A drop of blood stained the floor of Seras' apartment. Nate had watched it as it fell, almost hypnotized by the small, descending ball of crimson. More waited on the underside of his forearm, collecting near his elbow as if a great scarlet army were massing for a second invasion of the carpet far beneath them. The arm was sleeveless. Hell, both arms were sleeveless. The rest of his body was similarly unclothed. This wasn't to suggest that Nate himself was naked, instead a thick pelt of smooth white fur covered the majority of his hulking form.

Again, a small droplet of the blood on his elbow disconnected from the larger mass and headed for the ground below. The tiny rivers and streams of red, if followed upward from the elbow, would lead the observer to Nate's forearm, just below the wrist. Here, a the index claw of Nate's left hand slowly dug a small furrow down Nate's right arm. Though there was no one in the room with him, Nate started talking. In the deep voice of a crinos, he asked the air about him, "Who are you?"

I am you.

The claw that had been carving gave a slight jerk, digging a little deeper. Nate removed it and stared at its bloodstained tip in mild curiosity, "No, you cannot be me, for I am me. I would directly address myself in the first person. I address others in the second person. You, I address in the second person, and therefore, you are another. Thus, I'll ask again, who are you?"

I am you...or more precisely, I was you.

Nate's eyes narrowed, "Then you have no right to be here. Who I am now, is not who I was. The garou I was occupied this body, but since I am here now, that must mean it is gone. In short, you do not exist."

Prove it.

Nate ignored the voice, or at least tried his best to. He needed something to distract himself, and though there were more than enough things to think about at the moment, they only seemed to give the voice more power. Nate looked down at his crinoid right arm. Though several small streams of blood coursed over its surface, it remained otherwise blank, with a thin covering of pale hair. The marking that had showed up several nights ago hadn't showed up again. Strange, last time it had showed up when covered in his own blood, but this time it refused to. Why?

It's a part of your past.

Nate twitched. "No it isn't, I don't remember ever receiving that mark."

I do, and I am you.

Closing his eyes, Nate began to change. As his hulking form began to shrink, clothes reappeared on his body. Soon, a six foot tall human stood there, clad in a hooded black sweatshirt and pants. Rummaging briefly through the kitchen, Nate wrapped a few paper towels around the wound on his right forearm. This done, he decided a walk would clear his mind. Exiting the apartment, Nate looked up at the night sky. It was a partly cloudy night, and many of the stars still shone down upon him. Nate breathed in deeply, gazing up at them, feeling slightly calmer.

Quite pretty, aren't they?

Nate lowered his head, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, "Shut up," he said.

You cannot silence me. Though you may be one of the Silent Striders, I am not.

"You are nothing but a figment of my imagination. You do not belong in my head," Nate said, emotion beginning to enter his voice.

You are the one that doesn't belong. What you are now is nothing more than a construct built to appear normal and blend in with all around you. I am the real one among us, the one that matters.

A fist collided with the brickwork of Seras' apartment, "Shut up!" Again the fist hit, and a third time, leaving a smear of blood, "Shut up, shut up! I will not be ruled by a past I cannot even remember!"

The voice chuckled as it faded away...

Have fun explaining that little outburst.

Nate looked around, and realized he wasn't the only one outside.