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Post by starrea on Jun 5, 2020 2:39:45 GMT
It was too dark and Kinsley was too tired to give a shit about all of Julian’s weird OCD tendencies. Now that she was starting to notice how rigid he was, it was hard to believe that she missed it before. She could tell he was in a sour mood and she had to bite her tongue from snapping at him for being ungrateful - they were free, weren’t they?
While Julian relied on plans, Kinsley thrived on living in the moment. Plans weren’t entirely useless, but they seldom went exactly as predicted and when it came down to it, Kinsley was good at improvising. Kinsley had always been a performer of sorts, always vying for attention as a child, never shying away from an audience. In fact, Kinsley hardly ever hurt someone without a dramatic flare of some sort. Death was an immediate end but she enjoyed watching the fallout play out in front of her. Of course, there were exceptions, like dear Eloise who was killed simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it just wasn’t as satisfying and it had no dramatic flare.
Kinsley groaned a little, mostly because she knew he was right. They didn’t exactly blend in, but unless they stole a change of clothes and some food, they were going to have to hide out in the woods like a pair of animals, and after being incarcerated for who-knew-how-long, that was not an ideal scenario for her. Even with her bum foot, she had no doubts in her ability to kill someone. It would be an added challenge to do so without staining their clothes with blood, especially with her injured foot, but she was eager to rise to the occasion. No one ever got better by accepting complacency.
She wasn’t sure if Julian could see on account of it being dark, but the look she sent him was deadly. It wasn’t an entirely unfair question, but she was too tired and too gross to deal with holier-than-thou bullshit. But if she was being completely honest, Kinsley had never really been able to blend in. What could she say, she had that indescribable quality that made her stand out - she was born for the spotlight. So honestly, the probability of her seamlessly blending in was more of a pipe dream, at best.
“Depends on how you want to play it. If you don’t want to cause a scene, perhaps you should be the one they talk to.” Kinsley finally said, only because they needed to be smart about this. She wasn’t going to let her pride be the thing that got her sent back to prison. If Julian wanted to spare whoever was by the fire, that was fine by her. In her mind, it would be easier to just kill them and dispose of them, but she wasn’t about to argue. As long as she got clean, dry clothes and some food, she would be happy.
Kinsley tuned him out as he started to babble about what tomorrow would bring. He was evidently the planner between the two of them and she wasn’t going to even pretend she had any interest in thinking about anything beyond her needs in the moment. She rolled his eyes at his teasing remark, a little annoyed because she knew he must have seen her limp.
Whatever - fuck men. She wanted to remind Julian that he had only gotten them out because of a poorly thought out plan and some dumb luck, and then immediately fell apart when he got into the tunnels. He would have been locked back up or died if it hadn’t been for her. But unfortunately for both of them, it would be far more dangerous for them to split up, especially since they were both injured.
“I think you saw how perfectly capable I am of making leadership decisions,” she snapped, her tone laced with attitude, “but sure, I’ll lead. Why not.”
Kinsley tried to start off at a fairly normal pace, but that quickly proved to be too much for her foot. As much as she tried to ignore it, the uneven forest floor made it hard for her to walk and she couldn’t help but slow down. She grit her teeth, waiting for some smartass remark that Julian was going to inevitably make, but for now she stayed silent and headed in the direction of what would hopefully be their salvation.
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Post by Val on Jun 8, 2020 3:30:20 GMT
"I'm not sure shoving me into a sewer drain qualifies as leadership. But fine; you can pretend to be whatever you want," he told her, his tone holding heavy implications. He hadn't missed the way she looked to him for guidance back in the prison, as though she was completely depending upon him for a successful escape. He had granted her freedom, after all, so he supposed he was worthy of her subordination.
Julian followed her leisurely, clearly smug over the fact that he'd riled her up. Her fiery attitude would only serve to stoke his ego, and he was perfectly okay with letting her suffering make him feel better. Still, it wasn't enough to dull the throbbing in his head and he could feel himself growing lightheaded due to a combination of unpleasant things he'd put his body through that day. Deciding that a slow pace was best for both of them, he fell into step beside her, his eyes glued on the prize in the distance.
His over active imagination went into overdrive, conjuring up scenarios of what could possibly be waiting for them at the campfire. Unlike Kinsley, he lacked confidence in them being able to incapacitate whoever they were about to stumble across. Unless they got lucky, of course. Their plan of action would have to wait until they figured out who they were dealing with.
Glancing sideways at Kinsley, he noted her expression in the dim light of the moon and felt compelled to give her the remark she was so obviously waiting for, "I was under the impression that you enjoyed pain. Or is that only when someone is inflicting it on you?" he commented. Although the question was rhetorical, he was undoubtedly curious about her answer. If they were going to be stuck with each other for some unforeseen amount of time, he figured it was in his best interest to know as much about her as possible. He would not be satisfied until he secured the upper hand in their partnership, and he felt that he was already winning that game.
Julian's pace slowed as the sound of laughter reached his ears. They were close enough to the fire that silhouettes could be seen against the back drop of the flames. He could only make out two figures, and the voices sounded distinct; one male and one female. Perhaps the luck was in their favor. As far as he was concerned, this area seemed rather quaint and it was likely that these were simple working class people. Wanting to confirm this assumption, he slunk ahead, crouching behind a rock that was jutting from the ground nearby. Peering over the barrier, he studied their potential victims, the distant flames reflecting in his eyes.
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Post by starrea on Jun 8, 2020 18:01:06 GMT
Somehow, Kinsley hadn’t imagined her first moments of freedom consisting of tripping her way through the near-pitch black with a possibly-broken foot in clothes soaked in sewer water - and even though Kinsley truly wasn’t someone to complain, it sucked. The throbbing in her foot had increased tenfold over the course of their walk and now sent hot flares of pain shooting up her leg with every step. The pain was so strong it was dizzying and Kinsley had to force herself to focus on the ground as she tried to navigate the terrain in the darkness. It didn’t really, work, though and the fourth time she almost tripped she had to stop for as black dots exploded across her already-limited vision in response to the intense pain. Still, besides her increasingly labored breathing, she didn’t utter a word of complaint.
Time passed a lot more slowly when every single second was excruciating. Every time Kinsley looked up, she felt like they were no closer to the speck of orange in the distance than the last time she checked and she had to force herself to swallow down her frustrations. Julian’s remark was enough of a distraction that she welcomed the frustration it sparked. He had practically offered himself up as a target for her irritation and she wasn’t someone who frequented the high road enough to not jump at the opportunity.
“That was different,” She snapped defensively, “That pain, in there, wouldn’t have killed me. This pain is weakness and I’ll be damned if I get sent back to prison because of my fucking foot.”
Kinsley wanted to say more but the sound of laughter in the distance caught her attention and her body sagged with relief. She slowed to a stop, her foot immensely grateful for the pause in their journey, and watched silently as Julian slunk ahead. She waited a good several seconds before she followed, moving slowly and quietly, before she sunk to the ground next to him behind the barrier.
“What’s the plan? Are we taking them out or not? I could go in, they won’t suspect anything out of me. I’ll snap their necks before they even realize what’s happening.”
Quick, painless deaths were not apart of Kinsley’s usual MO, but this was all business. Unfortunately, these people’s deaths would come down to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even as her mind flooded with various scenarios of quick ways to kill the people, she looked to Julian for confirmation. It was clear that a dynamic was developing between them, one where Kinsley was relying on Julian to be the ultimate leader between the two of them.
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Post by Val on Jun 9, 2020 1:11:47 GMT
Julian appeared to ignore Kinsley for several moments, his eyes following the movements of the people. From what he could gather, they appeared to be a couple. The male figure reached for the female, pulling her into his lap where they continued laughing. Eventually, the silhouettes leaned in to each other for a kiss and Julian's face twitched before he snapped back to reality.
After registering what Kinsley had said, he scowled at her in annoyance, "I don't know who you think you are, but you're in no state to be snapping necks with ease," he pointed out, his eyes flickering down to her injury. Temptation stirred in his eyes as he considered lashing out at her to prove his point, but figured it would only serve to be counterproductive to injure her further. Instead, he turned and leaned back against the rock, exhaling heavily as he looked to the stars. He cleared his mind and tried to work through some scenarios in his head, but the dull throb of his injury proved to be rather distracting.
"Damnit," he cursed as a trickle of blood streamed into his eye. He swiped it away with his hand and observed the red substance that stained his fingers, suddenly struck with the obvious answer to their little problem. Right now, the public was unaware of their escape. They needed to take advantage of their anonymity while it lasted. These people had no reason to suspect they were dangerous; rather, they had the opportunity to play victim.
He looked at Kinsley, his frustration melting away to be replaced with a look of complacence, "We were attacked. Robbed. They threw us into the sewers to try to drown us," he paused, twisting back around to eye their victims, "They will have sympathy. We're just like them," he whispered, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards at the absurd idea.
Expecting cooperation from his escape partner, he forced himself upright and leaned over Kinsley, aiming to pick her up. He propped one arm behind her back and the other at the crook of her knees before hoisting her up into his arms with some effort. Now that he was carrying his beloved, injured girlfriend, it was all quite believable, "You take the girl," he added, confirming that they were, in fact, taking them out. He staggered forward into the open, heading for the campfire, "Help!"
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Post by starrea on Jun 9, 2020 17:30:36 GMT
When her idea was met with silence, Kinsley closed her eyes and tried to relax for a quick second. She could hear at least two voices in the distance, one male and female, but other than that she was content to leave Julian to surveil them. She only cracked her eyes open again when Julian snapped at her and her face darkened into a scowl.
“I could easily snap both their necks right now, broken foot or not.” She snapped back hotly, irritated that he would even doubt her skills, especially since he hadn’t seen her in action yet. She didn’t add that she could also easily snap his neck right now. Even though the insult was on the tip of her tongue, it wasn’t the time or the place to start a fight with him.
Instead, she closed her eyes again as he thought of a plan, but the serenity was gone. Now she was riled up and irritated, impatient to prove to Julian just what she was capable of.
Kinsley didn’t bother to hide how unimpressed she was with Julian’s master plan. It lacked extravagance and pizzazz and honestly, sounded almost boring. She was about to argue but as Julian bent over to scoop her up, she released he wasn’t looking for her input.
“You better give me some motherfucking inspiration to work with, darling.” She hissed in his ear as he staggered towards the fire, two people coming into focus. If Julian wanted to pretend to be in love, he better be able to keep up with her acting. If there was one thing Kinsley was good at, it was being over dramatic and acting.
Kinsley curled into Julian’s chest, gripping his shirt between her bloody fingers. It wasn’t hard to look like she was in pain and she finally allowed tears to spring to her eyes in response to her throbbing foot. In a matter of seconds, her entire demeanor had switched from assertive and domineering to weak and scared.
The couple jumped to their feet, the man throwing out a hand to stop the girl from rushing over. It wasn’t until the firelight revealed their injuries that he finally rushed over with the girl, both of their eyes combing over the injuries on both her and Julian with concern.
“Oh my goodness, what happened? Are you okay?” The girl cried, stepping back and ushering Julian towards a log next to the fire. “Come, sit. Derek, go get the medical supplies.” She ordered and the man, who had yet to say anything, finally sprung into action and disappeared into the dark.
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Post by Val on Jun 10, 2020 2:56:53 GMT
Julian resisted the urge to dump Kinsley onto the ground in response to her melodramatic display and intrusive fingers. Instead, he sized up their victims once they were close, being careful to feign a look of distress to keep up the act. It wasn't difficult, considering that he'd been in general distress all day.
"She needs help, please," he begged breathlessly, stumbling toward them. "We were attacked. They...they threw us in the sewers and disappeared," he explained frantically, glancing over his shoulder as if paranoid they'd been followed. As expected, the simpletons fell for it, immediately rushing to help. He followed the girl's instruction, gently propping Kinsley up against the log where he caught a glimpse of her expression. She was surprisingly believable and he resisted the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes, quickly rising back to his feet just as the girl was ordering her lover away.
He watched in annoyance as the man suddenly ran off, "Please hurry!" he called after Derek, staring into the darkness where his victim had disappeared. How inconvenient. Figuring their home had to be close by, he continued to stall, dropping to his knees in front of Kinsley. If she wanted inspiration, she would get it. "It's going to be okay, love. We're safe now," he comforted Kinsley, even managing to get tears to well in his eyes. After all, he'd had plenty of practice faking emotion to get what he wanted from his parents over the years.
The girl suddenly kneeled beside him and he turned to stare at her, his eyes lingering on her fragile neck. Perhaps Kinsley was right; it would be easy to snap. He allowed the impulse to pass, mostly because he didn't want to risk scaring the man off, "Her foot is injured. It looks bad."
Despite his attempt to direct her attention toward Kinsley, the girl's eyes were focused on his forehead, undoubtedly eyeing the open wound. "You need to stop the bleeding," she insisted, producing a kerchief from her pocket. Before Julian could object, the girl reached for him and dabbed at the wound. It was the worst move she could have made, and Julian had finally reached his tolerance limit for the day.
The concerned look melted away from his face in an instant as he drew his arm back and swung, backhanding the girl across the face. The attack sent her sprawling into the dirt and Julian barely gave her a moment to recover before he grabbed her by the hair and flung her back toward Kinsley, "You want her? Take her," he snapped, ignoring the girl's cries, "And shut her up!"
The fact that he'd shattered his own plan only served to bother him further, and he needed to take the anxiety out on someone. He turned and scanned the perimeter of light that the fire cast, his eyes landing on an axe that was lying near some fire wood. He stormed toward the weapon and equipped it, knowing it was only a matter of time before the man would come try to save his woman.
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Post by starrea on Jun 11, 2020 2:20:50 GMT
By the time Julian sat her down on the log, Kinsley had immersed herself in her role. Fake-Kinsley was weak with no pain tolerance, so the tears flowed freely down her face and her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. Fake-Kinsley was also in love, so when Julia sat her down, she immediately reached out for him again. She hadn’t ever been in love before, not the kind of love that took the breath right out of your lungs, but she had seen the effect it had on people. Especially after experiencing something so dreadfully traumatic, Fake-Kinsley would be scared without her lover. Fake-Kinsley needed Fake-Julian to protect her, stay with her, comfort her.
Kinsley lost herself in the moment again and her eyes drifted down to Julian’s lips again. A part of her wanted to lean forward and steal a kiss. She wondered what he would do, if he would hit he would hit her afterwards. Kinsley has never been attracted to nice guys but she liked the way Fake-Julian cared about Fake-Kinsley. His acting wasn’t anything near her level, but it was good enough to entertain her fantasy, one in which they weren’t just two strangers who had escaped from prison and instead, Julian actually did care for her.
Kinsley whimpered almost on cue after Julian mentioned her foot. Now that there was a little bit of light, she was finally able to get a better look it. Her foot had already started to swell and was already a decent size and the skin towards the middle of her foot and up her lower ankle was turning a concerning shade of blue-black. She was a little nervous to reach down a touch it, and Fake-Kinsley definitely didn’t have the balls to palpate her own foot, but she knew that she was eventually going to have to feel for broken bones. Frustration washed through her and the tears fell heavier, her hand reached out for Julian’s.
Kinsley has been so focused on Julian and her foot that she had barely noticed the other girl until the resounding sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the air. Kinsley’s attention snapped back into the moment and she saw the girl sprawled out on the ground, a red welt darkening by the second on her cheek. When her eyed snapped back to Julian, she knew Fake-Julian was gone - which meant that Fake-Kinsley was gone, too.
“Thanks for ruining the fucking moment, asshole.” Kinsley growled, genuinely annoyed that he had ruined their charade. The girl was thrown towards her and there was nothing for Kinsley to do but catch her. If nearly drowning in sewer-water and walking at least two miles on a clearly-broken foot hadn’t killed her mood, then she was definitely pissed now. At this point, there would be basically no enjoyment in the kill - and that made it more of a chore. The least Julian could have done was waited until they bandaged her foot up.
Kinsley grabbed the girl by her hair and before she had the chance to get her balance back, swung her head down so it collided with the log with a crack. The hit wasn’t hard enough to knock her out but it had stunned her, long enough for Kinsley to pick up the chisel on the ground next to a half-finished wood carving of what looked like two people. In one fluid motion, Kinsley stabbed the chisel straight into the side of her head.
At first, the girl didn’t move. Her body started to jerk and she rolled over so she was looking up towards Kinsley and Julian, blinking rapidly.
“I... I can’t see.” She stuttered, blood starting to drip out of her nose.
Now that the girl was evidently taken care of, Kinsley looked bored. She looked over her shoulder in the direction Derek had disappeared to, impatient to get bandaged up, change into new clothes, and go to sleep in a real bed. If they didn’t have a real bed, she was going to pitch a fit.
“I can’t see. I can’t see. I can’t see.” The girl changed over and over, still blinking rapidly. She didn’t appear to be able to move laid still on the ground. Kinsley raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, and finally bent down to acknowledge her half-dead victim. Without any warning, she ripped the chisel from her head and the unnamed girl immediately fell dead.
A few seconds later, hurried footsteps crunching through the leaves got louder as Derek rushed back.
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Post by Val on Jun 12, 2020 4:07:36 GMT
If Kinsley had ever been under the impression that he cared about her enjoyment, she was even more delusional than he thought. Under different circumstances, he might've enjoyed the playing along with the little game they'd conjured up, but he simply wanted this day of suffering to end. He'd been so very patient during his time in prison and that patience had finally crumbled.
Julian's back was turned as he gazed into the dark abyss, when the sickening crack of skull warranted his attention. He turned slowly back toward Kinsley, his eyes landing on the girl who was now twitching on the floor in a rather unsettling manner. He stared for several long moments, as though committing the image to memory, before the victim's repetitive muttering finally got to him, "Shut her up," he repeated the demand, even though Kinsley was already moving to do so.
Silence fell upon the scene, the only sound coming from the crackling of firewood. Finally, the crunch of footsteps approached from the darkness. Julian counted them in his head, anticipating when the man would appear and meet his fate.
The moment Derek stepped into the ring of light, all the stress appeared to leave Julian's body. He became hyper focused and calm, standing between the man and his dead girlfriend. Derek's eyes were blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright light, and his hands were juggling various supplies, rendering him generally helpless. Finally, the odds were working in his favor. A single, clean blow would be enough to finish the job and grant him one step closer to true freedom.
"Thank you, Derek," Julian uttered. Without wasting another moment, he stepped forward and swung the axe over his head, planting it directly between the man's eyes with a thud. Death was instantaneous, but it took a painfully long moment for his body to collapse to the ground in a heap, the supplies following.
Julian took a deep breath, gazing at his work in satisfaction. He could finally have a moment of peace. Bending down, he gathered the medical supplies and water that the man had brought for them, returning to the log that Kinsley was still lingering by. He sat down and tipped the flask of water against his lips, chugging until he was satisfied. Tossing the rest of it to Kinsley, he stretched his back leisurely and finally regarded her injury with an arched brow.
"Looks pretty bad, love," he commented, but made no move to help her. If she wanted his help, she could ask for it, and maybe he would comply. Rummaging through the box of medical supplies, he found some cloth and dabbed some alcohol onto it before pressing it to the wound above his eye. It stung like a bitch, and reminded him of how desperate he was to bathe and wash away the filth of the day.
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Post by starrea on Jun 13, 2020 0:12:48 GMT
The only thing that stopped Kinsley from boasting about how easily she killed the girl was the sound of Derek's footsteps. She hadn't forgotten Julian's earlier comment doubting her ability to kill while injured and she wanted to shove her accomplishment in his face. She hadn't even needed to get up from the log sat on to kill the girl and it really didn't get much easier than that. Kinsley also hadn't missed how Julian had stared at the girl with the chisel buried to the hilt in her skull. While his eyes had been undoubtedly committing the scene in front of him to memory, she couldn't tear her away from him. It made her stomach swirl with excitement to know that she had been the one to cause that, she had created something he was hopelessly drawn to. And now that she saw the reaction it had on him, she was curious to see more of it.
Derek's re-emergence successfully distracted both of them from the dead girl laying on the ground. Kinsley wasn't too bothered; she had already handled the girl and it was Julian's job to take care of Derek. Whatever his plan was, she was all too eager to sit back and watch. She hadn't even realized that he picked up an axe until the metal reflected some of the firelight and she became giddy with excitement. Julian didn't seem like the type who enjoyed messes, so an axe was an interesting choice for a weapon. When Derek finally stepped into the light, she had to raise a hand to cover her mouth to stifle her giggles - she couldn't help it, the thrill of deciding who lived and died was the best high she had ever felt.
Poor Derek didn't even see it coming. Kinsley should have known that Julian wasn't one for messes or theatrics, so the kill was quick and clean, but it didn't leave Kinsley unsatisfied. For awhile, Derek just stood there with the axe buried in his face. Besides the crackling of the fire, nobody moved and nobody spoke. Finally, Derek dropped to his knees, and from there, gravity made quick work of pulling him forward where he finally lay still. The supplies he had been carrying dropped to the ground around him, but Kinsley couldn't have cared less about them. Her body was practically quivering with excitement after watching the slow, suspenseful death of Derek, and when she looked at Julian, she had never been more attracted to him. It took a decent amount of self control to keep herself seated on the log and she squeezed her swollen foot, letting the pain zing through her. The pain centered her for the moment, but Kinsley had discovered a new desire; to both have an audience for her kills, and to watch someone else kill and she was hungry to explore this new side of herself.
Kinsley dug her nails into her swollen foot, squeezing harder until she was forced to only focus on the pain. It was only then that she eased up and she used both hands to start to palpate her foot to try and feel for broken bones. Kinsley had already scoped the campsite for any alcohol and hadn't seen any alcohol, and she hadn't been thrilled about doing this entirely sober, but now the pain was a necessary distraction. Her hands slowly worked their way up her ankle, the red-hot pain shooting up her leg, up her spine, and into her head where it made her dizzy. She finally released her foot, relieved to not have felt anything massively broken. Of course there was still a chance that something was fractured or it was clean break, but those would heal without much interference. Once some of the dizziness had passed, Kinsley leaned forward to grab the water and dig through the medical supplies Julian had brought over, but she pulled back when she saw how much her hands were shaking. Even though she wasn't gripping her foot anymore, the pain hadn't faded in the slightest.
"Wow, so observant." Kinsley snapped back to Julian's smartass comment before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you help me, please? I don't think I can wrap it tight enough. My hands are too shaky." She asked a second later, her voice softer. She only opened her eyes after she had asked the question and she bent over to scoop the flask up, unscrewing it and taking a drink. Suddenly, the power of her thirst hit her full force and she chugged the rest of the water, shaking the bottle over her mouth to ensure she got every last drop. When she was finally done, she let the flask drop to the ground and looked anywhere but at Julian - and her eyes landed on the half-finished wooden carving discarded on the ground. It looked like it was meant to be two people, probably Derek and whoever his girlfriend was, and Julian suddenly felt a wave of jealousy. No one had ever made her anything like that and she was glad that Derek and Unnamed Girl were dead.
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Post by Val on Jun 14, 2020 7:23:20 GMT
It didn't take long for Julian to be drawn to Kinsley as she examined her foot. His face was mostly hidden from view as he worked to stop the flow of blood from his wound, but his eyes remained carefully trained on her injury. The more she squeezed and palpated, the more he could practically sense the pain radiating from her body. His breathing became inexplicably shallow and a rather sudden rush came over him- one he hadn't experienced in quite some time. He was aroused, and there was no denying it.
For the first time since they'd met, he was suddenly seeing Kinsley in a new light. Perhaps it was just a side effect of the head wound, but he made sure to give the rest of her a once over to confirm his newfound fascination. Starting at her foot, his eyes trailed upwards all the way to her pained expression. First and foremost, she was filthy and needed to be washed. It was off putting enough to quell his sudden fixation, and he remembered to respond to her inquiry after an obvious length of silence.
"I'll help," he agreed, though the tone in his voice suggested he had selfish motives for doing so. With the gash on his forehead now staunched, he dropped the cloth and rose from the log, nearly tripping over the carving. He cursed the object and bent down to pick it up, observing it dismissively; the attempt at art was annoyingly mediocre, "How sentimental," he scoffed, tossing the chunk of wood into the fire. He never understood how some people were so desperate to prove they were in love, though he should have expected as much from their pathetic victims.
Julian kneeled in front of Kinsley, reassuming the position they had been in during their little act. His eyes lingered on her shaking hands now that he was up close, and he couldn't help but imagine making her tremble like that all over, "Where does it hurt?" he questioned, lifting his hands- steady as could be. He gripped her foot lightly and propped it up so he could get a better look, feeling the heat radiating from her swollen skin. Reaching into the medical supplies, he produced a length of bandage that he could wrap it with and started at her ankle, pulling it tight to hold it in place, and tighter still as he awaited an answer.
His gaze flickered up to meet hers, eyes shrouded by a strange look. It was similar to the expression he took on when confronting Derek moments ago, but not quite. Kinsley had quite literally placed her vulnerability in the palm of his hand, and he wanted her to know that. He and Kinsley had become unlikely allies, but that didn't mean she knew anything about him. If their partnership were to continue, it was time they understood each other and their places.
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Post by starrea on Jun 15, 2020 3:08:03 GMT
The thing about pain was that it demanded to be felt, and Kinsley had no choice but to feel it. If she concentrated, she found she could hold her hands steady but the red-hot pain that centered in her ankle and traveled up her leg was making her light-headed and queasy. The walk on the uneven forest floor had made the pain increase tenfold, and now her foot was angry enough after her palpation that the pain was overwhelming. All Kinsley could focus on was each beat of her heart, each pump of blood, each painful throb in her foot. Kinsley briefly caught the vacant gaze of the unnamed girl laying on the ground who wouldn't feel pain ever again and she closed her eyes, allowing the pain to ground her to the moment. Pain meant she was alive. She couldn't think about how they had just escaped prison, she couldn't think about what their next move was, she couldn't even think about the small wooden carving that Julian had just thrown into the fire. Everything else just melted away, and the only things that remained were Julian, herself, the fire, and the pain.
The other thing about pain was that it didn't exist in the world, it only existed in the mind. Kinsley had made the general observation growing up that for most, pain was bad and pleasure was good, but things weren't quite so black and white and Kinsley. Somewhere along the way, the lines between pain and pleasure had faded to the point that sometimes Kinsley struggled to differentiate between the two. So even though right now her body was nearly shaking with pain, she couldn't deny her mild arousal. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this kind of pain, the kind that felt like she had fire traveling up the inside of her leg, and it made Kinsley feel truly beautiful.
Kinsley's eyes were still closed when Julian pulled the first layer of the wrap tight around her ankle and the pain exploded up her leg and into her chest with a vengeance, knocking the air out of her lungs and leaving her winded. Her eyes snapped open and she looked down at Julian as he methodically worked on her, gritting her teeth to keep quiet as the pain ravaged her from the inside. She wasn't blind to how vulnerable she was to Julian in this moment, and it only added another layer of arousal. She focused on the look in his eyes, feeling heat pool in the pit of her stomach when she realized that it wasn't unlike the way he had looked at the unnamed girl and Derek as they died, except this time he was looking at her. Kinsley had always been woefully independent and the idea of submitting to someone else had never appealed to her until now. In that moment, she was willing to do almost anything if it meant that Julian would look at her like that again.
Kinsley was slow to process his question and even slower to answer. Her thoughts were so torn between the two extremes of pain and pleasure that it was hard for her to focus. She winced as he pulled the wrap, the pain shooting up her leg and squeezing the air of her lungs again. It wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last that she wished for a bottle of booze. "Ankle to half-way through my foot, not quite to my toes. But it hurts the most around the joint." Kinsley whispered breathlessly. Now that she had opened her mouth, her breathing was evidently labored as she worked to keep herself under control. "I didn't feel anything out of place, so if I broke it, it should heal on its own. Hopefully." Kinsley added, her eyes fluttering closed again. Her fingernails dug into the wood on either side of her, her knuckles white from gripping. Even so, Kinsley still hadn't uttered a single word of complaint.
"Distract me. Please." The request surprised Kinsley but she was getting desperate. The pain was making her head feel light enough that without something to pull her back into reality, she was scared she would slip into unconsciousness.
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Post by Val on Jun 16, 2020 1:19:35 GMT
The more concentrated Julian became on the process of wrapping her foot, the calmer he was, until he was projecting the same composed presence that he had developed in prison. His eyes were mostly fixated on the task at hand, though a large portion of his attention was focused on Kinsley's labored breathing. Each meticulous pull of the bandage emitted a sharp breath from Kinsley, and he developed an unmistakable rhythm as he worked, anticipating each stab of pain he caused her.
He took her description into account as he worked, layering the bandage over the locations she pointed out. Though he had no medical experience, this particular task was well suited to Julian's strengths, and his wrap job was proving to be nothing short of perfection. If her foot did happen to be broken, well, Kinsley would have an altogether different problem to deal with.
Kinsley's request managed to pull him from his reverie, and he glanced up at her curiously. Part of him wanted to ignore her altogether so that he could expound upon her desperation. Nonetheless, she'd said please, and he was chivalrous enough to comply. He had plenty of distracting questions to ask her, anyway. In his experience, shockingly unexpected topics tended to do the trick.
"Who was the last man you slept with?" he asked nonchalantly, not faltering on the at hand task for even a moment.
He had his reasons for the bold question, especially now that he was view of Kinsley had been skewed in a more sensual direction. If she answered the question, it would tell him many things about the woman he was tending to. Not only would it allude him to her preferred type of man, but it would also give him a hint as to how promiscuous she was. If he didn't approve, he would make it known.
Reaching her heel, he made sure to leave a gap before continuing on to the length of her foot. Ask much as he wanted to complete the task and find shelter for the night, he didn't want to rush Kinsley's answer. Almost imperceptibly, he slowed his work as he neared the end of the bandage, waiting patiently for a response to his inquiry.
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Post by starrea on Jun 17, 2020 1:16:23 GMT
The question took a couple of long seconds for it to break through the pain-induced fog, and then another couple of seconds for Kinsley to process it. She opened her eyes and looked down at Julian, really looked at him, trying to see what his intentions were. As usual, nothing broke through his woefully stoic expression as he worked methodically on wrapping her foot. The question wasn't one that Kinsley had been expecting, but it didn't surprise her, either. Men were simple creatures with simple pleasures; they were almost always thinking about food or sex. The realization that maybe she wasn't the only one aroused right now made her smug, but the feeling only lasted a second before Julian pulled tight on the wrap and a bolt of pain left her breathless.
Kinsley's first instinct was to lie. It was the easiest thing to do, especially since Julian didn't know her. She had the ability to construct an entirely new Kinsley for him, one that could be all the things she wanted to be. She almost wished that she hadn't told him her real name because it would have been so much more fun to invent someone entirely new, become someone new, but it was too late now. She was stuck being Kinsley. Ideas swirled in her head as she tried to piece together a plan, but each wrap of the bandage made it harder and harder to focus on anything other than the pain. All of the adrenaline from their escape and their kills was starting to wear off and her entire body started to ache to the same beat as the throbbing in her foot. Kinsley hadn't noticed when she had closed her eyes, but they were closed now and all she could do was feel the pain.
It was becoming evidently clear that as the seconds dragged on, Kinsley was too out of it to string together a lie. Without a proper substitute, the memory started to force its way into her the front of her mind and despite her best efforts, it wouldn't go away. She could see the alleyway, she could feel the rocks digging into her bare feet. She could see the way the world tilted sideways but it wasn't the world who tilted, it was her - she was on the ground now. She could see his shadow, see him take one, two, three steps until he stopped in front of her. She could feel his hands as he undressed her, ripping her new dress almost in half. And even though she had closed her eyes by this point, she could feel everything that happened afterwards, too.
Kinsley snapped out of the memory, nearly wrenching her foot away from Julian before she opened her eyes and realized that it was Julian, not him, and it wasn't that night. The pain only served to fuel her irritation; she hadn't thought about that night in years and it made her feel weak the way she lost herself in the memory.
"It's been a long time. Years," Kinsley answered tersely, in the sort of way that made it obvious that she didn't plan on elaborating. She hadn't told anyone that story and she wasn't about to start now.
Eight years, to be exact. Eight years since the alleyway incident, eight years since her little sister drowned, eight years spent in prison. And while Kinsley wasn't above using sexual favors as currency, she always stopped before sex - after all, there were a million ways to get someone off. She knew that how people assumed she was a slut and she didn't blame them. Between her sexual favors and her desire for other's attention, it was only logical to make that assumption. It bothered her that she hadn't been quick enough to lie. She needed a distraction, something to shift his attention away from her obvious reluctance to elaborate, which she was sure he noticed. Her wish was granted almost immediately; the sound of a distant alarm blaring caught her attention, and her gaze immediately shifted down to Julian as she waited with apprehension for him to lead.
Everyone thought that the first person she killed was her little sister when she tied that pillowcase full of rocks to her ankles and pushed her into the water and watched her sink. The truth was that she had killed her first person nine days beforehand, when she tracked down that man from the alley and fed him a lethal concoction of drugs. She sat with him until the end, making sure that her face was the last thing he saw.
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Post by Val on Jun 18, 2020 2:18:24 GMT
Her silence was telling, and Julian knew that her answer would be vague before she even uttered the response. As the seconds ticked by, he found himself looking up at Kinsley curiously. She looked stressed, not just because of the wretched day they had, but because of whatever was going on in that head of hers. And just like that, Julian had to know. He needed to know. The idea of not knowing made his skin crawl. The fear and hatred and frustration that she was hiding from him was evident, and it was probably enough to drive him mad.
Distracted, he had stopped tending to her foot altogether until Kinsley jerked in his grasp, apparently returning from her mysterious trip down memory lane. Her response was just as he'd expected, and it only stoked his desire for the truth even more. Scowling, he pulled her foot back toward him and was quick to finish the rest of the wrap, "That makes two of us," he scoffed, clearly perturbed that he hadn't gotten exactly what he'd wanted from her.
"But," he uttered after a moment, securing the end of the bandage with finality, "That doesn't answer my question." After all, he'd asked 'who', not 'how long'. If she couldn't follow simple directions, then he would just have to repeat himself until she succumbed and spilled her heart out. Besides, Julian didn't do things out of the kindness of his heart. He freed her from prison and tended to her wound in a matter of hours, with conceivably nothing in return. He expected reciprocation, and he intended on getting it.
He opened his mouth to speak when the alarm sounded in the distance. His anxiety returned full force and he stood immediately, turning to survey the crime scene that they'd left. It was incredibly obvious that they'd been here. They should have been more careful, but what was done, was done.
With Kinsley momentarily forgotten, he set about covering their tracks. First, he lifted the dead girl from the dirt and deposited her into the fire, hardly waiting for the flames to catch her before moving on to Derek. He dragged the limp man toward the flames, feeling sweat bead on his skin from the intense heat. Once both bodies were burning, he added the weapons to the blaze and backed away, observing the unpleasant cremation for a moment before the smell of burning flesh made him want to vomit.
"Can you walk?" he questioned, but it seemed almost rhetorical because he was already approaching Kinsley. Hoisting her up impatiently, he looped one of her arms around his shoulders and used an arm to hold her up, effectively limiting the amount of weight she was putting on the foot. As if on queue, the alarm sounded again, a monotone horn that echoed across the land. It caused his muscles to notably tense, and he started moving immediately.
Recalling what direction Derek had left and returned from, Julian set out into the darkness, leaving the blazing campfire behind. For a while, they trekked over uneven ground by the light of the moon. It seemed impossible for his eyes to adjust after staring into a fire, but they eventually stumbled onto a dirt path to use as guidance. Luckily, it seemed that, whoever these people were, they didn't have many neighbors. The house was clearly isolated and, when they finally reached their destination, he was pleased to find that it was incredibly quaint and unassuming. He ascended the front steps with Kinsley in tow and departed from her side to try the door. Unsurprisingly, it was unlocked and the door swung open to offer them refuge.
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Post by starrea on Jun 19, 2020 1:34:38 GMT
Julian's obvious agitation at Kinsley's vague answer told her everything she needed to know; Julian wasn't going to give up. The thought of someone finding out her story sent anxiety bubbling up and her resolve to keep it a secret increased tenfold. Kinsley mirrored his irritation, annoyed that he was irritated with her - he didn't have the right to demand an answer from her. Even if she hadn't been intent on taking that secret to the grave, she was ready to deliberately keep it from him just out of pure spite. Julian obviously needed to learn boundaries and she would more than happy to teach him. There was a shift in the air and newfound tension hung in the air between them.
Another shrill sound of the alarm broke the tension. "What does it matter? You don't know him anyway." Kinsley sassed defiantly as Julian got up but he had already switched his attention off of her. She almost got up to follow him, but settled back down when she realized what he was doing. She didn't say anything as he worked, watching closely as he threw the dead girl into the fire and then Derek. Unlike Julian, she was unbothered by the smell and seemed entirely entranced by the sight of the burning flesh. Her eyes were locked onto the dead girl's as she watched her face slowly melt away, leaving unrecognizable, charred remains behind. The process was agonizingly slow yet quick at the same time and Kinsley seemed completely lost in beauty of it all.
Julian's question caught her attention but it was still difficult to tear her eyes away from the burning bodies. Kinsley had never had the opportunity to watch someone burn and she found it quite enthralling; the way the fire ate away at the flesh until it sloughed off, the way the eyes had already started to melt... the fire was all-consuming and Kinsley wanted to watch Derek and lover until they were nothing but bone and ash. With a sigh of disappointment, and mostly because Julian hadn't bothered to wait for an answer, Kinsley stood up and tested weight on her foot. The shock of pain that went through her was like a bolt of lightning and without Julian, she would have surely fallen back to the ground. She allowed him to take on most of her weight as she hobbled beside him, unconcerned with where he was leading her. The fact that he wasn't going to leave her behind was comfort enough and Kinsley was in too much pain to worry about much else. By the time they reached the cabin, Kinsley's lip was bloody from where she had bit it to quiet any whimpers of pain on the walk over.
As soon the door opened, Kinsley stumbled inside and almost threw herself on the couch. The relief wasn't complete but it was immediate and she sagged with relief as the pain quieted. Now that she was off her foot, Kinsley took the opportunity to look around. The cabin was small; there was a kitchen attached to the back of the living room, and two doors that Kinsley was assuming led to a bathroom and a bedroom. Derek and his lover lived sparsely, it seemed, with the exception of wooden carvings. There must have been at least small wooden carvings covering every available flat surface, ranging from words to animals to plants. Kinsley wrinkled her nose in distaste; what seemed cute and romantic before now seemed sort of creepy.
"This... is fucking weird." Kinsley finally said after taking in the time to absorb all of the wooden carvings. The more she looked, the weirder it got. On the table next to the other side of the couch in the corner, there was a almost-life-size wooden carving of an infant baby, and next to the door, there was about a two-foot tall carving of what Kinsley was guessing was an elf. Kinsley also found a carving of a foot, a detailed penis with a set of balls, and people in a traditional praying position. If she had any remorse over the deaths of Derek and his lover, seeing hundreds of their weird wooden carvings definitely quashed it.
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