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When infected by toxoplasma gondii, mice lose their innate fear of cats. In place of it, they can even be attracted to the scent of cat urine.
This is what Dr. Beanies just recently discovered when one of his lab rats bravely approached a Stacy clone. Unfortunately, Stacy was hungry, but at least it died for a good cause. He just had to find out why it would do that, was it brain dead? Well it was now. Point is, he found the parasite inside one of the food containers for said lab mice.
Right, human error still exists. Of course. How could he forget? Right when he could've had an amazing scientific breakthrough, he just had to drop it. While easily cleanable, this pissed him off just enough to make him want to get out of his lab for a bit.
Not bothered to clean the mess(since that was a job for future Beanies), he stepped out of his rickety laboratory out to the "lovely" multiplicity that is Boon County.
That's when he realized, where would he even wander about? Can't go to the neighborhood, police pass by that part and ever since he's smeared feces on one of those pigs, they're on the hunt for him. It's not his fault he didn't know it was a felony! That hill with those critters was basically a death sentence, every week some kind of freak comes to fight his revived cat-lady. No thank you. Briefly, he thought about passing by P-mart before remembering that restraining order they got against him for some reason. Couldn't they have just minded their own businesses? That shack with the dead kid's Nona looked promising with all those cats for the taking, but he's not allowed within 50 feet of a child after his previous stunts.
So, with every other place out to get him, he decided to go down to that dump where Grinder lived to pay him a visit.
Its place is pretty shitty and run down, trust him, he's been there many times before. The only good thing about it was the quietness. Those annoying cries from his test subjects distract him too much, it's nice to have some peace and quiet once in a while. Not to mention Grinder's the only 'person' who more than half-way tolerates him.
He strolled down to Grinder's box, paying no mind to the mountain of frowning cat bodies near the entrance. Usually, he's pretty easy to spot, being within eyeshot if someone enters his small place. Usually, that is, because he can't see him anywhere. That hobo had to be here somewhere.
He kicked at a small kitten's body, it pitifully rolled over to a secluded area of the pigsty. Before his very eyes, a pair of decaying hands lurched out and scarfed at the poor, deceased remains. Par for the course, Beanies didn't even blink at the sudden movement. There he was, accompanied by that distinct stench of its that he's come to put up with.
"Can you be any more crass? I just got here." His head tilted. Such an unsightly view nearly caused him to gag. "Have some respect for yourself."
Half-eaten kitty still in hand, he stood up to be face-to-face with the scientist. Huh. He's a lot shorter than he remembered.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, a pretty normal question when your fuck buddy comes to your humble abode.
"God forbid I come visit to see how you're holding up. You could die again any day now! Besides, it's not like you have anything to do anyways."
"…Isn't it 'anyway'?"
"You have no idea how much shit a scientific genius like me has to juggle everyday. I think I'm allowed to make one, single, insignificant, minute grammatical error." He jabbed a finger to its bandaged forehead for emphasis as if his words didn't convey them well enough.
"So… Shouldn't you be at your lab then?"
"It doesn't mean I can't take a break every once in a while. Anyways, what do you do here? Other than eating deceased cats of course."
"Mm. Sometimes I pick at those little maggots worming through my form."
"How- riveting. Speaking of which, how are those crawlers inside your skin doing?"
"Itchy. They wriggle around like they own the place! I might just rip them from under my skin!" He shrugged, then there was a small awkward pause. "Kidding! I'm not gonna extract those insects anytime soon. I think I need them as much as they need me… hm." It rubbed at his stubby chin for a moment before defaulting back to his signature blank stare.
Grinder wasn't much of a conversationalist, it's like talking to a dead body. Well, he is one, but that's besides the point.
"Well this was a- really great conversation. I'm gonna go back to my lab now. Let me know when you need to get off again." Beanies turned around to leave and probably go back to that gas station to get some more of those hard pills.
"Wait! Before… Before you go. Can I try, something?" It suddenly said like he had an epiphany of some sorts.
Even if every instinct inside his crazy body was screaming at Beanies to just leave, he stopped. Should he listen to himself and not potentially be eaten alive by this zombie?
"Knock yourself out."
Not at all.
Expecting a bite to his neck or to his shoulder or his cheek, or really anything a zombie would typically do, it was a surprise when none of the above happened. That's odd.
Grinder approached from behind him with his hands raised in a claw-like fashion. He grabbed Beanies' skinny figure and... hugged him? It's diseased riddled head settled nicely into the crook of the doctor's neck. His gangly elbows hook under the doctor's clothes armpits, arms wrapped around Beanies' buttoned chest. Grinder's fetor at its most potent and noticeable now that it was all up in his personal space. He froze from the uncharacteristic action it did.
"You smell nice."
Grinder squeezed Beanies' torso in this embrace with this smile on his face. This stupid, dumb, just absolutely idiotic toothy smile was plastered on its face. Like it was so damn proud of himself.
Dr. Beanies wanted to say something, anything! An unfunny quip, an insult, a gibe, or even just question why Organ Grinder would do this in the first place. But all attempts yielded the same, mute response. Like The Creator himself silenced this motormouthed madman at this exact instance of time for only He-knows why.
"…Very warm, too." It added, unknowingly breaking Beanies' train of thought. which kind of annoyed him.
"I'm still alive, unlike you. that's why." He finally replied rather dryly, unlike his usual asshole-y self. At least that terrible curse was lifted.
Grinder chuckled. He placed the palm of his hand on the back of Beanies. He smiled when the doctor didn't pull away instantly like he usually does when confronted by any form of affection.
The moment was, admittedly, nice. Now that the corpse is close enough to inspect, he's not as bad as he used to be. While a dead body, ever since he gave that thing a proper bath its scent was almost bearable. The bare uncovered flesh wasn't too bad up close. Opened wounds exposed a blueish sinew wriggling about. Rarely any bone at all was exposed now, which aided Beanies in distracting himself from the true nature of this man. A relaxing instant that Beanies oh so desperately needed.
It circled a bony finger around the back of his gloved hand, and watched the rubber move with the digit. He's probably thinking about eating him again. Beanies knows the signs all too well. Any minute now he could bite down on his neck and it'd be curtains for him. Yet, he can't seem to care when Grinder holds his hand as gently as he could while he holds him in this stiff embrace. He's willingly in its grasp. He can feel the horrid breath breathing down his neck.
Time and time and again, he keeps on coming back. Why? It should be the other way around, no? It used to be. He doesn't know. Maybe he's just sick in the head. Maybe there's something in his head.
It wouldn't be bad to stay like this for a few minutes, though.