Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Sabastian’s response was a little underwhelming, but it wasn’t as if he had expected him to outright guffaw or anything anyway. In response, Quint smiled a bit more softly and squeezed his arms a little tighter around his chest, kind of wishing that someone would give him a warm pat on the back to quell his own nerves. Humor worked in a lot of situations, but wasn’t nearly as soothing as when he was familiar with the perceived enemy. Almost as if he couldn’t help himself, his eyes naturally wandered over to Damien, watching the exchange between the two.

Oh, he didn’t like that, he thought to himself, noticing how Damien jerked his hand back. So lingering touches were a no no, huh? He would call it ironic if he expected anything less.

When it was Quint’s turn, he reluctantly pulled his arms away from his chest and put them out in the air a bit. The smile he gave the butler was polite, or at least, the best he could manage with how cold and wet he was. He wanted to convey that he was fine with being searched, though he wondered how thorough the search would be. He was a fellow zombie, after all, and Quint couldn’t help but wonder if he would go looking around inside his stomach. It felt horribly uncomfortable to do it, and although he wasn’t carrying anything on him at the moment, the half zombie had been able to hide Sabastian’s locket in there. Not that he would tell the little blond; he didn’t feel like getting smacked in the head any time soon.

While this was going on, Delvin and Cora were both taking a long look around the, what to them, felt like a palace. They had both earned enough money to keep them comfortable in life but neither one of them would have ever dreamed of actually stepping foot into a place like this. Cora’s eyes were caught most by the dome overhead, the waterfall soothing and almost entrancing, before she looked down to the fine gold vines artfully placed around each pillar. She could almost even imagine them having grown that way, like some magical scene from a fairy-tale. Vin’s eyes traveled in a similar path, though he took note of the desk and the name of the resort, wondering if he had ever seen it on any of those traveling commercials back in the day. When their paths crossed and they caught each others gaze, they both gave a little grin to one another, for just a brief few seconds forgetting the danger they were in and simply enjoying the moment of being two strangers stepping into this entrancing world. Her hazel eyes then made their way back to the present, meeting Damien’s.

The little smile on her lips softened, her eyes flicking over to the butler and immediately understanding his concern. She didn’t want to be touched, but where were they to go? How would they get there? Cora didn’t see any other way out of this, and besides, he was acting professional enough.

Flicking her eyes back, she mouthed a silent, “it’s okay baby” before giving him a timid smile.

 

[Poprockz]

Her answer eased Damien’s feelings of concern, the man’s shoulders relaxing slightly. After all, if the butler started doing weird things to her, he could at least count on Quint and Sabastian to knock him around a bit. Though he and Quint were practically enemies, they were temporary allies when it came to her safety and well-being.

Quint was also given a polite pat-down, those long fingers gently brushing over his clothes quickly and efficiently. Ultimately it was over in a matter of seconds- as long as there wasn’t a gun hidden anywhere the man seemed content.

When it was done he leaned forward a bit, looking Quint in the eyes as though examining him before drawing back once more. “I’ve never seen another one of us with eyes like yours. It would seem that you are quite special, sir. If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of talent were you Imbued with?”

Rather than demanding, his tone was more curious.

 

[Drobabes]

Quint held his ground when the guy leaned forward, but for just the slightest moment worried that the other zombie was going to pull some kind of weird mind thing on him. He couldn't feel anything weird going on inside his skull, but that didn't mean it wasn't still happening, so he tried his best to throw up a 'defense' and keep his thoughts surface level.

Cold. Need to get warm. Hungry. Fucking cold.

"If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of talent were you Imbued with?"

He reached up to pull his hat off while smiling, pushing his wet hair back in order to keep the water out of said eyes. When he spoke, he let his teeth chatter a little, as if to emphasize the point that they needed to get a move on here.

"I h-haven't figured it all out yet, to be honest. I know I'm not as strong as Sabastian," he said, giving a slight nod over towards the man.

"Though."

No need to give unnecessary details when a half truth was simple enough.

 

[Poprockz]

For a moment the butler’s face was unreadable, not giving any indication as to whether he believed Quint or not. However, he soon gave that same polite smile and gestured toward the door.

“Not everyone can be as strong as your friend or I, but I don’t doubt that your talents will be befitting such a gentlemen as yourself.”

The next up was Sayori. She stepped up and took off her poncho, grateful that while it was still cold, the entrance was covered at least. Lifting her arms, she too was patted, though when his hand got to one of her pockets, it reached in to pull out a pocketknife.

Rather than leave everything in the bins or car, she had taken the liberty of taking a bit of protection for herself. She wasn’t strong like 90% of the group, nor did she know how to fire a gun. A knife was the best bet for her and after all she had been through, and she very much didn’t want to be parted with it.

Nathaniel held up the knife, quietly turning it over in his hands before opening it up, the blade shining in the light behind him. There was silence, Sayori holding her breath as they looked at one another, her heart beating quickly in anticipation of his reaction.

Instead of confiscating it, or scolding her as one might expect though, a little smile curled the corners of his lips as he clicked it back into place, his eyes fixed upon her intently. “I would be careful playing with knives if I were you. It’s so easy to cut yourself, you know.”

The knife was slowly slid back into her pocket before he allowed her to pass him. She was honestly shocked that he had let her keep it, but that warning he had intoned gave her the willies. It was almost as though he was insinuating that she better not try anything lest she hurt herself, as though she wasn’t capable of hurting him even with the knife in hand.

The small woman crossed her arms and warily stepped into the lavish waiting room, not allowing the splendor to sooth her feelings of unease.

The next up was Vin, the butler beckoning him over.

 

[Drobabes]

His response was a bit veiled it felt like, but Quint got the sense that he was almost being a little...not quite polite, but rather, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he suspected Quint was hiding something, but so long as the issue wasn't pushed, then he would let it be.

When the guy turned and started heading towards the girls, Quint's tentacles instinctually started to slip out from under his shirt, the wet fabric clinging to his sides suddenly having four distinct bulges as the appendages came out through his skin. He realized just a fraction of a second too late that it was a clear sign of agitation, and one that he was going to have to learn how to control when he wanted to control it. Rather than try to hide it though, he simply let it be, continuing with the motion and wrapping two of the tentacles down under his arms and having his upper one's hang loosely by his side, only the tips of them twitching like an agitated cats tail might.

None of them knew that she had the little knife on her, and while Quint wasn’t surprised, he was a bit worried during that silent tension. Likewise, Cora and Vin both had similar expressions of concern and apprehension, though they were both ready to back the little women up if need be. After all, who would blame her for having a knife on herself in these times?

“I would be careful playing with knives if I were you. It’s so easy to cut yourself, you know.”

Delvin got a bad feeling from the way he said that, though he tried not to show it on his face. He thought to himself, it probably wouldn’t be that hard to hide, considering the way he probably currently looked. Fucked up choppy hair like he had bent over a bonfire a little too long, completely tatted out with the muscles underneath to show them off, dark eyes, a missing ear that was only faintly being covered by a single piece of medical tape now, and a ten foot long snake wrapped around his torso and shoulders.

When it was his turn to be searched, he reached up and unwrapped Bowie, handing him to his partner before slowly turning back and just staring at the well dressed butler. Vin wasn’t as willing to openly invite the search, his demeaner a bit stiff as he simply let his arms hang, his eyes never leaving the other guys hands as he moved. At one point during the search, he happened to look up and catch Quint looking at him quite intensely, and it only made him more uncomfortable with the whole thing.

 

[Poprockz]

Vin’s search was standard, no items of interest found upon his person. Though before letting him pass, Nathaniel leaned in similarly to how he had with Quint, though he moved more to the side to get a better look at the injury on his ear.

“That is quite an injury. It’s a wonder you’ve been able to keep it from getting infected.” He leaned just a bit closer and sniffed, likely trying to confirm that it was indeed not infected. However, something about the smell made him frown, the man looking around at the two zombies with just the slightest hint of disapproval.

“In the future, might I suggest not sealing his ear up like this? I’m not sure if you’re aware, but our fluids don’t have any antibacterial or cleansing properties, so while it might prevent an infection if it’s already clean, it would just seal an infection into the flesh otherwise. I don’t smell any cleaner, so I assume this was immediately applied. It would be best if we addressed this wound soon, along with the hand wound.”

 

[Drobabes]

As soon as the zombie leaned in to sniff him, Vin took a defensive step to the side, his jaw clenching a bit with agitation. Sure he was cold, miserable, hungry, and tired, but right at the moment the body search irritated him above all those other feelings. He did not like to be patted down.

"We cleaned it before we sealed it up. I'm not worried about it. If I start feeling sick, I'll seek treatment."

From behind him, Cora gave Sabastian a nervous look before she turned her attention back to the butler and addressed him with a soft spoken, people pleasing tone.

"I've been keeping an eye on everyone's wounds and making sure there hasn't been any signs of infection or fever, but we'll keep that in mind for next time, thank you."

 

[Poprockz]

The butler looked at Cora before nodding, bowing his head to Vin next and saying, “my apologies. I tend to assume the worst when it comes to the medical ability of the average citizen in these times. We had someone come in with a nail in their foot, and they had merely tried to put aloe on it.” Vin was allowed past after that, the butler seeming to sense that he was on thin ice with the big man. In truth, he probably knew he was much stronger than him, but he seemed to be making a genuine effort not to be courteous and keep the peace while performing his duties.

The only two left were Sabastian and Cora. The blonde went through just fine, no injuries, weapons, or things of interest, but Cora provoked a pause from the zombie, his eyes taking in the myriad of bruises and small abrasions she had upon her. She was not offered sympathy nor contempt, merely a vague curiosity. Perhaps he was wondering what had happened to her, but not deigning to ask.

A polite smile was given before he clapped his hands together. “Alright, now that we’re all ready, let us head inside. I assume you’ll need to use the showers, and we can provide you some fresh towels as well. Tonight is music hall night, so if at all possible I would suggest not dallying or you may miss it. I’m sure the mistress of the house would be overjoyed to see our new guests watching the show from one of her private balconies.”

Without waiting for a response, the butler opened the other pair of double doors and started to walk energetically down the hallway. It was startlingly beautiful, large and small paintings on the light tan walls, while the floor seemed to be coated in a clear resin. Beneath it, there were lots of shiny blue crystals and cool blue pebbles, almost giving the illusion of a River.

 

[Drobabes]

The apology and explanation seemed to sway Vin's feelings, his body relaxing slightly as he nodded in acknowledgement and stepped to the side. While he didn't doubt the story, Delvin really didn't want anyone with any medical supplies near him. He was freshly traumatized from all that, and the only people he was willing to let him near him now with so much as even a kiddy band-aid would be his lover, Cora, Damien, and reluctantly Quint. He trusted the man so far as morals and doing the right thing went, but he got the distinct feeling that they were not on good terms-though Vin didn't know what he had done to earn that distrust.

When it was her turn and the pause happened, Cora couldn't help but hold her breath, her eyes glancing up to meet the butlers. She was ready to offer up an excuse as to why she had the bruises, as she had been thinking about it for quite some time, but he didn't ask. Honestly she was relieved but knew she might have to tell the next person that got a good look at her skin.

“Alright, now that we’re all ready, let us head inside. I assume you’ll need to use the showers, and we can provide you some fresh towels as well. Tonight is music hall night, so if at all possible I would suggest not dallying or you may miss it.”

At last they were on their way, but what their host had to say made Cora’s face pale slightly, and she quickly stepped forward and took hold of Damien’s good arm. Her hands clung to him, just above his elbow, and though it wasn’t often, a slight tremor could be felt in them. The last time they had showers and a music event, it had ended in her almost getting drugged and the whole base going up in an explosion of flames. And surprise surprise, her suspicions behind the kidnapping attempt had been correct all along.

“Cory?”

She looked up to see her brother staring down at her, empathy and concern written all over his face. The hazel eyed women loved him dearly, but right now she just wanted to feel the warmth of Damien’s skin, and to know he was there with her. That this was real, and they were back together, and goddamnit it was going to be okay now.

“I’m okay. Just cold.”

He frowned, and while his eyes did briefly glance up at her lover, he mercifully dropped it and turned his attention to the flooring beneath them as they walked through the doors.

Vin had moved to stand behind Sabastian, putting his hand comfortably on his side, just above the smaller man’s hip. Once in a while he would glance behind them, keeping an eye out, but for the most part he let the splendor of the building entertain his weary eyes.

“It almost reminds me of the lake” he whispered, bending down to have his hot breath tickle Sabastian’s ear as his hand pointed to the enchanting crystals beneath their feet.

“I wanted to tell you then, while we floating in that sea of stars, how much I loved you. I’m sorry I missed my shot at making that first time romantic.”

His chocolate brown eyes were twinkling with a little mirth when he pulled back, but there was also some genuine regret there.

 

[Poprockz]

Upon those smaller hands latching onto him, Damien looked down in concern. She looked spooked, as though anticipating that something terrible might happen. Damn his arms! If he had full use of them, he would have pulled her close or linked his own hand in hers. All he could do at the moment was to walk closer to her as she sought out his comfort.

It hurt him to see her so triggered, though it hadn’t quite clicked as to why she would be at the moment. It only made him extra wary as the walked, glancing at Quint when he engaged them. He didn’t think either of them was foolish enough to believe that the shivers upon her body weren’t those of fear. “Just one night,” he murmured softly, “then we can get out of here and keep going. As long as we’re together, it’ll be okay.”

If Sabastian weren’t so tired and cold, he might have gotten a bit heated from that whisper. As it was, it simply made him shiver slightly, ducking his ear head and rubbing it while giving Vin a smile and a sideways look that said, “oh you!”

“I mean. I could have said it too, but I didn’t either. I guess we’re a good match in that way- both of us get tongue-tied sometimes. Or maybe it’s more that we overthink shit.” He sighed, enjoying the physical contact.

Sayori merely plodded along daintily, walking close behind the butler himself. While she wasn’t too fond of him, she eagerly wanted to warm up in a nice, hot shower.

After a few more minutes of walking through the extravagant resort, they came upon two doors that had the “men” and “women” symbols on them.

“These are the showers…” he gestured to them, having pulled back on his spotless white gloves. “I can wait for you outside.

“I’ll wait out here with you; I don’t need a shower.” The butler and Damien looked at each other, Damien’s expression resolute and the butler’s one of incredulousness.

His eyes once again took in how soaked Damien was, and his mouth opened as if to refute him before he simply paused and said, “… very good sir.”

The fact of the matter was, that Damien couldn’t move his arm without considerable pain, while he still didn’t have enough feeling in his fingers to navigate basic clothing. Sure he could have taken off a shirt if it was loose, but now that it was plastered to him, he would have no such luck. Taking off and putting back on clothing was something that he would have needed help with, and he would be damned if he allowed any of the other men to help him. His pride was simply screaming against it.

Thinking of Quint snickering and pulling up his pants, or Vin unzipping them with large, clunky hands made him cringe hard internally, even so at the thought of Sabastian doing it. Not to mention the fact that they’d have to peel off his soaked underwear as well. The only one he might have been okay with was Cora, but that brought up the problem of Sayori. He couldn’t just go in there with them even if there were stalls-the other woman would probably refuse to allow it.

 

[Drobabes]

“Just one night, then we can get out of here and keep going.”

Quint was walking closely enough to his sister to be able to just barely make out a few of the words Damien had said, but more importantly, to catch how her posture seemed to relax and her steps became more confident. A funny feeling tickled his chest. He glanced behind him to see Sabastian and Vin conversing, and when he looked ahead, Sayori was seemingly trying to hurry along as well. She seemed uncomfortable in that soaked to the bone sort of way, but not particular scared at the moment. Even Bowie felt calm enough.

Guess no one needs me.

He frowned, his eyes looking down cast before he suddenly let go with another large shiver and pulled his forest green vest back on. Sure it was soaked through, and would likely only make him more cold, but he needed a momentary distraction from that bitter thought. The words felt like venom in his veins, Ray having bit into him with something similar not all that long ago. He didn’t want to acknowledge it right now, but he was beginning to feel lonely standing amongst people he knew.

“…both of us get tongue-tied sometimes. Or maybe it’s more that we overthink shit.”

He chuckled and squeezed his side affectionately as he stood back up.

“Yea, that sounds pretty accurate.”

“…very good sir.”

Delvin looked over at Damien curiously, wondering if the authority in his tone was merely not trusting the situation they were in, him reverting a bit back to his old way of life and used to being in command in these types of social settings, or perhaps a mix of both. Either way, he didn’t feel safe enough to go in either, if there was going to be no one watching their backs.

“Why don’t you go first, Bastian? The temperature in here has already got me pretty comfortable.”

That was only a little white lie, and though it was phrased as a question, the inflection in his voice made it pretty obvious that he wanted to stand guard.

Cora didn’t want to let go of Damien’s arm, because she didn’t want to go in alone. Honestly, even though she was freezing, she would have been happy with just a change of clothes and to dry her hair. But it had been some days since they had bathed, and she recognized that if she didn’t take care of herself, she was setting herself up to fall ill or get some kind of skin infection. She needed to bath.

Her eyes shot up to Quinton, then, and the two shared a look that was completely silent for about three full seconds. There were many small exchanges of expression between those seconds, but unless someone was watching closely, or knew them very well, they likely wouldn’t have even noticed.

Cora wanted, if not Damien, then at least Quint to come into the bathroom with her. They had shared the same womb, never, until recently, spent more than two months apart, and had been forced into many situations that required them to be completely naked around each other. Nakedness was something that held absolutely no shame, fear, or embarrassment for them now, and indeed there had even been times where they had come to each other when they couldn’t force themselves to step into an antiseptic doctors office, or hospital room. But in that small exchange, Quint shut her down. It would be awkward for the people around them, not them, but more than that, he wasn’t going to let Damien out of his sight. Nor was he going to let him into the bathroom with her…alone.

She was the first to look away, her eyes glossing before she managed to blink it away.

“It probably wouldn’t hurt if we took shifts. No offense,” he said, his gaze not yet leaving Cora until he was about halfway through his sentence, to meet the butlers.

“You’re an amazing host, but we just need a little time to relax, you know?”

Quint hoped he wouldn’t need to explain further than that, as the idea of a group watching each others back felt as if it should have been very obvious.

 

[Poprockz]

“Why don’t you go first, Bastian…”

“I don’t care if I’m Godzilla. I’m not going in there alone after the shit we’ve been through.” Sabastian said in a low grumble, putting his hands on his hips while a slight scowl came to his face. Just because he was strong didn’t mean that he also wasn’t anxious about this fancy new place, and he wasn’t afraid to say it.

“It probably wouldn’t hurt if we took shifts. No offense. You’re an amazing host, but we just need a little time to relax, you know?”

The butler checked his watch and seemed to muse for a moment, “far be it for us to restrict your actions. The hot spring provides us with hot water, so time is not an issue in that respect. However, it would be a shame for you to miss the show, so I suggest not spending more than an hour in there. We may just be able to catch the final act.”

Quint would feel a tug on his own sleeve, Sayori having appeared next to his arm. The look she was giving him was one of vulnerability and awkwardness in equal measure. She was prepared to get weird looks from the others and possibly Quint himself, but she really needed to make her request known.

“Would you… go in with me? They probably have stalls and I’d feel safer with you there.” It was a big ask, especially since his sister was right there. It was presumptuous of Sayori to even put him in the position of having to decline.

While the whole silent conversation wasn’t caught, she recognized it as something that siblings often did. Something sometimes had done… with Hanako. It seemed like she had asked to go in with Damien by the way she clung to him, and Quint said no. It was understandable why, but it wasn’t like Damien was in any shape to do much of anything at the moment. While she herself wouldn’t shower with the grey-eyed man on hatred and principle alone, she didn’t doubt that she could probably incapacitate him even with her small size.

Still, besides that point, she could understand wanting to protect Cora from other dangers as well. The very dangers that she herself was pleading to be protected from.

Bowie slithered down Sabastian’s shoulders during the chatter, looking at each of the signs on the doors. They meant nothing to him of course, but he liked the one with the triangle better because it reminded him of the singing one. The snake slithered forth, pushing open the unlocked door and exploring the inside. There was something hot and steamy in there, and he was curious what it was.

 

[Drobabes]

Amusement painted Vin's lips before his eyes took in the honesty in his lover's posture. Truthfully, he was relieved. Sabastian wasn't afraid to say it out loud, but Delvin was. The idea of trying to expose himself in another new place, with even more people he didn't know, alone, was sending dregs of fear up his spine. He doubted he was even going to be able to step out of his boxers once he was in there, or keep his eyes shut for more than a few seconds.

The half zombie was looking at Nathaniel as he spoke of the concert, trying to come up with something polite to break off from the conversation, when Sayori tugged on his sleeve. He met her gaze briefly to acknowledge her, before responding to the butler.

"Alright, we'll try and get there on time. It sounds like it's going to be a good show."

After that was taken care of, he gave a polite nod and turned his gaze down again.

"Would you… go in with me? They probably have stalls and I’d feel safer with you there."

Cora wasn't bothered by Sayori's request. Quite the contrary, she perked up and moved a bit closer to the two, her own puppy dog eyes looking up at her brothers with renewed hope.

"Please Quint?"

Where had that stubborn, not gonna take shit, Quinton gone? Because whoever was standing in his place was doing a piss poor job of keeping to his stance as his defensive demeanor squashed down into a little tub of putty for Sayori's malleable and graceful fingers. He wanted to protect her, and gently wipe away that look of apprehension in her soft eyes, and it wasn't helping that Cora was outright chiming in as well now too.

Quint had already made up his mind to do so before he even started to rationalize it away, recognizing that the awkwardness would be lessened as it had been a request from the both of them now, not just between himself and Cora. That, and Sabastian would be out here where he could give him a verbal shout out if shit went south.

His gaze moved to the man, and then between the other two before he spoke.

"Well if you're going to stay out here, Sabastian...I guess we could be quick about it. If there's not stalls, I'll just keep watch near the door, or windows if they have them."

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian shrugged, “sure, sounds like a plan to me. You three go in and then we’ll go in when you’re done.

While Damien wished he could enjoy the likely hot, soapy water with her, he doubted it would have been very enjoyable for either of them with Quint breathing down his neck the whole time, and Sayori giving them the stink eye. In their hatred of Damien, it seemed as though Quint and Sayori were a compatible pair. Speaking of which, for the briefest moment he thought to himself that it was possible that Quint might harbor feelings for her. However the thought was quickly dismissed.

Cora’s brother was the annoying, brotherly, overbearing type, so he imagined that he had “adopted” Sayori from their time together as prisoners. Simply put, he just had a soft spot for her due to their trauma and the fact that she also enjoyed his childish behavior.

The woman in question gave Quint a grateful smile before nodding at Cora. While she and Cora had also gone through traumatic things together, Sayori didn’t particularly know where she stood with her. Unlike Quint, it felt like Cora had multiple walls up around herself. Or maybe she was imagining it, and she and Cora simply didn’t match up as well as they could have. Whatever the case was, she felt like there was some distance there. Hopefully in time they would get closer, but at least it seemed like Cora had a somewhat positive disposition toward her.

Sayori shivered, deciding that with the other two at her back, she was eager to get some relief. She walked up to the women’s showers and opened up the door. Inside, it almost seemed like a spa. No, didn’t seem like, it probably was. There was a wood sauna, an area with heated rock benches and lounge platforms, as well as many shower booths both large and small. Obviously the larger ones were for families or… other activities. They all had doors that could be closed with warped glass. Through it, one could see the dark shape/outline of a person, but not any specific features. It was just as glamorous as the rest of the place, plated with golds and decorated with sandy tiles and soft lights in the ceiling and golden lamps. It took her breath away for a moment.

Bowie lifted his head slightly from one of the heated rocks before laying his head down again in a contented manner.

 

[Drobabes]

Though Cora was taking in the subtle interactions between Sayori and her brother, she wouldn't think much on them at the moment. Right now she was too cold and frightened to work it out, though later when she had time to reflect it would be a hot topic in her thoughts. With one more look around them, and then giving Damien a fleeting, but affectionate smile, she quickly followed the little women into the bathroom.

Once inside, they all took a look around. It was a very fancy and comfortable looking set-up, as to be expected of such a high end resort and following the theme of the rest of the building. Cora was nervous about being away from the other three for too long, so she quickly looked for and found the towels.

The shelving that held them was so opulent that she wondered if she could have paid off the mortgage to a house, were she to sell even one of the shelves. Plucking two of the impeccably folded rectangles, she turned and offered one to Sayori with a smile. It felt soft and plush beneath her fingers and would be a welcome relief against their sore and bruised skin.

Quint's eyes scanned the whole room with diligence before he walked the full length of it, scoping out every corner, nook, and cranny for suspicious seams and handles, or hidden cameras. Not that he would be able to recognize every type of state of the art technology, but he had a good enough feel for what to look for, and where. Once he was satisfied with his inspection, he gave the girls a nod and made his way over to Bowie, affection filling his heart and mind as he sat beside the noodle and enjoyed the simple act of basking in that warm heat. The rocks felt amazing against his shivering skin, and when he laid down lengthwise alongside Bowie, he let out a very satisfied groan.

 

[Poprockz]

There were no cameras or suspicious items to speak of, so if they were there, they were practically invisible to the human eye.

“Thanks.” Sayori accepted the towel with a smile, though she soon sighed and held it up to her face, burying herself in the warm, soft fabric. She had only been in a similar place once, when her sister had gotten married; they had reserved a very nice hotel for the ceremony and after party. After a week there, Sayori had been thoroughly pampered, always remembering the entire ordeal with fondness. It had made the preparations and wedding scrambling much less stressful on the whole.

When she was satisfied with her face-cave moment, she came up and glanced toward Quint, prepared to make a comment about their fluffiness. He looked so relaxed though, sprawled out on that rock with Bowie. The man looked like a happy lizard, soaking up the heat. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he flicked his tongue out in appreciation like Bowie was doing. It put a little smirk on her lips, the little woman’s gaze lingering before she decided to leave him to his basking.

She approached one of the shower stalls and opened the doors, marveling at the selection of fine shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and oils there were. It was like someone left their Sephora bag in there after going on a spree, and she couldn’t wait to try a couple of them.

Leaving the door open a crack, she undressed and left her clothes just outside the stall, her hand coming out with the towel to hang it on an outside hook. There was a click and the door was closed, only the dark outline of her body visible from the outside. Her hand turned the shower nozzle on and jets of warm water came out, Sayori adjusting them until they were just right.

“Fuck…” she practically moaned, the hot water feeling extraordinarily good on her chilled skin. It was steamy and hot, warming her down to the bone as she simply basked in it for a minute.

 

[Drobabes]

She seemed to be on to something so with curiosity, Cora pulled the soft towel to her face to pat it dry a bit. God, it both felt and smelled devine and she lingered in the fluffiness for a moment as well. When she pulled it away, she glanced down to see a fondness in Sayori's expression, and when her own eyes rolled over to the heating rocks, she couldn't help but smile as well. In the moment, Cora simply thought that Sayori was giving Bowie that look, as she had yet to meet anyone who hadn't grown fond of the calm reptile.

...

Quint waited until he heard the second click of the shower stalls before he cautiously glanced their way. Just as quickly as he caught sight of Sayori's silhouette through the glass, he pulled it away and all but shoved away the tickle of horny, tempting, thoughts that seemed to be constantly tugging at the corners of his mind every since he had changed. He thought himself a somewhat healthy man with a somewhat healthy level of needs and wants in the bedroom, but as of late it just never seemed to stop being there. Like a damn boner in the middle of class, it was unwanted, unnecessary, and damn near rude.

"Are you laughing at me?" he questioned with shock, watching as Bowie bobbed his head up and down next to him.

"How do you even have a sense of how that's funny? You're a snake!"

"Ssh, ssh, hehs..."

Quint could feel the mirth radiating through their link as Bowie made an attempt to add an actual laughing noise to his head bob's, and though he turned to hide it, Quint couldn't help but smile.

"I don't need this abuse from a nine foot squirrel eating noodle!" he snarked back, standing up from the rocks and making his way over to the towels. Grabbing the top one, he made his way back over and peeled off his outer layer of clothing, dropping them down onto the rocks to steam dry. After peeling his shirt off, he looked down into Bowie's little purple eyes.

"Did you forget that I'm the one that wiped your butt when you got food stuck in your poophole?"

 

[Poprockz]

"I don't need this... nine foot... noodle! ...forget that I'm the one... your butt when you got... your poophole?"

She only heard snippets of Quint's conversation, but what she did hear made her quietly snort. It seemed like it was probably funner without context.

Selecting one of the shampoos, Sayori lathered up her hair and rinsed it out, the scent of honey and pear wafting up in the steam from the foam. After putting the conditioner in and letting it sit, she did the matching pear body wash and reveled in its bubbly goodness. It was the first wash she had taken since Kuznet had bathed her, and now she could wash the last dregs of him off of her. The smell of that house was now spinning down the drain, abandoned with a huge amount of relief. She was still almost completely hairless, unfortunately, but that would also be fixed in time.

In her previous life before everything went sideways, she had liked keeping her legs and armpits shaved, her eyebrows tweezed, and various stray hairs plucked, but part of her wanted to let all of that go just to spite the General. In these times, it also seemed like it would be more practical to let things grow as the body wanted them to- it would be warmer, anyway. Maybe. She wasn't sure how much a bit of leg hair would help, but it stood to reason that it might be a little helpful.

A facial cleanser was also something she indulged in before opening the door and grabbing her towel. It was wrapped around her snugly, tucked at the top so that it ended up being like a sleeveless dress. It was at that moment that she saw Quint's clothes on the rocks, her gaze going back to the sopping pile of her own clothes near the shower. She frowned. What was she supposed to wear? It wasn't like either of their clothes were going to be dry anytime soon, even if Quint did admittedly have an awesome train of thought.

She started searching around, trying to see if there were any other clothes or anything else that could be used. Unbeknownst to her, there were stacks of folded robes near the towels. Honestly, she had just assumed that they were towels as well.

 

[Drobabes]

While she did hear parts of what Quint was saying as well, Cora was so used to his shenanigans that it didn't do much more than make her eyes wander to the door. She would have liked to have seen the two having a conversation, but the hot water felt so good against her skin that she wasn't willing to step out of it, even for a moment.

The sweet scent of the shampoo wafting up from the stalls reminded Quint that he was going to have to clean up a bit as well. He didn't trust the place enough yet to hop in the shower while the girls were vulnerable, and when it was the boys turn, he was going to stay outside with Sayori and Cora. So, what to do... He supposed he could go ahead and get into the shower anyway, but just leave the door open so he could look around, and leave his boxers on. Deciding that that was probably the best course of action, he sat down on the bench near Bowie, who was now turned away from embarrassment, and was just getting his pants off his feet when Sayori came out of her stall.

Quint froze for a moment, his body pulled down over his legs somewhat like a swimmer getting ready to jump into the water, though there currently was no water beneath him. His eyes travelled her form before he could stop them, taking in the way the towel wrapped tightly around her frame, accentuating her womenly curves. With the way the light was shining down directly overhead, it cascaded through the fresh steam of the shower, appearing as though she had stepped through the mist. Quint had a sudden urge to get down on his knees and bow before her and pray, as if she were a goddess of old legend.

What the hell was wrong with him?

The circumstances hadn't changed between them; they were still good friends, and yet he kept finding himself being pulled towards that boundary into something that he felt shouldn't be right. And he still missed Sarah...

Maybe that was part of it. If she were here, she would have told him he needed to get laid and get it, the stress, and the guilt, out of his system.

"Uh..h-hey" he choked, somehow finding his voice.

"You done with the stall? I think I'll just do a quick rinse off, wash my hair and call it good..."

Though he quickly looked away, there were some small things that he couldn't hide, especially having been caught off guard. His voice was just a little strained, ever so slightly, and rushed as he quickly stood to toss his pants down on the rocks. When he then made his way around Sayori, it was almost as if he wanted to keep a bit of distance between them, coming a little too close to Cora's stall door and taking a slam to the edge to his elbow when she opened it.

"Ow!"

"Shit! Sorry!"

"Jeez Cora, I love you, but you gotta be more aware of your surroundings" he grumbled, rubbing his elbow.

"Well don't run in here! You trying to trip?" she grumbled back, slipping around him before grabbing her own towel and wrapping it around herself. The shower had refreshed her a bit, and she all but forgot that Sayori was in the room with them.

"I wasn't running, I was walking very fast because I want to get out of here."

Cora smirked and turned towards Sayori before rolling her eyes, as if to say, "can you believe him?"

"That's called running, Quint."

 

[Poprockz]

"Uh... h-hey."

Sayori looked up in the midst of her search, her eyes meeting his as he continued to let her know what his shower plans were. He was shirtless, and largely pants-less as well, though it was a bit harder to see when he was hunched over like that. She couldn't help but give him a bit of a lingering look, thinking for a moment that he was truly a very handsome man. His voice sounded slightly off, as though he felt a bit awkward at the moment, this suspicion confirmed when he quickly looked away and undressed, avoiding her gaze and proximity.

"Hey..." was her short, quiet answer

She suddenly felt a bit guilty, her arms crossing in front of herself almost protectively as she too looked away. Of course she had asked him to come in with them, but she hadn't thought about how he might feel about it. In all likelihood, he was feeling awkward about seeing her almost naked, possibly getting flashbacks of their time together under the base. A time when he had absolutely no control over what happened to his body due to the weird, zombie hormones. A time when intimacy had been forced between them. No wonder he quickly wanted to get behind the door of a stall.

It couldn't be denied that a tiny part of her still felt just a little bit offended that he was practically running away from her though. No, not practically. He was literally running to the stall, getting his elbow bonked in the process. Perhaps she deserved that treatment, but whether it was healthy of her or not, it made her feel a tiny sliver of bitterness.

Though Cora might have expected her to pipe up with something equally as teasing, she wasn't feeling very playful at the moment. A small smile was mustered up though in acknowledgment of Cora's look though, as though she was nonverbally agreeing that he was being a bit rash in running around the slippery floor. It was then that she turned away and searched near the towels one last time, having had no luck finding any clothes elsewhere. Reaching out, she pulled one of the robes out, her eyes widening as she realized what it was. At least that was something she could use to clothe herself!

 

[Drobabes]

Though he left the stall door open, Quint turned his body partially away from the girls and kept his eyes trained on the entrance to the bathroom. He more felt and smelled for the shampoo then looked, and once he had it, was very careful not to let any of the soapy suds run down onto his face.

Cora wasn't hurt by her reply, seeing the small smile as more anxious than anything. Perhaps she was projecting a bit, though, as now that she was out of the shower she felt the need to be covered and protected once more. Following Sayori's line of sight, she stepped over to the robes and waited for her turn, taking one and opening it up after Sayori was done. After taking a brief look, she was about to put her arms through the sleeves before she suddenly stopped and looked over to her pile of clothes.

Biting her lip a bit, Cora seemed to think for a moment before stepping over and digging beneath the pile, plucking her bra and underwear with one hand and carrying them over to a bench. Normally she would cringe at wearing the same underwear twice, but they were a freshly cleaned pair from that morning and she dreaded the idea of walking around naked beneath the robe.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori curiously watched what Cora was doing, realizing that she was scavenging her own undergarments for reuse. It wasn't a bad idea, but she probably wouldn't be doing the same. While Cora and Sabastian had both had the advantage of the rain poncho to keep their clothes fairly dry, Sayori's own clothes were soaked all the way through with cold water. There was no way in hell that she was going to pick up and step into those utterly soaked panties. Just the thought of that wet fabric clinging to her butt made her inwardly cringe. No, she would be fine without.

As far as the bra went, it wasn't like her breasts were very large to begin with, so the bra was mostly for show, comfort, and to prevent her nipples from showing. So that sad, damp piece of clothing was abandoned as well.

The robe she took was a bit bigger than she would normally grab, which suited her just fine. With a larger fit, there was more fabric to wrap around herself and less chance of it coming loose. She turned away from Quint's stall and slid her arms into the sleeves, wrapping her body in it before letting the towel fall to the floor. She then situated the robe just right and tied the rope around her waist snugly. It felt so nice, the warm robe around her, her skin still hot from the shower. It was super soft too, just like the towels themselves.

If only she had a brush though... She knew her wet hair was probably messy and wild at the moment, but she supposed that having well-kept hair was low on the list of priorities at the moment. Still, it was something to think about later.

Walking over to one of the stone benches, she sat down and inspected her blue fingernails. They were still very glossy and uniform, though her index finger had just a small chip in it. A movement from Bowie made her look up and squint her eyes at him. She had basically driven in the car with Quint this whole time with Bowie in the other car, so she hadn't gotten much of a good look at him.

"Is Bowie... bigger? He looks more..." she searched for the word for a moment before continuing "large and chonky."

 

[Drobabes]

She dressed into her undergarments quickly, clasping her bra and then wrapping the warm robe around her slender frame just as she heard the shower from Quint's stall switch off. As she stood and tied the soft rope like tie around her waist, she strode over and grabbed a towel and robe for her brother, handing him the towel just as he was wiping the water from his eyes.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, thank you for coming in here with us."

"Is Bowie... bigger? He looks more..large and chonky."

Quint peeked out from under the towel as his hands almost roughly scruffed his hair dry until he felt it was thorough enough, and then he laid it down over his shoulders.

"Yea, I saw his shed that Delvin threw out from the back seat when we stopped earlier to piss; it was definitely bigger."

Cora looked between the two of them before her eyes roamed over to Bowie, concern in her expression. She honestly didn't know what was going on with her beloved reptile companion, but she could only assume it had something to do with the zombification process.

"Yea, he is bigger...I don't know what it means though. Quint, do you think he'll keep changing?"

Her hazel eyes looked back up to him with concern as he pulled his robe on and tied it shut. While Cora had certainly understood the fear and concern that Sabastian had held with his own changes, and especially after the shop incident, she hadn't quite felt it in the same manner until now. What if Bowie wasn't the only one that kept changing? What if their two half zombie companions began to simply...morph? Over night? What did the future hold for them?

"I don't know" he answered honestly, her own concern rubbing off on him a little.

"It doesn't mean it's a bad thing. He still feels like Bowie, you know?"

While Quint had always known the reptile had a calm temperament before, being able to actually feel it through their link now was like a special gift. Almost miraculous, actually, and he didn't care if the snake grew to be a thirty foot monster with creepy arms and legs. As long as he was still himself, their Bowie, Quint knew he would never stop loving the creature.

It seemed to quell her fears a bit, as she let a little smile creep back onto her face before she nodded in agreement.

"Yea, you're right. Alright, let's get out of here, I'm so hungry I could eat a whole zebra."

"Too bad, they probably only have grubs."

She giggled and shook her head, though as she started to walk away from him, her expression suddenly changed to worry. Cora hoped that wasn't something actually on the dinner menu.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori did her best not to look at Quint when he first came out, even though in all likelihood he was still in his boxer shorts. Instead, she looked at Bowie and watched Cora out of the corner of her eye, contemplating their words. While it was a bit intimidating to see the snake so large, she too trusted that for now the snake was safe. There were a lot of movies out there where monsters and things of that nature went through sudden temperament changes, but as long as he still acted like Bowie, she was willing to take that risk. What humanity would they be able to claim if they cast him out on the off-chance that he might be dangerous sometime in the future? At the moment, he had already saved pretty much everyone except for Sayori herself.

When she saw that Cora had handed over the robe and got the general feeling he had put it on, she looked up at them.

She had to admit that Quint looked rather cute in that robe. His manliness was never in question with her, but the robe did have the effect of giving him a slight feminine edge in her eyes. Perhaps it was that it made him look softer both metaphorically and literally. The way he tied it accentuated his waist, and it gave her a nice view of his calves. Bizarre as it was, she wondered what he would look like if the robe was slightly open, exposing his pecs and giving her what some would call the "male boob window."

It was at that moment she realized her eyes had wandered down his tan legs- a very weird place to be looking for sure. Clearing her throat, she got up and made a disgusted face at Quint's joke. "Eeeew! I think I'd rather eat my robe, thank you!" With that, she cracked a smile and started heading for the door with Cora.

 

[Drobabes]

"Eeeew! I think I'd rather eat my robe, thank you!"

"Me too."

"What? You girls don't want a nice big platter full of squirming, chubby grubs, and crunchy beetles? But Timon made it look so appetizing in the movie!"

Delvin was leaning back against the side of the wall, after having pulled Sabastian close to his chest and holding him there in his usual Teddy bear pose, when he heard the trio exiting the bathroom. He was glad that they sounded a bit more relaxed and was looking forward to some hot water on his own skin.

"Mm" he said absented mindedly, looking around the building once more and taking it all in. He was tired, his brain felt foggy, and yet there was a constant undercurrent of unease and restlessness that he likely wouldn't be able to shake until long after they had left this place behind.