[hearts_andminds: Because she looks like me.]

[cavemen_win]

Fred had been incredibly tempted to march herself right to Wesley's room and ask him why he thought keeping vital information from her was a good idea. It wasn't that she didn't understand the impulse to keep the truly alarming knowledge away from her at first -- heaven knew if their positions had been reversed she'd have flailed for an appropriate

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[7livesatonce]

It wasn't any special precognition; she had no tie to the woman whose Shell in which she resided that let her know she was coming. She'd just heard footsteps in the hall and thought to save time.

Still, she was unsurprised. She eyed Winifred mildly, having satisfied her curiosity regarding the creature once already.

"It was I who sought you out the last time."

She wouldn't have repeated it.

[cavemen_win]

Fred didn't know what she'd been expecting. She'd prepared herself for... something more vicious-looking, she guessed. She'd envisioned red eyes, fangs, claws -- something far more horrifying than the creature that greeted her.

It was still hard to breathe for a few seconds. There was this blue monstrosity speaking in a voice that wasn't anything like hers, but was still oddly close for comfort. The reality was staring her in the face and she hadn't thought this through enough to cope in any reasonable manner.

"There was a last time?" She managed to blurt out the question that came most logically, because it was a starting point.

[7livesatonce]

"You were here, before. I was curious."

Not that she owed Winifred any explanation. Or particularly wished to give it. This place was beginning to feel overly stifling, a nightmare designed to prod at every last uncomfortable emotion that she wished to be rid of until she could tolerate it no longer.

Perhaps if she gave Fred whatever answers she sought, she would go and return no more.

[cavemen_win]

"Did you kill me then, too?"

The words were out before Fred could think better of them; it wasn't her goal to get smashed flat, but she hadn't actually ruled it out as a potential outcome, either. It was possible she ought to have brought along a Slayer or two as backup, but... she'd wanted to find things out for herself, and there wasn't any turning back now.