"Oh!"

Edwin screwed his eyes shut, vainly struggling to shut out the sounds from the room next door.

"Oh sarge!"

The squeals disappeared again, only to be replaced by the creaking sound of a steel bed about to break. As it had for a far too long time in Edwin's opinion...he actually felt a little emasculated.

The two rooms the group had found after a day's march had actually been furnished for living, if a very simple one...Edwin wondered who had lived there, perhaps a worker not wanting to leave his work for too long...or maybe just a bum. Either way the place actually had not only running water, but a coffee maker, an almost empty fridge that was still running...and the large couch whose cushions Edwin and Joan was currently using as an improvised bed.

The other room had obviously been some form of sleeping room, and the storage for a few scavenged stuff that was still covered with dried up sludge. Whoever had lived in this place hadn't been the most sane of people. Li and Ron didn't find any problem with the stench of the stacked items in the corner though, their interest mainly in the somewhat clean bed, by now Edwin understood why...

"Ah! By the emperor!"

Groaning Edwin opened his eyes and glared at the grimy ceiling. "Emperor...won't they ever stop?!" Joan didn't answer, the sister busy sitting at the edge of their 'bed' and cleaning her boltgun with a tense look on her face, if it was due to her injuries, the sounds of the rowdy fucking or simple concentration he couldn't tell. "And why does Li sound like a little girl all of a sudden!? She didn't when she threatened to stab me for the fourth time..."

Joan shrugged, gaze still upon the soon to be spotless gun.

"Heh, a few weeks ago I would be so embarrassed to hear this...guess I'm too tired to care anymore huh?" Edwin sat up, knowing sleep wouldn't come soon...and he couldn't really blame the two soldiers, it was rather the thin steel door leading to the sewer making him nervous. He didn't want to get trapped by undead with such a feeble barricade... "Or maybe I'm just happy that someone is getting lucky before he dies..."

That elicited something out of the sister, a mix of a hiss and a growl.

"Um...sorry?" Edwin raised his hands in surrender, watching as Joan carefully leant forward to place the now clean boltgun upon the floor, lips moving in a silent prayer. "Guess I'm a little talkative today...won't bother you if you want to sleep."

With her head partly turned away from him Edwin wasn't sure, but he could guess that the woman was actually smirking. "I do not believe I can sleep right now."

As if to mark her words there was a loud crack of something breaking, followed by pair of laughters...then more creaking, a broken bed apparently a small hurdle for the pair.

"It is sort of cute though." Edwin admitted, a smile creeping up on him. "Something nice in all this hell and all that."

Joan snorted, suddenly idle hands tapping her armoured thigh. "I wouldn't call it nice." Edwin smirked at the sight of the sister suddenly looking very annoyed as her concentration turned away from her weapon. "It's...frustrating."

"Frustrating?"

"Perhaps wrongly termed." Joan added quickly, face reddening slightly as she pursed her lips in irritation. "I merely want to sleep, not listening to this...cavorting."

"Cavorting!?" Edwin managed a laugh, drawing a puzzled look from Joan. "Emperor you're sister to the fingertips aren't you?" She obviously didn't understand his meaning, frowning as she pondered whether he'd insulted her or not. "And hey, this might soothe that witch...I'm all for it."

"Right." Joan rolled her eyes in a surprisingly relaxed way, then fell back unto their cushions. "Could we please talk about something else?"

"Sure...think we will reach the starport?"

"I have faith in the emperor."

"That's not really what I asked."

Joan snorted, pouting. "I...do not care much for our chances, but they are greater then they would be if we stayed and did nothing."

"You mean greater then nil? That's awesome! Your inspiring great faith into me!"

"Thank you." Joan smiled, oblivious.

"You...do know I was being sarcastic right?" Edwin chuckled at the sight of the sister's smile turning into a confused frown. "Aw don't get upset, I'm just messing with you."

"Messing...?" Joan shot him a long look before shaking her head. "Emperor I miss the monastery...how can you make jokes after all this?"

Edwin shrugged, gaze drifting to the fridge as his smiled faded. "You have your prayers...I need something else? I guess it keeps me sane."

"I...can relate to that." Joan admitted, though it seemed to take a lot of effort. "Perhaps we all need something to keep us sane." She glanced at the door leading to the 'occupied' room. "Whatever it might be..."

"Oh! Oh! Oh emperor!" The squeal from the other side of the door went into a surprising high pitch all of a sudden, making Edwin and both Joan flinch. "Yes! Yeeeesss!"

"Or perhaps we're all insane?" Edwin suggested. "And Jeez...what is he doing to to her!?"

"I don't want to know." Joan muttered, arms hugging her chest defensively. "And to call us insane...doesn't seem right."

Edwin rolled his eyes and fell back unto the cushions, hands behind his head as he forced himself to get some sleep. "Forget it Joan...I'll make you understand another day."

"Yeah..." The woman sighed. "...another day."