Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Pictures. It was pictures that he had handed him-pictures of Cora...with Damien's hand wrapped around her neck. With his arms boxing her in on either side as he trapped her up against a tree. If the pictures themselves hadn't been disturbing enough to look at, the words that were coming out of The General's mouth would have been.

"...came into my base a few weeks ago. She was...upset. Very upset. It took some time, but I eventually was able to coax the truth from her. She claimed that this man, Damien Finch, raped her. She had spotted him just a few days prior, and had come to the base hoping to avoid running into him in town, where he might have done god knows what to her. With no laws to keep him in check...he was free to do as he pleased."

Delvins hand had been holding one of the pictures, not wanting to believe it at first that Kuznet was implying that Damien was keeping Cora against her will. However, when he heard those words, the picture dropped to the counter and his eyes shot up, staring at the huge man with disbelief.

"I can see that you don't believe me. Here, listen to this and then tell me that you doubt my words."

He pulled out a little recording device then, sitting it down near the picture of Cora sitting in Damien's lap, with his hand wrapped around her neck. She looked nervous.

The play button was pushed, and very suddenly, a petite and strained voice was heard.

"He took me to a cabin and kept me there for a couple days. I think you can guess what happened there... He said that if I told anyone, he would ruin my life. He was rich enough and had enough family ties and resources that I knew he wasn't lying..."

His finger hit 'stop', and then he stared down at Vin for a long moment, letting him absorb it all before speaking once more.

"She wasn't lying. He is very rich, and his family was very powerful. I can only imagine how he must be feeling, having suddenly lost all that power that money can buy. Your companion, Sabastian. He was...not exactly human, was he?"

Vin was shaking, and he had taken a seat once more so as not to simply fall over. When Kuznet revealed what he knew of Sabastian, his eyes shot up once again, and he found himself struggling to breathe, let alone speak.

"Now, Delvin..."

Kuznet leaned forward slowly, getting a bit closer as he stared down into those brown pools of sorrow.

"Imagine what someone like him would do to regain some of that wealth, some of that power. Imagine who he might...sell out."

...

A few moments later, the doors to the bar swung open hard. Vin stormed out, his fists clenched by his sides as he crumpled a few of the photos in his hand. His face was set into an scowl, though the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes spoke volumes as to what he was really feeling behind that boiling anger. Following very closely behind him was a soldier, and then, the General himself stepped out.

For just the briefest moment, before he wiped it off his face and put on a facade of militaristic stoicism, a mad little gleam had sparkled in his eyes and his grin had been toothy.
____________

Cora had given him a lingering kiss before making her way towards the compound gates. To her surprise, they didn't question her very much as to why she was leaving, nor when she would be back. She chalked it up to the summer heat making the soldier lazy, however, as he certainly looked as if he would have rather been doing anything else but being on guard.

Once outside the gates, she made her way quickly to the car.

_____________

Delvin had planned on marching straight over to the cafeteria and dragging Damien out by the neck. He wondered how many teeth the man would need remaining in his mouth to tell him where Sabastian was? None, probably, and all the better.

A huge hand came down on his shoulder suddenly, stopping him from turning towards the food court. When he looked up, angry that he had been stopped, he saw the General holding a radio in his hand and his icy blue eyes hovering on the doors. Had someone radioed in? Vin hadn't even heard it, so caught up in his anger and feelings of betrayal as he was.

"The young women, Cora, has left the compound. Perhaps it would be better if you went to her Delvin. We may not have another chance to talk to her like this, while she is out of his grasp. Do not worry, I will not let him leave this base."

Vin shook his hand off, his body shaking with rage as he glared at the door for a moment.

"You're right. But I'm coming back with her, and once she's safe, I want to have a chat with him."

"I understand."

Kuznet stood tall and crossed his arms behind his back for a moment, watching as Vin stormed off towards the gates. When he was out of sight, he raised the radio up to his mouth.

"It's time."

 

[Poprockz]

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck..." A muttering could be heard approaching the bar, Dave's wild brown hair almost bouncing as he jogged toward the bar. He was late for his shift and he knew that hard-ass Ashley was at the bar. She was definitely going to dock him for this, but he couldn't help it. He had gotten distracted by a very cute man having wandered into the barracks and he simply had to chat him up a bit.

However, when he got to the bar, the sight of Vin surprised him. He hadn't expected to see the man at the base, nor to see him look so... angry. The man was livid, seemingly incensed enough to catch fire if he wasn't careful. It was a dangerous look and he immediately became concerned, though his eye was caught not a moment later on the expression the mountain of a man behind him was making. General Kuznet had a smile that could make Satan shiver in that moment, and Dave found a cold feeling running down his spine.

The next moment it was gone, and they seemed to be talking amongst themselves. By the time he was close enough to hear, all he got was, "I understand." So distracted by Vin stomping off he was that he didn't notice the General alerting someone else with his radio. He could stop and ask the General what was going on, but as much as he wanted to, he had duties he had to perform. After he was done at the bar, he was going to have to track Vin down and ask him what had put such fire in his eyes. Had he found Sabastian?

Dave reluctantly jogged into the bar, giving the other bartender a half-hearted smile as she started to chew him out.

--------------------------------------------------------

After that kiss they shared he watched her leave, a look of love and affection in his eyes. He didn't think he would ever find such a kind person, a person with such fire and resilience. And the best part of it all was that she had not only chosen to love him, but she had also chosen to accept him despite his past. With a little wistful sigh, he turned and headed toward the cafeteria. He was a bit thirsty, so he might at least sip on some water while he waited for Cora and Damien to show up.

It didn't take long to arrive at the cafeteria, the man grabbing a glass of water and sitting down. Occasionally he would take drinks of it, letting his mind wander a bit. When they finally found Sabastian, he wanted to divert his attention back to finding a suitable ring for Cora. In these times, it was true that there wasn't any real practical use for rings and marriage, but he wanted her to feel special. He wanted her to know how deeply he was committed to her. And... at the same time he also had romantic dreams of being married to her. The thought of her finger adorned with a ring he chose for her made his face soften and his lips curl into an almost dreamy smile.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora had just finished up at the car, having sat a little bowl of water down under the front tires and waving to Bowie up in his tree. Letting out a satisfied little sigh, she then turned around and let out a startled yelp. Delvin had been standing right behind her, surprisingly quiet and much closer than he usually liked to stand. If that wasn't enough to put her on edge, the look in his eyes-as if he were staring into Hell itself, would have.

"D-Delvin? Delvin, what's wrong? Jesus you're shaking, are you okay?"

"Damien."

Her face changed from a look of confusion, to a look of worry, her eyes quickly darting over his shoulder. Was it a sign? Before he might have guessed that it was concern for her lover in that look, but now all he could see was the fear.

"What? What happened? Is he-"

He put his hand up, stopping her mid-sentence as his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them back up, they were wet with hot tears.

"Did he hurt you?"

Cora furrowed her brows, completely confused as to where he was going with this.

"What? No he didn't hurt me. Delvin, what the hell is going on?"

"He did, didn't he? Did he rape you too? Like he did that other women? Is that why you look so scared in these pictures?!"

He reached up and shoved the pictures into her hands as her face began to pale, her eyes becoming as wide as saucers. For a moment, she was too shocked to do anything but stare at him. Finally though, with trembling fingers, she smoothed out the pictures and forced herself to look down.

"Vin..." she whispered, gooseflesh suddenly raising all over her arms.

"Delvin, who...who gave these to you?..."

"Tell me Cora! Did he hurt you?!"

He had to know. Vin needed to know if he had been tagging along with a murderer, a rapist, and...someone who had manipulated him into believing that he was a friend.

Those wide hazel eyes looked up to meet his own, and for just one second, Delvin hesitated. She looked scared, no, terrified, like she had just been shot or watched a loved one die right in front of her.

"Cora..." he said, trying and failing to tamper the edge in his tone.

"Delvin, you, you don't understand!" she said, her pitch becoming strained as she held up the pictures.

"This isn't what it-who gave these to you?! Delvin, who gave these to you?!"

She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, tears beginning to spill down her face and the desperation in her tone suddenly making him rethink his feelings.

"The base, the general...I don't, understand..."

"Oh god" she said, suddenly swaying as she let him go.

"Oh god, no...no, no! We have to go."

"Cora, no, you're in danger, we need to go back there and-"

"No!" she screamed, whipping around on him once more.

"Delvin, we, have, to go. Right now. Please! Please, we have to go, we have to..."

He had taken a step back, the sudden intensity in her voice and the way she had looked at him with such unbridled fear making him shrink a bit. Suddenly she was grabbing his hand, dragging him back towards the car and not giving him a choice in the matter.

"Cora, wait!"

He tried to pull back, but her strength was surprisingly. And then...he found himself almost barreling into her as she stopped hard in her tracks and let out a startled sound, something akin to a scream.

...

[OOC: How about a little mood music, everyone? ;3

https://youtu.be/fYNFdoJgyoU]

...

Jonathon stood before her, an amused smile on his lips as he saw the recognition flash in her eyes. Before he could have a chance to reach out and grab her, she turned in the opposite direction and yanked Vin hard for a few feet before barreling to a stop once more. This time, it was a different Officer. Tall, with dark skin and even darker eyes. His smile was wicked and sadistic, and suddenly Delvin felt as if he should have heeded Cora's advice.

"No!" she screamed, once more attempting to flee in a whole different direction, only this time to be stopped by yet another man. When she looked up, Francisco's light brown eyes were looking down at her grimly and she almost broke right then and there. However, much to the three Officers surprise, an angry look flashed across her face before she turned completely around and started to run back towards the base.

And that's when she saw him. He was still a few yards away, but there was no mistaking it. It was Him.

*Crack!*

Cora heard the distinct sound of something hard hitting flesh and bone, and when she turned around, it was as if time slowed to a crawl. She watched as Delvin fell to the ground, his long hair whipping behind him like a curtain that was slowly being moved to reveal Francisco standing there above him, his military rod in his hand and freshly bloodied from the hard hit. The next thing she saw was Niles step forward and meet her gaze just before he drew a booted foot back and gave the downed man a kick to his ribs.

He didn't feel a thing after that first hit to his head, but the last thing that Vin heard before he gave into unconsciousness was a horrific wail.

"NO!! DELVIIN!!"

She ran to him, horrified and sobbing, and threw herself over his body. Jonathon was ready for her, quickly reaching down and injecting her with a quick acting sedative before trying to grab her by the arm and yank her up. It wouldn't be so easy, however, as she had completely wrapped her arms around the mans torso and was refusing to let go.

"NO! PLEASE! I didn't know!" she sobbed, desperate to save her friends life even if it meant pain; even if it meant they beat the absolute shit out of her for it.

"Please Ray, I didn't know! I Would have come to you! I DIDN'T KNOW, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!"

There was an arm, working it's way under her torso, and suddenly she was being lifted. Even after all these years, the feeling was so familiar, and very quickly she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing near his ear. She was terrified, and desperate, seeking out mercy in the only way she knew how.

"Ray please, plee-ease! D-don't do this, please! I didn't know! I didn't..."

Cora could feel herself growing weaker by the second, even lifting her head up to stare at Delvin's limp body as they picked him up and threw him in the back of a truck becoming a feat all on it's own. Before she even had time to process what was happening to her, she found herself reduced to a babbling, weak, mess in his arms.

He took her to his own vehicle, climbing in the back and laying her down over his lap once he was seated. There, cradled in his arms, his icy eyes watched her drift off into sleep as he reached up and gently caressed her soft face, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear.

"Ray...please..."

"Goodnight, my little Cora."

 

[Poprockz]

Where were they? His finger tapped on the table as he looked up at the clock. It was 7:09 and yet neither Vin nor Cora had shown up. It was possible that they had become distracted or something, but he was starting to get a bad feeling in his gut and he wasn't sure why. Feeling restless and deciding to do something about it, he got up and made is way out of the cafeteria toward the entrance of the complex, looking around all the while to see if maybe Cora was just delayed somewhere nearby. Look as he might, they didn't cross paths, the man soon arriving at the gates.

Starting to walk out of them, a soldier stopped him, stepping in front and blocking him in. He scowled at him before saying, "I'd like to go outside, so please move."

The soldier shook his head, "I'm sorry sir, but we've received report that a very large zombie hoard is headed this way and we simply cannot allow civilians outside at this time. Please go back and find something to occupy yourself with in the meantime."

He shook his head in disbelief for a moment, his frustration mounting. "No. You will let me outside. My partner, Cora, is out there and if it isn't safe, then she needs to be brought back in." Damien tried to move around the officer but was blocked once again.

"Wait, was she a brown-haired lady with hazel eyes traveling with a long-haired gentleman? They came back in about half an hour ago, so they should be somewhere within the complex. They're the only ones who came in for the last couple hours, so it had to be your friend, I would guess."

At the soldier's words, Damien relaxed a bit, at least relieved to hear that the two of them were safe within the walls. With a brusque nod and a "thanks, I'll look for them inside then," he started to search the complex for the two people he would never find.

 

[Drobabes]

Current Time: The Next Morning

After Sayori and Quinton had fallen asleep, Kuznet had separated the two and treated them both for mild dehydration. They had then both been administered a mild sedative to keep them compliant and unaware as to where they were being taken.

Once they had arrived, Kuznet had begun his preparation. Quinton was locked away in a special area of his property, left to wake up alone in his new nightmare. As for Sayori, well. He had enjoyed taking his time in dressing the compliant little doll. The silky pink fabric adorned her darker skin and provided such a lovely contrast, and he felt a special stirring in his loins as he delicately tied the bow around her neck. After that, he had left her alone to awaken on her own, locked in so that she would be ready when he brought his little Cora up to meet her.

Soon enough, she would awaken to find herself in a warm, lavish room with luxury furniture and pictures similar to the ones that had been in her old bird cage, although with a few new additions. Now there were pictures of Cora and Quinton playing with a pair of adults that looked to perhaps be their parents. They were all swimming in a pool, splashing laughing and seemingly completely unaware as to the camera that was watching them from the bushes, just in the corners of the frame.

Next to the bed was a huge window, it's soft blue curtains drawn halfway over as to prevent the light from completely waking the little bird up before it was time. Outside of that window, Sayori would be able to see that she was roughly three stories up, facing a large yard, and, just beyond it, a cliff leading down into a dense forest canopy. In the yard, there was a small team of ducks and a few chickens, seemingly being guarded by two huge Great Pyrenees dogs, who laid out lazily in the grass, soaking up the sun.
______________________

Current Time: Three Days After The Capture

After they had taken Vin, they hadn't been given much orders except to keep him tied up and alive, though alive was a stretch. Once they had him in the truck, Francis could do nothing to stop Niles and Jonathon from beating the fucking shit out of him, and he was only thankful that he had taken the initiative to knock him out. Had he not done that, Delvin might have tensed up and ended up in much worse condition.

So, now, he was simply sitting in one of their holding chairs, knocked out and barely breathing, waiting to be used at a later time-likely to capture the little blond once more if The General still felt him useful. This was something that Francisco was not going to allow to happen.

It was the dead of night, and he had already informed his own men of what he was going to attempt, so as not to raise suspicion from the other soldiers and Officers in the base. He was almost there now, tracking it on foot rather than risking taking a vehicle, and thumbing the lighter in his pocket. He knew the reptile would not trust him, after what it had seen.

"Bowie?" he whispered, having arrived at the edge of the forest, and where he had last seen the snake. He couldn't exactly see in the dark, but the moon was bright and he had taken the time to put his contacts in.

 

[Poprockz]

It had been three days. Three days of searching. If one were to see him, they might not recognize the man, as haggard as he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his cheeks. His hair was a mess and he had a dull look in his grey eyes. He hadn’t slept hardly at all since he had begun his search, only taking micro naps when his body would force him to do so. Food and water were also very low on the list of priorities, so his stomach felt numb with hunger and thirst.

Where was she? The question played over and over in his mind like a broken record. Of course he was worried about Vin as well, but Cora was the other half of his heart and he felt like she was being ripped out of his chest. No one seemed to know where they were, and he couldn’t find any evidence of their presence. They wouldn’t let him leave to search outside the compound either, barring him by saying that it wasn’t safe. He didn’t give a damn whether it was safe or not, he needed to find her. He had to find her!

What if something had happened to her out there and she was injured, scared and alone, calling out to him and getting no response? What if she had been kidnapped by a local gang, or abducted by a clever violet-eyed zombie, his lover being pumped full of eggs and used as a brood mare? What if... she had left him?

That last possibility haunted him just as much as the others, perhaps more in some ways. She had made him promise to never disappear on her, but what if she was the one who intended on disappearing? Perhaps she had been simply humoring him this whole time, waiting for an opportunity to leave. No, that couldn’t be true. He couldn’t believe it. She said she loved him. She said she wanted him... he didn’t think she had been lying so... did something change? Did he do something wrong? Maybe since he hadn’t been able to keep Tiffany alive, she didn’t feel safe with him anymore, or maybe she even thought he had let her die to seek revenge.

What if the only reason Cora was crying when she talked about him disappearing was because she felt guilty. Maybe Cora liked him as a person but decided that she couldn’t live with a man like him. Perhaps his past deeds had eaten away at her, her kind heart denying it until it became too much. He wished... he wished she could have left some kind of note, some indication that she was leaving him. At least then he would get some closure.

Why was this happening? Sebastian, Vin, Cora... he didn’t know where anyone was, and he didn’t know how to find them.

—————————-/—//-

“Mm...” Sayori stirred from her slumber, stretching and drowsily opening her eyes. The last thing she remembered was Quint saying something about her being special, but her memory was a bit fuzzy on what he had said after that. While she expected to wake up naked and covered in cum, she instead found herself clean and... dressed?

Sitting up quickly, she found herself getting dizzy, having to hold her head for a moment before looking down at what she was dressed in. It was pink and white with several cutesy ribbons. A pair of thigh-high stockings had been slid up her legs and she shuddered at the idea of being dressed and manipulated in her sleep, unaware and defenseless. Hopefully it was Francisco who had done it. While she didn’t want him to have to see her like that, she disliked the idea of any of the others more. At least he was dispassionate about it.

Shifting slightly, she didn’t have to check to feel that once again she had been denied any underwear. Her face screwed up in an expression of repulsion. She hated how he liked dressing her in such cutesy things, wishing she could rip off her thigh-highs and throw them out the window.

Wait, the window?! Sayori’s head whipped around to look at the window, sucking in a breath in pure shock. Unfortunately she ended up choking on her spit and coughing for a minute or so before she recovered and looked back up with wide eyes. What was going on? Where was she? This wasn’t the base. The woman looked around with a bit of disorientation, noting that insofar as the room went, it still reeked of Kuznet’s tastes, but there was no way she was still at the base.

Getting up, she walked over to the window, placing her shaking palms against it as she looked out at the lush forest, cliff, and animals. Her gaze then went up to the beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds and she couldn’t help but cry a few tear of joy before wiping them away with the back of her hand.


———————————————————-

“Bowie?”

A pair of jeweled amethyst eyes opened from up in a nearby tree, fixing upon the man that approached. The fact that he had used the snake’s name made the snake slightly curious as to who it was. It was one of the bad men. The bad men who had hurt the long-haired friend and the precious singing one.

A hiss could be heard from up in the tree, those jeweled eyes looking down on Francisco with what one almost call disdain. Following the hiss, a pine cone suddenly whizzed through the air and smacked the man in the chest, having been sent flying via a smack from the serpent’s tail. Another loud hiss followed it up as though the snake was telling him to leave.

 

[Drobabes]

Jonathon knew exactly where to hide it, but the timing was more important than the actual location. Despite Damien refusing to eat or drink very much water, his body still had needs. So, Jonathon waited until he headed towards the restrooms, and then...he went around the back, making sure that no curious eyes seen his departure, or the moment in which his gear made him all but impossible to be seen by the naked eye.

...

Above the stalls to the left side of the facility, there was an open window for ventilation, and it was here where the note was hanging from a long red ribbon. It was easy enough to see, as it was a somewhat large white envelope with that same familiar writing on the front and only a single word: Damien.

Inside, there would be no pictures, nor cryptic messages. Only a small cassette. When Damien put it into the recorder and hit play, two voices would be heard. The first, a smooth and calm voice, and the second...from Vin, his own voice gruff and angry.

"It's time. The young women, Cora, has left the compound. Perhaps it would be better if you went to her... We may not have another chance..."

"You're right...I'm coming back with her."

"I understand. Do not worry, I will not let him leave this base."
___________________________

A vehicle soon pulled up into the yard, rolling to a stop a short distance from the dogs, who had jumped up excitedly and stood by to greet Jonathon and Kuznet as they stepped out. The General took a look around the property for a brief moment, and then he turned back to the vehicle and reached his hand inside. When he pulled it out, he was holding the hand of a women with dark hair and a soft mocha tone to her skin. She didn't look around as he reached out and scooped her up into his arms, and once she was in his arms, she simply leaned onto chest as he carried her towards the house. The two of them soon disappeared from sight, and not a few moments later, the sound of boot steps could be heard coming up the stairs.
___________________________

Francis looked up the second he heard that hiss, spotting those amethyst eyes almost instantly, as they seemed to glow in the dark. At first, he was a bit nervous that he might have come across some other animal or snake until he felt a sharp stabbing pain hit his chest.

"Hey!" he yelped, a hand reaching up to cover the spot where he had been stung as he looked around to see what the hell had bounced off of him. Once he identified what it was, and that he hadn't been stung or something, he turned his attention back to the snake.

A bit slowly, he put his hands up in the air and tried his best to smile for the little noodle. He didn't feel like he was doing a very good job, so he quickly gave up on that idea and let his face turn into a hard grim line once more.

"Hey little buddy, easy there. I'm not here to hurt you, I-ow!"

Another pine cone had come flying down, this time smacking him on the shoulder and bouncing off his face.

"Would you knock it off! I'm trying to help you, damnit! I know where Delvin is."

He stared up into the snakes eyes for a long moment, and then his hands dropped down to his sides and his hard expression softened to a look of pain.

"Please Bowie, I know you can understand me. I can't save him, not on my own."

Francisco waited, grinding his teeth for a minute as he thought about how much to tell the snake. Would it be stupid to tell the little sentient reptile? Would Bowie put his own plans in danger if he did? Considering that time was really running out, Francis decided to take a risk.

"Quinton is alive. Do you remember him, Bowie? Do you remember Quint?"

 

[Poprockz]

When Damien was done with the toilet, he flushed and got up, walking to the sink and mindlessly washing his hands. Was he ever going to find them? Any of them? Was he supposed to just accept that they were gone for one reason or another? No. He absolutely would not rest until he knew why. He had to know, even if it hurt, even if she rejected him. He had to know that it was what she wanted.

It had been too good to be true, hadn't it? Such a beautiful woman with a heart that couldn't be bought. Why did he think that they would stay together forever? Maybe it was a childish dream born of naivety. People changed, feelings changed, and circumstances changed. God it hurt. It hurt so badly that he couldn't think about it too much or he really might break. He needed to be stronger than this; after all, there was still the possibility that Cora was in danger.

A sigh left him as he was about to leave, though something in the mirror's reflection caught his eye. It looked like a red ribbon with an envelope... with his name on it.

"What the fuck...?" He was surprised, his sleep-deprived mind knowing what to make of it at first until he recognized the writing. His stomach suddenly dropped. Was this his fault? Did that stalker do something to them because of their personal vendetta against him. Swallowing hard, he walked over and reached out, taking the envelope and clicking it in to the cassette to listen, the voices playing for him.

He froze, rewinding it and playing it several times before there was simply silence.

VIN.

That fucking bastard. He had done something with Cora, he had probably hurt her. Why? He thought he was his friend. He thought he only had feelings for Sabastian... Maybe his feelings were genuine but he had been sent for Cora all along. His body stiffened, his eyes widening in a white-hot rage. Had he been planted in that gas station? He could have been the one to sabotage the car, having been in league with others this whole time. That... that was why they knew he showed the message to Vin! He had told them! He was part of them.

Wherever Vin was, all he knew now was that he was going to fucking slice that back-stabbing prick's throat. Ripping up the letter, he didn't bother to throw any of the scraps in the trash, keeping the cassette clutched in his hand as he stormed out of the bathrooms. He was going to make that fucker pay for hurting her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sayori's eyes fixed upon the car anxiously, her stomach twisting as she saw Kuznet and Jonathan there. Why had Kuznet brought her here to this house? Wasn't he worried about someone finding out?

The next thing she knew, there was a woman there, causing Sayori's eyes to widen. The surprises seemed to be endless. She knew that face because she had been surrounded by pictures of that face for several days- Cora. It was the one Kuznet really wanted, he finally had her. It simultaneously filled her with a deep sadness and a bit of relief. She was guilty about the latter part, knowing that her relief to have another companion was a selfish thing to want.

She didn't seem to be very lively tough, seeming as though her soul had been sucked out, leaving only a husk. Sayori wasn't sure whether she was drugged or simply defeated, but Cora almost seemed to be miles away in his arms. Turning her head, she walked back to the bed, sitting down near the pillows and pulling her knees up near her chest, her legs placed from habit to retain some of her dignity despite her lack of underwear.

While she knew they were coming eventually, she hadn't expected it to be so soon, her heart beating quickly as she heard his steps coming up the stairs. He could be much quieter if he wanted to be, so she knew he wanted her to hear him approach.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Quinton is alive. Do you remember him, Bowie? Do you remember Quint?"

The snake cocked its head to the side for a moment, his tongue flicking out almost thoughtfully. Of course he remembered Quint: the precious giggle one. Bowie paused for a few moments before his eyes disappeared from sight, only the rustling of the tree any indication that he was still there. Then there was silence as though the snake had left, though only a few moments later, the little snake appeared at the bottom of the tree, moving somewhat toward Francisco before raising himself up to look up at the man. His head bobbed slightly before he was still again.

Hesitantly, the snake approached, lifting himself once again while right in front of the man. Being a snake, he saw in heat also, his eye catching something warm in Francicso's pocket. He had been thumbing it enough to warm it up, and the little noodle was curious. Leaning forward, that little tongue flicked against Francisco's pocket before snake realized that the taste was from a flame clicker. One of Cora's old mates used the flame-clicker to light the smoke stick.

With that realization, Bowie flinched back and bolted for the tree, turning and hissing aggressively before climbing back up into the branches. The next thing Francisco knew, the bottom half of a squirrel squished against his cheek followed by another hiss.

 

[Drobabes]

The scene kept playing in her mind over and over again. The sickening crack, watching him fall, and then Niles demented smile as he helped to lift him up and toss him in that truck like the piece of meat that they thought he was. Was Vin alive? God she hoped not. She knew it was a demented thing to hope for, but no one else knew him like she did.

The pictures on the staircase caught her eye, pictures that she had not seen in twelve years. Cora had been expecting him to bring her here but the reality had not truly set in until she heard that door shut behind them, the prison bars locking her into her cage. Immediately tears began to spill down her face, though she didn't move a muscle to do anything about it.

A hand reached up to her cheek to wipe them away. A hand that was too big, too calloused. She closed her eyes as he began to ascend the stairs, and keening little noise came from somewhere deep inside of her.

"Shh, shh. You are home now, Cora. Safe."

She wanted to scream at him to stop rocking her like that, scream at him to stop treating her like some child. She wasn't a child anymore, she had grown up, and she wanted to be held and comforted like the women she was. She wanted the soft touch of a warm hand, and the feeling of secure arms holding her close; of lips on her hair as they whispered that they would never leave her. She wanted Damien.

The sound of the door opening finally made her breathe in, and finally, she slowly opened her blood shot eyes to glance around.

"Look my little Cora. I have obtained a pet for you. Is she not lovely?"

Her hazel eyes could barely meet Sayori's brown, but she knew that an answer was expected of her, and more than that, Ray wanted her to appraise her knew toy. So she did. Her eyes looked over the little women on the bed, as best as she could force herself to do, and then she looked up to meet his icy blue.

"Yes Ray" she said, her voice flat and completely lacking in any emotion as she returned her gaze to lifelessly staring ahead.

"She is...lovely..."

"Cora."

She flinched, her eyes widening as fear suddenly shot through her.

"Speak up. You know I do not tolerate mumbling."

"I'm sorry Ray. I said, yes, she is lovely. Thank you for," she swallowed hard, trying to get enough spit in her dry mouth to continue.

"For getting her for me."

"Good girl."

He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, allowing her to close her eyes now that she had corrected her behavior. It was a small misstep, and he was willing to allow a few mistakes over the coming days as he reminded her how to be proper once more. The little lamb was already so good at it; he had no doubts that with her help, Cora would be back to her old self in no time at all.

Ray took her to the bed then, his eyes meeting Sayori's as he gave her a soft smile while sitting Cora down on the edge. Once she was seated, she allowed him to manipulate her into sitting up straight and placing her hands within her lap. After that, he took a few steps back and placed his own hands behind his back. He seemed to be taking them both in for a moment before giving them both a satisfied little nod, and turned to make his way towards the door. Just as he was reaching out to grip the handle, he spoke back over his shoulder.

"Clean and dress yourself Cora. Dinner will be ready when the sun goes down."

And then...he was gone.
_____________________________

Francisco watched the snake get down, but when he didn't immediately see it, he took a wary step forward. His eyes squinted, trying hard to see through the dark shadows as his mind thought of what to do next. Planning was unneeded it would seem, as soon enough the snake came out to greet him.

He stood completely still, his hands having dropped down to his sides, and let the snake inspect him. It actually surprised him a bit, seeing how tall the reptile could make itself when it wanted to, and for a brief moment he wondered how fast it could be. Could it wrap him up and break every bone in his body in the blink of an eye, if it decided he was a foe rather than a friend?

When that hiss came, he literally jumped, his hand instinctively coming up towards his pocket thinking that this was it, this could possibly be the moment he died. But again, the snake surprised him, instead turning away and seemingly fleeing back up into the canopy of the trees.

"What?... wait, where are you going?"

Something warm and wet suddenly smacked him in the face, and when he looked down at his feet, he gagged. His hand quickly came up to wipe the blood from his face, and the smell filling his nose made him gag again.

"Fucking hell!" he hissed himself, momentarily glaring up at those purple eyes as he took a clean wipe from his pocket and cleaned himself up a bit. Once he had calmed down a bit, and realizing now that the snake likely wasn't going to attack him-as if it really wanted to, it would have by now, he reached up and withdrew his lighter.

"Hey! Look, I'm throwing it away, alright?"

He looked behind him, seeing a clearing in the road where he would be able to find and pick the lighter back up when he was done, as he didn't want to risk anyone knowing he had been out here. He then he tossed it over there, watching as it came to settle on the dirt and gravel, before he turned back to the snake and put his hands up once more.

"Alright, it's gone, see? No more fire."

 

[Poprockz]

"Look my little Cora. I have obtained a pet for you. Is she not lovely?"

Sayori met Cora's gaze, noticing how utterly crestfallen she looked close up. She was a beautiful woman, but currently she looked as though she wished she could toss herself out a window; Sayori could definitely empathize with her on that point.

Though when Cora was forced to agree with him, Sayori looked away and hunched her shoulders the slightest bit. She wasn't a pet or an animal, and yet Kuznet talked about her as though she was sometimes. Maybe that's what he saw through those icy eyes- a little bird that would sing for his little Cora and keep her company within her own cage. Though she didn't know of any types of birds with which the General would fancy pinning to the bed and doing disgusting things.

Her eyes briefly crossed Kuznet's gaze, locking for a moment before looking away. She couldn't wait for him to leave, not wanting to spend any time with him, especially since she vaguely remembered him having watched part of her and Quint's initial "intimate relations."

There was silence in the room after Kuznet had closed the door, Sayori not quite knowing what to do or say. Like when she was with the General, the silence was deafening, but not for the same reason. She wasn't necessarily afraid of Cora, feeling more as though she didn't quite know how one went about comforting someone who had been dragged back into their own worst nightmare.

Shifting on the bed slightly, she moved so that her legs were tucked more underneath her, allowing her skirt to spread over her thighs. "I'm... Sayori. You're Cora, right? He talked about you sometimes." Her hands went around herself in a self-soothing hug, holding her elbows and glancing around the room before returning her gaze to Cora.

"I've only been...kept for about a week or two maybe, the General having tricked me at the base. I don't mean to sound condescending but... Do you need a hug? When I first came here, I was feeling very hopeless and... I know you're not a stranger to this but..." She bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "Maybe someday we can get out. If they came for Sabastian, maybe they'll come for us too someday. Maybe not sometime soon, but perhaps in the future."

-------------------------------------------------------------

The little danger noodle watched as the lighter was thrown away, flicking his little tongue in satisfaction. Now that the fire clicker was gone, it was relatively safe to approach. Once again, the snake slithered down the tree and made his way toward the man. It still wasn't clear whether the bad man could be trusted, but he new Bowie's name, and he said that the long-haired one was alive.

He had seen how this bad one had struck with his metal fang, being the reason the long-haired one was wounded. For that reason he was still hesitant, but he liked the long-haired one. He used his hands on the strings to make the good sounds, and he was always nice and warm.

After assuming the raised position once more, Bowie bobbed slightly, as though letting Francisco know that he was pleased that the fire was gone, but that he was at this point listening for what Francisco wanted to say.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora had sat absolutely still as the door shut behind him, her eyes staring lifelessly ahead. She didn't want to turn around and talk to the women behind her, knowing that each word they shared could possibly be twisted into some cruel game later on, and knowing that, eventually she knew she would give in and develop a connection with the women. It was unavoidable, but she wanted to fight it for as long as she could, because the longer she could avoid it, the longer she could stay safe.

Safe...

Her chin turned down a bit, her eyes going to her hands in her lap as tears started wetting her cheeks once more. Why had she even thought it? Why had she even dared to hope?

"If they came for Sabastian, maybe they'll come for us too someday."

Sayori's voice had been like a quiet drone of noise in the background. Unintelligible and lacking in meaning, until, she heard something familiar.

"Sabastian?" she asked, her voice breaking halfway through his name as she finally turned around. Despite her efforts to squash her feelings down, to cut them off and simply drown in her sorrow, there was a very desperate look in her hazel eyes as she stared at Sayori's face.

"Was he...here?"

She didn't really mean the house, specifically, but rather, with Kuznet. Had Ray had him? Was that why they couldn't find him? Her vision became blurry as a fresh flood of tears started spilling forth, and her hands and arms suddenly wrapped around her torso as she started sobbing quietly. Of course she wanted to be with Damien first and foremost, but right in that moment, her love of that stubborn little man was hitting her so hard. She wanted to hear his laugh again, and his soothing voice when he was trying to comfort her. She wanted to see those funny faces he made when he got mad and scrunched his nose up, or the way he would blush when someone said something super perverted. Most of all though, she just wanted to hug him and tell him what a dick he was for running away from them without even saying goodbye.
_____________________

Now that he had come back, Fran found himself relaxing once more. Though, now, he had a different problem.

He knew the snake could understand him, but, how the hell was he supposed to understand the snake? What was he doing bobbing like that? Was it an aggressive thing? Was he sizing him up? Was it curiosity? Sadness? Anger? Francisco just had no way of knowing, and he found himself furrowing his brows in slight frustration before clearing his throat.

"I um... I know where Delvin is. He's in a bad spot, Bowie."

God it felt so weird to be talking to an animal, but he knew the snake was sentient, and he knew he was likely the only chance of getting Delvin out of there alive. Sure, Francis could try to wait until he had some of his men in the base, and then sneak him out, but unfortunately the security had been tightly increased after Angelique's visit, and he really didn't want to risk waiting for a good opportunity. Each day that he waited was a day that Kuznet could simply gather whatever footage and photography he needed of the man, and then kill him. He already had quite the collection just from the last three days alone.

"I can't sneak him out. I know you don't trust me, little guy, but I am on your side, and I need your help to get him out of here before they kill him."

Francis looked around, double checking that he wasn't being watched, and then he leaned in towards the snake and let his voice drop down into a deadly whisper.

"Do you remember the big man who picked Cora up, Bowie? Who took her away, into that truck? He's a very, very bad man, Bowie. And he's very dangerous. If he finds out what I am doing, I won't ever be able to get her, get Cora, away from him. Do you understand? Can you understand that?"

 

[Poprockz]

"Sabastian? Was he...here?"

Near the end of her little monologue, Sayori had almost given up on getting any kind of response from Cora. It seemed as though the woman didn't want to have anything to do with her. It stung just a little bit, but she could appreciate the fact that Cora probably didn't want to get attached to a pet that Kuznet could dispose of at any time. That being said, it seemed like the mention of Sabastian had piqued the woman's interest.

Her expression became one of sympathy when Cora started to sob quietly, her own voice becoming soft as she answered her question.

"Not here, here, but he was with us in the base. He came about a week ago. I... Kuznet brought him in to have him lay eggs." She swallowed slightly and shifted uncomfortably. "He stayed in a cell with me, and we chatted when we could. He was very nice, and he helped me sometimes." She was quiet for a moment as she thought back on him, a soft smile on her face laced with just a tinge of sadness.

"It's a shame they couldn't have brought us with them when they escaped, but I imagine that it was difficult enough. There were animals running around everywhere, so I assume they had to let them out in order to even buy enough time to get out. We were being kept in three different places at the time... He also didn't get to take the locket with him. He seemed to really treasure it, but Niles flushed it down the toilet with the guitar pick it had in it. That was... my fault."

---------------------------------------------------------

Bowie bobbed at Francisco after he finished what he was saying. It sounded like the (potentially) bad man was asking him to help the long-haired one, but Bowie wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to do that. It seemed like the man was trying to take the precious singing one back from the big big man, but regretted using his fang to hurt the long-haired man.

It was a bit confusing, but the noodle felt like he understood the main point: the long haired man needed to be helped. Bowie stilled for a moment and simply stared at Francisco for few seconds, flicking his little tongue. He then slowly turned his head in the direction of the base, as though asking where he was.

 

[Drobabes]

"He was very nice, and he helped me sometimes."

Cora let out a choked little laugh between her sobs, just the touch of a smile coming to her pained face. She had suspected all along that the note was just a lie, a way to push them all away so that it would be easier for them to let go. But, to actually get evidence that he was still himself, despite the awful things he had written, was still a relief. It put to rest any lingering doubts that might have weaseled their way into her thoughts and poisoned her memories.

"He also didn't get to take the locket with him... That was... my fault."

She was still struggling to deal with being tossed back into her worst nightmare, so it was a bit difficult to pay attention to everything that Sayori was saying. She had gotten enough of the conversation to feel immense relief that someone, though who she did not know, had been able to rescue Sabastian and get him away from Ray's filthy hands. At the mention of Niles, though, she looked down into Sayori's eyes.

"No, no sweety," she said softly, pulling herself up onto the bed. She pulled her legs up towards her chest and wrapped her arms around them, letting her forehead come to rest on her knees before speaking again.

"Niles is twisted" she whispered, her eyes closing as if she was trying to fight off a headache.

"Whatever you may have done to piss him off, it doesn't justify what he did. He...did that only because he knew that necklace was so important to him."
_________________________

Seemingly having gotten his point across, Francis didn't wast any time in trying to say more, instead simply nodding and then brusquely walking ahead to lead the way. Together, he led them around the edge of the base, making sure to stick close to the perimeter where the snake could travel along the edge of the wall and stay out of sight of the snipers and other soldiers that were on guard. His own presence wouldn't alert anyone, as he was none for having difficulty sleeping at night, and often walked the perimeter to fight off the dregs of insomnia that clung to him. Once they reached their destination-the entrance to the sewage system, Francisco took one last look around to make sure he wasn't being watched, and then he held the door open for a second longer than was necessary as he made him way inside.

...

A short while later, he pulled out his key card and swiped it to unlock the door, stepping inside before Bowie as a show of good faith that he wasn't just going to shut and lock the door once the snake was inside. To further earn the snakes trust, he left the door open behind him as he made his way over to Delvin and bent down behind his chair, unlocking the man's chains and cuffs that held him down. Once he was free, he slumped to the side and almost fell to the ground just before Francisco grabbed his shirt, and then, as gently as he could, moved to lay him on the ground.

"Alright, Bowie," he said with a bit of a huff in his voice.

"You'll have to drag him through these tunnels, and find a way to get him out of here."

He took a look at his watch, noting the time.

"I don't even know if you have a sense of time, but you don't have long," he said, his eyes looking down into the snakes.

"Someone will be down here soon, patrolling these tunnels. You have to move fast, Bowie. Understand? You have to move fast."

 

[Poprockz]

"I know he's twisted, I know," Sayori responded softly, her gaze drifting away from Cora as she thought of that vile man. Indeed he was twisted, and she suspected that even if Kuznet had forbade the man from touching them, he would find other ways of sadistically playing with them. That threat he had made to her still lingered in her mind, the threat of him being allowed to partake of her at some point now that the eggs had been birthed. She got the feeling that he still felt a bit stilted from the night that Quint had messed him up, the man not having gotten the opportunity to do as he pleased in that darkness.

"But I should have known better. His ego had been wounded recently, and I had been a bit flippant to him... He was the one who first showed me what they were really like. Sometimes I wish things had ended that day... but I think I'm glad it didn't. While I know there are horrible waiting in the future, I treasure each moment of happiness because at the end of the day, they can't take away the fact that I was happy in those moments, and I can always keep them close." The little woman sighed and scratched her arm absentmindedly. "That probably sounds foolish, but I suppose we all do what we can."

With that, Sayori reached back and rearranged the pillows so she could scoot back and lean against them, grabbing one and hugging it while also resting her chin on the top.

----------------------------------------------------------

Bowie had cautiously but closely followed the man, thinking that he was going to lead him to the long-haired one. When they started getting closer, the snake could smell him along with blood. Once through the final door, the snake laid eyes on Vin, seeing just how badly the man was beaten. He looked really bad, the snake slithering up to him as soon as he was laid on the floor. His little tongue flicked against Vin's cheek, his snoot booping against his forehead as though hoping he might wake up.

"Alright, Bowie,"

He looked up at the man, listening as he spoke. Basically, he understood that the other bad men were coming and that he needed to get the long-haired one to a safe place where he could heal. This he could probably do. He didn't know where he could go, but he knew he had to go somewhere safe. Where was safe..? The woods were safe, but not for ones who had blood on the outside. Vin needed humans, good humans.

The snake bobbed at Fran and slithered back to Vin, slithering around his chest and out so that most of his body was above Vin's head. It was the equivalent to a person grabbing another person from under the arms, only Bowie was able to easily lift him so that only his heels would drag. It almost seemed like the snake had elongated itself, but that couldn't be possible... could it?

With that, one last look was given to the fake bad man and Bowie leaned forward, booping his knee with his snoot before turning towards the sewers and practically flying out. It was honestly a bizarre sight, the snake moving so quickly that it almost looked like it was straight out of a cartoon. His muscles almost vibrated as he quickly moved through the tunnels, trying to figure out where to go.

Laughter... there was the sound of laughter and the smell of food and... fire water! It was the stuff the strong one really liked, and the precious singing one seemed to enjoy as well. That must be a safe place. Now with a heading, the snake went in that direction, following his nose until he reached a sewer grating just big enough to fit Vin's shoulders through if he got rid of the bars and set him down, dragging him by the collar of his shirt. The other humans wouldn't be able to wiggle through easily, so it was a good thing. With that done, he was looking at another tunnel and a wooden cellar door. With a headbutt, he hit it hard enough to burst it open without breaking it, setting Vin down on the floor and looking around.

His eyes were then locked with Dave's who had fallen onto the floor in surprise, his wide eyes not quite processing what he was seeing at that moment. It looked like a snake had carried in... Wait, was that Vin?

 

[Drobabes]

"While I know there are horrible waiting in the future, I treasure each moment of happiness because at the end of the day, they can't take away the fact that I was happy in those moments, and I can always keep them close."

Cora sobbed hard hearing those words, her whole body shaking as her breaths were forced in and out of her lungs. It sounded so much like something her brother would have said, and it stung on such a deep level that she could barely hold herself together.

"I'm-I'm sorry!" she whines, and then she moves her hands up to the side of her head, weaving her fingers through her hair before she she squeezes them into tight little fists.

"This is all my fault! I never should have...and now he's going to destroy everything! I...god, I am so sorry miss... I'm the reason you're here, and I am so fucking sorry!"

Her body shook again, everything seemingly beginning to hit her all at once. She knew it was too good to be true, and whatever feelings of strength and hope had filled her heart before were slowly being drained away. How was she going to do this? She couldn't do this again! And it was so much worse this time around because she had more people that she cared about, more that she had to lose, and there was nothing stopping Ray from simply burning it all down to the ground.
_______________

Francis watched with curiosity as the reptile wrapped itself around the mans torso and then picked him up with surprisingly little effort. When the snake then turned to him, booping it's little nose against his knee, he really didn't know how to react. He didn't have a whole lot of love for most animals, especially the kind that were cold blooded. Surprisingly, though, he found himself smiling a little at the strange interaction. He then watched, his eyes widening in shock, as the snake simply...took off.

He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then questioned his sanity for a moment before making his way back to the road so that he could find and recover his lighter.

...

Delvin was so beat up that he barely registered what was going on, and only briefly came into consciousness, the change in temperature making him rouse just enough to moan in pain before he passed out once more.

 

[Poprockz]

"This is all my fault! I never should have...and now he's going to destroy everything! I...god, I am so sorry miss... I'm the reason you're here, and I am so fucking sorry!"

Sayori was surprised by how strongly Cora had reacted, her own eyes starting to mist as Cora sobbed. She wished there was something she could say to make it all better, but there wasn't. They had entered the gates of hell and would burn in the flames together while the devil himself laughed, the fire never reaching his icy eyes.

The woman shifted before saying softly, "when they brought me to the dungeon in the base, he had no intention of keeping me for you. He... considered me to be livestock. It was only later that he started to take notice and-" She stopped and shook her head, not wanting to articulate it. Cora already knew what Kuznet had likely done to her, using her dainty body to satisfy his cravings until he could have his Cora back in his arms.

"You're not the reason I'm here... Damien is." It was at that point that she herself cried a little, sniffling as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave looked past the snake and saw how badly injured Vin was. He almost looked dead with how shallow he was breathing, his body so bloody, bruised, and broken. It made Dave's heart pinch, a worried expression coming to his face as he got to his feet. He thought Vin had been roused for a moment, having heard a soft moan from him, but he wasn't sure if the man was simply fading in and out of consciousness.

"Vin are you-" he had started forward toward the man on the ground, but Bowie moved between them, rising up and hissing. He wasn't quite sure if this man was trustworthy, so he wanted to give him a bit of a warning not to try any funny business. Dave flinched and threw his hands up defensively, bracing himself for the snake to strike, but a bite never came. Peeking and lowering his arms slightly, he saw that Bowie had slithered away around Vin's body so he could watch from the opposite side. Once there, he looked at Dave then at Vin, bobbing his head.

The bartender had been worried that the snake was going to end his whole career real fast, but it almost seemed like he was simply being protective of the injured man. Those violet eyes... Dave wondered nervously as to what the hell was going on, not understanding why a fully turned animal would be protecting a human and not eating them. And how the hell had they found their way to his cellar?! Still, if he was given a chance to help Vin, then he would do all that he could.

Turning, he quickly went over to a shelf of wine bottles, pulling one out and unscrewing the bottom of it to reveal a cache of sorts. When he tilted it, another bottle slid out and into his hand, the man setting it down before replacing the wine bottle. It was that stuff that had been smuggled to him by one of the military men, supposedly able to heal extremely effectively. He wasn't told where or how they got it, but he had been accepting bottles of it to hide and keep on the down low. He didn't trust the higher ups in the military. People were going missing occasionally; it wasn't as frequent as the previous base, but it was still noticeable to someone who was looking.

That General, he didn't trust him. Sure he played a good game, but he had to know about what was happening to the people at the previous base, and he was the last person he saw Vin with three days prior. That sick grin on the big man's face had been pure madness, and he would be willing to bet that it was his fault that Vin was battered and unconscious.

Moving closer to Vin, he looked at the snake and said out loud, "I'm going to try to help him, so you better not bite me, okay?" He wasn't sure if the snake could understand, but the next ting he knew, the snake was bobbing at him. He simply stared for a moment before shaking his head at how bizarre this was. With that, he started to undress Vin.

"Sorry Vin, but now is not the time to worry about decency," he said more to himself than to Vin. There were rips and tears in his clothes, the fabric stained with blood. It made him cringe slightly as the fabric almost peeled off him in certain places. Once his pants were off, Dave tried to resist, but he couldn't help but glance at Vin's package. "Damn." He muttered, "if you wanted Sabastian to change his mind, all you had to do was flash him and you'd be good to go."

 

[Drobabes]

"You're not the reason I'm here... Damien is."

Her sobbing ceased, her body becoming stiff though her breathing was still labored. Sayori couldn't see it, as her face was still buried against her legs, but Cora's eyes had flown open wide and she was staring ahead in shock. For a few seconds, she remained like this, still gripping her hair almost painfully as she tried to catch her breath. When she did, at last, lift her head, the shock was still very clear on her face as she slowly turned to look at Sayori.

She didn't say anything, seemingly at a loss for words, but suddenly she couldn't meet the little women's eyes. Instead, she looked out the window, and although the sun was still high up in the sky, she began to scoot herself off of the bed as she half cried, half mumbled, "I-I need to take a shower. H-he'll hurt us both if I don't c-clean up..."

With that, she quickly made her way across the room and went into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. After just a few seconds, the sound of running water could be heard.

...

The water was too hot to be comfortable, but she needed a distraction. Sitting there on the hard floor, the steam rising up all around her, and the pads of her fingers being pinched with her other hand, Cora struggled just to keep breathing.

So that was why Kuznet had taken her. Not because he had an interest in the beautiful little women, but because she was...a victim...of Damien's.

She closed her eyes, fresh tears streaming down her face. This was all too much to bear, and yet, she had known from the very beginning that there was a chance that this might happen someday. That she might meet one of the women that Damien had taken. She loved him. She would always love him, but, after what Kuznet had done to her...

Standing up on trembling legs, she reached up and finally turned the heat down a bit, until she had cooled off, and then she shut the water off completely. Even that simple act she hated; hated how familiar it all was. Hated that already, not even having been here for no more than an hour, she was remembering the 'rules'. Not to be wasteful, not to let the natural oils on her skin become completely washed off. She hated how she knew exactly where to adjust the knob to get just the right temperature, and exactly where the towels were folded in the drawers as she stepped out and dried herself off. She hated the way her face looked through the fogged mirror as she wiped away the excess moisture with the towel, and she absolutely despised the little camera in the corner of the room that she was not allowed to touch.

She couldn't avoid it anymore. As much as she didn't want to, she had to leave that room and go out to face that women.

...

When Cora exited the bathroom, she looked a bit more stable. She had changed out of her tank top and jeans and into a pretty little blue dress that Ray had laid out for her. She had used the light blue ribbon that he had left next to the dress, to pull her hair back and up into a high ponytail, letting the loose ends of the ribbon trail down the back of her neck...just like he liked. She had no intention of pissing him off, as she knew that as soon as he pulled her silky white stockings down, or turned her around and saw her back, he was going to see the newly painted ink on her skin, and that... Well, at least Sayori wouldn't be punished along with her, for that.

She made her way over to the bed slowly, her face looking as if she had just come from a funeral. When she reached it, she sat down on the edge and turned her body towards Sayori, though she couldn't bring herself to look up at the women.

"I..." she started, not knowing how to go about saying what she needed to say.

"I am... Well, Ray has probably told you...about me and Damien. Or if he hasn't, then Sabastian probably did..."

Her eyes flicker up briefly, meeting the other women's gaze, before quickly dropping back down. Taking a deep breath, she clasps her hands together and starts to nervously wring them.

"If...someone were to ever ask me to forgive Ray for what he has done to me," she says quietly, her voice cracking a bit as her brows knit, and a bit of furry leaks into her tone.

"I would probably slap them. Hard. So I... I won't even go there. But I...have, forgiven...Damien. For what he did to me. But, only, to me...because that was my choice. It was my choice to forgive what was done to me."

Her eyes look up once more, hesitantly flicking until they finally meet her soft brown.

"What he did to you...was wrong. And, you are right. It is his fault that you are here. And he...has to live with the consequences, of the choices he has made in his life..."

Her last words were barely spoken above a whisper, and it's obvious that she is struggling to stay there on that bed and face Sayori, knowing that she had fallen in love with a rapist. But, it was a testament to how strongly she felt about him, that she was still willing to stay by his side and face the horrors of his life mistakes with him. Because...he had done it for her.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori simply watched as Cora fled the conversation, going to the bathroom to fulfill what Kuznet had asked of her. Surprisingly, Sabastian hadn't really talked all that much about Cora and Damien, though when he did he talked about them as if they were a couple, just like that picture had shown them. That being said, she couldn't believe that Cora could be willingly with him, so she assumed that Damien was threatening her or she was using the man for something, putting up with him until she could get away. For that reason she thought that maybe Cora was simply reluctant to talk about it.

The woman wasn't sure what else to do but quietly sit on the bed and simply think, her mind drifting to Quint. Where was he? Was he being kept in a different room? When she reflected back on the previous night's events, she couldn't help but cringe and blush. It had all felt so good and so right, his touch making her body and spirit sing, probably being her most satisfying sexual experience. The way he had held her and spoke to her made her want to melt, part of her already longing for that sort of closeness once again.

Still... She didn't know if he would forgive her for it. He had tried several times to say no, to get her to stop, but still she had persisted in her attempts to make him concede. His pleas had been ignored, her own lust being the only thing on her mind. Sure it could be argued that the eggs had made her incredibly horny, but she could have just masturbated on the bed and satisfied herself. It had been an extremely selfish move to force Quint into it.

He had been suffering from whatever the eggs were putting off too, but they could have resisted if she had only listened to him and accepted his "no." She had taken advantage of him, and that was eating away at her inside. He was still getting over the death of his wife, the man still grieving and still in love with Sarah. How could she do that to him when she knew this? How could she call him her friend when she didn't deserve it?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the shower turn off, Sayori wiping away the tears she hadn't noticed were streaming down her face. By the time Cora was out, her cheeks were dry, her brown eyes looking at Cora and appraising what he had given her to wear. It was cutesy just like her own outfit, Sayori hating how it seemed to try to take the mature beauty away from her hazel-eyed roommate.

When Cora started talking, she listened seriously, taking in every word. Over the course of her speech, Sayori was starting to suspect that maybe she had the wrong idea about Cora and Damien, her expression changing from one of serious curiosity, to a one of surprise with just a hint of disbelief. For some reason, it seemed like she actually might have feelings for that perverted creep. What was more, it seemed as though he had done the same thing to Cora, and yet she still forgave him.

Sayori absolutely couldn't wrap her mind around why in the world Cora could ever forgive him for what he did. She stared at Cora, not speaking for a long time, letting the stunned silence grow before she finally found words. They were uttered very quietly, her eyes meeting Cora's head-on.

"I thought maybe he was manipulating you into staying with him. Are you... in love with him?"

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Going over to a nearby cabinet, he got out a clean washcloth and went to a spigot in the corner of the room. It was there in case the cellar had to be used for a refuge, the man wetting the washcloth and coming back to clean off all the blood. A towel was laid down and Vin was very carefully flipped over, the man cleaning all of him before sighing. Vin looked awful, like he had pissed off the mob and gotten the boots to him. Hopefully this healing substance was as potent as they said, or he didn't know what he was going to do.

Actually... Standing up, he went over to another bottle and unscrewed the bottom, letting a walkie-talkie slide out. Clicking the button down, he said into it, "Hello, this is Farmer's Market, I have a strawberry plant that needs to be repotted. Over." After repeating tat same phrase several times, he finally heard the radio click on the other side.

"This is Home Depot, do you require expedited shipping on the pots? Over."

"I'm repotting tomorrow night, so same-day shipping is fine. Over."

"Alright. They'll be at the post office tomorrow then. Over."

"Thanks, that's all I need. Over." Dave nodded at the radio and set it down on a nearby counter, moving back to Vin and grabbing the bottle of healing substance. Some of it was soon poured into his hand, the man then starting to rub it onto Vin's body wherever he could see bruising, scratches, or cuts. He wasn't sure if Vin had broken bones (he probably had several), but he knew that it was something they could address tomorrow at the pick-up when he got Vin out of here.

The gel congealed upon Vin's skin quickly, and soon he was done with his back. Flipping him over, he repeated the process diligently. He sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand as he worked, not paying any attention to the snake that was watching his every move. Bowie felt like the messy-haired one was a good human, the smell of Quint's goop smelling comforting to the snake.

Now that Vin had been practically slathered in the gel like butter on a hot cob of corn, Dave stood and contemplated to himself what to do about the likelihood of Vin's internal injuries. He wasn't sure how viable the idea of drinking the gel would be, but he got the feeling that if he didn't try that Vin would be a lot worse off. This was where Dave's bartending experience came in; he had a lot of experience getting barely-conscious or unconscious people to drink water, knowing how to do it safely in a way that would reduce the chances of them choking.

With a few huffs and a little difficulty, he dragged Vin over to the wall right next to one of the tall, built-in wine cabinets. He was propped up, his back to the wall, leaning slightly over against the cabinet. When he was satisfied, he got the goo bottle back out, found himself a straw, and came over to Vin, crouching over him. The straw was placed in the bottle, the man sipping just enough to get the gel up into it before putting his finger on the end and pulling it out of the bottle. The other end was worked gently between Vin's lips and past so he could slowly let the gel drip onto his tongue. This was going to be a long process, but by God, he wasn't going to let Vin die without having gotten at least an honest conversation going with Sabastian.

 

[Drobabes]

That silence seemed to drag on for an eternity, and Cora felt like she was standing on a tightrope with a flame under it-waiting for it to simply snap at any moment and send her plummeting to the ground. She knew that Sayori couldn't understand, maybe even found herself disgusting for it. She wouldn't have blamed her, either, as, if Cora were in her shoes, she might have felt the same way. But she wasn't, and she had drawn her line in the sand.

When at last she spoke, Cora opened her mouth to answer, but then quickly shut it. Her eyes dart around the room a bit, seemingly looking for something, before coming back to her. Then, with her lips trembling a bit and her eyes going down to stare at her hands in her lap, she answers in as quiet of a whisper as she can while still being loud enough to be heard.

"No, he hasn't been manipulating me. He threatened me, at first, until we...came to an understanding. But he hasn't manipulated me."

Her brows furrow again, and fresh tears leak down her face, though this time, she doesn't sob.

"Damien would never do something like that to me. Never."

Her tone was adamant, leaving no room to argue, but she had withheld from fully answering Sayori. Of course, she wanted, badly, to admit that yes, she did love him. That, he was the only one she ever had loved, but she would not dare to say that out loud, in this room, where her every action and word was likely being recorded.
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Dave's efforts were rewarded with Vin's unconscious body aiding his efforts by reflexively swallowing. The man was still passed out hard, but at the very least, the healing gel seemed to be working in that, his muscles seemed to become less tense and his breathing less labored. It would be some hours before he would be conscious enough to speak, but at least for the moment, he was stable.

 

[Poprockz]

"Damien would never do something like that to me. Never."

Sayori looked away from Cora, her eyes somewhat blank as she stared at part of the carpet nearby. It looked like she was having a difficult time processing what Cora had just said, knowing that the answer Cora hadn't needed to say was "yes."

Cora sounded so convinced that Damien wouldn't ever force her to stay with him, nor would he take advantage of her. Was Cora lying to herself, or did she truly believe that? It sounded like Cora thought that she was somehow different, that he had chosen her. Or maybe she thought that she was going to be the one to save him, that he needed her. Whatever it was, Sayori felt like Cora might be delusional, morphing her feelings of fear and betrayal into love as a way to cope with the trauma that she had endured.

If she wasn't delusional, then why? How could she ever love a sick man like Damien? How could she love a man who had betrayed her trust and violated her body, throwing her dignity to the wind? It just didn't make sense, and no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't make it make sense.

"You're... I..." Her mouth shut and she paused for several more moments before slowly looking back at Cora. "You forgive him? As though forgiveness is something he deserves? You would chose to be with a man who has done unspeakable things to other women?!" By the end of her sentence, her words were trembling, charged with emotion.

Usually she was composed, or if she wasn't composed, it was displayed as crying or sounds of distressed fear in Kuznet's case. This time though, she felt a spark of anger in her gut. She didn't know why she was angry at Cora since it wasn't her fault that Damien had done things to the small woman, but se couldn't help but feel a slew of emotions trying to claw their way out. Her eyes narrowed angrily as tears started coming down her cheeks.

"Do you even know how many women he's done this to? I don't, but I'm sure he never told you either. He tricked me, just like the General did. They both came off nice and charming at first, and then they betrayed my trust. After Damien, I never felt safe! I never felt like I could be spontaneous again because I might end up in a cabin in the woods, forced down onto a bed while a man smiles smugly as he does things to me that I never want to think about again. No matter how much I shower, I can never forget their hands on me, inside me. My back is scarred with whip marks and today was the first time I've seen the sun in two weeks. He stole from me! He stole something so precious and now I - I..." Sayori sobbed hard, almost hysterically, her hands squeezing the life out of her pillow.

She tried to speak again, but all that came out were the sobs that made her wrack with pain and sorrow. It felt like all the anger and grief she had bottled up was spilling out, the woman hating him with every fiber of her being. Sayori had struggled with the idea of hating him as she felt that one shouldn't completely hate a person, but she couldn't deny how she felt now.

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It took a while, Dave eventually having to move from a crouched position to one where he was straddling Vin, but he eventually got Vin to swallow the rest of the gel. Even now, he was impressed by how Vin's body seemed to be a little less inflamed, the swelling having seemed to go down some.

With a small grunt, he got to his feet and washed off his hands, drying them off and looking at Bowie for a moment. "I gotta go get him a blanket and a pillow. You just... stay here, okay?" The little snake bobbed once again, knowing that the messy-haired one should be back soon. He wouldn't have spent so much time with the goop if he wasn't a good one.

Once again Dave stared at him, still a bit shocked that he was getting legitimate responses from a snake. He recovered a moment later, turning and heading up the stairs before locking the cellar behind him. There were rooms on the second floor that people occasionally slept in if they were too drunk, so he could steal the items from one of the unoccupied ones. After about ten minutes, he came back down with blankets and pillows. One pillow was put behind Vin's head to make him more comfortable, while the blanket was draped over his naked body. There was no point in dressing him while he was so messed up, Dave thinking that he might have to apply more of the goop tomorrow.

Another pillow was simply laid on the ground for Bowie, Dave taking his own pillow and blanket and propping himself up against a nearby wall and cabinet as well. He wanted to be there if Vin woke up, knowing that he was going to be confused and in a lot of pain. "God, I'm fucking tired..." He sighed softly, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep.

Instead of taking the pillow, the snake slithered over to Vin and curled up in his lap over the blanket, his little head resting on Vin's thigh as he too rested.

....

Several hours went by, it being about four in the morning for the three of them, Dave and Bowie deeply asleep.

 

[Drobabes]

Every word felt worse than if Sayori had simply come across that bed and slapped her in the face, and each vehement hiss in her tone was met with Cora flinching. She had closed her eyes when she first heard the anger, and they remained closed as Sayori continued. She didn't try to interrupt her though, knowing that not only did Sayori need this, but that Cora herself deserved every bit of hate and disgust that was being flung at her.

When it was done, and when she had seemingly ran out of things to say, Cora finally opened her eyes and stared at the ground. For a long moment, she was just quiet, letting the women cry and likely glare at her. Finally though, she spoke.

"There is nothing I can say or do that will fix this. You have every right to hate me just as much, and I know you want me to argue or... admit that I'm being delusional, but I won't. I'm...I'm sorry."
__________________

Delvin tried to lift his hand to his face, his intention to rub his eyes a bit, but the second he tensed his muscles, a bolt of white hot pain went shooting through his whole arm and it made him suck in a harsh breath, and then let out a loud grunt.

"Fuck!..."

He tried to hold still, not daring to move another muscle except to open his eyes and blink blearily, his face involuntarily screwing up in a grimace.

 

[Poprockz]

"There is nothing I can say or do that will fix this. You have every right to hate me just as much, and I know you want me to argue or... admit that I'm being delusional, but I won't. I'm...I'm sorry."

Sayori's eyes flashed at Cora for a moment, her tone sharp, "I don't want you to argue or admit anything, I want-" she had to take a deep, shuddering breath to continue, "I want to be free. I want...' A hiccup interrupted her, the woman continuing to hiccup between words as her hands shook.

"I want to live a life where I'm not haunted by him, or the General, or Officer Niles. Even if they all died right in front of me, I'll still see them when I sleep in my nightmares." More sobs came from her, the little woman continuing until she had no more tears left. What she wouldn't give to have Quint hold her like he always did, those crystal-blue eyes and the sound of his light voice comforting her like nothing else could.

When she had nothing left to cry, she sniffled and sighed. "I don't... I don't hate you, Cora. I just... can't understand."

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It was somewhat dark in the cellar, but there was a nightlight nearby that Dave liked to keep in there just in case he had to come down to the cellar at night. At the feeling of movement and the grunt of pain, Bowie stirred in his lap, lifting his head and seeing that the long-haired one was awake. Raising himself up more, he made himself known to Vin by hovering near his face, his little tongue flicking at him. After a second of just making sure Vin was really awake, Bowie booped his snoot to Vin's nose affectionately.

Bowie wasn't the only one who awoke from the noise, Dave also blinking blearily and looking toward Vin to see Bowie looking the man in the eyes. His own eyes widened as he realized that Vin was awake, his tiredness forgotten as a shot of adrenaline went through him. Wrapping the blanket around his shoulders, he crawled over to Vin and gave him a relieved grin.

"Long time no see, Vin. How are you feeling?"

 

[Drobabes]

"I want to live a life where I'm not haunted by him, or the General, or Officer Niles. Even if they all died right in front of me, I'll still see them when I sleep in my nightmares."

She finally looked up, daring to meet Sayori's gaze again as her face crumpled in pain for the petite little women. If there was anything she could have understood, it was that. She may not have woke up in a cold sweat and screaming anymore, but her nightmares would never fade. Her sense of true security would never come back, and especially not now. There was nothing she could do for Sayori, as there was nothing she could even do for herself.

"I don't... I don't hate you, Cora. I just... can't understand."

"I know you can't" she said softly, then after a moments hesitation, she climbed off of the bed and went to stand by the window, crossing her arms as she looked out into the yard. The only thing that had changed was the animals.

"But I wouldn't...blame you at all if you did. If you decide to."

For a long moment, she was just quiet and completely still. Then, she reached up and put her palm against the warm glass, feeling the summer heat through the pane.

"I should, probably tell you what to expect. Not with Ray, but with...well, this place."

Her face slowly let go of it's pain to morph into a deadpan stare, her eyes wandering slowly towards the cliff.

"If you want to hear it, I mean..."
_____________

Vin managed to give the snake a little smile, it's familiar little face giving him a momentary bit of happiness.

"Hi Bowie" he breathed, even those simple words causing him pain. His happiness was quickly forgotten, however, as everything came flooding back to him in a flash of memory and his smile turned to a grim line. Just what the fuck had happened?

"How are you feeling?"

His eyes move over to Dave, taking him in for a few seconds before he tries to pull in a deep enough breath to talk right.

"How do you think I'm feeling?" he grunts before he tries, and very quickly fails, to sit up.

"How did I get here?"

He was disorientated and cold, thirsty, and very, very angry.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori sighed and looked up to Cora's form near the window. Honestly, she didn't think she would ever hate Cora. After all, she was a victim in all of this too, probably with Stockholm's syndrome.

"I should, probably tell you what to expect. Not with Ray, but with...well, this place. If you want to hear it, I mean..."

That sentence gave her goosebumps for some reason, Sayori shivering as a feeling of worry settled in her gut. The way Cora had spoken reeked of foreboding, the woman's eyebrows knitting slightly. "I... do not know what you mean, but I would like to hear it."

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Dave nodded, "well, If I had to guess, I'd say you were feeling as though you fulfilled your life's dream as the pinball in a pinball machine. Honestly, I wasn't totally sure if you were going to wake up." His grin slowly faded into a soft smile. He was glad that Vin was coherent enough to ask questions, hoping that this meant that he was going to make a full recovery eventually, or at least that he would old on until the transport arrived after the day's end.

"I'll start by saying where you are. You're in the cellar of the bar I work at in the base, nobody knows you're here and I've arranged for transportation to get you out of here out of the tunnel that runs under this place. Speaking of which, that's how you got there. It scared the bajesus out of me, but all of a sudden, the cellar doors to the tunnel burst open and there was... that snake, dragging your body in here like you didn't weigh a dime. I don't know where he got you or when, but it seemed like he was looking for help for you and ended up choosing this place and finding me." He got to his feet and looked around, grabbing the bottom half of one of the little hidden cache bottles and filling it up from the spiggot before coming back over. The straw from the goop bottle was then plucked and put into the makeshift water cup he was holding, the man offering it to Vin by letting the straw lean against Vin's lips.

"Did... Did the General do this to you?" His expression darkened, his mouth becoming a grim line. "I saw him come out of the bar with you and the look on his face for a moment... He looked like a fucking psycho. I didn't know what was going on, so I went into my job shift, but I can't help but feel guilty for not looking out for you."

 

[Drobabes]

She nodded a bit, and then took a deep, slow breath before she began to speak.

"Over time, he is going to slowly give us more privileges. At first he'll just let us outside of our room, and then eventually let us wonder the house. Then, he will allow us to have short, supervised time outside, but...he chose this property for a reason, and to try and run is a suicidal idea."

She chuckled a bit, her lips twisting up into a sick grin as she shook her head with pain. Cora remembered the last time she had ran, and the berries she had sought out to eat, knowing full well what they did. Or rather, she thought she knew. But it was just another chess move.

"This house is situated on top of a cliff, and there is only one safe way down this mountain unless you are a very skilled rock climber and have the right gear to get down. There is also no source of clean, drinkable, water anywhere within twenty or thirty miles. No creaks or rivers, or run offs. You could try to dig for water, but it would be difficult, and you would likely exhaust yourself to the point of becoming weak. There is also no reliable food source, as he made sure to go through and kill off any vegetation that could sustain a man for more than a day or two, and in it's place he planted things that will make you sick. If you eat them, you'll be in a great amount of pain and likely die if you don't get any treatment within a few days. And, if you think that you want to take your chances anyway, just know that this area has the highest concentration of natural predators, mostly cougars and bears, within the state."

She moved her palm from the glass and pointed a finger out, tapping it a few times as her tired eyes looked down into the yard.

"That's why he has the dogs. Not to keep us in, but to protect us from what might come after us."
_________________

His eyes widened a bit in surprise, and he looked from Dave, down to Bowie. For a minute, he just stared at the snake, listening as Dave talked but mostly feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the reptile. If he could have, he would have reached up to pet him, but as it were, all he could manage was a quiet, heartfelt, "thank you Bowie..."

When the water was offered, he gladly accepted, taking a few greedy gulps even though it hurt to get down. Afterwords, he leaned back and panted, even that small action causing him to lose his breath.

"Did... Did the General do this to you?"

A dark look came over his face, and once more, he looked over to meet Dave's eyes, turning his face slightly.

"I don't know exactly what happened, or why, but yea. That motherfucke-"

He started coughing, having gotten a bit too worked up, and his hand shot up to his chest as he wheezed in pain and had to close his eyes for a moment. When he got it under control again, he opened them back up and blinked back the moisture that had built up.

"He tricked me Dave. I don't know why he did it, but he...wanted me to take him to Cora."

There was a second of silence as he just sat there, staring off into space. And then, with a sudden fire in his eyes, he moved and sat up, grunting hard as he forced his body to ignore the immense pain until he was at least leaning forward a bit. After that, he took another moment to catch his breath.

"It's probably good that you didn't do anything. We got...ambushed. Four of them. If you had been there," he looked up.

"I don't think either of us would be alive right now."