[Worm]

The nurse was startled by Ashi's blunt response. She didn't realize that the girl was a vampire, she just assumed she was pasty from long travels. She turned a bright red, gulping, while she finished up her blood pressure. "Well- I - uh. I've never met a vampire before." She started turning pale, perhaps afraid of the newcomer. "I suppose when I - I uh - take your sample, I will get the chance to understand." She struggled to say the word blood, as if that were admitting to her fallacy. When she got to Josef, she had to shake away her fears and step back into reality. This was shown by the way she shook her head after releasing Ashi.

"We aren't part of this trade. We are separating you guys for observation." She stated bluntly, giving no eye contact. When she released them into the cots to change, she left with a big sigh, unsure of what she was about to be dealing with. Rin was already lounging back on his cot, looking out of the shabby window. It was nearly impossible to see anything outside of it. Drishe slid her curtain back and changed, gracefully stepping out and into her new robes. "Because they want another kind of sample too, Josef." Drishe joked with the boy. She liked to keep him on his toes. Plus he was an easy target.

"What are you saying? An ass sample?" Rin growled back at Drishe and her petty response.

"No - ugh - a prob - you know what, never mind..." Drishe let it go in a fiery sigh and snapped her curtains back quickly. Once all the curtains showed the four in robes, the nurse returned. She started with Drishe this time, as she was nearest the door. The nurse seemed quiet now. She had a brunette assistant with her who carried a basket filled with sanitation and needle supplies. "Alright big girl, starting with you." She smiled and got on her knees, placing her hand out. The assistant plopped a sanitation pad into her open palm.

Big girl? Drishe was pissed, she snarled unintentionally. After the inside of her elbow was scrubbed down, the woman flicked her skin a couple of times. "What about you? You got some viscous blood too?" She tried to joke off her encounter with her first vampire.

"I've got sand." Drishe spat. The woman just looked at her assistant with some form of regret and moved forward with a needle. She poked what seemed to be a vein, but nothing would come out when she placed the vial on. "Let me retry." She pursed her lips. "Sorry." And she pulled out the needle. When she pulled it out, purple sand began spilling out from the hole. The nurse leapt up, grabbed another vial and pressed it against the small hole. Grain by grain she managed to get half of a vial of the purply sands. "Shit, you weren't kidding!" The woman chuckled. The assistant adjusted her glasses, a mousy smile was beneath them.

"And neither was she." Drishe meant of course Ashi, but the nurse wasn't quite sure what she was referring to and just nodded her head. "Well - ahem - you're all done here. Once I get miss fangs over here, I'll get you guys settled in. The boys will be taken care of by my assistant, Nurse Lane." The small brunette blushed at mention of her name. "So you see how I handled the sands right?"

"Yes'm." She said with a tremor in her voice.

"Okay, now lets see how to handle the vampire's blood." She smiled, unsure if she would need to strap the creature down, or if even being so close to her would set her off on a blood rage. So with caution, she grew towards the blue haired girl.

[sylvanSpider]

Ashi sat perfectly still as the nurse took her arm in an attempt to show that she wasn't actually a threat, “Don't worry. I don't take from people that aren't willing,” she cleared her throat and looked down, mentally adding any more. Now, she had the option though. If Rin was getting too exhausted from her feeding, Josef would step in. He'd bitch the entire time, but she knew he actually didn't mind. In some way, she got the sense that he saw it in a way that he was taking care of her. An idiot could see that he was well beyond his initial hatred of all vampires. Now, it just all vampires except Ashi. She'd take it.

Josef sat back on the little cot that was in his private little room, “It's obviously an ass sample, Rin. Tell me, how comfortable are you with shitting in a cup? Not gonna lie, I'm half tempted to put the gown on backwards.”

“Josef, they can still hear you. You know that right?” Ashi groaned, squeezing the bridge of her nose.

Josef colored and was thankful he was in his own section and that no one could see it, “Yeah, I knew that....”

Ashi lifted her gaze as the curtain opened and the nurse and her assistant approached, “I'm already fed. You don't have to worry.” She attempted a grin, obviously already fully aware of their timidness so she tried to joke, “I only bite if you ask me to.”

[Worm]

The nurse and her observer took the sample from Ashi as if she were some wild animal. They took all precautions and stood further back from her than they did the other three. Even though the only one likely to hurt any of them would be Drishe. The blood spilled into the vial like molasses, a nice, slow drip. The nurse's hands shook softly as she held it patiently. When the vial was only half full, she pulled it away, mostly out of impatience. She flicked the vial as Nurse Lane carefully applied a bandage to Ashi's arm. Though it seemed to have healed almost instantly.

Both of them gave the room a once over and awkward smiles before leaving. Of course they left just in time to hear Josef's ignorant comments. "Do you think he's got something wrong with his head?" The motherly nurse said to the nervous one. Drishe fell back onto her cot, staring at the plasterboard ceilings. She wondered how long this building would last.

"Do you think we'll be okay up here?" Drishe mentioned from the calm of her cot, for once showing some concern.

"Hey! We managed to get through a huge hive of vampires, all while me and Josef were chained up in a basement." He looked over to Josef's area, wondering if he remembered the soft moments they had. Though they were far and few between, they were meaningful to Rin. "If we can survive that hell, and destroy all those motherfuckers, then I'm sure we'll do fine up here. Besides, they didn't say that the mutants eat people or anything." He scoffed, also looking up at the ceiling.

"I mean... They took my sands. They- and they didn't think twice. They didn't chain me up or try to burn me..." While this should've been a good thing, this was entirely too strange for Drishe. She was used to being stigmatized, taken advantage of, and misunderstood due to her race. She was sure that Ashi had faced similar adversities if even just in the Supernatural Black Market.

"Well, welcome to acceptance. You're not the weird one anymore Drishe. Now they've got something new to look out for. Feel nice? Well its even nicer for us hunters." He let out a long sigh as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Are you still a hunter?" Her eyebrows raised. And before she could get a response, the big red headed woman re entered.

"Okay, Rin and Josef. Come with me. You ladies, hang out in here. Lane will check on you shortly." She had a clipboard in her hands which she flipped through on mentioning the boys. However, this was just due to a nervous habit and she was not actually reading anything from the clipboard. After all, it just had blank questionnaires on it. As the boys stood and followed, she led them out of the room into the hallway. There was a line of plastic school chairs which she asked them to take a seat in. Then she handed each of them a clipboard with a few pages each. Rin quickly thumbed through.

First Name:
Last Name:
Birthday:
City of Birth:
Reason for Admittance: Initial Check-in

The only thing filled in was the reason for admittance. Rin proceeded to answer the basic questions. The back page was filled with health questions. Such as genetic problems and any past health problems, including mental.

"The first page is so we can get you an ID card, which should help you around the wastelands..." She stumbled, remembering that there were no defined city lines anymore. "The second page is so we know if we need to add any emergency prompting on your ID. And when you're done, take it up to Miss Carla at the front desk there. She'll get your cards started. Then you'll be free to go tonight." She smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

"And what about our friends?" Rin bit his lip, quickly filling things in. Arin, Tabla, 4/12/86, New York City He proceeded to check N/A on all of the health questions. He wasn't sure about his genetics, nor was he sure if there was anything seriously wrong with him. He hadn't seen a doctor since he was a kid, and this would probably be close to the last time. He knew how to pull out bullets and safely seal wounds, he knew how to put bones back in place, and he knew the basics like inducing vomiting and CPR. He never felt it necessary to see a doctor. Maybe that was because he found them slimy and evil.

"They will be observed for a while. After all, we can't really run any ah- human tests on the purple one's blood. And the other just needs to prove that she is safe for humans to be around. Some of those fangs I hear are pretty feral..." Though she had no previous experience with vampires, the rumors travel far.

[sylvanSpider]

Ashi sighed. In her entirety of being a vampire, she'd never been treated less human than these ladies, save maybe by the hunters. Granted, no one save them and other vampires knew about her ...condition...but still! She stared straight ahead as her blood was drawn, making no attempt to hide the dejection in her eyes. It was only too much of a relief when they moved from her over to Josef.

He was scowling when they stepped through the curtain and folded his arms, “No. I just don't get the fuckin' reasoning behind these dumb ass gowns. To draw blood? Are you kidding me?” He ran a hand through his blonde hair, immediately wishing for another of his cancer sticks but knowing it might still be a while before he got a hold of it. The second they were out of their chains, it was the first thing he latched on to despite effectively kicking the habit out of sheer necessity when chained to the dungeon walls.

When they left, Josef joined back into the conversation, “They don't scare me. Elizabeth? She scared me. Something wasn't right with that woman.” He prattled away, fully aware that the women were still listening and giving little to no shits about it. “We survived her. I mean, Rin's got a point. If we can survive that, we can survive fuckin' anything.”

“Tch. Speak for yourself,” Ashi huffed in response to the “newfound acceptance.” “The entire time they were in here they treated me like I was going to attack them at any moment! I mean they were acting like a couple of...a couple of...” Ashi struggled to find the words.

“Bitches?” Josef offered to fill in the word that Ashi couldn't bring herself to say.

“No! They can still hear you, Josef...” Ashi muttered.

“Yeah? And they treated you like ass. Maybe they are?” Josef continued, “I don't care if they hear.”

“Josef, you treated me like shit when we first met...on the basis that I'm a vampire. Do you not remember that?”

Josef huffed, folding his arms, “Yeah, well, I'm a hunter. It was sort of my job.”

Ashi quieted though, wanting to hear Rin's response. What are they now? The supernatural are now common knowledge...”

Josef rolled his eyes as he got to his feet following the nurses and taking one of the clipboards in his hands. It seemed straightforward enough, but the fact that they kept dodging what they were actually doing with the ladies of their party was concerning to him. His eyes went from the clipboard to the lady's face, blue eyes piercing and glinting, “Ashi's fine. I can promise you. She has problems with hurting a fly let alone a human. She's killed less than Rin and I have, that I can promise you.” He looked back at the door. “I actually would prefer to stay here with them. I don't know if I can trust you with them...”

He looked back down at the clipboard and shoved it back into the lady's hands. “I'm not going without them.”

[Worm]

With the two hunters separated through a doorway, the nurse tapped her foot with Josef's antisocial behavior. Lane was a lot more delicate with the issues, and when Josef mentioned that they were still hunters, she too looked over at Rin's grim face. He compiled easily, honestly giving no fucks as to what happened next. After all, he just risked his life for a huge sum of money, and didn't pay out. Sure, he befriended some supernats, but it wouldn't be the first or the last time. He leaned back in his chair, Josef still going on about Ashi's temperament. He was still audible to those in the room. "Ashi has Drishe. I find her fully capable of protecting her. So long as they aren't separated." Rin's eyes floated up to the impatient nurse. He wanted to know that that wouldn't happen.

"Well, its just procedure honey. And so are those gowns." She smirked, almost as though she was used to chewing gum a lot. "We make you strip so we can make sure you're not carrying anything that would harm our citizens. Its safety protocol for new visitors." She let out a long hacking cough, barely finishing her sentence.

"Understandable." Mentioned Rin, the agreeable one. He'd been through so many new towns, so many new people, he knew that it was best to be compliant. After all, if he needed to defend himself, he could. Even now, as he had his bare ass on salvaged seats. The nurse closed her lips, still smiling. "Now, I can let you stay as long as you want. But if you want a living space, you'd better hop to it - housing is limited here." Rin looked over at his disagreeable friend. "C'mon. Let's go. We can check in later." He nudged his head towards the door, the guard who dropped them off was still standing there.

"Miss Ashi is safe with me!" Drishe yelled from the room behind. She looked over at the blue haired girl. Run extended his hands in a "see, I told you" manner. Lane reentered the room with hospital beds, and muttered softly to the girls. "So, we're going to move you to an observation room. But you guys can stay together tonight. We'll let you know if anything else needs to happen." Her mousy voice peeked over her clipboard as she hid her face behind it.

"Will you be taking any more samples?" Drishe asked, concerned.

"We will always ask for consent before we do." Though it wasn't an answer to her question, it was a start. Drishe nodded, trying to hide her anxiety. After all, what could a mere human do to a powerful demon like Drishe?

[sylvanSpider]

---The Dudes---
“Mm, I don't think they could separate them, in all honesty. Drishe is bound to Ashi, remember? And she's a genie. There's nothing that humans could do to separate them,” Josef said shrugging. The comment was meant as a bit of a threat too, so they didn't get any ideas to try to separate them. After all, if they did, there was bound to be consequences, and not even on his behalf either. “I get the safety protocols. I do. But uh. Now that you know I don't have anything on person, can I put on some fuckin' clothes now?I'd rather not go home shopping with my ass hanging out.”

Something was going on between Drishe and Ashi. Beau's aversion to the genie was all he needed to have that become blatantly clear, especially since his aversion only started after the first night that Ashi and Drishe had some alone time. Was emotional or just physical? he wondered. Then, he had his own emotional well-being to think about. His eyes drifted to Rin if only for a moment. There were moments in those dungeons, when he was feeling weakest that Rin had stepped in and pulled him. They were tender moments. Moments...moments that made Josef question even his own sexuality. He'd begun to feel things for the man that he didn't think he'd ever feel, and now that they were out, was something to come of that? Maybe, maybe not. But Josef learned something about himself during those moments. There were times that he almost wished he was back in the dungeon, if only to be sure. Josef could now claim himself as bisexual. He wasn't going to, of course, but he knew it to be true now.

---The Ladies---

Ashi sat with her legs together, hands clasped in her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. “What kinds of 'anything else' are there? So long as I'm with Drishe, I'll cooperate as much as you need me to. I've fed recently, too, so you don't need to worry about my going feral.” Ashi murmured knowing that the nurse would probably feel uncomfortable with her mentioning feeding. But, if she was a medical professional, and she was, it was good information to impart regardless of comfort.

“Also, uhm. Is there any chance we can put on clothes soon? I feel...exposed...”

[/b]

[Worm]

{ --- Fellas --- }

Rin wasn't exactly nervous to be alone with Josef. After all, they'd had some rather intimate experiences not too long ago. It was just hard to look at someone the same way after being held against your will together. Some would consider it traumatic, but would it still be if the victims planned the whole scenario first? Either way, there were parts of that entire experience that were still heavy in Rin's memory gaps. He looked at the man and still saw his near death form, tied up and pale. He couldn't help himself, so he looked down, not hearing most of what the blonde boy had spattered out.

"Right." The nurse mentioned briefly before going to a cabinet positioned right next to the line of folding chairs where the boys sat. She pulled out two bags with Rin and Josef's names scribbled on the appropriate bags. She tossed one at the blonde boy, and then to Rin. He managed to look up just in time to catch it. Rin smiled, opening the bag and slipping in and out of his clothes right there on the chair. He used the black bag as minimal amounts of privacy. He really had no boundaries at this point.

"You feel any better, blondie?" He growled, smirking at Josef.

{ --- Chicks --- }

Lane nodded, scribbling something on her clipboard. "Ahem -" She cleared her throat before letting out her mousy voice. "So when exactly was the last time you fed?" She was trembling. Once Nurse Rose finished tossing the boys their clothing bags, she pushed her way into the room with the girls and placed the bags on their beds. She rubbed Lane's head on the way out.

"Don't let 'em scare you. That'll show them you're weak." She winked at Drishe on the way out. Drishe wasn't sure whether to feel comforted or not. But the nurses left them to change, and she did so.

"I will always let you feed from me, if you need it." Drishe mentioned quietly, slipping into her clothes from behind a curtain. "It may not satisfy as much as Rin..." She was just being honest.

[sylvanSpider]

[-=-Lads-=-]

Josef too felt no need to duck into privacy. Between the two men, they'd both seen most of the other given their treatment by those in the hives and his boxer briefs were the first to go on without his even removing the gown first. His pants were next as he stuck his arm through the leg grabbing the hem and bringing it back through to put it right side out and repeated this same process. His features now exhibited no signs of emotion, save for the fact that perhaps now he looked like a little less light rest behind his face; the fire in his eyes was just a little dimmer.

Being spoken to he lifted his head and offered his own smirk. “Now that I can get clothed? Yes. Not being able to carry our weapons? Not exactly. We have no method of self-defense,” he grumbled sliding one leg into the proper place and hopping a bit to get it on then switching to the other leg finally buttoning up his pants. “But, I'm curious as to how exactly we're supposed to go house shopping without currency, at least, assuming the currency we have now is null and void.” He shrugged. “I nominate we try to get what pay we can and then get the fuck out, bring Drishe and Ashi with us. Start our own little nomad troupe.”

He was musing little more than daydreams now, but having come to the surface—and having just come from the hive—his life before as he knew it was over. He'd never been close to anyone until now, and of his three friends he never thought that they'd consist of a genie, a leech, and a man who at times made him question his own sexuality. They could be the four amigos. Of course, that would have been in a perfect life.

[-=-Lasses-=-]

Ashi watched the nurse writing random, probably false, things onto her clipboard with neutral eyes. She could smell her fear and that predatory instinct within her was attempting to claw its way to the surface. But, decades of repression and a recent feeding helped her keep her actions under control. “Yesterday,” she said, simply, her eyes drifting upwards with a playful glint, “A lot.” The addition was probably unnecessary, and though Ashi knew it should be comforting knowing she was further away from being feral. Ah, the conflicting emotions of one with already existing prejudices!

She rolled her eyes as the nurse winked at her genie. If she only knew Drishe, she'd know that the vampire was not the one she should be afraid of. Drishe was, to put it simply, everything that Ashi wasn't. Strong. Confident....Dominant. In short, she made the blue-haired vampire look like a bunny rabbit and everyone was too blind to see it. The vampire could only glare at the back of the nurse's ignorant head as she walked out.

Ashi began to get into her clothes, a move that she'd done in front Drishe now several times under much more intimate circumstances and she offered a smile. After all, Drishe had been nothing but good to her despite her dominant nature. “I thought your blood was sand,” Ashi murmured, “You satisfy in me other ways, remember?” She laughed here, her mood lifting with someone who treated her with respect being the only one present.

[Worm]

{ gentlemen }

For once, Rin was actually proud of his handsome, blonde counterpart. With them both clothed now, he smacked Rin's arm with playful encouragement. "I like how you're thinkin'." As they walked towards the exit, the nurse at the front desk scribbled something down. A guard now leaned against the building, who greeted them as they exited. He held his hand out with a shake for Rin, who shook it with a hearty swing. The man grinned. "Name's Grim. I'll be showing you your setup for tonight." Rin felt like the man might've actually had a military background, unlike his earlier counterpart who took the group into the hospital.

"Alright. Question one." Rin started only to be cut off by Grim.

"Woah, woah woah. You've got three questions." His smile made Rin queasy. His teeth were all sharpened.

"One. When can we get our weapons back?"

"I'll be checking them out tonight and giving you back everything I can, tomorrow. Bright and early." Cheek to cheek, manic grin.

"Two. What do we need to do to make a living out here? We're both resourceful."

"Hah. Good men." His voice was so deep that it seemed to vibrate in his chest. Grim smacked both of them over the shoulder, him in the middle of Rin and Josef. "We'd love to have you down at the watch tower, or front gate. Could always use some new guards."

"Hm. Considered." Rin looked over at Josef for any nonverbal cues. "Three. Where can I get a drink around here?" Rin scowled, unsure if he was ready to take on Grim's response. Especially as he started cackling.

"Let me show you your digs first." He led them through a town made of reconstructed metal and garbage, through crowds of people in a town center, to an area lit with gaslamps. This was where they lived for now. It was a small duplex placed right next to another. There was a block of just these shoddily built homes. The door was made from a car door. All three of the men had to duck a little to get in. Once inside, it was obvious there were six cots in a room. A cooler - "And running water, here." Grim showed them a small faucet towards the back of the house. "The toilet's in this room here." It wasn't a room, it was a port-a-potty attached to the house with steel bearings.

"Great. Now where can I get a drink?" Rin rumbled. He mainly wanted to talk things over with Josef under the safety of a crowd.

"Down the street near town center, there's a sign that's got all that Sharpie on it. It says "Billy Blxck" with the x over the a. That's a bar. Its in a basement, a bomb shelter." He sniffed, the most honest he'd been all day.

"I might see you there after I'm done with my shift." He grinned menacingly and took his leave. "Thanks boys, see you tomorrow." He closed the door behind him with a large squeak.

{ ladies }

Once the nurse was gone, she blushed. Her sands turned pink and a deep rose as Ashi mentioned her satisfaction. She was a bit embarrassed by her silly statement, after all, who but a genie, would actually enjoy sand in their mouth? She glided towards Ashi now, bringing a hand to her cheek. She was happy to see she was unscathed. Her eyes looked Ashi up and down, protectively. "Yes, I must. As I am you servant." She grinned, letting her hand slide down to Ashi's collarbone. Her skin was so cold, and so smooth.

"Okay ladies, we've got a room ready for observation." Nurse Rose broke the sensual moment with ease, her shoes clopping into the room. Drishe turned back, her hand still on Ashi. She took her time to face the woman and follow her.

"Wonderful." She grinned, letting Ashi lead the way so that she could watch over her.

As Rose turned a corner, Drishe could sense something was wrong. Muffled screams and gurgling sounds seemed to pulse from every wall. "You see, we've got several infected here." Nurse Rose choked, her face showed obvious discomfort.

"Infected?" Drishe snarled. "Isn't this unsanitary?"

Nurse Rose looked Drishe straight in the eyes. "We still need to find that out... That's why we need you."

Drishe began panicking, her eyes darting back and forth, mind zooming in on the sounds of agony beyond these walls.

"Isn't there another way?" Her breathing was panicked.

"I don't think so. All of the people here, said that they were fine... They said they were healthy. And I don't trust supernaturals. I don't trust humans. I definitely don't trust mutants... I don't want to risk you being a supernat AND a mutant. This is quarantine, ladies, and if you can survive five days in here, then you are home free." She smirked, backing towards a door. "Your room is 12. Anyone who is dangerous to others will be locked down, you are completely safe from physical harm." She pushed the doors open, and closed them in front of her. She looked through the windows towards Drishe and Ashi. A button was pressed and the doors locked. Nurse Rose pointed her finger to the right behind the window to suggest where Drishe and Ashi should go.

Drishe looked back at Ashi, unsure of how she could protect her. She wasn't sure if she should break out of here and kill all of the people who got in the way, or if it was better to go through this just to ensure safety. She sighed deeply, and turned towards the right where the nurse suggested. Just as she thought, there was their room, #12.

[sylvanSpider]

{Those of the Masculine Persuasion}

Josef flashed him a grin seeing that the two men aligned in their hopes. A troupe of nomads consisting of two hunters, a vampire, and a motherfucking genie. His life was like that of those in comic books now, and if he had anything to say about it, he'd tell you that he actually liked it. Having company certainly beat lone wolfing it. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing as the guard introduced himself as Grim, seeing that he didn't seem too interested in gleaning their names from them and followed with crossed arms and discerning eyes.

The hunter was more than willing to let the other speak for the both of him and a shiver ran down his spine with the guard smiled, revealing two rows of sharpened teeth. He wondered if that was intentional or the cause of something...else. The news of being able to get his weapons soon put him at ease, but later on in the day would have been preferred. Ah well, one couldn't be too picky when they were at the mercy of others. He'd learned that the hard way.

” Yeah, you know, or later, considering you said you might show up at the bar. Rin and I don't have anything better to do so we just might see you there,” Josef said giving the man a two fingered salute as he disappeared through the door. When he was gone, he looked around the small home and sighed. “Good thing we don't plan on staying here long, eh?”

{Those of the Feminine Persuasion}

Ashi paid careful attention to Drishe's eyes as she drank the vampire in visually. She closed her eyes feeling Drishe's hand on her cheek, biting her lip as her hand drifted. The moment was perfect, reminiscent of their time in the hive. “Well you've succeeded, Drishe. And you continue to do so.” The moment was ruined with Nurse Rose's appearance and her face immediately fell.

The positioning of the party as they made their way through the wretched place did not go unnoticed, again. Prejudices prevailing, and again, she stayed quiet as the nurse and the genie spoke, the vampire caring little for the nurse. Had she been a lower vampire, the nurse would have been better drained and giving her energy.

“So we're just going to be locked in here like dogs for five days? What are we to do about my feeding? If I don't feed, I can guarantee that I will not be as safe to be around as I am now. I will have no control over my actions, and my actions can be deadly,” Ashi said with raised eyes.

[Worm]

{ BOYOS }

Grim waved his hand at Josef, ignoring his comment. The man would show up if he wanted to, and who knows what would happen tonight. As a guard, you always had to be ready for the unexpected. He closed the metal door behind him and Rin finally took a deep breath. It was nice to be alone with Josef again. In the midst of their silence, he looked over the fellow, appreciating him in the moment. Josef had matured since they first met. "Do you remember the first time we met?" He smirked, a crooked tooth poking out on his lip.

As he watched his friend think about it, he smacked him on the bag and reeled him in for a hug. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad dealing with this fucker after all. "Let's go check out Billy's then." He mentioned after shoving Josef away in a playful over masculine way. "I'm sure you could use a drink as much as I."

{ GRILS }

Drishe was in shock, but not entirely powerless. Her eyes darted from side to side, the sounds of medical experimentation whizzing in her ears. She let her sands loose. She was a whirlwhind whipping around the lobby of the experiment center. She lifted Ashi from her feet and surrounded her with an armor of purple sand. Drishe wouldn't let anybody get near her and if she needed to find a way out now, she would. It didn't seem right.

She guided the girl into their room, most likely rustling her hair. Hopefully not blinding her with bits of her sands. Though they would dissolve when the touched her. She landed in the room and reassembled herself in front of the girl. "Is this what life is like now? Were we actually safer underground?" Drishe was panicking, stringing hands through hair. She could easily use magic to save herself, but her whole mission was to protect Ashi. If she left the girl behind, she would die internally. She was soul bound to her now. She'd lost masters before, and she'd disowned them. She wasn't ready to have it happen again. Not in a place like this.

As Ashi swarmed with questions, Drishe's mind dipped into her holy space. She could speak to the other genies on this plane. It was empty. Completely open. She screamed in the open space and it resonated into the real world. Soon, she was just joining a chorus of madmen and mutants. When she saw Ashi again, pulling away her shroud of emotions, she smiled. "I will protect you." And just after she said that, a small door at the corner of their room slid open. Two trays of food were pushed through. Drishe looked at Ashi, unsure whether or not to trust the food here.

Ashi's tray was different. It had a bag of blood and a biscuit, just for looks maybe. Drishe had a biscuit and a bowl of stew. Not that djinnis needed food anymore than their undead counterparts. She appreciated the idea. Hopefully it wasn't poisoned or tainted in some way. She stirred her finger in it, watching it change to a bright pink color before returning to its gnarly brown. "Purifying magic." She mumbled, looking over at Ashi's blood bag. "Would you like me to get yours?" Her voice was jagged, nervewracked and confused. She had to find a way out of here.

Five days? Was that the truth? It might be best to ask some of the other inmates.

[sylvanSpider]

{FUCKBOIS}

Josef laughed, “How could I forget? We almost killed each other. And ah...I almost killed Ashi. Pretty embarrassing now that I look back at it.” Funny how much things had changed since then. The two he was at one point aiming a gun to were now his best friends, one of which was a vampire, there was actually a surface. Yeah, a lot had changed.

“Yes, yes booze I think is the best idea. But then, we need to look for Val. See if we can get anything out of surviving that fucking hive,” Josef said smirking, opening the door for his friend. “Shall we?”

{Bitches&Hoes}

Ashi, on the other hand, was completely calm. Neutral, even. It was out of character, but she felt completely confident that they had everything under control. Then, after witnessing the power of Drishe, she knew that they could do anything. And Drishe was her side. She gasped as her feet lifted from the ground until she realized that Drishe was actually entering protective measures.

“Mmm, no. I mean, not really. Sure, humans know about us now, but we are still stronger than them. Our prospects are better against humans than vampires like Elizabeth anyway. I mean, if you think about it,” she smiled at Drishe through squinted eyes because of the sand. “If things get too bad, we'll just leave. They can't actually hold us here, can they?”

She watched as Drishe disappeared into her own world for a little while and came back, wondering what she'd just experienced on her own, and she was glad when her feet touched the ground. “We'll be okay, right?”

“Not likely.” Ashi blinked and looked around. The voice came from beside them and Ashi looked over. Sure enough, there was a hole in the wall and Ashi could make out a profile from a face undoubtedly belonging to one of the others they either suspected or was here for experimental reasons. But, she didn't look sick when Ashi crouched down to look, “Drishe if you would. For uh...safety reasons. Hey, so uh...apparently you're in quarantine too?”

The face turned to look through the hole, but the hole was small enough that one could only see a pair of green eyes, “Kind of. Technically, I'm safe. I'm not one of the ones that went feral. My body reacted differently. Their reasoning for keeping me here is the simple fact that I have it.” The voice gave a bitter laugh and Ashi blinked, looking back up to Drishe to see if they should keep the conversation going.

[Worm]

{ ♂ ♂ }

Rin smiled, reminiscing about how far they’d come together. It all felt like a strange dream. At one point, Rin was afraid that he’d die hunting. And in some ways, he did. In the vampire dungeon, Rin lost himself completely. And somehow after all of that, he could look at Josef now as a friend. The first time they’d met, he despised the man. Now he had nowhere near the same amount of disgust. In fact, he enjoyed his company. Rin was just noticing now that this would be the first time they’d gone anywhere, just the two of them, as friends.

He put his arm around Josef’s shoulder, wrangling both towards the door. He stepped out first, then Josef. The clank of the car door against wood followed them. ”What do you like to drink brother?” Rin mentioned over his shoulder towards Josef. They made their way down the unpaved road towards the slightly illuminated town center. It felt humble being here, warm and homely for some reason. Rin wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk anything anymore. Maybe he just wanted to be somewhere safe for once. Was he changing?

{ ♀ ♀ }

Drishe laughed, noticing Ashi’s confidence in their joint power. ”Of course we’re not trapped. Nothing will ever trap you again, my friend.” Her eyes were radiant with the red of bloodlust. When the voice snuck out from behind the wall, Drishe’s eyes darted towards that corner. She followed Ashi towards the voice. Her eyes were green and she smelled like smoke. She wondered where that smell originated from, and wondered if this person was the source.

Drishe ducked down to meet the eyes herself. ”They are keeping you like animals here.” Drishe purred. ”So, how did your body react?” She wanted to know what the hell was going on here, and why the humans were so freaked out.

[sylvanSpider]

{Swingers}

“Man, at this point if it's got alcohol, I'll drink about anything. White Russians used to be sort of my schtick back in the day though. I mean, it's like a dessert that can get you drunk. It's a win-win,” Josef laughed, not bothering to move Rin's arm from around his shoulder. He actually liked where he was in life, and decided it would only get better once Drishe and Ashi were out and they could be the four amigos again. He wondered if the rest of the world looked as bleak as this place. Maybe they could visit Europe. England was always rainy so it'd make for a nice place for Ashi at least. It was something to consider.

Josef folded his arms and looked up at the entrance to the bar, “Well, hello new friend. I believe you and I will be getting well acquainted in times to come. Hey, Rin. Do you know if vampires or genies drink? I mean uh...other than blood?”

{Sitters}

Ashi moved so that Drishe could also get a better look at the face. It belonged to a woman who looked to be quite...pretty. Especially for one assumed to have rad sickness. “Well, as you can see, I don't have blood pouring out of my orifices. I'm not throwing up. It just...changed me. It...gave me things. I can produce fire—just like that,” and with that, the woman snapped and a puff of smoke appeared where her fingers touched. “So what are you in for? Sick too?”

“Ehm. Well? Kind of. If being a vampire makes you sick,” Ashi said with a roll of her eyes. The pair of eyes on the other side visibly widened followed by a soft chortle.

“That's...that's actually quite funny. Back before all of this? Before the nuclear attacks? I was a hunter. It's ironic then that now we're put into the same boat, huh?”

Ashi shifted uncomfortably and shot a look at Drishe. The face pulled away as the woman leaned against the wall on her side, relaxing, “Don't worry. I'm not going to go after you. There's no need when I'm as hunted, right?” She folded her arms with a sigh. “I just want to get out and live in peace, you know? But they keep us cooped up in here in case it's contagious. But, if you were as open with them as you were with me about being a vampire? You might want to watch yourself. The rumor mill is flying with talk that super nats can “cure” us.”

Ashi gulped and looked at Drishe again, wondering what lay in wait for them.

[Worm]

{ RIN + JOSEF }

Rin chuckled, looking down at his slightly shorter friend walking happily underneath his muscled arm. When they reached the entrance, Rin released him. "Well, let's hope that they've got some of those girly drinks here for ya, kid." He poked playfully at Josef. "I don't think I'd want to see Drishe drunk. Pretty sure she's got an addictive personality." Rin mentioned, still unsure of just what went on in the hive while they were kept prisoner. "Ashi however... She might just loosen up a bit if we got her a nice, warm, bloody mary." He smiled, opening the wooden door and allowing his friend to step in first.

The smell of molded wood mixed with harsh astringent. His face hardened to ignore the odd smell. The bar was filled with all sorts of people. Many of which were augmented humans and restless villagers. Rin instantly recognized the guard who got the boys situated. He made eye contact and gave an acknowledging nod. The guard grinned, leaning back in his stool against the bar. The bartender had one eye and was wiping down the table where a glass was spilled. It seemed that having one too many, was not an issue here. In several booths there were customers passed out, fucking, or covered in booze or vomit. Yet the place still had a sort of charm to it. Maybe it was because Rin was anxious to leave sobriety.

He took a seat next to the guard and waited for the bartender's attention. "Could I get some whiskey on the rocks?" Once he finished ordering, he paid notice to the guard, who seemed to be waiting for conversation.

"Sho, you fellas still wannin' to be guards?" He slurred, hiccuping in his chest afterwards.

{ DRISHE & ASHI }

Drishe couldn't help but feel a little biased. Even though half of their crew was comprised of hunters, she was sure that both her and Ashi had some bad experiences with hunters. She snarled, but listened to the girl continue. She was right... They were all in the same boat now. It was just a matter of time before they decided to use the girls for "cures" or release them. "If they want a cure, they should just ask." Drishe muttered. Though she'd never cured someone of rad sickness before, she'd definitely healed plenty of people in her day. Unfortunately, it was the ones she actually cared about that seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time without Drishe.

The sound of metal clanging down the hallways alerted Drishe, her head jolting back to the door. Footsteps and the jangling of keys reverberated down. She heard a door slide open, and then subsequent screaming and snarling. It didn't sound human, whatever it was. There was a struggle, and Drishe tried her best to peek through the limited amount of visibility from their cell. A person in a white coat was beating down a huge mass of flesh. The horrid ball screeched and flung at them, but was inevitably tazed for almost a minute until the white coat was able to drag it away.

[sylvanSpider]

{Dingdongs}

Josef grinned stepping into the place, raising his eyebrows at those that were actually fucking before turning his head and giving it a brief shake and exhaling, “Well, home sweet home, I guess. I don't mind the girly drinks though. Nothing wrong with appreciating the taste. Always hated the taste of alcohol. I only liked what it did to me, that and the girly drinks get you just as drunk, so why the fuck not, eh? Yeah, A drunk Drishe would be interesting but not exactly something I'd care to be around for...Ashi on the other hand...can vampires even get drunk?”

Josef took his place beside Rin and before he could give his drink orders was asked if he wanted to be a guard to which he pursed his lips and looked down, “Actually, I was kind of hoping to find a normal job for once. Maybe join the farmers or become an artisan of some sort. I kind of...hm. I want to create instead of destroy, does that make sense? Maybe build. I did some carpentry when I was in high school, do you think there's a need for that sort of thing? I mean some of the buildings...I could make improvements to them.”

{Twats!}

The woman in the neighboring cell seemed unphased as to the racket going on outside of their cells. “Shit like that is common now. You'll get used to it. That creature? One of those that didn't react so well to the rad-sickness. We're not all lucky, and they keep that poor sap alive solely for experimental reasons. It's fucked. All of it is,” the woman said with a nonchalant shrug and a roll of her eyes. “My name's Lydia, Lyd for short, by the way.”

“I'm...Ashi, and this is my friend and genie, Drishe,” Ashi responded, still struggling to get a glimpse at the creature. “So...that was once a..a...person?”

“You mean like you at one point? Yeah, it was,” Lydia responded, trying to gauge a response from Ashi.

That one hurt. Ashi cringed a moment and shot the woman a glare. “And you too, by the looks of it,” she spat back.

Lydia just laughed. “So are you giving a few days in this shit hole or do you wanna make a run for it? I know a way, but eh. They feed me here so I've just been dealing with it until I don't feel like it anymore. Let's face it, they're just humans. We can overpower them a hundred to one. Bet on it.”