Matt's face was nearly plastered to the window. He found himself unable to
keep a huge grin from his face. Seras managed a quick look over his way,
then looked back to the road. "What's got you in such a good mood?"
He turned to look at her. "You have ended my crisis of faith. I thank you, Seras. And don't worry, I will explain later."
"All right... Well, we're getting close to where the reports originated from. Shall we walk?"
"Sure." Seras brought the car into a parking lot and to a stop. The two exited, locking the doors behind them. "So," he said, back in the accent, "shall we head that way?" He pointed in a direction.
"That should work." After a couple minutes of walking, Seras said they were at a pretty good steak-out point. She pointed to a coffee house nearby, and the two headed in. Seras found a table near the window and started for it. Matthew followed for a moment, but stopped in his tracks as his eyes scanned over the menu. Seras stopped and looked back at him. "What is it, Matthew?"
In his surprise and glee, Matthew dropped the accent. "They have chai here."
"Chai?" she asked.
"Yes, chai. It's a tea drink my sister introduced me to a few years ago. They have it here. And not only is it chai, they can make hot spiced chai with milk." He started for the counter. "And I so need one right now, and I have money."
"Uh, Matthew? I don't know if we can drink it..."
"Well I'm gonna try it. Hang on." He made his order, and brought the hot drink back to the table where Seras sat. While he waited for the chai to cool down a bit, he looked back to Seras. "Have you tried to drink anything since being turned?" He kept his voice down a bit to keep their conversation private.
"Well, once. Though I was a little preoccupied at the time. I don't remember if I even drank any of it."
"What did you order?"
She looked down a bit, embarrassed. "Tomato juice."
Matt paused, a smile starting to form at the corners of his mouth. "How long had you been...?"
Now it was her turn to sound sheepish. "Maybe two weeks... Probably one."
Matt lightly chuckled. Back in the accent, he said, "Well, dear, that was a bloody stupid drink to order, wasn't it?"
Seras chuckled, all be it nervously. "My reaction exactly..."
Matt sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm going to try this, because I know I love it. Here goes." He brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip. It was still hot, but not enough to burn his tongue. He paused, relishing the flavor of the chai and remembering all the times he'd had it. He then took a larger sip, pausing again to enjoy the flavor. He set down the cup and smiled at Seras. "Mmmm."
"Good?"
He nodded. "Very. Want to try some?"
"Are you sure we can handle it?"
"Well," he said, "I haven't turned green yet, so I think we'll be ok. Try it." He smiled, took another gulp, and slid the cup over to Seras. Tenetively, she took the cup and raised it to her lips. She took a sip, smiled as she tasted the liquid, then took a larger gulp and passed it back to him.
"It's delicious. I can see why you like it."
"Want me to get you one?" He took the cup and raised it for another sip.
She raised her palm. "No, thank you. That was enough for me for now."
"Ok." He started to take another sip when he abruptly froze in place. His pupils dilated as his mind detected a source of danger nearby. He looked up at Seras. She'd felt it too. "Vampire," he muttered. Seras nodded. Matthew got up. Not wanting to waste any of the precious chai, he tossed the last gulp into his mouth, tossed the cup into a nearby trashcan, and followed Seras out of the building.
The man they had sensed continued down the sidewalk, oblivious that he was being followed. Still, Matt came up with an idea to help disguise them. He looked over at Seras. In his now improved British accent, he started talking, speaking of his various hobbies: writing, piano playing, etc. Seras caught on quickly, speaking to him in an American accent. She asked him about his hobbies, like how long he'd played piano, then responded with hobbies of her own, or at least those she'd enjoyed before being turned. If the vampire looked at them, he'd probably just see two new friends just talking about themselves. Not only would it, hopefully, work as disguise, but it was interesting learning about his master.
Eventually, the vampire they were tracking ducked into a house. Seras and Matthew passed it by, tracking the vampire until they were sure he was staying there. Back in his normal voice he spoke to Seras, "Yep, he's staying there. Looks like he's got friends. Can't tell how many."
She dropped her American accent. "I sense at least four in there, but possibly more. I'll check in." She grabbed a radio from under her jacket. "Victoria to base. Lock in on my location. Target vampire entered a private residence near my location. Address is as follows." She read off the address to headquarters. "Get an observation team down here. There are at least four vampires and possible more."
Fargason's voice came back over the radio. "Excellent work, Victoria. Return to base."
"Yes, sir. We're on our way." She stuffed the radio back into her jacket. "Well, back to the car." The continued away from the house, then down a side alley back to where they left the car.
He turned to look at her. "You have ended my crisis of faith. I thank you, Seras. And don't worry, I will explain later."
"All right... Well, we're getting close to where the reports originated from. Shall we walk?"
"Sure." Seras brought the car into a parking lot and to a stop. The two exited, locking the doors behind them. "So," he said, back in the accent, "shall we head that way?" He pointed in a direction.
"That should work." After a couple minutes of walking, Seras said they were at a pretty good steak-out point. She pointed to a coffee house nearby, and the two headed in. Seras found a table near the window and started for it. Matthew followed for a moment, but stopped in his tracks as his eyes scanned over the menu. Seras stopped and looked back at him. "What is it, Matthew?"
In his surprise and glee, Matthew dropped the accent. "They have chai here."
"Chai?" she asked.
"Yes, chai. It's a tea drink my sister introduced me to a few years ago. They have it here. And not only is it chai, they can make hot spiced chai with milk." He started for the counter. "And I so need one right now, and I have money."
"Uh, Matthew? I don't know if we can drink it..."
"Well I'm gonna try it. Hang on." He made his order, and brought the hot drink back to the table where Seras sat. While he waited for the chai to cool down a bit, he looked back to Seras. "Have you tried to drink anything since being turned?" He kept his voice down a bit to keep their conversation private.
"Well, once. Though I was a little preoccupied at the time. I don't remember if I even drank any of it."
"What did you order?"
She looked down a bit, embarrassed. "Tomato juice."
Matt paused, a smile starting to form at the corners of his mouth. "How long had you been...?"
Now it was her turn to sound sheepish. "Maybe two weeks... Probably one."
Matt lightly chuckled. Back in the accent, he said, "Well, dear, that was a bloody stupid drink to order, wasn't it?"
Seras chuckled, all be it nervously. "My reaction exactly..."
Matt sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm going to try this, because I know I love it. Here goes." He brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip. It was still hot, but not enough to burn his tongue. He paused, relishing the flavor of the chai and remembering all the times he'd had it. He then took a larger sip, pausing again to enjoy the flavor. He set down the cup and smiled at Seras. "Mmmm."
"Good?"
He nodded. "Very. Want to try some?"
"Are you sure we can handle it?"
"Well," he said, "I haven't turned green yet, so I think we'll be ok. Try it." He smiled, took another gulp, and slid the cup over to Seras. Tenetively, she took the cup and raised it to her lips. She took a sip, smiled as she tasted the liquid, then took a larger gulp and passed it back to him.
"It's delicious. I can see why you like it."
"Want me to get you one?" He took the cup and raised it for another sip.
She raised her palm. "No, thank you. That was enough for me for now."
"Ok." He started to take another sip when he abruptly froze in place. His pupils dilated as his mind detected a source of danger nearby. He looked up at Seras. She'd felt it too. "Vampire," he muttered. Seras nodded. Matthew got up. Not wanting to waste any of the precious chai, he tossed the last gulp into his mouth, tossed the cup into a nearby trashcan, and followed Seras out of the building.
The man they had sensed continued down the sidewalk, oblivious that he was being followed. Still, Matt came up with an idea to help disguise them. He looked over at Seras. In his now improved British accent, he started talking, speaking of his various hobbies: writing, piano playing, etc. Seras caught on quickly, speaking to him in an American accent. She asked him about his hobbies, like how long he'd played piano, then responded with hobbies of her own, or at least those she'd enjoyed before being turned. If the vampire looked at them, he'd probably just see two new friends just talking about themselves. Not only would it, hopefully, work as disguise, but it was interesting learning about his master.
Eventually, the vampire they were tracking ducked into a house. Seras and Matthew passed it by, tracking the vampire until they were sure he was staying there. Back in his normal voice he spoke to Seras, "Yep, he's staying there. Looks like he's got friends. Can't tell how many."
She dropped her American accent. "I sense at least four in there, but possibly more. I'll check in." She grabbed a radio from under her jacket. "Victoria to base. Lock in on my location. Target vampire entered a private residence near my location. Address is as follows." She read off the address to headquarters. "Get an observation team down here. There are at least four vampires and possible more."
Fargason's voice came back over the radio. "Excellent work, Victoria. Return to base."
"Yes, sir. We're on our way." She stuffed the radio back into her jacket. "Well, back to the car." The continued away from the house, then down a side alley back to where they left the car.
