Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

She followed him without question, into the building and down the hall. It made sense that they would want to keep their medical supplies in such a place, especially if there was some kind of assault or raid by bandits or some such thing. However, she was getting a bit tired so she was relieved when they finally reached the room, the woman trying not to pant as she went.

Squinting, she couldn't make anything out in the dark, walking in a bit and turning to her guide to ask for the light. She didn't have to though, seeing him switch it on and then seeing... the rest of the room. Her eyes widened as she took in everything in disbelief. There was no way she was in a room like this. It had to be a mistake.

The woman had been about to turn to him for answers when he shoved her, the woman falling to the floor with a cry of pain. Her ankle throbbed as rolled and gripped it, trying to ease the pain of the impact. There were tears in her eyes from the pain and she was suddenly very grateful for the ibuprofen the general had given her. It would help with that and the swelling, but she needed to get out of this room and to the real medical bay.

"Sir? There must be some kind of mistake? The general wanted me to go to the medical bay. Please help me, I'm not sure I can get up easily on my own." She looked up at the dark-eyed man, lifting her arm as though beseeching his help. The woman was clinging to the hope that this was all some kind of mix up. There was no way the General would condone something like this. And why would they even want her here? Why would they save people if only to imprison them?

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Sabastian's face screwed up slightly in shyness and arousal, still very much red as he watched Vin suck his finger. A shiver went down his spine, the feeling of his tongue against him being very erotic. They say that the fingers are the most sensitive to touch, and boy was he feeling that statement right now.

"V-Vin!" he breathed, "you can't just take my finger in your mouth..." As he watched the big man's lips, he didn't seem entirely convinced of his own words, swallowing hard as his hips squirmed slightly.

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Damien scooted so he was facing her more, taking one of her hands and stroking it gently with his thumb. He looked at it as he spoke, his voice soft as he explained.

"We need to talk about going to the river. I know you really want to swim, and I'm more than happy to come with and hang out on the bank, but I can't swim. I know how to swim, that isn't the problem. I have... a phobia of water. Bodies of water to be specific. Having myself be enveloped by it triggers some really bad memories from my childhood, so I just wanted you to know that it's not that I don't want to swim with you, it's that I can't." His eyes searched hers, wondering what her reaction to that would be.

 

[Drobabes]

The officer stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind them. It had an automatic locking system, so he didn't need to worry about it once it shut.

"The general wanted me to go to the medical bay."

His dark eyes were absolutely lacking in any warmth or emotion. The only thing separating the man from robot was the fleshy skin and muscle wrapping his bones.

"Exactly. The Southern Medical Bay. This is it."

He stood over her, staring down into her face like she were a steaming pile of shit on the sidewalk right in his path. With slow movements, he pulled a pistol out from behind his back, which had been secured with his tactical belt. He checked it once with his dark eyes, switching off the safety, and then he leaned down and grabbed her arm with enough strength to leave a bruise that would be healing for well over a week.

"Get up bitch," he said viciously, yanking her arm so hard it could very well pull it right out of the socket of her shoulder.

"We have work to do."

Showing no sign of care for her comfort, he brought her quickly over to the cuffs hanging from the wall and attached them to her wrists. Once they were secure, he made his way over to a lever and began to raise them high into the air until her feet were a few inches off the ground. He then put his gun away and made his way over to the whip that was hanging on the opposite wall.
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With a little chuckle, Delvin released Sabastians finger.

"Why not?" he asked, watching the way he squirmed. He stepped a little closer to him and pulled him towards his chest, crushing the jar of cherries between them slightly. His lips then went down to his ear and he kissed it.

"You don't like it when I do that?" he breathed, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway.
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Damien rubbing her hand was probably meant to be a comforting gesture, but Cora just found it only added to her already growing anxiety.

"We need to talk about going to the river."

She let out a little breath she had been holding, her shoulders relaxing a small amount. For some reason, she had felt like something much more serious was going on, and when he went on to explain, her anxiety was quickly replaced with sad understanding. Her hand came up to brush his hair back a bit as she nodded softly, her eyes searching his.

"Aw baby, you don't have to get in the water with me. I...I have little phobias like that too, so I completely understand. Thank you for telling me though, I would have felt really bad if I kept pushing you and was making you uncomfortable without knowing."

She was quiet for a moment then, looking down at his hands, and then back up to his eyes.

"Do you need to talk about it? Or do you want to save that conversation for another time?"

Cora didn't want to brush his fears aside, but she didn't want to push him either. She trusted him to open up to her when he felt comfortable doing so.

 

[Poprockz]

"But.. but the general..." Those words were uttered at such a soft, scared tone that he probably hadn't even heard her, the woman's eyes focusing in fear on the pistol he had pulled out. What in god's name was happening? What did they want with her? She didn't have much time to react as she was yanked up by her arm, crying in pain as her foot with the bad ankle hit the floor at an odd angle. She started to sob as she limped over to the shackles, too afraid to fight him when he secured them around her wrists.

When she was lifted, at least the pressure was off her leg. She knew her arms were going to be sore later though. As a fairly small woman, it wasn't quite so burdensome, but it was still uncomfortable, especially if this was going to be a long time. Her panicked eyes watched as he walked over to the whip, taking it from the wall.

"N-no! Please, I don't know what you want, or what I did wrong, but please don't hurt me." Her lip wobbled, her breathing quick as she contemplated the possibility of being whipped. "I'll do anything you want, please, anything!"

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Sabastian shivered once more as his finger slid out from between Vin's lips. Looking up just as he was pulled closer to the man. Pressed against him like this was making his heart beat faster, his cock stirring in his pants as the big man leaned over toward his ear. That soft kiss coupled with his hot breath made the blonde weak in the knees, his body leaning on Vin's slightly.

"It's not that I don't like it... It's just that whenever you do things like that, I like it a little too much," he grumbled, lifting his arm between them and popping the cherry into his mouth, stem and all. He chewed for a few moments and then looked like he was doing something. Before long, he stuck out his tongue almost innocently, a cherry stem tied in a double knot on his tongue.

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Damien smiled in relief when she was so understanding. Every time he had a serious conversation with her, he expected the worst, yet she always came back and surprised him with that kind heart of hers. He closed his eyes for a moment and let the comfort of the little hair-tucking gesture comfort him before continuing.

He wasn't sure whether this was the time to breach it or not, but he wasn't opposed to letting her in a little. After a few moments of silence, he started, "you know my parents weren't the most nurturing, right? My mom was definitely a piece of work, but my dad was too. My mom made him promise not to put any marks on me, and he kept that promise. That being said, there are other ways to mess with people that don't involve those kinds of scars."

"When I was younger, my father would give me baths. He wouldn't touch me or anything like that, but every time, he would... hold me under the water until I felt like I was going to pass out. Just as my vision would start going black, he would pull me up. I don't know how he knew, but he did. He seemed to enjoy that game of, "how long can you hold your breath?" This went on for years until I was an adult. Since then, I just can't handle anything but a shower, really." His steely eyes looked a bit sad, the man wishing that his father hadn't taken so many things from him.

 

[Drobabes]

"You seem to be under the impression that you have some kind of choice in the matter."

His hand gripped the handle, getting a feel for it. As he came back over to her, he let the whip drag across the dirty floor. He was really going to enjoy cleaning her wounds later, and this would provide the perfect excuse to do so.

When he reached her, he took a step back and brought it back behind him. The first crack broke through the air like lightning in summer, and for the next hour, Sayori was put through a hell of which she had likely never experienced before. The only small reprieves she was given from the endless torment was during the brief few seconds when she was teetering on the line passing out, and even then, she was only given enough time to be roused back to consciousness. When he cracked the whip down once more and received nothing more than a pathetic whimper, then he knew it was time.

He put the whip away and lowered her to a sad heap on the concrete. While she was there, he went over to a table and opened a black box. From within it, pulled out a camera. It was a bit old fashioned, the type that would spit out a picture the second it was taken, but very useful. With it, he used it to take two pictures of her limp form. One full body, and then another close up of her face.

When he was done, he uncuffed her and moved her small frame to the metal bed, laying her on her stomach and putting knew restraints on her wrists and ankles. She was almost spread eagle, but not quite so far as the frame of the bed was not that wide. Still, while she could struggle and lift her hips if she chose, the restraints were metal and offered no give.

The officer who had put her there pulled a radio out from his vest pocket, and, panting slightly, clicked it on.

"She's ready General."

He put it away, and then went to stand near the door. For about ten minutes he stood there and ignored her, as if she weren't even there. He simply waited and watched, and then moved back from the door as he heard it being pulled.

Two very big, mean looking men stepped through and took in the sight of her on the table. They licked their lips and then came over. Almost immediately they began to touch her. Grabbing and pawing and fondling her small breasts and petite ass through her clothes. Then one of them took out a knife and began to cut away her jeans and shirt, nicking her several times with the blade as he did so. Once the clothes were off, they began to strip.

It was about this time that General Kuznet walked through the door, holding a few items in his hands. He made his way over to Sayori, his face blank as he squatted down in front of her.

"You're probably wondering why I have brought you down here. Well Sayori, you are going to provide me with a little insurance."

Kuznet had no way of knowing for sure or not if Damien cared about Sayoris well being, but it really didn't matter. She was merely another tool to communicate to the pawn, and if the pawn happened to be rattled by the abuse his new little tool was put through, then it would only lend him another advantage.
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"It's just that whenever you do things like that, I like it a little too much."

A little rumble of a laugh could be felt in his chest as he held the little blond to him, enjoying his presence. He leaned back and watched curiously, and when Sabastian finally stuck his tongue out, revealing what he had done, Vin grinned.

"You're very talented. Are you going to be that talented later tonight?"
______

She listened quietly and her frown only increased as he continued to speak of what had been done to him. When he was done, the look on her face was almost like she was fighting off a scowl.

"That's not a fucking game..." she finally managed to growl out after a few minutes. She opened her mouth to say more, but found she didn't have anything else to say, so she shut it and simply stared down into his lap. Then she scooted over and just hugged his chest. She wished she had her brothers ability with words, always being able to find the right thing to say when she needed it the most, but she just didn't.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori was barely lucid by the time he was done, panting and shivering on the bed. It had been so painful, she thought she would die from the pain alone. Her jeans were still in one piece, but she knew the bruises underneath would be ugly. The woman's shirt was in tatters though, long marks from the whip criss-crossing and zagging across her skin. Halfway through she realized that the general had tricked her. For what reason, she wasn't sure. Maybe Damien was a friend of his and he was punishing her for having spoken about what he had done.

Whatever the reason might have been, her body stung and every movement seemed to make her body ache. While her body was marred, her face was untouched, her tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes evidence to the fact that she had cried until there were no tears. Maybe now she would at least be allowed to rest. Sayori closed her eyes and almost fell asleep, the stress of what had happened exhausting the small woman.

She was woken by the feeling of hands pawing at her. A shot of adrenaline went through her and her eyes snapped open. While she tried to move her body away, there was no escaping the hands that wanted to greedily touch her. The Japanese lady could guess where this was going, and she didn't want to be there for it. She wished she could just pass out while they had their fun with her, but she knew that whether she liked it or not, those two men's cocks would soon be ravishing her body.

When Kuznet entered, she simply stared blankly at him, wondering how a man could order such horrible things to be done to her. "Insurance?" she croaked out, "I don't know what you mean... It doesn't matter... Please. If you have any mercy, please just let me go or let me die." She was quiet after that, not expecting any kind of positive response, but she had to try.

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Sabastian reached up and took the stem out of his mouth, shrugging mischievously. "I don't know... Are you saying that you'd give me a taste of something sweet and creamy?" He screwed the cap on the cherries and set it on the counter, placing the stem on top. With that done, he started to slowly rub a hand up and down Vin's chest, a little smile on his face.

After a moment, his smile grew just a bit wider and he turned, walking away toward the table again to grab the peanut butter, syrup, and jam to put the lids back on and clean them up. His little ass swayed a bit as he walked.

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"No. No it wasn't. I think he enjoyed seeing the panic on my face. No matter how many times he did it, I always wondered if that was going to be the time. The one time where he accidently missed the cues and drowned me. I could never trust that he would pull me back up, because something in his eyes always hinted that part of him didn't want to." Damien shivered and accepted her hug, putting his own arms around her and holding her close.

"He's done other terrible things to me like that, but that was one of the worst." He sighed and rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes and breathing in the sweet smell of her hair, letting that wash over him.

 

[Drobabes]

Kuznet almost smiled at her response, already begging for death. The little thing had barely taken any punishment at all and yet she felt like death would have been a welcome relief. They were so weak, these little beings.

"Shh, shh," he cooed to her, his free hand coming up to brush the hair from her face and stroke her cheek softly. It then moved to her back, where the whip had managed to wrap around and put a particular deep cut through the fabric and into her skin. He drug his finger through the wound, gathering up some of her blood, and then he licked it clean from his skin. When he was done, his sky blue eyes met hers as he suddenly yanked her chin up harshly and got so close to her face that she could feel his hot breath on her skin. He stared down into her swollen eyes as his placid expression changed into a twisted smile that might have put a Batman villain to shame.

"I don't kill my livestock."

His voice was still soft, so deceivingly kind, even in this twisted way that he was speaking to her.

"Now,"

He released her chin and turned his attention to the items in his hand. As he was sorting through them and getting them ready, one of the men behind Sayori climbed up on the metal frame and began to stroke his cock against the crease of her ass.

"If you don't want these men fucking your pretty little puckered hole until you can't take a shit without squirting some blood, then you are going to do exactly, as, I...say."

He brought the first item up in front of her face. It was a picture of Damien, cut from a larger picture of when they had been caught fleeing from Coras apartment with Daphne, so that he was the only one visible.

"We're going to send our little pawn here a warning. And you, Sayori, are going to help me make that warning."

The little women on the bed didn't know it, but Damien had yet to earn the punishment. However, Kuznet preferred to have his pieces set well in advantage, not relying on fate to decide which path his future decisions took. If Damien was a smart boy, he would keep his mouth shut about the photo. However, if he wasn't, then Kuznet wanted to have his pieces ready to move. Swiftly. Efficiently. Leaving no room for error. So, they would make the warning in advance.

"I want you to think about this face" he said, flapping the picture but an inch from her nose.

"As these men fuck you. And harbor no doubts-they are going to fuck you. However, as I said, it's up to you how they go about it. But just remember Sayori, this man..."

He pulled the picture back slowly, his cold blue eyes replacing the steel grey.

"Is the reason that you are on this bed right now."

The next item he moved and held up to her face was a little piece of note paper, on it, it said the following:

You broke the rules. Do you want to risk breaking another?

The dick in the crease of her ass slowly moved down to her pussy lips, and then began to plunge in. He didn't stop to pull back and lube himself up better, but just kept on pushing forward until he was balls deep.

"God damn she's fucking tight" the man panted, and the other man, who still had one of her small breasts in his claw, began to squeeze her roughly. Kuznet simply stared at her face, seemingly waiting for something, and when the man who was inside of her began to fuck her with a bruising pace, he brought up a little device. A little handheld recorder.

"Say these words Sayori. Say them, exactly, as they are written."

He then brought the recorder up close to her mouth, wanting to catch the way she panted and lost her breath through the words, the man at her back jostling her body hard with his deep thrusts.
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Vin was about to answer him, but once again found the words stuck in his mouth as those hands started rubbing his chest. His normally cocky posturing melted away into a hungry look, and he had been just starting to lean down, going in for a hungry kiss, when the little blond suddenly turned and walked away.

Getting a bit of his own mischievous grin, he stalked over to that sexy swaying ass and got up behind his back, pushing the jars out from Sabastians hands and then capturing those same hands and gently forcing them down on the table. He then placed a hand on the small of Sabastians back and pushed until his chest was resting on the hard surface. Once he was in that vulnerable position, Vin pushed his hips up against his ass and leaned over him to kiss that adorable face.

"I think I could probably make that happen. Although, we would have to save room for dessert" he rumbled quietly.
______

"I'm glad he's gone..."

Tears had started to sting her eyes, but just like at the table, she tried to bite them back. She was determined to be a rock for him, something he could lean on for support, and she didn't want him feeling like he had to comfort her. She stayed there, in his arms, and held him gently. She didn't want to move until she knew he was ok.

 

[Poprockz]

The hand that would have felt soft and comforting now felt impersonal and disgusting against her face. She simply focused on his face, waiting for a response when she felt his finger dig into her fresh wound. Sayori squealed in pain, clenching her eyes shut until his finger was felt no more on her back. When she opened her eyes, she saw him lick her blood off his finger. Her stomach wanted to flip in revulsion and fear, and as she was made to look him in the eye, she trembled.

"I don't kill my livestock."

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? She could understand if he was comparing her to a helpless animal, but it wasn't as though she had any real use other than being fucked and tortured. He was a handsome man and could probably get scores of women in the complex with that deceivingly gentle air about him, so why would he need her? This man was absolutely out of his mind. How had she ended up in the hands of such a deranged psychopath?

She stared, shocked and hopeless until she felt the man come behind her and start grinding on her. The woman whimpered slightly, feeling so exposed. Her legs were shacked so that she couldn't close her legs if she wanted to- she was completely vulnerable to be taken whenever he wanted. Her attention returned to the General when he started talking again, her eyes fixing on the photograph he showed her.

"We're going to send our little pawn here a warning. And you, Sayori, are going to help me make that warning."

That sentence was odd to her. The general had captured her, was torturing and having her be ravished for the express purpose of sending a warning to Damien? That meant that the general assumed Damien would care what happened to her, and that by that line of thinking, he didn't mind hurting something Damien cared about. She didn't pretend to know Damien all that well, but in all the time she spent with him at the cabin, he had never once hurt her. Yes, he had taken from her, used her, and ignored her protests, but his touch was always gentle, never punishing.

Still, if he hadn't taken her to begin with, then the General wouldn't have thought to use her as leverage. They were both shit, Damien and Kuznet, though she found Kuznet the more disgusting. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't fuck her ass raw as soon as he got what he wanted, but she was at his mercy and knew that if she disobeyed, then she was guaranteed a very rough day.

Speaking of, she groaned and whimpered in pain when the man behind her decided to charge right in. She wished to god he had used something to ease the discomfort- lube, spit, anything. His cock was big, and it stretched her while he started to pound her little pussy. The woman could hardly concentrate on the words the General wanted her to say, but she made herself focus. She looked at Kuznet for a moment, silent, gathering the will to speak before she let out a shuddering breath.

"You...ah! broke the- the rules. Ngh... Do you want..." Sayori let out a broken sob, almost unable to continue, "Do you want to risk breaking another?" After she finished, she simply sobbed and sniffled pathetically, waiting for the General to take away the recorder. She just wanted to go home, or go anywhere but here. How could someone be so cruel?

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Sabastian had seen the way Vin was looking, leaning over slightly as though he was going to try to take Sabastian's mouth. He was feeling rather playful this morning, so he had a little smug smile on his face as he thought of Vin being left wanting his lips. He had just grabbed the peanut butter and maple syrup jars when he felt a presence behind him. Those large hands were unmistakable as he was made to let go of the items and lay his hands flat on the table, that gentle pressure on his back pushing him so that soon he was bent over the table completely.

It was damn sexy the way Vin wasn't afraid to simply move Sabastian's body where he wanted it to go. Those powerful hands being so gentle as they touched and moved him. It was enough to make him hard. If it hadn't been, then Vin's hips pushing against his ass definitely would have been. The little kiss was also very sweet, the briefness of it making Sabastian crave more.

He blushed at the thought of being bent over the table, knowing that it was a bit risky and that if Cora walked in, she would totally see what they were doing. However, shy as he could be without booze to back him up, he swayed his ass a bit, grinding it back against the pressure of the man's hips.

"I have quite the sweet tooth- there's always room for dessert for me," Sabastian softly replied.

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"Me too. That man was a complete psychopath. Together, my parents were hell to live with. They always told me I deserved it though, and I started not to question it. Even now, sometimes I feel like trash. The things I've done weigh on me, and I can't help but feel like I'll never be able to do enough to make up for it. There are some things that mark a man permanently... like taking you. Taking those other women, Toby... all of it." Damien looked down at his lap and then over to Cora, deep regret in his eyes.

"I'll stay with you until you tell me to go, or until you find someone better, but I don't feel like I should be with you. I don't feel like I deserve the happiness you bring me, based on what I've done. If I were to tell Vin and Sabastian everything, I would probably lose their respect, and for good reason. Cora... Why is life so twisted?"

 

[Drobabes]

As soon as the last word left her mouth, the general clicked the recorder and then stood. He was done with her, paying her no more mind as he turned his back to her and put the device up to his ear to make sure it had gotten everything. The other man stepped up to take his place in front of her face, his dick in his hand as he came towards her mouth. The General walked out the door, leaving her alone with the three men.

Once the general was out of the picture, the two men began to grow more vicious with their taking of her. For the next half an hour, they used her in every possible way they could except for taking her ass. When they switched off, however, the man who had been at her front began to finger that little hole.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?" the other said with shock.

"He told us her ass if off limits."

"I don't give a shit what he said, I do what I want."

The man in front of her, who had been the first to penetrate her, stepped back a few feet, giving her mouth a momentary break. With fear in his eyes, he looked over to the dark officer who had yet to leave the room and who had simply been standing by the door, quietly observing. As he left his position at the door, he withdrew his pistol and began to screw on a cylinder that would muffle most of the blast.

The man at her back suddenly withdrew his finger and quickly climbed off the table.

"Hey man," he said, fear causing his voice to shake.

"I didn't actually fu-" pop pop!

Sayori would hear the sound of a body hitting the floor, like a sack of dropped oranges, and if the look in the other man's eyes was anything to go by, then he was most likely dead.

"Are you finished with her?" came that cold, all but robotic voice from behind.

The man scrambled to pull his jeans on as he said, "yea, yea I'm done..."

"Good. Take the body with you."

"What am I supposed to do with h-"

"Throw it in the pit."

The other man didn't dare ask anymore questions as he quickly finished dressing, and then the sounds of his grunts could be heard as he started to drag the body out a different door. As he was doing this, the Officer began unclasping her bindings. His gun was still held at the ready as he grabbed Sayoris arm and forced her to stand.

"I will not carry you. Limp if you must, but you will walk on your own feet or receive another whipping tomorrow."
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The way he swayed and rubbed his ass against him made Vin groan and push up against him harder, one of his hands travelling down to hold his hip. He knew he couldn't keep him pinned like that for too much longer, as at any moment, Cora or Damien might come walking down the stairs, but while he still had him there...

"Careful little man" he said playfully, the hand on his hip moving to the lining of his pants, and then dipping his fingers inside to tease his skin. Was he going to reach inside and get a handful of ass? Or maybe just tantalize that cute little cock a bit?

"You keep rubbing up against me like that and I might be tempted to drop your pants right now."

Suddenly his hand was gone, and so was his warm weight against his back. Vin wasn't so rude as to leave him just laying there on the table like a melted marshmallow, however, so he helped him to stand and shuffled him over to the sink with him. He hadn't heard anyone coming down the stairs, but Sabastian didn't need to know that.

Going back to washing the dishes, he started whistling as if nothing at all had just happened.
______

There that name was again, Toby. She wondered who he was and what it was that Damien so deeply regretted. But she remembered the look on his face as Margaret had brought it up, and even now, as he confessed to regrets of things he had done, she had to wonder if he had really had a role to play in that, in whatever had happened. Or, if it was simply another thing in a long list that his parents had tried to twist him into believing was his fault.

"Cora... Why is life so twisted?"

She had been trying so hard to hold back, to be his rock and be strong for him, but in that moment her heart broke for him. The regret in his voice, the aching sorrow. She believed that everyone had control over their own actions and how they chose to treat the people around them, but in that moment, she couldn't help but feel as if he had never even had a chance. He was doomed from the start and it took the world, and his world, coming to an end to start over.

With fresh hot tears streaming down her face, she looked into those steel grey eyes and answered with a pathetic little whimper of "I don't know...I wish...I wish there was some reason for it, but there just isn't..."

Her face turned down, her lip wobbling as she softly started caressing the top of his hand. He was right about most of what he said. The things he had done were wrong.

"To the rest of the world, you might be a...a monster.."

She had to swallow and clear her throat, suddenly having to look elsewhere. Anywhere but in those sad eyes.

"But to me, at least, you're not... I guess I just...don't see it the way the rest of the world sees it... I guess when you've looked the devil itself in the eye, you can love a monster that never even had a chance to try and be something better."

Was she a monster too? Should she not have forgiven Damien for the things he had done? Should she not have forgiven the man who had so carelessly stopped taking his medications, and then decided to take a joy ride that led to her parents death's? Or, the soldier who had followed orders first, asked questions later, and then found the body of a little boy, torn to pieces by the grenade that he himself had thrown?

"Where do you draw your moral line? That question has kept me awake so many nights over the years..."

 

[Poprockz]

Despite the fact that he was a monster, he was the monster who controlled what happened to her. When he turned to leave, she opened her mouth to try to beg him to let her leave. She knew it was probably useless, but what else was she supposed to do? However, she found a cock being shoved into her mouth, the man's hands going to the back of her head so he could fuck her better.

By the time they were done, she was sticky with cum, the stuff leaking from her mouth, off her chin, on her breasts, down her ass, and out of her pussy. At the very least, the cum had eased the discomfort of being fucked. She was zoned out, trying to seek comfort by thinking of happier times when she felt that finger invade her ass. The woman let out a muffled whimper of fear, unable to turn her head to see what he was doing.

"I don't give a shit what he said, I do what I want."

Her heart dropped as she heard those words. The general had promised that her ass would be undisturbed, but she hardly thought he would care if one of his men decided to partake. Now that he had what he wanted, he had no obligation to keep his promise. She felt the man in front withdraw from her and she coughed before pleading in a shaky voice, "please don't! I was good, I did what he said, please don't do it there, please!"

She lowered her forehead to the rusty bed frame, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced herself. However, the next thing she knew, there were a few pops and the sound of a heavy object falling. The man's eyes in front of her were fearful, which gave her the distinct impression that the man behind her was dead. She dared not look, even when he was dragging the other man out.

There was a pit somewhere where they disposed of bodies... More than likely, she would be the next body in the pit. Sayori kept her eyes closed, not wanting to be looking at that cold man when she died. To her surprise, he freed her from her bonds, making her stand. Why were they keeping her alive? To deliver more recorded messages? To eventually send him a picture of her lifeless body?

Regardless, if she wanted to continue to be alive even for a short time more and with the least amount of suffering, she had to find the strength to get up. She nodded, avoiding looking at the gun. Sayori dared not ask for the crutch, not wanting to find out what happened if she delayed for even a moment.

"I understand..." she said softly. Legs shaking, she got up and hobbled toward the door, trying to maintain a decent pace. Where they were taking her, she didn't know. All she knew was that she had been tricked for likely the last time.

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

Sabastian loved the pressure he received back from Vin's hips, and part of him wished he would make good on that teasing suggestion and really drop his pants. However, he thought to himself that he would probably die of embarrassment if Cora and Damien came down to see Vin fucking his ass or jerking him off. Still, that hand on his bare skin made him shiver, his hard cock wishing he would take it in hand and give him some relief.

"Hm," was all the response Vin got to his teasing words, the little blonde not really knowing how to answer.

Suddenly, he found himself on his feet again, Vin whisking him away to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, his cheeks pink as his imagination ran away with him as to what could have happened just then. Sabastian thought to himself that he might just have to give himself a bit of relief before they headed out.

"Hey um. I'm going to the bathroom real quick. I'll be back." Turning, he didn't wait for a response before scuttling down the stairs of the basement.

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

He watched as she started crying, quietly listening to her words. Damien couldn't hold back tears of his own and he squeezed her gently.

"I suppose you can draw your moral line wherever you like, you just have to be prepared to deal with the consequences. When I was living by myself, I never really thought about consequences. I figured that I could hush any repercussions. If not... If I went to prison, or even was killed by an irate family member, it didn't really seem to matter. There wasn't really a reason to be alive at the time other than to simply... be alive, if that makes sense. There was no direction, there was just killing time until the end came." He kissed her forehead, thinking back on his life.

 

[Drobabes]

Even though she was compliant, he still kept a steel grip on her arm, taking her down another long corridor, and then shuffling her into an elevator at the end of it. It was old tech, but in decent shape, and looked like something built for a nuclear fall out scenario. When the doors closed behind them, they began to descend.

It took quite a while before they finally came to a stop, and when the doors opened, she was greeted by more halls, lit by simple lamps likely running off of generators. From there, they didn't travel too much farther.

She was shoved into another door, and inside this door, there were tall concrete cells with glass walls instead of metal bars like one might expect. There were not many cells, perhaps ten, but inside two of the cells there were live zombies. As they continued to walk through the room and around a corner of the cells, there was a normal person in one, a young man with blond curly hair who looked to be in his early twenties. As soon as he saw the man dragging Sayori through the room, he ran up to the glass and started banging on it with his hands.

"Where is he?! What did you do with my brother?! What did you-"

His shouts were somewhat muffled by the glass, but his anger and fear were easy enough to hear. He only stopped when his eyes took in the sight of Sayori, and then he slowly stepped back from the glass, hugging himself as he began to sob and turn away from them. After that, the Officer hustled her along even more quickly until they reached her cell.

It was a joint cell, connected to another with a large concrete wall separating them down the middle. Both the cells were very sparse, and only about the size of a small hotel room. They contained the basics- a toilet and sink, which had no privacy walls, of course; a bed with a thin foam mattress and even thinner blanket, and a single metal chair.

In the cell opposite to hers, sitting in the chair so that his back was turned to them, was a man. He had shuffled himself over into the corner shadow, so there really wasn't much to make out except for his dirty white shirt and the back of his head, which only told her that the man had short black hair.

"Move bitch."

The glass door slid sideways on some kind of electric rail, and then she was shoved through. The door slid shut behind her, electronically locking into place.

And then they were alone.
______

Delvin watched him leave, his smile quite amused as he watched that little ass run from the kitchen. He was half tempted to follow him, but he didn't want to smother him. Besides, they would have plenty of time to play later.
______

Cora sniffled and closed her eyes as he softly kissed her, and when he started to speak again, she snuggled up against his chest and laid there, listening to his heart beat. She was quiet for a long time, pondering things as well. What were the consequences of drawing a line in the sand? Did she have to draw a line?

"You can start over..." she said softly.

"Make a new life, with me..."

She wanted to stay with him. She didn't know what the consequences of that would be, but surely they couldn't be anything she couldn't handle.

 

[Poprockz]

When she was shoved into her cell, Sayori's strength gave out as though her body knew that she was temporarily safe. She collapsed, the cool concrete floor feeling good against her abused body. The woman could have gotten up and into the bed, but she didn't have the strength to stand anymore, and she didn't want to spear all the cum on her body onto the only bed she would likely have for the remainder of her short life. She would have to wash up, but that would have to be later. For now, her eyes closed. Chilly though it was, she was able to quickly drift into a deep sleep.

She had noticed the zombies, the blonde man, the black-haired man, all of them, but she simply couldn't process any of that right now. What mattered was that hopefully due to her compliance, she wouldn't get the whip tomorrow, and that she was allowed to sleep in peace. The poor woman would end up sleeping for the rest of the day and until the next morning.

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

Having headed back to the kitchens, Jesse continued boiling the potatoes they were going to use for mashed potatoes later. One of the other kitchen staff came in, handing Jesse a paper sack.

"Sweetie, could you go drop this off at the General's office? Lord knows that man works too hard and has to send for food a lot these days, otherwise he'd surely go hungry." The woman shook her head and walked away, likely to do some other sort of chore.

Jesse looked at the bag for a moment, her face scrunching up. For one, she didn't like being called "sweetie" by anyone but her father, and... maybe Tommy if he ever ended up doing that. Two, she really didn't want to swing by the general's office. She couldn't shake the sense that there was something not right about that man. There was no evidence to support this, but she could feel it in her gut. It was odd since she knew Tommy looked up to him, respecting him deeply. Still, better to trust one's gut than not if one could help it.

"Hey Cassidy, I'm a bit busy, could you deliver this to the General's office for me? I'll cover an hour of your shift tomorrow so you can leave early." Jesse offered, holding out the bag and wiggling it to tempt the other woman.

Cassidy grinned and snatched the bag. "Too easy. You're always too busy to make deliveries. If you're not careful, you'll end up with all my hours, and you'll have no time for that cute guy you like to scurry off to sometimes. What's the real reason you don't like going out?"

Jesse sighed and put her hands on her hips, feigning looking conflicted, "well... I was an adventurer like you once... and then I took an arrow to the knee..."

The other girl rolled her eyes, "fine. Be dumb. I'll be back."

The punk/goth girl watched her go, feeling a bit relieved. There was no way she would ever be delivering his lunch. Maybe she was wrong, maybe he was a good guy. It didn't matter though. She didn't have any reason to be around him anyway.

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

Upon reaching the basement bathroom, Sabastian stroked himself to orgasm, moaning softly as he came from the thought of Vin fucking him in a standing position while holding him in his arms. He sighed, tossing the tissue in the waste basket and sitting at the edge of the tub. The little man had advocated for being able to please Vin with his mouth, but he hadn't done it before. What if he was rubbish at it?

For a very brief second, it occurred to him that he could practice on one of his tentacles, but the very thought made his cheeks glow. He cast a look over the door, anxious. It was stupid, he shouldn't feel embarrassed for just thinking something. Still, he quickly flushed the toilet and washed his hands, exiting the bathroom and coming back upstairs.

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

Damien smiled softly, "I would like that. If you'll have me, I would like to stay with you for the rest of my life. I want to try to live for someone other than myself. I always thought that people were cruel, callous, uncaring. If they weren't doing the crimes, they were just allowing them to happen. But... I think the more time I spend with you, the more I start to see something more in people. Maybe I'm just seeing them through your eyes."

 

[Drobabes]

The man in the cell next to Sayori heard the door slide shut, and then the bootsteps walking away. He waited until he was sure they were gone, and then, even though he knew there were cameras, he walked over to the concrete wall. He placed his hand on it and simply stood there, listening. When he heard nothing, he tentatively brought one of his appendages out and let it slowly slink through the metal bars at the top of their concrete divider-placed there for ventilation, and he reached down into her cell.

Very softly, he felt along her body, closing his eyes as he did so so that he could try to figure out some details about his new cellmate. When he brought the appendage back into his cell, he could smell it. The blood, cum, and her own natural juices mixed into it all. They had hurt her. Badly.

A scowl set on his face, and then he let all four of his tentacles come out. He weaved them through the bars, and over the next twenty minutes, he felt around her cell. He used the sink to get some toilet paper wet and wipe the cum from her exposed skin, as best he could. He only had a loose sense of touch to go by, and his own nose, but it wasn't hard to tell where her smooth skin gave way to jagged cuts and hot spots from inflammation. When he felt like he had cleaned her as best he could, he proceeded to lift her up into her bed and pull the blanket up over her shoulders. After that, he went back to sitting in the corner.

No one came to punish him. Not that he thought they would have, anyway, but he could never really tell with that unpredictable bastard. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, and no one had come in to tell him not to, he would occasionally stick an appendage through and into her cell, feeling her forehead and checking her breathing to make sure she was still alive. When the morning came, and he felt her stirring more often, he left her be, not wanting to frighten her.
______

When Sabastian came back into the room, he would find a bit of an odd sight.

Vin was sitting at the table with four cups turned over, and sitting opposite of him, curled up on the table, was Bowie.

Delvins eyes seemed to be locked onto the snake, and Bowies eyes seemed to be locked onto the cups. After a few seconds of tense, quiet, stillness, Bowie suddenly lowered his head to one of the cups and booped it with his nose. Then, very slowly, Vin reached out and lifted the cup to reveal a quarter under it.

With as much seriousness as surgeon performing a brain surgery, Delvin reached out and took the quarter and then placed it in front of him. Then he covered it with the cup, and with very quick movements, he shuffled the cups around into a new position. And then he waited.

Once again, Bowie froze, then booped a cup. When Vin lifted it, there was the quarter.
______

She stroked his arm, the held it against her. His soft words made her smile and feel hopeful for the future, and yet... there was still a heavy sadness about them, in that moment, that she didn't know how to lift.

"I think..."

She paused, looking around the room.

"You know I think, when people aren't given love, something happens. I think...if my parents hadn't loved us, we might not have made it..."

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori stirred on her bed, her eyes slowly opening. Her body was still very tender, the cuts being on her torso and arms, and the bruises being all over her legs, on her hips, and on her breasts as well. He hadn't spared any part of her body other than her face. Even then, there was a cut on one of her cheeks where the tip of the whip had cut her. Every movement was pain, the woman letting out a pained hiss when she had tried to even lift her head to get into a sitting position. She gave up, simply laying there and staring up at the ceiling.

However, she donned a somewhat confused expression when she realized that she indeed was on her bed. She had thought that she passed out on the floor, remembering how cool it had been. It also felt like she was clean, the blankets not sticking to her as they would have otherwise. Had one of the General's lackeys come in and cleaned her up, putting her into her own bed and even putting the blanket over her? She had a very hard time believing that, but it was really the only possibility.

Her ankle throbbed and she sighed, wishing she could just go back to sleep. Being awake meant that she had to deal with the terrible and frightening situation she was in, and she didn't know if she could. She felt so alone, locked away in a cold cell below a base. No one knew she was here and no one was coming for her. All she could do was wait, helpless.

The woman began to silently cry, sniffling every now and then as she stared up and let the tears run down either side of her face. Why did she have to be so gullible, so foolish? She should have known when they reached that nondescript building. The signs were there, she just chose to ignore them.

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

Sabastian simply watched, impressed and a bit shocked by the snake's intelligence. Even people had a hard time with that game a lot of the time, especially if the cup-master was quick with the cups. The fact that he was able to reliably choose the quarter, and understood what the game was was incredible.

"I'm disappointed in you, Vin." He paused for a minute and then grinned, "obviously he's won the giant teddy bear, but you haven't given him his prize. How in the hell did you get him to play this game? Do snakes usually do that?" His eyes went to Bowie, something tugging at the back of his mind just a bit, as though he was sensing some sentience.

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

He thought for a moment, "I could see that. I don't have much experience with love myself, but from what I've experienced with you, it makes everything else seem bearable. It's like a guiding star that lets you look above the shit to the possibility of a bright future."

Damien looked down at her and pursed his lips, wishing that such an evil man hadn't spoiled her childhood. More than that, spoiled a good portion of her life.

 

[Drobabes]

Sayori would be able to hear a scraping noise as the man on the other side suddenly scooted his chair back. A moment later, she would hear his voice coming through the vents at the top of the bars.

"Hey, you're finally awake. You know for a minute there, I thought I was sharing a cell with Sleeping Beauty."
______

Bowies little head would turn to Sabastian and with seemingly happy movements, he would start to slither over to him. If Sabastian was still feeling a tug, he would start to feel a warm flush of affection and almost childish joy.

Vin, on the other hand, was displaying none of those same emotions. His face slowly turned to watch the snake as he crossed his arms over his chest, and then he looked up at Sabastian with an almost unreadable expression.

"Do snakes usually do that?"

"No. No, Sabastian, snakes don't do that."

His voice was quiet, serious, and almost...what was it, fear? Or something else?
______

"I wish you had had someone there to love you."

She wiped her eyes and then hugged his arm very tightly, bending her face down to kiss his exposed skin.

"I'll just have to make up for all those lost years," she chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Silence fell over them again as Cora just sat there. She bit and chewed on her lip for a long moment, letting herself remember the finer details of what had happened at the mansion. She seemed to almost be getting better at that-being able to remember things without completely breaking down into a shaking, sobbing, mess. Or maybe it was just because of him; because of his warmth.

"Damien..." her voice dropped down to an almost inaudible volume.

"Can I...can I ask who Toby was? You don't have to talk about him, but, it...whenever you mention him, it sounds like he was really important to you..."

 

[Poprockz]

The woman flinched and gritted her teeth in pain when she heard the scrape, her heart beating quickly as fear rushed through her veins. It took her a second to realize that the sound had come from the other cell, not from outside. She was more surprised when she heard a man's voice from through the vents.

Wracking her brain, she couldn't remember it well, but she seemed to remember glancing at his cell while passing. There had been a man in the shadows with short black hair. Other than that, she had nothing to draw from. For what it was worth, the man's voice sounded friendly. The General's voice had been friendly too, though. Even if the guy in the other cell was just a plant to get information out of her (which was doubtful considering they knew how easy it was to make her compliant), it didn't matter; there was nothing to be done now.

"If only that were the case. What I wouldn't give for a bottle of sleeping pills. I could actually go for a bottle of just about anything right now..." She was grateful he couldn't see her. When she had come in, she knew he hadn't seen her since he hadn't even turned his head. He hadn't seen the way her naked body had been whipped, bruised, and used. None of it was her fault really, but in a way she felt ashamed of how her body looked right now. She would carry the scars of what had happened here for the rest of her life.

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

Sabastian wasn't quite sure why Vin was being so serious, but the affectionate feeling he was getting from Bowie put a smile on his face and he reached out, letting the snake crawl up his arm. He was tempted to say something nice to the snake about how he was happy to see him too, but he got the feeling that the moment he had felt that, the snake had known. It was odd, it was like the connection between himself and Bowie had grown stronger over time.

The little snake slithered around his shoulders, his head coming up to bump against Sabastian's cheek. He smiled widely and reached up to pet the snake's head. Bowie seemed to really like the physical affection, butting his head against his fingers when they came down toward his slick scales.

"Why the serious expression? Isn't it cool that he's such a smarty?" Sabastian looked at Vin, Bowie also seeming to turn his attention to the big man. It was striking the similarity between Sabastian's and the serpent's eyes.

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

"Me too, but I don't want you to feel like you have to make it up for me. Just love me like you usually do and I think I'll be fine." He gave her a good-natured half-smile, simply sitting with her for a while. The man enjoyed the quiet moments between them, those moments where they simply held each other and let their warmth comfort each other.

When she said his name, he stiffened, his heart beating more quickly in his chest. That was one story he hadn't wanted to tell her. He wasn't sure she would necessarily condemn him for it at this point, but it was a difficult thing for him to talk about. His hands went to her shoulders and he pulled her back from him so he could look into her eyes.

"I don't mean to sound self-important, but I don't want to ruin your day. I don't want you thinking about it while you swim, and I don't want it to poison the fun that you could have thinking about other things. That story is one that is... not going to leave you with a good taste in your mouth. If you really want me to tell you, I will. But I'm just saying that maybe it would be better reserved for another time." His grey eyes looked at her seriously, waiting for an answer.

 

[Drobabes]

The man was quiet for a moment, as if contemplating something. When he next spoke, his voice was cheery and light, almost as if he weren't a prisoner in a cell at all but just free and living his life like normal.

"You know, I tried to make my own hard apple cider once. I found this simple recipe online that basically just called for a big glass container, apple juice, and yeast. It tasted good when it was done, but man did it make me sicker than a dog. I ended up puking all night and into the next morning."

He laughed then, not quite forced, but not quite seeming as if he were really feeling it either. The sound of his voice was a bit higher toned than most mens, but it wasn't girly. His laugh, however, was certainly much higher than normal and more akin to a prepubescent boys. One might get the impression that if they really got him cracking up, his voice might jump a few notes higher.
______

Vin simply stared at the pair for a moment, thoughts swirling around in his head as he tried to think of how to answer that. Ultimately, it wouldn't be up to him what happened to the snake, but this was...bordering on a moral choice that he did not want to think about. However, he found it now placed in his lap, whether he liked it or not.

"Sabastian...he's been getting smarter, over the past few days, hasn't he?..."

He watched the two carefully, but especially Bowie.

"What if his intelligence goes beyond that of a regular pet? What if he gets as smart as us? Or smarter? I'm not talking about him becoming a danger. Infact, I think the complete opposite of that would be true, but if he gets smart... Sabastian, you guys are going to be looking at a really hard moral question pretty soon."

His brown eyes finally flicked over to those two jewels then, hoping he would understand without him having to explain it to him.
______

Cora didn't look up at him right away, a little afraid of what he was going to say. However, soon enough, she found that she couldn't avoid his gaze any longer.

Those liquid steel eyes bore into her with the same seriousness as when he had pulled her down on the bench behind the cabin and tried to frighten her, tried to warn her of what he thought he was. And it was because of this that she was able to straighten her spine a little and stop her lip from trembling.

"Damien, I told you. I love you. All of you. If I can't handle it now, then I never will."

She stared back at him with the same intensity. Whatever he had to say to her, whatever had happened, she would take it in stride. Just as she had done, and just as she always would.

 

[Poprockz]

It wasn't enough to make her laugh, but a little smile appeared on her lips. She could tell that he was just trying to make casual conversation, anything to fill the crushing silence. Even so, she found the little anecdote pretty cute in a way.

"Hm. Apple juice and yeast... That sounds pretty bad. I'm not sure I've ever been that sick, but I had an employee that insisted on tasting all the drinks they were taught. At the end of one of the lessons, she called out sick the next day, apparently hugging the toilet for dear life. Tasting is fine, it's when you take a gulp or two of each that it really gets you in trouble, although that seems like common sense." She turned her head to the side a bit so that she was looking over at the wall between them.

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

Sabastian cocked his head to the side, "what do you mean? Bowie wants to stay with us. It's not as though we're going to kick him out if he gets too smart. What would a smart snake do on its own anyway? It's not like there are any other animals that would be able to provide him companionship at that point." His brows furrowed slightly, not liking what Vin might be insinuating. To him, it was very straightforward. I the snake wanted to stay with them, then they should let him.

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

He looked into her eyes, making sure that she was really sure before sighing and letting go. The man got up and situated some pillows so that he could sit against the head of the bed. Going back to her, he scooped her up and carried her over, setting her in his lap and holding her loosely around her waist.

There was silence for a minute and then he started.

When I was young, about five or so, I had two best friends. One was Toby, and the other was Violet. We had a lot of the same classes and hung out a lot, and eventually when I was around nine I realized I had a crush on Violet. She was so beautiful, and so nice, though at this point I don't remember too much about her." His eyes seemed slightly unfocused as he spoke, as though some distant scene was playing in his mind.

"I went to a private school, so they had parent check-ins every mid-year to make sure the teachers didn't have any issues with the kid's behavior. One of the teachers casually teased about Violet, saying something about how I follow her around like a puppy. Neither of my parents liked that. I think both of them didn't like the idea of me being in any kind of relationship, and I think in a sick way my mother was jealous."

"One night soon after, my dad sat me down and said he had a very important decision for me to make. He said that due to my carelessness and general lack of regard for portraying the family in the high-class light it should be, I was going to be punished." Damien swallowed hard, his hands tightening around her waist as though he needed to know that she was there with him.

"He told me that I would have to murder one of them. Toby or Violet. If I didn't chose, then he made it clear that something tragic would happen to both of them. I... chose Toby. I invited him over the next day and took him to my room. Mom had drugged him at dinner so that he was weaker. I didn't have anything to use so I... I choked him." At this point Damien's eyes were fogging up, his voice strained as he recounted it to Cora. A deep pain was in his eyes, his face pale.

"I put my hands around his neck and I choked him. He was... so scared Cora. He was terrified. He didn't know what was happening. All he knew was that he couldn't breathe, and that I was on top of him. I watched him struggle, saw the life leave his eyes, and I knew he was gone forever. That sweet boy who would pick daisies for teachers, put spiders outside instead of stepping on them. My best friend... He was the first person I ever killed."

Damien sobbed, choking out his words now, his body shaking as he held her as though his life depended on it. "When it was done, they took his body away. I don't even know what they did with it, but he was never found. Afterwards, my mom came in and told me that it was actually a test, and that if I had only chosen Violet, then neither of them would have had to die. She said I was too attached to that girl and that she just wanted to make sure that I "still knew what my priorities were." That... broke me. After that, I couldn't get close to anyone. I stopped talking to violet and ignored her, spending my free time at home in my room."

He wiped his eyes on her sleeve and looked up at her, a defeated look in his eyes. For a moment, it was as though he was that nine-year-old boy, sad, afraid, and hopeless. "And that... is why I don't like talking about Toby."

 

[Drobabes]

"Employee?" he asked. He sounded like he was closer to the opening, perhaps standing just on the other side of the wall.

"Hey, do you mind if I talk to you face to face? This whole concrete wall thing is pissing me off."

If Sayori were looking, she would suddenly see a flash of dark hair at the top of the wall before hearing the sickening sound of someone cracking their head into a hard surface. It would quickly be followed up by boots landing on the hard floor, a moment of silence, and then the man saying "ow."

What Sayori probably wasn't aware of was that the man on the other side of her cell had just greatly underestimated his own strength. He had intended on hopping up and grabbing the bars with his hand, even though it was well over twelve feet in height, but instead he had over shot it and just knocked the top of his head against the roof by putting too much force into his legs.
______

Delvin continued to look at the two for a moment, thinking about what Sabastian had said. If the snake did actually gain sentience-god that was a strange concept to grasp, having lived in a world with humans being so separate from pets, then Sabastian was right on that front. If the snake wanted to stay with them, then well...that was the creatures choice, really. But that wasn't the only responsibility that would come with it, either.

Vin reached out and started gathering the cups up, then he stood and started making his way back to the kitchen.

"I guess you're right. Still, I think you are thinking about it too simply."

He shrugged, looking back at the snake once more.

"I guess it's really up to Cora though, what you guys decide to do with him."
______

Cora sat very still in his lap as she listened. At the mansion, she had gotten a taste of how his mother was, and that taste had made her snap and release some of her own rage, the women reminding her so much of that sick, cocky, twisted head space that their tormentor had subjected them to for years. However, then, and even with everything he had told her until now, she hadn't quite understood just how similar the two were.

Her own body began to tremble, her empathy for him so strong in that moment that she couldn't have held her emotions back even if she had been threatened. Where she had always seen through the game and made the right choices while growing up, those bastards had caught him at such a vulnerable age and manipulated him so well from the time that he was born, that he fully believed there was no other choice. He fully believed that there was only one path to take that would lead to less destruction. And just as she had always feared would have happened to her if she made the wrong move, he had fell right into their trap and dived head first into the snakes pit.

"And that... is why I don't like talking about Toby."

She forced his arms to let go of her waist, her grip on his wrists strong, but gentle, and then she crawled in front of him and sat on her knees. Unlike the first time she had did this to him, however, she wasn't crying this time.

Her hazel eyes searched his tear filled grey ones quite seriously before she crawled up over him and sat on top of his legs. She wrapped her arms around his back and she used one hand to pull his head down into her chest, and then she held him tightly.

"I'm right here Damien. I'm right here."

If there was a life after this, then people like his parents surely had a special place reserved just for them. A place that was dark, and cold, and let them feel every single pain that they had ever caused and then some.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori closed her eyes, picturing her bar in her mind and sighing, "yes. I owned a pretty successful karaoke bar called Notes of Citrus."

She opened her eyes as she heard the rough smack and the sound of boots on concrete. Looking over, she wondered whether maybe he had jumped and smacked his head against the wall or something. "Are you okay? I don't necessarily mind talking face-to-face, but I don't want you to hurt yourself trying. There's nothing much to see in here anyway."

It was doubtful that he would be able to reach the bars unless he was a tall basketball player, or he put the metal chair on the bed and jumped from there. Even then, he would have to be fairly strong to hold himself up. That being said, on the off-chance that he was somehow able to do it, she wanted to be covered. The blanket had slipped down her body just a bit to reveal her shoulders and upper chest, the deep, angry cuts on her skin swelling slightly. With great difficulty, she moved of her arms, pulling the blanket back up to her neck before putting her arm back down within the blanket. God it hurt so much, but when she was finally settled again she was able to breath easy, looking over at the bars at the top of the wall.

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"Hm... I suppose..." Sabastian said a bit quietly. He wasn't sure why Vin thought this was some big moral dilemma. The bottom line was that Bowie liked them, and if he was able to make his own choices, then he should be left to make them. The fact that he thought there might be a point in which they had to part with Bowie made him a bit worried.

He looked over at the snake who seemed to pick up on it, looking up at him with those cute little violet eyes. Bowie slithered over his shoulder and under his other arm, eventually wrapped around him like a seatbelt with his head resting over his shoulder. Sabastian got the impression that Bowie was almost trying to replicate a hug, making him smile slightly.

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When he felt her pulling back from him, he had to force himself to let her go. He wanted her close to him, needing that physical touch. However, that wasn't something he could forcibly take from her. He looked up as she sat in front of him, those beautiful hazel eyes looking back at him. The man had been afraid to look at her, afraid of what came after.

"I'm right here Damien. I'm right here."

He sobbed a bit harder as she pulled him against her chest, wrapping his arms around her back and simply letting himself go. Damien felt safe in her arms, her loving embrace one that he wouldn't give up for the world.

"It's my fault he's dead. I should have realized it was some kind of test... If I had, maybe Toby would be alive. I just... I was so afraid of losing both of them. All of it because I was stupid enough to develop a crush on her... What did I think would happen?"

 

[Drobabes]

The man rubbed the top of his head gingerly, feeling the huge lump that had just formed on his noggin and smelling a little metallic tang of blood. Squinting a bit, he looked up at the bars. The lights were placed up near there, illuminating the rooms brightly, so maybe that's why he had misjudged. He hadn't been really looking too hard at the roof when he jumped.

"Yea I'm alright, just bumped my head. Notes of Citrus sounds like a suave name. Was it kind of a ritzy place?" he asked, thinking about how he was going to go about getting up there. He didn't want to just bring his extra arms out and lift himself up, it might scare her.

"Hey, what's your name by the way?"
______

Delvin didn't continue the conversation after that, the mood having been tampered a bit. Instead, he just started cleaning up the small pile of supplies he had brought in with him and got ready to head out. When he had the guitar slung over his shoulder, he came to stand by Sabastian.

"Do you think they're ready to go, or did they mention staying here a bit longer?"
______

She was quiet as she let him sob into her chest. She wanted to assure him that it wasn't his fault, that he had no choice in the matter, and while that wouldn't exactly be a lie...the truth of the matter was that, he had been in the hands of people that liked to play sick games. And while yes, those sick games were wrong, they were still games that he had to follow the rules of. There had been no one there to get him out of it, so unfortunately, he had to play.

This was something that the world had never seemed to understand. The reason the therapist could never truly help her. No matter how much anyone tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, they couldn't truly convince her away from the truth. The only thing the rest of the world could have done for her and Quint was to get them out of that house and away from that man-but they couldn't. They had failed them because they had been blind to his cruelty, his manipulative ways. The only way to have been able to stop the game was to have had a way to not play it at all, but that hadn't been an option for them.

"They would have just found a reason to punish you baby."

She pet his head gently.

"Even if you had made the choice that they wanted, they still would have found a reason to hurt you and your friends. You already did something to anger them, there was no going back after that..."

She pulled back from him then, and looked down into his face as she wiped away his tears.

"The only thing you can do now is try to live a life where nothing like that ever has to happen again. You don't ever have to play those games again. You're free now; they can't hurt you like that any more. And because of you, they can't hurt anyone else either."

Her hand came forward to push his hair back and she bunched up her sleeve a bit to help him wipe away the new tears that just wouldn't stop. That was ok though, as long as he was with her, he could cry as much as he needed to.

 

[Poprockz]

She didn't even know the guy, and yet she felt a bit relieved when he said he was fine. Hopefully he hadn't bonked his head too hard. Sayori let out a wistful sigh as she thought back about her bar.

"Oh okay...No, it was supposed to be kind of fun and low-key. You know how in Japan they have those places where they have a bunch of separate rooms where people can go to hang out, drink and sing? It was like that, only we had a main area where people could karaoke in the main public space if they wanted. I thought the idea would work really well in an American city as well, so I took out a loan for the bar and got it started. It was actually doing really well... before everything happened..." Sayori's voice was soft with a tinge of bittersweet sadness.

There was silence before she continued, "I don't know if I want to give you my name. I'm... probably not staying for very long anyway." It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but she didn't want him to get attached to her at all. It would be like naming a pig that one was only going to watch be taken to the slaughterhouse. She didn't know whether today or tomorrow would be her last day, when the General would decide that she no longer had a use. There was no way he was going to let her go, not after what she had seen.

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

Sabastian shrugged, "they never said anything to me. Hold on a sec." He hopped up the stairs and went to the attic door, raising his hand to knock before hearing it- Damien was sobbing and Cora was speaking to him softly. Suddenly feeling a bit awkward, he backed a way and quietly made his way downstairs.

"They're having a serious conversation up there, so I don't think they'll be ready to go for a little bit. Should we head out first and leave a note?" He shifted uncomfortably. It was always awkward to peek into someone's more private moments, the blonde feeling like he almost intruded into a very personal moment for Damien.

He took Bowie off his shoulders and set him down on the couch, the little snake slithering away and up toward the stairs.

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

He wouldn't have truly believed her if she had said that it wasn't his fault, but it was the response he was expecting. When she said something different, he quieted his sobs so he could better listen to her. What she said made sense, and yet it was so cruel that it was the truth. She spoke as though she really knew what he meant, that she had felt that same conflict. He felt so connected to her in those moments, feeling truly understood as she reassured him that he had been a pawn on a board that he wasn't able to escape from.

Her gentle hands wiping away his tears were what he needed, or rather she was all that he needed. Every move she made or look she gave seemed to sooth his soul, quieting the screams of anguish from within.

Damien wasn't sure he would ever be able to be rid of the shame and guilt of what he had done in his life, but she gave him hope that someday he could at least learn to live with it. He knew that as long as he lived, he was going to try to be better. For Cora, for himself, and for the parents that had tried to snuff any hint of life from his life.

 

[Drobabes]

"Oh man, that does sound like a lot of fun. Damn, I wish I had had the chance to visit your bar, karaoke is one of my favorite hobbies."

His eyes turned up to the roof again, and he bunched his legs just slightly, getting ready to try the jump again, but when he heard her voice he froze.

"I don't know if I want to give you my name. I'm... probably not staying for very long anyway."

The scowl from the day prior set itself on his face again. She might be right about that, but he wasn't going to address it at the moment and make her worry. If she was right, then he didn't want her last days to be filled with fear.

"That's ok, you don't have to."

His voice was light and cheery, and just before he jumped, he made sure to clear his expression. He put his hand above his head this time, making sure that it would make contact with the roof first if he overshot, and not his skull. Once he was ready, he jumped with about half the force he had the time prior.

As expected, his hand hit the ceiling first. It almost shot him right back to the ground, and he had to flail out with his other hand to grip the bars. For a few seconds, he just hung there. Then, a big grin lit up his face as he pulled himself up, proud that he was finally getting a handle on his strength.

At the top of the bars, Sayori would be greeted with a pair of crystalline, ocean blue eyes. However, unlike a normal persons eyes, his eyes had a ring of bright, jewel like purple around each pupil. If they had been normal eyes, they might have fell under the classification of hazel. Framing those eyes was a handsome, friendly face, his skin a light coffee mocha and his expression very easy going as he smiled down at her.

"But I can tell you mine. I'm Quint, and if I wasn't scared of you screaming and blowing my ear drums out, I would shake your hand."
______

Vin looked at him, pausing and sitting his pack down. With a little shake of his head, he said, "no, I don't think it's a good idea to split up at this point. Besides, we only got the one car."

He went over to the couch and plopped himself down, then he pulled his guitar in front of him and started to strum it idly.

"We'll just wait I suppose. You want to hear anything in particular?"

He looked at him and grinned, hoping he would say yes.
______

Cora just continued to hold him, stroking him gently and resting her chin on his head. After a while, she began to hum to him softly, hoping her voice might be able to soothe some of his pain away.

 

[Poprockz]

Lost in a tiny downspin of of sadness, she was jolted out of it when she heard the scrabbling and flailing near the bars at the top. Her eyes watched in disbelief, wondering if he had actually managed to jump that high. She saw his fingers wrapped around the bars and she realized that he was indeed hanging onto the divide, and her eyes widened as he pulled himself up.

He was very handsome to her, the black hair, the soft brown skin, those eyes... Wow, his eyes were so gorgeous. She had never seen someone's eyes tinted violet like that before. She hadn't met a turned human, nor a half-zombie, so she had no idea about what he truly was. Those beautiful eyes were like looking into a crystal pool lined with amethyst.

"Quint..."

She was so mesmerized that she simply stared for a few moments, her dark brown eyes locked with his. Blinking, she tried to make sense of what he was saying, giving up eventually and shaking her head slightly. "I couldn't get up to shake your hand, and I certainly couldn't jump that high even if I was in tip-top shape. I'm not sure why you think I'd scream though. Is your hand damaged? I don't think that would bother me that much."

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

Sabastian smiled in amusement at that eager grin on his face and walked over. He sat with his back against one of the couch arms and draped his legs over Vin's lap like he would do in the car, his soft little feet enjoying the texture of the couch.

"Well, if you're taking requests, then how about the song "Butterfly" from Jason Mraz. Hm. No, that might be a bit too much right now. Um, how about "Haven't Met You Yet" the Michael Buble one. That's a classic right?" He wiggled his feet a bit excitedly, looking to Vin and that silver guitar. The little blonde man couldn't help but smile widely; every time he saw that guitar in Vin's hands he felt a swell of pride in his chest, knowing that he cherished that gift. He also really liked Michael Buble, finding most his songs to be extremely romantic.

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

The man continued to let it out, letting her comfort him. He was so grateful that she was there for him. Of course that tinge of guilt pricked at him, the back of his mind telling him that he needed to just buck up and deal with what had happened on his own time, but he couldn't. He had been through many years of trying, but none of it ever helped.

At least there in her arms, that soft little voice humming to him, he felt like some of it was being lifted from his shoulders. Eventually, he looked up and gave her a little smile. "Still need some lotion? I'm afraid I might not be able to give you my secret batch, but I can still help you with the normal stuff." Leaning forward, he kissed her lips softly, lingering for a moment before pulling back.

 

[Drobabes]

The space between the bars was not very tall, but it was at least wide, so he was able to prop both of his elbows onto the lip of the concrete and rest his chin on his hands. He didn't seem to be struggling to hold himself up at all.

"Hmm..." he said, staring down at her with a bit of a deadpan expression for a moment as he thought of how to answer. In truth, though, he was just trying not to react her beautiful little face, so puffy from crying and the pain clearly evidenced in the rings under her eyes. It was a familiar sight to him, but he knew that if he ever got used to seeing it, then that would be the day he might as well just pop a bullet through his own brain.

"Alright, before I answer that, let me ask you something. Have you seen anything besides the normal zombies?"

He tilted his head a little and rested his cheek on his hands, as if he weren't hanging there but simply laying on the ground or a bed.
______

"That's a classic right?"

His smile grew soft as his fingers started to strum it out on the cords.

"It is. A lot of people request it, actually. Alright, let's see if I can't get my voice a little higher, hmm?"

He knew the song, but it wasn't one that was usually in his range. However, as often as he had gotten it requested, he had practiced on it enough times so that he could at least do a passable cover.

"I'm not surprised, not everything lasts, I've broken my heart so many times I've stopped keeping track."
______

Her soft lips melted against his and started to pull up just a bit at the end, not being able to keep herself from smiling a little. He always found a moment to joke, even in the darkest moments, and it was something that she prayed he never lost. It was something unique only to him, and it seemed like something that he had been able to develop for himself, despite what his parents had put him through.

When he pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and took a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly as she stared down at the outline of his face.

"I think I'll survive with the normal stuff" she chuckled.

"...someday that it'll all turn out! And you'll make me work so we can work it out!"

She giggled and leaned back, looking towards the door.

"Sounds like we're missing out on the performance."

 

[Poprockz]

The way he hung there, almost lazily made her a bit impressed. His face didn't even show any signs of being strained, nor did his voice. The man must have abs of steel or something like that; or perhaps there were footholds in the wall he could use to basically stand there.

Why was he making such an effort to talk to her? It seemed odd to her that he would want to interact with someone that might be gone the next day. However, she was glad for the company, thinking to herself that maybe chatting with a kind man wouldn't be the worst way to spend her last hours. His question was an odd one too, making her blink innocently once more.

"Anything other than the normal zombies? You say that like there are abnormal zombies. If there are, I haven't seen any. I was in the hotel when everything went down. We spent most of the days in the lobby near the kitchen. Someone made the mistake of turning on the music when they were trying to operate the hotel's breakers. That drew too much attention and they breached the doors. I ran to my room and was able to just make it in time. Only one of the zombies saw me going in, but they weren't able to break in the door those couple days. That's when I was saved and brought here." She looked at him expectantly, hoping he was going to expand on what he meant.

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

Sabastian watched him strum the guitar, loving the soft sound of his higher- pitched voice. He thought to himself that he would have to request something a bit deeper next time though. Vin's deep velvety voice was something he really enjoyed and seemed more comfortable for the man. Still, he simply enjoyed the song, leaning back and closing his eyes as he listened.

He couldn't help but daydream a bit about himself and Vin, thinking to himself that maybe Vin had been the man he hadn't met yet. It was pretty premature to say, but there was no harm letting himself indulge in a little fantasy, his cheeks turning a bit pink as he smiled to himself, his blonde eyelashes resting against those rosy cheeks.

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

"Maybe later. While my special sunscreen is pretty good, I've got some special moisturizing lotion I could rub into your skin later in the evening. Guaranteed to relax those sore muscles." He stole one more little kiss from her before chuckling at the sound of the music downstairs.

"It would seem so. You know, earlier I saw a hickie on Sabastian's neck, and he wasn't wearing his eyepatch around Vin. Did the persistent man work the truth out of our little grumpy marshmallow?" He raised his eyebrow, his lips curled at the edges. Damien was very pleased that the two had been able to deepen their relationship a bit. He didn't really know the extent of it, but the fact that Sabastian had let Vin get close was wonderful; the little guy deserved all the happiness he could get in these times.