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Post by Val on Jun 22, 2020 1:16:50 GMT
Julian closed the door behind them as soon as they crossed the threshold, turning to peer out the front window to make sure they were still alone. He could see the rising plume of smoke from the burning bodies in the distance and could only hope that whoever was tasked with hunting them down wouldn't catch on to their trail. He was so preoccupied with the anxiety of getting caught that he didn't notice the little shop of horrors they'd walked into until Kinsley's voice got his attention.
He turned slowly, his eyes scanning the room with growing disgust. Not only was the sheer amount of statues overwhelming, but they were disturbingly random and the clutter made him want to burn the entire house to the ground. The two cretins should have been grateful to them for putting them out of their obvious misery. He stared into the beady, lifeless eyes of an elfish figure, feeling frustration build within him. This place was a glaring reminder that he could never return to where he truly belonged; his home.
"I suppose we should thank our hosts for providing plenty of firewood." The joke was forced, but it was all he could do to keep himself from snapping. Crossing the room, he eyed Kinsley disapprovingly as her filthy self sunk into the couch. His first goal was to bathe, and he expected his companion to do the same.
"I'm going to prepare myself a bath," he stated, as though it weren't obvious how desperate he was to wash the day away. He moved toward the doors, nudging one open to find a room complete with a large bed in the center and candles lined across every flat surface. The bed would definitely make do, and he was not afraid to claim the area.
"You should get used to that couch," he told Kinsley pointedly, moving toward the bathroom. Julian intended on holding a heavy grudge every time Kinsley withheld something that he wanted. If she refused to give, then he would simply take until she was left with nothing. It was a game that would leave them both unsatisfied, but he was willing to play it in order to get exactly what he wanted.
The sight of a bath tub released some of his pent up tension and he set about filling the tub with water. There was even some chunks of soap that had been neatly carved into seashells- for once, he wouldn't complain. Julian began to strip his clothes off, starting with his shoes and moving on to peel the grotesque fabric from his skin. Once everything was disposed of in one corner of the room, he stepped into the bath and sunk into the water, submerging himself completely as he finally allowed himself to accept his long awaited freedom.
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Post by starrea on Jun 23, 2020 3:43:29 GMT
The joke settled on top of the ominous tension, serving to only intensify the inherent eeriness of their newfound cabin. The silence was stifling and there was nowhere safe to look; everywhere she turned, there was something that made Kinsley's skin crawl. Not all of the statuettes had eyes, but the ones that did seemed to look straight through her and she was scared that when she eventually got up, their gazes would follow. Julian's words broke whatever curse that had seemingly halted time for a second, and Kinsley finally let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She caught the look of disapproval on Julian's face before it shifted towards her, but she was still too shell-shocked to concern herself with whatever he was unhappy about. Kinsley had never given much thought as to what happened after life ended, but she didn't want to believe in the existence of an afterlife through being haunted by Derek and his lover.
At the mention of a bath, Kinsley suddenly remembered how disgusting and wet she still was. Adrenaline and sheer will had allowed her to mostly ignore the tribulations, but now that she was seated and the adrenaline had all but worn off, she needed to clean herself. Her skin was coated in a viscous layer of dirt and slime and her clothes were beyond redemption - not that she wanted to save her prison-issued uniform, anyway. She wasn't brave enough to touch her hair, but she was sure that she would have to soak it for awhile before she could even begin the process of untangling it. The smell hit her a couple of seconds later and she scrunched her nose up, deciding she needed a bath too.
Kinsley starting to prepare herself to push herself up from the couch when Julian's comment made her pause. Just the thought of walking was daunting enough that it almost made Kinsley want to sink back down into the soft cushions, but she didn't want to ask Julian for anymore help. With the help of the walls, she was sure she could hobble her way to the bathroom. But his comment cut right through her motivational pep talk, leaving her wordless as he disappeared into the bathroom. Kinsley had accepted that he was more of the leader between the two of them, but she hadn't challenged him and his claim of the bed was unnecessary and unfair. She hadn't missed the way he had said it, either, as if he were mad at her for some perceived flaw. She tried to think of something she had done to make him upset but she came up empty. Irritation ran hot through her - she had been in prison for eight fucking years, and she was going to be damned if she slept on a couch on her first free night.
By the time Kinsley had worked the courage to stand up and slowly hobble her way across the room and into the bathroom, Julian was already submerged in the hot water. She didn't say anything as she hobbled in, first gripping the door frame, then the counter top, and finally the toilet before she finally collapsed on it. For a moment, she just sat there and panted, letting the pain dim before she finally acknowledged Julian. She just looked at him, taking her time to let her eyes roam over his form and study his features. She eyed the water with desire but she was too tired to fight him for it. Instead, she started to peel her clothes off one article at a time, dropping them to the floor. This time, the act wasn't sensual or seductive, it just was what it was. She put her hand on the edge of the tub, using it to bear her weight as she slowly shifted herself off the toilet seat and onto her knees beside the tub.
"Let me wash you," Kinsley offered softly and reached out for the soap but didn't take it, not without his permission.
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Post by Val on Jun 25, 2020 22:54:33 GMT
Even though he was completely submerged beneath the water, Julian knew that Kinsley had entered the room. He deemed her presence intrusive and felt his irritation spike once more, shattering the momentary peace. Julian valued his privacy, even though he'd grown used to giving it up in prison. There was something about being exposed to a near stranger, or really anyone, that set him on edge. He wasn't like Kinsley- he didn't like to be looked at. In some ways, he envied her exhibitionist tendencies. Mostly, however, it disgusted him.
He resurfaced abruptly and slicked his dark hair back from his face, targeting Kinsley with a pointed glare as she sat on the toilet. He followed her eyes as she studied him, feeling his skin grow hot as though her line of sight was burning a path through his skin. Thankfully, the mixture of dirt and soap that had mixed in the water was enough to veil most of his lower half. When- or if- she saw him, it would be his choice.
"I don't recall extending an invitation," he pointed out as she began to undress. Her nakedness was a welcome distraction from his own discomfort, and he found himself actually looking forward to the moment that she was clean herself. It was hard to appreciate anything covered in sewage.
Julian visibly flinched as she reached for the edge of the tub, half expecting her to just climb into the tub with him. However, his tension slowly ebbed when her knees hit the floor and he released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Intrusive thoughts of violence had entered his head at the mere notion of her climbing into the tub. An image of his hand wrapped around the back of her neck, drowning her beneath the surface of the water...He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the impulse to disappear. To his surprise, it did.
Her offer brought him back to reality and he regarded Kinsley hesitantly. Whereas he was usually a decisive person, it was clear that Julian considered this to be some kind of dilemma. Even as a young child, he could recall hating when his mother bathed him. He would throw fits, hit her even. Eventually, she gave up and he learned very quickly how to clean himself. More accurately, it became somewhat of a personal obsession. He was an adult now, though, and he was capable of making exceptions- so long as he felt in control of the situation. She had asked for permission, after all.
"Fine," he yielded, dropping the carved soap into her hand. His eyes remained trained on her carefully, feeling a sense of anticipation that wasn't completely negative. Julian had a very small (and twisted) comfort zone, so he was used to stepping out of it, but it was rarely a positive experience in his opinion.
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Post by starrea on Jun 27, 2020 22:23:24 GMT
It wasn't until Julian snapped at her that Kinsley finally realized that her intrusion into the bathroom had bothered him. His irritation genuinely surprised her; not only had he already seen her completely naked in prison, but they had also shared the intimate experience of escaping prison and killing a couple together. Kinsley had never felt closer to someone than when she watched Julian drive the axe into the front of Derek's head. Even though they had barely touched, Kinsley had shown her darkest colors to Julian - and not only did he accept her, but he showed her his darkness in return. Everything else seemed trivial compared to that; skin and vanity were meaningless compared to what they had shared. On top of that, Kinsley lacked shame to a fault and she had to remind herself that most people were uncomfortable with nudity. Even though she noted that he was mildly uncomfortable, she didn't do anything to rectify it.
Kinsley's offer to wash Julian was so out of character for her that she almost couldn't believe she had said it. Kinsley wasn't blind to how self-centered she was, but she really just didn't care about the needs and wants of other people. At the end of the day, other people's needs, wants, and even the people themselves turned out to be unimportant in Kinsley's life. If anything, most people only provided temporary amusement when Kinsley would create conflict and chaos simply because she could and she was bored. Even more surprising was her obvious submission to Julian - something she had never done before. But then again, she had never had someone see her and appreciate her the way Julian had. Kinsley wanted him to look at her like he had when she drove the chisel into the girl's head, and she wanted to watch him drop someone else with an axe. So here she was, naked on the bathroom floor, completely prepared to bathe Julian because for the first time, she wanted to please someone other than herself.
Even though Julian yielded to her request, Kinsley waited a second to see if he would change his mind. When he didn't, she slowly curled her fingers around the soap and dipped it into the water - her eyes never leaving his, watching for him to change his mind. When it was finally evident that he wasn't going to, Kinsley finally lifted the soap to his chest and started to scrub the filth off of him. Even with the soap and water, some of the filth was so caked onto his skin that Kinsley had to spend a minute or two scrubbing the same spot before the dirt finally surrendered and washed away. She slowly and methodically worked her way up his chest, doing his shoulders, arms, and upper back. She didn't try to fill the silence between them and even though it wasn't tense, the air felt charged, like one wrong move would cause an explosion. Her hand slowed to a stop when she realized that she had scrubbed everything above the water clean, but she didn't pull her hands away. Instead, she silently looked to Julian to see if he wanted her to descend lower or not.
"I want to sleep in the bed," Kinsley finally declared, breaking the silence after several long minutes. She had cleaned at least half of Julian, she had showed him that she was willing to bend to him, and that deserved sleeping in the bed. She was prepared to fight him on it, but she wasn't physically in any position to win. She could barely walk and without his help, she probably would be quickly re-captured.
Kinsley had never needed someone before, and it was both terrifying and thrilling all at once. Her heart was pounding but she was so nervous - aroused, maybe? - that she almost felt out of breath. In that moment, Kinsley felt more alive than she had that first day she had met Julian, the day he had watched her get beaten by the guards.
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Post by Val on Jun 29, 2020 23:54:17 GMT
Julian prepared himself for the inevitable reaction he would have to Kinsley's touch, but it never came. At least, not the reaction he was expecting. His body was tense beyond reason, but when he felt the soap press to his skin, followed by her cautious fingers, he didn't feel the urge to stop her. Instead, he felt truly consumed by the moment and his relentless anxiety seemed to disappear for a moment.
Distraction was good. It was the only cure to the madness that overwhelmed him day in and day out. The only problem was finding things that actually interested him or preoccupied him long enough to keep the demons at bay. It was becoming apparent that Kinsley had the potential to become one of those things. Whereas Kinsley was shedding her selfish tendencies in order to please him, Julian's intentions were unapologetically self-serving. If their relationship happened to become one of mutualism, fine, but it wouldn't be intentional.
His eyes remained glued to Kinsley's face until he came to the conclusion that it was necessary for their partnership to continue. As soon as his mind was made, he exhaled and seemed to relax all at once, allowing her hands to work freely over his upper body. He watched the dirt begin to melt away, revealing his smooth olive skin tone, completely lacking any of the scars a violent criminal would be expected to have. The process of being cleaned was so unexpectedly euphoric that it wasn't long before he was aroused and his skin hot to the touch. It was amusing how starved he felt, as someone who often went out of his way to reject the need for human touch altogether.
Growing more and more comfortable with her touch, his eyes fluttered closed just before she made her declaration. He wasn't surprised by the announcement and that was obvious, considering the fact that he didn't even bother to open his eyes. It wasn't until her fingers stopped working that he felt compelled to open them and grace her with his attention, "I know," he responded simply, allowing a stretch of silence to follow his acknowledgment.
Eventually, he reached for her soapy hands and pushed them into his wet hair by way of guidance, wanting to feel her fingers work through the dark locks. He then began to scrub his own lower half beneath the water. Allowing her to do so would have definitely shifted the power in her favor and he wasn't keen on that- not yet, anyway.
"Tell me about the last time you shared a bed with a man," he repeated the question from earlier, though made a point of phrasing it differently. In his opinion, sharing a bed and actually sleeping with someone was far more intimate than other methods of getting off. Perhaps she would feel more inclined to share if he narrowed down the answer. If not, her place in bed remained a figurative question mark hanging above them. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he bribed rather shamelessly, the hint of a smirk reaching his lips.
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Post by starrea on Jun 30, 2020 19:46:19 GMT
The seconds ticked by after Julian's acknowledge of her request but neither of them moved. The world seemed to stand still for a moment, so still that Kinsley was afraid to breathe. It wasn't until Julian guided her still hands to his hair that she finally let out the breath she was holding, soothing the burn in her lungs. Kinsley slowly the soap into his dark curls, running her fingers through them again and again, continuing long after his hair had been sufficiently scrubbed. Kinsley could practically seem the tension melt out of Julian and watching him succumb under her touch was oddly contagious and she became engrossed in the monotonous motions of scrubbing Julian's dark locks, her own tension seeping out.
His question was enough to break the trance of tranquility that had fallen over her. She had completely forgotten that he had even asked her that back at the campfire and she felt irritated that he was capitalizing on something that she obviously wanted to stay hidden. It wasn't one of Kinsley's strengths to keep her emotions hidden beneath the surface, but the only evidence she provided that she was anything but bothered was that her hands paused only a second. Her hands found the same rhythm, no less gentle even though violent fantasies of grabbing Julian's hair and slamming his head back against the wall and then forward under the water until he drowned on his own filth dominated her thoughts. The idea was terribly appealing, especially considering that this was one of the few moments that Kinsley would potentially physically have the upper hand. She had never drown someone by her own hands and the thought of feeling the fight drain out from beneath her touch was erotic enough that she almost didn't care about the fact that she regrettably needed him if she wanted to stay out of prison. But she did want to stay out of prison, and even more annoyingly, she didn't really want Julian to be the person she held beneath the surface.
She hadn't missed the way he phrased the question differently, and it did provide her with an opportunity to share without having to lie. "I don't share beds with men," She said casually, pausing before she added, "Or anyone, for that matter."
Kinsley could still remember the last time she had shared a bed with someone. Her younger sister Kenzie must have only been four or five, which made Kinsley around twelve or thirteen years old. For reasons beyond Kinsley's understanding, Kenzie had crawled into bed with her in the middle of the night. Kenzie had an awful habit of crawling into Kinsley's bed at night since she was only enough to walk, and no matter how many times Kinsley told her to stop, she somehow always ended up in Kinsley's bed by morning. It wasn't until Kenzie had kicked her awake later on that Kinsley even realized that she was in her bed and something inside of her snapped. Her reaction had been swift and merciless; she wrapped Kenzie's hair around her fist and dragged her out of the bed by her hair, and then slammed her face into the ground as she fell off of the bed. Kinsley tried to go back to sleep afterwards but between Kenzie's crying and her parent's screaming, Kenzie had officially ruined her night. Kenzie broke her nose and chipped a tooth that night but she had never tried to crawl into Kinsley's bed again. Kinsley considered sharing the story with Julian for half a second, but decided against it. He had only asked about the last time she had shared her bed with a man and she wasn't feeling overly generous with gifting him stories of her past.
Before that night in the alleyway, Kinsley supposed it was more out of convenience than anything that she hadn't fooled around with any boys in a bed. She had been a young teenager exploring her sexuality and the last place she wanted to do that was at home where she could potentially be caught by her parents or little sister. Even though she had a handful of boyfriends before that night in the alleyway, she hadn't ever been invested enough to go all the way. Even back then, she treated sex more as a form of currency to get what she wanted than as an intimate act between two people. Once she figured out that if she dangled the prospect of taking her virginity over the head of horny teenage boys, she could basically get them to do whatever she wanted. Then that night in the alleyway happened and she went to prison not too much longer after that, and then the only sexual interactions she had was in the back of dark closets with morally-questionable guards for perks. For someone who had carefully constructed a reputation of being easy, she was actually deceptively fastidious with who she fooled around with.
Normally, Kinsley would love to dive in the stories that made up Julian. The thought of knowing him on another level was enough to make her hot with desire, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore how tired and filthy she was. She wanted her turn in the bath and she wanted confirmation that she was sleeping in the bed. Even though the thought of bending to Julian was deliciously erotic, it also clashed with a large part of her personality; the part that always got what she wanted.
"I want to sleep in the bed," Kinsley practically whined, ignoring his offer to share for the moment. It wouldn't be forgotten, but she was starting to reach the end of her rope. At least, for the moment, he seemed to have changed the direction of his question away from what she wouldn't answer, but her mind was already concocting a lie in case he decided to push it.
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Post by Val on Jul 4, 2020 17:56:57 GMT
When his body felt acceptably clean, Julian finally allowed himself to enjoy the feel of Kinsley's fingers as she worked through his hair. She admittedly had somewhat of a magic touch and he knew it wouldn't be the last time he sought out a massage from her. He allowed the monotonous rhythm to lull him into a state of calm, officially letting his guard down. It was unusual for him to do so, but he had no reason to suspect Kinsley of harming him. After all, he was well aware that she needed him- at least for the time being. In his eyes, she had proven herself to be trustworthy, even if she was only looking out for her own skin.
Julian allowed her answer to sink in, considering it for a moment. Perhaps she was just avoiding the topic altogether and feeding him small falsities, or maybe she was simply sharing her truth. If she was, he liked that answer very much. In fact, he couldn't think of a more satisfying answer. The only problem was that he's witnessed her behavior first hand and found it hard to believe she was as chaste as she claimed to be. He'd met women who'd displayed similar personas- only to show their true colors later on. It was easy to lie, but Julian had become rather adept at drawing the truth from people.
He listened to her repetitive plea before he slipped further into the water without warning, dunking his head momentarily to allow the soap to dissipate. When he resurfaced, he turned to face her as water streamed down his face, locking eyes with her, "I do hope you're not lying to me," he voiced his suspicions openly, not one to beat around the bush. He looked like he had more to say, but instead offered a strange smile before splashing some water at her. It was a simple ploy to get her to look away and, by the time she wiped her eyes, he had risen from the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Feeling more like himself now that he was clean, he leaned a shoulder against the wall and regarded her casually, "Clean yourself," he stated, giving her a once over, "Then I'll consider it," he offered by way of compromise, still not giving her what she wanted. He couldn't care less about what she wanted, but what he wanted was still up in the air.
He lingered only a moment longer before slipping out of the bathroom, leaving to door ajar as a way of letting her know he'd be back. Making his way into the bedroom, he rummaged through a few drawers until he found a suitable pair of pants that had belonged to Derek. After slipping them on, he spent a few moments gathering some of the more disturbing carvings from the bedroom, promptly discarding them into the unlit fireplace in the living room. He was tempted to burn them all at once to rid the house of the couple's presence, but such a fire would call unwanted attention. His last stop was to the kitchen where it didn't take long before he discovered a bottle of rum. He snatched it up along with a single glass before meandering back to the bathroom with his newfound goods.
He entered just as leisurely as he had left, displaying the bottle of liquor he'd discovered with an arched brow, "Interested? Or are your drinking habits just as virtuous as your sex life?" he mused, clearly not done with calling her out for her vague answers. Fortunately, he had the solution to tight lips right in the palm of his hand.
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Post by starrea on Jul 5, 2020 23:11:10 GMT
Kinsley scowled indignantly, genuinely appalled that Julian would even insinuate the possibility of her lying. Realistically, her indigence wasn't justifiable; Kinsley had a terrible habit of bending the truth to make it suit her needs. But Julian didn't know about her dirty little secret and she really truly hadn't been lying, so the the very insinuation felt more like a full-fledged accusation. Even if she had been lying, which she hadn't been, Julian would never know the difference. Kinsley was good at a lot of things, but she was really good at lying. Whatever impediments most people had that dissuaded them from lying, Kinsley lacked. Her morals were questionable at best, she was apologetically shameless, and she didn't get nervous like most people did. Sometimes, when Kinsley was bored, she would dream up some complicated lie just to amuse herself. People became pawns in her game of chess, and she became the puppet-master, manipulating them into moving where she wanted them to go without them aware of her interference.
"I'm not lying," Kinsley snapped hotly, pulling back and settling on her knees as she glowered at him. It annoyed her even more that he only smiled back at her. She opened her mouth to snap at him again but suddenly water splashed across her face and she reared back. By the time she had wiped her eyes and looked up, Julian had stood up and had a towel securely wrapped around his waist. His reservations of her seeing him naked caused a coy smile to replace her scowl. She reached out and playfully tugged on the towel, not enough that it dropped but enough that it was sure to annoy him. "Don't be shy baby," Kinsley said provocatively, making sure that it was glaringly obvious when she raked her eyes up and down his freshly-cleaned body. If he wanted to be annoying, then two could play at that game.
Kinsley didn't move from where she was until he had left the bathroom. His reluctance to give her what she wanted sparked another wave of irritation but that was quickly forgotten when she realized that it was finally her turn to take a bath. It took a second for her to gather to the willpower to lift herself off of the floor and from there, she didn't hesitate to carefully step into the dirty, lukewarm water. There may have been a time in her life when Kinsley would have cared more about bathing in someone else's dirty water, but after eight years in prison, a full tub of lukewarm water, all the time in the world, and privacy were enough to make her feel like she was in a spa. Kinsley leaned back, resting her head against the back of the tub and letting her eyes flutter shut. Even though the water wasn't hot, the sensation of having a real bath was proving too good to rush through it.
Julian's voice cut through the peacefulness that had settled over her and she opened her eyes to look at him. When she saw the bottle of alcohol in his hands, she had to resist the urge to shamelessly beg for a drink and instead just raised an eyebrow questioningly. The alarm bells were blaring so loudly inside her head that it almost overpowered her desire for something to take the edge off. He was only carrying one glass, and Julian didn't strike her as the type to drink straight from the bottle. That meant that he was going to try and get her drunk and no man ever had innocent intentions about getting a girl drunk. But like they said, old habits died hard and she had never had much self-discipline. In the end, the throbbing in her foot was stronger than any reservations she had.
"I didn't say that I was virtuous. I just said I didn't sleep with men in beds," She clarified, holding her hand wordlessly for a drink. He couldn't get her drunk if she stopped herself after a drink or two, just enough for the pain to be dulled, but not enough that he would be able to do whatever he wanted to do to her.
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Post by Val on Jul 9, 2020 1:13:45 GMT
Julian drank in the sight of her hesitation, registering just how close she was to fear. The pause was rather intoxicating and he waited patiently for her response while the bottle hung in the balance between them. She knew her decision would be risky, but she was willing to take her chances. He knew she would. After all, he hadn't forgotten the day they'd met when she'd very quickly asked him for booze. Those kinds of details were his favorite- ones that really told you something about a person. Slowly but surely, he was putting the pieces together to figure out his new companion.
He offered only a sardonic smirk in response to her defense, setting into motion the moment she extended her hand. However, he didn't rush to provide her the drink. Instead, he meandered toward the small counter in the bathroom, placing the bottle and glass onto the surface. He leaned toward the mirror that hung on the wall, observing the gash in his forehead with annoyance. He would have to find a remedy to prevent a scar from forming. He'd be damned if he lost the symmetry of his face because of some ghastly reminder of the past.
"You don't sleep with men in beds..." he repeated absentmindedly, his response delayed, "But you'll sleep with me in a bed," he concluded, not exactly phrasing it as a question. He wasn't sure what to make of the logic, but he wasn't against using this fact to bolster his ego. Either that, or Kinsley expected him to sleep on the couch, which was a laughable notion.
Julian combed his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it back from his face before he returned his attention to the task at hand. He popped the bottle of liquor open and poured a reasonable portion into the glass. Despite what she might've been thinking, Julian didn't want her to be a drunk mess. Sloppiness, of course, was unattractive to him. He only wanted to get the words flowing freely from her. Fortunately, he was controlling her intake, which happened to be the perfect scenario in his mind.
Making his way toward Kinsley, he nudged the glass into her hand and loomed over the bath tub for a moment, studying the way the water distorted her body. He quickly noticed how she hadn't changed the water and couldn't resist casting her a judgmental look to let her know she'd better scrub extra hard if she wanted to crawl between the sheets.
He took a step back but made no move for the bottle. Kinsley was right about one thing; Julian didn't drink straight from the bottle. Or at all, really. He generally avoided dropping his guard, which meant alcohol was a no go. He partook on certain occasions- usually when he needed to forget, or if he was feeling particularly celebratory. He very much tended to tread only on extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. Perhaps their escape could be cause for celebration, but he had more important things on his mind.
"Must be refreshing after bathing like an animal in front of those gawking clowns for so long. Of course, now I'm here to watch. Though I don't consider myself much of a gawker," he mused. There was a pause and it was becoming obvious when he about to throw an intrusive comment out into the open, "Must've been quite a feat not to spread your legs for the lads." It was just another jab about the fact that he didn't fully believe her. He had plenty more quips stored away and was prepared to use them until she became provoked enough to turn the interrogation on him.
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Post by starrea on Jul 10, 2020 1:27:43 GMT
All Kinsley could do was frown when Julian didn't immediately pour her a drink. She hadn't realized how much she had been craving something to take the edge off until the option was right in front of her, and now the desire consumed her. The temptation was so strong that it was worrisome, but it would have to be a problem for another day - she was too tired and in too much pain to give a damn right now. Of course, Julian seemed to know how much she wanted the drink before she even it realized it herself and he didn't seem to be in any hurry to pour her one. It was becoming obvious at how manipulative Julian was being, but that didn't mean that Kinsley could do a damn thing about it.
Kinsley didn't stop herself from rolling her eyes, finally looking away from Julian to work on scrubbing herself. "I've been sleeping on a prison-issued cot for the last eight years. I'd sleep with a sick raccoon if it meant I got to sleep on a real bed. You aren't special." Kinsley didn't look at him as she spoke, as if he weren't even important enough to hold her attention, and instead just continued to scrub away the thick layer of filth on her skin. Eventually, it the dark grime started to wash away and her pale skin started to show through. Kinsley had always been annoyingly pale but it was even more noticeable against the contrast of the nearly-black water she bathed in. Even though Kinsley knew that nearly-black bathwater meant the water was filthy, there was something captivating about the black water and the way she just disappeared beneath it.
She lost herself in the repetitive motions of scrubbing herself clean that it wasn't until a glass appeared in front of her face that she snapped back into reality. Her body was on autopilot as she reached up and grabbed the glass from Julian, tilting her head back and emptying the glass in a matter of seconds. It had been awhile since Kinsley had drank hard liquor and the burn down her throat was so intense she felt her eyes water. But then the burn faded into a pleasant warmth in her stomach that emanated outwards. Her body released that last little bit of tension that only a shot of rum could massage away and she closed her eyes, feeling better than she had in years - even with the bum foot.
Kinsley snorted at Julian's attempt to provoke her. Just as he had ignored her before, Kinsley leaned forward to put her glass on the ground next to the tub before she dipped her hair back into the water and reached back with the soap to lather and work the filth out of her hair. With the help of the soap, the dirt came off in waves and it wasn't until she saw back up that she turned her attention back to him. By now, she was probably as clean as she was going to get in that water, which was black with filth. "It wasn't really that big of a feat. Popular to contrary belief, women don't want to be constantly fucked. Just because I let them look doesn't mean I wanted their nasty hands on him. I don't know if you knew Callum, but I'm almost certain he bathed less than me. Anyway, it was pretty much charitable that I let them watch me. Most of those men are either are going to die without seeing another naked woman." Kinsley paused and looked straight at Julian, mimicking his manipulation of pauses. "Why are you so interested in my sex life? Sex is... ordinary. Everyone has done it. Why don't you ask me about the extraordinary things I've done?" Kinsley drawled, smiling up at him coyly - a silent dare to take the bait. If Julian had been hoping that a glass of rum was the key to the vault of Kinsley's secrets, he would be sorely mistaken.
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Post by Val on Jul 13, 2020 2:04:25 GMT
Julian had quieted down as she scrubbed, momentarily entranced as the filth gave way to reveal her skin. He leaned against the sink and observed from a distance, studying the contrast of her skin to the dark water. The bath itself had become repulsive, but Kinsley was the focal point of his attention. While she might've looked upon her paleness with disdain, Julian felt inclined to worship it. He had half a mind to give up his little game right then and invite her to bed just to fulfill his immediate desire- to touch her. However, he was notoriously disciplined when it came to sticking to his plans, and he reinstated his uncompromising look as she spoke.
His face subtly twitched at her crude language, but it was clear she had misinterpreted his suggestive remark. He'd assumed she would have resorted to using her sexuality to her advantage at some point during her prison stint. Clearly she had, but he was surprised she had not been forced to go beyond flirtation and prying eyes. He doubted those men would respond kindly to being told "no", and yet Kinsley claimed to have had them under her thumb. Perhaps she was more manipulative than he thought. The possibility made his guard go up; he'd been exploited before and he'd vowed to never be put in that position again.
"I don't care about the things you've done," he responded without a lick of hesitation. If she had expected to trip him up and hand over control of the conversation, she'd have to try harder. "What? You want me to ask why you were in prison? Judging by the events that have unfolded over the past several hours, I'd say it's safe to assume that we both have a habit of playing God and taking lives. Would you prefer if we regaled each other with our first murder stories?" he paused only to laugh, "I'm sure those stories will come to the surface when the time is right. Sex, however, is very much on my mind considering the attraction between us and the fact that you are begging to share my bed."
Julian pushed away from the counter and snatched up the bottle of liquor as he approached the tub. He kneeled next to the glass she had left on the floor and swiftly refilled it before lifting it toward her in offering, "Forgive me for assuming that you've ever had an extraordinary sexual experience. I have hope for you, though. Maybe not tonight, but one day..." The words sounded like a promise, and the look in his eyes confirmed it.
"Now get out of the bath," he ordered, displeased that she was soaking in the dirty water, "And feel free to inspire me with one of your extraordinary tales. Your proudest accomplishment, perhaps? I'm all ears."
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Post by starrea on Jul 13, 2020 19:53:30 GMT
Julian seemed just as disciplined in resisting his obviously lustful urges as Kinsley did in not allowing anything more than a little bit of foreplay. The fact that Julian so obviously wanted her yet didn't seem to want her allowed her to sinfully enjoy the attention without worrying about what could happen later on. It was easier to keep the guards at bay; when they got a little too pushy with her, all she had to do was remind them why she was in there in the first place. It usually resulted in a beating and she had to go awhile without any of the luxuries the guards smuggled in for her, but eventually things went back to how they were and the cycle would repeat. But as she watched Julian look over her body, she realized that while she thrived on the attention of having men look at her, she had never cared about who exactly was looking at her - until now. Now that Julian had watched her kill, she needed him to keep looking at her like that, like he wanted her.
The moment abruptly ended when Julian stomped on her efforts to change the course of the conversation and she shot him a glare, sinking down in the water to rinse her hair again as if she weren't bothered that he was uninterested in what she had done. She was annoyed enough that she almost missed the way he wording - he wasn't just thinking about sex, he was thinking about sex with her. The thought that his mind was filled with dirty fantasies that she was star of made her smile smugly. He just didn't want to admit it, but he was interested in her. "It isn't your bed," She reminded him, "And I'm tired and hurt. I'm sleeping in the bed." This time, she didn't phrase it as a question or request. It was a statement; she was sleeping in the bed whether he liked it or not.
She raised an eyebrow as he refilled her glass and offered it to her and she hesitated for a second before taking it. She decided that this was going to be her last drink, she couldn't afford to get drunk and sloppy right now - not with Julian, and not on their first night after escaping prison. She raised the glass to his lips and knocked it back just as quickly as before, but this time she barely felt the burn of the alcohol as it went down.
His words were a blast of ice that cooled any warmth in her from the alcohol. She didn't know why she was surprised, but she was. She was mostly surprised because up until presently, she was under the impression that sex wasn't enjoyable for women and his statement seemed to hint at otherwise. She could see in his eyes that he was serious and all she could as nod a little because if she rejected him right here, right now, she would have to explain why and he wouldn't let her sleep in the bed.
At his command, Kinsley wordlessly stood. The alcohol and water had helped calm the angry throbbing in her foot but the second she moved reawakened it and it took a second to balance herself with most of her weight off of her bad foot without falling. Getting out of the tub was another challenge and she had to sit on the edge of the tub and carefully swing her legs out. Kinsley had been cold before but now that she was wet, she almost immediately started to shiver. But she didn't move from where she sat on the edge of the tub, instead looking up to Julian for direction.
"My proudest accomplishment?" Kinsley parroted, thinking back. Kinsley hadn't worked for many things in her life. If it didn't instantly gratify her, then it wasn't worth her time. "Getting away with murder. The first time, obviously not the second because I wound up in prison. I was so good that no one even knew he had been murdered." Kinsley boasted, feeling pride swell up in her chest. She hadn't ever talked about her first murder with anyone and so she hadn't ever gotten the chance to boast to anyone. She had been proud of herself beforehand, but hearing it out loud sounded even better. It was something that Julian would respect, something to make him see that she was worthy of sleeping in the bed. Her eyes shifted from Julian momentarily to the bed behind him before finding him again.
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Post by Val on Jul 15, 2020 19:37:45 GMT
Watching her rise from the water, now clean and pure in the dim light of the bathroom, Julian once against battled his own instincts. He'd never been impulsive before, but prison changed people in curious ways. Fortunately, her awkward maneuvering to get out of the tub left him amused, and he was able to focus on her struggle over his growing desire. He offered zero help, instead folding his arms behind his back as he waited for her to settle on the edge of the tub.
Julian offered no response to her declaration other than an unconvinced "Hmm". Her words meant nothing to him, especially with the balance of power tipping in his favor- portrayed perfectly as he stood over her while she struggled with her injury. If anything, her adamance about sleeping in the bed only served to strengthen his resolve. It simply wasn't in his nature to give her what she wanted. If anything, she was hurting her own case every time she insisted upon it.
A small smirk found its way across his lips as she described her criminal history, and he started a mental tally to keep track of her victim list, including the one he'd already witnessed. Undoubtedly useful information to know about his knew friend. Coincidentally, she wasn't the only one to have gotten away with murder. Much of Julian's shady past had to do with his strange fascinations and obsessive personality. It wasn't until it got personal and real emotion was involved that he slipped up and found himself caught.
"What a monster you are," he mused in response, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What made you do it? Did he tell you you couldn't sleep in his bed?" It was a joke, but it held one simple truth- he didn't trust Kinsley. Despite their partnership, they were both dangerous people and, quite frankly, he wouldn't trust himself if he was in her position either. Perhaps they had no choice, but sleeping next to a self proclaimed murderer was a risky position to be in.
Reaching behind him, he grabbed a towel, draping it over Kinsley's shoulders and wrapping it around her. He used the fabric to pull her to her feet, steadying her with a hand on her weakened side. He gazed down at her and they were so close now that he could smell the faint scent of the liquor she'd just downed, "It is my bed," he refuted in a whisper, stating it as fact, "And you sleeping in it isn't going to change that." He still didn't answer nor reject her wish, fully intending on letting this play out until his mind was made up.
He pulled away after a moment and extended a hand in offering, as though he was suddenly the perfect gentleman to act as her crutch, "I'm sure the dear girl will have some clothes to fit you," he said, tilting his head in the direction of the bed room.
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Post by starrea on Jul 16, 2020 2:30:03 GMT
As Kinsley, perched naked and injured on the edge of the tub, looked up at Julian, it was truly unmistakable who held the power between them. The way he looked down at her was the way Kinsley imagined God looked down upon his people; indifferent to Kinsley's wants and needs, but interested in the lengths she would go to get them from him. Not that Kinsley believed in God - or any gods, for that matter. The only thing she believed in was the inevitability of man to take advantage of those lesser than them. In the end, all religion ended up being was a scam thought up by men who continually enable the gullible to continue to believe in what they want them to believe. But, if there was a God, he certainly wouldn't be this all-forgiving, all-inclusive, all-loving God who gave a shit about each and every problem of each and every person. The only irrefutable characteristics of God would be that he was powerful and unapologetic; able to give and take away with the wave of a hand. If there was a God, she would be willing to bet Julian was created in His image.
Kinsley had never been devout, but there was something strangely thrilling about being powerless. Even though a large part of her wanted to flip him off and slide under the covers, she couldn't deny her arousal at the fact that she needed his approval before she could do that. Even though right now she was patiently playing his game, her patience was starting to run thin. Kinsley didn't like it when she didn't get her way, and now that she was out of prison, there was absolutely no reason as to why she shouldn't be getting her way. If Julian wanted to play God, he was going to have to be a merciful one if he wanted Kinsley's devotion.
If Kinsley hadn't caught the way he phrased his distrust, the condescending comment would have annoyed her. Instead, her lips curled up into a mischievous smile and she felt herself inflate with pride. He considered her a threat - which was smart on his part, because he had seen the ease in which she impaled that poor girl's head on the chisel. The unintentional ego-trip was enough to make her momentarily forget how annoyed she was that he wouldn't just give in to her request. "Are you scared of me, Julian? Don't worry, I don't bite, unless you want me to." She winked at him, shamelessly leaning forward and locking her arms at her sides to frame her bare breasts for him, "If it makes you feel better, I don't plan on killing you right now. Cross my heart and hope to die." She ever-so-slowly raised her hand and crossed a little 'x' over her heart and raised an eyebrow at him, obviously amused by his reservations of her.
His transitions between gentlemanly and asshole were unsurprising, but giving her whiplash nonetheless. Kinsley's body relaxed, instantly warmed as the towel was draped around her. When he tugged her up, she obediently stood, allowing him to pull her into him and steady her. In that moment, with only a breath of space between them, everything else melted away. The pain in her foot, the fact that they were probably being hunted down at this very second, the incredibly creepy cabin they were inhabiting... it all faded into the background and the only things that mattered were and Julian. The desire to reach out and touch him became irresistibly strong but she was frozen in place, paralyzed by the way he was looking at her.
And then Julian opened his mouth and curb-stomped the moment into dust. Kinsley scowled as he still didn't give into her request but by now, she knew he enjoyed dangling the treat above her head, just out of her reach, to watch her jump for it. She wanted to correct him, wanted to argue that this was Derek and Unnamed Girl's house, stuff, and bed, but if she wanted to sleep in the bed, she needed to pick and choose her battles - and fighting just for the sake of fighting, however satisfying, wasn't going to end with her sleeping in the bed.
Even though Julian was undeniably an asshole, she hooked her arm around his and allowed him to help her out of the bathroom. Kinsley had never had a problem with being naked and if she was being completely honest, she wasn't sure she wanted to wear some dead girl's clothes. She didn't believe in ghosts per say, but if ghosts existed, then this house definitely checked all the boxes when it came to typical-haunting scenarios. Creepy as fuck? Check. Middle of nowhere? Check. Homeowners die in a violent crime? Check. Murderers destroy/use the victim's personal belongings? Check.
Despite her concerns, she knew that Julian would laugh in her face if he knew that she was even slightly concerned about ghosts so she wordlessly flipped through Derek's girlfriend's sad wardrobe. All of her clothes were criminally prudish; all of the dresses were floor length and from the looks of it, had no shape. If the unflattering cuts and floor-length dresses weren't enough to scare men off, almost everything was different shades of plaid. After getting over the shock that her first real outfit that she would wear that wasn't prison-issued in eight years would be one of these dresses, she finally found a nightgown in the back. She pulled it out but once she saw the full thing, she immediately put it back. The nightgown, also floor-length, was not only plaid, but had a frilly neckline, sleeves, and hem. Instead, Kinsley hobbled over to the dresser and pulled out one of Derek's thankfully plain black t-shirts and slipped that on instead. Derek was a big guy and the t-shirt ended up being more of a nightgown on her, the hem of the t-shirt going all the way down to about mid-thigh on her.
Kinsley hobbled her way over to the bed and sat down. If she hadn't had those shots of moonshine, she would have been crying from how much her foot hurt. "I am so glad we killed them. Everything she owns is plaid. I literally did not see one single thing in there that wasn't plaid. That should be a crime." As she spoke, Kinsley looked around the room. The bathroom hadn't been that creepy so it was easy to forget that they were staying in mildly-horrifying cabin, but the bedroom had an excessive number of candles. It would have looked romantic if it hadn't been paired with the rest of the strange cabin. Her eyes finally landed back on Julian and she readied herself to fight for the bed. Now that she was sitting on it, it was going to take of God to get her up again.
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Post by Val on Jul 17, 2020 1:12:34 GMT
Julian helped her into the bedroom, seeming to enjoy that she was accepting his help despite his obvious ploys to manipulate her. In another world, he would have gotten caught up over her over dramatic taunts. Instead, he found himself relatively unbothered. He appreciated her sense of humor for what it was, and felt so in control of the situation that he found he truly didn't mind sharing the bed with her. Of course, admitting that would ruin the game he'd already set into motion.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looking mildly reluctant to lay across the bedspread. His general impression of the couple they slaughtered was not a positive one, but this was only a temporary place to stay. They needed to put distance between themselves and the prison, but it would have to wait until after they rested. He eyed Kinsley as she dug through the clothes, his eyes lingering on her swollen foot. The injury was greatly complicating things and he was struggling to put together a plan when he couldn't account for every potential variable. To his surprise, he was already including her in his carefully crafted next steps, when he could just as well leave her behind. It seemed that Kinsley was an unexpected and unpredictable part of the journey now.
Julian raised a brow at her as she resorted to the man's t shirt, though he couldn't blame her. Plaid was just about the most repulsive pattern he could think of, and he didn't exactly want to see it on Kinsley, "Could be a good disguise," he quipped, "People would think you're a rube," he chuckled over his own joke, though the sound trailed off as she sat on the other side of the bed.
He turned slowly to gaze across at her, though his expression had grown more serious in a matter of moments. She looked like she was waiting almost eagerly for him to reject her, but he had more on his mind than just the bed between them, "What would you do if I left you here?" he wanted to know, locking eyes with Kinsley so he could see her first reaction to the possibility, "We aren't safe yet. We're on on the run, and it's not going to be easy. I refuse to return to that hellscape." His tone turned dark, an accurate representation of his loathing toward imprisonment.
Julian shifted suddenly, turning his body so that he was facing her more directly, "You're bound to drag me down. So," he paused, tilting his head at her expectantly, "What are you going to bring to the table? Tell me your worth, or show me- hell, I don't care what you do. Just do it before I'm ready to make my next move. Don't ever think I'll be helping you out of the kindness of my heart." It was harsh, but it was the brutally honest truth. They were in a life or death situation, and he would not have his freedom or his life stripped from him for stupid mistakes. If there was one rule he played by, it was that reciprocation was absolutely necessary.
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