[OPEN] London at night

Heng secured his Ji on his back, blade to the ground and wrapped carefully in linen. He had just finished his latest mission, and his team members had gone ahead back to Headquarters.

Heng, being the old man that he is, chose to stay behind a while longer to take a walk down by the river. London was always a scenic city, worthy of its title as a prime tourist destination, despite the rain. Well, at least now it was. Couldn't say the same a couple of centuries ago (Heng was so glad that watching out for chamber pots was a thing of the past. Also the Black Plague. That's always a good thing to leave behind).

His Chrysanthemum was tucked carefully into his breast pocket, sheltered from the elements or from birds with vendettas. Heng glanced over at the Clocktower, nodding once to himself. He had plenty of time.

Citizens passed him fluidly, as though they knew he was there. Of course they didn't, but Heng always chalked it up to the fact that the living knew somehow. That they could feel the dead. It wasn't a hard concept for Heng to believe (there was always something off after a battle. Something with the air. A shimmer, flecks of red? Something wrong).

As Heng crossed the bridge, he paused to look out upon the river running underneath. When he was satisfied with the smell of the moving water, he turned and...

No.

It was the child.

Heng turned on his heel, intent on exiting the premises as quickly as possible, but after taking two steps, he stopped, clenching his jaw. He took a breath, then relaxed. He can't just leave a child behind, in such a huge city. What if his chrysanthemum was wilted?

With whatever resolution he could muster outside of battle, Heng walked over to stand beside the child. 

"Yes, I am aware of the progression of the technology of street lamps in this city. You are well versed as well?" Heng replied, completely seriously.

Now that he thinks about it, he didn't quite know how to address the child. If the child had told Heng his name before, Heng has long since forgotten. How can he ask for the child's name in a not awkward way?
...
There was no not awkward way. Heng'll just have to keep on keeping on.

Heng raised an eyebrow, blowing air out his nose in the manner of a chuckle.

"We do usually reap people from our respective countries of origin. However I've been assigned to many a places in my centuries of service. I am also very old, so I see the progression of a lot of everything," he smiled.

He looked back out at the water and the gulls fighting the wind to fly this way and that.

" 'Tis heartening to hear that you enjoy your duties."

" 'Tis not luck, just experience," Heng replied. "Experience that I hope you will not have to ah.. endu-.... go through, however scenic and beautiful every place is," Heng added on after a moment of silence quietly.

"I believe that there would be at least one capable member of your team willing to take you where you'd like. Chrysanthemums make travel very convenient," he said, brushing some hair out from his face (it got in his mouth ewwww).

Heng looked over (rather, he looked down) at the child, furrowing his brows.

"I may not have understood any of what you have just said, but I do know that pubs are for adults of legal drinking age. Aren't you a tad young?" Heng asked, tilting his head.

To be honest though, in the time period that Heng came from, alcohol wasn't something that was exclusive to adults. This whole 'drinking age' thing was still new to him, and he didn't think too much of it. Rather, he would enforce and obey it because that was the law of the land, and following the law is how order is kept.

Order is very important.

"Well.. I suppose as long as you do not order anything alcoholic, a pub can welcome children," he mumbled after his little thought process. "Could you explain to me again all of the terms you just listed?"

Heng scratched his head.

"I always use my cellphone should I board any transportation, so I am unfamiliar with the... seafood names of these passes," he said. And yes, Heng does otherwise walk everywhere. If he had a horse he'd go horseback, but basically everywhere urban's too crowded for horseback.

Not that Heng had a horse. Maybe he should get a horse.

"Then I shall trust in you to er, show me the fun in transportation," he said blandly. He still had no idea what a tube was but before he could ask, the child had started bounding away, digging a map up from nowhere.

"To where? Oi, hold up!" Heng called as he started after the child.

It did not take long for Walter to get to Waterloo station, tube map at hand. He was slipping nimbly through the crowds of people walking around to catch their trains and tubes home, stopping up every so often for Heng to catch up. “Quit your dilly dallying!”

Keen on food and trains Walter did not notice the man in the coat shivering on the bench they had to pass on the way to the ticket gate. There were so many shimmers of white lights from the surrounding people. He simply blended in with any other unfortunate person that might have missed a train.

His final stop was at the ticket gate where he stood, or rather, hopped from one foot to the other with one hand stuffed into his pocket together with the tube map. “Stop apologizing to everyone! No one cares about a nudge in a crowd like this unless it's to yank their purse away!”

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_{((Stanley dear did you get lost since you are a good 20+ min away from home? If he wasn't the scariest person in London since Jack the Ripper someone might have helped him.....))}