Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Vin laughed and then gripped his hips a little more tightly. He lifted Sabastian with ease and brought him down to the floor, sitting him on his feet in front of him.

"I'm sorry, I just can't help myself."

With an excited look in his eyes, he reached a hand out to stroke his cheek, loving the blush that had painted his face.

"Are you ready to test your strength today?"
______

Continuing to do the dance with him, Cora gracefully moved her arms, and the spam, up to wrap around his neck and out of the reach of his sneaky fingers.

"Your sources huh?"

"What did you want to ask me?"

She shrugged nonchalantly as she brought her hips forward to press against him.

"Nothing really, I just wanted a kiss. But seeing as I got what I came for, I suppose I could pay you for it."

She let her head dip down to kiss his neck softly, finally bringing the spam down and placing it in his hand as she whispered in his ear.

"You going to help me put some sunscreen on later?"

 

[Poprockz]

He smiled as Vin lowered him, loving the way his strong arms could move him so easily. Once down, he shook his head and gave Vin playfully skeptical look, as though he didn’t believe for one minute that Vin was sorry for being so irresistibly flirty.

At Vin’s second remark, Sabastian nodded, determination in his eyes as he stood close to Vin. He really wanted to make some progress today; if he did, then he’d have to remind Vin about what he had said last night. Technically Vin had only said that he might let Sabastian taste him, but he was going to have to turn that maybe to a definite yes.

“Yeah, I’m not sure what you’ll want me to do, but I’ll give it my best shot.” He went up on his tippy toes and stole a kiss from the tall man, looking around afterward. With one of the turns of his face, his hickie was readily visible to Vin. “I told Cora you knew about me, but for some reason she knew you slept downstairs with me too. I don’t know where she got that information- maybe she’s psychic.”

————-

That sneaky little minx, she had seen his deft fingers coming for the spam and moved it out of his reach. However her next words and the way she had her hips pressed against him made his cock perk up a bit. “You never have to pay me for kisses; my lips are a free all you can kiss buffet.”

He soon found the spam in his hand, but the real prize was that soft mouth against his neck. He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his hands move further back so he could gently squeeze her, pulling her hips forward a bit more so that he could push against her better. The man smirked at that sexy little whisper and knew that he would never give up a chance To have his hands all over her.

“Mm... I have a very special lotion you could use. I’ve heard it does wonders for your skin. Got that from my sources too.” He leaned down and kissed her, pulling back and looking at her affectionately before looking around with a confused look on his face.

“Shit!” The smell of burnt pancake filled the air as he squatted down and tried to salvage the two in the skillet. He gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

 

[Drobabes]

Vins smile turned into that signature toothy grin as Sabastian raised his brow at him, and he shrugged a little as if he were innocent. He then found those soft lips seeking his own, and he wished Sabastian had lingered just a moment longer. Though, if he had, it probably would have just made his morning wood more of a problem so he let him draw back.

"Ah, nothing too crazy. We'll find some stuff to break and throw and get a feel for how much strength you have, and then I'll help you learn to be gentle with something. Maybe some plants or something that breaks easily. Though, honestly, you seem to already have a good grip on how soft you need to be; you didn't crush the tissue box last night."

He walked over the sink and turned it on, getting a few handfuls of water to drink.

"...but for some reason she knew you slept downstairs with me too. I don’t know where she got that information- maybe she’s psychic."

He wiped his mouth as he looked over at him, then patted his hand dry on his jeans. With the same hand, he reached out and lightly tickled the hicky on his neck.

"That probably has something to do with it" he said, not a trace of guilt in his tone.
______

Cora burst out laughing as she realized he had burnt the pancakes, but instead of chastising him for it, she simply came over to him and draped herself across his back. With a little giggle still in her throat, she kissed him on the cheek and said, "that's ok, I like mine a little burnt. It will stay crispy after I pour the syrup on."

Suddenly feeling a little playful, she moved her hands down to his hips and let them roam up under his shirt, tickling his sides a little before coming to rest on his chest. Her lips found his earlobe and she nibbled it gently.

"I hope I'm not distracting you" she teased.

"Maybe after breakfast you can show me where you keep that lotion."

 

[Poprockz]

"...you didn't crush the tissue box last night."

Sabastian froze for a second. Had Vin seen? Or did he just mean the part where Sabastian had grabbed a tissue at the end? No, he had specifically said the word tissue box. Vin had been told not to look, but Sabastian was starting to worry that maybe the man had peeked when he wasn't supposed to. Maybe Vin just assumed he had used an appendage from how far away it was and how Sabastian had told him not to look. Yeah, that had to be it. Vin was a clever man and could have put two and two together without having seen.

He relaxed a bit, looking at the jars of cherries in his hands and setting them down on the counter. The little man only looked up when Vin didn't answer right away, only to find him approaching and tickling his neck slightly.

After Vin's fingers left his neck, he reached up with a confused expression, his hand rubbing that same spot as though he expected something to be there. "What do you mean? There's nothing on my..." His eyes went wide and he suddenly hid his face in his hands from embarrassment. "Shit. I have a hickie don't I?"

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

He shook his head and poured two more pancakes into the skillet, running his fingers through his hair. His look changed from one of apology to one of amusement as she laid herself against him like a masterfully woven blanket.

"You don't have to eat my burnt pancakes to make me feel better. I'm more than willing to eat those little renegades. I appreciate the gesture though." The man started to open the can of spam, but he suddenly felt some mischievous little fingers slipping into his shirt. They felt good lazily drifting up his chest and it made him pause what he was doing; the can was all the way open, but none of the meat had been removed yet. The nip at his ear didn't help, the gesture sending a tingle straight to his cock.

If the other two hadn't been so nearby, he might have taken her on the grass right there, burning pancakes and all. "You are very distracting, in all the right ways," he said with a hint of lust in his voice. "I'd be glad to give you as much lotion as you like. It's a bit tough to get out of the bottle sometimes though. You might have to help me out."

 

[Drobabes]

Sabastian couldn't see it with his hands over his eyes, but Vin's face became just slightly embarrassed as he brought a hand back to rub the back of his neck.

"Well...a hickey wouldn't be the wording I would use."

He chuckled and stepped forward, putting his hands on his arms.

"Don't get too embarrassed-it looks like Cora has you beat by a mile and a half. If they teaze you, teaze them right back."
______

Cora giggled at his response, then made a little growling noise in the back of her throat before biting his neck playfully. Since he liked to call her a 'little minx', then she could oblige and play the role a little.

When she released his poor neck, she rested her chin on his shoulder and stroked his chest for a moment, a little grin still on her face. She seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, then all at once she took her hands out of his shirt and stood.

"I can definitely help you out. I hear being neck deep in the water can make your body almost invisible, and I bet the little bloodhound won't be able to smell us there."

She started turning back to the house then, so if Damien had stiffened or gotten a look on his face, she would be obvious.

"I'll go get an extra plate to stack the pancakes and spam on. Be right back."

With that, she happily skipped away, thinking that she had left the steely eyed man hungry and wanting for something more than just pancakes.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian sighed and parted his fingers, letting his sapphire-amethyst eyes peek out. In the light, it almost seemed like his violet eye shimmered a bit. "Easy for you to say seeing as you don't have a hickie on your neck. Well... Okay. I did see the ones on her neck, so maybe I do have a little ammunition. " He lowered his hands and simply let Vin hold them.

After a moment of silence he simply gave him a little smile and asked, "well what would you call it then? A love bite?" While he had said it playfully, part of him felt terribly awkward for having said the word "love" out loud. It wasn't like they were in love... were they? No, it was much too soon for anything like that. Sure they had some kind of inexhaustible sexual attraction, and Sabastian was indeed smitten with him, but it was just infatuation at this point, right?

He turned as he saw Cora come in, the woman looking as though she had made off with the golden goose. Her exuberance was infectious and he found himself grinning as well. The blonde drifted over to the table and sat down, opening the apple juice and pouring himself some. When he was done, he looked over to Vin and patted the chair next to him, beaming.

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

Damien shivered at her bite, loving her playfulness. He would have to give her several more love bites later in an effort to tame that little minx, at least for the night. Though he knew "taming" her was not in the cards for him at any point, and he was glad about it. He loved Cora's exciting and free spirit, her playfulness turned him on to no end.

When she released him and started talking, he smiled at first until she mentioned being neck-deep. His smile faltered and he looked down at the pan, his knuckles white on the spatula as he flipped the pancakes. How was he supposed to breach that subject with her? Of course he could try to get in the water, but he knew he would fail and would only make Cora feel bad for having suggested it.

After breakfast, he would have to have a talk with her. He wished he could make up some kind of excuse, but he had resolved to be honest in their relationship, so it would come out one way or another. He pursed his lips and looked down at his pancakes with a worried expression as she skipped away, eventually dishing up the fluffy pancakes wordlessly and starting in on the sliced spam. It sizzled in the pan, and he simply cooked them quietly.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin found himself lost in those eyes once again, and for a moment he was honestly a little speechless, just standing there with an easy smile as the little man talked. Sure, he had seen Sabastians eyes in the light last night, and a bit earlier in the shadows, but seeing them more clearly through the soft beams of sunlight coming through the window was something else. He wished he could paint like his sister; maybe then he could try to capture the way that Sabastian looked in his eyes.

"well what would you call it then? A love bite?"

"Do you want me to call them that? If it means I get to give you more of them in the future, then I'll call them whatever you want me to call them."

When Cora came skipping through the door, a big grin plastered on her face, he also felt the good energy and smiled back. He didn't know what exactly she was smiling about, but it was something good, so it made him feel good. Or maybe it was just because last night had been possibly the best time he had ever had in his life thus far.

Cora looked to them both and her grin only became more playful as she scooped up an extra plate and said "breakfast is almost done."

"Hey" Vin called to her just before she hit the door.

"Tell Damien I can do the clean up since he cooked us breakfast."

She nodded, then skipped out the door, leaving Vin to make his way over to the seat that Sabastian had patted.

When she came outside, she walked straight over and handed him the plate, her smile now turned more affectionate and loving. She felt amazing, not just from the fun night and good sleep she had had, but just from the fact that they were all together and relatively safe now.

"Vin said he can handle the clean up since you cooked breakfast."

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian had opened his mouth to respond to Vin before Cora came in. When she was gone, he looked over to Vin and said, "no, I'd actually rather call them hickies. "love bite" sounds like something they would put into a smutty romance comic." He took a quick drink of his apple juice, "not that I would know..." he mumbled, taking another drink.

In actuality, Sabastian was guilty of loving those types of comics, of course preferring the gay ones where the shy protagonist gets woo'd by the handsome jock-ish type or the strong silent type. Well, there were really many types that he had pictured on lonely nights when it was just him and his hand, but that was a bit too embarrassing to go into with Vin.

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

Damien actually jumped slightly when she spoke, having been a bit lost in thought at that point. He took the plate and ran his fingers through his hair, nodding slightly and avoiding her gaze before setting the plate down.

"Alright. If he wants to do that, then I suppose it's okay." His tone wasn't hostile, nor was it morose, but it was certainly strained and reserved. At that moment he was kicking himself, knowing that she would probably sense that something was wrong with him. He just wanted them to have a nice breakfast, not wanting to ruin it with awful shit from his past.

The man flipped the spam slices, frying the other sides as they sizzled in the pan. "Hey um, why don't you head inside. They'll be done in just a minute and then I'll follow up, okay?" Damien's voice was softer now, some of his warmth having seeped back in a little bit.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin chuckled a little, then reached for a glass and poured himself some juice. He wouldn't know either, as he had never had the want nor the need to look at much porn, or read erotic literature. Not that he didn't ever pick up books, he liked reading. He just wasn't really one for full on stories or fiction, preferring to watch the action on screen.

"So what were you doing before all this apocalypse stuff went down? Just working for Damiens family?"
______

Coras smile faltered a little at his tone, and she very slightly turned her head to the side, her hair falling down over her shoulder a little as her hazel eyes studied her serious lover in the late morning sun. She didn't say anything at first, simply watching him for another moment with quiet contemplation. In response to his question, she gave him a small nod, and then bent down next to him for a moment, sitting back on her heels a little.

"Hey," she said quietly. Her hands reached out and cupped his face gently, turning it so that he was meeting her gaze.

"I love you. Don't you ever forget that."

She stroked his skin softly and gave him a lingering kiss, and then she got up and started making her way back inside. Once she was around the corner, a minute or two passed, and then Damien would notice a sharp, bright light shining in his eyes. If he looks around, he will notice that just for a single second, something at the edge of the trees seems to flash right as the wind picks up and shakes the leaves.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian put his glass down, glad for the change in subject. The man lazily ran his finger along the edge of the glass as he answered, "yeah, mostly. I was a full-time, live-in butler. I was considering leaving, but wasn't sure what the fuck I would end up doing anyway. The pay was good, it had good benefits, free room and board including food. The only thing wrong with it was that Damien's mom kept thinking that I'd eventually come around and find her attractive even though I made it clear that I was only into men. She just said that it just made things more fun. Nasty woman, really."

He started playing with his fork, pushing down on the tongs to make the handle jump. "What about you, Mr. Nomad? Were you just traveling around as per normal?" Sabastian was honestly a bit curious about Vin's life, not knowing too much about him in general. He wanted to soak up every boring and juicy detail about the man.

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

He looked into those hazel eyes and it almost felt like she could see into his very soul. The man simply let himself be held, pressing his lips back against her in way that told her that he would always be hers as long as she wanted him. How could he forget that she loved him? It was his guiding star, his very reason for being. That being said, he felt bad about his own past rearing its ugly head to make things awkward or spoil her fun.

Damien didn't want her knowing about the things his father had done, not really wanting to repeat them himself. He sighed, looking back to the spam before squinting. There was something shining right in his eyes. The man rubbed his eyes and stood up, looking around before seeing another flash.

"What the hell...?" He looked back at the house before removing the pan from the fire, kicking dirt over the fire to put it out before looking back at the treeline. There it was again, that flash. He started to run toward it, quickly arriving and finding no one there. Damien almost just turned back to the house in bewilderment when he saw it, a piece of folded paper nailed to a tree. Reaching out, he took it off and opened it, reading it quickly.

 

[Drobabes]

"I really wasn't doing a whole lot different" Vin said, watching as Sabastian toyed with the fork. The little man had much more control than he gave himself credit for, though perhaps he just needed to see it.

"I would spend a year or two in different towns from time to time, getting an apartment or a room for rent and making a living off of tattoos or playing in bars. I never had any long term goals except to keep travelling and learning."

He took a sip of juice, then saw Cora coming back inside. She still had a smile on her face, but she seemed almost tired compared to her earlier spunky energy.
______

The note was simple. On the front of the envelope, it said:

Damien, for your eyes only.

Inside, he would find a note written in simple blue ink and strangely regular handwriting. There was nothing special about it at all, almost as if it had been written specifically to be hard to pin down someone's handwriting if another note was ever come across again.

Behind the tree. Keep the present-you'll need it.

When Damien made his way around the tree, he would find an old fashion hand held cassette player and a picture taped to it. Picking the picture up, he would see... something horrific.

A young man, possibly no older than Tommy, sat tied to a metal chair. Heavy metal chains had been wrapped around his torso, seemingly too tight. His blond curly hair was soaked in blood and both his eyes were black and blue, along with most of his face. He seemed to have injuries in various places, likely from being tortured multiple times, possibly for weeks on end by the look of the way that some of them had healed. Under the chair he sat in, the ground was coated thick with blood.

The photo itself was spotted with small droplets, and a small arrow had been drawn, alluding to the back. When Damien flipped it over,

WHO IS SAM??
​

The letters were written thick with blood, long since dried, and if Damien dared to hit play on the recorder, he would hear his own voice being played back to him, seemingly on loop.

"Who is Sam? Who is Sam? Who is Sam? Who is Sam? Who is S-"

 

[Poprockz]

The little blond raised his eyebrow, "wow. That sounds like an interesting life. I don't think I ever got the itch to travel, especially when my mom was in poor health. I was paid enough that I could probably have gone on a pretty swanky vacation though. Maybe I would have had an affair with my hot, Caribbean tour-guide." He laughed as though it was a very funny joke before settling down.

So you did tattoos and performed... but what would you do in your spare time? Like I know you enjoy doing those things anyway, but you had to have had other things you liked doing when you traveled. For example, one of my hobbies was gardening. Unlike people, plants aren't dumb."

He glanced at Cora, wondering where her perkiness had gone.

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

Damien pursed his lips as he read his own name on the letter. How in the fuck did whoever it was know his name? That very fact told him that one: they were being followed, and two: that it was personal. It couldn't be anyone from his own past, could it? No, he mostly kept to himself. The only ones who would have a grudge would be the ladies he had taken, and he couldn't see any of them doing something like this. It could also be a good Samaritan, but he highly doubted that.

He went on to read the next part. Once read, he folded up the piece of paper and put it in his pocket, moving behind the tree to see what was left. When he saw the cassette player he wondered just why he would need it. Maybe whoever left it intended on sending him messages with it. The photo caught his attention next, reaching out and picking it up.

The man simply stared for a few moments, taking in the sight of the tortured individual. Damien was no stranger to the fucked up things that could be done to someone, but this was some extreme shit. His eyebrows furrowed and he started to scowl. To someone on the outside, that might have been a bit of a tame reaction, but on the inside his heart was beating a mile a minute. This was not a friendly visit- this was a warning, maybe even a promise.

His eyes went to the cassette player and he picked it up, trying to decide whether he would push the button. He could see a tape inside, ready to be played, but he suspected that he would just be hearing the screaming of the man in the chair. On the off-chance that it was a message from the person who left it, he knew he had to listen. Damien pushed the button and almost dropped it when he heard his own voice. "Who is Sam?"

Damien's blood ran cold and he almost stopped breathing. Whoever it was had to have been at the military base, close-by to himself and Vin to be able to get that recording. Either that, or they had a recording device set up and had taken that snippet. That would indicate that they were military though. Why would the military have any interest in himself? It just didn't make sense.

He turned the photo over and saw the writing in blood, knowing that it was the man's. No, it was Sam's. Pushing the pause button, he opened the cassette player and took out the tape, pocketing it too. He didn't want Cora to hear, and he didn't know what he was going to do about all this. Why was this person even leaving these kinds of messages? If they wanted to harm them, why not just do it? Did they like playing sick little games?

Folding up the photograph, he put that in his pocket too. He needed to talk to Vin as soon as possible, but maybe he would wait until after breakfast; he might hold off on telling Cora just yet, but he wasn't sure. Looking around, he tried to see if there was anyone nearby, but there was no one. No one he could see at least. As instructed, he took the cassette with him, trudging back to the house. Thoughts were bouncing and swirling around his head, and he couldn't wipe that worried expression off his face.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy was standing near the front gates, on duty. The worst duty, in his opinion. It was so damn boring. Check this person in, check this person out, make sure this one has a stamp, this one doesn't, why are you here? Why are you leaving? Bla bla bla. Man, what he wouldn't give to just go sit up on the roof with Kyle and talk about all the video games they had missed out on, the ones that had never came out but they would have loved to play, and girls. Oh man, girls.

He had to shift his weight a little, swallowing hard as he thought of Jess. He hadn't had a whole lot of time to hang out with her, seeing as he had to stay on duty most of the time he was awake, but every time she passed by and gave him that smile, or god, when she said his name. His heart was beating a little quicker now just from thinking about it, and the dreamy look he had on his face earned him a pebble to the forehead, thrown expertly from Zacs dark hand.

"Pay attention love bird" he said after Tommy shot him a glare.

"Vehicle incoming."

He looked over, the summer heat beating down on his head even though it hadn't even reached noon yet, making him squint. It was one of their military trucks, so he wasn't too worried about it. Probably just a regular drop of of civvies.

The vehicle came to a stop and two soldiers from another base hopped out. One, the driver, greeted them politely but just stood by the vehicle, taking advantage of the short break to stretch and then do some push-ups. Tommy couldn't blame him-they had those guys driving all day, every day. The other soldier made his way to the back and lifted the canopy, and just as Tommy had thought, some civilians piled out and started making their way to the gate.

They looked as if they had traveled through one gate of Hell and just barely made it out with their asses still intact through the other. Briefly, he wondered how big their group had been when they first started out.

They did the usual, checked them each for weapons and a brief run down of any allergies or medical problems they should be aware of before moving them on to the next phase where they would be stripped and searched for bites or any hidden weapons or drugs. They couldn't risk anyone dangerous sneaking in-zombie prone or otherwise.

Once the civvies were through, another higher ranking officer stepped out of the vehicle and spoke with Zac to check himself into the compound. Tommy recognized him as one of the officers that General Kuznet often sent out on the patrols. A large part of his job seemed to be directing missions to help the civilians and any rescue missions that might need to be planned, and as of the last base getting utterly fucking destroyed, Tommy had been trying to get on his good side in the hopes of being able to work himself up to a position to join those missions. However, after what happened at the base, he was more wary now. He still trusted the General because he believed Kuznet to be a good man. Intimidating at times, but his actions were selfless and he had saved many lives. On top of this, he had been one of the few people who had come to Tommy on multiple occasions to make sure that he was doing alright and handling the stress of this new life well. More than a few times, he had stayed up late into the night just to let Tommy get the weight of the world off his chest, and for that, he was eternally grateful. However, the general was only one man, and he had a hell of a lot of duties on his shoulders. He couldn't keep everything under his radar.

After checking in, the officer, who Tommy had learned was Officer Francisco, adjusted the folder under his arm and started off towards the gates. He was about halfway through when a small piece of paper fell from his folder and fluttered in the slight breeze, landing somewhat near Tommy.

"Hey! Officer Francisco! You dropped...this..."

He had bent over to pick the piece of paper up, noticing that it was a photo, but when he turned it over, he paused. He was careful not to show the fear on his face, but he recognized it immediately.

It was Vin, bent over and fiddling with a generator-a generator that Tommy recognized. He recognized it because of the little toy car there on the ground, right below Vin and near his foot, that was tied to a piece of blue cotton rope and glued to the side of the metal. The metal even had his intitials- T.G, and his cousins initials-C.C. Tommy Grater and Cid Cabello. That townhouse, where he spent almost all his summers playing with his cousin, was just a few miles north of here. But what was the officer doing with a photo of Vin in the first place?

Suddenly there was a shadow, and when he looked up, Tommy found himself staring into a pair of cold, dark eyes. The man looked pissed as he snatched the photo from his hand, and he couldn't help but stand up straight like he was about to get drilled and told to drop and give him fifty.

"Do you recognize the man in this photo private?" he said, his tone absolutely authoritative and commanding.

"Yes sir! He was at the last base, sir!"

"Do you know why I have this photo, private?"

"No sir!"

"And is it any of your business why I have this photo...private?"

Tommy had to swallow hard and clinch his little ass. He felt like at any moment this man could decide his fate, if he wanted to let him stay on duty, or turn him out to the streets to fend for himself like all the countless mutts that had been abandoned.

"N-NO SIR!"

There was a moment of heavy silence that seemed to stretch on and on, and then suddenly, the officer burst out laughing and clapped him hard on the shoulder. Tommy felt his heart kick right up into his throat, and that slap on the shoulder felt like lightning running through his veins.

"S-sir?" he asked confused as the officer opened his folder to put the photo away into it's proper spot.

"Relax soldier, I was just fucking with you. I'll have General Kuznet debrief you later on why we are keeping tabs on the man, but it's nothing nearly as dangerous as you are probably thinking. I will tell you both now, however,"

He turned to Zac then, making sure he was paying attention.

"This information is top secret. Unfortunately, computers and electricity are a rare commodity now, so information has to be handled the old fashioned way, with physical documentation. That being said, neither of you saw a photo. Neither of you will even remember this little conversation if asked by anyone other than myself, and the general. Are we clear?"

They both saluted Officer Francisco at the same time and said "Yes sir!"

"Good. Carry on then."

When he left and was out of their sight, the two young men shared a look.

______

Delvin laughed along with him, finding the joke pretty funny himself.

"Hey, those Caribbean tour guides don't know jack-Hawaii is where you really want to go for a good tour."

He watched Cora grab a glass from the table and pour herself some juice as she sat down, and he tried to think of what hobbies he had.

"I mean those kind of were my hobbies, but if you mean what else I did besides seeking out the next big party," he grinned.

"I would spend a lot of time outdoors. Camping for the hell of it. I never spent a lot of time alone, but when I did, I liked to lay out and watch the stars a little ways out of town. If you camp too close to town, you can't see them as well because of the light pollution."

He threaded his fingers through his hair, pulling it back a bit and out of his face. He needed to shower and tame it down a bit, maybe after they ate breakfast and he cleaned up.

"Let's see what else...libraries. I liked libraries, especially on cold rainy days. Find a nice spot in the back and just read for a few hours. I would visit my sister pretty often, until she would get sick of my ass and kick me out" he laughed pretty loudly then, only half joking about the last bit.

During their conversation, Cora was somewhat quiet, though not closed off. She would just sat their smiling and listening politely. At the bit about his sister kicking him out, however, she couldn't help but snort and laugh.

"Hey," she said, taking her hand off her glass to point at his chest.

"We can only stand you guys for so long before you start getting under our skin, and then we have to kick you out or risk beating the shit out of you."

That got another laugh out of Vin, and then he gave a sort of innocent little shrug of his shoulders.

"So you have a brother? Older or younger? My sisters a good foot shorter than me, but she's five years older and still scares the crap out of me when she gets mad."

Cora's smile faltered a little as he asked his question. Why had she went and butted herself into the conversation like that? Well, it's not like she could just avoid talking about it for the rest of her life.

"Same age" she said quietly.

"We were twins. So I guess that made us pretty even on that front."

She was still smiling, or rather, trying to smile. Delvin had caught her wording, though, saying 'were' instead of 'we are', or some other present tense. His own smile dropped a little and he gave her a sad look.

"I'm sorry Cora."

Biting her lip, she averted her eyes to the drink in her hand and took another sip before answering.

"S'okay. Not everyone was going to make it out alive, right?"

Delvin didn't comment on that, instead just giving Sabastian a bit of a sad glance. He cleared his throat a little before speaking again.

"Do you have any pictures of him?"

Maybe it was a bad idea to continue the conversation, but he was getting the impression that Cora might need to talk about it. She seemed reserved, almost trying to just squash it down as if it weren't a big deal. But it was. Losing a loved one was never something simple or easy, and especially not such a close bond as a twin.

Her hazel eyes shot up to him, a little wet with the tears she had been fighting to hold back, and a little wide from surprise with his sudden question. No one had tried to get her to open up about it or share anything, save for Damien, but that had been a little different. Those quiet moments had been moments that she hadn't been able to hold back, not willingly speak of it. Not that she thought no one cared, it was just circumstances hadn't been...well. She supposed this was the first real moment of peace she had had in a while, and if she was going to open her heart a little, why not do it in front of friends who she cared about?

She sniffed and sat up a bit, reaching in her back pocket for her phone.

"Yea, actually...we always took a lot of pictures when we went hiking..."

Her fingers tapped on her phone briefly, bringing up a sort of folder that she had tucked away and hidden behind a password. Not the best security in the world, but enough to keep prying eyes away. Once she brought it up, she slid the phone to the middle of the table and picked her glass up again.

The photo was obviously recent, Cora's hair being the same length it was now. In the picture, she was leaned up against a taller man, hugging him around the waist with a big, carefree smile on her face. The man was obviously her brother, his skin tone the exact same and his facial features almost identical, if more manly. His lips were a bit thinner, not so pouty, and his jaw line was a bit harder and not as soft. He was sporting a bit of a five a'clock shadow, and the deep, ocean blue of his eyes was not hidden by the shadow of the black baseball cap he was wearing. He looked just as happy as she was, their backs turned to a huge cliff with a valley of lush green redwoods behind them.

"His name was Quentin. His wife, Sarah, took the photo."

 

[Poprockz]

"Tommy!" Jesse jogged over, a little baggie in her hand. She still had those little punk pigtails, using a pair of scissors every now and then to make sure her hair didn't grow out of them. She was wearing a pair of black denim shorts and a dark blue top, one that showed just a bit of cleavage. The girl grinned when she reached him, holding out the little baggie.

"I was helping out in the kitchens and they let me make my famous mysterious dark chocolate chip cookies." She glanced at Zak and then back at Tommy. "Right, you're on duty. Well, I'll see you later. Don't work too hard."

At that moment she leaned forward next to his ear and whispered, "the secret in the cookies is a nice, ripe banana and some mini marshmallows." She giggled and turned, jogging away from whence she came. As she retreated, she put her hand up and waved to him as she went. "Bye!"

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

Sayori Nakamura stepped out of the vehicle and limped to the gate with the help of one of the soldiers. She had injured her ankle running away from the zombies, and had ultimately barricaded herself in the second story of a motel. It had been a day or two, and she had accepted that she would probably end up starving (having kept hydrated from drinking complimentary bottled water). She had been sitting out on the balcony, not wanting to be close to the banging against the door. That was when she had seen them rolling into town. She had waved her arms and pleaded, praying that they would see her. By some miracle, they did and before she knew it, she was loaded up and heading for the military base with them.

When they told her they would have to check her for bites, she completely understood, following the female officer into the room and dressing down. She had a fairly petite body with B-cup breasts, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes a dark shade of brown. Her dark brown hair was in a layered short haircut, hugging her face slightly. While the woman's lips were smaller, they were also puffy and cute. All in all, she was very attractive, but took on a more youthful appearance. It was flattering when men told her how young she looked, but she also disliked how no one ever seemed to want to take her seriously.

She certainly wasn't a child, being 27 and already owning her own karaoke bar. Well, at least she used to own some such thing. None of that mattered now, and she was truly just lucky to be alive. Having been given the all-clear, she put her jeans and off-the-shoulder t-shirt back on, stepping out and standing there for a moment. She felt a bit lost, not really knowing where to go or what to do now.

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

Sabastian listened eagerly, making a mental note of everything he mentioned. Hot, musical, and well-read, not that just wasn't fair. He played guitar, did tattoos, read in the backs of libraries, went camping and stargazing, and had a good relationship with his sister. Damn, it was like there wasn't a thing about him that didn't ooze romance. Sabastian would have to be careful or before he knew it, the wild man would probably make him fall head over heals.

When Cora chimed in and the conversation started to go gloomy, Sabastian's face shifted into a more sympathetic expression. He never had any siblings, but he knew what it was like to lose a loved one as an adult, especially one who was very important. His eyes met Vin's look with equal sadness, and he continued to remain silent until Cora took out her phone and showed them the picture.

Quentin really did look like a male version of Cora, and Sabastian thought to himself that her brother was very attractive. Cora was attractive too, but not in that same masculine way that Sabastian liked.

"Your brother had a very nice smile. You can tell he was really happy and genuine by the way his eyes are crinkled a bit." Sabastian offered her a soft smile. He hoped that was okay to say, not wanting to upset her.

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

Damien lingered outside the door before coming in, simply leaning outside against the wall with a plate of spam and the recorder. He need to compose himself before he showed up, not wanting to alarm them.

 

[Drobabes]

Speak of the angel and she shall appear. When he heard his name being called, Tommy had to swallow and shift himself once more, his heart now beating to a different tune.

"Did you make these just for me?" he asked, feeling a mixture of socially awkward, embarrassed, and deeply smitten as she handed him the cookies. Holy shit she was so cute though, all but bouncing with bubbly energy in those cute shorts and tank-top that teased at what was inside. He was so distracted by her that he all but forgot about the photo. Well, almost.

As he watched her jog off, the fear slowly creeped back in and he turned slowly to look at Zac.
______

"Ms.Nakamura?"

It was the Officer who had rode in the truck with them, and as he stepped up to her, his smile was genuinely soft as he held his hand out to her in greeting.

"I'm Officer Francisco. If you'll allow me, I would like to take you to General Kuznets office so that he can take a look at that ankle.
______

The tears hadn't spilt down her face, but she had to sniff and swallow for them to stay put.

"Your brother had a very nice smile. You can tell he was really happy and genuine by the way his eyes are crinkled a bit."

She gave him a big smile at that and chuckled a little, finding it more relieving than to just break down crying.

"Yea, he was always smiling. Always joking. And he was always flocked by girls wherever we went. Kind of like you, Vin!"

Her laugh was a little louder then, a little easier. To her surprise, she found her heartache somehow lessoned by the simple conversation.

 

[Poprockz]

The only answer from Jesse as to whether she had made them for him had been a little wink. However, the bag had a little tag attached to it, and in pretty cursive writing "Tommy's Cookies" had been penned on the folded paper. On the inside it said, "Hope you like them! "

As she all but skipped away, she smiled widely. She had indeed made those cookies just for him. Of course the military liked to conserve rations, so she basically had to ask for ingredients for 1/8th of a batch to make him those cookies. They had a banana that was too ripe and allowed her a couple squares of dark chocolate and a handful of marshmallows. She had chopped up the chocolate to make little chunks, and had forfeited her "pay" for it all. Technically she was volunteering, but they usually gave them something at the end of the day as an incentive.

She wasn't quite sure how to breach it with Tommy yet, but she was working up the courage to ask him out. Jesse didn't want to wait for him to ask, nor have him think it was his job to do so. If she wanted something, she was going to go for it, and she wanted that adorable army boy for herself.

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

Sayori looked up, surprised that the officer was suggesting taking her to the general's office. She reached out and took his hand, giving him a soft but polite handshake with her soft, delicate hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Officer Francisco. My ankle has definitely been bothering me for the last couple days. In that hotel room, all I could do was elevate it, not really having any ice or anything like that. I'm surprised that the general himself is looking it over. He must be a man of many talents if he's also proficient in the medical field." She smiled, impressed that in addition to his military career, the general had made time to expand his knowledge. In these times, it was even more important to have people like that who were talented in more than one area.

One of the army recruits had given her crutches, and she used them to follow Officer Francisco over to another building, and eventually an office. Entering, she observed the general, looking him over with more surprise. He was so big. The man wasn't just tall, he was built as well, looking like something almost out of a comic book. Those blue eyes were striking, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of ease. She relaxed a bit and came over, noticing that he seemed to be looking over some photos and files. Perhaps he was considering letting in some new recruits and was reviewing applications.

As her eyes scanned his desk, one of the photos caught her eyes and her stomach dropped, her expression very briefly becoming one of shock and fear before she recovered herself. Damien. Was he here, somewhere in the complex? It couldn't be. He was from another city many miles from here, there was no possible way. Still, the general had his photo, so he must have seen him recently. She would have to keep on the lookout for him, but for now she really wanted some relief for her ankle.

"Hello, I'm Sayori Nakamura. The officer said you wanted to see me?" She mustered up a smile as she sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

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

Sabastian also chuckled, "I could see it." Truly on both fronts, he could see women flocking to her brother, and also to Vin (men included). The idea of people trying to cozy up to Vin made one of his eyebrows twitch in annoyance though, not liking to think about someone else holding his interest.

However his expression soon changed back to one of amusement and he looked at Vin, "I bet you broke hearts wherever you went, Mr. Smooth guitar player."

At that point, Damien finally entered, setting the pan down on the table, making sure to put something under the hot iron. He was composed now, and was able to manage a smile as he took his own seat, setting the cassette down against the leg of the table.

 

[Drobabes]

"He must be a man of many talents if he's also proficient in the medical field."

The man laughed gently, keeping a hand out in the air slightly as he walked with her just encase she were to trip and need assistance.

"Indeed he is. He actually started his career as a field medic and through years of hard work, he fought his way to the top. Here we are."

He knocked on the door and waited until he heard the okay to come in, and then he left the two alone.

Kuznet had already gotten word of who was arriving in his compound well ahead of time, and during that time, he had set the scene. He did it for everyone who walked through the doors, setting out pictures and paperwork with key words and pictures of interest. Before the economy had taken a nose dive and most of their world leaders were lost, he would often have a mix of physical paperwork and two or three tabs up on a few computers that were placed at just the right angle to be seen and noticed, but not in a way which would have been obvious. Just seemingly placed by accident.

Little fools were always so easy to manipulate. Even when they thought they could hide it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms.Nakamura, I'm General Kuznet."

His soft voice still carried a volume inside the mostly empty room. Before he came around the desk to greet her properly, he reached inside a drawer and brought out a bottle of ibuprofen and two soft granola bars, along with a bottle of water. Once in hand, he grabbed his chair and lifted it with ease, then brought the items before her and sat the chair down. Choosing to sit in the chair, instead of behind his desk, he leaned forward just slightly in the way a good doctor might as he opened the bottle, which seemed almost comically small in his big bear hands.

"I can already tell that your ankle is giving you a great deal of grief. If you'll humor me, I would like you to take these. 800 mg Ibuprofen-it should relieve the pain and inflammation, and then I can take a proper look."

He shook four of the pills into his hand before passing them to her, along with the water and granola bars. Once she had taken the pills and had a chance to eat a bit, he smiled softly.

"Now, as one of the few medical staff we have here at the base, it is protocol that I check on your mental well being and health."

He bent forward a bit then, and gave her a bit of a humorous look, a little smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"But as a human being, I will simply ask-how are you?"
______

Delvin looked at Sabastian and laughed, shaking his head a little.

"Naw. Well, maybe. But I always tried my best not to. I'm not one to hold back, I always made my intentions clear from the get-go. I didn't want to have sneak off in the middle of the night."

His laughter continued until the steely eyed man came through the door with the hot pan, and then it simply changed to an easy smile.

"Damn man that smells good. I'll have to make it up to you and cook us all some good barbecue."

Cora had also composed herself by the time he came in, and while she could tell something was off, she attributed it to whatever had bothered him before she had come inside. She knew something about mentioning the river had disturbed him, but she didn't want to bring it up and ruin the good mood. Instead, she gave him a gentle smile and decided to show her appreciation for cooking them breakfast by just digging in.

She picked herself out two hotcakes using her fork and knife, and then she decorated them with the works-peanut butter first, then jelly, and then she drenched them in syrup. Once she had them how she liked them, she scooted her chair a bit closer to him and started eating, a big grin on her face as she sat there rocking from side to side slightly and just enjoying the delicious sweet treat.

 

[Poprockz]

Though he was quite big and could have been very intimidating if he wanted to, from his soft little movements she got the impression that he was a gentle giant. He gave off the air that he was calm, sure of himself, and down to earth. She smiled, her tense shoulders coming down a bit as she watched him come over and sit down near her.

That in of itself disarmed her slightly. A lot of men would simply sit behind their desks, reading off information, asking a few routine questions that they didn't give a shit about, then sending their guest on their way. By breaching that gap between them, he had separated the barrier and made himself seem more personable. Sayori thought to herself that he was fairly handsome too, though she wouldn't go for someone who was almost old enough to be her dad.

Taking the ibuprofen, she downed them with the water without question, happy to have been given the chance for some relief. She sighed, getting through most of the bar by the time he asked his question. Sayori had been chewing when he asked, giving him an apologetic look as she quickly tried to get through her bite, those cute little lips moving slightly with her jaw.

When she had swallowed, she chuckled, "I'm sorry. I should know better than to take such a large bite in the middle of a conversation. Anyway, as far as your question goes I'm... well, I'm alive. This past week has been a lot to take in. So many people lost, so many new faces... I can hardly keep up. I was in that town visiting relatives, so I have no idea whether my friends are safe back in the city. I dropped my phone when they were chasing me, so I couldn't even check up on my bar employees. I really hope they got out in time..."

She paused and sighed, trying not to look at his desk again. The last thing she needed was to think about that rich fuck.

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

Sabastian wondered to himself just how many people Vin had been with, moving from town to town. He was obviously a very easy-going guy, seemingly prone to going with his gut and letting the rest fall into place. He wondered what it would be like to just go with the flow and let the world take you somewhere. To be able to let oneself go enough to be held by multiple people and not form an attachment to them. He wondered if that meant it would be harder to gain Vin's true affections.

Could he even hope to be enough for Vin? He wasn't traveled, nor was he all that interesting. His main hobbies were reading smut and gardening for fucks sake. The only interesting thing he had going for him was that he was a monster, and he didn't think that would really give him many points.

He started to feel a bit down on himself, taking another drink of apple juice as he spaced out with a blank expression. However, the smell of spam jolted him back to reality and he smiled warmly, deciding that eating some spam and pancakes would surely put things back in the right place for him.

Damien sat down and smiled slightly, "Ha. Well if you ever find some bbq ribs and sauce, then I will make sure we're all full and drunk by the end of the night." He let out his breath a little, the company of those he might call his friends comforting him. When he looked over to Cora rocking back and forth with that adorable smile on her face, he couldn't help but think that she looked like the cutest fucking squirrel in the world.

His mood lightened and he dished himself up as well, making sure to grab the two burnt pancakes. He liked them with jam and a little bit of honey, adoring the sweetness of them. Peanut butter was all well and good, but he felt like he had a bit of a sweet tooth today. Perhaps he simply needed the comfort.

 

[Drobabes]

He gave her a soft smile and waved his hand as she tried to apologize, as if to say she shouldn't feel sorry for simply eating. As she continued to speak, his express slowly changed to one of sympathy, and he put his elbows on his knees so that he could rest his chin on his hands. By the time she was finished, his brows were a bit knitted and his eyes conveyed a sadness.

"I'm sorry Ms.Nakamura. I know how hard it is to lose people who are close to you. While I will pray for you that they are safe, I don't believe it is wise to ignore our new reality."

He sat up a bit then and crossed his arms, his gaze still meeting hers with a gentle softness.

"My subordinates and fellow men will continue to fight this new war, just as we always have, and I hope that you will not be the only one that we bring back alive."

His eyebrow raised a bit when he seemingly noticed her looking at the desk, and in a very casual manner, he looked over his shoulder as if he were curious of what was back there that could be bothering her. He then looked back at her, a bit quiet for a moment.

"Ms.Nakamura..."

He put his clasped his hands in his lap and leaned forward again.

"I have been a General for a very long time, and while I can't claim to read minds, I can read body language. Specifically when someone is frightened. Did something on my desk bother you? Please,"

He reached out slowly and took one of her hands into his, then placed his other hand over it in a comforting manner. The skin of his big palms were cool and dry, but not cold.

"I can more than assure you that you are safe here, and I would like to keep it that way. Is there something that I should know?"
______

"Ha. Well if you ever find some bbq ribs and sauce, then I will make sure we're all full and drunk by the end of the night."

He paused in his actions, having only just added a bit of peanut butter to his own pancakes. The syrup, jam, and honey were just much too sweet for his liking. With a big grin, he pointed his butter knife Damiens way and said, "you got yourself a deal. We'll have to trap or catch something, but I can guarantee you some killer ribs."

After that, both Cora and Vin fell silent, simply enjoying the delicious meal. While Cora would give Damien loving looks while they ate, Vin would simply give Sabastian flirty little glances when the other two weren't looking, and at one point, he flicked a small piece of his peanut buttered cake onto Sabastians plate in a playful manner. When everyone was done, Vin started the clean up as promised, whistling as he washed the dishes in the sink.

For some reason, even though the world was in relative chaos and the house would likely fall into ruin within a few years, he just couldn't bring himself to leave the place a mess. It was partly habit, but partly he wondered if he just didn't want to leave it in a sorry state for the next lost soul who came along seeking a bit of comfort.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori stiffened when he asked his initial question, cursing her inability to keep her feelings from slipping out. Her mother had always said that by remaining neutral in one's outward appearance, one has more control over who they confide in. While she loved her mother to death, it irritated her that she was always a condescending woman. In this case, she would have been correct though.

She looked away from him for a moment, trying to decide how to handle this. The general was so kind, those blue eyes conveying nothing but concern for her well-being. It seemed as though he truly cared whether she felt safe here, which tugged at her heartstrings and made her want to talk about it. For so long she had kept quiet, haunted by the threat of everything she loved being taken from her. He was rich and powerful enough to do it too, his threats not being idle ones.

If she told the general, there was no telling how Damien would retaliate against her. The general wouldn't always be there to protect her, and he might not even believe what she had to say. She bit her lip with a conflicted expression, only looking up when she felt that big hand envelope her own, the other softly holding it as well. It was as though her small hand was completely enveloped by his, the man leaning forward as though she was very important in his eyes.

Damn, she really wanted to tell him, especially since Damien didn't have his money to back him up anymore. Still... she wanted to test the waters first. He seemed like a kind man, so there was no tell whether he would dismiss her concerns and try to convince her of Damien's good virtue.

Reaching over with her free hand, she picked up Damien's picture. "Are you recruiting him? Is he here at the base now?" While she kept her tone calm and neutral, she couldn't hide the anxiety in her body language, her eyes glancing at the picture and then back to General Kuznet.

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

"Well, I know nothing about trapping animals, so it's all you." Damien chuckled, taking a bite of pancake. He let the comfortable silence take over, eating his pancakes and spam and smiling at Cora every now and then. He loved those little loving gazes she made at him; it made him feel like everything was going to be okay one way or another.

The little blonde stirred together some peanut butter and maple syrup until it mixed into one spread. Then he put it on his pancakes and ate up. He couldn't help but glance at Vin every now and then, catching a flirty look every once in a while. It made his cheeks slightly pink the way Vin looked at him with those dark eyes of his. When the pancake was flicked onto his plate, he stabbed it with his fork and ate it, not wanting to waste any of the fluffy goodness.

Later, when Vin was washing the cast-iron skillet, Sabastian came over and leaned on him for a minute before piping up, "I'm going to grab some plates." With that, he went over and started gathering the dirty dishes to take back to Vin. Glancing at Cora, he pointed at the empty glasses. "Sorry, could you grab those and take them to Vin, I've got these plates and the silverware."

 

[Drobabes]

He watched her every movement and listened to each little inflection in her tone. He had had his men dig up as much information as he could on the scrawny little pup who had dared to even come close to his Cora, to touch her, and yet they hadn't been able to find a whole lot. The most damning thing that hadn't been completely swept under the rug with his families money was a missing persons case, but that wasn't enough for him to really do much with. Perhaps once he was face to face he might use it as a tool to set him on edge, but this, the way this women was reacting, was much more interesting.

"No, we are not recruiting him."

His voice, already soft and quiet, had somehow managed to get even softer and more concerned.

"He came travelling through one of bases a few days ago with a few other companions. Perhaps, suspiciously, we had an outbreak of the infection at that camp."

His hands didn't crush her, but they squeezed her very slightly for a few seconds as his blue eye searched hers.

"I lost some of my best men there."

He sounded forlorn. Lost.

"Along with countless civilians that we had promised to keep safe. To protect. We...we failed them Sayori. If this man..." he said, taking the photo from her with the utmost care and gentleness.

"Is a danger, then I need to bring him in. Serve justice where it is needed. Please, Sayori, tell me. It's just you and me in this room, and no matter what you have to say, I can swear to you that it will stay between us."
______

Vin looked down and smiled warmly at Sabastian as he leaned on him, and he bent over and kissed the top of his head before he moved away. When Sabastian then came to Cora, she looked up, still with a mouthful of pancakes as she had grabbed three more after everyone else was done with their share, and she nodded. Briefly she wondered why Sabastian didn't just use his extra arms, but then again, maybe he wasn't comfortable with them yet.

She swallowed the food she had been chewing and left her own plate at the table, planning on finishing her meal before they got going, but she scooped up her glass and everyone else's glasses and brought them to the sink as requested. Before she left the sink, she bent over and very casually whispered in Sabastian ear.

"Spp! Dildo tentacles."

Her feet took her quickly back to the table and by the time she sat back down to finish eating, she was giggling. She caught the look Damien was giving her and simply whispered: "What happens in the Midnight Club stays in the Midnight Club."

 

[Poprockz]

An audible sigh of relief came from her when she was told that he wasn't there and that he most likely would be detained at the gate if he came.

She looked into his eyes, completely swept away by his sad story. Could Damien really have had something to do with it? He hadn't seemed like the sort of man that would hurt someone for the fuck of it, but he had taken her hadn't he? Who was to say that he only grew more violent with time. Behind that charismatic smile of his, those steely eyes had seemed so hungry for something, and when he was done with her, it had seemed like the hunger was barely eased.

The general had put her at ease that she was safe with him, within the base walls. Perhaps she could confide in him if it meant protecting the people here. While she felt uncomfortable talking to a man about her story, he seemed so dedicated to helping her and keeping her safe that she finally caved and made up her mind.

"I... well I know him. I was at my bar, making sure things were going well, and he buys me a drink. We exchanged some flirty banter back and forth, and I thought he was handsome. It had been a stressful week, so I simply hung out and chatted with him. He offered me a ride home with the condition that I would go out to dinner with him the next night. I accepted and got into his car... It was so stupid, I know." She sighed and leaned her forehead against her free hand.

"I noticed that we were no longer driving toward my house and only when we got to the forest did I realize that he had no intention of getting me home. He..." She swallowed hard and took another drink of her water, her eyes fogging up and threatening to spill over. "He took me to a cabin and kept me there for a couple days. I think you can guess what happened there."

She wiped her eyes and continued to cry a bit. He let me go, which was weird since I was sure he was going to murder me and bury me in the woods. He said that if I told anyone, he would ruin my life. He was rich enough and had enough family ties and resources that I knew he wasn't lying. I looked up more stuff about his family and was able to get some rumors from a couple patrons, but that was about it. They do a pretty thorough job of wiping everything clean." Sayori gave him a weak smile, "I'm sorry to unburden on you, I just haven't really talked about it at all..."

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

Sabastian smiled happily as he gathered the plates, excited to go out into the woods and train with Vin. That little kiss on his head had been so sweet, it put him in a really good mood. He started making his way back over toward Vin when Cora leaned over and whispered in his ear. His face went red and his head whipped around toward her as she went over to Damien. He couldn't even come up with a come-back that wouldn't sound awkward out loud.

Why did it have to be so true?! If Vin ended up saying the same thing when he felt them, he swore he was going to dig a hole and bury his head in the ground, hopefully shielding him from the shame of being a walking sex toy. In actuality, he assumed that wasn't too far from the truth. The dildo tentacles, sensitive tips, long tongue, lube, and the fact that he was pretty damn sure he didn't have a gag reflex anymore, all pointed to the fact that his zombie body was meant for fucking innocent victims until they were too tired to resist being impregnated. It was a disturbing thought, but it was also the most embarrassing shit ever.

He shuffled over to Vin and put the dishes in the sink, his head tucked in embarrassment slightly. Next midnight meeting, he would have to get her back for bringing it up when he wasn't drunk!

Damien indeed raised his eyebrow, wondering what she could say to make him flush so quickly. When she preemptively answered the unasked question, he simply smiled and shook his head. This midnight club... he wondered if it wasn't just Cora and Sabastian getting drunk together.

 

[Drobabes]

Kuznet kept his full attention on her, and as she began to cry, he let her hand go free so that he could pull a small pack of unopened tissues from his back pocket. Pulling the thin cellophane tab up, he plucked a few of the soft disposable tissues out and handed them to her.

"That's quite alright, I asked you after all. Sayori,"

He waited until she was looking into the depths of his blue eyes.

"I will get him. I will bring him in, and when I do...he will pay."

After that, having gotten a bit serious there for a moment, he bent down and gently began to lift her jeans from her ankle. With very gentle touches and slight pressure, he felt around the bones. With a little nod, he then sat up, seemingly satisfied with his inspection of her injury.

"It's twisted, but not broken. However, it was a very bad twist that likely caused quite a bit of tearing. Officer," he said somewhat loudly, speaking towards a door to the left where there was likely a soldier on guard duty. Almost as if in answer to this question, the door opened and a man with very dark skin and even darker eyes poked his head in.

"Would you please accompany Ms.Nakamura to the south medical bay. I want Lance to put a proper cast on her ankle so she doesn't cause further injury before it has a chance to heal properly."

The dark man stepped through the doors, then offered his hand to Sayori to help her stand. His expression was very serious, revealing very little of what he might have been feeling or thinking. Before she left, the general placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft smile.

"You're going to be just fine."

Once she walked out the door, the general took his chair back to his desk and gathered his papers back together. Now that he was alone, he let the mask fall off his face as he pulled a drawer out from his desk. From it, he pulled a lanyard with a small plastic card on the end. It was a simple white with a bar-code.

The little bitch was in for a rude surprise. There was no south medical bay.
______

Vin was a little confused by the look on his face, but decided not to bring it up right at the moment. Although, he didn't seem to be in a bad mood. Maybe Cora had just said something teasing about the hickies.

Cora finished her meal quickly enough, then took her dishes to the sink. When she was done, she started making her way towards the stairs. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Damien a little smile and gestured with her chin to say 'come with me'.

 

[Poprockz]

As she looked into those two serious pools of blue, she knew he was speaking from his heart. He wanted justice for her and his comrades just as badly as she did. He was such a good man, she couldn't help but almost feel indebted to him for being so kind and tender with her. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the tissue.

When he examined her, she was relieved to hear that it was only twisted and not broken. The way he said that she might have further tears might have alarmed her if not for the way he didn't seem too concerned. It almost seemed like he was confident that it wasn't going to be a big deal. While the man he called seemed very serious, she had no doubt that she was in good hands if Kuznet recommended him.

The woman offered him a warm, heartfelt smile before leaving, "Thank you, General. I really wish there were more men like you in the world. I feel like it would be a safer place." With one last look at him, she allowed the other man to lead her, completely trusting that he was taking her where she needed to go since she hadn't gotten her bearings since coming to this new place. He didn't seem like a talkative fellow, so she simply hobbled alongside him in silence, a hopeful smile on her face.

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Damien smirked a bit when she gestured for him to follow, but when she turned away, he couldn't help but remember that it was going to be a difficult conversation coming up pretty soon. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before following her up the stairs, letting her lead them to their room.

Once there, he sat on the bed and pursed his lips, "Cora. I need to talk to you."


In the kitchen, Sabastian watched Vin finish up with the dishes letting his embarrassment fade a bit before opening one of the jars of cherries and taking one out. He held it up by the stem and put it in his mouth, chewing happily before taking another one out. The little man held it up near Vin's mouth as though offering it to him, smiling cheerfully.

"Want a cherry? Hm? They're really goood." He wiggled it back and forth.

 

[Drobabes]

Sayori was led briefly through the compound, and then to an old service door in an unassuming building. Once there, the officer accompanying her pulled a small ring of keys from his pocket and used one of them to unlock a large deadbolt lock.

"Please forgive the extra security measures," he said quite seriously.

"We can't have just anyone wandering in here to steal drugs or medical supplies for themselves or to sell."

He led her inside to a well lit little corridor. For a brief few moments they walked in heavy silence, and they almost seemed to be descending down. Then, they came to a door. A large, heavy, and clean metal door. It required a scan from a barcode to get in, which the officer provided from a lanyard around his neck. Once unlocked, he gripped the handle and pulled, then stepped back for her to enter. The room was dark, the light not having been flipped on just yet. He seemed to be reaching inside the door to get ready to do so, however, but he waited until she was actually in the doorway to flip it. Once it came on, Sayori would very quickly realize that the room was no medical bay.

Inside looked like a jacked up version of a twisted BDSM room, except lacking in any of the fun toys. There were chains and whips, but also rusted metal beds lacking any bedding, handcuffs hanging from the walls, long metal bars that seemed like the start of a children's swing-set that had yet to have the swings attached, and sitting on a small table in the far side of the room was a multitude of shiny metal tools befit for a dentist office.

The officer placed a hand on the small of Sayoris back and gave her and very hard shove, his strength more than enough to send her to the hard concrete floor.
______
His grin grew a little wide at the little as he waggled that cherry at him.

"Oh I bet it is, but I'm not much for sweets."

Even as he said it, however, he reached out and took Sabastians hand in his own. He brought it up to his lips and watched the little blonds face as he took one of his fingers into his mouth and sucked on it.
______

Cora was just starting to dig the little bowl and spoon out of her pile of stuff, intent on finding Bowie, when she heard Damien. When she looked up, a knot of uncomfortable nervousness settled in her chest like a metal ball but she forced herself to come sit by him on the bed. She tried to swallow before she talked, but ended up just clearing her throat instead.

"Alright...what's up?"