Vinnie “BLOODHOUND” Tove

Resident Evil RP Blog - RE OC - interactions encouraged, I don’t bite (much)

[baddogs-incorporated]

Woof woof or whatever.

I’m not used to being on the internet or whatever. I got better shit to do. That doesn’t matter now, right?

I’m Vinnie Tove, but my code name is Bloodhound. I used to work for Umbrella but I fly solo now. Bounty hunting and putting hits on people is my gig now.

I’m 26 years old, 204 lbs (pure muscle), 6’8” (ladies hmu), and lesbian ig (again, ladies hmu). Despite my appearance I am a woman. I just like making men insecure with my build LMFAO.

Some hobbies of mine include bodybuilding, playing drums, and driving drunk. I’m quite a gal.

But yeah. Yay for me.

[OOC]

Hello! Welcome to this shithole of a blog! I highly encourage interactions with this blog but if you’re a minor, interactions will be more held back and SFW.

Vinnie is an oc of mine and she is a huge asshole. Most posts/interactions may come off as aggressive or rude, so please be aware of that! There will be lots of discussions of violence and copious amounts of drinking.

I’m so down to interact with people and I hope y’all feel the same! :D

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Ooh, another woman who’s able to make men feel small. Love it.”

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.

“…You’re not some sort of cop are you? Don’t try and pick fights you know you won’t win.”

[poppyseedsunlight]

“No. Not a cop. Former idol and visual, but not a cop.”

Poppy looked at Vinnie eyeing her, and winked.

“And punk is a new one. I’ve been called a brat, a bitch, a sensei, a paddy farmer, and a banshee. But never punk. And don’t call me kid, I’m over 35 years old.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie practically chokes on her spit.

“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.”

Vinnie paces back and forth, muttering to herself manically.

[poppyseedsunlight]

“Over 35. I was 35 in the early 2000’s. I was 21 when I debuted in ‘92.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

She completely freezes up, slowly looking over at Poppy.

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

Vinnie makes a mad dash to the closest alley way, and dives into a dumpster.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Ooh, another woman who’s able to make men feel small. Love it.”

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.

“…You’re not some sort of cop are you? Don’t try and pick fights you know you won’t win.”

[poppyseedsunlight]

“No. Not a cop. Former idol and visual, but not a cop.”

Poppy looked at Vinnie eyeing her, and winked.

“And punk is a new one. I’ve been called a brat, a bitch, a sensei, a paddy farmer, and a banshee. But never punk. And don’t call me kid, I’m over 35 years old.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie practically chokes on her spit.

“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.”

Vinnie paces back and forth, muttering to herself manically.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Ooh, another woman who’s able to make men feel small. Love it.”

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.

“…You’re not some sort of cop are you? Don’t try and pick fights you know you won’t win.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace listens closely to Vinnie's words. She's being vulnerable, and even if Grace isn't always sure how to respond to such openness from people, she knows she can't afford to be dismissive. This is important, even if it's just some car talk on the way to a Thai restaurant.

"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 think you can still be great, too."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie sighs.

“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.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. Ever. You’re a much better person, hell, human than I’ll ever be. With this olive branch you’ve offered me, the real meals, I’ll grasp onto to it until my hands scab over.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace takes in the words with a visible furrow in her brow.

"...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.

"And I'm still taking you to lunch."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Right. Right. Lunch. Friend. Yes.”

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.

“You already know I body build. Hmm… Oh yeah-! I have a drum kit that I play every so often. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not rage and potentially break it. Replacing anything is not within my budget range.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace hums in acknowledgement, still smiling. The vaguely-nervous way Vinnie talks about herself is both charming and somewhat refreshing, and Grace makes a mental note of what she’s saying.

“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.

“Other than that, I mostly read. Emily likes when I draw, but I’m not very g-good at it.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Reading’s fun. I haven’t actually picked up a real book in a while. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a good attention span to read one start to finish.”

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 smiles at Grace before quickly turning away to fidget with the window button.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Sounds like...like a plan." Grace says, watching as the window whirs up and down. The sight makes her chuckle a bit to herself. "I think she'd like that."

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.

"H-Here we are." She says. "C'mon."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie struggles to get herself out of the car, forgetting about the seat belt. Once she’s finally out she takes a deep breath.

“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.

“Thai food isn’t something that’s on my food radar. Well, most real meals aren’t. Whatever you get, I’ll get.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles a little bit to herself. "I'm not really a cop. And anyway, even if you drive without a s-seatbelt, you could likely bite...bite my head off."

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.

"Feel free t-to get what I get, but I'd still recommend looking to see i-if something catches your eye." Grace suggests. "The food is...very good here."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie flips over the menu and quickly looks it over before leaning over towards Grace.

“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!”

Vinnie snaps a few photos of different meals on every page. She drools onto the menu and table.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace listens closely to Vinnie's words. She's being vulnerable, and even if Grace isn't always sure how to respond to such openness from people, she knows she can't afford to be dismissive. This is important, even if it's just some car talk on the way to a Thai restaurant.

"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 think you can still be great, too."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie sighs.

“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.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. Ever. You’re a much better person, hell, human than I’ll ever be. With this olive branch you’ve offered me, the real meals, I’ll grasp onto to it until my hands scab over.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace takes in the words with a visible furrow in her brow.

"...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.

"And I'm still taking you to lunch."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Right. Right. Lunch. Friend. Yes.”

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.

“You already know I body build. Hmm… Oh yeah-! I have a drum kit that I play every so often. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not rage and potentially break it. Replacing anything is not within my budget range.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace hums in acknowledgement, still smiling. The vaguely-nervous way Vinnie talks about herself is both charming and somewhat refreshing, and Grace makes a mental note of what she’s saying.

“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.

“Other than that, I mostly read. Emily likes when I draw, but I’m not very g-good at it.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Reading’s fun. I haven’t actually picked up a real book in a while. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a good attention span to read one start to finish.”

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 smiles at Grace before quickly turning away to fidget with the window button.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Sounds like...like a plan." Grace says, watching as the window whirs up and down. The sight makes her chuckle a bit to herself. "I think she'd like that."

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.

"H-Here we are." She says. "C'mon."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie struggles to get herself out of the car, forgetting about the seat belt. Once she’s finally out she takes a deep breath.

“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.

“Thai food isn’t something that’s on my food radar. Well, most real meals aren’t. Whatever you get, I’ll get.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace listens closely to Vinnie's words. She's being vulnerable, and even if Grace isn't always sure how to respond to such openness from people, she knows she can't afford to be dismissive. This is important, even if it's just some car talk on the way to a Thai restaurant.

"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 think you can still be great, too."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie sighs.

“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.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. Ever. You’re a much better person, hell, human than I’ll ever be. With this olive branch you’ve offered me, the real meals, I’ll grasp onto to it until my hands scab over.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace takes in the words with a visible furrow in her brow.

"...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.

"And I'm still taking you to lunch."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Right. Right. Lunch. Friend. Yes.”

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.

“You already know I body build. Hmm… Oh yeah-! I have a drum kit that I play every so often. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not rage and potentially break it. Replacing anything is not within my budget range.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace hums in acknowledgement, still smiling. The vaguely-nervous way Vinnie talks about herself is both charming and somewhat refreshing, and Grace makes a mental note of what she’s saying.

“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.

“Other than that, I mostly read. Emily likes when I draw, but I’m not very g-good at it.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Reading’s fun. I haven’t actually picked up a real book in a while. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a good attention span to read one start to finish.”

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 smiles at Grace before quickly turning away to fidget with the window button.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace listens closely to Vinnie's words. She's being vulnerable, and even if Grace isn't always sure how to respond to such openness from people, she knows she can't afford to be dismissive. This is important, even if it's just some car talk on the way to a Thai restaurant.

"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 think you can still be great, too."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie sighs.

“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.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. Ever. You’re a much better person, hell, human than I’ll ever be. With this olive branch you’ve offered me, the real meals, I’ll grasp onto to it until my hands scab over.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace takes in the words with a visible furrow in her brow.

"...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.

"And I'm still taking you to lunch."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Right. Right. Lunch. Friend. Yes.”

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.

“You already know I body build. Hmm… Oh yeah-! I have a drum kit that I play every so often. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not rage and potentially break it. Replacing anything is not within my budget range.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace listens closely to Vinnie's words. She's being vulnerable, and even if Grace isn't always sure how to respond to such openness from people, she knows she can't afford to be dismissive. This is important, even if it's just some car talk on the way to a Thai restaurant.

"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 think you can still be great, too."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie sighs.

“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.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. Ever. You’re a much better person, hell, human than I’ll ever be. With this olive branch you’ve offered me, the real meals, I’ll grasp onto to it until my hands scab over.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Nothing sounds better than the sound of someone screaming in agony as I beat their face in. Except maybe squeaky toys.

Anyways, I can’t find my bone and I’m going to LOSE IT

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"No, no, th-that's okay." Grace responds, face flushed slightly at Vinnie's boldness in sniffing the stuffed animal.

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.

"I couldn't leave her alone. Not after wh-what she went through."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Damn… You’ve uh.. been through the wringer. And Emily too.”

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.

“I have a confession. When I actually had a livable amount of money, it was because I was mooching off of my hookups. I never had an actual job.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace doesn't protest as Vinnie starts fiddling with the glovebox, nor when she starts inspecting the car's interior from where she sits. Stickers decorate the dashboard-- Emily's stickers, particularly-- and there's even a couple plushies in the corners of the windshield.

"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."

She pulls out of the parking lot to the gas station, but takes one last look at the giddy face of the woman beside her, smiling at the sight. Then, without another word, she drives off, humming to herself.

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie grabs onto a small teddy bear and sticks it close to her nose. She takes a nice, long sniff before putting it back.

“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.

“Why’d you even keep it? Sorry- Emily. I shouldn’t refer to kids as its. They’re just… too much.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace's ears go bright red beneath her hair, eyes opening in surprise.

"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.

"And don't feel bad about not...not being the one to pay. We all fall on h-hard times."

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie’s hearing everything she could ever want to hear at the moment. She can’t help but feel giddy.

“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.”

Vinnie looks around and begins to open whatever she can reach. She’s struggling to open the glovebox.

[baddogs-incorporated]

I’d be a great sugar baby tbh. Like. Some sugar mommy gives me money and I eat her puss. Simple really.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

"Well..."

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.

"But...I like you. So it seems w-worthwhile."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Time can only tell if your investment pays off.”

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.

“I’m usually the wallet if that makes sense.”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Thinking about getting a tattoo. Maybe I’ll get like. Teeth. Or a skull. Or a skull with teeth.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Uh. Hey Grace. It’s Vinnie, the girl that gave you my number tag the other day. I’m uh- caught up in something and I really need you to come help me. I’m in the alley way near that run-down gas station.

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.

“I’ll be there soon, and I’m bringing a few lockpicks, a flashlight, and some other things. Hope you’re okay!”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie fumbles with her voice to text function.

“Come quick, I’m getting hungry.”

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

“Holy shit it’s hot out. Where’s my knight in dorky glasses…”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

After a slightly rushed drive in which Grace finds herself apologizing to about five other drivers, Grace reaches the gas station, parking her car in front of the convenience store. Because of Vinnie's text, she quickly darts in to buy some beef jerky (about six packets), then rushes to the alleyway, finding Vinnie.

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??"

Taking out her lockpicking device from her pocket, she fumbles with it before starting on the locked chain around Vinnie's legs.

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I’m fine. It’s just… I got into a tussle with some men. They were accusing me of stealing, which I did and they were right, and started swinging on me. I fought back then one of them snuck up behind me and put this on.”

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-!”

There’s a loud buzz as the collar zaps Vinnie. She whimpers in pain.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace flinches at Vinnie’s sudden shock, before her expression turns to one of equal parts concern and determination to unlock the chain. She makes surprisingly quick work of it despite slightly jittery hands, and gives Vinnie one of the packets of jerky from her bag.

“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.

“I’ll see if I-I can get this off, too. Just…uh, hold still, okay?”

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie just nods as she nibbles on the jerky. She continues to whine as Grace works on the collar. Her eyes shimmer with tears that are welling up, she’s never felt so weak before.

“Hmmm hmm hmmmm…”

If she could curl up into a ball and die, she would’ve. Vinnie avoids making any sort of eye contact with Grace.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace tries not to make Vinnie feel bad, but she keeps looking at the woman with concern. She hopes it doesn’t come off as pity.

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…

And gently pets Vinnie’s head. Not pitying. Just an attempt at comfort,

[baddogs-incorporated]

Vinnie looks at Grace’s hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens ever so slightly.

“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?”

With Vinnie’s bodily freedom back, she fully flops onto the ground and just starts rolling back and forth on her sides. Seeing a woman with the appearance of a body builder roll around like a puppy is not something that happens everyday.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace nods, continuing to gently pet Vinnie. Given what she's gone through, it's not the weirdest thing she's done.

"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.

"But, um...you can always call me, if you feel like it. We can go out for drinks again, or go hiking, or s-something like that." Grace offers. "Maybe you can meet my daughter, if you want."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Meet your daughter?”

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.

“Honestly- I don’t know why I’m nice to you. They wired me to be aggressive.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

With her now-free hand, Grace scratches the back of her neck, laughing nervously.

"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.

"...As cheesy as that sounds."

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I mean- Like- Fuck, I don’t know…”

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.

“I like you. I like you the same way a moth likes a flame. Dangerous.”

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace watches Vinnie's turmoil with equal amounts concern and endearment. At this point, it's hard for her to see Vinnie as anything more than a victim. She's what Emily could have become if Grace hadn't helped her.

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.

"...Are you enough of a monster to refuse going to lunch with me?"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“I uh…”

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!”

Vinnie laughs sarcastically before sighing with utmost drama, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[grace-ashcroft-fbi]

Grace giggles to herself, watching Vinnie with a weird sort of affection. As odd and intimidating as she seemed at first, there's definitely more here than meets the eye, and Grace is...liking it. A lot.

"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.

"C'mon!"

[baddogs-incorporated]

“Lead the way.”

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.

“Do you enjoy spoiling every stranger you meet?”