𝕚'𝕝𝕝 𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 (BunnyxLadyJace)

[Lady Jace Beleren]

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

..

I thought I was better off alone    relaxed     //    29    //     home    It had only taken two weeks for everything to fall apart. The first bite was on February, Third. By the seventeeth? The military had collapsed, the government was going into hiding, and Astor was laying on the floor of his parents house, waiting for the banging in the windows to stop. He had been alone before all this started. A civil engineer with barely any friends and no hobbies to speak of outside of playing video games and binging shows. Overweight and tired of life. Astor thought he wanted the world to just end. It had been a shock to find out he had been wrong when it actually happened. Astor had been alone in his apartment when the state of emergency had been declared. There had only been one place he had to go. One place outside of the big city that he could be. His parents' house was an hour away in Heaven's Heights, an average medium sized town. But, that sounded a lot better than being surrounded by people in the middle of an actual fucking zombie apocalypse. Except, when he arrived, no one was there. And, as he boarded up the windows, the doors, he came to understand that no one would be coming. So, he had simply laid down on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, and let the world end. Astor stretched his back, enjoying the satisfying pops as he let the sun dry the sweat off his skin. Sometimes it felt strange to look around the backyard he grew up in, though it now extended most of the neighborhood, and see fields of wheat and corn. Two years had changed a lot of things about the world. Most of the houses were falling apart. The gas had gone bad long ago. But, even more obvious were the changes that Astor had made. Solar panels covered the roof of the house, scavenged mostly from the telephone pole emergency phones around the town and the highway. The neighbor's house had been converted into a makeshift barn, keeping the chickens that allowed Astor to survive. He had probably changed the most. Long black hair, slim body full of practical muscle. If he was honest, he was kind of hot now. Too bad no one else cared. Whatever had turned people into bloodthirsty monsters had left the animals alone. For the first few months, it had been dangerous to even leave the house. The things, zombie was a crap word for it, had chased every shadow. Tried to bite and claw and eat anything that moved. Then, it was like they went dormant. Moved mostly in groups, ignored anything that did not stray too close. The biggest problem was noise. Any hammering needed to be done in short bursts, usually during the colder months. But, if you kept your distance and made sure to keep a gun on you, the apocalypse was relatively safe. Too bad he was the only one around to enjoy it these days. A few survivors had shown up. Most weren't interested in hanging around. Some had tried to take what Astor had worked so hard to build. Then, there were the strange ones. Some kind of mutated strain of whatever caused this. Ravenous and insane, but still intelligent enough to speak. Astor tried not to think about them, about what he had to do. But, he hadn't seen any alive for months. Well, anyone except for her. Not that she had been the source of endless conversation. Astor had seen a group of the regular zombies crowding around something. That usually meant fresh meat or a survivor. Either way, he had no intention of letting the opportunity pass. Instead, he had found them in a half-circle around another zombie. All of them just... staring at her. At first glance, she was just like the rest. Soulless eyes, vacant expression. She just seemed to be in better condition. Astor had almost left it all behind. Until he saw her try to move past them and they only closed tighter. It had bothered him. So, he had jumped on the roof and dragged her up. That had been where he planned to leave it. The next day, he saw her on the other side of his fence as he worked. Then, the next day. Soon, she was standing right beside it, just watching him. Not chasing him or looking in his direction. Watching. That had been when he broke down and gave her a name. Maybe it was because of the loneliness, maybe it was because she was really fucking cute for a zombie. But, he had decided to call her Max. Something about her oversized sweater and little hat made him think of someone artsy. So, he had named her after a character from one of his favorite games. A short photographer with the same kind of vibe. They looked nothing alike, but it had seemed right. And now, she was standing right at the fence, watching him like always. "Morning, Max. I'd say I'm glad you came today, but you never leave anymore, do you? Hold on." Wiping his face off with his shirt, Astor slipped into the back door of the house. Inside, it looked like a mad science laboratory. A bunch of half build machines, wires stapled to the walls. There was only so much he could do without banging away with a hammer and ripping wood off the walls. Weaving through, he made his way to the refrigerator in the back of the room that used to be a mudroom. Reaching in, he pulled put a bundle of butcher paper, stained red from the meat inside. And a moment later, he was the fence, opening it up to offer Max the raw chicken inside. "I've got a treat. One of the chickens stopped laying. I kept half for me, but I know you like it raw." ​

 

[Bunny]

..

But whatever you're gonna do I'm gonna follow you    curious     //    19    //     near fence    It seemed like a cliche, where were you when the world ended. A question that survivors would ask themselves and others. It wasn’t a localized event, everyone would have a story. Even the dead. While survivors might have stories of loss or of close calls, they were, after all, still alive. The dead however? Their tales were not so pretty. Not so nice. Elarian was no different. Her tale, if she could have talked or been able to think, would have been one of fear and pain. Luckily however, Ella didn’t think like humans did, not anymore. Nor did she talk. Or feel. All those things that had once made someone human had been erased and in their place, was something.. Else. Perhaps at first she’d been like the others of her kind. Hunted in a pack or killed a human for the sheer need to feed that never seemed to be too far behind. Insatiable, ravenous, whatever word you wanted to use, that is what the living dead were. She couldn’t think or speak but at some point, Ella became… aware. Not consciously. No, that would have required too much cognitive processing. Yet something had shifted and she wasn’t like the others. She avoided them, for the most part. Though, as if sensing she was different, there were a few attacks on her by her own kind. In one such occurrence, she met him. Herded, until she was surrounded, she had been captured. They’d not attacked, but they knew she was somehow not like them and when she’d tried to move away from them, something in her dead brain willing her to get away from them, they’d closed in tighter. Her distress had not been ignored and he’d rescued her. Lifting her from between them and settling her on the roof. That had been the second spark. From that singular action, that kindness, she’d become curious. It took her time to follow him, but follow him Ella did. For a long while she stayed far away, watching him with an almost curious gaze. He never seemed bothered by her and Ella slowly grew bolder. Following him around the town and then one day? Ella had followed him home. Never did she try to scare or attack him nor his animals. No, she stood by the fence and simply.. Watched. Had she been able to process feelings or thoughts, Ella might have been able to conclude she felt safe near him. Astor. He’d introduced himself the day he gave her a name. Max. For a while, she’d wander off and come back, but for the last month, she’d not done more than wander around his home, her shuffling footsteps quiet. A lot of the time he’d find her watching the animals when she couldn’t see him. Never aggressive, but with almost the same sort of intensity she watched him. Rain or shine. Night or day, Ella was there. Dressed as she had been the day she’d died. A large sweater that had once been a dusky olive green. Now more grey and grimy. A pair of short black shorts could bee seen as she moved. The thigh highs were ripped in places and one sagged near her knee. The thick socks and boots were worn but other that dirt, grim and blood were unscathed. The beanie that she’d put on to weather the cold air was dirty and caddywhompus over her pale hair that had once been blonde perhaps, but was now a green. Her skin too had clearly once been pale but now was grayish green. The ruby of her eyes was the same of all her kind, though hers were not the dull fuzzy shade, but bright red. Morning Max. Her head slowly turned toward Astor and had she remembered to smile, she might have. She shuffled a touch closer to the fence, but still kept a bit of distance. Almost as if she was aware that getting too close could scare him. He came back holding something and she looked from it to him, before a hand slowly rose. Though she was still dead, she took care. Like not being too close to the fence, nor scaring his livestock. Almost aware, in a way that if she moved too quickly, she’d scare him. Lifting the chicken she ate it, uncaring as blood ran down her chin, staining her skin and sweater. She didn’t eat it in a dainty fashion. No, she devoured all she could, without eating the bones and with her poor motor skills before handing him back the carcass of the dead chicken still chewing. ​

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

..

I thought I was better off alone    cautious     //    29    //     home    Astor could not keep the small smile off his face as he watched Max slowly take the chicken. She seemed so... docile. Most of the zombies did not chase unless you did something stupid. But, he had never met one who would simply stand on the edge of the fence and stare. If he got this close to any other zombie, they would he crawling over the fence, grabbing for him already. Max was definitely unique. Probably something between the mutated strains that were fully aware, even if they were insane, and the normal wandering type. She was certainly the only one that ever followed him home without trying to rip him to pieces. However, she certainly ate like the others. Most of them spent their days chasing birds and squirrels. Almost half had disappeared into the forests and hills around town, trying to bite into whatever wild animal they could find. And they ate just like the animals they chased. But, Astor had been taking care of animals for a while now and a little blood didn't bother him. So, he watched Max enjoy her treat with nothing but a little smile on his face. Like she was the most adorable thing in the world. As the blood ran down her face and she took to ripping meat off bone, he sighed. There was so much dirt on her that it was impossible to tell where it ended and the zombie began. It felt unfair to leave her like this when she had at least some awareness. Taking the pile of bones and blood, Astor leaned on the fence with one elbow. It was likely the closest he had been to Max since he dragged her off the roof. But, if this was some plan to eat him, it was certainly taking a long time. So, he decided it would be better to just try. He had nothing but time anyway. "Stay there for a second. I'm going to clean you up." Astor took a short detour to the compost pile, dumping the entire bundle into it. He would have to crush it down later, but bonemeal made for great fertilizer. Now, though, he needed to use his most prized possession. Half the reason that he had stayed planted here instead of wandering off like everyone else. His big secret. A functioning well. Most of the town was on city water and there was no way he could maintain that. But here, as long as he kept power, he had an almost infinite source of water as far as one person and a few dozen chickens were concerned. Rain water could supplement his crops when he needed it, but this had let him be almost comfortable for years. So, he barely thought about it as he turned on the hose and cool water poured out. He rinsed his hands and took the still-running hose over to the fence. "Stay still, okay? I'm just going to clean you up a little. Who knows what will happen if you wander off smelling like fresh chicken." Astor had no idea why he felt like this was a good idea, but he put a thumb over the end of the hose, making the water spray out in a strong stream, and pointed it right in Max's face. She did not run or try to block the water, but when he lowered the stream to start to rinse off her clothes, he saw something new on her face. Anger. Her lip lifted in a growl and Astor knew his expression went blank. Because she was still a zombie and he had just pissed her off. But, she did not lunge. So, he pointed the hose away and sighed, water now running off her in gray streams, almost as much dirt as water. "That was... probably not a great idea. But, you aren't going to jump over this fence, right?" His tone had shifted, like he was talking to a stray animal, which was alarmingly close to the truth. So, he pointed to the rest of her outfit, the hat and sweater already soaked. "Should I get you new clothes?" Empty words, just something calming to say so that she realized he meant no harm. He had nothing for a zombie art student to wear, even if that was just his mental image of her. ​

 

[Bunny]

..

But whatever you're gonna do I'm gonna follow you    curious     //    19    //     near fence    The offer of food was an odd one, but it had been kind. As if some part of her mind understood that kindness. The meal was eaten clumsily and large bits of meat were left on the bone. Her fine motor skills were not up to par for something more thorough. Large chunks of flesh and meat were slirpped down and mostly chewed! As it part of ehr remembered that she needed to bit and chew in order to get the bloody bits down. Finished, she’d handed the present back, the why of it was unknown to either of them. Had she been able to think like a human on some level, it might have been like returning your plate. When he leaned on the fence, Ella tilted her chin, still finishing the last of the bird. It was the closest he’d gotten to her since that first day and she made a small, gurgling sound in her throat at his nearness. She was.. Purring. Not that it sounded like a purr in truth. The sound stopped as he straightened and moved away from her. A small whine followed him. Staying there wasn’t hard for her to do, not one to wander much. So when he came back out, there she stood. The hose was foreign to her and as he spoke, Ella just watched him. Her ruby eyes unsettling perhaps with their intensity. The water hit her and the first feeling was shock and followed by something close to fear. The one thing that Ella hated, truly hated, was storms. While there was no ground vibrating booms, the water reminded her of rain and she growled. Somehow aware that it was his doing. The growl seemed to get the message across though and the water stopped and she stood there, dripping wet from the hose. Her face was no longer bloodstained and some of the dirt had been washed off her face at least. Though it was replaced by trails of dirty water from her hair. His words like always were not understood and she stood there, trembling slightly as water pooled around her boots, snaking down her body. An offer for clothing was met with the same stare that she’d always given him. The only change now was the slight trembling of her body. Almost as if Ella was cold. Her body felt different, though she couldn't figure out why. Nor could she figure out how to fix it. Rain wasn’t new, but this feeling? It was. Had she been human, she might have hugged herself to reserve warmth. Eyes on him, Ella whimpered. A soft, pitiful sound. ​

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

..

I thought I was better off alone    lonely     //    29    //     home    Astor had no words for the sound she made at his approach. It was strange to say the least. Most zombies barely made any noise unless they were trying to rip something apart. Max was something different. He could tell that much just from all the strange behavior he had seen. What he was not sure of was exactly how much was going on inside her head. How much she was thinking. And thinking was apparently something he had not bothered to do when he found himself face to face with a soaked zombie that seemed thoroughly pissed off. "Shit, sorry. I didn't even think about it." He doubted any other zombie would let him get away with spraying water in their face either. Some part of him had considered Max just a piece of scenery. The growl made it very clear that she was still plenty capable of acting on her own, of possibly throwing herself over the fence and trying to rip his face off. Only, she stayed exactly where she was. Staring at him with those same intense eyes, water running down her face. And a second later, she was whining. "Oh... I didn't even know zombies could... clothes. You need clothes. Stay there." At this point, Astor had no idea why he was even talking at this point. She had no idea what he was saying and he had no idea how to handle her. So, he dropped the hose and stalked over to turn the water off. He slipped through the back door of the house and weaved his way past all of his half-made projects and wires. Most of the house was almost normal, like he wanted to pretend that something could be like it was before. While he had a small stash of clothes for himself, what he really needed was the massive box of random clothing he kept for scraps. Going through the box, he came out with a sweater that would likely be way too big and sweatpants that would either be too small or not fit at all. Still, it was what he had. Most importantly, he grabbed a towel. And all of that was bundled under his arm when he came out of the front door. Max was exactly where he left her, still dripping wet and shivering. Astor knew he was being ridiculous for worrying about a zombie, but it made him feel like an asshole when he looked at her. She barely reacted when he moved to stand beside her, but she did not lunge at him, so that was all he could really ask for. Setting the clothes in the ground, he lifted the towel and walked the last few steps to her. "You look miserable. I'm going to get you out of those wet clothes. Can zombies even get sick?" Maybe this was what he liked about Max. She let him talk to himself and not feel like he was crazy. When he reached up to tug the hat off her head, though, he visibly cringed. Her hair was stuck to the fabric, so full of dirt and grime that it was practically glue. Still, he tugged it free and wrapped the towel around her head, ruffling her hair. It came away with gray streaks all over it. And that was when he decided it was pointless. With a sigh, he tossed the towel on the ground and reached for the edge of her sweater. At least he could get the wet clothing off of her. Lifting it with casual disregard, he was slipping into that place where she was just an object again. That is, until he discovered that whoever Max had been before did not wear a bra. He dropped the sweater in a heartbeat and stepped away. "Fuck. What is wrong with me. Your just a zombie." Astor ran his fingers through his hair, pulling his free of the tie. This was exhausting. He could just leave her here and nothing would change that she was a zombie. So, he turned and walked right back to his front door, almost slamming it. Only his practice in self-preservation made him think to keep the noise down. Maybe he would just spend the rest of the day playing games. ​

 

[Bunny]

..

But whatever you're gonna do I'm gonna follow you    scared     //    19    //     inside    The pitiful noise was not the only indication that Ella was unhappy. That whine of sound was accompanied by the shivering. Had you asked her and had she been able to answer, Ella would have said she didn’t know she could be cold either. He left again and she stood there as a puddle formed beneath her, slowly forming mud beneath the heel of her boots. His body closer now, she kept an eye on him but didn’t lunge or move toward him at all. His closeness made the sad little whimper vibrate slightly as she began to purr again. Ella liked him close. His voice sounded and she relaxed next to him. His questions, as always, went unanswered. Even if she could speak, there was no way she’d have known the answer. Up until today she wouldn’t have said she could get cold. Then again, she didn’t have much above base needs and reactions. Hunger and her curiosity and need to near.. Him. Not just anyone would do. She needed him. Hat pulled from her head she made a small sounds of protest or perhaps pain and then quieted again till there was just that low purr of sound. Towel wrapped around her head her body sways as he roughly toweled her hair and then gave it up as it really did not help much. It had soaked up some extra water, but she was filthy. Years of her life as the undead had not been kind when it came to her cleanliness. Rain, mold, dirt, dust and god knew what else had collected on the small woman. Fingers lifted her sweater, finding nothing but Ella beneath. Small, perfect breasts, grey green like the rest of her. The fabric dropped and his cheeks heated as he totaled to himself. Ella watched as he turned on his heel and marched away from her. Her purring slowed and when he didn’t come back out, it stopped. Too far away he’d not hear the soft whine. Like a puppy when their owner left, sad and lonely. The man didn’t return and Ella stood there as the sun slowly sank behind the house and then vanished beyond the horizon. Ella stood there as rain began to fall, light at first and then harder. Water ran down her slender form in rivulets, dirt and grim sloshing from her now bare hair. While she didn’t like the water, she was able to tell the difference from him using water on her to the rain that fell. So she didn’t growl endlessly as it began to pour in truth on her. It wasn’t until the first crack of lightning that her body tenses and when the earth shattering rumble of thunder vibrated along her body, Ella whimpered. She lasted ten minutes in the deluge and cacophony of noise. Ten minutes of fear before she shambled forward. Ground slick, she fell hard onto the ground. Mun splattering along her. Crawling towards the gate she pushed against it and as if some god took pity on her the latch gave and she pushed through. No less than three times did she fall, the ground was water soaked and slick beneath her feet. How she found her way into his home would be discovered by muddy footprints later but inside, she sought him out. Finding his slumbering form she stood there, dripping mud and water on the floor. Safe and once again happy.. Well.. happier. Thunder rumbled and Ella whimpered with fear. ​

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

..

I thought I was better off alone    resigned     //    29    //     home    Astor felt absolutely absurd when he finally closed the door behind himself. Why was he trying to take care of a zombie like she was a pet? Who cared if she was the only one that responded to his presence? Or that she wanted to follow him around? It was a waste of time to try to watch over her. She would either lose her mind and try to eat him or she would lose interest and wander off. There was nothing to do about it. So, he tried to forget about her as he went about his day. Grilled chicken soaked in so much salt and pepper that he could barely tell what it was, a cold shower to save electricity, and the one luxury he had left. Astor collapsed onto the couch, now on the verge of becoming comfortable despite the fact that he managed to preserve most of the house. This was what he had to keep him sane. Not the pet zombie who made him do stupid things. His games. He had stolen a big TV soon after he got the solar panels attached. Stolen was not even really accurate. No one else was using it. The games had needed to be scavenged too, given that all of his things were still in an apartment far away. There had been complications. Always-online games, discs that did not have the game data on them. But, he had a decent collection now. Plenty of older things he had never played and favorites. So, he kept himself fed, kept the house together, and played his games. He barely even noticed that the rain had started as he climbed into bed, tired like always. He peeled off his clothes and settled into the sheets. The first roll of thunder came after he fell asleep. Hugging his pillow against his face, he was half under the covers when Max entered the room. The thunder rumbled again and he barely moved. No, it was that small whimper that had him stirring, rising from his covers as he rubbed his eyes. The room was dark with the windows still covered, but he lifted a flashlight from the nightstand and clicked it on. And for a few moments, Astor just froze. The first thought was to grab the shotgun he kept beside the bed. To simply kill whatever zombie had somehow wandered in. Then, he realized it was Max and he relaxed just a bit. Why was she in here? How was she in here? Slowly, he rose so that the sheets only covered his bare lower half. Modesty in front of a zombie. He really was losing it. With a sigh, he rose to his feet, letting it fall away. The flashlight went from her face to the floor, taking in the mess that she was. It was different from before. Soaked and covered in mud, something had happened. Astor should have been wary, scared even. A zombie was in his bedroom. But, all he could do was feel pity. Feel like this was his fault. He had left her outside alone and the storm soaked her, left her shaking again. So, with another long sigh, he stepped forward and put a hand around her wrist. "Come on. I guess I have a pet zombie now." Luckily, Max was not exactly resistant to his guiding. He let her through the living room, flipping the light switch and trying not to cringe at how much mud and water covered the floor. A casual glance showed that the trail led to the back door. The door he had forgotten to lock when he rushed to dry her off earlier. So, it was his own fault, then. Shaking his head, he pulled her along to the bathroom, guiding her until she stepped into the tub, still wearing her boots. With a soft hand, he pushed her down until she finally acknowledged the pressure and sat down with a wet splat, almost falling. He reached for the handle to turn on the water, then paused. "Stay here, Max." As soon as he moved to stand again, Max tried to follow and it was only after several increasingly hard pushes back down to her butt that she seemed to understand. Padding out of the bathroom, he disappeared down the basement stairs, turning on the water heater, which rumbled to life. When he finally returned to the bath, he turned on the faucet and water began to pour out. Once it was warm, he pushed down the stop and began to fill the tub. "What are you doing to me, Max? Making me take care of you." He hesitated for a moment, then reached into the tub, starting with the laces of her boots, which practically fell apart as he tugged them. ​

 

[Bunny]

..

But whatever you're gonna do I'm gonna follow you    scared     //    19    //     inside    Light flashed over her and the ruby eyes of Ella met his. Whimpering softly, the sound sad and pathetic. The cause of the sound and for her finding her way into his home came almost instantly as thunder rattled the windows and Ella flinched, the movement more than obvious and she shuffled a step closer. Hesitantly, but clearly seeking him out. When the sheet slithered off him her eyes followed it and her head tilted, for a moment there was curiosity. Then there was another clap of thunder and she whined. His hand curled around her wrist and he led her way from his room. Ella followed Astor like a puppy, allowing him to tug her after him in his wake. Every tremble of thunder caused her flinch. The sound scared her, there was no question about it. She wasn’t human and she wasn’t really there, but there was something different about her. Astor was safe and when she’d been scared, she had sought him out. Helped into the tub, he pushed her to sit and when her butt hit the porcelain she looked up at him. Her face was docile and when he moved to leave she rose to follow him. It took him four tries before he could leave without her following him. Sitting in the tub, shivering, Ella waited. The water made her pull back, but it was warm and that seemed to fascinate her. Gurgling slightly she reached out to touch the water. It was warm, not hot enough to hurt her and she looked up at him. He was kneeling now, slowly pulling her clothing from her body. One soaking boot, then the next. Socks came next. Pulled off, sopping wet. The ripped thigh highs were much like the laces, but soon her slender, bare legs were revealed. The warm water swirled around her hips as he talked to himself, trying to psych himself up to remove her shorts. They came off slowly, the wet denim clinging to her ass and hips. The sweater was plastered to her body. It and her panties all that were left. Again, that little pep talk before they too were removed. Joining the wet pile that was her clothes. When the sweater finally came off she was left naked. In water that swirled around her waist, dirty trails of dirt blossomed in the water. A sound trilled from her throat, a soft almost chirping sound and she leaned closed to him. It was clear she trusted him and she made no move to hurt him. When he got closer though she cuddled closer. His warmth and scent a balm to her fear. Her hand wrapped around his wrist and she gave a gentle, but more than insistent tug on it. Ella wanted him to enjoy the warm water too! ​

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

..

I thought I was better off alone    ashamed     //    29    //     home    It was obvious what had driven Max into the house. Whatever she had going on behind those intense red eyes, it was afraid of thunder. Cute as that was, it meant he had a new problem. What was he going to do with the zombie now? She had gone over some invisible line, entered his house. No one except Astor had been in here since the first zombies broke out. Now, she was sitting in the tub and he was pulling her boots off. The little noises she made were almost like an animal, but distorted by whatever had gone wrong under the skin. Outwardly, aside from the dirt that covered her even after her rain bath, she was in good shape. He had no idea what the inside looked like. Some of the zombies he saw were falling apart, decaying even as they walked around. As he tugged off her boots, she seemed to be whole. The socks were no big deal, but the thigh highs were where Astor started to lose his momentum. The shorts were barely covering her ass and the thigh highs were particularly high. He found himself wondering how pretty she must have been before all of this even as his hands dragged the cloth down her thighs, tearing it apart as he went. Soon, there was a pile of rags that were far beyond redemption. Now, he was stuck with the serious parts. He even considered just cleaning her like this, but the trail of mud he had seen before changed his mind. "She's just a zombie. Nothing to worry about. She doesn't care about being naked." Astor pulled at the button of her shorts, only for it to tear loose. Her outfit was practically just threads at this point. Pulling them off went from embarrassing to annoying in a few seconds as she refused to help and he had to nearly drag her down the tub to get them free. The struggle resulted in her panties hanging half off her hip, barely covering anything as the water continued to rise. He paused and found himself staring before he turned away. "Fuck me. Stop it. Don't even think about it. Fuck, fuck, fucking, fuck!" Now annoyed with himself, he pulled her panties off in one smooth pull, her long sweater offering only a little modesty while the water began to turn gray. And, after another pause, he peeled that off and threw it into the pile. Through the whole thing, Max had barely moved, looking between him and the water. Meanwhile, Astor found himself staring at something else. She was... pretty. Gorgeous. Hot. Whatever word you wanted to go with. Astor had been alone for a long time and seeing a naked women in the flesh, zombie or not, was making his body react. And, as if to punish him, Max pressed herself close. Not a single drop of aggression or shame. No, she seemed happy just to be close. When the gentle tugging started, Astor knew he was just agreeing because his brain was focusing on something very different now. Dirty or not, her body was certainly still intact. To make it worse, he did care about her. Maybe like a pet, but it was still there. So, he lifted himself up and, using one hand to cover his slowly increasing arousal, moved to kneel in front of Max in the tub. It took a few moments to figure out what to do. How to start. But, eventually, he decided on scooping some water in his hands and lifting it to pour it over her shoulder and chest. He would have to touch her eventually, but there was always time to procrastinate. A few more pours of water. Over her other shoulder, on her head, down her back. He made sure all of her was warmed and wet before picking up a washcloth. The water was almost three quarters full now, so he stopped it for now, then finally did the inevitable. A little soap on the cloth, then he pressed it against her, right at the curve of her shoulder, and rubbed her skin with care, watching as the grime rinsed away and her skin stayed that strange greenish color. ​