Charades
Bloody hell, Seras, get a grip! It's just Master... Seras Victoria faced the door in front of was no such thing as "just Master."
Seras hardly knew how she had gotten in front of her former master's heavy iron door, trying to find the courage to do something so foolish, so childish, so... human. But that's where she was, and what she was doing. For the fourth time tonight, she shook her head, turned around, and started back to her room, too squeamish to knock on his door and ask a simple, human question. What a disappointment.
Seras stopped abruptly, her knees locking in a sudden flare of anger at the tiny voice in her head. It wasn't his, it was her own.
"Seras Victoria, you are such a weak, cowardly..." she whispered after a pause, not able to finish her own insult. She phased to Alucard's door and slammed her fist into it three times with enough strength to knock man's head from his shoulders. Strangely, the door bore not a scratch, however loud the sudden "knocks." Seras folded her arms beneath her supple chest and glared at the 'innocent', bloody pentagram veneer.
When the last echo faded down the dank corridor, the door unlatched and slowly moved inward. Seras quickly smoothed her features and checked her mental blocks hastily before walking into the shadowed room. To prove to herself as well as her ex-master that she was not afraid of the darkness any longer, she pushed the door closed herself, with her own shadows, sealing off her only exit.
Her now permanently bloody eyes adjusted quickly to her new surroundings, immediately finding Alucard lounging in his throne-like chair, half-empty chalice of bloody wine in his left hand, indulgent smirk on his face. His glasses and hat were on the table beside him and his red overcoat was draped across the arm of his chair. "Good evening," his voice was like silk, his soft chuckle somehow icy-hot. "It's not often that you visit me, Victoria. I am glad to see you are well, and I thank you for leaving some of my door behind."
"Good evening, Alucard," Seras replied, not missing the emphasis he placed on her name. "You know well enough that there is nothing I could do to harm your door." She knew she was stalling, but her former master was actually talking to her for once. She might as well savor it.
"I'm not so sure, Police girl, that last knock might have chipped the paint off the pentagram," his smirk grew at the pet-name he had given her over thirty years ago and he nonchalantly sipped his drink, watching for her reaction.
Seras' eyebrows twitched downward in a frown and cooly retaliated. "Well there is no shortage of 'paint,' Master."
You're no fun, Alucard whined into her mind.
Whoops, Seras had not realized she had let her blocks drop until he was in. She pushed him out firmly and drew up her defenses.
"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Alucard asked careful not to show his annoyance at being refused.
Her cool demeanor wavered and she drew an unneeded breath. With a pause she went for it. "Master, may I ask a... favor?"
Now interested, Alucard crossed his legs and inclined his head, a gesture to continue.
Seras straitened her red uniform as if it had been disarrayed. "Walter, and I would like to play a game of charades, but we need Sir Integra to play too, and she said she would only play with us if..." she took another superfluous breath, closed her eyes, and let it all out in a rush. "We can only play if I can convince you to play with us!"
Victoria winced; she hadn't meant to go about it like that. She met his eyes the best she could, only shifting her feet a little.
Alucard sat in his chair and regarded her with his freezing, burning eyes, in silence. She tried to meet his gaze steadily, yet shifted her feet, though not in fear. He hated timid vampires, and she had finally lost her mouse-like human side and adopted her cat-like vampiric after the tower. She still retained some human traits, however, as this new stunt attested to. Finally he spoke. "Let me make an assumption. My master was... sarcastic and amused when she told you this and you, with your strange, feminine pride, heard a challenge and took offense?"
His face, still quirked in that parody of a friendly smile, could have driven nails into his door, and that look was pinning her to the figurative wall. Seras averted her eyes, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her skirt. "...There's that," she muttered heatedly, "And I though you might be just as bored as I am." She did look up then and met his gaze steadily and without fidgeting.
They watched the other, each calculating and weighing. After the silence stretched for more than a minute, Seras turned towards the door, muttering apologies for disturbing his peace, when his smooth voice stopped her. "Aren't you going to hear my answer first?"
Seras glanced over her shoulder surprised and confused. Why do I have to hear his refusal? He just wants to mock me for still being so damn human.
Alucard stood slowly and took his time putting his overcoat, fedora, and glasses on. When he finally turned back to Seras, she was almost at the point of tapping her foot in impatience. All I want to do is forget I did this, take a shower, and go to bed early, she though grumpily.
He smirked so wide she immediately checked her mental blocks. "All right Police girl, I will play this game with you, if only to kill a few hours of boredom."
Seras' eyes widened in shock and his smirk grew bigger. "Are you...? Really?" she stammered. When he opened his mouth to answer, she rode over him before he could change his mind. "Thank you so much, Master! Tonight will be so much fun!" Seras seemed to have forgotten Alucard was there and continued more to herself. "There will be snacks for the humans and I bet Walter will let us have a few extra blood packets. I wonder where the charade cards and hat are? Oh well we can always use Master's." An evil smirk found its way to her lips. "Just wait till I tell..." she suddenly cleared her throat and glanced at Alucard, not finishing her sentence.
She turned on her heel and opened the door. Before walking through, she stopped and phased in front of Alucard, hurriedly wrapping her arms around his frame. Although he didn't move she released him immediatly as if he burned her skin and swiftly exited the room, slamming the door closed with shadows and mumbling into his head about the game being ready soon and to meet in Sir Integra's office.
Alucard snickered at his amusing former fledgling. That was the first physical contact he had from her since he had carried her home to Hellsing all those years ago, and the shocking thing was it had been she who touched him. Annoying, but amusing, too. She'd finally developed a backbone.
He fluidly retrieved his drink from the table and downed the rest. He removed his hat from his head dropping it on his chair lest it be used in a game, as his child had said and phased to Integra's office to wait.
Integra was at her desk tending to the ever-present paperwork that came with the title of Hellsing when a knock sounded at the door. "Enter," she called. The door opened to admit Seras Victoria for the second time that night. This time, however, she was sporting a nasty grin and had her hands behind her back as if Integra wouldn't find out what it was eventually.
"Sir," she purred arrogantly.
"Seras," Integra replied icily, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Where do you come off addressing me like th-" She stopped when Seras reveled a battered black hat filled with scraps of paper. Seras' indulgent smirk was exactly identical to Alucard's. Integra looked from the hat to her employee before her eyes widened in understanding. "You couldn't have-!"
Integra was interrupted by Alucard phasing hatless through the floor behind the younger vampire. He bowed mockingly to both women and wordlessly sat in a chair facing the desk.
"Walter should be here shortly," Seras had better stop smiling so triumphantly or she just might lose her head.
As if on cue, a knock at the door announced Walter's arrival with a tray of human snacks and iced blood packs. "Good evening, Sir." He winked at Seras who flashed white fangs in a smile. "Seras, have you figured on the team arrangements?"
"I have," she stated happily. "We will play three games, each with three rounds. The first team to get ten points will win the round. That way, it will take longer, and everyone will have a turn paired with someone else. First game, Masters vs. Servants; second game, Boys vs. Girls; third game, Humans vs. Vampires. Are you ready to play?"
Integra pinched the bridge of her nose; she already felt a headache growing. "Seras," her voice sounded tired. "I was being sarcastic."
Seras felt her face heating in anger but before she could open her mouth, Alucard spoke softly from his seat, yet his voice seemed to echo in the cavernous room. "Are you saying, Master, that you are a liar and a coward? One should not make a deal unless they are willing to follow through with their end of the bargain. Seras Victoria has done her part. I did not expect you to be so... dishonorable, Integra Hellsing."
All three heads jerked towards him in surprise but he kept his eyes fixed on Integra. That's the second time tonight that he's done something for me... I wonder where he hid the bong... can vampires get high?... Seras reined in her thoughts before she got too curious, and glanced up at the elderly woman in front of her.
Integra stared back at him with pursed lips lowering her hand. She stood slowly glaring all the while at the No-life King. She walked around her desk and sat in a chair next to Alucard finally lifting her eyes to Seras.
Forming her shadows into a table for the hat and a chair for herself facing the other two, Seras smiled and gestured to Alucard while Walter dragged a chair over to the circle.
Alucard levitated a slip to his hand and glanced at the Police girl's handwriting. 'Walking the dog.' His lips twitched in a smirk as he stood up and turned to face Integra who studied him over steepled fingers. I am going to look like a fool, Police girl. Get an eyeful, for this is the last time I will do anything like this, he spoke in her mind.
You'll have fun, I promise, she smiled at his back as he took three steps in front of Integra.
"Stepping?" Sir Hellsing asked. He shook his head. "Walking?"
Alucard grinned and turned into his hell hound familiar. "Walking the dog?"
Alucard returned to his original self and used an finger to draw a black line on the wall. "One point for us Police girl," he said mockingly. "I hope they are not all that easy."
Seras smiled at him sweetly before turning her gaze to Walter, who stood and took a slip. 'Gone With the Wind.' He smiled; it was an American film, but it was okay.
He turned to Seras and held up four fingers.
"Four words?"
A nod. He lifted his hands as if turning a crank.
"A... movie?"
Another nod. He held up four fingers again, made a whistling noise, and ignored a set of sniggers behind him.
"Umm... fourth word... whistle?" Seras guessed. Walter shook his head no.
His cheeks warmed a little bit at the dark chuckle behind his back as he bent slightly, covered his face with one arm, and began to act as if fighting a strong wind.
"Oh, storm? Wind?" she smiled toothily at Walter's vigorous nods.
Walter straitened and lifted one finger and tapped his right wrist four times. He paused considering and reached up to remove his monocle.
Seras frowned in thought. "First word... four syllables? No four letters. Take? Move? Uh... lift?" She sent a searing glare over Walter's shoulder at Alucard, who had let out a childishly loud yawn.
Walter replaced the monocle and pointed to his face, then he took the monicle off and pointed to it with his other hand before hiding it behind his back.
Seras worried her lip with her fang before asking "...Gone?"
Walter clapped his hands happily and moved his hands in a continuing gesture.
"Oh! Gone With the Wind!" Seras let out a victorious whoop as she skipped to the wall and marked it with a red line. She knew it was bad manners, and that both Integra and Alucard would probably have a few harsh words for her later, but she gave them both an arrogant smirk and swaggered back to her seat. For Alucard's benefit, she even playfully swayed with each step, and sat with her legs crossed so there was no way of missing the smooth skin as she plucked a blood pack from the ice and sipped it daintily.
Sure enough, Integra stood with a red face and a glare. Alucard, however, raised an eyebrow in interest, his eyes taking in her teasing sway and legs, although his face remained expressionless.
Seras tried to pretend she hadn't noticed, but her blush gave her away. She shifted slightly when his eyes left her for Integra (who was doing some sort of swimming motion), now thinking that her stunt was probably not the brightest thing to do. Although, she thought to her own surprise, I kind of li-... didn't mind. She would never admit, even to herself that she might have enjoyed his attention. She caught the corners of his mouth twitching up in a smirk and built her mental walls thicker with red staining her cheeks. He might have just been smirking at his master (idk what she was attempting to portray with her arms wiggling like that!!),but, she thought with mortification that his eyes had flickered to her once again behind his tinted glasses, so quick, she might just be paranoid.
The game continued well past midnight. The servants had won round 1 (Alucard and Integra kept fighting), the males had won round 2 (Integra and Seras kept fighting), and now it was down to the vampires to break the tie; if they won this game, they would win the round. It turned out that humans work best with humans and the same for vampires.
Seras' legs shook as she walked to take her slip of paper. Unfolding it, she read: Watership Down. Oh no! she thought. The name sounded so familiar! Where have I heard that? She held up two fingers.
"Two words," Alucard stated confidently peering at her over his glasses.
She removed a finger and tapped her left wrist twice.
"First word, two syllables."
Two fingers again and she pointed down.
"Second word, vagina." He smirked wickedly and ducked as two ashtrays and were thrown from different angles by two equally red-faced women. "Second word, down," he corrected himself.
Seras nodded and thought. She signed for first word, first syllable, and picked up an ice cube from the bucket of blood packs and melted the ice into her hand with a tiny black flame on her finger. She showed him the water cupped in her hand.
"Water," was his deep-voiced answer.
Suddenly the name clicked into Seras' mind. "Oh!" dropping the water onto the checkered floor, Seras stood straighter and willed herself to sprout two black bunny ears and a fluffy black tail. She looked expectantly at her ex-master, hoping he had read the book about a rabbit's adventure.
He blinked slowly at her and sighed. "Watership Down."
"Yes!" she cried her new tail twitching in excitement. "We won!"
Alucard sighed again while Integra and Walter stood stretching their old limbs. It was four o'clock in the morning and they were tired. "I am rather disappointed, though," he said wistfully. Seras immediately stopped hopping and the three looked suspiciously at him: Alucard never sounds wistful. "You did not even wear the entire outfit," he said to Seras.
When she continued to look suspicious, he sent her a mental image, his characteristic smirk on full power. Seras received an image of herself in a black corset, with white laces and black boots over her black fishnets. A playboy bunny.
"MASTER!!!" she shrieked, accidentally adopting his old title, and throwing her shadow chair at his head. He phased through the floor with a dark chuckle, leaving Seras fuming, and the two humans oblivious.
The end.