fandomhigh | (no subject)

Walter, as usual, took some of everything. Having missed dinner the night before, it was a large some of everything. He set his tray down across from Pip with something just shy of a thud and sat down, already pulling his own cigarette out of his waistcoat pocket.

There's an angry red mark on one cheek.

"Where were you hiding this weekend?"

"In bed," Pip responded, taking out his lighter, flicking it to life, and holding it out for Walter. "Well, in someone else's bed at least. Also been doing a lot of thinking about everyone here.

"What happened to you, man? You look awful. Is something wrong?"

Walter took the light and added his own cloud of smoke to the smoking section. He waved away Pip's question. "Hopefully you both - or all - enjoyed yourselves. What sort of thinking have you been doing?"

"Both. So far," Pip said, winking. He put the lighter away. "I dunno, just thinking about the fact that there are a lot of supernatural types around that there seem to be a lot of attacks going on. Thought it might be a good idea to start being prepared." He took a drag on his cigarette.

"Seriously man, what happened and how did you get that mark? Did you go too easily on Nadia again?"

"No," Walter shook his head to going too easy on Nadia. He'd both learned his lesson, and was getting along pretty well with her.

"What sort of preparations were you thinking of making?"

Well, this is unusual Pip thought to himself. I'll have to pursue the answer on other channels.

"Oh, you know. Going down to the weapons shop. Getting some special made ammunition. Silver bullets. Blessed ammo. Maybe see if I can finagle some holy water out of the priest."

He tapped some of the ash off of his cigarette.

"On a serious note, have you told Victor about the dreams you've been having? He's been really worried about you. It might be a good idea."

"Be careful that you don't get in trouble for weapons on campus," Walter warned. "Smith's not going to go easy on you for weapons violations."

He set his cigarette aside and took a tasteless bite of his freed cheekee. "I don't think I'm going to have any more of those nightmares, but Victor and I talked about them a little."

"Well, I'm not exactly going to carry them around on campus. I just thought I'd be paranoid and prepared," Pip said, taking a bite of cheekee.

"The dreams stopped? Huh, that's weird. Maybe something caused them that isn't there any longer?"

"More like the exact opposite," Walter muttered and stuffed brucculee in his mouth. Too soggy. Why wasn't he surprised?

Pip raised an eyebrow. "Something is there that wasn't before? Care to explain?"

"Can we just say that I met someone with well-polished shoes and a ruler and leave it at that?" Walter was looking down at his food with more attention than the freed cheekee really merited.

"Wait, so you met the person in your dream? It was prophetic? If you're having prophetic dreams you should go talk to the counselor. Maybe Professor Dream. That seems like something they'd want to know about."

Walter shook his head at the suggestion. "No. I don't need to involve them.

"So what are you going to do with the weapons you purchase?"

"For now? Throw them with the rest of my stuff in the weapons locker. More than anything else I'm just being paranoid. You never know what's coming. One day everything's fine and BOOM. Next minute someone's got you helplessly pinned to the ground, ya know?"

Walter glanced up and scowled at Pip, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pip's eye widened. "It's supposed to me that you're supposed to be on your guard, ya know? Never know what's coming. Did I mistranslate something, say the English wrong?"

No way in hell was Walter going to tell Pip that he had just described his evening to a T.

If Pippi volunteered the information, he was going to crawl under the table.

Well, no, actually, he wasn't, but he'd certainly want to.

"Your English was fine." However, he hadn't stopped scowling.

Pip raised an eyebrow. "Then why the reaction? Something's wrong, Walter." He pointed at his friend with his cigarette. "I'm not going to make you tell me, but I will ask you one last time. What's up?"

Walter pushed his tray aside and reached for a new cigarette since his had burned down to nothing.

"I have a new teacher."

Pip held out his lighter again.

"What kind of teacher? Did you enroll in one of the open classes?"

He took the light and gratefully drew smoke into his lungs before answering Pip's question.

"No. He's not part of Fandom's faculty. He's new to the island. Newer than we, I should say."

He unconsciously rubbed a hand over his cheek and made a face.

"One of the new townies? Someone was telling me a bunch of people are moving in," Pip said. "What's his name? What's he teaching you?"

"Alfred Pennyworth and I'm not sure what he's teaching me other than how to avoid being pinned helplessly to the ground."

"Well that explains your reaction, at least. What happened?"

"We met. It didn't go well. I have a new teacher," Walter answered tersely.