FTEC, Monday Morning

It had to happen sometime.

"About the things he said about you?"

Seras looked up and nodded, her lower lip still caught between her teeth.

"Ordinarily, I'd just discount it as his being a wanker. Trying to mess about with my mind," she said, "But...he knew about something. Something I hadn't told you. Or anyone, for that matter."

"I don't know what I can tell you. He said some things about you and another friend that didn't make any sense to me. And I don't know how much of it was just his being an utter ass. And even it isn't about his being an utter ass, he's not from my future. He didn't know Fandom at all. So anything he knew might not apply."

Walter had far too much experience already with mucking about with guessing the future.

Seras nodded.

"No use stewing about it, I suppose," she said quietly, though her grip on her tea cup was rather tight.

"Did he really hit you that hard?" Walter asked quietly.

Seras considered replying with something like: "Hard enough to send me flying into the bloody bar."

But that would've been disingenuous. And would've served no purpose other than to make Walter feel guilty.

Instead, she took a deep breath.

"Remember when we first met? I told you that I'd come to Fandom to learn about police work and to have a change? He hit upon the reason why."

"Your parents," Walter said softly. Low blow.

"Yeah," she replied in a low whisper, her voice growing raspy as her throat constricted.

Shit.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, willing herself to get a grip. Think of something else. Anything else.

"Just what is going on here, Walter?" she finally burst out, "I don't understand any of it. I mean, I know you've explained to me about different worlds and times...but...How was He You? How could he have known what he did? Are we from the same world? Or different worlds that are somewhat similar? Or..."

The questions multiplyed in her mind until she didn't know what to ask next.

"I've had some time to think about this." Stuck inside his own head while some vampire claiming to be him from the future did... yeah, he'd found other things to focus on as intently as possible at times.

"Here's what I think. He knew some things I know. About my employer, about my history up until I came here. From here, what I know and what he knows are different. So I think he's a possible me, but not who I have to become, so you and who you might be in his future might be different, too."

Between Nadia and Sociology of the Paranormal, he was just about able to properly wrap his mind around that. He wasn't sure whether the pain meds were a help or a hinderence.

Who she might be...

"'Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a vampire, Police Girl,'" she said, softly, repeating Vampire!Walter's words, "'I know something you don't know.' Doesn't take an Einstein to figure out who I am in *his* world."

"Or he was trying to upset and confuse you and he knew that he could say something that would." Walter turned his hands over palm up in lieu of shrugging.

The problem was, he'd heard the vampire's comment about Alucard bringing her home... Alucard had said he'd find someone new. Was he looking at her?

Seras shook her head.

"But, he'd already said something. And it was true. He didn't need to make up a lie. Why would he? Was anything he said to upset anyone a lie?"

"He wouldn't answer me when I asked. Do you want to believe what he implied about you?"

Seras shrugged.

"I-I don't know that 'want to believe' is the right way to put it," she said, "I--with all that's happened so far, my mind can't help but...sort of accept that it's a possibility that in his world there is a Seras Victoria who's a vampire."

She closed her eyes. Had she really just said that?

"You don't have to be her, though." Was that altruism or selfishness?

Seras smiled at his words and at the fact that she'd said basically the same thing to him less than twelve hours ago.

Well, it bore repeating.

"And, you don't have to become him," she said.

She looked at Walter for a moment, considering and then said, "Right, Dornez, what do you say to swearing a blood oath? We both do solemnly swear not to become vampires and to prevent eachother from becoming one, come hell or high water?"

"I don't have to actually spill any more blood, do I?" Walter asked with a hint of a smile. "I don't think I can really spare much more right now."

Seras shrugged.

"I thought the idea was to exchange blood, not loose it," she said, "But, I think we're both cut up enough that a handshake might do the trick."

She held up her hands, showing palms that were scratched up from the bar's glass.

Walter looked at his own hands. They hurt, but they were whole. "No offense, Seras, but after a weekend as a vampire..." He just couldn't bring himself to consider her offer. What if there were some lingering taint in his blood? He could hurt her.

"Can we just shake on it for now?"

"Oh. Sure. Fair enough," Seras said, giving a game smile and tryin to look unembarrassed. A difficult trick when you're mentally calling yourself about every known synonym for 'idiot'.

She held out her right hand.

"So, we have a deal?"

Walter took her hand and squeezed carefully. "Deal. We stay human. Both of us."

"Agreed."

Seras squeezed back and flexed her wrist in one decisive shake.

Ow.

"Right." His smile flinched at the shake, but he stayed silent. "Welcome to Fandom, by the way. You'll believe almost anything anyone here tells you know, won't you?"

Seras nodded.

"Up to and maybe even including that the world is flat," she said.

She withdrew from the hand shake and settled back in her chair, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

She was silent a few moments, and then said quietly, "At least she got to be a police officer."

"It's not the end of things, either. I was..." he hesitated, searching for a neutral way to put it, "...close to a vampire at home."

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

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Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

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Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

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Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

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Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez

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Re: Exam 4 - Walter Dornez