Sebastian's Library Adventure

Story by Prince Zariel on SoFurry

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A new character enters the universe! Everyone welcome Sebastian, a shy but determined vampire bat. I want to write more stories involving this little guy so stay tuned! (If I can finish anything in a timely matter heh)


DISCLAIMER: I KNOW BATS ARE MAMMALS

Sebastian didn’t know what he was getting into when he landed a position at the campus library for his work-study program. Like most new employees, he assumed that he was getting paid to sit at a desk and check books out to other students. Maybe, as a treat, he’d be allowed to shelve some of the returns. He even tried playing the part of the librarian through dress. The resourceful bat marked off shifts on his calendar and made sure his wardrobe matched appropriately. A bright cardigan with a simple button-up shirt was his go-to. As leaves began to fall off the trees and people bought coffee just for the warmth, Sebastian swapped between the cardigan and a closet full of sweaters he had collected over the years. A short lifetime of Christmases, birthdays, and internet purchases.

Needless to say, the young bat was in over his head. What greeted him when he walked through those sliding double doors was not the literature major’s paradise he had imagined, but rather the scarily adult world of math and logistics. During training, he was taught how to use the different programs he’d need for his duties. But to Sebastian, it felt like an advanced Microsoft Excel tutorial. There were spreadsheets for inventory, patron counts, book loans, professor requests, fees, and several other things he couldn’t remember.

Most of his time wasn’t even at the desk. He was only ever there when there wasn’t a supervisor on shift. Instead, the vampire bat spent a good chunk of his time in front of a scanner making sure other institutions had the chapters they requested or in the basement working on the library’s newest project.

Journal Shifting.

With an estimated completion time of multiple school years, the journal shift was the biggest undertaking a student worker could participate in. Sebastian’s university was the proud owner of one of the largest journal collections in the world. Entire histories were told between these walls. From medicinal discoveries in 1890s Germany to the newest in street photography, the collection was not just extensive, but really fucking old. Some of these books were literally being held together by string and tape, decades of rebinding doing nothing to stop time’s brutal wear and tear. When Sebastian ran his thumb over their spines, a thick coat of dust fluffed off onto his finger and the bat couldn’t stop the oncoming sneezing fit. In a clash of old versus new, automatic shelves spanned almost the entire basement, only making room for a few offices, the loading dock, and employee break room (which was usually off-limits to student workers). And now, there was going to be a large shipment of new journals joining the family. So it was Sebastian’s task to make room for them.

It was Sebastian’s task because, when given the choice, none of the other students chose to work down there. The lights were old and could only provide a narrow strip of relief from the darkness that enveloped most of the basement. Dust wasn’t the only thing coating some of these ancient books, cobwebs and spiders were also an issue. Plus, it seemed like every veteran employee had a story about how they caught students trying to do something other than research down there. Sebastian wasn’t sure what it was about the mangy, old basement that got people’s blood flowing, but he silently prayed that he’d never encounter anything like that. He was far too busy handling these books with the care they deserved to deal with horny college kid shenanigans. All he needed was some hand sanitizer, an extra large book cart, his earbuds, and a long classic rock playlist to keep him going. Before long, Sebastian would figure out that these ‘extra-library’ affairs were far more common than he hoped.

The first day he caught such defilement of his sanctuary was only two months into his hiring. It was a windy October afternoon, pumpkins and other Halloween paraphernalia nestled into their homes on buildings across campus. The grass was brittle as seaweed and the air smelled of snow despite nothing falling yet. Sebastian had just come from lunch, his thermos filled to the brim with Earl Grey, and was headed for his shift at the library. Nothing seemed amiss walking through those sliding double doors. As usual, the lighting on the ground floor was disturbingly bright and Sebastian quickly switched to darker lenses. After a quick chat with his outgoing coworker, the bat was off to the basement.

As soon as he was greeted by the darkness, Sebastian took off his glasses and inhaled a brisk gulp of dusty air. He knew he was home once the centuries of knowledge coated his lungs like breading. A highlighter-filled slip of paper marked the project’s start point and upon removal, Sebastian’s body buzzed with librarial patriotism. But, it was only once the skinny bat plugged in his earbuds, the old ones which constantly gargled static like mouthwash, could he really start to work. He dragged a stepstool over from the corner and those monstrously heavy journals floated onto his favorite cart.

With Freddie Mercury’s somewhat robotic voice in his ear, the work went by quickly. Sebastian hummed along as the stressors of the day failed to crack his sonic forcefield. Down here, there was no homework, no rude classmates, and even those pesky extra-collegiate affairs feared the power of his safe space. Another thing that made the basement so special was that the vampire bat actually got to use his wings! It’s not like he was barred from using them outside, but he found it slightly pathetic for people to watch him desperately swing his arms only for a few seconds of levitation. It was a dumb party trick at best. Thankfully, that party trick made collecting the journals high up on the bays a breeze.

Once the cart was full, Sebastian rolled it across the basement to where the shelves needed loading. He was hardly a bay in when a spark of movement caught his eyes. If this was upstairs, he would have brushed it off as a trick played by the poor lighting, but down here, he trusted his judgment. Sebastian squinted and made out the figures of two students hiding in the stacks. Despite their collection being world-class, students usually didn’t come down here on account of the whole ‘lights not working’ thing. Maybe these were nocturnal grad students working on their dissertations. It wasn’t Sebastian’s job to kick people out of his basement, but that wouldn’t stop him from snooping on their conversation. It was a simple fine for disturbing the peace.

He pulled out the earbuds and twitched his ears in the trespassers’ direction. The bat continued to shelve while listening, trying to give the impression that he was working if they saw him. But that impression would quickly melt as Sebastian was not ready to hear what these grad students were talking about.

“Are you sure nobody comes down here?” A feminine voice asked. “I think I heard someone.” Sebastian couldn’t help but giggle. Their clandestine rendezvous was no longer private.

“Absolutely sure,” a slightly more masculine voice responded. “You’re just nervous. I was too my first time.”

After that, Sebastian could hear the wet smack of a kiss, metallic clinking, and something he could only describe as someone really enjoying a bowl of noodles. Oh, and moaning. Quite a bit of moaning. Sebastian almost dropped a journal on his foot because of how stiff he went. When he turned around, he thought his limbs would crack with the breaking of rigor mortis. Was this what his coworkers kept warning him about? People fraternizing in the journal stacks? It couldn’t be! The young bat had to get a better look.

Stealthily, he made his way across the aisle so the grad students were diagonal from him. They were hiding behind a bay that had already been shifted so the books mostly obscured them from view. But, after moving a few books out of the way, Sebastian had a somewhat clean shot of the couple.

The guy stood in the middle of the aisle, black jeans around his ankles. He was a rather slender horse with flowing hair so long that it rivaled the length of his female companion’s. A few rings adorned the hand that rested on the back of the woman’s head. A crumpled, black t-shirt lay next to them, soaking up the historic dust. Sebastian couldn’t see the horse’s stomach, but he knew they weren’t skinny in the same way. While the bat bordered on malnourished from forgetting meals, this guy was toned. He obviously took advantage of the gym on campus even if his goal wasn’t to bulk up. What really caught Sebastian’s eye, however, was what was going on between his legs. Saying the horse was hung would be an understatement. He was at least as thick as the bat’s arm and probably not much shorter either. His companion, a cow with hair so messy that it covered her eyes, was now focused completely on pleasing the man in front of her. Her nose ring brushed against the horse’s cock as she swirled her tongue around his ring.

Sebastian looked away, his heart beating as fast as if he had just run a mile. What was he supposed to do? There was no protocol in the training for finding students engaged in fellatio. As he stilled his breath, the bat contemplated his options. He could tell them to get out for disgracing his sanctuary. In the fantasy land that was his imagination, this was quite a heroic choice. But he knew that in real life he’d stammer up to them like the shy kid about to give a presentation and make a total fool out of himself. The more sensible option would be to run and get a supervisor. That way he could completely avoid the social awkwardness and just focus on what to tell his boss. There was a third option, however, that Sebastian didn’t want to acknowledge. Doing so would open a can of worms he desperately wanted to avoid. But, the temptation pulled his eyes back down to his own pants, which had a distinctive tent-like formation to them. The truth was, Sebastian had never been this hard in his life.

So, he wanted to watch, but he still wasn’t quite sure why he couldn’t pull his eyes away. The teen wasn’t a huge fan of pornography. At a sleepover, a friend from middle school tried to show Sebastian explicit videos on his iPad. Huddling under a blanket, the two watched a cute lynx girl finger herself in a school bathroom. While his friend watched in amazement, Sebastian only felt gross. He tried to get into porn again in high school, but nothing had changed. Sex was just something he didn’t think about too often.

But now he couldn’t get enough of what he was seeing. The couple was brazenly indulging themselves in an act of pure pleasure. It was more intense than any video he’d seen. It was real.

The girl, who was a bit on the heavier side, was somehow able to take most of this guy’s dick inside her mouth. She expertly bounced up and down his shaft, her long tongue lapping up his scent. Whenever she sucked on the head of his cock, it flared and the horse let out a light moan through his closed mouth. Her hands weren’t idle either. The part of his shaft she couldn’t reach was receiving quite the handjob. She jerked him off in rhythm with her blowjob and the quiet room amplified their lovemaking. And not just the erotic sounds of a thick cock mixing with her saliva, but the moans she managed to sneak in whenever she could only made Sebastian more excited. Then she did something that truly shocked the bat. She briefly removed her hand and swallowed as much of his throbbing cock as she could. Sebastian had no idea how she suppressed her gag reflex like that. As the guy moaned and caressed one of her horns, it sounded like she was choking. But, she quickly came up for air, gasping and smiling as she continued to pleasure the horse with her hand. The guy seemed equally amazed.

“Damn,” was all he said.

The girl giggled and stood up, embracing him for a deep kiss as his dick pushed against her jeans. Pre turned them navy blue. The horse couldn’t help himself, cupping one of the cow’s breasts in his hand as they kissed. He squeezed and her small tail flittered back and forth as fast as it could. When the kiss broke, she quickly turned around and faced the bookshelf, letting her arms rest on it. The guy wasted no time in pulling down her pants. Even before removing her panties, he shoved his mouth into them, enjoying what was most likely a drenched fabric. She yipped with excitement and he pushed them into her pussy with his tongue.

Before Sebastian knew it, his pants were unzipped and his cock was in his hand. The entire length of his avian penis was slick with pre and every time he ran a nervous hand over it, his fur came back stickier than before. His breath warmed the books in front of him as he watched the horse carefully push his flared tip inside the cow. She arched her back as inch after inch disappeared inside her pussy. The guy rested his hands on her butt, taking in the pretty view. He obviously enjoyed seeing his own cock inside someone, but who wouldn’t? The thick, long-haired beauty with her ass out only made things better. Even Sebastian could get behind that. Well, he wanted to be behind her right now. But he’d also settle for this.

It was only once he was balls deep inside of her that the horse started to thrust. He slowly pulled his cock back until the head rested on her wet lips. It was almost as if he was admiring his own length, but Sebastian couldn’t blame him; he was admiring it too. Well, craving would have been a better word. He wanted to be there between them, greedily lapping up the sweat and pre from the horse’s cock as he fucked her. Sebastian could see himself drunk on the horse’s musk, fondling his heavy balls and waiting excitedly for his turn. He almost dropped to his knees just thinking about it. Instead, he moaned softly. Almost in tune with the cow as the guy pushed back inside her. She arched her back as inch after inch of turgid horse meat disappeared in her pussy. She moaned louder then. The attempt to contain her pleasure with a hand over her mouth was sorely futile and she dropped the hand soon enough, letting the bliss she needed to express escape. It sounded natural. Like his cock was pushing the moans out of her. She laid her head on her arms, her hair covering it, as his toned thighs slapped into her. The sound was mesmerizing. Sebastian watched, hypnotized, as the horse made love to her.

It wasn’t long before the bat was close to climax. Sebastian, inexperienced as he was, made no attempt to prolong his pleasure. He acted on instinct alone and that instinct was telling him to cum right now. His hand was drenched in pre and made an erotic, wet sound every time he jerked himself off. He briefly looked down to see how hard he was. His slick avian cock was larger than he had ever seen it before. Pulsating in his hand, the heat radiating off it was almost as hot as his ragged breathing. In the haze of lust he found himself in, Sebastian shoved two of his fingers in his mouth in an attempt to taste himself. His tongue covered them in saliva as he licked below and above the fingers, pretending the horse’s thick cock was in him instead. An uncharacteristic pressure was building in his loins as Sebastian watched the horse fill every inch of his female companion. Her legs quivered as his ring massaged her lips. Then, while hardly realizing what was happening, Sebastian came on his sanctuary. A few older journals were caught in the crossfire, but he could care less right now. His skinny legs were shaking worse than the girl’s and it wasn’t long before he was on the ground, panting and unable to make them stop. He held his dick in his hand, excess cum making a small puddle on the surface. Lust swirled around him like a cloud of smoke. Drunk off its influence, the bat licked the white substance and was slightly disappointed when its salty taste didn’t surpass expectations.

Then reality hit Sebastian like a truck. But instead of being isekai’d, he was faced with the sobering truth that was post-nut clarity. He was not just at work, he was in a place he revered as a bastion of knowledge and freedom. How had he let simple lust control him like that? The bat looked down at his hands, stained white and trembling. The bovine’s sounds of pleasure rang in his ears like a bell. He couldn’t get the noise out. Sebastian pushed himself up and stumbled over to a bathroom, refusing to look in the mirror as he scrubbed his hands for ten minutes. This didn’t change who he was. He was going to fight this.

And fight it, he did. Sebastian returned to the library with a newfound confidence his coworkers were shocked to see. Gone was the emaciated twink who was frightened by the automatic stapler. In his stead, a new and improved twink appeared. Still, in his library-mandated cardigan and spectacles befitting a geriatric fruitfly, Sebastian walked with the aura of someone who had just learned an incredible superpower: how to say no. Who knew one simple word caused his temptations to flee with the fear of a retreating stampede? His thermos of Earl Gray sat snugly beside him as he watched films for his Japanese cinema class while at the desk. His supervisor approached just as the two egg-prone detectives were finally about to rescue the missing girl, Bellflower. When she asked him if he was up for some journal shifting, Sebastian simply told her no. He could hear the victory music playing in his ears. Or maybe that was just the film’s soundtrack.

Unfortunately, the smug bat couldn’t stay at the desk forever. Part of his duties was the dreaded patron counts, which was a scheme concocted by the library gods to make the student workers suffer. Apparently, the official excuse was that it was needed to gauge business hours, but Sebastian knew that was bullshit. Library hours only changed during holidays and finals and even then it was by the same amount every year. (He had asked during the tour he took in high school). They were obviously just a way to keep the workers busy, but Sebastian wasn’t going to complain. He grabbed the old clipboard and set out on a journey to count every patron in the library.

The clipboard was as old as the schedule. Its surface was marked with funny tips and faux inspirational quotes. Sebastian’s favorite was a line scribbled furiously in the corner reading, ‘BEWARE THE BASEMENT!!!’ He chuckled every time he saw it. Ain’t that the truth? A small pencil clung to a string attached to the metal part of the clipboard and this pencil was the most inconvenient writing implement of all time. Most of the time, the string was tied so tight that Sebastian couldn’t get it to reach far enough down the clipboard. If he loosened the string, it slipped right through a conveniently placed hole and ended up in his hand instead. So, students brought their own pens, which left an annoying swinging pencil as they walked around their gigantic library. He could have untied the pencil, freeing it from its eternal suffering, but Sebastian was afraid of the consequences.

A standard patron count route had students either starting in the basement or on the third floor. Usually, the bat would start on the latter so he could end in his sanctuary, but from now on he’d start down there. With a grimace worn by only the most battle-tested warriors, Sebastian flicked through his darkest lenses until he could see clearly, then made a beeline to the basement.

He stood at the door, his small hand dwarfed by the doorknob, and froze. As much as he tried to forget them, the memories of what happened there came rushing back like a flood. The decadent moans, cock thicker than his arm, and Sebastian’s own pitiful display, damn near made him as hard as he was back then. Member eagerly pushing against his pants, Sebastian sighed and let go of the knob, writing a big fat zero in each basement category. Nobody went down there anyway.

Over the next half hour, Sebastian diligently went from department to department, counting all the people inside (excluding employees of course). As his supervisor once told him, the goal was to count butts in seats. A stray backpack lonely hanging from a chair was not a person. It may be a reasonable assumption to think that the lonely backpack belonged to someone in that part of the library, but Sebastian didn’t want to accidentally count someone twice. It was a frustrating job nevertheless. People seemed to magically appear in the dozens after he had already counted a section and Sebastian was never sure if he was supposed to add them to the total or if these numbers were acting as a specific snapshot of time.

The last place Sebastian had to check was the caves. It was a pretty ominous name for something so inconspicuous. They were called that because these little pods were sectioned off from the rest of the floor, giving them an extra layer of privacy. But, similar to the basement, not many people used them. Probably because the general public didn’t know the caves existed in the first place. Sebastian was already writing a zero when his ears twitched and a faint giggling sound could be heard from one of the pods. Having excellent hearing just made his life more difficult, didn’t it?

Another thing people didn’t know about the caves was that there were two-way mirrors inside. This was to add to the illusion of privacy; the occupants could see out to the third floor, but nobody could spy on them. However, any sane-minded individual would be able to tell that this presented quite a security risk. Patrons weren’t allowed to do whatever they pleased there and a camera system was enough of a deterrent for people with nefarious intentions.

But just to make sure, Sebastian went to check the cameras to see how many people were inside. After inputting the password, a screen lit up and the bat could see two guys watching something on a laptop. Sebastian let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding in. The incident in the basement had him seeing ghosts everywhere. Library fornication wasn’t some pandemic sweeping across the entire campus, the two students were just watching a movie. Without a darker shade on his glasses, it was difficult to make out what they were watching. Being the movie nerd that he was, Sebastian felt the need to judge his fellow students’ tastes. It was part of every film lover’s transformation into a snobby critic after all. So, he fiddled with his glasses, found a suitable shade, and finally realized what they were watching.

The two students were watching a movie of sorts, but it was pornographic in nature. Sebastian blinked several times in disbelief, but just like the basement incident, his eyes were not deceiving him. In the video, a buff ram was having sex with a twinkish-looking fox. The two men seemed to be in a hotel hallway, ascending numbers lining every door in shot. They had laid down a blanket on the red and gold carpet and just went at it with zero concern for anyone who might see them. The ram had the fox’s tail grasped firmly in his fist and was pulling it with a force that caused Sebastian’s own tail to ache. The vampire bat was obviously alone in this feeling. Even though Sebastian couldn’t hear the audio, it was clear that the fox was enjoying himself. The guy’s erect dick was bouncing gleefully as the ram burrowed inside him.

Sebastian didn’t know whether he was shaking his head in disapproval or fear, but he was positive about one thing: these two needed to be stopped. They deserved less condemnation than the grad students in the basement, at least they weren’t having intercourse, but watching pornographic material was against policy no matter how private their space was. The bat quickly reached for the cell phone in his pocket and opened the chat he maintained with the head librarian. A few more clicks and she would storm up the stairs like a hurricane, raining on these nymphos’ lewd parade. He began typing out a furious message…

Hi Sabrina! There are two people engaging in 18+ activities on the 3rd floor.

But that didn’t sound quite right, so he deleted it and tried again.

Hey Sabrina, I need your assistance with two people on the 3rd floor. They are watching…

He didn’t even want to finish that message. Again and again, Sebastian tried to communicate what was going on, but he never found the words to express himself. This was baffling. So quickly did he succumb to lust in the basement that he worried these desires changed who he was. Now he couldn’t even write out a message containing hints of lewdness. Who was he? The guy who shamelessly got off to spying on other people pleasuring themselves or the scholar destined to contribute great works to the historical canon? Was he both? Neither?

Sebastian sank to the floor in frustration, his back planted against the cold and stained oak wood desk. With his hands resting on his head, the bat truly had no idea what to do. He felt as if this decision would change him in one way or another, like those story-defining choices in his favorite vns. Except there was no save button here, so the poor teen would be locked into his choice for the rest of the route. Eventually, he’d have to stand up and do something. Sebastian had to make a choice. But when he did, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Taking another look at the monitor, he realized that he knew one of the two guys in the pod. And it wasn’t someone who was just an acquaintance either, this was a friend. Samuel was his name. They met in a history class on Viennese architecture and bonded over the fact that they were the only Freshman who registered. A couple of meals, projects, and late nights in each other’s dorms later and the two were good friends. Sebastian knew Samuel had a boyfriend, an older dragon named Elijah, but he didn’t see the guy that often. That must have been the other guy in the pod.

The slender margay draped himself over the dragon’s thigh. His spots, a mixture of purple and black, were almost hypnotizing as he moved. Samuel added purple highlights to his black hair as a compliment, giving himself a sort of neon vibe. He was using one hand to massage Elijah’s thigh while the other stroked his shaft. His boyfriend’s cock was black as obsidian, ridges jutting out as if they were flaring from excitement. Samuel took great pleasure in playing with them, using a claw to scratch under one of the them while Elijah reached back to grab the feline’s ass.

Sebastian was a blushing mess, no longer being able to control himself. His member pushed against his pants with a force he didn’t know was possible and before he knew it, that slick avian penis was out in the cool, library air. He touched it gingerly, almost as if scared, before fully grasping it in his hand. Just like the time in the basement, his hand came back soaked. Sebastian’s glasses fogged and when he tried to wipe it away, those got pre on them too.

The margay’s hand slowly made its way to the top of the dragon’s shaft. After every ridge his palm crossed, Elijah would shiver and pet the cat more. Turned on by this praise, Samuel’s own manhood was erect and dripping onto the leather seats of the pod. Barbs flared and ready to go, the margay softly ground against the cushion, driving his member further into the leather. His own pre-covered hand found its way into the dragon’s mouth after a brief interaction and Sebastian watched in shock as Elijah lewd sucked on the feline’s fingers.

Lucky for the bat, the monitors were in their own little room. In fact, the place was so cramped that it was probably better to call it a closet. As much as he would have loved to be pleasuring himself outside for the world to see, part of him was happy for this security deep down. Stuffed with wires and gadgets Sebastian didn’t even understand, he perched himself on a desk opposite the camera, adjusting his own glasses in the process. He never saw Samuel in this light before. Sure, he thought the margay was attractive. He dressed fashionably enough and carried this air of suaveness that Sebastian could only dream of recreating, but it never went beyond that. Now, however, a set of new feelings quickly developed for the cat. Feelings that Sebastian wasn’t quite sure what to think about.

Once again, he watched with a keen eye as the margay crept over the dragon’s thigh and positioned himself between his legs. The feline handled his length with both hands now. One to massage Elijah’s knot while the other smoothly ran up and down his shaft. An innocent smile was plastered onto the cat’s face. Every time the dragon would secrete a little pre, he’d bend down and lap it up as if he was drinking from a bowl. The dragon’s mouth moved and Samuel’s shoulders shook in a giggle, but he eventually nodded. Instead of continuing the routine they built up, the cat bent down more, using his rough tongue to lick around the dragon’s base. He slowly worked his way up his boyfriend’s shaft before sucking on the thick member itself. At first, he didn’t care about trying to deepthroat the thing, just using his mouth to coat Elijah’s cock in a layer of saliva, but soon enough, the imprint of the dragon’s thick cock could be seen on the cat’s cheek. He expertly maneuvered his mouth up and down the entirety of the dragon’s shaft, his tongue massaging the ridges as he went along.

Sebastian felt like he was going to burst. So much pressure built up in his loins that with every stroke of his cock, he could feel the orgasm inching its way closer. With his lustful pants, the closet’s temperature did a complete 180. It was so warm that the bat felt like he needed to take off more clothes and so he did. Struggling out of his cardigan and undershirt, Sebastian let himself bathe in this debauchery. Before he knew it, that orgasm erupted all over the desk in front of him. On the chair, table, wires, everything. When he looked back up to the monitor, the dragon’s dick was pulsing as Samuel swallowed every last drop of cum he could wring from his boyfriend. The cat looked up at him and smiled the best that he could, which only looked super goofy with his mouth around his cock.

In his fit of lust, Sebastian picked up his phone and flung a quick text to Samuel.

Hey, I wanted to ask you about something.

Elijah was idly jerking the cat off as he checked his phone and gleefully texted the bat back.

Yeah, what’s up?

He had to do this now before he came to his senses and regretted saying nothing. With his heart fluttering, Sebastian sent another message.

I was wondering if you were fine with talking about something… sexual

The flustered bat shoved the phone into his pocket as if he had just committed some great sin. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to say, but he was hoping that Samuel got the point. He watched as the margay looked at his phone, a confused expression on his face. Maybe he thought this was convenient timing or wondered where in this world this new interest of Sebastian’s came from. Either way, Sebastian’s phone buzzed a few times before the couple went back to the task at hand. The bat slowly slipped the phone from his pocket and checked his messages. He was not disappointed.