fandomtownies | Jeff, God of Biscuts, 5:00

Walter decided he didn't need to make any further bad impressions and arrived about five minutes before 5:00 pm.

Alfred looks up and smiles. "Ahhh, Walter. Come, take a seat. I ordered you some hot tea. How were your classes today?"

Walter takes a seat across from Alfred and essays a smile of his own, although he really doesn't put much heart into a it.

"They were interesting. The guest speaker for one of my classes was a dragon, and we talked about other students' paranormal experiences in the other.

"I'm not sure how much time I can spend with you. The principal has assigned me to the campus beatification team, whatever that is."

"Well, I'll talk to the Principal and see what I can do," Alfred responded. "And given your employer, I'm sure you had some interesting experiences to tell the class," he said, taking a bite of pie.

"Tonight I just want to learn as much as I can about you, as well as setting up a schedule. Nothing hard or intensive. Though do plan on having an after school job. I want you to work at my restaurant when it opens.

"Now, before we begin, I have your first lesson. Clean up your langauge. Less contractions, unless your speech would sound absolutely rediculous without them, and definitely no more swearing."

Walter tries not to frown.

"I don't... err... do not? I do not mind doing the work. You might as well know before you speak with Principal Smith that I have been rather... active at school already.

"What sort of after school job am I supposed to plan on?" He's not annoyed at the idea. Heavens no. But he's doing a better job of keeping that to himself than the night prior.

"As a waiter, I suspect. Possibly another job if we find you excel at something. And do not worry about your possible "activities" at school. I'll speak with the Principal. And please, by all means continue your activities. I very much encourage them. Now," he said, sliding the package over to Walter. "Have yourself one of these and tell me about yourself."

Walter glanced up in surprise at being encouraged to continue his activities. Did Alfred understand what he meant?

To hell with that, he was going to take the permission and not look that gift horse in the mouth.

The package contained ginger snaps, which happened to be his favorite kind of biscuit - cookie, they were in America, after all. "Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth."

After nibbling on a cookie and adding some milk and sugar to the tea that Alfred had ordered for him, he asked, "What should I tell you about? I'm fourteen, from London. I've... I have worked for Hellsing for four years, although the first couple were really mostly training."

"How did you come about living with the Hellsing family, young one? Or rather, to be more accurate, how did they come about finding you and what were you doing when they did?"

"I made the mistake of attempting to pick the wrong pocket. I was on my own after my parents were killed and you do what you must to survive. I saw this posh woman and thought I'd take a dip in her pocket..."

Walter made a "what can you do?" face. "Picking a vampire's pocket isn't something that goes over well. But cutting off his hand caught his interest."

Alfred smiled. "Understandable. I take it this was after you aquired the wires?"

Walter nodded. "Yes. The speed with which I reacted and the unusual weapon caught his attention. He let me live."

It was also the last time he'd been taken by surprise and ended up helpless for it. Until yesterday.

"And his employer took you in and at some point you found youself taking up the positioin as a butler, I see," Alfred said, steepling his fingers. "What brought you here to Fandom?"

"My employer said it was to get the sort of education I couldn't get in London."

Alfred smiled. "And get it you shall. Is there any way I can get in contact with your employer? I would like to let him know of the arrangement," he said. His smile was somewhat was worrying, though. As was the ruler he produced out of nowhere and smacked Walter's hand with. "Watch your contractions," he said.

Do we really have to?

OW!

"Yes, sir." I'm going to take that ruler away and...

Walter got up and borrowed a pen and a piece of paper from the counter person and wrote down a phone number and address. "Sir Arthur Hellsing would be the one with whom you would speak."

"Excellent," Alfred said. The ruler had disappeared like it was never there. He took the paper, folded it up, and slipped it into his pocket. "So what is your daily schedule? I don't want to intrude on your studies."

Walter obtained another piece of paper and wrote down his schedule (http://pics.livejournal.com/dreadnot/pic/001964c2), handing the paper over to Alfred with a feeling of having just signed over part of his life.

He was watching to see where the ruler had gone, but hadn't caught it.

"Excellent. Well... Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be the best days for instruction, I think. Around lunch then? I'll even throw in a free meal. You would work those days as well, also at lunch time on Saturdays and Sundays."

Both weekend days? Walter restrained a groan and did his best to keep his expression neutral.

"What time shall I arrive? And do I begin tomorrow?" Or did he have a last day of freedom? He was never going to have a day off.

" Around one o'clock. And yes, we begin tomorrow. We'd best get started right away. Can't afford to lose any time, now can we?"

Walter saw things differently, but he wasn't quite ready for a repeat of last night.

But...

"Why are you allowed to use contractions and I am not?"

"Because I've earned it, my lad. You have to learn the rules before you can start to break them."

"Are you going to teach me the rules or will I have to figure them out myself?" Because figuring them out himself seemed to make Alfred somewhat redundant.

"Of course. What would the point of me even being here be if I weren't to teach you the rules? Rules exist so that you think before you break them, young one. That's the most important lesson of all. By the way, before I forget," he said as he reached down beside him. He brought out a large, flat package. "I have some fliers I was wondering if you wouldn't mind posting up around your dorms? I'm having a grand opening celebration of my restaurant. You'll have to show up early to help me set up, I'm afraid."

"Which day and what time? Oh, and sir, I do have some club obligations, as well. I have been helping out with the Self Defense club on Wednesday nights and I signed on with the Fight Club, which hasn't been given a regular schedule yet. If it ends up being scheduled for one of my work days will I be able to still keep that commitment?"

Walter looked the fliers over. It wouldn't be a problem to put those up.

Other than the ruler, Alfred wasn't so bad.

"Well, since the idea is to teach you to fight as well as to train you as a butler, I suppose it would be alright to try and schedule around it. Still, don't expect to be able to get out of your training sessions for anything other than sickness, injury, or school related activities," he said.

School-related activities could be a very broad header.

"I understand." He'd ever thought to himself that he was getting spoiled by all the free time. That didn't mean he wanted to give a bunch of it to Alfred, but he was working on the silver lining.

Someday he'd get that ruler away from Alfred. That would be a silver lining.

"Will there be anything else tonight?"

"I don't think so... wait. Yes," Alfred said. He reached down and pulled out another large package and handed it to Walter. "Some more ginger snaps. For you and your boyfriend. A way of apology for the ruckus caused last night."

Walter took the package. He couldn't help being impressed that Alfred had done that. It was really hard to dislike the man, until he moved his aching shoulder or looked down at the ruler-straight welt on the back of his hand.

"I have to ask, sir. Did you know that ginger snaps are my favorite?"

Alfred smiled. "It was an educated guess," he responded.

"Based on what?" Walter was genuinely curious, not challenging.

"That's a lesson for another day, young one. You might want to get back soon, the town's a little lawless these days. While I'm sure you could handle any would be muggers or looters, I'm sure we'd like as little violence as possible, eh?"

"We would?" Walter is almost amused - Alfred has done a good job of almost putting him at ease and his good humor is very hard to keep down. "They would be a lot less likely to be violent after tangling with me, but I have fliers to hang."

"And it is so difficult to get blood stains out. Better to just stop them from getting in in the first place," Alfred said, finishing off his pie.

Walter has become rather accustomed to having to replace clothes due to stray wires. Skin heals, cotton and linen do not.

"Yes, sir. I will see you tomorrow." Walter gathered up the ginger snaps and the fliers and rose from his seat to head back to campus.

Miho and Becky run past Jeff, God of Biscuits carrying a bundle between them. It must be their laundry.

Becky had been dyeing something red.

That's what the dripping is.

Move along now.

Walter has an eye for blood, but the streets are wet still and it's dark and all, and he's not looking for it.

He moves along.

Mentally, at least.

Walter caught a glimpse of the nice girl who told him about roller skates.

He'll have to look her up one of these days when he'd out roller blading.

Wow, is he ever barking up the wrong tree.

Jeff, God of Biscuts, 5:00

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