Vinnie “BLOODHOUND” Tove

The woman in front of Vinnie is almost a foot and a half shorter than her, but still built, and her hair is in two poofy balls.

“My name’s Poppy! You might know me from the band, the Sunlight Sisters? Doesn’t matter, those arms are making me remember that I’m very pansexual.”

- @poppyseedsunlight

Vinnie raises an eyebrow and leans down to make better eye contact with Poppy. Her muzzle practically touching the other woman’s face.

“You’re pretty bold for assuming I know who you are, punk.”

She snarls.

“Listen kid, usually flattery will get someone nowhere, but I’m not taking my chances. Thanks, Poppy.”

She takes a few steps back from Poppy, really looking her up and down.

Poppy looked at Vinnie eyeing her, and winked.

“YOU’RE 35?????”

She looks at Poppy and then back down at herself a few times. Her intimidating demeanor shattered within seconds.

“No way. There’s no way. No fucking way. Look, I may have not had a proper education due to growing up in a lab, but there’s no actual way you are older than me.”

“………..Yeah no. I’m not doing this. It’s too late for this. I can’t, I quit. I quit socializing. Bye.”

The woman in front of Vinnie is almost a foot and a half shorter than her, but still built, and her hair is in two poofy balls.

“My name’s Poppy! You might know me from the band, the Sunlight Sisters? Doesn’t matter, those arms are making me remember that I’m very pansexual.”

- @poppyseedsunlight

Vinnie raises an eyebrow and leans down to make better eye contact with Poppy. Her muzzle practically touching the other woman’s face.

“You’re pretty bold for assuming I know who you are, punk.”

She snarls.

“Listen kid, usually flattery will get someone nowhere, but I’m not taking my chances. Thanks, Poppy.”

She takes a few steps back from Poppy, really looking her up and down.

Poppy looked at Vinnie eyeing her, and winked.

“YOU’RE 35?????”

She looks at Poppy and then back down at herself a few times. Her intimidating demeanor shattered within seconds.

“No way. There’s no way. No fucking way. Look, I may have not had a proper education due to growing up in a lab, but there’s no actual way you are older than me.”

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

"Y-You mentioned that you were created as a weapon, right? I can imagine that it's...it's hard to get a job. You're used to people finding y-you scary, a-and that's usually to your advantage."

A shrug.

"At least, th-that's what I'm assuming."

Grace chuckles shyly.

"I wouldn't say I'm a g-great human being. Not any more than anyone else. Definitely not...not any more than you are."

She turns her head to smile at Vinnie, eyes warm and devoid of her usual flickering and fickle gaze. She makes eye contact surprisingly easily.

"I don't blame you for l-living the way you did. Everyone has to find ways to get by."

Then, she looks back at the road.

“I was a bad person and that fact continues to follow me around. My hands spilled the blood of many innocent people. Sometimes I can still smell ‘em.”

She grabs ahold of hold collar, and runs her index finger over the engraved text.

“The people at Umb- the scientists, treated me like an animal. I was caged until I got too big to fit in the kennels. I ate off the floor. When I made my first friend, she had to teach me how to socialize like a human.”

Vinnie clutches the tag tightly before breaking out in manic laughter.

"...Maybe you're right." She concedes, after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't be c-comparing you."

Her eyes drift back to the couple of plushies on the car's dashboard, on the stickers haphazardly scattered around different parts of the car.

"But Emily was created to be a monster, too. I still ended up t-taking her in." Grace murmurs, voice soft, but undeniably affectionate. "Just because you were created to be something y-you didn't want to be doesn't mean I-I don't still think of you as a valid person."

She shrugs, a half-lift of her shoulders that's hardly noticeable.

"I still think of you as...as a friend."

Then, she giggles softly.

Vinnie’s face turns slightly red after rambling about her past. She stretches her arms out forward, her joints making a popping noise.

“I need to stop making things awkward. Uh… How about we talk about… hobbies? I dunno.”

She folds her arms against her chest, thinking.

“Drums makes s-sense for you. Intense, but strong and crucial to make good things feel c-complete!” Grace says, nodding. “I play violin, and I learned the flute in…in middle school.”

She tries to think back to any other hobbies. These days she still does a lot of work, and taking care of Emily, but she still has time to herself on occasion.

Vinnie continues to fidget with her clothes.

“I think I still have my library card? It’s probably buried somewhere in my house…”

She makes a small gasp, perking up at the thought of something.

“Since you’ve been doing so much for me what if we go to the library? Emily can come too if she wants. My uh.. treat?”

Vinnie really does seem nervous, but strangely, the thought is comforting. Grace herself doesn't usually feel at-ease this much, even these days.

They pull into the parking lot of a restaurant. It looks nice, but not expensive, a place that's definitely accessible to the general public. Taking the keys out of the ignition and taking off her seatbelt, Grace smiles over at her friend.

“I always forget about the belt, usually I drive without- Fuck, you’re a cop- I drive safely. Yes.”

She looks up and down at the restaurant, tilting her head to the side slightly.

She walks toward the restaurant door, holding it open for Vinnie, who seems slightly perplexed by the gesture, but walks in anyways. A small bell over the door dings as they enter, and a waiter over at the counter gives Grace a wave. Evidently, he seems familiar with her.

"Feel free to go grab a booth." The waiter calls out. He doesn't seem alarmed by Vinnie's presence, either. In fact, he gives her a wave and smile as well.

Leading her friend over to a small spot in the corner, Grace smiles as she watches the other woman sit across from her. Clearly she's not used to restaurants. Probably not ones this clean, either. She seems almost more confused when Grace slides her a menu.

“You saw that right? The waiter dude didn’t scream or run. He like.. waved at me.”

She seemed almost offended at the lack of reaction. Vinnie looks back at the menu before holding it up to her face to sniff it. After a couple minutes of looking it over, she pulls out her phone.

“It’s so weird. I can actually read this thing. The pages aren’t falling off either!”

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

"Y-You mentioned that you were created as a weapon, right? I can imagine that it's...it's hard to get a job. You're used to people finding y-you scary, a-and that's usually to your advantage."

A shrug.

"At least, th-that's what I'm assuming."

Grace chuckles shyly.

"I wouldn't say I'm a g-great human being. Not any more than anyone else. Definitely not...not any more than you are."

She turns her head to smile at Vinnie, eyes warm and devoid of her usual flickering and fickle gaze. She makes eye contact surprisingly easily.

"I don't blame you for l-living the way you did. Everyone has to find ways to get by."

Then, she looks back at the road.

“I was a bad person and that fact continues to follow me around. My hands spilled the blood of many innocent people. Sometimes I can still smell ‘em.”

She grabs ahold of hold collar, and runs her index finger over the engraved text.

“The people at Umb- the scientists, treated me like an animal. I was caged until I got too big to fit in the kennels. I ate off the floor. When I made my first friend, she had to teach me how to socialize like a human.”

Vinnie clutches the tag tightly before breaking out in manic laughter.

"...Maybe you're right." She concedes, after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't be c-comparing you."

Her eyes drift back to the couple of plushies on the car's dashboard, on the stickers haphazardly scattered around different parts of the car.

"But Emily was created to be a monster, too. I still ended up t-taking her in." Grace murmurs, voice soft, but undeniably affectionate. "Just because you were created to be something y-you didn't want to be doesn't mean I-I don't still think of you as a valid person."

She shrugs, a half-lift of her shoulders that's hardly noticeable.

"I still think of you as...as a friend."

Then, she giggles softly.

Vinnie’s face turns slightly red after rambling about her past. She stretches her arms out forward, her joints making a popping noise.

“I need to stop making things awkward. Uh… How about we talk about… hobbies? I dunno.”

She folds her arms against her chest, thinking.

“Drums makes s-sense for you. Intense, but strong and crucial to make good things feel c-complete!” Grace says, nodding. “I play violin, and I learned the flute in…in middle school.”

She tries to think back to any other hobbies. These days she still does a lot of work, and taking care of Emily, but she still has time to herself on occasion.

Vinnie continues to fidget with her clothes.

“I think I still have my library card? It’s probably buried somewhere in my house…”

She makes a small gasp, perking up at the thought of something.

“Since you’ve been doing so much for me what if we go to the library? Emily can come too if she wants. My uh.. treat?”

Vinnie really does seem nervous, but strangely, the thought is comforting. Grace herself doesn't usually feel at-ease this much, even these days.

They pull into the parking lot of a restaurant. It looks nice, but not expensive, a place that's definitely accessible to the general public. Taking the keys out of the ignition and taking off her seatbelt, Grace smiles over at her friend.

“I always forget about the belt, usually I drive without- Fuck, you’re a cop- I drive safely. Yes.”

She looks up and down at the restaurant, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

"Y-You mentioned that you were created as a weapon, right? I can imagine that it's...it's hard to get a job. You're used to people finding y-you scary, a-and that's usually to your advantage."

A shrug.

"At least, th-that's what I'm assuming."

Grace chuckles shyly.

"I wouldn't say I'm a g-great human being. Not any more than anyone else. Definitely not...not any more than you are."

She turns her head to smile at Vinnie, eyes warm and devoid of her usual flickering and fickle gaze. She makes eye contact surprisingly easily.

"I don't blame you for l-living the way you did. Everyone has to find ways to get by."

Then, she looks back at the road.

“I was a bad person and that fact continues to follow me around. My hands spilled the blood of many innocent people. Sometimes I can still smell ‘em.”

She grabs ahold of hold collar, and runs her index finger over the engraved text.

“The people at Umb- the scientists, treated me like an animal. I was caged until I got too big to fit in the kennels. I ate off the floor. When I made my first friend, she had to teach me how to socialize like a human.”

Vinnie clutches the tag tightly before breaking out in manic laughter.

"...Maybe you're right." She concedes, after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't be c-comparing you."

Her eyes drift back to the couple of plushies on the car's dashboard, on the stickers haphazardly scattered around different parts of the car.

"But Emily was created to be a monster, too. I still ended up t-taking her in." Grace murmurs, voice soft, but undeniably affectionate. "Just because you were created to be something y-you didn't want to be doesn't mean I-I don't still think of you as a valid person."

She shrugs, a half-lift of her shoulders that's hardly noticeable.

"I still think of you as...as a friend."

Then, she giggles softly.

Vinnie’s face turns slightly red after rambling about her past. She stretches her arms out forward, her joints making a popping noise.

“I need to stop making things awkward. Uh… How about we talk about… hobbies? I dunno.”

She folds her arms against her chest, thinking.

“Drums makes s-sense for you. Intense, but strong and crucial to make good things feel c-complete!” Grace says, nodding. “I play violin, and I learned the flute in…in middle school.”

She tries to think back to any other hobbies. These days she still does a lot of work, and taking care of Emily, but she still has time to herself on occasion.

Vinnie continues to fidget with her clothes.

“I think I still have my library card? It’s probably buried somewhere in my house…”

She makes a small gasp, perking up at the thought of something.

“Since you’ve been doing so much for me what if we go to the library? Emily can come too if she wants. My uh.. treat?”

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

"Y-You mentioned that you were created as a weapon, right? I can imagine that it's...it's hard to get a job. You're used to people finding y-you scary, a-and that's usually to your advantage."

A shrug.

"At least, th-that's what I'm assuming."

Grace chuckles shyly.

"I wouldn't say I'm a g-great human being. Not any more than anyone else. Definitely not...not any more than you are."

She turns her head to smile at Vinnie, eyes warm and devoid of her usual flickering and fickle gaze. She makes eye contact surprisingly easily.

"I don't blame you for l-living the way you did. Everyone has to find ways to get by."

Then, she looks back at the road.

“I was a bad person and that fact continues to follow me around. My hands spilled the blood of many innocent people. Sometimes I can still smell ‘em.”

She grabs ahold of hold collar, and runs her index finger over the engraved text.

“The people at Umb- the scientists, treated me like an animal. I was caged until I got too big to fit in the kennels. I ate off the floor. When I made my first friend, she had to teach me how to socialize like a human.”

Vinnie clutches the tag tightly before breaking out in manic laughter.

"...Maybe you're right." She concedes, after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't be c-comparing you."

Her eyes drift back to the couple of plushies on the car's dashboard, on the stickers haphazardly scattered around different parts of the car.

"But Emily was created to be a monster, too. I still ended up t-taking her in." Grace murmurs, voice soft, but undeniably affectionate. "Just because you were created to be something y-you didn't want to be doesn't mean I-I don't still think of you as a valid person."

She shrugs, a half-lift of her shoulders that's hardly noticeable.

"I still think of you as...as a friend."

Then, she giggles softly.

Vinnie’s face turns slightly red after rambling about her past. She stretches her arms out forward, her joints making a popping noise.

“I need to stop making things awkward. Uh… How about we talk about… hobbies? I dunno.”

She folds her arms against her chest, thinking.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

"Y-You mentioned that you were created as a weapon, right? I can imagine that it's...it's hard to get a job. You're used to people finding y-you scary, a-and that's usually to your advantage."

A shrug.

"At least, th-that's what I'm assuming."

Grace chuckles shyly.

"I wouldn't say I'm a g-great human being. Not any more than anyone else. Definitely not...not any more than you are."

She turns her head to smile at Vinnie, eyes warm and devoid of her usual flickering and fickle gaze. She makes eye contact surprisingly easily.

"I don't blame you for l-living the way you did. Everyone has to find ways to get by."

Then, she looks back at the road.

“I was a bad person and that fact continues to follow me around. My hands spilled the blood of many innocent people. Sometimes I can still smell ‘em.”

She grabs ahold of hold collar, and runs her index finger over the engraved text.

“The people at Umb- the scientists, treated me like an animal. I was caged until I got too big to fit in the kennels. I ate off the floor. When I made my first friend, she had to teach me how to socialize like a human.”

Vinnie clutches the tag tightly before breaking out in manic laughter.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

She thinks about Emily. How she'd smiled when handed that teddy bear for the first time, how bright she's been since Grace adopted her...

"It's just...she n-needed someone, you know? I lost m-my mom...pretty early on. I know what it's like to be...be alone. And scared."

Driving the car like it's second nature, Grace occasionally peers over at the woman in the seat next to her, taking in her face. She seems more relaxed now, and the sight is nice.

Vinnie looks over at Grace and then out to window. She feels sheepish for accidentally bringing up Grace’s past.

“I can’t really say I can relate to losing my mom. Well- Kind of-? I don’t really know how to put it. Like, she’s still alive but I was displaced from her.”

She takes a moment to really think about what she wants to say next.

“Despite everything you’ve been through, you still turned out to be a great human being. You’re working a stable job, you have a nice kid, and you’re not worried about if your next meal is gonna be from the neighbor’s trash.”

She takes a deep breath.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

"There's a good Thai place n-near here." Grace says, starting up the car and putting on her seatbelt. She herself seems excited. "I'll...I'll take you there."

“Interesting. It smells like you but like…”

She sticks her face close to it to smell it again.

“Oh right. You have a kid. It’s weird. This thing smells like you but like, hospital-y.”

Vinnie moves back realizing she forgot to buckle up, so she quickly fumbles with the seatbelt.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

"H-Hookup? Oh, n-n-no, that's not..."

She pauses. She's never had a hookup in her life, yet that's all Vinnie seems to be used to. The two of them really do come from different worlds.

Still, it's not off-putting. Nor all that surprising, frankly, but it doesn't make Grace think any less of Vinnie, either. She's actually a little jealous that Vinnie has courage like that...

"I mean, this...doesn't have to be a hookup that ends in me leaving. I still want to g-get to know you properly." Grace says, smiling at her...friend?

(She hopes that they're friends. Just a bit.)

"...How about a d-date? Like, a real one."

Slowly, she reaches out, resting a hand on Vinnie's bicep gently.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

Once they reach Grace’s car, she gets herself into the passenger seat.

“So uh… I’m not picky with what I eat. Whatever you like, I’m sure I’ll like. Most of my meals come from the trash, so it’s not like you got a high bar to beat.”

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.

Grace laughs to herself.

"It's not like I meet people very often. N-Not ones I like, anyway. Especially not...not ones I take out to restaurants."

She notices Vinnie's faint flush, but decides not to comment on it. No use embarrassing the other woman further, if that's what this is.

Vinnie chuckles at her own comment, but she then realizes what Grace just said before. She doesn’t meet people often.

“Y’know, when I actually had money, I took a lot of girls out. Like hookups and shit like that. I know you’re not gonna just hookup and leave, or at least I hope not. So it’s like- I’m not used to getting taken out for dinner.”

She fidgets with her hip pouches’ zippers.

Oh and bring something you can use to pick locks. Thanks.

- @baddogs-incorporated

”What the…”

Grace eyes the message on her phone with concern. Both for Vinnie and whoever she may be with, depending on circumstances.

She quickly taps a reply back, having to fix a few spelling mistakes due to typing while packing to leave.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

She sighs and continues fumble with the chain that’s wrapped around her ankles.

She rushes over, almost tripping over her feet in the process, before kneeling down next to Vinnie.

"Oh my goodness, w-who did this? What happened?? Are y-you okay??"

Vinnie points at a collar around her neck, it’s made of thick leather and has a plastic box with a flashing light on it.

“It’s a shock collar, and when I screamed, it shocked me. That’s how they got me. The whole chains around my ankles is just pathetic. They already won, so why need to spit in my face! ARGH-!”

“Here, e-eat this. Don’t worry, I have a-a few more if you’re still hungry.”

Then, she circles around to Vinnie’s side, inspecting the small box on the collar. She’s seen collars like these before, and the shock might not be lethal if she screws with it, but still, she decides to be careful.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

The shock collar is fairly primitive, all things considered, though Grace does burn herself on a couple of wires by mistake when they spark. Then, the collar is deactivated once she severs a wire with a pocket knife, before she looks at Vinnie.

“All…all done.” Grace says, giving her a smile.

Then, seeing the shame still on Vinnie’s face, Grace reacts without thinking. She slowly reaches out with one hand…

“What are you-? Never mind…”

She practically melts under Grace’s touch. She leans into Grace’s hand and just closes her eyes.

“You have no clue how bad I’ve been wanting this. Like- Not like you in particular petting me- Just… Connection? Y’know?”

"I get that." She murmurs, slender fingers parting through Vinnie's hair and scratching behind her ears. A faint smile appears on her lips when the other woman leans into her touch. "C-Connection can be hard to find when y-you go through certain things."

She pauses, thinking more about her own past. What happened with her mother and her life since then hasn't always given her opportunities to find other people, especially when she was too afraid to.

Vinnie freezes and sits back up. She shakes her head just rough enough to ruffle her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with me-? L-Look- I’m uh… I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but like- I’m still…”

She snarls, bearing her teeth.

“Aggressive. I-I don’t know. I’m definitely a bad influence. Like I’d teach the pipsqueak to swear or like… pickpocket?”

Vinnie reaches for the bag of jerky and takes it. She sniffs it before grabbing a handful and shoving it into her mouth.

"Sorry, t-too much?" She asks. "I just thought it would, uh...be kinda nice."

A shrug. "I mean, I-I don't think you're aggressive. If I did, I probably w-wouldn't have...wouldn't have come here to rescue you."

She smiles gently.

"And even if you were wired to be that way, that doesn't mean that, uh, that it's all you'll ever be. Everyone can change."

Then, Grace giggles again, less shyly this time.

Vinnie slowly backs away from Grace.

“As much as I’m nice to you now, I can easily kill you at the drop of a hat. My brain has literally been cut open and rewired over and over again.”

She pulls at her hair, wincing.

“I-I don’t even know why I even reached out- I’m just a filthy animal wrapped in human flesh. But some pretty little government dweeb tamed me.”

Vinnie jams her index finger into Grace’s chest, scoffing.

And maybe Vinnie isn't beyond saving, either.

"I think y-you mean that the other way around. As in, I'm the moth, you're the flame." Grace says, still softly smiling. She scoots a bit closer to Vinnie on the pavement, moving slowly enough to not startle her. "But...I like you, too."

She extends a hand to the other woman.

"You can r-reach out to me. I know it's scary, but..." Grace shrugs. "Maybe, if you've been nice to me...to me so far, you're not as much of a monster as you th-thought."

Her smile curves a bit wider.

There’s a low growl and Vinnie looks away shamefully.

“That wasn’t me this time-! It’s just- Ah fuck it! Yeah sure. Whatever shuts my stomach up.”

She stands up, holding out her hand for Grace to take. Vinnie’s hand is slightly shaking, any form of intimacy, platonic or romantic seems to makes her anxious.

“I can pay for lunch. I have… Three? Four? Four dollars. Call me Mr. Moneybags!”

"No need. K-Keep those dollars." Grace says, smiling. "My...my car is near here. There's a restaurant a-a few minutes drive away."

She starts walking, beckoning Vinnie to follow.

Vinnie follows after Grace, walking with a slight limp. Her face flushes a slight pink.

“I don’t think I’ve actually been to a restaurant in years. It’s hard to make money when nobody wants to hire me for hi- business. Apparently, I have an ‘attitude problem’. Psh.”

She pauses.