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[loyalpup]

[Tom is red-eyed and sniffling. It's hard for him to catch his breath, but he believes it's important for him to make this announcement, important to let people know that the vampire will be missed because despite everything Hal was a good person and Tom's best friend. His first friend really]

H-Hal Yorke is gone. I waited in the room with them pods 'til everyone was gone and he weren't there. I checked his room just in case, but...

Now I know some folk didn't like him, but he was my best mate even if he was an arse. 'e helped save the world and everything, so that makes him a good guy.

[Tears start to spill and Tom wipes his face with the back of his arm. The more the tears fall the thicker his accent becomes]

It maybe ain't fair that some folk just leave like that. He was doin' all sort of good ta make everythin' right and now it don't mean not since he ain't here. It ain't right that he just left like that not tell none, like we don't care. Like ah dick'ead.

[pause]

Probably best 'e's gone anyway since he was nothin' but trouble and too much work and complained and was jus' a stupid vampire that didn't matter no how.

[More tears and as Tom goes to wipe them away he drops the communicator so that the last image is of the floor in Hal's room]

Comments

[endeavors]

[oh, hey - he remembers you.]

I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do-?

[loyalpup]

[He would remember you if he could smell you, but this isn't the face he associates anything with, but he still appreciates the question]

Nah. Ain't much ta do, right? I mean, this ship don't care none if it takes your best mate or not.

[endeavors]

No, it... certainly doesn't. [It took his wife, after all.] As long as you aren't alone.

[loyalpup]

[Shrugs]

Alex is here, but she gots her new friends. Everyone else is from my past.

[And they only want to be friends with each other]

[endeavors]

Do they remember you? The ones from your past?

[loyalpup]

Me Dad wanted to kill their friend.

George is nice though. And Annie, though she don't know me none, not like back home.

[endeavors]

Wait - your dad? Why did he want that?

[loyalpup]

Oh, um, 'e was a hunter. Dad said vampires was all evil, but that's 'cause he ain't never met Hal...

Don't think he woulda like 'al much either, but if he knew Hal was me friend he might be okay.

[Not too far deep down Tom knows his Dad would have hated Hal regardless of how Tom felt]

[endeavors]

Oh. I'm... sorry. That happened to you.

[loyalpup]

[shrug]

Just 'ow he was is all. Dad trained me my whole life. He was a good sort.

[endeavors]

You were trained to hunt?

[loyalpup]

Since I was a babe, but jus' vampires; don't hunt me own kind.

[endeavors]

I... see.

I've never encountered a vampire.

[loyalpup]

You'se lucky then. Vampires did all sorts ah bad stuff ta werewolves back home. Even folk that weren't werewolves.

[endeavors]

I'm sorry to hear that. How many are up here? Do you know?

[loyalpup]

Hal's gone, but there's M-, um, maybe they don't want folk knowing about them. Sorry. But I ain't met one that's mean like back home.

[endeavors]

Oh. Okay, I get it. Not everyone is comfortable being outed.

[loyalpup]

I don't mind since folks been alright 'bout it, but De-um, me friend said I shouldn't say nothin' ta new folk.

[But you're not new, not that Tom knows that. Boy, he's bad at keeping secrets when he thinks they shouldn't be secrets]

[endeavors]

Don't worry about me. Your friend's secret is safe with you.

[there's... a little laugh in his tone.]

[loyalpup]

Yeah. Good.

[A smile. Well, you know have a friend, Andy]