An Infinite Dance of Time

[3] An Unexpected Acquaintance (2/2)

"So," Nethal began, "are you going to tell me who you are, or are you just going to stand there...?" "Oh." The man quickly straightened his posture. "I'm gonna be honest, I thought you were joking when you were asking me who I was." There was a pause of awkward silence between the both of them. Nethal simply stared up at the clock-headed man with a raised eyebrow, breaking eye contact.

"No. I- I've honestly never seen you in my life." Nethal choked out.

"Seriously?" The man tilted his clock head to the side. "Bezel? Embodiment of time? Any of that ring a bell?" Nethal shook his head."I've interrupted several television programs to broadcast a message about the end of the world?"

Nethal shook his head again, "It didn't interrupt my television program. I got to see the first season finale of The Golden Girls."Bezel scoffed. "Well that's probably why you didn't get it. Only old people watch channels that broadcast those kind of shows. They'd be dead before the world ends, so why bother?" "Why do you keep bringing that up?" Nethal blurted out, interrupting Bezel at the last second. "The end of the world. What are you, some kind of conspiracy theorist?" For a second, the only response he got was a fit of laughter.

"Oh, no," Bezel finally managed to speak out as his laughter died down, "no, no, no, this is no theory." "I don't believe that," Nethal crossed his arms, "not for a second." "Well, you should," Bezel chuckled as he turned around and began leaving the kitchen, "because it may happen very, very soon." Nethal followed behind him, pausing to grab the knife. He still didn't feel comfortable about the being in his house. Bezel ducked under the door frame once more as he entered the room, sitting on the living room couch after tossing the pillow that was thrown at him to the side. Nethal followed close behind, keeping an eye on him to ensure he wouldn't steal anything. He stood near the back of the couch, not wanting to let his guard down by sitting and relaxing. "So, Bezel, was it?" Nethal tilted his head. "Yeeess?" Bezel slowly turned his head towards Nethal. The way his head moved sent shivers down Nethal's spine. The way he moved so inhumanely was disturbing to him, and that was coming from a lab experiment. "Why are you in my house?" Nethal spoke after a pause. "I mean, you just kind of spawned in here." "Oh," Bezel turned his entire body towards Nethal, his arms resting on the back of the couch, "I just like annoying folks who say they're struggling with time-related issues."

Nethal shrugged. He expected a little more than that as an answer. A part of him thought Bezel would've been some kind of fairy godfather, like the ones he'd seen in VHS tapes he would sneak to his room back at the laboratory. Suddenly, Bezel stood up."Now, strange creature," Bezel declared as he stood up, pointing down at Nethal, "it is my turn to ask questions!"
"Oh, okay--" Nethal was interrupted by Bezel grabbing him by his arms, lifting him up, and sitting him on the couch. Nethal was too shocked to properly react, but let out a short yelp as he was picked up. He wasn't used to being lifted up in the air, nor did he think he really liked it.
"You never introduced yourself!" Bezel exclaimed, letting go of Nethal and standing above him."Oh, right." Nethal coughed out after a short period of shock. "I'm Nethal.""Nethal?" Bezel repeated. "What kind of name is 'Nethal?'"

"What kind of name is 'Bezel?'" Nethal scoffed, trying his hardest not to lash out at the man he just met. "Sorry, sorry," Bezel threw his hands up, "just not a kind of name I'm used to. I haven't heard anything like it before." Nethal didn't know if he should take what he just heard as an insult or a compliment. "To be fair, I haven't seen anything like you before. Your species, I mean." Bezel leaned down and slowly raised a finger to Nethal's face, poking his cheek with a tilted clock-head. "What are you?" "First of all, don't touch me." Nethal swatted Bezel's hand away. "Second, that's incredibly racist... I think." He crossed his arms. "And third, I'm not exactly sure. I was created in a laboratory. I want to say I'm some sort of hybrid, but I'm not entirely sure," Nethal put a hand to his chin as he thought to himself, his tail twitching, "Nethal isn't even my name. I came up with it myself when I was let go."

"Let go?" Bezel laughed hysterically, sounding like a wind-up cuckoo clock, "now, that's a terrible laboratory practice if I've ever heard of one!" Nethal rolled his eyes at that response. "Well, I didn't want to be cooped up in a cell my whole life."

"And how's that going for you, hm?" Bezel tilted his head, mocking Nethal, who didn't seem to enjoy the joke very much. His fingers clenched around the handle of the knife, which made Bezel sweat a little out of nervousness. The clock cleared his throat, "sorry, sorry. You may continue."
Nethal narrowed his eyes. "I was never told exactly what I was. I was always just... '62.' I wasn't anything special, I was just one of many before and after me." He crossed his arms and leaned back, looking around at the apartment building and taking the time to look at each picture he had put up. Bezel couldn't help but glance over as well. "Ah. I see." The both of them sat in silence for a few seconds. Nethal put his lips together in thought before standing up.

"You have to go." Nethal began attempting to push Bezel out of the room and towards the front door. "Hey, what?!" Bezel stammered as he was shoved away, "but I just got here!" "Don't care," Nethal shook his head, "you can't stay here." Bezel was now halfway out the door, trying his best to keep the door open with what small strength he had compared to what Nethal had. It was a strange sight to see -- a large clock-headed man being shoved by a smaller, weak-looking creature. "Wait, wait-wait-wait!!" Bezel tried to hold the door open, his hands occasionally getting pinched between the door and the door frame. "I can help you!"

Nethal stopped trying to force the man out of his apartment. His ears perked up as he took a step back, "help?" Bezel nodded, his head moving up and down rapidly. "Yes, of course! You're the lad struggling to get his life together, correct?"

"Well, uh," Nethal backed away from the door, slightly intrigued, "I didn't think it was that obvious."

"Oh, no-no-no-no, it wasn't like that at all." Bezel cleared his throat, stepping back in. He flapped his hands a little as an attempt to soothe the burning pain they had from getting caught in the door. "I summoned myself here upon mentioning you were... what was it? 'running out of time?' Whatever it was, I couldn't help but peer into your life just a teensy bit."

Nethal tilted his head the other way, "whuh--?"

"How has it not clicked for you yet?" Bezel made frantic hand movements as he spoke. "I came into your apartment through a flash of light, my title is literally 'the embodiment of time!'"

"So?"
"I'm a time god, Nethal, you pitiful creature. I have complete control over every hour, minute, and second that passes! I could even tell you who lived in this very apartment room before you did!" Bezel put his hands on his hips, sighing, "I'm a little disappointed you hadn't noticed."

Nethal scoffed. "Sorry the first thing that came to mind was 'oh my god, I think someone broke into my house,' instead of 'oh my god, there's a god here! I should ask him about who lived here before me.'"

"Whatever!" Bezel exclaimed. "We're getting off track. What I'm saying is, I feel sorry for you. If I leave you on your own now, you'll get kicked out and either wind up dead on the streets or back in that laboratory you were talking about." Nethal didn't take Bezel's words too kindly, crossing his arms as his tail flickered, "wow. How comforting."

"Look," Bezel sighed, "I already know you don't like me very much, I mean, you tried to stab me earlier... and you still have the knife! How- what- how did I not notice that?" He pointed at the knife in Nethal's hand, which was quickly hidden upon being pointed out. "All I ask is for you to give me a chance to provide you with a bit of advice, is all," Bezel continued, "starting tomorrow. Then, when you're mentally stable enough, I'll be out of your way! I'll be gone just as quickly as I appeared!"

Nethal thought a little before processing a sentence Bezel said. "You think I'm mentally unstable?"
"Well, are you mentally stable?"
Nethal didn't respond. Bezel chuckled, "yeah, I knew it. Don't worry, I'm not stable either."

Nethal resumed his deep thinking before sighing. "You know, I'm so tired that I'm partially convinced this isn't really happening. Either I'm dreaming or I'm hallucinating. But, I suppose I will take you up on your offer.

Bezel clapped his hands together excitedly. "Hurray! This is going to be great, you'll see!"

The time god threw his arms up to perform a celebrating gesture, accidentally knocking over the coat hanger by the door. The hard, wooden structure fell directly onto Nethal's head with a thud, causing the creature to get knocked unconscious. Bezel simply stared down at the other's unconscious body next to the coat hanger, his arms still partially raised.

"... Whoops."