Just A Bit Strange // Nathaniel Wellington

Morth hummed to herself, distracted by the buildings on the street and bustling people. Well, not that many people. In truth only about two or three were on the entire street but in Morth's imaginative mind it was quite a grand turn out. It certainly wasn't sunny, as it was instead cloudy and grey. Morth looked up with a frown at the sky, oh.. it would have been such a beautiful day if it was sunny! She thought staring at the blobs of grey that acted as clouds. With the sun peeking out, and a light trail of a cloud weaving in and out of the sun's rays to be surrounded by a bright blue sky...Why, everything would be so much brighter, and everyone would be far more cheerful Morth thought, still staring into the sky as she walked.Funny how the weather affects people's moods. She thought, wondering for a while on that subject.

Morth had her nearly trademarked gloves, they were thick and dark leather that were quite a few sizes to large for her. They were prone to falling off, so she had tied a little brown leather belt around each one, so that it would buckle over the wrist. It kept the gloves on, though the edges of the glove spread outwards like it was and upside down bowl over her wrists. She had camoflague slacks that came down in piles over her barefeet, and hung off of her waist crookedly despite a plain black belt to hold them up. She was wearing a shirt that had written across the chest 'Team Zevran'. The shirt fit her rather nicely, instead of the to large clothes she usually had. Honestly, she almost prefered having a shirt that was far to large, as she almost felt the collar of the shirt choking her when she moved. Still staring at the sky and contemplating the most random thoughts, she accidently bumped into someone. Stumbling back, she tripped over her own feet and wound on up on the ground. Suppose I never was that graceful.. Morth thought hopping up she dusted the back of her pants off with the oversized gloves. Looking over to the person she had bumped into with a wide smile she tore her attention from the sky.

"Oops. Sorry about that. I got a bit distracted!" Morth explained, and she suddenly remembered her manners.

"Oh, right! I'm Mud. Nice to meet you!" Morth held her hand out for a handshake at the person with a friendly smile.

From the day ahead Nate really wasn't expecting anything big. He knew this gloomy weather won't be nice for his little business. Like always people would hide inside within bright lights and not come out until bright sunshine comes and brings them out on the streets.

He was dressed up black. The usual 'outfit' for the occasion.
Black slacks, black turtleneck and black trench coat with equally black leather shoes.

Nate really wasn't expecting much pockets this day. The morning traffic was something he was looking forward to, and it paid back well. Subway was a bit of patience practice but the extraterrestrial managed it well enough.
At least people still carried normal money on them. Although with some extra help he'd manage cards too.

When it was time for some daylight Nate put on his black fedora hat and roamed the streets until he bumped into someone. It was a girl, and his smile automatically found way to his face, in case his brain had switched off. And just as same as his skilled, sleek hands found way into pockets and purses, while his brain caught up with situation.
It was something that was ingrained into his being from the early days.

And all of a sudden she was apologizing and introducing herself with a hand out for him to shake.
But Nate just grinned brighter and held out his own hand with "It's okay. I'm Nate." on his lips like the sun was shining brightly and his other hand hadn't just slipped out of her pocket.

Morth didn't have to much in her pockets, she had a fistful of crumbled up dollar bills that she had stuffed in her pocket upon a random whim. Tangled up within the money was the note that she always carried with her. Though the words she knew by heart, she read it again and again hoping for some hidden meaning from behind the words to leap out in front of her.

You are Morth Tamassran, do not allow anyone close to you. Do not fall in love, and above all else do not find The Doctor. was scribbled across the note, though she had found herself with that note she had never introduced herself as Morth Tamassran, only as Mud. She rather liked the nickname, and felt that it truly summed her up... Like she had done something shameful, and cruel.. But couldn't quite recall having done such.

"You have a cute smile." Morth said with a blush and a wave in his general direction. He seemed very friendly, and didn't look at her like she was crazy like the people she passed on the street. Though she couldn't blame them, she couldn't help but feel a bit hurt by the expression on their faces.

"Why thank you. You're too kind." Nate blurted out in an atypically shy manner that occasionally stuck its head out of most manicured con-man's walls and often put him in a light he rarely showed in public.
No, he wasn't shy, not anymore. And he was mannered only when job required, that's Nate for the daylight who always went by Nate Louis whenever his brain couldn't pop an alias from memory.

Of course, Nathaniel Wellington- the real deal- was pretty much the very exact copy of the very same Anthony Wellington -the twin brother of his.

But right now he just made his smile more dazzling, if humanly even possible, and let his hand nervously twitch in his pocket where it felt partially guilty for acting beforehand, without any consent from his brain.
Maybe it was possible for him to rub off on his brother.

Morth smiled at his praise, most people stared at her like she was crazy. Not that it really affected her, she wasn't all that self concience. Often times she would do random and immature things that most people would dismiss as childish and embarresing. Morth just found such activities fun! Something about not having a memory of her past, of her child hood made immature and childish acts so much more fun then mature ones! She disliked going out for coffee, but rather loved going out for ice cream for instance.

"I'm heading out for a chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cone." Morth described the treat, practically tasting it already.

"Acting like today's a hot day instead of just thick fog and cold weather makes it that much more fun." Morth explained, her eyes widened as a new thought occured to her, and she had a smile that was kind and gentle.

"Do you want to come with? It's pretty close by!"

He was officially softened. Write it down on the walls, scream out loud, really whatever - because he, the man of no regrets and conscience, was salivating over a description of a freaking ice cream...
Nate had to inwardly spank himself for such nonsense. He was a professional thief, con-man, cat-burglar, lock pick and pickpocket for crying out loud! So how come he was melting at such simple conversation and a friggin' ice cream?!

"I definitely cannot resist anything fun." he said, still beaming. Maybe by the time he's done with ice cream his brain is back to function

Morth grinned adoribly at him, she always wanted another person to accompany her! The more the merrier after all! Any activity alone was so very lonely, no matter how bright Morth looked at it. She could turn a foggy day, into a clear and bright one with a bit of imagination. She could turn a sour friendship into a tragic story, that simply wasn't finished yet. Everything had a happy ending, it was how life worked! In the end of the story everything was settled, there were no threads that weren't tied up in a neat little bow in the end. No one was miserable, no one was alone.

"It's just around the corner." Morth explained gesturing towards the corner of the street. Without thinking she smiled and took his hand already starting down the street towards the little shop. Eyes wide, she quickly dropped his hand after a few seconds.

"Sorry! I keep forgetting that's rude!" Morth blushed a light pink, looking over to him with wide eyes hoping that she hadn't managed to offend him. She wanted someone to eat ice cream with, she didn't want to offend him at all!

There were only so much that could take the usually unmoved extraterrestrial by surprise.
This girl did it quite masterfully.
So far only kids had dared to grab him by hand and unceremoniously pulled him to wherever they felt fun would ensue.

"Don't worry. I bite only crazy scientists and nuthouse doctors." Nate assured with a humor. Well, he made it sound like a joke, to him it once had been reality.
Aliens usually were taken as a material or threat so he was used to joke about it now.

"I'm sure the ice creams will be delicious." the alien used one of his usual approach-distraction, change of subject- he used to avoid suspicion. And secretly was glad he wouldn't burst balloons or flowers suddenly like his twin did. Nate was better trained and didn't sustain brain damage so nobody would suspect an alien.

Morth looked behind her with a light and friendly smile, turning back she was instantly distracted by her own thoughts. That ranged from the scenery, to the color of the sky, and the handsome man. Her eyed were darting around, and her head moved like a small child's would when introduced to Disney land. Morth bumped into the wall of the ice cream shop, narrowly missing the door with her face she stumbled backwards. Rubbing the point of impact, her cheek, she came to a stumbling stop, swaying from the momentum for a second. Shaking her head, she walked into the ice cream shop as though nothing had happened. It happened pretty often, and she just got used to it after a while.

Walking up to the counter, she didn't even glance at the menu. The person behind the counter was friendly looking, loading another chocolate flavor besides the others. Tables were scattered about, and a long bench stretched along the window, complete with five or six movable bar stools. Paper flowers decorated the walls, and origami pink and brown flowers were laid on the tables.

"A chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cone for me, what do you want to order Nathaniel? Ooh- wait.." Morth patted her pockets, she could have sworn she had brought money! Crumbled up dollar bills that totalled to the amount of twenty dollars, more then enough for ice cream. Morth turned out her pockets, only to find no money what so over.

"Aww, I could have sworn I brought money! That's to bad." Morth mumbled sadly, glancing down at the ground to see if it had fallen out of her pocket recently. Morth didn't want to come off as someone to run out on the check, or to mooch from someone else. Morth could remember taking the money, and putting it into her pocket, but she must have been mistaken..

Nate had, of course, noticed Mud's mishap before they entered the ice cream shop. But, and not because he was a con, he chose to not comment on that. He'd seen his brother walking into less unnoticeable stands: like newspaper stands, bus doors, apartment walls and few times tried to walk through marked glass balcony doors. So really things like that happened not only with humans but rather humanoid extraterrestrials too, not a big deal. And Nathan himself had been having moments while alone, especially when he had been thinking of something and his head was full of colors and stuff.

But once at the counter he started to feel some guilt stabbing at his goodwill.
"Don't worry," he said to Mud "I'll take the chocolate dipped vanilla-strawberry." he made his part of the order with a charming 'all's-fine' smile and put down the bills of his own, making sure enough was left for a tip.
His conscience was still poking his 'guilty' pocket with a cattle prod.
"I'm sure you'll find your money eventually." Nathan said and prayed for heaven's mercy whenever his time of 'etheral removement' was going to cone.

"thanks!" Morth piped up watching him hand over the money to pay for the both of their cones. As the store owner prepared the ice creams in the background.

"I'll make sure to pay you back once I find the money, ok?" Morth said aloud over to him with a grin. Saying it more to herself then to him. Surprisingly quickly, the store owner set the two cones on the counter. A light brown crunchy cone was undersized for the large scoops piled up over it. The white vanilla was completely covered in hard black chocolate, each cone looked the same except that his had a little drawing of a strawberry on the paper wrapped around the cone.

Picking up her cone, Morth balanced it in her hand and walked over to one of the stools that was in front of the bar that out looked the giant glass window. Morth's whole demeanor changed in a second. Going from childish and immature to cold and ruthless. Her gaze switched and she glared at her pockets, patting them down slowly. Her note was missing. The sole thought frightened her, it was the only thing that was the clue to who she was, who she had been.

Morth had split personalities at times, when she was in danger, or when something direly important had happened her more aggressive side. Though Morth trully doubted it, there was a nagging feeling that it was her old personality, the one she had forgotten about.

"Where is my note." Morth glared at him, but in a second snapped back to her gentle personality.

"Oh! I'm sorry! You've gotta think I'm nuts. I'm not, I'm just... I can't remember anything about my past. Can't remember my name, anything like that. That note was really important to me, it was the only clue I had.. And I can't find it." Morth set the cone down on the bar, eyes on the floor she didn't feel like having it anymore. Feeling as though she had failed in some way, she couldn't even keep track of a single note!

"Oh, it's alright. No problem. I can get more where I got it from, it's really unimportant." Nate assured. He put on a cheerful mask while they waited. His hand felt like burned in his pocket where a paper was folded keeping something from his new companion. Oh how it felt guilty for such behavior, acting out without a consent from his own brain.
Who would do that? What kind of person he was?
A criminal. Thief. Con. Bad person.

His inner voices were on a full argument now. Nate badly wanted to bash his head through a wall, or at least on the table.
No, he couldn't. He had to pull together.

Suddenly their cones were in front of them. He blinked. That was fast.

He eyed his one, suddenly brain switching to another gear, he beamed at his cone like it was most wonderful thing on earth and followed Mud. Like a little boy seeing a huge ship Nate stared at his cone. He'd done it again, it seemed.
Another jump. That happens. Like his brain was switching gears. This was how most of his mood changes occurred. Sudden, violent jumps that he couldn't control. It felt weird to secretly understand his brother.

Suddenly his companion spoke aloud, pulling him out of that mood and into another.

"Hey, no problem. " he said and then it clicked suddenly. That note!
Oh dear, he thought panicked.
He had two options. To admit a crime and get punished. Or... to do his magic.
He had only like two seconds to decide.

So with a reassuring smile he spoke, made up. "What that note looked like? Tell me about. " the extraterrestrial encouraged. He had to do this with a confidence. Like one of his cons. He so hated to make people sad, that wasn't his goal when he did what he did. But rarely had he seen the final emotions when people realized they've got fooled. Then how all those circus folks did it? How illusionists managed?
Nate shook his head to clear his thoughts. Mud wasn't nuts, he was. But he didn't say it aloud.

"It's folded up and about the size of a dollar bill. It's really worn down and torn in a few places. It's the only clue as to my past, for some reason I can't remember anything. I know that I should, I just can't. Don't know why, I just can't. Does that sound insane? 'Suppose it does. I really need that note, it's really important to me! It was probably tangled up in the bills, maybe wherever the bills fell out the note is." Morth came to the final conclusion, looking down at the floor and passing a searching glance to the corners of the room that may have eaten her money.

Picking up the cone, she nibbled the top of the hard chocolate off, crunching it in her mouth she savored the sound and the blooming flavor. The inside of the cone was a slushy in consistantcy, as the white cream started to drip down the side of the cone Morth licked it up, tasting the cold on her lips and the vanilla sweet flavor playing on her tongue. In all honesty, she would just retrace her steps from that entire day and find it. The thought of finding the note, that it wouldn't be lost to her gave her comfort.