Do not own! Not my story! Thank you.
Flora's POV:
I yawned and sat up the next morning, seeing Walter inside my room, pouring out a glass of milk and shoving a tea tray into my lap. I balanced it carefully, seeing some pancakes and waffles with generous amounts of butter and syrup. I tried very hard not to drool, and quickly shoveled food in my mouth as he began talking at a fast pace again. "The clothes you brought will do if there is no one else visiting, but we need to get you some formal items for when outsiders are present, or you go out in public. Do you prefer a dress or a skirt?" I gulped, but there wasn't anything in my mouth. "A…skirt, I guess. Easier to run in." I said, returning to my food in dismay. I finished, and he presented me some neatly folded clothes, and I slid out of bed, walking to the bathroom and putting them on.
They were obviously intended for a younger child, so it was a bit tight in the chest and hips, but it still fit tolerably well. There was a skirt, and I had on a neat blouse, which made me look like a prim school girl, which was at odds with my stormy blue eyes and wiry brown hair. I sighed, running a brush through it and stepping back out, smiling hesitantly at Walter. He frowned and tugged it a little neater, then stepped back and smiled at me. "Can I ask a favor?" I said as he led me down to Integra's office. "Yes?" I took a deep breath. "May I have a computer in that one extra room with a desk? One with internet connection?" I asked meekly, crossing my fingers. After all, it was like Integra's office in miniature, although she didn't have a computer. I was a teen though, I needed my media.
He sighed. "I will see what I can do." He warned, and opened the door to see Sir Integra smoking another cigar and reading a sheet of paper. She looked up and tried a smile, but it didn't fit well on her face. Just like me, she didn't seem to be a person who smiled a lot. I sat down, hands folded in my lap, waiting for her to start talking. "You have seen Alucard?" She said promptly, and I frowned. "Umm…would he be the really annoying vampire with a anger management problem?" I asked her, and she smirked, which fit much better than a smile on her stern face. "That's him." I gulped, nodding. What if she really didn't want me exploring the basement? "You don't seem to be very frightened of him." I shrugged. "Why?" I bit my lip, thinking. "Umm…I don't really know." I admitted, shifting in my seat slightly. We moved on, and she seemed to want to get to know me better, asking about my family and friends. I answered politely, relaxing a little as time went on.
After a little while, Walter came in with another tea tray, and set it down in front of us just as I realized it was lunch time. I took a sandwich, munching on it and swallowing before answering Integra's questions, as they proceeded much slower. Finally finished, she dismissed me with a wave and I walked out, asking Walter if I could explore outside. He said I could if I changed into something more suited to outdoor activity, and I quickly changed into some of my old clothes, ones that incidentally would blend in with most scrub and bush. Just a precaution if I wanted to sneak up on something. I walked outside, smelling the fresh air and wet grass. I headed for a group of trees, hoping to find one to climb. I saw a perfect oak, huge and stately, and clambered up it, scraping my skin in some places, but ignoring it in favor of the view I would get from the topmost crook of the tree.
I settled down, laying across the huge branch like a sleepy cat and watching the grounds with lively interest. Apparently the bushes that had hidden about half of the lawn concealed a target range, and I watched as some soldier types fired at the paper targets, hitting them almost dead center. The sun was shining, which probably sucked for anyone exercising, but warmed my back nicely as I sat in the tree, a cool breeze cementing my comfort. I grinned to myself, seeing some loose bits of bark I could put into use if anyone walked under me. Speak of the devil, a small group of soldiers, including one I thought I had seen earlier, walked under me, sitting against the trunk of the tree with a thump. An evil grin cracked my face as I pried some bark off.
I gently dropped it onto the person directly below me, who started and looked around wildly. I could just barely hear the people below me, and he said "Something just tapped my head!" The others all laughed, and I stifled laughter of my own. I waited a moment, before dropping some bark onto the head of the person next to him. They twitched, and ran a hand through their hair, shouting that something had tapped their head as well. The others now laughed less loudly, but I had to clap a hand over my mouth to stifle my chuckles. I waited just a little bit more, before dropping some bark onto the man with an eyepatch's head. He jumped, pulling out a gun, and yelling for "Alucard" to stop it. I couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed harder than I had in months, actually shaking the branch. They all swore and looked up, and I giggled, waving at them.
The eyepatch guy and the other two turned red from embarrassment, and I wiped my eyes, rolling over and chuckling weakly as I tried to stop laughing. "Get down from there! You might fall!" yelled one of the people I hadn't dropped some bark on, and I sighed, rolling back over. "Will not!" I yelled back, sticking my tongue out at him. He shrugged helplessly. "Please? Integra will get mad at us." He said, and I sighed, swinging down and dropping, letting the branch below me catch me neatly between the legs, jarring me and causing my lungs to empty slightly. The men all winced and hissed, but I had endured far worse wounds from a tree, and I was a girl. I swung down again, propping my feet against the lower branch that was closer up, and finally landing on the ground, dusting myself off. "Hey, are you that new girl? Flora?" the eyepatch guy asked, and I nodded, smirking at them.
"Sorry about the bark, but you were practically begging for it." I said, rubbing the back of my head. The eyepatch guy, who looked to be in charge, and the two others blushed, and the others snickered. "Does Alucard really go around tapping the back of your heads?" I asked curiously, and they all shrugged. "Not really his style, but with that guy you never know." The second man said, and eyepatch guy held out his hand. "Pip Bernadette, captain of the Wild Geese." He said, and I shook it. "Well, you guys all probably already know who I am." I said after a moment, and they all stepped forward with their own introductions.
They moved on, and I went the other way, checking out all the scrub in the grounds. A few hours before dark, I was covered in dirt, berry-stained, and with heavy pockets full of shiny quartz and other rocks. I had also found some catnip, which I recognized on sight from my own garden at home, and wistfully hoped for a cat to give it to. I walked back onto the path, licking my fingers and wondering if any of the soldiers knew about the wild strawberry and blackberry patches on Integra's ground. Probably not, judging from how many I was able to plunder. Speaking of, there was Seras, shading her eyes against the setting sun and peering around frantically. "Oh there you are!" She said when she caught sight of me.
"What happened?" She gasped, looking at me, and I looked down, seeing nothing unusual. My clothes had a few tiny rips from a stubborn blackberry thornbush, and my hands and wrists were stained with berry juice. I was covered in dust and dirt, and there were several bits of leafy matter in my hair. "Nothing…" I said slowly, giving her a strange look. "You're filthy!" she squealed, moving forward and starting to dust me off. Being vamperic, she nearly knocked me down. "I'm fine!" I said, freeing myself with a frantic jerk. She pouted, wringing her hands. "Just wanted to help…" she said, looking tearful. I sighed. "I'm fine Seras. Just a little grungy, that's all." I said apologetically, pulling a leaf bud from my hair. She nodded, looking brighter. She led me back to the house, and I blushed when Walter gave me a disapproving look.
"You look like you have been fighting a bush." He said bluntly, and I dusted myself off some more. "Just exploring." I said, rubbing my shoulder in embarrassment. He sighed. "Clean yourself up and come down for dinner. I will show you to the dining room." I quickly scampered away, sliding into my room and turning on the water in the sink. I shed my dirty clothes, washing my face and hands frantically. I combed my hair quickly, wincing as I yanked too hard on a stubborn knot here and there. I saw that the skirt and blouse I had worn earlier were still on the counter and pulled them on, wincing at the tight fit. I peered in the mirror, and was pleased to see I looked much better. I still looked like I didn't belong in the clothes, but I was never a skirt person anyway.
I winked at my reflection and hurried back out, standing in front of Walter nervously as he inspected my change. He yanked my clothes into place only twice, straightening the shoulders and bottom of my blouse. He led me downstairs, and I blinked as I saw the brightly lit dining room, with a huge table and lots of plates. It was only Integra and me, which made it rather awkward as I sat down, all the way across the very long table. I looked blankly at the several dozen bits of cutlery by my plate, wondering how on earth I was supposed to use them. "Umm…" I tugged on the end of Walter's sleeve. "Outside in?" I whispered to him, remembering something I read in a book. He nodded before walking back out.
Integra's POV:
I watched her eat, and although she obviously was unsure of how to use her tools, she still managed to get most of them right. She didn't attempt to engage me in conversation, concentrating on her food mutely. I wondered how on earth the mischievous, bold girl Captain Pip and his men had described, and the wild, untidy girl Walter had told me came back in, suddenly transformed into a quiet, shy girl who seemed ill at ease in the dining room. "Do you like it here?" I asked her curiously. She looked up suddenly, obviously startled by my question. "Huh? Oh, it's nice." She said, looking back down. Little better than monosyllables. Why is she so quiet all of a sudden?
"I heard you pranked some of my mercenaries." I said, looking at her sternly. She looked up again, trying and failing to hide a proud grin. "Uh…yeah." She said, covering her mouth, although a spark of laughter still danced in her eyes. "I know you're smirking so put your hand down." I said, smiling at her. She put it down; a mischievous grin to rival Alucard's spreading across her face. A few minutes later I got her to be a bit more open, but she still left the table at the first opportunity.
Flora's POV:
I snuck into the kitchen after supper, thinking I should probably apologize to Alucard for invading his room. I grabbed a medicinal blood pack, pressing it close to my body to hide it from other people as I scampered down to the basement. It was squishy, but I didn't flinch away from it, even though it was really cold. Around the same time I scuttled down the steps, it finally warmed up, so I didn't need to hold it away anyway. I slid it under my shirt, warming it up further until it was just cool plastic squished against my skin, not ice cold blood along with it. I knocked on his door, backing away slightly as he wrenched it open. "What do you want?" he growled, and I slid the blood out from under my shirt. "I wanted to say sorry for peeking in your room and stuff." I said, holding it out.
He raised his eyebrows, stepping back and bowing like he was inviting me in. I followed him nervously, clenching the bag tighter. He held out his hand, and I gave it to him. "You even warmed it up, how thoughtful." He purred, flashing me a wicked smirk. I rolled my eyes, blushing slightly. "Try carried it under your shirt for most of the way here." I growled, sitting down on the floor as he yanked the straw out, sipping it thoughtfully. He smirked at me, and sat down in his chair with a thump. "Thanks are nonetheless in order." He said, inclining his head towards me. "Integra told me your name." I said abruptly, and he smirked. "I know that. What on earth were you doing to have the mercenaries all riled up?" He asked, and I began telling him delightedly of my prank. This led to a conversation that lasted most of the night.