Work Text:
I was a lonely traveller.
Almost every day, I hopped into my vehicle and travelled alone. None of the people I used to know were in my life anymore, so I wandered. It was the only thing I could think to do.
I tried to never visit the same place twice. This was quite easy when, for me, the same city could be a new place depending on the year I visited. Seventeenth-century France was a different planet compared to 21st century France.
People throughout history have seen me enough times in photographs to theorize that I am a time traveller. Some believe this whole-heartedly.
They’re right, of course, but I’m not the type to stick around and be friends with the fanatics.
Even if I wanted to, at this point, too many people thought a sighting of me brought trouble. Though, to be fair to them, I think I’ve accidentally been a contributing factor to at least twelve major events. Probably way more. Oh well.
I wandered through the world, meeting new people all the time, but none that could wrap their mind around the concept of time travel and keep up with me. I talked circles around everyone I met.
That is, until I met Oliver.
Oliver, the quick-witted waiter at this quaint little diner I stopped in once for lunch. It was Vancouver of all places, in April of 2017.
Somehow, he knew instantly that I was out of place, taking my order and asking what brought me to Vancouver.
I don’t know why I said I was there on business. It was a lie, especially since I normally said “travel” when someone asked me that.
Oliver picked up on my lie and, instead of continuing to serve the other customers, he slide into the booth across from me. Leaning across the table towards me, he searched my eyes and asked, “Why are you really here?”
Just as I was about to answer, another one of those pesky, insane historical events started happening. A small meteor crashed in the street, disrupting everything around it, including my conversation with Oliver.
Me, with my big mouth murmured, “That’s not supposed to happen.”
Of course, Oliver heard. In my defence, it wasn’t supposed to happen!
Anyways, from that point on, I was stuck with Oliver and he was stuck with me.
Travelling with him, I broke my rule of never visiting the same place twice. I just had to show him my favourite sights. I finally had someone by my side to share these experiences with.
And that definitely made wandering through time that much easier.