Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Her moaning, squeezing, cumming- it would never lose its eroticism to him. It meant that he was driving her to the point of body-shaking bliss and he couldn't think of any better gift to give her at the moment. After all, he would already be giving every other part of himself to her every day.

Once every last spurt of his cream had been deposited into the precious vault, he relaxed, rolling onto his side with her in his arms and simply laying with her for a time, their lips sharing a tender embrace. They couldn't stay in bed all day though, so eventually he pulled back from her and sighed. "We should probably head down... Vin is going to start wondering if we're both sick as dogs from the booze last night." He smiled fondly at the memory and kissed her softly on her forehead before getting up and stretching, his nude form an exquisite one to behold with the way his muscles flexed.

"Oh, speaking of which..." He started to gather up his clothes and put them on a nearby chair, the madman deciding to put his socks on first before his underwear or pants. A slightly sheepish look came over his face before he continued, "I'm uh... well, I'm sorry for being a bit silly last night. I seem to recall singing something that could have been embarrassing, though I can't remember what exactly I was singing."

 

[Drobabes]

She let out a little sigh herself, though it wasn't quite in satisfaction, but more, a tired sigh. She really didn't want to get up and face the new day. Their little reprieve from reality was so nice, addicting even. Still, she forced herself to sit up, rubbing the sleepiness from one of her eyes as she watched him with the other. A dreamy little smile came to her face, never getting tired of seeing his lithe form move. Again she was reminded of a panther, those smooth muscles working just under the surface of his skin.

At his apology, she gave him a playfully coy look and cocked one of her brows before leaning back on her hands. The covers were pooled around her middle and her hair was tussled and lying over her shoulders, though she didn't mind at all, completely comfortable to be naked in his presence.

"Can't remember, huh? Well then...I think I'll take that little secret to the grave."

She giggled and rolled over quickly then, hiding her own eyes from his gaze lest he give her a look that would melt her resolve. It was only when she reached over and took her bra in her hand that she realized she was now prone on the bed, completely at the mercy of his advances if he wanted to force, or perhaps tickle, the truth from her. Cora didn't try to move any more quickly, however, thinking to herself that she was likely safe, as he seemed intent on getting dressed and heading downstairs.

 

[Poprockz]

When she sat on the bed with that mischievous look of hers, Damien thought to himself that the best comparison he could make was that she looked like a mermaid who had been sitting on a rock to dry out her hair. Though his face took on a more surprised look when she denied him the knowledge of what he had been singing about. It hadn't been of any consequence before, but now her refusal to divulge the lyrics made him insanely curious about what they were.

His eyes narrowed at her after she giggled and turned away, a devious look coming to his own face. If she thought for one second that he was going to let it drop after she made the secret sound so juicy, then she had thought wrong. Very quickly, he stalked over to the bed with light feet to hide his advance. However once he was there, he made his presence known by leaning over her and putting his mouth near her ear, placing his hands on her bare hips.

Damien's voice was silky as he started to speak, "is that so, little minx...? Maybe you just need a bit of... persuasion." his feather-light fingertips traveled from her hips to her sides almost sensually before his fingers suddenly jumped, teasing her skin as they moved quickly. For his follow-up attack, he turned his face to the side and put his lips against her neck, blowing a raspberry into her skin not-so-quietly. He wouldn't be caught dead doing that to anyone but Cora, the man simply too reserved normally to be so playful with someone else. Something about her made him feel safe, as though she wouldn't judge him if he was a bit goofy or silly.

 

[Drobabes]

The light touch to her skin made her jump, a bit startled that he had managed to reach her so quickly and quietly.

"is that so, little minx...? Maybe you just need a bit of... persuasion."

Cora's lips parted, her body stilling below him as she sucked in just the smallest of breaths. The way he was moving his hands was making her think that he was going to give her something sensual; perhaps a soft and sexy massage to work the secret from those tense muscles.

"I suppose I could be persua-ah!"

She let out a girlish scream as his fingers suddenly jumped up onto the sensitive flesh near her ribcage, and as his lips found her neck, tickling her in a whole new tortuous way, she absolutely erupts into a fit of giggles. Her eyes close tight and she squeezes her arms down near her sides, trying to trap those dangerous fingers from doing any more damage as she squirms and tosses herself to the side.

So caught up in her fit of laughter, and absolutely overtaken with the urge to flee from his tickle attack, Cora accidentally flings herself just a bit too hard to the left. Her elbow comes up, and it is only after she feels it collide with his nose that she realize her mistake.

A startled gasp leaves her and she quickly sits up in the bed, her hands coming out to cup his face gently as she starts apologizing, though even through the panic in her tone, she still seems to be fighting off a bout of mirth.

"Oh my god, baby I am so sorry!"

 

[Poprockz]

The way she was responding was delightful, the man loving those little giggles of hers as he tickled the defenseless woman. Try as she might, her arms on his hands did little to stop him as he would simply move them more toward her belly and then back again. He thought to himself with excitement that his tickling-interrogation was flawless so it was only a matter of time before she raised the white flag and spilled the beans.

He let out a laugh as she wiggled, so enraptured in their little game that he was wholly unprepared when her elbow came flying toward his face. It happened so fast that at first he didn't really know what had happened, simply letting out a little grunt of surprise and pain. Letting go and backing up a bit, he hunched over and cupped his nose, the fucker throbbing from the blow. Bringing his hand out a bit, he noticed his nose was bleeding, the man feeling just a bit shocked about what had happened. He didn't think he had ever been elbowed in the nose before, so this was a first for him.

"It's okay, it's just uh... oh shit. I'm uh, I'm going to go into the bathroom for a minute." The man scurried into the bathroom and grabbed some toilet paper, rolling some up and holding it to his nose. When he tipped his head back, he could feel the blood dripping down his throat. It was disgusting and almost made him gag. For that reason, he decided to lean over the sink and let the blood drain into the toilet paper instead, hoping that it clotted up soon.

A bit of blood was spat into the sink before Damien looked at her and blinked, the situation starting to sink in a bit more. The man's lips curved up into a little smile and he said, "I'm into some kinky shit, Cora, but I think I'm going to have to establish this as one of my soft limits." His smile then turned into a bit of a good-natured grin.

 

[Drobabes]

When she saw that crimson stream start to run down his top lip, her mirth quickly died off and her eyes widened with genuine panic and guilt. As he got up out of bed, she followed him into the bathroom, unable to help herself as she couldn't stand the sight of him being hurt, even if it was only such a mild injury.

"Oh, oh no. Oh god, I'm sorry..."

Her hands hovered near him, not sure what to do for a moment but wanting to help nonetheless. When he tilted his head back, she cringed a bit, knowing that he would soon find out that that was going to cause a nasty feeling in his stomach unless he was alright with the taste of blood. Soon enough though, he leaned forward, and Cora took that as her cue to calm down and help instead of just standing there like a deer caught in the headlights.

She grabs the toilet paper and rolls a bit up, coming over to him with it. Though, at his words and smile, she pauses and smiles herself. Now that the panic was over, it was a bit funny again. With a little smile and shake of her head, she reaches forward with the wad of toilet paper and moves his hands out of the way gently. After his hands were moved, she tilted his chin up just slightly and then pressed the wad directly under his nose and over his top lip, putting a good amount of pressure on the artery that was there.

"Dully noted-elbows to the face are a major no no."

Her smile turned a little embarrassed and she looked up at him in the way a child might after having gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"I really am sorry. Here...just keep pressure on that for a minute and it should stop."

She rubbed his back gently with her free hand, and then she turned from him to go gather up her clothes and get dressed. As much as she would have liked to continue to play with the man, she thought perhaps the mood had been dampened just a bit. She would just have to save it for later to bring up again, and give him another chance to pull the truth from her.

 

[Poprockz]

Preoccupied as he was, he hadn't noticed Cora getting toilet paper until she was pressing it under his nose. He made a relieved sigh and let her move his chin, liking the way she cared for him. Even in these circumstances, it was nice to feel her touch and interact with him as though they were a couple. They really were a couple, but it was a new experience for him to have a woman making sure he was okay out of concern for him. He found that it made him feel cherished.

Though she had answered somewhat jokingly, he caught the way she looked a bit guilty about the situation. He didn't want her feeling bad for something that she hadn't even had control over; it wasn't as though she had meant to elbow him, her intentions always having been good.

"I really am sorry. Here...just keep pressure on that for a minute and it should stop."

Though he took over holding the toilet paper, it still didn't sit right with him that she might feel embarrassed.

Reaching out with his free hand, he stopped her by grabbing her wrist gently. When she was turned to look at him, he gave her a soft look and assured her, "hey. Don't worry about it, okay? It'll be done soon, then I can get cleaned up and we can go downstairs to find Vin." With that, he let his hand slide down to hers, squeezing it affectionately before letting it go. Honestly, if an elbow to the nose was the price he paid to play with her every now and then, he didn't mind losing a bit of blood.

 

[Drobabes]

His touch and words did comfort her, Cora finding herself relaxing with that gentle squeeze and giving him a more genuine smile before she went over to her clothes. Honestly, it wasn't like it was the first time she had ever hurt someone while roughhousing, but for some reason it just really bothered her that she had made him bleed.

While she dressed, pulling her bra down and adjusting it before reaching out to grab her underwear, she mulled it over a bit. She had been playful with her lovers before, and had actually gotten an elbow to the nose herself a few times. She had always just shrugged it off and continued on, but, it had bothered her then as well. She chewed on her lip a bit, her brows knitting just a little as she pulled her pants on, and then she paused for a moment just before she buckled her belt.

Perhaps it was because it reminded her of the old days? Not of Quinton getting into fights at the bars-he was quite good at setting her at ease when she helped him get cleaned up, but perhaps a bit further back, when...well. More than a few times Quint had crossed a line with Him, though they never knew where the line was in the first place, and He had simply backhanded him, elbowed his face, or gripped the back of his head only to slam his face down against the table. So maybe it had nothing to do with her guilt, but everything to do with not wanting to face those memories and deal with the immense amount of stress they had caused.

Having figured out, perhaps, why it bothered her so much, Cora let out a little sigh through her own nose and let her face relax once more as she bent down and picked up her shirt, her slim body moving gracefully as she pulled it over her head and adjusted it down. Once she was comfortable, she turned to Damien with a relaxed smile, to see if he was ready to go downstairs.

 

[Poprockz]

While Cora had been dressing and thoughtfully reflecting on her past, Damien had also been attempting to get ready. Holding the tissue up to his nose, he was able to singlehandedly put his underwear and pants on. Some of the blood from his nose had dripped onto his chest, so he cleaned that off before finding his shirt and pulling it carefully over his head as well. By the time she turned around, he was fully dressed, still with the tissue paper over his nose.

Hesitantly, he brought it away from his face to find that the bleeding had stopped. With a relieved sigh, he got some toilet paper wet and washed off his chin and nose, finally clean and blood-free. For good measure, he took some toilet paper, folded it up, and put it in his pocket; one never knew if a nosebleed would spring a leak after seemingly having calmed down.

Damien turned to her and returned her smile, strolling easily out of the bathroom and to her side. "Shall we? I have to say that I'm in the mood for a bit of breakfast." He moved to the door and held it open for her, waiting until she was through before he closed it and locked it, making a mental note to return the key to the bartender.

 

[Drobabes]

She waited until they were out the door to speak, looking up at him and giving him a bit of a scrunched up nose look.

"Bar food for breakfast? After heavy drinking?"

She laughed a bit, then took his hand as they made their way down.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, she found the bar to be somewhat empty compared to last night. There was only one person at the bar, eating some food and drinking a beer, but over at the little raised platform of a stage, Cora was a bit surprised to spot Vin sitting in a chair behind a man who had his shit in his hands. He was giving the man a tattoo, it seemed, and immediately she found herself very interested.

Looking up, Vin spotted the couple, and with a big toothy grin, he pulled the pen away for a moment to greet them.

"Aay! There's the most famous guitar player of the North!"

He laughed a bit then. It wasn't that same, deep and rich laugh as he had when he was truly happy, but Cora had to say, it was a relief to see him feeling better.

"How's the hangover?" he asked, looking at Damien just before he brought the pen back to the guys shoulder.

"I woke up sicker than a single mom after Mardi Gras."

 

[Poprockz]

"Ha, well it's something. If they at least have potatoes, I'll be golden." Damien replied with a chuckle as the descended into the bar.

As they entered, his eyes scanned for Vin, finding him soon enough. It took him a moment to figure out what he was doing, but when he realized it he had to admit he was intrigued. He had never actually seen anyone do a tattoo before, and it looked like a pretty interesting process; TV was the only place he had seen scenes where someone even pretended to tattoo. It was a permanent mark, something his mother would have never allowed. Even if he had gotten one as an adult, her clutch on him had only grown stronger and he knew she would have literally kept him sedated while they laser-removed it from him.

Vin's laugh and cheerful demeanor had him feeling hopeful. Perhaps today would be the day that they found Sabastian, restoring Vin that last little bit so that his smile truly shined as brightly as it had. He grinned and sauntered over to him with Cora, eyes going down to study the tattoo before looking back up at Vin.

"Well, I have a headache but I'm not as sick as I maybe ought to be. I've always been pretty good at getting away with light hangovers. Speaking of guitar playing though..." He glanced at Cora before continuing, hoping that he could get away with getting the information from Vin. "I was wondering what exactly I sang last night. I don't have a good memory of it, and Cora tells me that it was... entertaining."

 

[Drobabes]

"Well, I have a headache but I'm not as sick as I maybe ought to be."

Vin's eyes were on his work, but he still gave him a grin without looking up and said "lucky". Below him, the man was sitting patiently, the tattoo process seemingly not even bothering him.

Cora, who was immensely curious, went around Damien to get a better peak, waiting until Vin used a clean rag to wipe away the excess ink. It looked like a name that he was writing on the man's skin, perhaps a loved one that had been lost. The way in which he was spelling the letters was beautiful and elegant; it was only simple black ink, but it wasn't thick, nor was it very flashy. It made her wonder if he had done some of his own ink on his arms, or if he had learned from someone else and they had done it.


"I was wondering what exactly I sang last night. I don't have a good memory of it, and Cora tells me that it was... entertaining."

Delvin glanced up, momentarily pausing in his work, though he didn't immediately speak. Instead, he glanced down at Cora, and the two seemed to share a conspiratorial grin before the big man laughed lightly.

"Well, I'll just say this. I think you had Cora swooning for your talented voice."

Cora giggled a bit, taking a step back and giving Damien's hand a playful squeeze as she looked up at him with that loving smile. Whether or not she was trying to confirm Delvin's claims, or simply tell him it was a secret best kept for later, was unclear.

Looking back down, she went a bit quiet as the men talked, her eyes seemingly spacing out as she simply watched him do his work. Then she began to chew on her lip and knit her eyesbrows a bit, getting that look that she often did when she was thinking very hard about something.

 

[Poprockz]

Her giggle and smile were too cute for him not to return it with an affectionate look of his own. Cora was indeed devious, the woman having already had Vin sworn to secrecy with a single look. The man squeezed her hand back before letting go and crossing his arms.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, he spoke with a playful tone to his voice, "well I suppose I'll just have to weasel it out of one of you when you least expect it." With that, he left Vin to his tattoo and Cora to watch as he went to the barkeep for a bit of food. The bartender was able to whip up some garlic-herb curly fries and two glasses of water, Damien having ordered the later to keep himself and Cora hydrated. After all, alcohol tended to dehydrate the body, and he didn't know whether they were in for some waterworks later when they found Sabastian. In any case, it would help clear their heads.

He grabbed the glasses and basket of fries and returned to the show of Vin's artistic abilities, setting his food down on a nearby table before scooting it closer and pulling up two chairs. Upon sitting down and popping a ketchup-laden fry into his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully a he too watched the man work. He had to admit that Vin was mesmerizing to watch, the ink of the gun leaving his permanent mark on the other man's skin. Damien wished he had some kind of artistic ability like that, but unfortunately his mother hadn't sought to give him lessons in any kind of art other than dancing.

Glancing at Cora, he could tell that she too was very intrigued by Vin's work, her eyes fixed upon it as though she was seriously deep in thought. The way she was working her lip made him wonder if she wasn't tempted to get a tattoo herself. "Cora?" He reached out and rested his hand on her forearm for a moment to get her attention. "If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be?" His steely eyes looked at her curiously, wondering what image or phrase she might desire. Personally, he thought that a snake tattoo might be befitting for her, perhaps wrapped around her ankle.

 

[Drobabes]

She had still been standing and watching, her mind very far away. It wasn't until she felt that warm hand on her arm that she finally came back a bit, looking back at the chair before sitting down and snagging a fry.

"Hm" was all she answered with as she chewed.

"You know we're probably going to be here a minute," Vin said, reaching over for the rag again as he glanced at them both.

"If either of you want one."

Again, all Cora answered with was a little 'hm', snagging another fry and chewing with contemplation.

Vin looked towards Damien with a bit of bewilderment before going back to his work, and soon enough he was adding the finishing touches. When it was done, he wiped it down properly, and then used a a set of two mirrors, to show the man. He seemed very pleased, and very grateful before he was on his way.

"So..." Vin said, looking between the two of them again.

Cora snagged another fry, and then took a sip of her water. When she was done, she glanced at Damien, and then she looked over at the pen.

In all honesty, she really did want one. It was something that, had He still been alive, would have earned her quite the punishment. However, she was trying to move forward. There was no reason to hang on to such anxieties and fears anymore, and there was...something that she very much wanted.

"Do you remember my bat?" she asked quietly, looking up at Vin. He nodded, simply waiting for her to continue.

"Do you think you could do that on my thigh, but with the letters of the alphabet swirling around it like a ribbon?"

He shifted on his seat, becoming a bit intrigued by what she was describing.

"Like on the bat itself?"

"Well...I was imagining more, hovering just over it, and looping around it, like the swirl on a candy cane. And having some of the letters be concealed behind the bat, though you would still know they were there."

Delvin seemed to get a bit of a sparkle in his eyes, the idea of doing something rather unique seemingly piquing his interest and creative spark.

"Yea, I could do that. It might take a bit, and it would probably hur-"

"I can take it."

The sudden intensity in her voice, and the way that she looked up and met his gaze so steadily, made him pause. He recovered after swallowing a bit, but he suddenly got the feeling that this was more than just some spur of the moment art piece.

"Alright," he said quietly, giving her a little nod.

"Well, you'll have to change. You need shorts on or some pants that you can pull up."

 

[Poprockz]

Her little "hm's" didn't give Damien much of an insight into her thoughts either, returning Vin's look with a shrug. Obviously she was seriously considering it, or thinking deeply about something. What exactly was swirling around her head, he couldn't guess. All he could do was regard her curiously as he wondered at the possibilities.

Damien's eyes went back to Vin's steady hand and he replied, "for me, I... I'm not sure. I'd have to give it a little bit of thought. Honestly, I never thought I would get the opportunity for one, so I don't have any ideas." He popped another fry in his mouth pensively as he thought about what he might get. It was tempting to get something to remind him of his past indiscretions, perhaps a symbol so he never forgot what he had done. At the same time, it was also an interesting idea to get something associated with Cora. Though, while he considered doing something regarding forgiveness, he still felt as though he could never atone enough, never truly deserving of it. To chose something was a very difficult task, one that he wasn't sure he would accomplish today.

Roused from his thoughts, he had looked at Cora as she articulated what she wanted to Vin. He knew exactly what the bat stood for- none other than her brother Quint. The letters though, he wasn't sure what they were supposed to represent. Perhaps she was calling forth a memory from her childhood or something along those lines.

"Yea, I could do that. It might take a bit, and it would probably hur-"

"I can take it."


With that tone of voice, he knew she was dead-set on the tattoo at this point. She had been through far worse than some tattoo on her thigh, so he had no doubts about her fortitude. Likely it would sting a bit, but she would muscle through it just like everyone else who decided to permanently mark their body with an image they held dear. He didn't comment on it, simply nodding to concur before taking a sip of his water.

"Alright. Well, you'll have to change. You need shorts on or some pants that you can pull up."

When she looked at him expectantly with that determined spark in her eye, he handed her the key and watched her return the room to get into something more suitable.

Damien sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. For a moment he wasn't sure what to say now, Vin having completed the other tattoo. However, soon it occurred to him that now was the perfect time to squeeze Vin for that info.

"So... Vin. Now that the two of us are alone, you wouldn't mind letting me in on those song lyrics from last night would you?" He glanced at the stairway and leaned closer, "not knowing is driving me nuts."

 

[Drobabes]

Vin had been cleaning the pen off and getting the ink ready, choosing some light silver tones encase she wanted it to look more realistic, when he heard Damien. The way he leaned over like that made him laugh, and then he glanced at the stairs.

Despite the conspiratorial smile he had shared with Cora, he got the feeling it was done more to save the steely eyed man some embarrassment in front of a stranger. Although, now that she wasn't there, Vin was totally going to spill the beans, because, well, Vin would never say bro's before hoes as Cora was anything but, but Damien definitely took priority on his list.

"Honestly man, it wasn't anything that exciting."

His brown eyes came back to meet his steel grey, his own smirk becoming a bit devious in a different way now that it was just the two of them.

"You were mostly singing about Cora, and I think there was a line about Bowie dragging her across the lake. But you did start to say, 'the only thing more silky than your voice is your underwear'."

Delvin started laughing, taking another peak up at the stairs as if he was scared of getting caught, before he turned back to Damien. In a way, he was a little scared. Her threat of pouring her drink on him was likely still on the table, and he didn't feel like changing out of his fresh, clean shirt.

"She cut you off before you could finish, but it was pretty obvious."

 

[Poprockz]

"Honestly man, it wasn't anything that exciting."

Despite Vin saying that, he help but really want to know. Even if it was boring, not knowing was simply too torturous to bear for too long. It couldn't be boring though, not with the way Vin's face had changed into such a devious expression. It only made Damien lean a bit closer in anticipation.

"You were mostly singing about Cora, and I think there was a line about Bowie dragging her across the lake. But you did start to say, 'the only thing more silky than your voice is your underwear'."

Damien had simply smiled and nodded at most of it, Vin's words jogging his memory slightly. He seemed to vaguely recall singing about how beautiful and wonderful she was. Though when Vin got to the part about Cora's underwear, his head snapped toward the other man and his eyes widened. The man might have gone pale if his cheeks hadn't started to heat in embarrassment. Damien didn't blush too often, but the thought of having sung about Cora's panties (especially in front of Vin) was a bit mortifying.

Truth be told, Cora was the only soul other than his mother that had found out about his little underwear fetish, and he certainly would have liked to keep it that way. At this point it wasn't clear whether Vin knew whether it was a simple perverted lyric, or whether Damien might have let slip more. Whatever the case was, he chose to pretend that it hadn't happened, the man clearing his throat and taking several gulps of water before glancing at Vin.

"Thanks. For telling me. I uh... I think I'll be laying off the booze in the future."

 

[Drobabes]

The way his expression changed so drastically between easy going, then mortified, and then embarrassed, had Vin laughing once again. He probably wouldn't say it to him any time soon, but Delvin had honestly grown a tad fond of teasing the serious man. He wanted him to learn to loosen up a bit, not take everything so seriously, and realize that they were all human and made mistakes. Sometimes hilarious mistakes.

"Eh, don't worry about it. We all say some pretty dumb shit when we're drunk; I'm sure I probably said some things not worth repeating."

He went quiet for just a moment, beginning to remember a bit of the conversation they were having about Sabastian, when a movement at the top of the stairs caught his eye. Glancing up, he was surprised to see it was Cora, as she had changed in record time. She came down the stairs quickly, her heart pumping with a bit of excitement, but also fear. This was a really big step she was taking here, deliberately being rebellious. Though, she knew she really wanted this as well. It symbolized more than just rebellion or letting go of those old chains that were binding her.

Walking over to the men, she gave Damien a bit of a nervous smile, and then she looked at Vin.

"Shortest shorts I could find, barring my swimsuit."

"Yea, that's fine," he said, directing her to sit down as he moved down off his seat and took the lower stair. He didn't want to break his back bending over, possibly screwing up the tattoo, or stopping him from doing it all in one go if she was determined to get it done all at once.

"So it's only polite," he said, reaching over and grabbing the colored ink.

"For an artist to ask the meaning behind the tat?"

He gave her a polite smile as she got situated, and truth be told, he was curious. He had thought she mentioned that bat being her brothers, but the letters were still a mystery.

Those hazel eyes looked into his brown ones for a moment, and then she shyly looked away. Despite how comfortable she felt around the two of them, as she certainly wouldn't have dared to let a stranger do this too her, she still found a bit of that good old social anxiety bubbling up and painting her cheeks a bit as she cleared her throat.

"It's just...Every word starts with a letter of the alphabet. And every name does too. And, every name reminds me of a face. So I just feel like, if I can look at something and be reminded of their name...then I won't forget their face..."

Her eyes had glanced up briefly, but quickly looked away, her cheeks only becoming more rosy. Why it was so embarrassing to explain, she didn't know. Perhaps she was just scared that they wouldn't understand, or that she would stumble upon her words and fail to truly explain the meaning behind what her heart was feeling. She didn't want to forget. Quint, Sarah, her parents...Daphne. All the people she had yet to meet, who she had met, and who might someday simply be gone.

 

[Poprockz]

Despite Vin’s reassurance, he couldn’t help but continue to feel a bit embarrassed. He thought to himself that Vin didn’t seem like the type of guy to get embarrassed by much, usually speaking freely and openly about things. Even when he was hitting on Sabastian, he always seemed so sure of himself. What kind of thing would make a man like Vin squirm, he wondered. Maybe he had a secret kink like Damien did.

Vin’s movement caught his eye and he too looked up at the staircase to see Cora descending. She seemed excited, albeit just a bit nervous about it. It was understandable, seeing as this was going to be a permanent fixture on her body from the moment the ink pen touched her skin. Damien gave her an encouraging smile as she approached, hoping she felt even a bit more at ease.

“So it's only polite, for an artist to ask the meaning behind the tat?"

Damien was curious too, looking at her and listening closely as she shyly explained her reasoning. Sometimes he forgot that she could be a bit shy sometimes, seeing as she was normally so playful and affectionate. Perhaps something so personal to her was difficult to divulge, seeing as it had a lot of meaning to her.

He didn’t think that simply by looking at a letter that indicated a name, that she would be able to recall that person’s face as time went on. Though he supposed that wasn’t really the point. The point was to be reminded of everyone that had left, to honor their memory. In that way, he knew that even if their face couldn’t be seen in one’s mind’s eye, that Cora would never forget what they had done and how they had impacted her life.

In that way, he thought it was a very good idea for a tattoo, the man admiring her taste in symbolism. The bat was a nice touch as well since not only did it signify Quint, but it also could serve as a reminder to fight for herself and those she still had by her side.

Damien’s expression softened and he looked at her with appreciation, scooting his chair closer to her and leaning so that his shoulder lightly tapped her own before he straightened up. “I like it. I think it’s a good way to bring them with you.” What he said had been pretty short, but he assumed that Cora knew what he meant.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin watched her face as she spoke, but he recognized that embarrassment that had come over her, so to make her feel more comfortable, he turned his attention to his tools as she spoke. He agreed with Damien, and he was a bit surprised and impressed by the idea of it. He often had requests for tattoos, from people who had lost loved ones, but usually they wanted a face or a name, or sometimes a bit of the ashes to be mixed in with the ink. This was simple, but no less symbolic and weighted with it's meaning.

"I have to agree. It's honestly a beautiful idea, Cora. Everyone has their way of carrying someone with them. Some people carry dog tags, some people are content with just visiting a grave yard, and some us like a little more permanent reminder."

He gave her a good natured smile, before sitting up a bit, indicating that he was ready to start if she was.

Their words gave her encouragement, and with Damien sitting right beside her, she soon found herself relaxing. The first few touches of the pen were painful, but just as she had figured, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

The hours of the morning passed by a bit slowly. Cora needed a few breaks, as Vin was taking his time to make it as close to how she envisioned as possible, and of course they all wanted the opportunity to talk to any strangers that came through the bar to see if they had seen their little renegade angel. No new information or tips surfaced, but by the time noon rolled around, Vin had finally finished up the piece.

It was sore and a bit inflamed, but all in all, it was quite possibly the most beautiful art piece Cora had ever seen. Delvin had managed to use the colored ink to perfectly capture the look of the bat, even adding in the detail of the wear and tear on the handle. With the letters, he had used a mixture of blues and reds to paint an almost ethereal and ghostly hint to each line, blending into different shades of deep purple that both popped against her light mocha skin, and also made the letters look as if they were floating. They were not flat and dull, but lively and so fully formed, that she felt as if she could reach down and simply pluck them from the surface of her skin.

"All done. You'll have to keep it clean, and a good lotion will help with the itch as it heals."

Cora ran her fingers along the edge of it delicately, the whole piece only being just slightly longer than her hand. When she looked up from it and met his soft eyes, her own hazel ones were sparkling with tears.

"Thank you Delvin. This is...amazing. I honestly don't have any words to describe to you how much this means to me."

He laughed a bit, but it was more to cover his own emotion. She was really pulling at his heart with that sweet look on her face, and he could hear the gratitude in her voice, even if she couldn't find the words. That on it's own was payment enough. To be able to bring someone a bit of peace, a little bit of catharsis, soothed his own soul in a way that many things could not.

"You don't have to say anything, Cora."

He was quiet for a minute, and then he cleared his throat and looked at Damien.

"Alright. What do you think, Mother Hen?" he said, giving him a toothy grin.

"Got any ideas yet?"

 

[Poprockz]

All in all, it was nice having a relaxing morning to simply sit around and chat. Of course most of the time Cora was in light pain, but the talking seemed to help distract her from it. When they took their little breaks, he made sure to see to it that they were never thirsty or hungry, having made a run to the cafeteria to get them a proper breakfast at one point. It was more like brunch then, but still.

Part of him didn't like Vin touching Cora's thigh like that, but a larger part of him knew that the petty jealousy he was feeling wasn't worth his time. Vin had already established whole-hearted interest in Sabastian so it was much more likely that he was feeling possessive. His mother had been incredibly possessive of him, and he really didn't want to be like her. For that reason, he swallowed it down and simply pushed it to the back of his mind in favor of watching her skin be "painted."

Damien was very impressed with how well Vin tattooed the different lines and colors to really make it pop. It was breathtaking, for lack of better words. Every buzz of the pen showed just how much heart Vin put into his art, and frankly just watching was a show in and of itself. When it was done, he let out a little whistle, leaning closer to get a better look as Cora thanked him for a job well done.

"Alright. What do you think, Mother Hen? Got any ideas yet?"

The steely-eyed man looked up at Vin and sat back in his chair with a faux unamused look, "are you trying to ruffle my feathers?" With that, his eyebrow twitched, the edges of his mouth unable to keep from curling slightly. When he couldn't take it anymore, he let out a hearty chuckle and gave Vin a grin. "I think that tattoo is amazing, honestly. I expected you to be good at it, but you even surpassed my high expectations." He wasn't joking, his words genuine as he complimented Vin.

"As for ideas..." His hand came up and rubbed his chin for a moment in thought before he decided to voice the idea he had mulled over. "If at all possible, I think... I want a plain chain around my left ankle." He paused, knowing Vin would likely want an explanation just as he had with Cora. "It's simple and hopefully won't take up too much of your time. I like to think of it as an unbreakable promise to myself." Though beyond that, he didn't elaborate further. There was more meaning behind it that perhaps Cora could guess, but he didn't feel comfortable going much further into it with Vin.

 

[Drobabes]

"are you trying to ruffle my feathers?"

Delvin's grin only grew more toothy, and he laughed along with the man when he finally cracked and chuckled. At his compliment though, Vin seemed to sit up a little straighter and his smile became a little more genuine. One wouldn't quite say he was puffing his chest, but it was obvious that he was very pleased with the compliments he had received It had taken him many years to become a good artist, even before he started tattooing, and it was always nice to hear that his hard work had paid off.

"It's simple and hopefully won't take up too much of your time...I like to think of it as an unbreakable promise to myself."

Vin had started to clean up again, switching out the rag for a new clean one as Damien explained what he wanted.

"A plain chain huh? Alright, that shouldn't take long at all. Not that I think much is going to be happening today anyway," he said, his voice dropping down just a bit before he cleared his throat and looked back up.

"Did you want it colored, like I did with the bat? And any idea on what kind of chain? I doubt you want it looking like a bracelet" he chuckled.

He was honestly a bit curious as to what the 'promise' was, but wasn't the type to push it. Damien seemed reserved, and Vin figured that he would really only talk about it in more detail if he was comfortable. Which, in his opinion, was the best way to learn about people anyway-when you were comfortable with someone.

As Cora got up from her spot and carefully moved over to the seat that Damien had pulled over earlier, she looked down at her steely eyed lover and gave him a soft smile while she tilted her head a bit in a questioning manner. She was a bit curious about his idea for a tattoo as well, though she thought she might understand what he meant by the 'promise'.

It seemed as if, from the very first time he had shown her a bit of vulnerability, he had been carrying around a heavy feeling of regret. He had told her that he did not regret killing the people who had tried to harm her, and Daphne, but she wondered if he hadn't regretted taking those other women from the very first time he had done it. It was still wrong, what he had done, and she would never deny that fact, but still. If he had really wanted to hurt her, he could have. So was the chain supposed to remind him of something along those lines?

 

[Poprockz]

"A plain chain huh?...Not that I think much is going to be happening today anyway,"

Damien felt a twinge of concern for Vin; it seemed like that man was very doubtful that they were going to be able to find Sabastian. He hadn't liked when Vin had been wasting away in worry and loneliness, the look of the heartbroken man having been eating away at him. Now that there was a chance of Sabastian showing, the man seemed to have more life in him and Damien would hate it if Vin lost that spark if the little blonde didn't show up. How many times could someone be let down before they simply gave up?

Rather than saying anything about it though, he let his eyes wander to the ink gun. It wouldn't have done any good to be overly nosy with Vin anyway- he imagined the man wouldn't have liked Damien hovering over him like the "mother hen" they seemed to think he was.

A movement in his peripheral caused him to look up at Cora, a smile coming to him in response to her own soft one. It seemed like she was curious about what he meant. Maybe he would talk to her a bit later about it, but he figured the chain could serve multiple meanings to him. He looked into her eyes for a few moments almost as though telling her that she already knew the tattoo's purpose. The man leaned forward wordlessly and kissed her cheek before looking back at Vin.

"I'd like it to be a thick, grey chain. The type of chain that first comes to mind when someone normally thinks of a chain. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, just simple and grey." Reaching down, he pulled up his pant leg and rolled it to keep it out of the way for him.

Besides a promise, the chain was a reminder that his actions had consequences. His past actions should have weight enough to never be forgotten, but shouldn't be heavy enough to keep him from moving forward. It was almost representative of what he was too- someone who had preyed upon others and should have been locked away by all rights. He had almost been tempted to have a chain around each ankle, but he figured that would have been a bit melodramatic.

 

[Drobabes]

Those sweet little kisses still seemed to bring a flutter to her chest, and Cora only hoped that they would never lose their charm. As Damien took a seat where she had been, and Delvin began to work on the tattoo, she went ahead and grabbed the half eaten sandwich that she hadn't finished earlier and scarfed it down. As she sat and ate, she contemplated the day ahead of them, and what their next move would be if they couldn't find their renegade companion.
________

Quint had just gotten out of the shower, having done his morning workout to wake himself up a bit, when the door suddenly swung open. He was still butt-ass naked, and yet, he made no attempt to cover his body as Jonathon and Kuznet strolled into the room, only bothering to grab a towel and start to dry his hair off.

Kuznet's cold eyes began to scan the room, but Jonathon's own soft blue briefly glanced down near his flaccid cock, no doubt looking at the many scars he had on the inside of both his thighs. It wasn't very often that he got to see them, after all, and Quint could only guess as to how much he might have paid to take his creepy photos of them.

"I bet you want a picture, don't you Polaroid Boy?"

He leaned forward a bit and gave Jonathon a shit eating grin.

"Is that what you dream about at night? Do your nightmares involve you ruining your photos cause you can't seem to stop all that drool that runs out your mouth while you snore?"

Jonathon barely even moved as his eyes met his own steadily, but Quint caught the way in which his hand clinched, just barely, by his side. It made the half zombie laugh out heartily as he began to dry off his junk, knowing that he had gotten to the little spy. Old Johnny boy really enjoyed it when he got to watch people sleep, but he absolutely hated it when someone did it to him. Too bad Francisco was one sneaky motherfucker.

His laughter was soon cut short as Kuznet finally laid his eyes upon him. For a tense moment, Quint simply stood there, towel barely concealing his naked form, until he was finally released from that tense gaze when Kuznet looked down to Johnathon.

"Take him over to Sayori's room."

"What? Why? Ray, I haven't done anything wrong."

He was damn near flabbergasted. Except for mouthing off a bit to Photo boy just now, he had literally done nothing but gone back to bed last night, and then got up and did his morning routine. Why did he want him near Sayori? Why was he being punished? Unless she had done something...but he couldn't see that. It had barely been more than two hours, if that, since breakfast.

"Someone broke in here little Quinton" Kuznet said, his eyes coming back to him slowly.

"Someone who knew who to talk to."

Kuznet strode towards him slowly, and as his gigantic form bent down to whisper in his ear, Quint really wished he had just started getting dressed instead of being cocky. But it was a little too late for that, and now that giant hand was wrapping around his throat, no doubt being able to feel the way he was trembling.

As Kuznet suddenly yanked him forward, and then up until he was standing on the tips of his toes, Quint let out a startled breath and shut his eyes hard. He was doing everything he could just to keep it together enough and remember to keep the towel around his waist, his teeth clinching hard as he fought with everything he had not to whimper. He was not going to be his little bitch. Not again.

"Did you say your prayers last night, little boy?"

His hot breath tickled his ear, but unlike the sweet whisper of a lover, Quint only felt a shiver of disgust ride down his spine.

"Because if I find anything in here...that sweet little bird will be paying the price."

Kuznet shoved him down, and much to his chagrin, Quint fell back on his ass.

"Get dressed."

...

A few moments later, Quint was standing outside of Sayori's door while Jonathon unlocked it. His hair-which had grown another few inches, was still wet and spiky from the hasty towel dry. His body had been covered once more, the same old white t-shirt that they kept giving him and plain blue jeans, and the man swore to himself that when he got out of here, he was never touching this simple and plain get-up ever again.

When the door was open, he didn't wait for Jonathon to bring him in. Instead he shoved past the man, the elbow of his crossed arms clipping him in the chest and his stormy blue eyes not even caring to meet his gaze. He makes his way straight over to her bed, and then he sits down on it heavily and glares at the Officer until he slams the door shut and locks them inside. Then, with a deep sigh, he finally relaxes and looks over to Sayori.

"Howdy."

 

[Poprockz]

For most of her time alone, Sayori had simply been laying there, not quite sure what to do with her time. When she was back in her cell, she could have chatted with Sabastian or painted maybe. In this room, there was nothing to occupy herself and take her mind off of things. She was still quite sore, so it wasn't as though she would have done much physically, but still.

At the sound of the door, she once again chose not to come out from under her covers. However, when she heard those annoyed footsteps, she thought it might be Quint again. Kuznet often was silent when he wanted to be, and the rest of them had normal bootsteps. Before she knew it, presumably Quint had plopped himself down on the bed. She pulled back the covers and looked up as he looked over at her, the sound of the door having been heard just a moment before.

"Howdy."

"Well howdy yourself." Sayori smiled at Quint, happy that she had been given the opportunity to see him once again. Though it was a bit curious as to why he was visiting this time as he didn't seem to have any food with him.

"Do you want to sit with me on the couches? I feel like staying in bed all day probably doesn't do me much good." The smaller woman scooted closer to him in anticipation of him getting up and letting her get up and walk with him over. The room was quite large, and yet she still hadn't really used the couches, nor the dining room at all.