tampered | Log: Complete

Log: Complete

When: January 5
Rating: PG?
Characters: Walter Dornez

dark_butler and Arthur Hellsing

arthurhellsing
Summary: Walter agrees to meet his former master at the fountain.
Log:

Walter arrived at the fountain and scanned the people wandering its environs. Perhaps another time he would have taken time to admire its beauty, but tonight he was there to meet Arthur.

How had Arthur managed to touch him so easily?

He had allowed himself to forget just how much he had respected his master.

He slowly circled the fountain and waited for sight of that familiar unruly hair.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It had been strange to awaken when he knew he should have been dead. The lack of a heartbeat had been rather shocking but the people of this strange world were quick to offer answers to many of his questions. He was mildly surprised at how fast he was taking everything in stride maybe it had to do with being dead. He didn't really have an answer for it.

But maybe he was there because two of the people he held dearest to him seemed to need him. It hurt to see his daughter and one who was almost a son to him arguing with each other while enemies chomped at their heels. What had happened in his absence that made his family fall apart like that?

Out of everything that was going on this rift between Integral and Walter was the only thing that gave Arthur concern. That rift felt most certainly like his failure. If he had taken better care of Walter maybe things wouldn't have gone so far astray.

As he made his way toward the fountains, he hoped that this meeting with Walter would start a path toward mending bridges and perhaps healing two hearts.

Walter saw him first. It was unavoidable with a vampire's senses. He watched the familiar figure with his familiar gait and found himself glad that some impulse had made him pick up cigars when he stopped at the shop for cigarettes on his way over.

At the very least, being undead had permitted him to take up his long-missed smoking habit again. He had no fear of lung disease, after all.

That impulse, though.... Things were cracking more. He'd found himself thinking how nice it was that this shop didn't require ration coupons. It had always been a bother to keep Arthur in cigars when imports to the island nation were so difficult.

There was no rationing in the City and Walter had not had to deal with ration coupons in more than half a century. It would help if Arthur did not look like the man he had known when he'd last had to bother with them.

He watched Arthur approach, feeling progressively more uncomfortable the nearer he came. He reacted as he often did, growing stiffer, more formal, even offering Arthur the smallest of bows when he came within an appropriate distance.

When Arthur finally caught sight of Walter he felt a slight shock at seeing him as a teenage boy again. Here they were minds of old men yet they both looked like they did during World War II. What a strange world they were in.

Arthur smiled at the show of respect that Walter paid him. "Old habits are hard to break are they not?" Arthur asked simply.

Walter wasn't his servant anymore and he could not ask him to return to that. Perhaps that had been his mistake, the boy had needed a father more than a master. Though Arthur had always thought of Walter as his son he never really expressed it.

Finally standing in front of the younger looking man, Arthur placed a hand on Walter's shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm glad to see you again. Even under these sad conditions."

No heartbeat. No warmth. Strangely, Walter was grateful. This man did nothing to rouse his new instincts. This man was not food.

That assessment of every human he met was one of the many reasons he had not wanted to see Integral in person. He'd seen her voluntarily on the day the City had teasingly returned his humanity for a day. She hadn't been food then.

He'd had to drink when she came into his flat unannounced and unwelcome. He'd expected she'd see it as deliberately highlighting his nature, and that had been a consideration, but it had been secondary to just keeping himself from hungering for her blood. He accepted that he had to drink blood, he was no Seras, but he would not accept any form of lust for Integral, not even for sustenance.

And here stood his mas- He stopped himself. Here stood Arthur Hellsing, a man whom he had deeply respected, despite all the haranguing he had done to his master. And he did not have to fight that urge.

It helped.

It helped far more than he'd expected.

He looked up at Arthur and nodded. Rather than answer, he pulled a case from his waistcoat and flipped it open to offer Arthur one of the cigars he'd bought on a whim.

Things were feeling very nostalgic for Arthur the moment Walter pulled out those cigars. He had to remind himself that he was indeed dead and that Walter was now a vampire. That last acknowledgment stung since he hadn't wanted to see either Walter or Integral walk down that path. But there was no use in getting upset over what was all ready done.

"Thank you, I haven't had one of these in..oh years." Arthur said, taking a cigar from the case. An amused smile upon his face. "I suppose I don't have to worry about them killing me now, can't kill what is all ready dead," he added in an effort to lighten the mood.

"That's why I took up smoking again," Walter said, smiling carefully as he held out a lighter for Arthur. He didn't mention that it had, in fact, been one of the first things he'd done upon finally being allowed to make his play in London.

His feelings about that period were decidedly mixed.

Largely because, at the time, it had felt nothing but good.

"What are your thoughts on what you will do now?"

Arthur took the lighter Walter had offered and easily lit up the cigar before handing it back to him.

"Well I guess it is true what they say, A smoker will always be a smoker." he responded before allowing himself to consider Walter's question.

He sighed before taking another puff of his cigar. "Honestly Walter, I'm not sure. I'm a walking dead man, there are Nazis running about wanting war, my daughter is out of sorts and you're a vampire. That's a lot to absorb in one day.

Putting the stuff with the Nazis aside, I'm more concerned about you and Integral."

He so badly wanted to see his family mended but he decided not to voice that part. He was sure Walter knew that all ready.

Walter returned the case to his waistcoat, exchanging it for a pack of cigarettes to take care of his own burning tobacco habit.

He drew on the cigarette and held the smoke far longer than he could have had he been human, then slowly exhaled, using the seconds to try to think of some proper response.

"I cannot allow her around me. I cannot allow her sentiment for me to make her keep pursuing it."

Arthur merely sighed, taking a few more puffs of his cigar. Walter was sounding dreadfully close to what Alucard sounded like at times. That did not please him, he would make certain that he had a chat with the other vampire later.

"It's more than sentiment surely you know that. You are family. You may not share the name Hellsing but you are still one of us. If I had been more thoughtful I should have made you officially a Hellsing since you were my ward and I did and do still see like a son," he admitted. "I know I was a rather poor parental figure for you considering how obsessed I was with my own whims and I am sorry for that."

"No. You don't understand." Walter shook his head and looked up at Arthur. "One, I am going insane. Two, I was brainwashed. I don't even know how many times, I just know the last time was when I was changed. I can't trust myself around her and I cannot allow her near me. She won't hear it and she'll want Alucard to fix it."

His expression hardened. "I will not allow Alucard in my mind."

Arthur wasn't willing to give up Walter and he knew Integral would be just as stubborn. He looked away trying not to let his anger toward Alucard begin to show. What had that vampire done to his family with his influence?

"Frankly I don't want Alucard mucking about in your head either. I don't trust him anymore. He is just as much to blame as I am at this point.

Surely there must be some way we can help you. I've met some interesting people in this City. One of them may be able to help you."

"I am still learning about many of the City's citizens. The population varies, as well." Walter was surprised at how calming Arthur's presence was. He had forgotten how much he had loved life when he'd actually been fourteen and Hellsing's leader had placed such faith in him.

Those had been good days. Hard ones, but still, life had held such savor. He wanted to recapture that.

But he needed to tell Arthur about something that was anything but savory.

"There is a cult here that has a human-like creature at its disposal. It 'judges' citizens." Reciting it clinically helped him distance himself. "It uses both psychic and physical torture in rendering its judgement. I was recently judged."

Arthur grimaced at that. Having talked to that mad man and his creature on the network earlier.

"I was afraid of that. I spoke to that mad man with the red eyes earlier. He insinuated as much," Arthur sighed. I'll see him dead before my time is done here. he thought angrily.

Arthur looked down toward Walter and again placed a hand on his shoulder. "Integral is stubborn she gets it from me. But if I tell her that I'll watch after you that should get her to back down some. I won't force my help on you but if you want it you have it."

Walter was conflicted but it was a war of emotion versus logic. He knew he wasn't rational about some of his choices. He also knew that he needed help, no matter how he felt about the matter and here was someone he actually trusted and whose judgement and maturity he respected. Integral had great potential, but she also had the arrogant surety of youth without the experience to temper it.

Now whom did that remind him of?

"Yes, sir. I would appreciate your help," he said, nodding solemnly. "Thank you."

"You do not have to thank me. I've told you all ready. You are family. I'll do everything that I can to help you," Arthur said sincerely, squeezing Walter's shoulder.

He figured that Integral would be upset when he asked her to leave Walter be but he knew it was for the best. At least until they could find someone trustworthy enough to help Walter piece his mind back together.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Log: Complete

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject