Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Angelique shrugged, "Quint would do anything to protect his sister, even things that would deeply hurt himself or those around him. Sabastian's priority is Vin and vice-versa. Cora is the other weaker member of the group and will only require more of Quint's attention due to Damien's departure. If it was her or you, he would chose her every time- it's only natural for family."

The woman's words made the smaller woman want to retort with some clever come-back, but her logic was sound and her words were slowly working their way past her defenses and into her insecurities. What did she offer the group? Emotional Support? They already had that covered while she had no other practical survival skills. She didn't have any value in most survival situations.

It was as though the zombie could sense her hesitance, her eyes flashing with excitement and her voice becoming more encouraging as she continued, "think of it though... here you could flourish! You would be needed and respected..." She leaned in and let the smooth side of her manicured nails rub up Sayori's cheek before her fingers slid into her sleek platinum hair.

It didn't take a genius to sus out that Angelique wanted to sleep with her, what with her posture and the look in her eye. Unlike Quint though, she wasn't going to let Angelique have her if there was any way to avoid it.

She reached up and disentangled the woman's hand from her hair and held it between her own. "I'll... think about it. I don't want to make any hasty decisions or anything."

The zombie smirked. "Of course, that would only be reasonable. Tell me though, out of curiosity, which zombie put their eggs in you?"
--------------------------

His eyebrows went up with interest when she mentioned that she used to work for a bank, and he seemed to appreciate the fact that she was empathizing with him. Now that she got a good look at him, she could tell that he was probably just a year or two younger than herself, his clothing being a similar uniform to Nathaniel's. The big difference was that where Nathaniel's was proper and crisp, this man's uniform was... somewhat sloppy. It was as though he couldn't be bothered to fully commit to the buttoned sleeves and tie, his shirt buttons not done up all the way. The papers were taken almost gingerly before he tucked them under his arm.

The zombie looked into her eyes, reached out, and shook her hand firmly in his own, but without any force behind it. It was a hand calloused by the frequent use of pens, but his long fingers and palm were otherwise soft. “Good to meet you, Crystal. That’s a… pretty name.” The last part was murmured quietly, almost as though he hadn’t even meant to say it. When he realized he had, he cleared his throat and withdrew his hand.

Seemingly to distract from his previous statement, he pretended it hadn't happened and struck up conversation again. "So, you must be one of the ones from the group who just arrived, otherwise I’m sure you would have been pointed in my direction with bank experience like that. My understanding is that you’re not staying though. Well, not all of you.”

———-

Sabastian shook his head, trying to find the right words. Just like in their shared dream, it was difficult to explain the nature of their relationship.

“He’s not… dangerous,” Sabastian started out slowly. “Not that I know of, anyway. A lot can change when it’s been so long. When I knew him, he was an asshole and a bully, but he never beat me up or anything. Our moms were friends so… we come into contact more than I would have liked.”

“As for whether we dated, no. He’s straight.”His mouth opened but he stopped, frowned, and turned away. It seemed that wound hadn’t fully healed for him. He could still remember the pain of his own vulnerability having been put through the shredder. At the time, Sabastian had been overwhelmed with such disappointment, shame, and self-hatred that he hadn’t been able to get out of bed for almost a week.

“I just… really don’t want to see him,” he added quietly. It would have almost been fine if it had just been himself alone at the hotel, but he had his friends and his lover there too. The sort of shit that fuck could share… it would absolutely humiliate him. A surge of apprehension went through him. He tried to shove it back down, but it kept slipping through.

 

[Drobabes]

She made sure to let her hand linger within his fingers for just a second longer than what was necessary. Her own hands were just the slightest bit calloused as well, but with the use of some good lotion, had managed to stay very soft as well.

"That’s a… pretty name."

Oh the poor man, Cora thought. She would have felt bad for what she was about to do if it wasn't for their lives being on the line here.

In response to his admittance, she graced him with a sweet smile. It was hollow, but she had so many years of practice behind it that she wasn't too worried about him picking up on that fact.

"My understanding is that you’re not staying though. Well, not all of you."

"No...unfortunately not..." she said sadly, letting some real emotion leak into her voice as she briefly looked away, her eyes even starting to tear up a bit.

"My boyfriend is currently being held and will have to go to trial. I didn't even get much time to speak with him before he was taken away. Infact, I've barely had any time alone with before we got here. With everything that's been going on, it's hard not to feel alone even when you're with friends.."

Cora purposefully reached up and used the back of her knuckles to wipe the excess moisture from the corners of her eyes as she sniffed, and then shook her head.

"Ugh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a downer. It's just been a really hard week, you know?" she said, turning those soft hazel eyes back to the zombie in front of her and seemingly trying to perk up for him. She then rubbed her hands across her knees and stood up, before reaching down to offer her hand again.

"Here, let me help you up."

Once he was up, she gave him another sweet smile before reaching over and rubbing her thumb along his name tag.

"Frederick. I always thought that was a handsome name. I would have enjoyed hearing it come from your own lips, but I understand you were a little distracted" she giggled. Then, crossing her arms as if she were cold, she looked down the hall for a brief moment before looking back to him.

"You know, I hate to even ask this because I know you're busy, but do you think you could help me find somewhere to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate? I just can't seem to get warm but I'm horrible with directions. And hey, maybe after I'm not shivering so much, I might be able to give you a hand?"

Cora stopped, as if she was suddenly realizing something.

"I mean, if that's allowed. I'm sorry, that was a bit rude of me to just assume. I just thought since you mentioned you thought I would have been pointed in your direction. anyway?"
______________________________

The confrontation that followed was heard very clearly by Delvin, as he hadn't managed to quite click the door shut behind him just a moment before when he was about to come back inside. The accusation by Sabastian was difficult for Vin to believe, having seen first hand how Damien acted with Cora and when she was first captured. He almost couldn't believe that he might have even considered cheating, but then again, there was a small doubt there. Without hearing the tapes and Damien's own confession, he would have vehemently denied the accusation that his fr-...that Damien, was a serial rapist. Still, when Quint bit back hard, it was a bit of a relief.

"As if I would ever even consider giving that piece of dog shit more than a passing glance after the things he's done, let alone betray my wife's memory like that!"

Vin didn't quite flinch, but he did glance back over his shoulder before going back to staring at the landscape. That was a harsh retort, though not only did the big man not blame Quint at all for it, (hadn't he acted even worse when he had learned the truth?), he actually felt a small bit of respect in that moment. Cora's brother was definitely a hot head, but he loved his late wife and that was very respectable in his book. After that though, he was a bit on edge during the silence that followed, unsure if he was going to have to get in there and break up a physical fight if one started.

"Angelique is the one that was fucking him all night. Our host is a trans women."

Vin once again looked back over his shoulder, but this time it was in shock. If lasted for a few seconds before a grim look of concern and anger settled on his face and he had to look away as his hands tightened on the balcony bar, the fresh callouses from his burns reminding him that they were there.

He felt guilty that he was feeling what he was, and yet, he couldn't help it. He didn't want to feel bad for Damien. He didn't want to feel a sick pit in his stomach, nor a spark of rage in his spine. Vin wanted to have the same conviction he had felt that first night, wanted to have the same bite of anger that Quint was now expressing. And yet...after knowing what he now knew of Damien's past, it wasn't that easy. It wasn't that simple. Try as hard as he might to rationalize it, to justify it, he couldn't bring himself to hate his ex friend anymore.

"When I knew him, he was an asshole and a bully, but he never beat me up or anything...I just… really don’t want to see him."

It was at that moment that Vin finally decided to remind the two that he was there. It had taken him a moment to get his own feelings in order but he had never stopped listening, and upon hearing the distress in Sabastian's voice his need to come to his lovers aid allowed him to set everything else aside. The door slid open and he immediately went to the other man's side, pulling him against his strong chest.

"You won't have to. And if for some reason we do run into him, you're going to have me right by your side. Trust me, those days are behind you now and I'm not going to let anyone give you shit."

 

[Poprockz]

"Was it Quint or Sabastian?"

There was a chuckle at Sayori's shocked expression before the woman added, "I can smell it on you. Egg-mothers have a particular scent they omit even after the pheremones wear off that makes them more enticing than normal people, though between the other zombies and myself, only I seem to be able to consciously smell it." She took another puff of her pipe. "I can smell it on Sabastian as well."

Sayori stared at her as her mind raced for an answer. It wasn't as though she could say that Sabastian had been forced to do so by the General, or she might get herself and Sabastian thrown into a prison with Damien to be shipped off as well. He also was obviously in a committed relationship with Vin and wasn't attracted to women, so normally that sort of thing would never happen. Thus, the only logical explanation was- "It was Quint!" she said, her tone a bit more high-pitched. "I would prefer not to talk about it."

Now that was interesting... Angelique had been about to take another puff from her pipe, but her hand froze. Well well well... If she had been impregnated by Quint and he had been in the General's custody until recently, that could only mean that she was a test subject, perhaps even the one he was fucking that day she visited. It seemed that Quint wasn't the only one who had slipped from the General's grasp. Perhaps he took this woman with him when he escaped. Perhaps he really had worked for Kuznet, but decided to run away out of pity for this girl. What a delicious piece of information.

If she were to keep Sayori here, she would have to hide her from Kuznet... Or not. She did seem to be just his type: small, bright-eyed, hopeful. Perhaps it would depend on whether the group stayed or not.

Angelique's pipe resumed its movement and she took a puff before slowly blowing out the mint-scented smoke. All the while, her sharp violet eyes watched Sayori. "Hmm... If you had to pick an animal for yourself, what would it be?"

----------------------------
Frederick listened, a look of conflicted concern on his face as she spoke about Damien and her own struggles. He had shifted on his knees as though uncomfortable with the situation, likely thinking about the simple truth that they both knew: that Damien was about to be shipped off to the base and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

When her hand had been offered, he had taken it tentatively, standing up and looking at her as though he was struggling with some inner conflict. His eyes kept glancing at her lips before darting elsewhere and then back to her eyes. The man shifted his papers to his other arm and tucked them, looking down towards her chest as she mentioned how cold and shivery she was. He caught himself though and looked away once more before addressing her.

"I'm... sure it couldn't hurt if you came to my office. I have an electric kettle and a variety of hot drinks. I also have a blanket, but I'm not sure if you would want that- I usually just use it when I need to sleep at my desk." The unkempt zombie offered her a little smile, "and I would have to look over the documents before and after you worked on them, but I would welcome any help you could offer."

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

Sabastian actually jumped in surprise when the glass door opened. Embarrassingly, he had completely forgotten that Vin was out on the balcony. Shit! How long had he been out there now? How much had he heard? It wasn't as though he had said anything particularly bad, but now he was second-guessing himself.

However, as soon as he felt Vin's chest against his face, his arms around him, and heard that strong voice filled with words of reassurance, Sabastian's body relaxed against him and he sighed. He was still worried of course, but it was as though Vin was sapping him of the tension his body had started to tighten into. God, he was so good. He made the zombie's chest overflow with warmth and affection, like a warm blanket on a rainy day.

He looked up at Vin and smiled gratefully, "thanks. At the very least, shit's gonna be awkward. We didn't part on good terms."

 

[Drobabes]

Cora's usually bashful way of looking at people was nowhere to be found as she watched Frederick's every little motion. When his came to her lips, she made sure to pout ever so slightly, and when her chest was being almost involuntarily studied didn't slouch that was for sure. She wasn't the most busty of women but her heavier C cups were nothing to be scoffed at, and she knew that with her taller than average frame, they were just the perfect compliment to her slender chest. Especially when her arms wrapped just a bit tighter over her rib cage, thrusting her cleavage up and through the neckline of her shirt.

"I usually just use it when I need to sleep at my desk."

She laughed as if he had been attempting a joke, and reached out to give him a 'slap', that was really more of a light tap of her hand, against his shoulder.

"No! You sleep at your desk? Really? Well my goodness it must be very comfortable if you're able to work and sleep there."

Her arms were given a sudden fierce rub as she faked a shiver and looked up and down the hall, trying to see where his office might be before turning back to him.

"It would be my pleasure, and I could use a good distraction" she said, giving a little wink.

"Should we go? I don't want to hold you up any longer."
_________________________________________

What Quint was picking up was that this Artemis guy wasn't a psycho or a killer, but probably at least worth keeping a good eye on. He was a half zombie like the both of them, and Quint knew little yet of what gave them all their particular unique abilities. He knew of Robert, through Francisco giving him the scoop, and obviously that the last half zombie Kuznet had also had some healing capabilities such as himself. But, Kuznet hadn't had her long enough to fully understand what she was capable of before the base labs were destroyed. Then, there was Sabastian and the others they had met in the mall, one of them of which seemed capable of some reality breaking speed. So this fellow could have any one of those abilities or even something they didn't know of yet, and he was working for Angelique. For the time being, then, Quint moved him to the 'neutral until further notice' spot in his mind.

"Trust me, those days are behind you now and I'm not going to let anyone give you shit."

Quint stared at Vin for a few seconds before turning his gaze away to the door. He hadn't forgotten the man was out on the balcony and now that the heat had settled between him and Sabastian, he suspiciously wondered why Delvin hadn't come into the room sooner. It couldn't have been that awkward for him, especially as he seemed to be the type that thought he was tough and could 'take on' anyone who might dare to insult his lover. Still, he was settling Sabastian's nerves and for that at least he was grateful.

"We didn't part on good terms."

Vin shrugged and smiled down, giving Sabastian's arms a little rub before letting him go to stand on his own now that he knew he was more relaxed.

"If it gets too awkward you just turn to me. Let him see how good you got it now" he said, giving his old toothy smile and a little wink. It was dropped pretty quickly though when Quint brought the girls up, his foot having started tapping without any decent rhythm as his tanzanite eyes bore even holes into the room door.

"I don't know if it was really a good idea to let them go out there on their own."

"Well, it's a bit late now" Vin said, trying to ease the tension with what he felt was a lighthearted statement and chuckle. Quint didn't seem as easy going as his sister though, at least to Vin, as no smile was given or even really an acknowledgement of what had been said. And just as Vin was about to say something about them all trying to pass the time, Quint moved away from the counter with such erratic suddenness that Vin felt his heart-rate jump, thinking they were under attack.

"They couldn't have made it that far down the hall" Quint said, suddenly determined to go grab the girls and drag them back.

 

[Poprockz]

"Um... I suppose I like birds in general," she replied curiously.

"Ah, a woman of discerning tastes, I see." Their host seemed pleased at her answer, her smile having become more broad.

Sayori watched as Angelique rose to her feet fluidly and went to a nearby cabinet. There was some rustling before she came back with the item she had retrieved: a beautiful and ornate bird mask. It was obviously a raven, one with crimson jewels and golden accents. Sayori had to admit that she liked it very much.

“Take this mask and meet me tomorrow night at midnight. If you do, I’ll show you something very interesting.” The tall zombie approached and handed her the mask. “Be sure to come alone though… this will be an opportunity for you and I to have a girls night out."

The mask was received and Sayori looked at it appreciatively, nodding at Angelique to acknowledge her statement. The whole situation was giving her "west wing medical" vibes, and she suspected that Angelique was trying to lure her into some sort of trap. She seemed awfully confident that they would still be here when the clock struck twelve, and that was disquieting. Hopefully they would find that pervert and go, but if not... this might be an opportunity to see if they could turn the tables on her trap.

"Thank you..." she murmured, "it's beautiful."

The next moment she found her chin being tilted up by Angelique, the woman's fingers feeling rather tepid against her own warm skin. "A beautiful mask for a beautiful woman..."

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

"Oh! Yes, that's right. Let's get you warmed up then, follow me." The zombie led the way quickly down the hall. He moved at a brisk pace, glancing at her every now and then to make sure that she was still with him and that he wasn't going too fast. Perhaps he still felt a little socially awkward, as he didn't strike up any conversation with her on the way over, mostly focusing on his goal of getting her to a warmer place.

The three of them arrived at the elevators and he took them up to the third highest floor, scanning his fingerprint in order for them to be allowed in such a place.

With a pleasant Ding! the elevator let them off at their desired floor, this floor looking quite lavish, though with more of a formal undertone. It seemed like the sort of floor fancy businessmen would frequent as some sort of work-bonding retreat. Cora was led down the hall and then to a door on the left, which the zombie keyed in a code for. While doing so, he subtly hid the lock from view so she wouldn't see the numbers he was typing. The door clicked, and then he ushered her inside.

It was an office, of course. Just as he had said. There was a large wooden desk with piles of papers, several filing cabinets, and a few computer monitors on a separate desk that sat against the wall with a printer. The leather rolling chair of the main desk had a soft, dark-blue blanket draped over it, presumably the one he covered himself with when the exhaustion overtook him.

Being that the room was quite large, it also had a sitting area with several comfortable wing-back chairs, a small sofa, and an oak coffee table. Nearby, there was not only a liquor cabinet, but also an electric kettle, a small sink, and various hot and cold drink options. A fireplace emitted heat near the chairs, though it was truly just a screen and a sophisticated heat system. Being a zombie, he had turned off the setting that had it display flames, and instead simply had it glow a slight orange-red. It gave the room pleasant lighting when coupled with the several lamps he had there.

"This is my office," The zombie spoke up somewhat nervously, leading her over to the chairs. "You wanted something hot, right? I have hot chocolate, tea, coffee- whatever you think will warm you up the most. I can even throw in some rum if you'd like. I have to warn you though: sometimes I get fainting spells, so if I suddenly go down, please don't be alarmed." He offered her a smile that clearly said that he was trying very hard not to be awkward.

---------------------
Vin's reassurance put an equally big grin on Sabastian's face before Quint started getting antsy again. It was as though the zombie couldn't stand not being able to have both women within his line of sight at all times, like some sort of helicopter parent.

A tentacle whipped out across Quint's chest, effectively blocking him from moving forward. Sabastian's body followed until he could put an arm around his shoulders to turn him around and then lead the worry-wart away from the door.

"Woah, woah, woah! First off, those two women are going to be PISSED at you if you try to follow them and drag them back here. Secondly, you might blow their cover and then you'll all be in hot water. They have Bowie with them, so he'll at least be able to buy some time before we can run to help if something happens. Relax Quint. They're both smart girls." He hoped that was enough to keep Quint from tracking them down and throwing them both over his shoulders like sacks of potatoes. They deserved a bit of autonomy, especially if they were using the buddy system.

 

[Drobabes]

She felt relief flood her as they began down the hall. She was in, but now the hard part was going to begin. How exactly was she going to earn this guys trust, enough that she could get a leg up on their competition? He definitely seemed interested in her body, but was light teasing going to be enough? Cora didn't want to think of what she might have to do if it wasn't and she didn't believe she would have enough time to pursue another lead.

Bowie must have smelled her anxiety, because suddenly she found his now black head burrowing gently into the crook of her neck and his body wrapping up gently over her chest and shoulders. The reptile didn't have arms, but he certainly knew how to communicate a hug. It was very comforting and Cora found herself taking a silent deep breath, tucking her chin against his head as she reached up to stroke his smooth scales for a moment. When Frederick glanced back at her, she would simply smile, still keeping pace just fine with the man.

It was too bad that he had hidden the lock code from her, but she was still satisfied with what she had learned simply from the walk up here. The third floor appeared to be employee access only, requiring fingerprints, and Frederick's office specifically was on the left. If they were to search for information when the game officially began then she needed to memorize here way here, and now, while she was in his office, if it would even be worth coming back to. He might only be handling the finances and nothing more, and if that was the case, then she really needed to wring him for who would have the information she needed.

She took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs as her eyes roamed the office as casually as she could manage. There was a very real chance there was hidden cameras in here, considering how much paperwork there was, but nonetheless Cora was feeling hopeful. She had a secret weapon...

"sometimes I get fainting spells, so if I suddenly go down, please don't be alarmed."

Her heart-rate kicked up, not believing her luck. Or, at least, the possibility of a good dice roll. If he actually did go down for a little unexpected snooze, she knew exactly what she was going to. Or rather, what Bowie was going to do for her.

"A little rum in some coffee sounds lovely" she responded, looking at him sweetly. Nothing better than a small shot of liquid courage to sip on to calm her nerves.

"And don't worry, I give you my word I won't find the nearest sharpie and write a little heart on your cheek. Unless you want me to" she said, giving him a wink.
____________________________________________

Quint actually bent over the purple appendage slightly, not having expected it at all, before he stood straight and irritation made him furrow his brow. Sabastian was able to turn him around and march him back for the simple reason that Quint knew if he really tried to put up a fight, there was a more than point zero percent chance that the smaller man would just pick Quint up and hold him over the balcony until the fresh air cleared his head. And today did not feel like a good day to die via humiliation.

"Secondly, you might blow their cover and then you'll all be in hot water."

He hated that he was right. Especially when he was right on every point. With a small sigh Quint made his way over to the bed and sat down, starting to rub his eyebrows with both his thumbs as if he were trying to get rid of a headache, though truthfully he just didn't want to come off as pouting.

"Right. You're right" he conceded, letting out another sigh and forcing his shoulders to relax.

"Bowie will let us know if anything is up."

Quint folded his hands and leaned over, resting on his knees as he looked out the balcony window and was quiet for a moment. Then he glanced back up at both Vin and Sabastian.

"I think I need some sleep. You guys mind?.." he trailed off, assuming they would get the message that he wanted the room to himself for a while, since they both had their own room they could return to.

 

[Poprockz]

"Oh, c-coffee? I- well, I mean that's an excellent choice." By the way he said it, one got the feeling that he rather wished that she hadn't chosen the coffee but was too polite to say so. Why though, was anyone's guess. While putting the grounds in the two-serving coffee maker, he leaned back slightly as though the grounds were rancid meat that stunk to high heaven. They didn't of course. They looked and smelled like normal (if high-quality) coffee grounds.

Her little joke earned her a slight blush and a nervous chuckle, the man grabbing her a mug from a mug tree on the counter. "That's very thoughtful of you, but I think I like my face sharpie-free. If it does happen and I'm out for more than thirty minutes, you can go into the hall and wave at one of the cameras outside my office. Someone would be by to pick you up, as the elevator doesn't go down without a thumbprint either. It's rather unpredictable, I'm afraid. Sometimes it's several hours, and sometimes it's ten minutes. Angelique checks on me frequently, so I don't have to worry about hurting myself or anything."

By that time, he had poured about a shot of rum in her mug, the coffee-maker starting to make those familiar gurgling noises everyone knew meant that it was about to spit out the bean juice. He swallowed, looking at the coffee as though expecting something to happen.

And then it did.

The smell of hot, delicious coffee permeated the room, and the zombie slumped against the counter.

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

"Oh, yeah sure." Sabastian responded, jerking his head at the door to Vin before starting to drift in that direction himself. "Let us know if you start getting a wild hair again though. You said it yourself: it's not safe to go alone, and one of us has to stay behind for when the girls get back."

That was really all that needed to be said, so he left Quint to his ruminations. A nap would help him pass the time and keep his mind off the two wanderers... hopefully. Quint was rather obsessive when it came to protecting people, so it was going to be quite difficult for him to relax enough to drift into slumber.

The door clicked shut behind Sabastian and Vin, the zombie sighing before he shrugged at his partner, "well, should we take a nap too, or do you want to watch a movie or something?"

 

[Drobabes]

She cocked her head very slightly with a playful smile when he seemed to hesitate over the coffee. Did he not like the smell? Or perhaps the caffeine had a poor affect on their zombie bodies, and he didn't want to risk getting any on himself? Oh well. Whatever the case, it was duly noted. Perhaps she could somehow repel him later if she needed to...

"Alright. Thank you" she answered, taking the warm mug and only taking a very small sip. He had poured a bit too much alcohol into it, and she certainly wasn't looking to get drunk.

Camera out in the hall? Hmm. So was he implying there were no cameras in the room with them? Tempting, but Cora didn't think it was worth the risk of completely dropping the mask, especially if Angelique might just walk in at any moment. She pulled Bowie up a bit closer to her as she took another sip of her coffee, the snake seeming to want to avoid the hot drink, and it was just about the time that Cora was reaching over to set the mug down so as not to bother Bowie, that Frederick collapsed.

There was a two second delay, where Cora hesitated to move, watching the man to make sure he didn't fall so hard as to smack his head on the counter. As soon as she knew she wasn't going to be left with a bleeding, passed out, stranger in the room, she quickly turned to her snake and started whispering. And Bowie, sensing the urgency in her shift in posture, went completely rigid to listen.
___________________________

"Will do" Quint said, giving him a half hearted smile as they walked out the door. As soon as the door clicked shut, the smile dropped and he was left staring at the floor. The truth was, he didn't think he could sleep until they were back, but knew there was nothing else much to do.

After a moment he got up and made himself some hot tea, then grabbed a blanket to wrap around his shoulders as he paced the room slowly. It wasn't a nervous pace, but just a slow walk from corner to corner as his mind wandered, eventually settling on just doing something useful with his time. With plans having changed, he was going to need to figure out a way to send Francis a message...

_______________

A movie. Something so mundane and normal. He didn't even realize he had started to smile as the excitement built up, the big guy quickly making his way over to the bed to pull back the covers. Not that he would be needing them, but he knew Sabastian was likely feeling very chilly.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, but holding you while we watch a movie sounds like paradise right now."

 

[Poprockz]

“Ah!" Very suddenly and without warning, the zombie sprang back into a standing position as though he had been reanimated. The man stretched, akin to a man who had sleeping for ages before turning and fixing his eyes on Cora and her snake. He somehow looked much more lively now, a big grin on his face.

"I thought he’d never go under!" The zombie reached into his pocket and took out a hair band, tying his hair into a small ponytail before taking off his glasses and tossing them onto one of the chairs without a care. “He doesn’t even need them, you know. The glasses. Ever since we’ve changed, our eyesight is perfectly fine. He just really likes the comfort of it all. What about you? Do you like fake, comforting things, or do you prefer to take on the world without hiding? Oh shit, I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Rick. Isn't that funny? Like Fred-or-Rick? Our mom had no idea when we were born, but the universe was smiling on her that day. Or laughing. It's hard to tell sometimes, isn't it?"

He laughed cheerfully before smelling the coffee, not really giving Cora much room to interject herself into his one-sided conversation. "oh fuck! Is that coffee?! No wonder I was able to come up so easily. Sweet baby Jesus in a spaceship, I need me some BEANS!" The strange man poured himself a cup of coffee, doused it with cream, and inhaled the smell of it perhaps a little too reverently.
------------------------

Sabastian looked through the movies, and once they had agreed on one he put it in and turned on the TV. He took the remote with him to bed and snuggled in under the covers. Vin was right- he was a bit chilly at the moment, and there was nothing like a good cuddle to warm things up. They started the movie and simply existed comfortably together, Sabastian exceedingly pleased that they were at least able to have something as mundane as a movie date.

 

[Drobabes]

The reaction that the zombie received was quite a visual one. Cora flinched quite hard while practically yelling "Jesus!" and knocking her elbow into the nearby cup of coffee, and Bowie whipped his head around to hiss loudly, his mouth wide open as his neck took on a distinctive S shaped curve and the end of his tail started to rattle against the arm rest of the chair they were both sitting in.

"What about you? Do you like fake, comforting things, or do you prefer to take on the world without hiding?"

"I-what?" she barely squeaked out as she reached for the nearest thing she could grab to wipe up the fresh mess of her half spilt mug, which happened to be one of Frederick's blankets.

"Oh shit, I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Rick."

"Uh, Crystal. Nice to...meet you.." she trailed off, the other man continuing to talk without any of her own input. She quickly finished the clean up as she kept her eyes on him, then sat the blanket down and just stared a bit wide eyed for a moment. Bowie, too, stared. Having the initial shock die off, the snake had quickly moved up over her shoulders and was now propped partly behind her, his small purple eyes staring out at this new man, 'Rick', from partially behind her curtain of hair. He had stopped hissing, but his tongue was coming out in long, slow, and defensive flicks.

"Oh fuck! Is that coffee?!"

"Yea..."

The man finally quieted down, allowing Cora's reeling thoughts to catch up. A slew of mixed emotions came rolling over her as she realized she was basically going to have to start over in winning this new man, Rick, over, and it left her feeling completely frustrated and anxious. Not only that, though, but she was intimately aware of what was likely going on here, and now she felt even more guilty about needing to manipulate the situation. This person obviously had some form of Dissociative Identity Disorder which was almost always brought on by some form of trauma. She needed to tread carefully here. But while she wasn't ruthless and cold-hearted, and she didn't want to hurt this person...or rather, persons, she WAS going to do what she needed to in order to succeed.

"Mm" she said clearing her throat and standing. She then came up to give him a more proper greeting, extending a hand to him just as she had with Frederick.

"It's nice to meet you Rick. Please excuse our reaction, Frederick didn't give us any heads up that we would be meeting you. But while you're here, maybe you can get me started on some of this paperwork? I'm afraid Frederick went under before he could give me any clear instructions of what he would like me to do, as far as lightening the load for him" she said, sweeping a hand over some of the paperwork on the desk.

 

[Poprockz]

He looked down at her hand and then back up to her eyes. Setting his mug down, he reached out and gave her an enthusiastic shake, though he didn't stop shaking her hand as he answered her. Up and down, up and down their hands went as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Oh, Fred doesn't know about me, but I know about him. He thinks he just faints when in actuality, it's me coming up for air. It's nice to meet you too, Crystal. That's your name right? I think that's what I heard. Anyway, if you want to do paperwork, you've got a rather poor taste in hobbies, and I have absolutely no clue what he wants you to do." Rick finally stopped shaking her hand and plopped himself on the small sofa. His lips were still curled up in a playful smile, and he tipped his head slightly to the side. "But... you don't really want to do paperwork, do you? None of it's going to help you."

“He’s above us, you know. One floor up. Well, I mean, he was above us. He’s already been moved for the game- a wriggling little sack of potatoes.” He looked somewhat wistful for a moment, as though it was a pleasant memory, seeing Damien ferried from his room in such a way.

 

[Drobabes]

Jesus, could this guy get any more hyper? She knew she could get her own bouts of hyperness from time to time, but she usually didn't go around trying to shake peoples arms right out of their sockets. Once Rick was done, Cora pulled her hand back and took a seat, resisting the urge not to rub her now somewhat sore skin. Poor Bowie didn't seem to have fared much better, his head having been bobbed up and down onto her shoulder like a black, scaly maraca. As soon as she was seated comfortably and no longer moving, he took his leave from her warm shoulders and chose to perch himself on the back of the chair.

"But... you don't really want to do paperwork, do you? None of it's going to help you."

Her hazel eyes locked with his for a moment as she listened, her features carefully neutral.

"Well, I mean, he was above us. He’s already been moved for the game- a wriggling little sack of potatoes.”

This motherfucker, Cora thought, though she didn't dare to let the anger show on her face. Whether or not he was telling the truth about Frederick being aware of him, it was pretty clear, to her at least, that his loyalties were pretty heavily leaned towards Angelique. And why wouldn't they be, really? Rick was likely getting something very sweet out of their deal, and if the company that Kuznet liked to keep was anything to go by, then she knew this fellow wasn't stupid. That was no offhand, not really thought through, comment. Rick was trying to poke the wound with her, maybe even see if he could get her to blow her cover, and she had learned enough now from observing Sabastian and Quint that his zombie senses were likely letting him smell the spike in her human hormones. She might be able to keep a lie off of her face, but her body would betray her. The thought of Damien being tied up in some kind of body bag in order to be moved both sickened and infuriated her, and there was no way to hide her racing heart. So...she decided that she wouldn't. Instead, she was going to lean into it.

She was quiet for a few seconds as she seemed to be taking in his words, letting the shock of what he had just said settle over her mind. Then she sat back slowly in her chair, took a deep breathe to steady herself, and looked away towards the stack of papers.

It would be about five full seconds before she was able to answer, though she couldn't look at him as she did so. Instead she kept her eyes locked on the paperwork as they began to water, and she seemed to be struggling to hold back tears.

"Well, yes actually, I was willing to do some paperwork. If I'm being honest, I just wanted to get my mind off of this nightmare for a moment Rick. Can you blame me for being scared of what the future holds?" she answered, some real emotion leaking through as she reached over and took the mug of spiced coffee, taking a sip and wiping away a stray bit of moisture that accumulated on her cheek. She then stared down into the swirling mixture as she contemplated what to say next. When she finally decided on her words, they were spoken softly, almost in a whisper that might have been hard to hear, had it not been for the relative silence of the closed office.

"At this point I don't know what is going to help me... Angelique wants us to play this game of hers in order to give us a chance to leave, but I don't know how we're going to do this. I've never been to this place before. I don't know this resort at all, and we only have one night to search. Short of cheating" she laughed in an obviously sarcastic manner as she brushed one hand through the air, 'dismissing' the idea.

"I don't know what we're going to do. There's so much on the line" she sniffed, her voice becoming a bit tight and almost cracking near the end as she looked back down at her mug. It seemed the right moment to finish it off, suddenly bringing it up to her lips and letting the rest of the cup pour down her throat in one smooth swallow. Then she sat the cup down and hugged herself, her eyes traveling to the now slightly damp blanket, like she was considering wearing it even though it now smelled heavily of booze.

 

[Poprockz]

“Hmmm.” He steepled his fingers and regarded her for a few moments of silence.

“Not gonna lie, there is practically a 4% chance that you’re going to find him tomorrow, but you still have time for the rest of the week. Have you considered the fact that he may be a means to an end? Think about it. She boasted about how well she could hide you guys- what makes you think that she wouldn’t be able to hide Damien as well if you chose to stay.” He took an obnoxiously loud and prolonged sip of his coffee, raising his pinky finger in the air as he did so. If she tried to speak, he would sip louder until he finally stopped and smiled politely.

 

[Drobabes]

Her eyes widened as she turned to look at him, still moist with tears but now full of surprise and something akin to tentative hope.

Hide Damien if they chose to stay? She was honestly floored by the suggestion, not having even considered it for a moment. Kuznet was such a looming threat in their lives, that, no, Cora hadn't even entertained the possibility of their being any other course of action other than to run. He was powerful; so very powerful. No one could hope to stop him if he wanted something, of this she knew without a doubt.

But he doesn't know you're here. If he did, it would already be over.

The sipping of the coffee grated on her nerves just enough to pull her out of her stupor, and with her fingers trembling, she reached up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind her ear.

"Would...would she be willing to do that? The General is...he's..."

She couldn't even finish the sentence without some of the color draining from her face. With the fresh scarring to her psych after being back at his woodsy torture chamber, even just using his formal title damn near left teeth chattering. Cora almost wished she hadn't spilt her mug, her eyes betraying her thoughts as they briefly wandered over to the bottle of rum still sitting out on the counter before she swallowed hard and looked back to Rick.

"I-I don't know Rick. That's, quite the request. And an obvious risk on her end."

And yet, now that the offer had been made into a possibility at all, Cora found herself desperately wanting to grip it with both hands. Hell, even grip it with her teeth if she had to. If Angelique truly was able to successfully hide them here through and after the supply run, then Kuznet might just pass them right by completely and go on searching for them. Not only would it buy them precious time, but it might even throw him off of their trail enough to lose him.

 

[Poprockz]

“I’d be willing to bet that she would,” Rick answered, a tan tentacle coming out from his shirt and heading for the bottle of rum. It wrapped around the neck of the bottle and lifted it over, finally settling it down on the coffee table in front of them before withdrawing.

“You guys have something she wants. Badly. Badly enough that she wants nothing more than for your little group to stay. Would you be able to live with that though? Do you know what all happened yesterday? If you don’t, then I’m not going to spill the beans on that one. You should ask your brother though. He definitely knows. He visited with Damio, right? Yeah, he definitely knows.”

The zombie once again sipped his coffee, though this time he did so quietly while having an expression that seemed to say, “someone’s going to be in troooooouble.”

 

[Drobabes]

The bottle was watched with obvious interest as it was brought nearer, and once he sat it down, Cora went ahead and helped herself. She was careful with her intake though, only pouring herself another half of a shot as she could already feel the warmth of the first rising to her cheeks and giving them a bit of color back.

"Would you be able to live with that though? Do you know what all happened yesterday? You should ask your brother though..."

She had just lifted the cup to her lips to drink, but quickly sat it back down. Her posture shifted nervously forward as her brows pinched and she became concerned.

"What do you mean? Please tell me!"

It was the first crack in her composure, her thoughts racing wildly with what could be going on. Rick had talked about Damien being carried like a sack of potatoes, which could mean any number of things. But now she was connecting the dots with why exactly they would need to carry him instead of just letting him walk on his own, and the way Quint had avoided her question so swiftly. What was going on? What had they done to him?!

Tears started to streak down her soft cheeks, and try as she might, she couldn't control the rising panic in her heart.

"Is he safe?! Please Rick, can you please just let me know he's at least safe!"

 

[Poprockz]

Rick shifted in his seat and took another sip of coffee. “He’s safe enough. Our boss isn’t a butcher, after all, even if she is a bit nutso and the horniest thing to walk on two legs.” He chuckled softly and sipped again.

“He’s being fed, watered, and no violence has been used against him. I even brushed his teeth this morning. Beyond that, I’m not at liberty to say.” The zombie reached over and grabbed the booze, adding a splash of it into his own coffee.

 

[Drobabes]

"He's safe enough...no violence has been used against him."

She fought back a sob of relief as she leaned back into her chair, her hand coming up to cover her mouth for a moment as she closed her eyes. Her large black snake, sensing her distress, slithered his head down against her cheek and bumped her gently. In return she sniffed and reached up to pet him.

"I'm okay, just a little shook up."

Cora gave him a soft kiss on th head and then gently pushed him away and back onto the chair before reaching down for her drink. Taking a long sip to calm her nerves, she sat the cup down with a steadier hand and thought about this new information.

Suddenly winning the game no longer seemed like the best case scenario. Instead, convincing Angelique to let them stay, and then finding a way out of the compound was much more appealing. Not only might they lose Kuznet, but they might also have a chance to rest and heal. They could be stronger when they go, and maybe even have a chance to steal something useful on the way out if it wouldn't put them in any more danger.

She wiped her eyes and looked over to Rick at last, then asked something that was putting a knot in her stomach.

"Why did you need to brush his teeth? That some kind of safety protocol or something? I don't see how much of a danger he could be to you guys considering your strength. Not to mention he's got a broken hand and shoulder that's still healing."

 

[Poprockz]

One moment they were chatting, and the next Sayori had found herself being kissed by their host. It had been a very seductive kiss, the type of kiss that left you breathless and dizzy, and before long she had been laid down on the couch with her back to the cushions. It was odd; usually she didn’t get turned on so easily, but she found her body responding very positively to the zombie and her mind becoming uncharacteristically fuzzy. Why did she smell so sweet? Was it some sort of perfume? If it was, she didn't recognize it. Upon being released, she had tried several excuses, but every objection was overcome.

“I uh-I have to meet Cora in a little while.” She huffed.

“She can wait a little longer…” The dark skinned-beauty replied cooly, kissing her way down Sayori’s body.

“I-I haven’t shaved in a week though.”

“That’s fine by me.”

“Quint, he- he and I-“

“It’s just a bit of fun, so you don’t have to worry about him. Unless… you and he are in a relationship?” Angelique had raised an eyebrow at her as though she already knew the answer to that.

Sayori felt something twist in her gut. As much as she wished she could have lied in that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to say that she and Quint were romantically involved. It wasn’t true… It would never be true. It stung to admit it though. “No…” she answered in an unintentionally small voice.

Angelique had moved down her body, slowly pushed up her skirt, and gave her an absolutely devilish smirk before her face disappeared between Sayori’s thighs. Before she had any time to catch her breath or let her wits catch up with her, Angelique’s tongue had made contact with her sensitive nethers and from there she was unable to say much in-between her moans.

This obviously wasn’t Angelique’s first time eating a woman out, as she had the tongue dexterity and speed to make Sayori’s eyes roll back and her mind go pleasantly numb. She knew she ought to protest or try to get away, but she knew she had already been caught like a fly in honey, and all she could do was let the sweetness sap all resistance from her. It wasn’t like she had a choice- their host was an absolutely voracious oral artist. By the time she stopped, Sayori had been left dazed and twitching, not really knowing how many times she came, nor how long it had been.

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

The man didn’t mock her tears, be he didn’t offer her consolation either. He merely sat across from her, drinking his coffee and looking at Bowie with mild interest.

When she spoke though, Rick laughed. “No no, it’s just that he wasn’t able to use the toothbrush and dental health is important. None of us are too worried about him getting the jump on us. Except maybe Prochette, but she doesn’t attend to him at all. Based on the handiwork- heh! - that your brother is doing, he’ll be brushing his own teeth in no time.”

“Honestly, I’m really looking forward to seeing if you do find him or not. We even put him in that scented sack so your zombie boys couldn't sniff him out. Things get awful dull around here sometimes, so it’s nice to have something interesting happening. Oh! I should make us some more coffee! Do you want more coffee?” Without waiting for a response, he sprang to his feet and started fiddling with the coffee maker.

 

[Drobabes]

"No no, it’s just that he wasn’t able to use the toothbrush and dental health is important."

When it came to Damien, Cora couldn't handle the notion of anymore harm coming to him, so her mind immediately shied away from any and all possible thoughts of what might truly be happening to him and instead jumped to safer conclusions. His hand was still damaged, and his arm likely wouldn't even be able to be taken out of the sling for at least a few more weeks depending. So of course it would make sense that he couldn't brush his own teeth.

"Based on the handiwork- heh! - that your brother is doing, he’ll be brushing his own teeth in no time."

She tried not to glare. This wasn't funny to her, not even in the slightest. But Rick had given her quite a bit of information to now ponder.

If they wanted to change tactics and attempt to hide here from Kuznet, then they needed to know with absolutely no doubt that they could do it. If The General suspected, even for a second, that they could be here then he would not play fair. A full out attack and raid attempt would likely be stupid but that didn't mean that he wouldn't play dirty and use spies. So...they might need to play dirtier. To know if Angelique had any week spots in her defense, that could crumble her fortress if the right person took a hammer to it.

"No thank you, I think I'll finish what I have first."

She adjusted herself in her seat and took a longer look at the man before her, thinking very hard about what she needed to do next before she spoke.

"Rick...would you be willing to take me to see Damien? If Angelique does decide to hide us here, there is still a chance, even if it's slim, that The General..."

Cora swallowed hard, but found her mouth wasn't quite as dry as it was a few moments ago, when she had no alcohol coursing through her veins and calming her nerves.

"Might come for us. If that happens, I might never see him again. I didn't get much of a chance to say goodbye... Can I at least have that? Blind fold me if you must, but can I please at least tell him I love him? One last time?"

Did the zombie before her having a bleeding heart? Would he risk letting her get a sneak peak? Or, if not a bleeding heart, was he prone to coercion?

Their sexual appetites seemed far greater now after their turning, and it might put them at a disadvantage. And though the thought of it made her queasy, she was willing to do anything to save Damien from Kuznet's depraved hands.

 

[Poprockz]

How did things end up like this? Sayori was supposed to be… doing something. “I should… I can’t stay too long…” she managed to say.

“Don’t worry so much about “should” and simply let yourself be….”

Sayori mewled softly, lying with her back now on the large, round coffee table. Somehow, she had ended up with her dress’s skirt scrunched up at her waist and her underwear pushed to the side. A large cock was rubbing itself against her wet pussy lips, a woman’s cock. She was a bit shell-shocked at the moment, the situation having gone completely sideways from what she had intended or expected.

Angelique… had a cock?! What the hell was going on?

Before she could give it too much more thought, said cock pressed against her entrance and buried itself inside her with a quickness, forcing a gasp from her lungs.

——————

He raised his eyebrow at her, “I understand what you’re saying but the answer is no. Even if I were to blindfold you, merely taking you to the location would be a very big no-no.” The coffee maker started it’s sweet song once more, so he plopped himself back on the couch while he waited, this time sitting sideways while stretching out his legs on the cushions.

“I mean, There is a way for you to speak with him, but that still might put me in hot water, and frankly I don’t know you well enough to be bending over backwards for you. Just have your brother take him a letter or something when he sees him next for healing.” One of Rick’s tentacles went to a nearby drawer at the coffee station and pulled out a chocolate bar, breaking off a piece and tossing it into his mouth before wordlessly offering her some.

 

[Drobabes]

She frowned and faked a pout as she looked away for moment. Truthfully though she was quite pleased he had shot her down. Though, the next test would give her much more reassurance as to where his priorities truly lay.

Letting the silence linger for just a moment, 'Crystal', finally cleared her throat and glanced over to him without fully turning her head.

"I can certainly understand not trusting me; I could say the same for you. So...maybe we could work something out? I would be willing to offer a trade..."

On the word 'trade', she moved her hand up and slowly brushed her hair back and away from her neck while she faced her body more towards him. Cora didn't outright flaunt herself in a lewd manner, but she made it obvious enough that she was purposefully displaying the soft curves of her chest, unhindered by the warmth of the blanket.

"...something that we leave me in hot water too. I don't believe that my brother will take a message for me, and I'm...very desperate, Rick."

Cora's voice trailed off near the end, becoming a little softer and more quiet as she let her eyes meet his own and hold them. Would he take the bait? Or was she going to be handed over to Angelique for attempting such subterfuge?

 

[Poprockz]

"Oh? Is that so?" Rick smirked and let his eyes wander her body for a moment before he sat up and slowly sauntered around the table between them until he was right in front of her. All four of his tentacles came out and rested against different parts of the chair, the man himself bending over so he could lean in close.

"Mm... What's a desperate woman to do in these times, hm?" A cool hand came up to gently take her chin, his thumb very gently tracing along her bottom lip. He wasn't smirking now, but he did have a thoughtful little smile on his face. A moment later, his hand drifted lower and his smooth fingernails slid along her skin until he was almost at her breasts. However, right before he got to her cleavage his hand moved back up and his fingers wrapped very tenderly around her throat.

“So. I did pop out because I wanted to say hello, but I also wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you. So, obviously you give Fred the rumblies that only hands can satisfy; he’s got the hots for you. I also think you’re very pleasant to look at. The difference between he and I is that while he can’t tell the difference between genuine interest and targeted seduction, I certainly can."

He cocked his head to the side and while his smile was maintained, his eyes had become more serious as though he was trying to convey that he wasn't playing with her. “What I’m trying to say," he continued in a measured voice, "is that whatever you do to him, I’ll return to you tenfold. If you put him in danger by getting him to spill secrets, I’ll slip your boyfriend something really nasty. If you fuck him, I’ll fuck you. If you kiss him, you’ll have my tongue down your throat faster than you can say “fiesta.” If you grab his dick, I’ll grab your dick.” His eyebrows scrunched, “well, whatever you’ve got between your legs. Anyway, I don't particularly care about Angelique, and I don't care about you or your group, but I'll be damned if you fuck up things for Fred. Capiche?"

 

[Drobabes]

Disappointment rocked through her. So it was going to be that easy, was it? That didn't give Cora much hope at all as how strong Angelique's defenses would be. She only got to feel that disappointment for a mere fraction of a second though before she was absolutely overwhelmed with sudden regret and fear of what she had just initiated with Rick.

As he took her chin her body froze, barely even breathing as she frightfully looked into his eyes. If this had been a real test of the character she was supposed to be acting, then Cora would have immediately failed. Her heart was racing but there was absolutely no anticipation and she was sure that Rick could likely smell the distinct shift in her hormones. There was no oxytocin being released, that was for sure, and if it hadn't been for her natural response to freeze in these types of situations, she may have outright ran across the room away from him.

While the desire to protect Damien was foremost at the front of her mind, when push came to shove, she suddenly found her heart sinking with regret. This was equal to cheating...wasn't it? Perhaps Damien would understand why she had done it, maybe even forgive her for it, but the act of actually touching this man before her in a sexual manner while not outright being forced to made her stomach drop and bile rise into the back of her throat.

Disgust. Cora felt overwhelmed with sudden disgust of her actions, and as Ricks fingernails slid down the skin of her chest and came closer to her soft bosom, she made a half choked noise that was slightly mixed with a whine. Fingers beginning to tremble, she started to reach up to try and push him away but once more froze as that same cold hand moved to her neck and held it gently. Was he about to kiss her? Oh god, she needed to stop this before it went any further!

"So. I did pop out because I wanted to say hello, but I also wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you."

Her hand stopped midway up and her brows furrowed in confusion as she searched his eyes with her own. What he started to say next finally allowed her to breathe as the relief fell upon her; sweeping away the heavy burden of what she had almost gotten into and to know that no, it would not be so easy for Kuznet to get in after all. Though very quickly the stress was ramped right back up almost to where it had been when Rick said that he would slip something 'really nasty' to Damien if she kept attempting to get into bed with Frederick. That was honestly all that needed to be said, but Cora respectfully gave him her full attention until he was finished relaying his threat.

"Clear as water" she said softly, a small tremor running both through her voice and her body as her eyes remained locked with his.

"I am...relieved to see," she continued, her eyes misting up as the shock of the situation began to ebb off and she was once more able to breath.

"That Angelique's defenses are not so easy to crack. If you had given in to me, then I would have had no hope that we could truly be safe from The General here..."

 

[Poprockz]

Her words made the zombie-man roll his eyes at her, “yeah, yeah, Madam spymaster. I’d take you more seriously if you didn’t shrink like a soaked kitten when I-“

There was a sharp knock on the door before it opened, Nathaniel walking inside with a folder in his hand, “Frederick, did you get a chance to look over the charts for-“ he stopped when he noticed that Cora was in the room. His eyes went from her to Rick as though wondering what was going on there.

“She shouldn’t be in here,” he stated, a tinge of annoyance in his voice as he tucked the folder under his arm. “There are highly sensitive documents that are proprietary.”

“Oooh, it’s all good,” Rick replied with a bright smile, “she was jonesing for some coffee and you know I have the best bean stash in the hotel.”

“It’s a resort, Rick, and you better have a better excuse than that for violating the Mistress’s orders.”

“Well if you must know, she and I were going to have a wild, passionate boinking session, and this was the most private, comfortable place I could think of.”

Nathanial raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, “well, don’t let me stop you then.” One got the feeling that while he didn’t say it out loud, he suspected that Rick was full of shit. A challenge had been issued, one that would test whether the hyper zombie was lying or not.

There was a few moments of tense silence as the two zombies looked at one another, engaged in a staring contest where one could hear a pin drop. Finally, Rick was the one to break the silence.

“What, you think I’m going to do anything with you looming over me like the butler from hell? I know you can feel how turned on I am right now, and I did say I chose this place because it was private, didn’t I? So with all due respect, get the fuck out of my office.” He was giving the butler a look between a squint and a glare.

Nathaniel shrugged nonchalantly. “I need to talk to one of you, so make it quick. Not that it’ll be a problem for you, I imagine. I’ll be waiting for you to…” his eyes wandered downward in Cora with a hint of hunger before he corrected his gaze. “Finish.”

With that, he turned on his heel and exited the room, though one could hear a soft chuckle just as he closed the door.

….

Rick sighed and rubbed his temples, “alright, look. You probably already know that it was a big no-no for Fred to bring you here and we could all get in hot water if shit goes sideways. This was the only excuse he would have accepted, and he only did because I’m aroused.”

He looked away somewhat uncomfortably and tried to be nonchalant, “hey, just because I don’t think with my dick doesn’t mean I don’t have one, okay?” He cleared his throat and looked at her again with an apologetic expression, Anyway, we’ve got two choices: either I fuck you, or we both diddle ourselves until I cum on you. ‘But why do I have to diddle myself for that’ you ask. Good question. Short answer is that if he doesn’t smell any fluids from you, he’s going to know I didn’t touch you.”