What Could Have Been
"Sooo…" Seras drawled, canting her head to the side, "I take it you're here to stop me?"
"Oh my, yes! Ze Major has told me to delay you. Won't zat be fun?" The little boy laughed, and his ears twitched.
Seras shrugged, "I guess? This whole thing's rather ridiculous."
"But zat is half ze fun!" He countered with another laugh, "My name, frauline, is Schrodinger." His brows wiggled, and she laughed herself, she couldn't help it. "Well, I'm Seras. I don't really want to kill you… Can we strike a deal?" She tried, looking hopeful.
"Perhaps… Vat did you have in mind, Seras?"
Her face went blank as she thought.
"…Have you ever had a thumb war?" She asked after a moment, feeling rather lame.
"No, vat is zat?" Schrodinger sounded so excited that Seras felt guilty, taking advantage of him.
"Well, you clasp your hands like this," she demonstrated with her own, "and try to pin the other person's thumb down for the count of three to win. Do you want to try? If I win, you let me pass, if you win, I'll surrender. That sounds fair, right?"
"Oh my!" Schrodinger clapped his hands and grinned at her, "So exciting. Ya, ya, let is play, Seras!"
Seras held her hand out towards him and he extended his own, they wove their fingers together and held their thumbs up in the air as Seras chanted the little intro to the game. "One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war." Their thumbs passed over the other as Seras continued the last line, "Five, six, seven, eight, try to keep your thumb straight. Begin!"
Both thumbs stayed straight for what felt like an eternity before Seras faked a swing at the cat boy, waiting for him to fall for the bait. He did and she quickly pinned his thumb but he managed to pull back before she could finish her count to three. He laughed and his ears stood upright eagerly.
Schrodinger was the one to feint next, but Seras was wise to the trick and pinned him a second time, he barely managed to squirm free before he lost. Their thumbs pressed together and Seras pushed back lightly to test his endurance. He tried to outmaneuver her and failed, the self proclaimed pro at silly games pinning him a third time and winning.
He looked heart broken, but did nothing to deter her. On impulse she ruffled his hair with the hand that had won her the little war, "Rematch when this is over?" She offered, and he cheered up instantly.
Seras always was a fan of cats.