Hey, Ottaline, 'ave you got them books my brother ordered? Sorry, but we've not got masses of time."

The shopkeeper nods, puttering off and disappearing behind a massive free-standing stack of books. "Got all but one, I think. The husband put 'em safe, but God only knows where that was... be with you as I can!"

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"What kind of books does your brother read?" Reid asks, without looking up from his perusal of titles. He's tempted several times by volumes with publication dates well after his own time, but he can't help think of paradoxes, stable time loops, and the dozens of other possible consequences for messing with time.

He's still tempted, of course, and Nix might notice his hand hesitating by a book or two before moving on.

It'd be better if he didn't even open one.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

Nix shrugs, flicking idly through a shelf full of Sherlock Holmes books.

"What doesn't 'e?" she says rhetorically. "I think he's got everything written on computers, though. This lot's half practical, half fun - and one's a Mills & Boon that I am reliably assured is for a prank."

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"That's good. It's... nice to see, that even in one future, people still read books."

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

"Well, the real tech's only for the rich and the criminals, so 's not that much of a surprise."

She leans relaxedly against a bookshelf, watching his face with a small smile on her lips.

"Don' get too hung up on this being the future, Bright Spark. If you're really very lucky, it might not be."

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"No, but it is, from my perspective, one possible future," he replies. "Of course, I guess I could look in a history book, and see if it is, but-- Are you familiar with the concept of a stable time loop?" he asks.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

"Think I saw one in a movie once," she says distractedly, now keeping an eye on Ottaline, whom she strongly suspects to be busy earwigging rather than book-hunting.

Raising her voice: "Any luck, love?"

Ottaline's head appears from behind a different stack of books to the one she disappeared behind. "Just found 'em! All present and correct, as it turns out."

Nix's grin is cheerful, but doesn't quite reach her eyes until she turns back to Reid. "You chosen anythin' yet?"

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"Uh-- I'm narrowing my selection?"

There are a half-dozen books stacked beside him, as he runs through titles.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

Nix giggles.

"You and my brother would get on disturbingly well, y'know that?" she says reflectively. "Probably too well, actually."

They'd probably wind up ruling London. Even for someone who wants every member of the current government dead, that's a disturbing thought.

"I'm gonna go pay for Toby's stuff, anyway," she says. "You have until I'm done to pick, or you get nothin' at all."

And yes, she will literally pick him up and carry him out if she has an excuse so required.

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

There's a slightly alarmed look on his face as he resumes the selection process - at a faster pace.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

Nix snorts, sauntering over to the till and rummaging in her pockets for a battered old red leather purse.

Ottaline, meanwhile, disappears beneath the counter again and several minutes of rustling later produces a small, tightly-wrapped package from a place unknown, which she places on top of the small pile of books without explanation. Nix nods understandingly, picking it up and stowing it in an inner pocket without a word before carefully counting out money for the books.

"Chosen yet, Bright Spark?" she enquires, looking over at Reid and shining the torch his way.

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

Reid reflexively raises a hand to block the bright beam, and nods, holding up a single volume.

"It wasn't easy," he says, as he comes to join her by the till.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

And there she'd been hoping she'd wind up carrying him out. Ah well!

Nix grins at him, switching the torch off and handing it back to its owner. "That's what she said. 'ow much, Ottaline?"

The shopkeeper checks the inside cover. "A fiver, but I'll give y' discount for buying in bulk. Call it four."

"Deal," Nix says cheerfully, counting out the extra coins before picking up the bag of books. "Ta very much, but now I think we'd best be off."

Ottaline nods, smiling as she puts the returned torch away. "You can bring y' friend back any time you want - but preferab'ly with more money." Reid is included in her smile. "Nice to meet you, luv. Merry Christmas!"

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"Merry Christmas," he replies automatically, returning her smile.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah, Ottaline? Y'might want to stay out of Westminster on New Year's. Just a warning." Nix heads to the door and pushes it open. "Happy Christmas!"

She holds the door open for Reid to follow her into the snowy street, now a little less busy as the sun sets. The snow is falling more heavily, now, and she opens up her umbrella to hold it over both of them.

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"Do I want to know?" Reid asks, as he steps in a little closer, to get under the umbrella.

[brokensteeldoll.livejournal.com]

"Prob'ly not." Nix shakes her head. "And I'm not saying while there are people within fifty feet, anyway." She pulls his book out of her bag and gives it to him with an unusually self-conscious smile. "Happy Christmas."

[bau-woobie.livejournal.com]

"It's okay. I'm not asking," he replies. He tucks the book under one arm, and then offers her the other - he can be a gentleman!