Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Quint's expression didn't change much, but he wondered what the world looked like out there, now. He had woken up in his cell after he had passed out from the pain, and after that, the only contact he had had with the outside world was what Kuznet decided to show him through pictures and his cryptic little speeches. He wondered how long he had been in here. A week? Two weeks? Maybe more. It was difficult to keep track of the time when they barely kept his meals on schedule, nor the lights. Sometimes they would wake him up seemingly in the middle of the night to run more tests.

"Yea, there's other zombies."

He reached a hand up to scratch at his eyebrow, smoothing the hairs back into place once he was done.

"Or, well, I'm not sure if you could really call them zombies per-say. Some of the people who were infected by the airborne pathogen didn't fully lose their minds to it, and instead of lumbering around like walking sacks of potatoes with the smarts of a tree stump, we got some people who seemed to have turned into...I don't know, something else."

He lifted his face up and his eyes looked down into his own cell then, seemingly staring at something below the bars.

"It's like instead of having our bodies overrun by the pathogen, they instead adapted and integrated it. Or maybe it's more like a parasite that found a way not to kill it's host. I don't know, it's really weird and I'm still trying to get used to it. I don't feel any different, but I'm definitely a lot stronger than I should be and I have these weird extra arms."

He turned his face back to her then, his expression rather innocent, like it hadn't occurred to him that maybe he might have just opened his mouth and ran off a bit more than he should have.

"But anyways, like I said, I would shake your hand but I'm scared you'll scream."

Pushing his arm up a bit, he shifted his weight onto his other hand and started dangling from that one. His eyes looked around her cell, and then he seemed to cringe slightly.

"Oh crap, sorry I used all your toilet paper. Here, let me..."

And then he was gone. His boots slapped against the hard floor, and not a few seconds after that, a roll of toilet paper would come flying through the bars, it's trajectory unintentionally aimed at her face.
______

Vin continued to sing for him, watching him the whole time. He had always liked the attention and the way that music could put someone in a different head space. It had such a power to shift your emotions, if you were open to it, and he found it a good outlet for people who seemed like they were having a difficult time coping, or that needed a little push into a happier state of mind.

But sitting there with Sabastian was good in it's own way. It just felt comfortable and right, and while he always had a slight sexual want of the man, this felt so much more intimate. It was soothing to be able to just strum his guitar and watch the way those lips turned up into a smile, just for him.

When he finished the song, he got a bit of a devilish look in his eyes, and he started strumming another.

https://youtu.be/VF6-J5BCxWM

"Mockingbird, can't you see? The little boy's, got a, hold on me.~

Baby I'm howling for you.~"
______

Cora giggled at his corniness and then moved up and over to sit near his side. His legs were probably going a bit numb by now, and she wanted him to be able to walk, after all.

"Did the persistent man work the truth out of our little grumpy marshmallow?"

She laughed and looked towards the door again.

"I knew he was going to. I know I was pretty out of it last night, but I still caught the way he wasn't taking his hands off him."

Cora got a little quiet then, having noticed Bowie come sneaking under the door frame.

"It was like he was scared to let him go...hey, Damien. I know I was pretty drunk last night, but did Bowie... Did he kind of, like, dance? When I was singing? Or was I dreaming that?"

 

[Poprockz]

She listened curiously, not having known anything about human zombies. When he got to the part about him being one of them, her eyes widened and she wondered if the violet in his eyes was an indication of the infection. He seemed really nice, not dangerous at all, though she could hardly claim to be a good judge of character right now. Honestly, she was so sure that the General was going to throw her in the pit soon that she wasn't really afraid of the idea of Quint killing her. He would probably be a lot kinder about it if he was inclined to do so.

It was a lot to take in, so she just laid there quietly as she tried to digest it all.

Sayori hadn't noticed the toilet paper being gone since she hadn't needed to use the restroom yet, but she wondered what he had used a roll of toilet paper for. Had the food not agreed with him? There didn't seem to be another use for it unless... Had he cleaned her? It seemed impossible since there was no way he could have reached her in her cell to do so. Even if he had extra arms, it was still an impossible feat.

"Quint, were you- oof!" The toilet paper roll hit her square in the face, the soft tissue bouncing off of her and onto the floor. She simply stared for a moment in shock before bursting out laughing. Her voice was light and dainty, sweet like the ring of a bell. It was just so absurd, lying in bed having been tortured, the threat of death looming over her, and yet a toilet paper roll had been flung through the bars to bonk her smack-dab in the middle of her face. It hurt to laugh, but she went until she wound down, completely losing her train of thought.

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

Sabastian continued to lay there with his eyes closed, though when the new song came on he raised his eyebrow. He didn't recognize it, but he liked the sexy way Vin sang it. It was the kind of song that a crowd would really enjoy since the chorus could be sung along with. Sabastian didn't dare open his eyes or he might get trapped by that irresistible look he knew Vin had on his face right now. That self-assured flirty grin he liked to unleash upon the poor, susceptible little blonde.

His cheeks went a bit pinker, secretly wishing he wasn't so easy to ready. While he felt like Vin could crawl on top of him at any time and Sabastian would let him take him, He couldn't deny that he wanted Vin to care for him in more than just a sexual capacity. It made him worried though, knowing that Vin was a free spirit who likely was just trying to enjoy himself. If Vin was "howling" for him, he suspected it was a howl to possess him, to hold him as they touched and explored one another, not one of longing for intimacy of a deeper sort.

He let those thoughts pass and simply concentrated on enjoying the music. Sabastian hadn't realized he had been clenching his hand slightly, but as he relaxed again he let his hand relax as well.

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

"Yeah, I thought they were pretty close last night too. Hopefully they stay that way. I think Vin's a good guy, so it wouldn't be too bad if they decided to stay together." He mused, watching Bowie come into the room as well. Damien imagined that it must have been a bit tiring slithering up the steps.

His eyes didn't leave the snake as he answered her question, "no, you weren't imagining it. He was totally dancing to your voice. He reminded me of like a mix between a bird and a dog. Dogs are smart, but they don't usually dance. Birds though... They like bobbing to music sometimes I think."

 

[Drobabes]

Quint had hopped back up the second after he had thrown the roll, and while he didn't get to see it hit her face, he did get up there just in time to watch it roll away and her shocked expression change into amusement as she started laughing. It was a welcome relief from screams, yells, and sobbing that he had been subject to listening to day in and day out. It wasn't enough to make him laugh, but it was enough to make him smile, hanging there on the sill and watching her feel something besides pain and fear.

"Feeling a little better, now?" he asked softly.
______

Vin went ahead and finished up his song, and when he was done, he let the guitar rest against his chest. He hadn't wanted to stop singing, but he had caught the way Sabastian had clinched his hand for a moment and he wondered why. Letting one of his own hands come up to rest on the little blonds leg, he rubbed it idly with his thumb as he looked down at him.

"Penny for your thoughts?"
______

Cora watched Bowie as he crossed the room a bit lazily and head towards the bed, disappearing under it. She chewed her lip a little as she mulled over what Damien had said. The story he had just told her was still weighing heavily on her heart and making it a bit hard to really think about the implications of what was happening to her snake, but she knew one thing-he was getting smarter.

Suddenly she stood and got off the bed, giving her back a long stretch and then resting her hands on her hips as she looked down at Damien with a soft smile. It was too much to think about at once, so she decided to put that particular issue away for another time.

"Let's go see what those two love birds are up to-"

Eek!

Cora heard the distinct sound of a rodent in pain, and not a second after, she felt something wet hit her ankle. With a confused look on her face, she bent down to touch it, and when she came back up, she had a tiny bit of blood on the tip of her finger. Her eyebrows knitted together and she pulled her phone out of her pocket, using the flashlight on it as she got down on her hands and knees and looked under the bed.

At first she only saw Bowie, his head up a bit and his nose stuck down towards the carpet. Then she realized that he was trying to get at something, and when she squinted to focus, she realized it was a tiny amount of blood. She roamed the floor with the flashlight for a second, and then she found the upper section of a mouse. Where it's second half of it's body had gone, she didn't know, but she didn't reach in to mess with it as she saw Bowie already making his way towards it to eat it. When she got back up off the floor, she had a bit of a disgusted look on her face as she face Damien, her lips puckered out in a bit of a pout and her nose a little wrinkled.

"Well I guess I don't have to worry about feeding him..."

She looked around the room, and then she noticed where the other half of the rodent snack had gone.

"Maybe I should teach him how to hunt again, though..."

______

 

[Poprockz]

"Yeah. As stupid as that was, I do feel a bit better for some reason. I never thought I'd need a toilet paper roll to the face to get me to cheer up." She smiled, sighing. It still stung, but one of her scarred arms came out from under the blanket to wipe the laughing tears from the edges of her eyes. Afterwards, she rested it on top of the blanket, thinking about what he had said again.

"Can I see one? One of your arms? I promise not to scream." Her brown eyes looked at him curiously. She was expecting something hideous, maybe a disgusting claw or an insect-like leg or something, but she was determined not to let it get to her.

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

Sabastian opened his eyes, but only to glance at Vin and look away. He didn't want to be clingy, the sort of person who demanded to have "the talk" once they had sex with someone once. While it may have been a very intimate moment, his first consenting sexual encounter with someone, to Vin it was a normal thing. He had no doubts that Vin liked him as a person casually, but Sabastian knew that for his own sake, he needed to pull himself back from Vin if that was all it was. Otherwise, he was going full steam ahead toward heartbreak.

The little man's eyes drifted to Vin's hand, that thumb slowly stroking him in a comforting way. He didn't know how to breach the subject without being awkward or ruining things between them. "I was just thinking about how I... like being around you a lot." Sabastian almost cringed from how awkward that was. He had lost his nerve about mid-sentence and it ended up sounding pretty dumb. He wished he could hide, the little man starting to become a bit flustered. "I mean, I suppose that's kind of a given. I'm sure a lot of people really like being around you with how charismatic you are. Not that I'm saying that I like it less than other people, probably more, really. But not like, a weird amount of more. I, well..."

Damn, he was just digging himself deeper by continuing to talk. He needed an excuse to cut it off before he made things worse. "Can you- can you play another song?" Sabastian fiddled with his fingers, starting to withdraw his legs toward a more curled-up position.

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

Damien started to get up, walking toward her and jumping when he heard the squeak. He watched Cora as she checked, connecting the dots as she commented about not needing to feed him. He must have attacked a rat and had a tasty dinner. The man wondered to himself how exactly one trained a snake to hunt, resolving to ask her about it sometime.

"Hm, yes. We better go down there if we want to be able to put in a song request before his line-up is full." He chuckled, putting his arm around her waist and walking with her toward the door.

 

[Drobabes]

Those sharp purple specked eyes caught the marks on her arms and he twitched slightly, not being able to hide the scowl that time. So, they had whipped her then. Quint wondered why. Why had Kuznet let her be used and thrown down here with him, and why in the cell next to him specifically? They both knew he didn't need to force his compliance at this point, he already had him by the balls. So was he using her for something else, then?

"Can I see one? One of your arms? I promise not to scream."

His eyes flicked back to hers and he let the smile turn his lips up once more as he forced himself to soften his gaze for her.

"Alright, but I'm gonna hold you to that. I should probably warn you though, if you're scared of snakes or eels, then you should probably put your hand over your mouth."

His grin grew more playful then, and then he watched her face as he slowly brought one of them up through the bars and let it extend about halfway into her cell. Unlike his light mocha colored skin, his 'extra arms' as he had put them, were a creamy white, and the appendage was rather long, much longer than he thought should be possible if he were to really think about it for any length of time.

He didn't try to do any fancy tricks with it or wiggle it around, he just held it loosely in the air and let her get a good look at it before he decided to move it closer to her. He stopped about a foot from her face.

"Freaky, ain't it?"
______

His eyes widened just the tiniest amount when he heard what Sabastian had to say, and even though he tried to back pedal and save himself, Vin could read it all over his face. He continued to watch as he started fidgeting and pull his knees up, the blush painting his cheeks red making his own heart beat out of tune. Looking over his shoulders to make sure Damien and Cora were still upstairs for the moment, he started to scoot closer to the little blond.

"Bastian..." he spoke quietly, turning those dark eyes back to his dainty little face.

"Do you want it to be more?"

Did he sound a little too desperate with that? Probably. However, he really wanted to know. No, he needed to know.
______

Cora fiddled with her phone for a minute, turning the flashlight back off so she wouldn't waist the battery, and then she wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned against him. A song didn't sound too bad right about now, but she was really looking forward to being able to go swim and working some of the stress off her shoulders on the cool water.

 

[Poprockz]

She hadn't caught the scowl per se, but she caught when he was trying to soften his face. It made her wonder if showing her his arms was a private thing that he had trouble with sometimes. That would make sense considering how different it might be. if it was enough to make someone scream, then it would probably make a lot of people feel insecure.

When the creamy appendage came through the bars, she watched in surprise. She didn't scream, merely stared as it came closer to her. It did kind of remind her of a snake or an eel, but it was... cute in a way. Sayori hesitantly reached out, pausing to make sure it was okay before reaching further and letting her fingers rub over the surface of it.

"Oh!" The small woman let out a little surprised noise before giggling. She touched it again to make sure and tried not to let a little knowing grin show on her face.

"Freaky? Hm... maybe. The texture definitely reminds me of something." Her voice was a little playful, inviting him to ask what it reminded her of. It had been the same thing that Cora thought of, that almost silicone feel.

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

Sabastian's heart beat more quickly as Vin scooted closer to him, those dark eyes meeting his own as the question came from him, the question Sabastian had been avoiding.

"Bastian... Do you want it to be more?"

Why did it make his heart flutter when Vin called him that? He swallowed hard, unable to avert his gaze, but unable to speak as well. After silence hung in the air for a few seconds, he was able to break the spell, looking down at his fingers and finding his voice again. He reached out and set his soft dainty hand on Vin's holding it gently as he prepared himself to speak his feelings.

"Vin, I haven't known you for very long, but I-

It was at that very moment that Damien came down the stairs, Cora against his hip. Sabastian spooked and jumped, his hand jumping back to himself and the sudden entrance interrupting his train of thought.

"Nevermind," he mumbled quickly.

He quickly looked back over to the couple as they approached, biting his lip in embarrassment and wishing Damien had waited just five more minutes before deciding to wander down. Now things were going to be weird between the two of them until they got the chance for another private chat. He had felt almost ready to say it, the words about to come out for him, maybe even without putting his foot in his mouth as much. Now he wasn't sure if he would be able to summon up the courage next time.

Damien grinned and looked to Vin, not finding Sabastian's embarrassed face to be too out of the ordinary. "We could hear your guitar and singing upstairs and thought we might come down and see if you were taking requests." He knew his own eyes were probably a bit puffy and red, but that was okay. Everyone was a bit on-edge these days so Vin would probably understand.

 

[Drobabes]

He was glad she didn't seem to be too freaked out by the appendages, and he simply nodded his head when she wanted to touch it. Her startled little "oh!" made him grin widely, finally getting a bit of the reaction he had been expecting, but then his grin turned to confusion at her next response. Bringing another appendage out from his side, he shifted his weight to his other arm again and brought the white viney thing before his face so that he could touch it with his own hand.

"What does it remind you of?" he asked, poking and prodding his own tentacle.
______

Why did he feel like a man sitting in a doctors office waiting for the news that would decide his fate? He couldn't look away from those jewels as he waited for Sabastians answer, feeling just as trapped under the spell as the little blond before him. Only when he reached out and touched him with that soft skin did he dare to look down, and even then, only briefly.

"Vin, I haven't known you for very long, but I-"

What? What had he been about to say? And why did it hurt so badly when he cut himself off and said never mind?

He didn't realize he had a hand wrapped around Sabastians thigh until he released it and slowly scooted back to his side of the couch so that he could prop the guitar right once more. He forced himself to un-clinch his teeth before meeting Damiens gaze, and he was glad he did because he would have felt pretty guilty had he looked angrily at the man in that moment. He didn't know what they had been discussing up there, but it had obviously been something heavy hearted.

With a little smile that he wasn't really feeling, he said, "yea, still takin requests. What are we in the mood for?"

Cora tried to act like she was oblivious, but by the look on Sabastians face, she got the feeling they had been discussing something a little more than just flirty banter. Untangling herself from Damiens side, she started fiddling with the bag in her hand that held her clothes and toiletries.

"I'm gonna take this out to the car and start getting ready to go."

She looked at Sabastian as she said it, trying to throw him a bone and give him a reason to exit the situation gracefully.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori glanced up at him, happy that he had taken the invitation. "Well, it feels like very soft silicone. The kind you find a lot on... toys of an intimate nature." She giggled, finding it hilarious that the man's arms were like long dildos. The woman was looking forward to his reaction regarding that knowledge.

It was so nice having someone to talk to, and she found herself grateful that she had been put in the cell next to him. She really needed a friend right now, and despite her early hesitance, she spoke up again, "Sayori. My name is Sayori." Even if they didn't get to know each other for very long, she now wanted him to know her name. She wanted him to remember her and the funny little chat they had about his x-rated tentacles. He made her feel a little braver, or at least not so alone.

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

Sabastian caught the look Cora gave him as she announced her plans. He wasn't sure why she wanted him to come with her or whether she had picked up on the vibes in the room, but he was grateful for a way out.

"I'll help!" he piped up, hopping to his feet from the couch and walking briskly past Cora and out the front door. Once he was out, he sighed and made his way over to the car. He knew that once Vin had him alone in the forest he would likely be made to continue his conversation about where they stood with each other, but in the meantime he felt awkward. His heart was doubting and second-guessing himself.

Maybe this wasn't a good time to talk about it. The way Vin had looked at him almost gave him hope that maybe he felt the same way as he did, but he knew Vin to be kind and attentive, so maybe that's what he was picking up on. He personally wasn't sure how people had sex without developing feelings for one another, but it was a very common thing.

He couldn't help but think back to Aurora and how he had flirted with her, seemingly willing to have a little fun with the woman. If things hadn't gone down the way they had, maybe he would have. The thought stung, making him feel easily replaceable. Was it better to remain friends? He couldn't deny that Vin made him extremely horny, but he knew that he would have to stop touching him if he decided that a relationship wasn't worth the risk of losing Vin.

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

Only when Cora said she was going outside so soon and Sabastian quickly exited did he realize that he might have interrupted something. Cora had seemed to want to hear a song, so when she so quickly abandoned the idea, it made him wonder what she picked up on that he didn't. Damien's face scrunched up into an apologetic expression and he sighed, walking over to Vin and plopping down on the couch next to him.

"I... Don't know if I interrupted something, but if I did then I'm sorry." He sat there, not quite sure what to say other than that. Damien hadn't had a friend since he was a boy, so he was a bit rusty. After a moment, he continued, "well. You don't have to sing for me if you're not feeling it. I'd love to hear "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" someday from you though."

 

[Drobabes]

Quint had his whole hand wrapped around the appendage near his face and he was squeezing it with different pressures, testing the sensitivity of the thing when he heard what she had to say. He froze, and then quickly yanked his hand down away from the thing. He got a grin on his face as he looked down at the appendage that was still near her hand, and then with his brows knitted a bit he concentrated on what he was doing with it.

A few seconds later, the appendage almost seemed to shiver under her hand and Quint made a 'vrrr vrrr' noise with his mouth before busting up laughing and pulling the appendage away and back into his side of the cell. He continued to laugh for almost a full minute before letting it die off slowly, and when he was done, he looked away from her and slowly sank back down to the ground.

On the other side of the wall, he leaned his back against the cold concrete and stared down at the floor as he put his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Sayori. My name is Sayori."

There was silence, and then, "It's a pleasure to meet you Sayori."
______

Kuznet had just opened the safe that was sitting under his desk to deposit the tape recorder right when the small screen that was hidden inside focused in on Quinton's face. A smirk twisted his lips as he watched tears well up and roll down his cheeks. Twelve years had passed and yet the little piece of trash still cried just like the first day he had made him drop his pants. He never got tired of seeing it.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

He shut the safe and sat down in his chair, letting his smirk turn more soft and gentle.

"You wanted to see me General Kuznet?"

"Yes, take a seat Tommy. I have a file I want to share with you."
______

Delvin frowned just slightly as Sabastian made his way out the door. He wished he would have just stayed on the couch with him, but he really couldn't blame him for feeling awkward and wanting an escape.

"I...Don't know if I interrupted something, but if I did then I'm sorry."

Vin just shook his head a little and gave him an easy smile as he fiddled with the strings.

"Naw, you're good man, I'll just talk to him about it later."

He looked across the couch, it being a pretty big one, as he made his request and his smile turned to the grin.

"Ah the classics, eh? You got it!"

His fingers moved to their places and he began to strum.

"It's actually one of my favorites. Raindrops are falling on my head,

And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed,

Nothing seems to fit!"

______

Cora was very quiet as she busied herself in the car, finding ways to pack things more efficiently so that they would all have a bit more room to sit and be comfortable. Not only did she want to give Sabastian a moment to himself, she needed one too.

What Damien had told her was weighing heavily on her heart despite the fact that she had told him she could handle it. She wouldn't let him see it, as he hadn't wanted to ruin her fun, but it made her feel sad and sick. She wondered if she or Quint had ever indirectly gotten someone killed, despite being told they hadn't broke any rules. He could have just lied and been waiting for an opportunity to throw it in their faces.

She was so deep into her own thoughts that she didn't even notice that Vin had started playing again.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori's eyes seemed to regain a little more of their light when he vibrated the appendage, making that silly buzzing noise with his mouth. She laughed once more, her eyes crinkling with mirth as she let go of it and watched him retract it back into his cell. A smile remained on her face when he disappeared from the top of the wall. While she wished he would spend more time with her, she did have to use the restroom and could use a bit of privacy.

She breathed a long breath out, preparing to get up. Before she did, she took the pathetic excuse for a pillow and rolled up one of the corners, putting it between her teeth before she began. Her jaw clenched down on the fabric as she sat up, some of her bloody scars sticking to and being pulled on by the mattress. One or two of them opened back up and started bleeding once more, a bit of blood trickling down her back. When that was done, she made little movements, pausing every now and then to breath and center herself once more through the pain.

The woman grabbed the toilet paper and hobbled over to the toilet, using it, flushing it, and washing her hands. Such a simple act was very painful, her body looking like a piece of abstract art with the different shades of reds and pinks. With all of that done, she returned to the bed and laid down once more, knowing that she would have to peel herself off again next time. At the very least, they would spare her the whip today. She spat out the pillow and put it under her head, pulling the blanket over herself once more and quietly letting out a shuddering breath when she settled.

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

Damien felt relieved that Vin wasn't upset. He had braced for the worst, but that easy smile put him at ease and he relaxed. When Vin started playing and singing, he tapped his foot and smiled himself, a dreamy look in his eyes. He imagined someday Cora and himself sitting in the cabin, drinking coffee while snuggled together, simply watching it snow or rain outside. What he wouldn't give to make it somewhere safe for her- a place where they could simply grow old together.

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

He leaned against the trunk of the car while she packed and rearranged things. It seemed like if he tried to get in there to help her, they would both be bumping and bumbling into one another. The blonde looked up into the clear sky, his arms crossed as he thought about Vin. That kind, charismatic, and handsome man. Only yesterday he was trying to keep Vin away for fear that he might find out his secret.

Now he knew, and everything was different. He said that being able to touch Sabastian was worth the risk of him hurting the cinnamon-skinned man. Did that mean he was just extremely horny, or did it mean something more? Was he just underestimating Sabastian, or did he realize the risk and want to pursue him anyway?

Looking over at the house, he heard the song Vin was singing, a small smile coming to his lips. That man's voice was like a lighthouse in a storm, and he wanted to follow the light back to shore.

 

[Drobabes]

Quint watched the tears darken the flooring as they silently fell from his face. At one point in his life he would have slapped himself silly for daring to so openly cry, but after he met Sarah, it didn't seem so important for him to put on such a front. She had asked him once, why hide his emotions when the emotions were the only things that let him know he was still human? That separated him from that beast? And he never had again. Sometimes he would put them aside, to be dealt with at a later time, but never again had he hid them or tried to deny them.

Not for the first time since he had woken up in this cold cell did he think of how he was never going to hear her voice again. Never hear her stupid jokes, or watch her eyes crinkle up in amusement as she came at him with some ridiculously raunchy sex toy in her hand when all he had come into the store for was to look at movies. It wasn't Sayori's fault that their little laughing fit had reminded him of her beautiful face, but nonetheless, the pain hit him like a freight train.

Blood. He could smell it descending through the air and it made him use one of his appendages to pull himself back up to the bars. There were still tears in his eyes and staining his cheeks as he looked down at her.

"Do you want me to seal your cuts?" he sniffed.

"It's another one of those gross alien abilities" he chuckled, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"But I can put some glue stuff on them so they don't sting as bad when you get up."
______

When Vin was done, he stood up and made his way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He was lifting the cup to his face on his way back, so he didn't notice how close his shoes were to the table until his steel toe kicked something across the room.

"Hmm?"

He finished swallowing his drink and made his way over to it, picking the little thing up and examining it with mild amusement.

"Damn, I didn't even know they still made these. Who the hell uses recorders anymore?"
______

When Cora was done, she stepped back and put her hands on her hips and sighed, satisfied with a job well done. It wasn't perfect, but at least they would be able to both put their legs down.

She reached out then and grabbed her backpack, yanking it up by the strap. As soon as she started the action she knew the mistake she had made, but it was too late to stop the momentum. With a little gasp, and reaching her hand out in a vain attempt to grab the contents that began to spill out, she watched as the folded white dress, an old photo, and a little plushy otter fell out and landed in the dirt.

Immediately she dropped the backpack and bent over to start grabbing the items up off the ground, her eyes shooting up to the house with a very worried look as she did so.

"God damnit" she hissed, knocking the dirt off of each item and she quickly tried to stuff them back into her pack. Her cheeks had grown extremely rosie as she did so, and she was all but sweating with the embarrassment of even just Sabastian having seen what she had in that pack.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori looked over at him, a bit surprised that he now had tear-stained cheeks. They had been laughing and joking not a minute before and now it seemed like something was weighing on him. She wasn't sure what it was. Friends? Family? Himself? Sayori? There were simply too many reasons he could be crying to guess the cause.

The offer he made was a tempting one though. To not have the cuts bleed and stick to the mattress would definitely be nice- a small comfort in this hellhole.

The girl breathed out and sat up once more, trying to contain a hiss of pain before getting up. She made sure the blanket covered her and hid most of her body from him, wrapping it around her waist like a skirt with her back to him before covering up her breasts with her arms. Her arms, belly and breasts also looked in bad shape, but her back in particular looked pretty ragged, the cuts crossing over one another from the countless times the whip had been brought down. She might have said it was a miracle that she didn't pass out, but she knew that wasn't true. The man had acted to make sure she never lost consciousness and got any reprieve from her torment.

"Yes, I would appreciate that. While you do it... Do you want to talk? About what brought tears to your eyes? I'm a good listener, so maybe it would help?" He had cleaned her, cheered her up, and was now going to seal her wounds; she wanted to offer something, anything she could to repay him.

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

"Who the hell uses recorders anymore?"

Damien froze and looked back at Vin, his eyes betraying his sense of dread. Getting up, he walked over to him and glanced at the door before leading him back into the kitchen with a gesture. He leaned against the counter, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the photograph and the cassette tape. Without a word, he handed both of them over to Vin with a very serious expression.

After a moment of silence he said, "I found that. In the woods. Right at the edge of the tree-line this morning."

With Cora and Sabastian outside, it was the perfect opportunity to fill Vin in on what had happened. While the note had told him that it was for his eyes only, there was no way they would be able to know that he told Vin, right?

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

The thud of the bag drew Sabastian's attention, and he definitely saw the items tumbling out. A photo, a stuffed toy, and a dress. He wondered what the significance of each of the items was, and why it made Cora blush so much to have them out in the open.

"What'cha got over there, Cora? Is that a wedding dress or something?"

He was about to walk over when a gust of wind blew the photo into the air, likely to lead them on some wild chase. He was able to shoot out an appendage and catch it though, only crumpling it a little bit. When it came back to him, he smoothed it out on his leg and looked at the image.

 

[Drobabes]

His blue eyes raked over her skin as he brought up one of his tentacles and started threading it through the bars. He knew the wounds had been bad, but jesus christ, what had she done to deserve a punishment that bad? Usually Kuznet went a bit easier on the women because they were more compliant. Had she fought him?

He started at the top, working on her shoulders first and trying to ignore how it weird it felt on his end. Not that it felt like a whole lot, but it was still strange.

"Do you want to talk? About what brought tears to your eyes?"

Quint smiled a little, Sayori's question reminding him a little of Cora. Cora was always trying to get people to open up and talk if it would make them feel better.

"I was just thinking about my wife. She wasn't immune to the airborne pathogen and it turned her. I didn't...get to be there when it happened. I was stuck here. That bastard didn't let me say goodbye."
______

He frowned when he saw that look, and as he led him into the kitchen and handed him the picture, his own expression began to mirror his. He examined everything very carefully before popping the little tape in the recorder and hitting play.

His eyes widened like saucers and he almost immediately turned it off before looking at the door to make sure Sabastian and Cora weren't nearby. Very slowly, he sat the recorder down on the table, his hand starting to shake a bit.

"Shit" was all he managed to get out at first.

"I uh...shit."

He handed the photo back to Damien, gesturing for him to put it away, and then he crossed his arms. Holy hell did he want a cigarette.

"Do you think it's a warning? You know, back at the base, right before the outbreak happened, Tommy came into the bar to talk to me. We didn't get very far, all he managed to do was ask me if the guy he shot had actually turned. And then we heard the gunfire start. I haven't had much time to really think about it, but...fuck."

He turned away then, rubbing the back of his neck and starting to pace. He didn't want to be in the middle of something, but he felt like that was out of their hands now. Maybe Tommy hadn't been careful enough? Maybe someone had seen them talking? No, they were already watching them, that recording proved it. Suddenly he stopped, turning back to look at Damien.

"Why were they recording us? How the hell did they get someone on us so fast?"
______

"Is that a wedding dress or something?"

Cora's blush went from a rosie to a full on tomato red.

"N-no! S-shut up! It's just a...dress that Damien let me wear, cause I didn't have a shirt..."

Using the regular t-shirt that was at the bottom of the pack, she quickly covered the dress up with it and then lovingly sat the little stuffed otter on top. She didn't mind if Damien saw the stuffy, or even the photo, but she felt like such a clingy weirdo for still hanging onto that damn dress. When she looked back up and reached out to grab the photo, the wind hit it and she scowled. However, very quickly Sabastian reached out and caught it and then her scowl turned back to embarrassment again and she stared down at the ground and fiddled with her nails.

The photo was of her, Quinton, and another women. It was a much older photo, possibly from ten years ago as Cora and her brother looked they were just outgrowing their teens.

Cora was sitting up on Quints shoulders with her hands held high out in the air like she was getting ready to fly, and a big goofy grin on her face. Her brother had one hand on her knee, like he was holding her steady, and his other arm was wrapped over the shoulder of a gorgeous blond women that looked to be about the same age as them. She had one of her hands on Coras other knee, and her other hand was out in the air making a peace sign. Her head was tilted slightly and her tongue was sticking out. Quints face was a little harder to see because right at the second the photo seemed to be snapped, Bowie had wrapped himself around the mans eyes and seemed to be accidentally knocking his baseball cap off, but it was still easy to see that he was smiling broadly.

When Sabastian seemed to be done looking at it, her hazel eyes finally met his.

"Don't...tell Damien I kept the dress...please? It's really dumb, but I... It was just..."

She cleared her throat and looked away.

"It was the last good memory I had. When I thought the world was ending. I know, I know, it's not healthy...but..."

 

[Poprockz]

The glue felt odd at first- she had expected it to be cold but it was actually warm. Once applied though, there was something soothing about it and it hardened quickly. Well, hardened wasn’t quite the right word. It more congealed and fused to her skin. She wondered if it might give her just a little more protection next time the General decided to “send a message.”

What he said made her heart ache for him. She couldn’t imagine how terrible it must be to know that his loved one died without him. That and the fact that he would never see her or hold her again.

Her voice was soft as she replied, “Forgive me if this sounds disrespectful, but... I don’t pretend to have known her, but I don’t think she would have wanted you there. I think she would have wanted you to remember her with a smile on her face, not be haunted by what she turned into.”

She was quiet for a moment before continuing, “that being said, I know it must be difficult to not have closure, especially with someone you wanted to share your life with. If I know anything about you, I know that you have a kind heart and would have treated her well. I know you made her very happy when she was with you.”

Sayori wondered why Quint had been here before the outbreak, but it was none of her business. “The General is indeed cruel. I feel stupid for having believed him when he said that everything would be okay.”

——————————

Damien took out the second piece of paper and held it up, the blue ink easily visible. “It’s for me, “my eyes only.” You weren’t mentioned. Maybe they planned on giving you yours at some point, but for now they wanted to fuck with me specifically. They shined a light in my eyes with a mirror to get me to find the cassette player, so they’re physically close and watching us; it wasn’t something that they just left behind last night and left. They’re close.”

He rubbed his face with his hands, letting out a stressed sigh and closing his eyes. His arms were then folded and he began to tap his finger. “Why were they watching us to begin with? Sure, I beat up a guy, but that doesn’t seem like a good reason. The only other thing I can think of was that the guy was going to drug Cora. So... maybe it’s someone from my past? Or maybe it’s just someone who took a sick interest in us. I... I don’t know.”

“And... who is Sam? Why was he tortured?” They did some pretty fucked up stuff to him.” Damien pursed his lips, not wanting anyone with that capability for cruelty anywhere near Cora.

—————————————

Sabastian smiled as he looked at the photo. He wasn’t sure who the blonde was, but she recognized the other three. They all looked so happy, and part of him wished Cora still had her brother to comfort her. They were twins so they must have been very close. Losing someone like that must have been really hard.

He walked over and handed her the photo. “Okay... I can kinda understand taking it as a souvenir, but why do you hold onto it if you have Damien with you?” No sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized that Cora might be worried about what would happen if Damien was killed. If a zombie got him or he turned from a bite, then the dress would be all she had to remember him by.

The blonde shifted and quickly said, “never mind, that was a dumb question...” he smiled after a moment and crouched down next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Well, I suppose I could keep quiet for a member of the midnight club, as long as you don’t tell either of them about my dildo tentacles.”

 

[Drobabes]

Quint smiled at her gentle words, continuing down her back in a crisscross pattern. True, Sarah probably wouldn't have wanted him to remember her looking like a zombie, but at the same time, she probably only wouldn't have wanted that because it would put him in danger. If it was a sickness that she would have eventually gotten over, they might have shared a good laugh after about the way she might have stumbled around, so completely out of it. But it was a little different than that.

After he had woken up here, Kuznet had started his tests almost immediately. One of the first things Quint had found out about himself and his new body was that the zombies had no interest in him. And that meant that, had he turned and come back home, he would have been able to hold Sarah in his arms once more. One more time, before he helped her body follow her into the next life. It wouldn't have been a replacement for her, but it would have been something. He hadn't gotten to see his parents either, after they died, because the wreckage had been so bad, and it had never quite let loose the grip on his heart.

"Thank you" he said, quietly, then continued his work until her whole back was sealed with the strange fleshy glue.

"You're not wrong, Sayori. I don't know what brought you under his radar, and I wish I could say I could get you out of here, but we're both stuck in the snakepit now. Unless someone throws us a rope, we're screwed."
______

Delvin stopped pacing for a moment as he took the note and looked at it. He didn't recognize the handwriting at all, not that he expected to, really, but he had been hoping for some kind of clue. Still, Damien was right, why were they screwing with them to begin with? And were after both of them, or just him? Or...

Right at that second he had been running a hand through his fingers, but he paused. His eyes stared down at the ground as he seemed to be frozen for a second, and then he let his hand drop down and his gaze went up to Damien.

"Maybe they weren't after us. Maybe they were after Cora."

If he was being honest with himself though, he really didn't know. It could just as easily been Damien they were after, and they might have been trying to get to Cora in order to get to him. His brown eyes looked at the door again. He felt just as confused and shook up as the first time this had happened.

"I don't know. I can't pretend to be able to get in this fucks head anymore than you can, but maybe right now isn't the best time to discuss this. They only went out to the car to put a bag away..."

He looked back at the couch, at his guitar, as he tried to think.

"I don't know if it would be a good idea or a bad idea to get some guns. If they already have eyes on us, they might see us arming up..."

There was so much to think about. Mostly the why, but also, how long had they been following them? Had they been there before they came to the base? At that disgusting preachers twisted prison? Did they know what Sabastian was? The thought of them fucking with Sabastian, or any of them for that matter, made him clench his jaw and start grinding his teeth again.
______

"...but why do you hold onto it if you have Damien with you?"

She bit her lip, not wanting to answer that. How could she answer that? Not only was she being a little possessive, in her eyes, with keeping that dress, but she was also acting like a little school girl and dreaming of a day when she might be able to wear it for him once again. Never in her life had she thought she might marry someone, her mental scars running so deep that the possibility of it had been shut behind a huge metal door and locked up tight, left in some dusty corner to be forgotten about. But now...

"never mind, that was a dumb question..."

Well, if he wanted to come to his own conclusions about it, then that was just fine.

She took the picture, looking down at it briefly and smiling, then put it away in her pack. Her eyes came up to meet Sabastians as he patted her on the shoulder, at his mention of their little secret got a giggle out of her. Finally her cheeks started letting up with their assault on her poor little veins and her skin tone started to lighten.

"Aye aye Captain. Although, I get the feeling that neither of us will be able to keep that secret from Vin. I think eventually he's going to drag it out of you."

She started giggling again, trying and failing to control her mirth.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori hoped she hadn't overstepped, hearing that soft simple "thank you" as a reply. She looked at the floor while he worked, slowly feeling her back being coated. Normally she might have found it to be a bit gross, but it would help with the pain and that was all that mattered to her. The man who tortured her with that expressionless face had let the whip fall to the disgusting floor seemingly on purpose for several times, so she had worried about them getting infected. For some reason, she got the feeling that the goop was disinfecting her in a way.

"All I did was confide in him about something from my past... He had pictures on his desk and I recognized someone from one. Since then he... had me taken here. The only things he told me were that he would hurt me more if I didn't to exactly what he said, and that he wanted me to read off a card for him. I think... I'm being used to punish someone for "breaking rules," though I don't know what rules they broke or why he thinks that they would care- we weren't on good terms." Sayori walked over to the bed and took off the pillowcase, ripping the seems in certain spots until she was able to pull it over her head as a make-shift shirt.

The woman was now clothed as much as she could manage at that point, glad for a bit of modesty. She still had cuts and open wounds on her stomach, chest, and arms, but having her back done was fine for now; she didn't intend on sleeping on her belly anyway. Her legs were bruised as hell, but at least they hadn't taken her pants off when they whipped her. Sayori made a mental note to herself to try to clean her front wounds in the sink later, not wanting them to get nasty.

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

"Maybe they weren't after us. Maybe they were after Cora."

Damien shook his head, "no. Who would have a grudge against Cora? She's the sweetest woman I've ever met. She only had one person she had trouble with, and they're dead." Honestly, the thought of someone being after Cora terrified him. If someone were to steal her from him, torture her, kill her... He thought he would probably go fucking nuts. She had already endured so much pain in her life, she didn't need any more of it. Cora deserved happiness and he would be damned if he didn't do everything to ensure that.

That being said, he didn't want anyone to be fucked with in their group, including himself. He silently mulled over everything. Damien didn't really have any attachment to Sam or the man who tried to drug Cora. But it worried him that whoever left the photo wanted him to know that they were more than capable of doing some fucked up shit. They were going through the trouble of stalking them from place to place, staying close and watching. That was some pretty strong obsession right there, a dangerous amount.

He looked up at Vin and nodded, "we should finish this discussion another time. I agree with you though, if we arm up, they'll know we know. I don't know if they'll escalate if we disregard what's on the note. If anything, it might be more plausible for me to get another weapon here and there, make it look like I'm preparing without telling you guys."

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

Sabastian grinned, standing up and putting his hands on his hips. "He can try, but these ad boys don't come out unless I want them to. He's going to have to be very persuasive to even get me to show them off to him. I even made him shut his eyes last night when I grabbed myself a tissue box."

He stopped, his face going a little pink as he realized what he had said. No, it was an innocent sentence, he didn't have anything to worry about. He could have been grabbing the tissues for their tearful conversation about his true identity, so she might not make the leap that he had been grabbing them for when Vin was behind him, cock pressed against his ass as that big hand stroked him...

Clearing his throat, he scratched the back of his head. "So uh... Vin and I are going to be seeing how strong I am today. That'll be interesting.

 

[Drobabes]

"...we weren't on good terms..."

"I doubt that they would have wanted you to be tortured. But even if they hated your guts, it's just part of his game. Whether or not they care about you, you were basically just a pawn to send a message."

He looked away, outside of their cells, as she dressed herself and he thought about what she had said. Besides himself and Cora, he knew he had a lot of other people on his puppeteers strings. There were plenty of people in the higher ups that were probably desperate to cash in favors now that the world was over and their money was worthless. He could see when she was done through the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but look at her a bit sadly. He wished he could have given her his shirt, but he had already done enough to piss them off and anymore might risk her getting punished right alongside him. Right now, she had served her purpose and he knew she likely wouldn't be touched until she was needed again.

Almost as if by thinking of the demon, he suddenly heard the other blond man begin to shout again, still desperately trying to get information about his family. That had really broken him for the first couple of his days here, especially when he knew the kid was likely never coming back. Dropping down quickly, he went and sat in his chair in the corner, turned away from the cell door. Not a few moments later he heard their boot steps.

Instead of his cell door opening, however, he heard Sayoris slide over. He tried not to flinch, tried not even acknowledge it, but he knew Kuznet had likely been watching him the whole fucking time. Still, the only way to win the game was to not play it at all.

The man who whipped her so mercilessly earlier was the one to step into her cell, and, once more grab her by the arm. Kuznet stood just outside with his hands crossed behind his back and simply watching as the dark skinned robotic officer drug her out and in front of Quints cell door. Kuznet was also not blind to the slight display of anger that his Officer had displayed when he saw the way the wounds on her back had been sealed, and he made a mental note to allow his subordinate to punish Quinton for it later. But, for right now, they had business to attend to.

The officer pressed a code into the small box on Quintons cell, and then his doors slid open. Quinton, confused, allowed himself to look over his shoulder just in time to watch Officer Limp Dick shove Sayori into his cell. He scrambled out of his chair and caught her just before she hit the ground, and then he put her up onto her feet, watching as the door slid shut behind her.

"What's this? A reward for doing all you're little tests without putting up a fight?"

His grin was ear to ear, and his voice was dramatically cheerful. His hands, however, kept hold of Sayoris waist in an almost protective manner, like at any moment he was going to throw her behind him and shield her from a bullet.

"In a way, you could call it a reward" Kuznet said, stepping up to the glass and staring down into Sayoris eyes with cold malice.

"I have another test for you, Quenton. Or rather, a task."

His eyes finally released her so that he could look into those ocean blue jewels.

"You will lay some of your eggs into this womens womb, and you will care for her until they have incubated."
______

Vin shook his head in agreement about the guns, but as he listened, he started walking towards the front room. He didn't like the idea of them being so close, nor the idea of them still being followed. For all he knew, they could be looking at them through the window right now.

"Alright, maybe we should stop to camp next time instead of a house. It might be harder for someone to follow us if we're out in the middle of nowhere and they don't have as many places to hide..."

He tried to stop grinding his teeth, but found he couldn't, so he started looking around the front room. Maybe he would get lucky and find an old pack lying around, but more than likely he would probably have to go digging through the bedrooms.

"I'll meet you guys out at the car in a minute, I'm going to try and find some smokes. Going to grind my fucking teeth right out of my jaw at this rate.." he grumbled.
______

She continued to laugh at his antics, finding his little stance hilarious. She didn't want to burst his little bubble, but she very much doubted that Vin had actually closed his eyes when asked, and by the purple poka dots lining Sabastians neck, she doubted he couldn't 'persuade' Sabastian either.

Putting the photo away zipping her backpack up, she started to head over to the trunk with it. She stuffed it down as she listened to what Sabastian had to say next, and then she shut the trunk.

"Oh, do you guys have any idea where you want to do it? I wanted to stop by a river and go swimming today, maybe you guys could practice in the woods nearby?"

 

[Poprockz]

"Hm..." Sayori said quietly, thinking on his words. It mad her feel a bit sad that she was just a pawn to be used, but it made it worse thinking about Quint being used too. How could someone as evil as the General have such skill at appearing kind and warm?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard shouting from another cell and then bootsteps. Fear swooped upon her, causing her to tremble and shrink back against the wall. She hoped they weren't here to grab her again. He had said she wouldn't be whipped today, but maybe they were going to fuck her roughly like they had done the day before. Her large brown eyes looked fearfully at the General and the torturer, seeing that they had indeed stopped at her cell.

She shook her head, as if to deny that they were here for her, Sayori feeling like her heart was going to beat out of her chest as the door opened and that dark-skinned man came over to her. "N-no, please... Don't..." she whimpered as he grabbed her arm. For whatever reason, she noticed him almost imperceptibly flip the pillowcase up to see her back, but it was apparent that she had been given help by Quint and she saw his eyes narrow in anger. What had he wanted to do with her, dig around in her wounds until she was a pathetic pile of whimpers once more? How did he get off on such sadism?

It unsettled her that Kuznet was there too. He could have had his lackeys do things to her while he attended to more important things, and yet he was here to take her. This could only mean bad things were coming her way. Her ankle was still swollen and sprained, especially with how she had been thrown to the floor several times and had been forced to put weight on it as she hobbled. Speaking of, she tried her best to keep up with him. While she didn't want to go, she knew it would be so much worse for her if she tried to fight him.

She had been afraid that maybe they would do something to her in front of Quint's cell to taunt him, showing him what happened when he was kind to another prisoner. However, she soon found the door opened and herself shoved forward. A little yip of pain escaped her lips as she landed on her bad leg, tumbling forward toward the floor and... into Quint's arms?

When he put her back into a standing position, she clung to him, shaking slightly as she watched the door shut. She didn't mind being in the cell with him, but why were they allowing this?

Her eyes met Kuznet's when he got closer and she shrank against Quint. He was so terrifying, the way those soulless blue eyes bore into her. He even had command of her body, the woman being unable to move or look away until he decided to look away.

"You will lay some of your eggs into this woman's womb, and you will care for her until they have incubated."

What?

Sayori stared at him, not quite understanding. Did he want Quint to fuck her and get her pregnant? What in the hell was going on. "What... what do you mean? What eggs? You're not making any sense!" Her voice was panicked and confused, the small woman looking up at Quint to confirm that the General was talking nonsense.

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

Damien nodded, "that sounds like a good plan. Hopefully we can throw them off our trail soon." He followed Vin into the front room and then saw the way the man was pacing. Smoking was never a habit Damien had formed, not liking the feeling of things in his lungs, nor liking the taste of it. However, he could understand how Vin might need something to relieve his stress. More than likely he was concerned about everyone, but Sabastian in particular. Sabastian was a strong guy, but a bullet to the head was a bullet to the head.

"I'll meet you out then. Maybe we have some gum in the car if you don't find any smokes. I'll check." With that, he stepped outside and started walking over toward Cora and Sabastian.

Sabastian glanced at Damien and then replied, "yeah, I think the forest would be great. We probably wouldn't want to be too far, but not close enough that you would be in any danger of my sweet moves." The blonde man grinned a smug grin, thinking of how he might be able to lift up some pretty big rocks.

 

[Drobabes]

Quint still had that smile on his face, though now it had smoothed out into just a regular grin. He could see Sayori looking up at him, but he didn't dare break his eye contact with the General.

"Oh really now?" he said, his hands on her hips squeezing her a little, almost as if in warning. He really needed her to shut up before she earned herself another punishment, but if he had to, he would quiet her himself.

"Look, Kuznet," he moved Sayori aside, stepping around her and coming to stand in front of the glass with his arms crossed.

"I've done every single one of your tests. I've done them in a timely manner, and I haven't broken any of your rules. I get up when you tell me to get up. I eat when you tell me to eat. I shit when you tell me to shit. So, just this once, I'm going to cash in a rain check."

They seemed to have a bit of a stare-off. Quint not backing down, but Kuznet also just looking down at him as if he were slightly amused, but mostly bored. Suddenly, Kuznet looked away. His face turned back to look over his shoulder, and from Officer Limp Dick's back pocket, he pulled out a little photo and handed it to Kuznet.

Kuznet looked it over with his bored eyes, and then he held it up to the glass for Quinton to see as he leaned his huge stature down to get on his level.

"Should I bring her in right now, little Quinton?"

The photo was of Cora standing with a small group of people, all seemingly getting things out of a car. Sayori probably wouldn't recognize Sabastian or Delvin, but Damien was easy enough to see as he had his hand around Cora's waist. Her expression was easy going, even happy it seemed.

A white appendage suddenly came out from the bottom of Quinton's shirt and twitched in agitation behind his back. He didn't move a muscle as he waited for Kuznet to take the picture away. When he finally did, he handed it back to his officer, and then he stepped back and took that casual stance once more, crossing his hands behind his back. Suddenly the white appendage disappeared, and when Quinton turned around to face her, he had a determined look set on his face.

He put his arms down slowly and then reached up to put a hand on Sayoris shoulder. With seemingly no mercy in his eyes, he turned her around, slowly, and then led her to the back wall. Once there, he gripped both her wrists and made her put her hands up on the wall. He then put his hand back on her waist and just stood there for a moment as awkward silence filled the room.

"Aren't you going to give us some privacy?" his voice said, no longer full of good humor. A bit muffled now, Kuznet answered with,

"I want to make sure the job gets done."

Quint laughed, and then he tilted his head a bit sideways as he looked over his shoulder and gave the man a lopsided grin.

"Come on Ray. You already have cameras pointed at every angle, and you know I've never been able to get my dick hard for you."

He had definitely just earned himself a punishment, but at least, for the time being, the two men left the room.
______

Vin nodded, but just kept looking around the room.

"Gum would work, at least for a bit."

Outside, Cora was still laughing somewhat at Sabastian's antics, and for once she didn't really notice that Damien was a bit off.

"Sweet moves, huh? Just don't go knocking any trees down or throwing the car around."

Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if he could lift the car. After all, he had picked Delvin up like he weighed less than a bottle of water.

"Where's Vin?" she asked, looking around Damien.

"Oh, I should probably go get Bowie. I'm sure he's done eating by now. Ah, actually, Sabastian."

She looked back to the little blond.

"Do you think you could help me at some point? He tried to catch himself a mouse earlier, but I think he doesn't know his own strength now. Instead of just constricting it like he normally would have, he uh... Well, he squeezed it so hard it literally exploded into two pieces."

Her nose scrunched up again in disgust and a little empathy for the poor creature. It was probably a bit of a faster way to go than slowly having it's little rib cage cracked and the air squeezed out of it's lungs, but it still sucked. She hated live feeding.

"I wanted to kill his food first, but even if I mercy kill it and then give it to him, he might just do the same thing again, and I'm wondering how I can teach him not to squeeze so hard. You got any ideas?"

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori felt the squeeze to her hips, wondering if it was a sign that Quint was also agitated by the request. The fact that he didn't look at her though... Did he really have eggs and the ability to lay them inside her? Would he use his cock, one of his appendages, or something more horrible to think of?

When he moved her aside and moved forward, she took a couple steps back, not knowing what to do or what she should be afraid of more: Kuznet, or the eggs. Though, she found it somewhat touching that Quint was trying to save her, seemingly trying to put his foot down with the General and keep the unspeakable from happening. However, her sinking feeling that Kuznet would not be convinced was confirmed when she saw him bring out the photo.

Was that... Damien? Kuznet was referencing the girl in the picture, and she looked remarkably like Quint but as a female version. His hand was on her waist... Her stomach twisted as she realized that his relative might be in more danger than what Kuznet offered. What if Damien was keeping her against her will or forcing himself on her each night? Did the other two in the picture know? Despite her fear, Sayori had taken a step closer to look at the picture before it was taken away once more.

The next thing she knew, Quint was looking at her with such a scary face, one that told her that he would do whatever was necessary to prevent Kuznet from harming that woman. She flinched, the hairs raised on the back of her neck but she couldn't move as he put a hand on her shoulder. She was led back, her body being manipulated and positioned as though he was about to conduct a strip search or some such thing.

Her body trembled in fear and she started to silently cry, hanging her head down a little as she felt that hand on her waist. She closed her eyes, trying to block out what they were saying and trying to slow her breathing; if she didn't, she was going to be in danger of hyperventilating. Sayori didn't hate Quint, not for protecting someone he loved. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't terrified of him in those moments though. The woman waited, waited for him to do whatever it was he was going to do.

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

Sabstian chuckled at the idea of knocking trees over. He was strong, but he surely wasn't that strong.

Damien shrugged, "he's inside seeing if he can pilfer some smokes. He's all out of his pack and he likes having some around." His words sounded casual, though he was still slightly reserved.

When she mentioned Bowie, Sabastian perked up and listened, cringing slightly at the image of Bowie popping a rat in two from the force of the squeeze. That sounded absolutely horrid and disgusting. Still, he wondered if Bowie couldn't simply be told at this point that it was too much pressure. Or perhaps once Sabastian got more of an idea of his own strength he might be able to help Bowie out in turn.

"Well, I don't have any ideas yet, but I could see if I could get the message across to him. He might be able to understand if I figure out how to send him images or something," he said thoughtfully. Maybe that would work, sending the thought of very lightly squeezing the rat.

 

[Drobabes]

He could all but smell the fear on her and it absolutely broke his heart. If he didn't need so badly to put on an act in that moment, he might have started crying himself. As it were, though...

His breath left his chest in a heavy sigh, and he counted silently to himself.

One...

His hand moved from her hip and slowly snaked up her back, and when it got to her shoulders, he kneaded her gently, like he was trying to work out a sore muscle. He was very careful not to put his hand on top of a cut, and he lingered here for quite a few seconds before doing anything else.

...eleven...

His other went to his waist and unclipped his belt. He then pulled it completely out of his pants and used one of his tentacles to fold it up as that same hand then went to her waist. He gripped her side in the way a lover might, then, moving it to her front, he let his fingers splay out across her stomach as he gently pulled her back against his groin. He wasn't hard at all.

...sixteen...

He dipped his head down near her ear, and in a quiet whisper, he said,

"No matter what you hear, don't turn around. He won't kill me."

Suddenly he released her and stepped back quickly. He had started counting, knowing about how quickly the big man walked, and he guessed that he had about thirty seconds before he decided to look at one of his many screens. Thirty seconds was all he needed though.

One of his tentacles shot out and gripped the bottom leg of his bed, and with a groaning whine from the metal, he broke it off. Now, gripping a jagged piece of sharp metal in his hands, he brought the folded up belt to his mouth and bit down on it as he dropped to his knees and started cutting into his wiggly appendage. His screams of pain went high into another pitch, but he managed to completely severe the wiggly thing and toss it across the small room before he was suddenly blasted with a stream of pressure condensed cold air.

He fell to the floor, the metal clattering down on the concrete as he folded his arms together and tried to ignore the white frost on his limbs. It wasn't very hard, considering he was still screaming in pain and biting into the belt to prevent himself from chewing his own tongue off.

Boot steps came running back to his cell and then the door opened. Officer Limp Dick strolled in, grabbed Sayori, and then gave Quint a rib-cracking kick to his side that made him open his mouth to cough, causing the belt to fall out. He then pulled Sayori out and deposited her into her own cell to be dealt with at another time.

Before he left them alone once again, he stood outside of Quints door and sneered down at him.

"You only prolonged the inevitable, little boy."

With tears streaming down his face and his body shaking from the cold, Quint glared up at the man and managed to get a few words out between the grunts of pain.

"I'm not-ah! Going to do you're f-fucking, uhn! Dirty work for you bitch..."

The Officer hit a button on the side of his door, and the sound of the condensed cold spray could be heard once more. Just before the fuck face walked away, he looked into Sayori's cell and gave her the same sneer.
______

Vin followed his nose. Sabastian might have had the senses of a bloodhound now, but Vin could always smell where a smoker spent most of their time. Almost a bit unexpectedly, he found himself in an extra guest bedroom on the lower level of the house, somewhat near the basement. The strongest point of the odor was coming from the bathroom, and if he had to take a guess, he would have said a teenager spent most of their time down here-blowing the smoke out the window and thinking that that was enough to cover the evidence.

He got down on his knees and opened the little door under the sink, and then smiled widely when he saw almost a full cartoon of cigs. Fucking, jackpot.
______

Cora bit her lip and chewed on it a moment as she looked at him with a bit of a worried expression.

"Alright..." she finally said, not really feeling up to having that discussion about her pet becoming smarter as smarter as the days passed. She didn't want to think about it right now.

"Alright, I'll be right back" she said, making her way into the house and then heading for the stairs. Once she was up in the room, she took a moment to tidy it up a bit and make the bed, then she bent down and picked the little bowl and spoon up. She tapped them together lightly a few times and waited. Sure enough, Bowie came crawling out from some hole in the wall, and when she saw a few extra lumps in his stomach, she couldn't help but smile and shake her head before she picked him up.

 

[Poprockz]

While his massage to her shoulders may have meant to be soothing or sensual, it didn't help ease the terror that gripped her. At this point she thought he was just prolonging the encounter, denying the inevitable forced entrance into her womb.

When she heard the clink of his belt being undone, her breath caught and she had to force herself to breathe once more. It was almost worse that it was him doing this. Of course Kuznet or the other robo-officer would have been awful, but being forced by a friend was worse. She knew he didn't want to do this and that he probably enjoyed her company, but he had to do it nonetheless.

The finger in the edge the skirt made her shudder, her body knowing that sort of touch. It was about to happen, he was about to pull her skirt down and impregnate her with god knows what. Would they burst out of her stomach when matured? Would they eat their way out? She just didn't know and that scared the hell out of her.

She was surprised when she felt he wasn't hard, but she knew that he probably either used his appendages or some kind of secret thing to do it. Sayori flinched when she felt him near her ear, confused by the words she heard. What was he going to do? She soon got her answer as he suddenly pulled back.

Sayori was so tempted to look back at what he was doing, but she obediently stared at the wall as requested. All she could hear was metal being ripped off, screams of pain, and a faint squishing sound. Then even she could feel a bit of the cold breeze from the blast of cold air toward him. She heard bootsteps, not sure whether it was safe to turn around. There wasn't much of a choice for her when her arm was grabbed, the torturer yanking her out of his cell.

She looked at Quint as she was taken, seeing him on the floor in pain and covered in frost, his appendage lifeless on the floor near him. Her face had an expression of shock and great pain as she saw what he had done for her. When she was back in her cell, she shrank under the officer's sneer. It was the most emotion she had seen him show and she had to say she preferred him expressionless.

Once he was gone, she untied the blanket around her waist and held it up toward the bars. "Take my blanket, Quint, please!" Sayori couldn't believe that he had cut off one of his limbs to prevent it from happening. Why would he do that for her? He hardly knew her for a day and his relative's safety was on the line. She felt guilty, guilty that because of her he might be subjected to a lot of pain even beyond what he was already going through.

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

Sabastian and Damien watched Cora go back into the house, both of them standing quietly near the car. Damien had his mind on the recorder while Sabastian was thinking about the limits of his telepathy. How did one control such a thing? Maybe he could practice on Bowie later.

Damien walked to the driver's seat and got in, turning on the car as he waited for the other two to grab their things and come out.

 

[Drobabes]

"No" he growled.

"P-put it back on. He'll j-just punish you if y-you help me."

He shut his eyes tight and tried to hold himself together, wrapping his arms around himself and letting the severed limb slowly recoil back into his body. The cold almost hurt worse than what he had done to his new limb, and he wondered if this was what it felt like to fall into a lake in winter. It hurt, right down to the bone.

There was silence for a long moment after that, save for his occasional whimper of discomfort. Then, he started giggling like he had just lost his goddamn mind.

"D-did you see his face? I fucking got t-to him. I finally got under that f-fuckers skin."
______

Vin didn't exit the bathroom immediately, instead opening the window and lighting one up. He took a long inhalation and then let his shoulders drop as he let it out slowly, the nicotine and cocktail of other drugs helping to slow his shaking nerves. Now that he had a moment to himself, he tried to think a bit on just what the fuck was going on.

It had to have something to do with the army. Otherwise, why would they have had one of their own soldiers shoot that man? But then, why did they shoot the man right in front of them at all? Why not wait until they were gone, or come detain the guy first and drag him off? He ashed into the sink and stared off into space. Maybe they were afraid the man would have a chance to talk before they could get to him. After all, he did manage to get a name out before he was killed.

For your eyes only.

He finished his smoke, his hands not shaking as badly as they were, but he was still nervous, wondering when he was going to get his own letter. Carrying the carton upstairs, he came through the room right at the same time that Cora was walking through with Bowie. Giving them both a smile, he bent down slightly and gestured with his newfound carton, towards the door.

"Ladies and gentle Bowies first."

Cora laughed.

"Oh, such a gentleman, thank you."

She loaded up in the front seat and put her seat belt on, then reached over and gave Damien a smile as she took his hand, squeezing it a little.

Vin got in the back, put his seat belt on, and then looked around at the extra leg room. While he would have liked to have those warm legs resting on his lap, he had to admit, being able to stretch out a bit and rest the guitar between his legs was pretty nice too. He waited for Sabastian to get in the car and then he gave him an affectionate smile.

 

[Poprockz]

Sayori lowered her hands, holding the blanket close to her chest for a moment with a conflicted expression before wrapping it as a skirt around her waist once more. Going over to her bed, she sat down on it with her back against the wall. She felt so helpless, hearing Quint's noises of pain from through the bars. If only she could do something to ease the pain or help in some way.

She let out a little chuckle, "yeah. You made robo-cop make a face."

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

Sabastian got in and sat next to Vin, lamenting a tiny bit about not being able to have an excuse to be draped over the man. However, he returned Vin's smile with one of his own, scooting a bit closer so that their sides were touching. He loved being physically close to Vin, being held, holding hands, or simply just being in contact. He never wanted Vin's warmth to leave him, and he treasured the simple touch of his body every time.

Squeezing her hand back, Damien pulled away from the house. He drove several miles until there were signs for a park with river activities. Pulling in, he parked the car near some picnic tables and got out. He stretched, yawning and covering his mouth for a moment before looking at Sabastian pointedly.

Sabastian hadn't sensed any zombies so he nodded, "I think this is a good area for us." With that, he waited for Vin to get out before getting out himself. Turning to the bigger man, he cracked his knuckles and asked, "so... where are we going to train? Should we be a little ways away?"

 

[Drobabes]

"Ha! R-robo cop!"

Quint continued to laugh for a few moments, and then he slowly began to get up onto his feet. He felt like a human popsicle as he half shuffled, half waddled, to his cot. Once there, he collapsed onto it and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and head.

"S-Sayori... I'm sorry I t-touched you. And I'm s-so sorry..."

He couldn't finish that last sentence. He would never try to justify what Kuznet did and he very rarely even tried to make sense of it, but the fact of the matter was that for some reason, because of them, himself and Cora, she had come into Kuznets sight. He didn't know why, but he knew it had something to do with them.

______

When Sabastian scooted himself over to his side, Vin felt the tension in his muscles leave, his soft little body working better than the cigarettes to quell his nerves. He put one of his arms up over the little blonds shoulders and let out a relaxed sigh as he looked out the window. He would be keeping an eye out, of course, but now he had something to look forward too.

When Damien pulled the car over, and then shared that look with Sabastian, he cocked his brow for a second. Soon enough though, his question was answered and then he got out of the car and lit another cigarette.

"Should we be a little ways away?"

He nodded, looking around the park as he flicked some ashes.

"Yea, within ear shot at least, but we don't want to hurt anyone if you end up being stronger than you think. You said your nose is really good, right? Can you smell anyone besides us? I would hate to find out we accidentally dropped a boulder on someone's head."

While what he said was true, he was also trying to play it smart and see if Sabastian could catch whoever it was that was following them. It was a long shot, of course, but still worth a try.

Cora stepped out and stretched as well. She had a bag in her hand and Bowie wrapped around her waist, and she was just looking around at the scenery and enjoying the smell of the woods. She was completely oblivious to the dangerous that might have been waiting for them in those trees.