The Post

Double updates during weekend since my internet is down. I'm half-happy/half-angry with this situation but as always~

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Places like the Hilton manor were few and far between. Places that Eden wouldn't touch. Like the sole hospital left from Midway city, the graveyard just outside of Nana that no-one knew the name to. The manor was one of those places.

Don't be mistaken, the territories like Fowler City and Nana are different. Those places will fall to Eden if left untended, the Hilton manor... the forest dare not touch it. And often, these places would be situated deep in the wilds that few can survive the road to these areas. Some had succesfully made the journey, only to fall to unexplainable sickness, their fates unknown and unrecorded. The Post made sure to spread the story though, once they learned of it. And as such, these places gained unsavory reputations of their own.

The Hilton manor, for example, was rumored to be a haunted mansion. A large red-bricked Victorian seemingly guarded by its miser of an owner and the scores of survivors that had tried to occupy it. Stories abound of midnight possessions, murders and a secret room filled with bones. Bullshit, Cry called.

However, looking at the pale-skinned wraith in front of him, the Postman couldn't help blinking twice at his welcoming committee.

The wraith, is what he was with his long white hair and unbalanced green and blue eyes merely smiled genially at his silent guests before inviting them in.

"I most definitely am not a ghost." their host suddenly spoke up, much to Cry's surprise.

The Postman's eyes narrowed, a single word popping in mind. Fixed, a psychic fixed.

"-is what I'm not as well. You and your mutt are fixed, the rest of the Post are fixed. My... abilities, they are a gift. Something I was lucked to be born with." the man answered with a haughty smirk. Cry merely rolled his eyes, pre-Eden idealizations.

Fixed and naturals, two ends of the same spectrum. One who gained abilities through science; the other, an aberrant existence.

Science was at the verge of a breakthrough, manipulating DNA became child's play to them. They started fixing everything deemed broken. Cancer, hereditary maladies, the freckles you'd have inherited from your mom. They started to give, strenght, speed, beauty... typical human vains. They fixed everyone.

Well, everyone who can afford it. The scientist plied their wares. Making a baby wasn't as simple as getting banged up, one had to pick out the features they want their baby to inherit, add a bit here for beauty, another drop there for intelligence.

The beautiful were sought after, the smart ones, coveted. It was as if the whole baby-making process was like building a house. The right hardwood, the correct shade of paint... it all became inhumane.

But Eden came along, and everything fixed turned broken. Something about Eden didn't agree with their genetic makeup. The scientists hadn't used synthetic genes, had instead extracted the features from animals. And had thus doomed the rest.

Jian was a prime example of that lot. The mutt was built for speed and power, dog genes. It also explained his uncanny sense of smell. It would also make sense if someone announced that the mutt was heir to a company or was royalty or the son of this minister, or such. His, was the fate that befell the high and mighty.

And then there were people deemed natural. People born with abilities, untouched by needles, neither unmade or made. They've existed even before scientists had started breeding yeasts in petri dishes. A large number of them once populated sanatoriums, the rest were outcasts.

Their abilities were considered unnatural before, but fixing came along and they were suddenly considered pure-breeds. A display of God's power over Man. And they were infinitely superior, Eden would attest to that. They didn't break, they wouldn't. They thrived in Eden, some rising to power months after civilization fell.

And they were vain, terribly so. Cry made no attempt to hide his opinion.

The man merely chuckled in response to Cry's unworded thoughts as he led everyone inside the mansion.

It was horribly dark inside the musty building, years of neglect and ruin wallpaperd the walls and tiled the floors. Plaster rained on their heads every now and then and made Jian sneeze several times, thus disturbing more dust, making the mutt sneeze even louder. Cry zipped Jian's jacket to his nose as a makeshift mask, mentally promising to get the mutt a scarf or something.

In darkness they wandered, deeper into the old building. Their host kept silent, muttering every now and then to nothing in particular. The Postman couldn't help wondering if he was too quick to discount ghosts.

"No ghosts either, just me and some other naturals." Wraith was quick to answer. The man's silver brows drew together when he caught... thought? of his new nickname. The Postman's red gaze was innocent under the gas mask.

Wraith quickly led them up a flight of stairs unto light-flooded hallways. Cry took a few moments to orient himself, surprised by the sudden illumination.

On the second floor, the windows had been thrown wide open, the thick curtains removed. Here, the floors were swept clean, the walls stripped of wallpaper but the stone was brushed clean. The Postman caught sight of flaming red hair peering out at them from one of the open doors before it disappeared.

"My daughter Leevy, she's still a child and is a bit shy of strangers. We don't get a lot of visitors nowadays, with the world as it is."

This came from another person, a woman with the same shade of hair as Wraith. She was as pale as the man and was even more intimidating. Probably because her front was splattered with blood, as well as the butcher knife she clutched in her left.

"I apologize for my appearance, I was getting ready for lunch." she said with a chuckle as Wraith gave her a soft peck on the cheek.

"And this is my wife, Reese. I wouldn't want you to call her Wraith or Wraith 2, which you probably would if I didn't introduce her at least." Wraith muttered in irritation.

Reese was quick to catch the joke or probably it was because she had the same psychic abilities as her husband. The woman chuckled as she slipped back into the kitchens.

"She insists on you staying until tomorrow. Conversation, she says. As though she doesn't know how Postmen are." Wraith muttered and led the two to a room further down the hall. "Watch out for yourself, she likes to poke around in other people's head. If there's something you don't want her finding out, best stay vigilant."

Cry merely stared in response as Wraith closed the door on them. He listened to the footsteps fading into the darkness before he moved to lock the door. Turning around, it was expected that Jian would be stretched out on the bed.

The room they've been given was well-kept and oddly looked untouched by time. The walls were bare of wallpaper yes, but the marbled floor was dustless and sparkled of clean. The furnitures, a small breakfast table, two chairs and a large bed; still had their varnish painted on as though they've just rolled off a carpenter's workbench. The room didn't smell musty at all, it was a normal smell, unlike the ground floor. Thinking about it, the 2nd floor hallway had been free of smell too.

"You're really starting to like beds now, are you?" Cry muttered as he started to undress and shake the dirt out of his clothes. The trip to Hilton manor was one of the Postmaster's instructions. The Wraith was probably corresponding with the old fart.

"Ay?" Jian suddenly spoke up. The mutt rose from the bed and strode purposely towards the bathroom and smacked flat against the bathroom door. The mutt stumbled back in shock, one hand rubbing on his sore nose. He made a questioning sound and reached out to run a palm over the wooden surface until his hand came in contact with the metal handle.

Cry merely watched in silence as the mutt seemed to pause, lips set in annoyance. Rig's words came to mind.

"He's human, Cry."

Jian turned the handle and the door creaked open. The mutt seemed surprise as well when the unyielding door suddenly gave way, he turned towards Cry's general direction and yappered something unintelligible. Whatever it was, the Postman sighed and dropped his clothes on a chair as he walked over, naked, to see what Jian was talking about. Peering around the mutt, Cry was pleasantly surprised to see a clean large tub and several buckets of steaming hot water. Whoever had warmed the water for them have Cry's utmost gratitude. Almost instantly, Cry began to forgive their host for his haughtiness.

"Ay? At?" Cry? Bath?

Cry turned towards his dog of a full week and looked him over closely. A bit dusty and travel-worn, yes. But the features under the layer of dirt was exquisite, skin so smooth and pale, not even tanned by the sun. Height that made most men his age envious, and a body with just enough muscles to make it lean and not in the least bit thin. At least the merchant had fed him.

The marks of the ordeal he had gone through marked him everywhere, the newest addition, the knife wound he'd gotten protecting Cry.

The Postman stood back even as the mutt reached out in confusion. Just out of reach, he watched the mutt wring his hands, unsure and confused.

"Let's bath, we need it if we're joining Wraith and his family for dinner." Cry muttered and stepped into the bathroom. He tested the tap first and was even more surprised when water, clean water, bubbled forth after a few sputters. Wraith must have done well for himself in this manor if he was able to draw water to the 2nd floor.

Cool water from the taps, and the hot water in the buckets he poured together, until he had a pleasantly warm mix. Shivering in anticipation, Cry stepped back to admire his first warm bath in ages. His naked back smacked against Jian's still clothed chest, the larger hands coming round to steady the Postman's shoulders.

Glancing at the tub and at Jian, sizing them up; Cry decided that they'd both fit in the bath with some arrangements.

He quickly stripped the mutt of his clothes, taking extra care in unwrapping the bandage around the slave. He wasn't surprised to see that the week-old wound was now a thin white line across the mutt's already pale chest. If Jian had dog genes, then he'd also have the ability to heal faster than humans.

Cry scrubbed the dried blood away with his hand and marveled at the near-flawless torso in front of him. The mutt was well-muscled, slight abs twitching everytime Cry's fingers drifted over his skin.

In response, Jian leaned down and nuzzled the side of Cry's face. The Postman knew that the mutt was merely responding as experience had taught him but he couldn't help feeling excited as he led Jian into the tub and sat him down first. The mutt started at the feeling of warm water but quickly ended in sighs as he was warmed to the bones.

Cry was right, it was a tight fit. For once, he was thankful for his small form as he sat between Jian's legs and leaned against the hard chest behind him. They wallowed in silence, content to let the water wash away the fatigue and the dirt. Scooping water in his hands, Cry bowed and started to wash his face and hair. He could feel Jian fidgeting behind him, could sense the mutt's unease.

He could also feel a different kind of hardness pressing against him. Something that he'd been imagining. How it'd feel letting the mutt take him, how Jian's dick would painfully spread him, the fire that'll start in his insides and the sweet sweet friction that will most likely drive him crazy. Cry wants it badly, so badly in fact that he'd let Jian have his way if the mutt tried to do something.

"Don't- even think about it."

Wraith's voice suddenly disturbed them from outside the bathroom door.


"You should know better to have sex in a natural's house, Postman. My wife and I can hear you loud and clear. Thank the Gods my daughter still hasn't matured to her powers yet." Wraith continued his tirade from where he left off in Cry's room.

The Postman merely stared at him in irritation as he continued to dress. Jian was once again spread out on the bed, a towel wrapped securely around his waist. With Wraith's interruption, the two hadn't gone any further, and anytime Cry tried, Wraith was always there to put him off. The natural had even gone as far as personally standing guard as Cry dressed.

The Postman had merely huffed in annoyance before slipping his shirt on last. He slipped into his boots, not bothering to lace them up and followed Wraith out into the hallway. They were headed for the library, where Wraith was keeping the letter he had for the Postmaster.

Cry didn't want to leave the mutt behind but Wraith had assured him that his slave will be taken cared of. He had no choice but to follow their host to the other wing of the mansion where the family obviously slept.

They were in the middle of a one-sided verbal conversation, one where Wraith replied to the thoughts Cry was thinking.

"And no, as much as you say it's a naturally occuring thing. TPO, my boy. TPO!" Wraith huffed in barely concealed irritation. He rustled around his desk some more before surfacing with a brown envelope he handed over with a glower.

Wraith looked down at him and sighed in resignation. Whatever he was saying wasn't getting through to the Postman but at least the brat was not planning on continuing from where he left off with Jian.

"Anyway, the Postmaster will want you to go straight back home with this. It's far too vital to be carried around the whole time until Coralie."

[-my instructions were-]

"Your instructions are void now." the Wraith combed his hair back with a sigh as he settled in his seat, all signs of joking worn off from his frame.

Cry merely stared at the Wraith in silence before pocketing the letter.

[-we will leave in the morning-]

"That would be best..." Wraith answered with a sigh as he stood up and led the Postman back to his room. "And about your mutt... is he broken?"

Cry frowned in confusion at the question. Jian was obviously broken, the way the mutt walked, bent forward and knees slightly bent. The way he can only utter broken syllables, and his inability to operate minute details such as buttoning his pants or ope...ning doors...

"I thought as much. He's still mostly human, his thoughts are subdued and flippant but he might be masking." Wraith paused and glanced down at Cry in concern. "You didn't know? I apologize, we've lived undisturbed for so long that I forgot that not a lot of fixed are able to read thoughts."

[-human.-]

"I'm not sure... I've met some broken ones before we moved here and their thoughts were far too chaotic and unintelligible to even resemble thoughts, all pictures and colors, and sound. Your mutt's as clean as a silver screen, and as unreadable as one. Heck, you put out a lot more than he does."

They stood in front of Cry's door uncertainly, listening to the sound of Reese's laugh from within.

"Anyway, be careful of him. He might be playing you, or something..."

Cry clicked his tongue in annoyance and pushed his door open to see Jian seated on the table, clothed and dry. Reese was serving something that greatly resembled pie. There was another plate set out for Cry.

"Oh, your master's here. Well, it's been nice talking to you Jian."

As the couple left them alone, with another warning from Wraith about publice decency and control; Cry settled on the other chair in front of his slave. He watched as Jian struggled with the fork, holding it awkwardly in his left hand. The mutt's grip trembled as he brought a slice of pie to his mouth, only to whimper when it fell and he had to pick it up again.

"What are you doing?"

Jian stilled and cocked his head in Cry's direction. Cry was silent, shocked at the accusation that imbued his simple question.

"Ay?" the mutt whimpered, sensing the anger from his master.

"Stop saying that. I know very well that you're not broken, so why do you keep pretending?" the Postman had no idea why he was attacking Jian of all things.

The fork clattered against the plate as Jian stood up. The mutt's mouth was set in a thin line as he gazed down on the Postman. With a muttered grumble, Jian stalked out and wrenched the door open. A very surprised girl with flaming red hair suddenly stumbled in as the door swung in.

"Ah!"

The two men stared at her in surprise as she picked herself up and brushed the dust off the knees of her her pants. Very politely, she gave a small bow and eased back into the hallway pulling the door shut in front of her.

The two stared at each other in shocked silence before Cry broke it. A small chuckle escaped his lips, to be mirrored by an incensed huff from Jian. The chuckle turned to stiffled snorting before blowing up to honest-to-God laughter that bounced around the room in echoes. The mutt stared at his master as though he was going crazy until the laughter died down.

"Come on, you have to agree that was funny." Cry managed to squeeze out in between wheezes.

Jian snorted and their laughter woke anew.


"So... he's not exactly broken, but he isn't human either?" Wraith asked uncertainly while they were having dinner.

Cry had managed to at least get Jian to own up on what he really was, though the slave's answers hadn't been as enlightning as he hoped.

Digging his spoon in mashed potatoes, Cry nodded sullenly, his shadows nodding back at him in the light of the candles and lamps Reese had set up.

Jian was deep in a one-way conversation with Reese, somehow the woman was able to understand the snippets of thought that Wraith could not make heads nor tails of.

"Jian's not too sure himself. All he knows is that when Eden happened, he had been taken from his home and locked up with some other fixed, friends and families. The others became feral and were taken away to be tamed while he was left alone." Reese translated.

"What about his eyes, ear and tongue? Did slavers do that to him too?" Wraith asked for Cry.

Jian seemed to turn reticent at this and Reese was unable to coax any information from him after. The woman said it was because Jian couldn't answer the question himself, she searched around the mutt's head much to Jian's discomfort and found nothing. Apparently, having someone in your head was as comfortable as getting food stuck in your throat while someone cram more food in your mouth, as Cry was to find out later that night.

The mutt whimpered behind the Postman, as Reese bade them good night. Cry was a bit scared of the woman himself and was quick to release his held breathe after the door shut.

"Ay~" Jian whimpered as he followed Cry back to bed. The two sunk into the mattress in silence as they went over the past few days in their head.

"We probably should take that collar off you now huh?" Cry whispered as he reached out to unbuckle the leather around the slave's throat.

To which, he was met with refusal.

Frowning, Cry leaned up on his elbows and straddled Jian down.

"Come on, collars are only meant for broken slaves, you're people or at least halfway people. We shouldn't leave this on." the Postman said in exasperation even as Jian shook his head wildly, hands clutching the band of leather to his throat.

A thought crossed over Cry's mind and he lowered his voice to a growl. "Is it because Marc gave it to you?"

The mutt stilled at this eyebrows raised, uncomprehending, before the shakes took him over.

Cry sat back in surprise as the slave sat up, laughter shaking his whole form.

Jian's grin were amused as he leaned over to lick at Cry's neck, biting down on his collarbone. The Postman flinched when the teeth stung him and relaxed when the mutt lapped at the place he bit. Jian pulled away and seemed to hesitate.

He leaned down again, same place and sucked hard this time making Cry twitch and gasp. Jian repeated his actions several times more, all over the Postman's neck and round back.

Cry was boneless by the time the mutt finished, he was all but leaning against the hard chest in front of him and was only supported by the hands on his shoulders. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought he saw something red glimmering around the dog's neck as Jian leaned into his ear to nibble on it.

"Mine~"