tearing up the town

"Maybe you should surround yourself with people who will say it," he suggested, flexing his fingers. "And you're welcome by the way," he added, almost in afterthought. People were thanking him so much these days. It almost made him feel like he'd done something important. Really, when he was just telling people nice things that they should've already been hearing, he didn't feel like thanks were necessary. "Well, my friends aren't leaving, and I'm sure as hell not going anywhere, so I'll be fine." Fate surely didn't enjoy playing games with him that much.

Julian nodded, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "I know they will." His friends.... Though he was sure they didn't need him as much as he needed them, he still knew that they would never desert him. At least, not willingly.

"A knight who can't stand blood. I'm no use on the battlefield." He shook his head, his attempt at a joke falling flat. He just couldn't be funny, not with a man lying dead just metres away. But still, he couldn't come up with another way to diffuse the situation, and so the jokes kept spilling out. "I'd get kicked right out of the army. I'd take one look at war and lose my lunch." Half his mouth curled upwards in a sick sense of amusement.

"Couldn't you just stay at school during the breaks? You'd be safe there, I'm sure. I mean, it's Hogwarts. Everyone and their mother's heard of just how great Hogwarts is." The people who were looking for her surely couldn't get her in there. "You're worth caring for," he argued, frowning. That she thought she shouldn't made him care all that much more. "I might not see you again sure, but I won't forget you." He tapped the side of his head. "You're a friend. You're locked in here."

Julian grinned slightly. "It's not hard to get priority over them. After all, I've met you more than I've met most of them." Nodding, a smile flitted across his face. "Thank you, Iris. I do try to be rather friendly."

"Well, I am learning to surround myself with such people, but my own personality makes that a difficult task," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, I do not want to hear too many nice things, that'd probably spoil me and it'd be too boring." She loved compliments for sure, but only for the things that mattered. As also that nice people weren't really her thing.

Iris smirked at the Priduex and nodded her head, "Maybe you can help with the strategies, because at the end of the day, the soldiers just do the fighting, whereas the great minds always work behind the curtains. And no, that rule so does not apply to me." How could it when she was her own army? She liked it better that way, thinking and doing exactly what she wanted. It always worked out well for her, even if there would be consequences. "Going into a war is worse than just murdering. Even I probably would not survive in a war, lack of discipline and all that. I'd rather just kill and disappear. I already have a target in mind, but sadly I have to wait a few years."

"No, I am safer with my foster parents in America," she stated. "They don't even know half the stuff that keeps happening to me, and I intend on keeping it that way." They were the last people the Gryffindor wanted involved, and their worry would hinder her actions greatly. "Hm, I suppose there are worse places to be locked in," she smiled humourlessly, though her eyes showed that she appreciated his comment.

"It's really too bad you did not get to experience my snogging skills, then you really would have made me your highest priority over the others," she grinned and winked at the blonde. "And you're welcome, just thought I'd say something nice back."

He tilted his head at her. "How's that? You seem like a better person than I am." But that wasn't that difficult of a feat. Sure, he had his nice moments, but he wasn't always. He shook his head. "I don't know how you live. I love compliments." Julian grinned.

"That would involve being smart." He shrugged a shoulder, though an amused smile flitted across his face. "But as long as I don't have to watch people die around me, I think I'll be alright." He'd never admit it, but despite how close he'd been to death before, the idea of it still terrified him. He'd do anything - anything - to avoid it. "If war really did break out, I'd run. I'd hide somewhere. I don't know, Brazil maybe? It's warm." The Prideux laughed, shaking his head at her. "You worry me, you know that?"

Julian frowned, tilting his head to the side. "But if you're with them, and there are crazy people out to kill you, wouldn't they get caught in the crossfire?" To him, just that chance would be enough for him to make him stay away. "See? Look at the positives."

A tiny smirk flitted across his face. "I still could, you know."

"Well, I can seem like anyone I want to be, that does not make it true. The fact that you have so many friends makes it obvious who is the better person of us." Not that she minded at all. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't trust people easily, she blamed her childhood and present situation for that. "Oh, I get on just fine. Too much compliments can get to your head," she stated and gave him a pointed look.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. "Don't like being smart? Sad, it's a nice thing actually. Yes, watching people die really is depressing. But if you happen to be around it enough, you tend to get used to it." And that was something Iris was speaking from experience. Maybe a little too experienced, judging by the nightmares and dreams. "Brazil's not too bad I suppose," she commented with an amused smile. "Anywhere away from the action, right?" The Gryffindor looked at him in surprise. "Why do I worry you? It's just revenge murder I am talking about, not like I am going to hurt someone innocent."

"No, the people after me don't even know about them. Plus, they're Muggles and don't know anything, so the bad guys know they can't get anything out of them," she muttered. Iris didn't know if that was completely true, but it was how she convinced herself. "Trying to find the positives is hard sometimes."

The Greek girl smirked at Rousseau as well and took a step closer. "And what makes you think I would want to? I am not like other girls, you know," she murmured as she placed her fingers on his arm. "Besides, what if you are not as good as you are?"

He waved an arm dismissively. "Having people who'll put up with me doesn't mean I'm all that great. There just happens to be something about me they like. But I suppose that's everything." The boy grinned brightly. Looking at her with wide eyes, he gasped dramatically, clasping a hand over his heart. "Compliments going to your head? Ridiculous." He shook his head. "Grayson, I think you're crazy."

Julian shook his head. "How can anyone dislike being smart?" That was like disliking being charming or happy. It was one of those things others would kill for. "I don't want to get used to it," he admitted, frowning. "I'd be quite happy to never see anyone die again." Especially not someone close to him. He didn't think he'd be able to survive. "Exactly," he nodded, smiling. "Away from the action, I get to be safe." He shrugged a shoulder, looking away. "It's just - I don't think the law's going to see it that way."

The prefect nodded slowly. "I guess that's the best you can ask for, right?" At least they cared. And not for the first time, he wondered what that was like. "But you still have to try," Julian said softly. "Because if you don't, you'll just get so wrapped up in the negatives..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

Stepping towards her, a grin flitted across his face. "I'm sure you're not. I've known you long enough by now." A hand worming underneath her chin, he tilted her head up. "Then you're allowed to never let it go." Tilting his head, he leaned towards her, his lips millimetres from hers. "Fair?"

"Yes well, it must be that everything that makes them want to stick around," she said with a roll of her eyes. This might be why she rarely said nice thing to people, they always thought too much of it. "Honestly, I just don't want the compliments going to my head like the way they do to yours," Iris remarked with a sickly sweet smile and punched the boy's arm at his tactics.

The Gryffindor had to let out a small, real smile at that. "You actually seem to have some innocence in you Rousseau, that's nice. And I agree, I wouldn't want you to get used to something like that either." Besides, not everyone found it easy to cope with like she did. Why make someone else suffer? "I do not care about the law," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing. "I only care about me and I can cover up tracks pretty well, thanks to a few connections here and there."

"I can't ask for anything more," Iris agreed with a sigh. "If only the circumstances weren't so terrible." She shrugged, "I have been trying harder to focus on positives, sometimes it all seems bleak is all."

Her gaze still locked on the Priduex's, she put her blade back in it's sheath around her waist. "What if you forget me after this? What if you pile me next to the many other girls you've kissed? I am not that kind of a girl, Rousseau." She said in a firm whisper. "And plus, how many girls have you kissed that you've really cared about? And yes, that seems fair." Her hands trailed up to his shoulders and raised an eyebrow, as though daring him to make the first move.

"Exactly," he nodded, electing to ignore her sarcasm. Julian shook his head at her, rubbing at his arm. "I have no idea where you got that idea." It wasn't as if then compliments went to his head. He just preferred to act - and feel - as if he was that great.

Him? Innocent? He resisted the urge to snort, instead offering a little smile. Whatever innocence he had had been beaten out of him years ago. But still, the gesture was nice. Julian tilted his head at her, his blue eyes brimmed with concern. He didn't think that was going to work. The law was there, everywhere and all the time. "Then I wish you good luck," he murmured, nodding jerkily.

"You could - I don't know - fake your death so all the people after you will think you're dead?" Julian suggested with a shrug. "It'd work. And then once they've forgotten about you, you can come back and have a normal life." He hummed softly. "Maybe one day it won't."

An amused smile flitted across his face. "Scared I'm going to forget you?" His gaze softened. "I promise you I won't. We're friends. I don't forget friends." A smile flitting across his face at thoughts of Ondrea and Lisette and Harmonie and Ninette and Alexanderine. "Six? Six. There are six girls that I've kissed that really matter to me." His smile grew fond, though there was a hint of sadness to it. "I'd do anything for them."

An arm wrapping securely around her waist, he flashed a grin before leaning completely into her, crashing his lips into hers.

"Thanks, I am going to definitely need the luck," Iris muttered, her tone having a dark edge to it. "And if I end up in Azkaban, I suppose it wouldn't matter as long as I get the task done, right? Maybe time with the dementors is just what I need; not that they'd have many happy stuff to suck on."

She raised an eyebrow at the boy's suggestion and shook her head. "That would be a worse idea because then, they might go after Kait. They want us both dead, but for some reason, targets me more than her. If I 'die', she'd be in bigger danger." Of course her sister would just scoff and shake off the concern, but Iris knew things were bigger than that.

"Not scared. Just don't want you to think of me as just 'one of those girls', you know?" The Greek girl shrugged. "Well Rousseau, even after this, the number is going to stay as six, right?"

Iris froze for a moment as though trying to register why exactly she was doing this. Once she did, she found herself responding to the kiss, like it was the last one she'd ever get from anyone. This wasn't because she 'liked' him, no. She wanted the numb and paralyzed fear to go away from inside her, at least for a while. She needed a distraction before she did something worse and hurt anyone else. Her grip tightening on the Priduex, she pushed her aside.

One of her hands trailed upto his hair, tugging on it as though trying to get closer and her lips moving in sync with his. There was nothing romantic about it, nothing at all,but there was definitely something and the fact that was someone dead a few feet away from them, completely slipped her mind.

Not that it mattered to either of them, this was some sort of a weird game after all.

You really will, he thought, pulling his lips into a thin line. And I don't think me being the Minister's apprentice is going to help you at all. Julian glanced at her, raising an eyebrow though he said nothing more. He didn't think anything was that important to warrant Azkaban being an alright place.

"You guys could both do it, but I guess that'd look suspicious, wouldn't it?" He shrugged a shoulder. But either way, the idea was rather ridiculous. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many things that'd have to be planned for... It wasn't worth it.

"Trust me, I won't," he said simply, a tiny smile flitting across his face. Her doubt in him both amused him and annoyed him. Did she really think that one kiss mattered that much to him? "It might become seven. Who knows?"

He paused as she froze, for a moment wondering if he'd done something wrong. She had wanted him to kiss her, right? Feeling a twinge of relief as she began to kiss him back, his lips curved into a small smile. Arms wrapping around her, he deepened the kiss.

The kiss - like almost every other kiss - meant nothing to him.

"I know, I sound like a maniac, don't I?" She asked with a knowing smile, noticing the look on the Priduex's face. "You have no idea how much I hate my life sometimes, Rousseau. All I feel like doing is giving up, but my pride doesn't allow me to. It just feels so worthless hearing people say the stupid comforting things."

She nodded her head, "It would indeed be suspicious. But don't worry, if I've got Kait, I think we'll be alright. Besides, fake deaths is too much of a risk for us, it could bring panic to the wrong people and maybe make things even worse."

"Well, you're that bad at this, I suppose," Iris murmured with a smirk against the blonde's lips. "Though I did expect more, stupid of me right?" She didn't think she was completely aware of the words coming out of her mouth. But the pain was fading, and she was feeling less numb.

Just a bit longer, that's all.

"Very much," he said with a smirk. But it faded as she continued, his expression softening. "Well, it's a good thing you have your pride, isn't it?" Julian tried to smile, but it only ended up looking more like a grimace. He shrugged his shoulders miserably. "Everyone wants to give up sometimes. It's the strong ones who don't. And you're pretty strong."

The corners of his lips managed to lift into the beginnings of a smile. "Well, as long as you're not alone, then that's good." He'd learned long ago that being alone was one of the worst things that could happen to you. It was probably one of the reasons he surrounded himself with so many.

"Of course I'm not," Julian huffed, pulling away long enough to breath. Grinning against her lips, he pushed her up against the wall of the alleyway, his palms pressing against the bricks on both sides of her head. "You want more? I can give you more." And with that, he kissed her again, pressing his body against hers.

"My pride manages to get me in a whole lot of trouble though," she grinned and shook her head. "Fuck yes I'm strong, I can't deny that. It's why I do not show sympathy to people's problems, because I have not met that many that have gone through enough shit like I have." She glanced at the Priduex and smiled a little, "Though you have earned a little of my sympathy, but only for the 'nearly getting killed by family' thing."

Iris shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "I've felt alone a lot of times,but I know I'm not. Just a little difficult to remind myself of that fact, that's all." She knew she would always have Alec and Kait with her, that was inevitable.

"Oh, looks like I'm not the only with pride and ego," she remarked and smiled amusedly at the blonde's reaction. Her response was just as immediate and her fingers fisted the front of his shirt. Trailing one of her hands down his chest, she slipped it underneath the cloth material and felt his bare skin.

"But I bet it helps a lot more than it hurts, right?" That was the case with him. He'd managed to garner an entire fanclub, after all. "See?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning. "You're strong, Grayson. You're not going to give up." Pulling a face at her comment, Julian shook his head slightly. He didn't want her sympathy. It was for that reason he was so unwilling to tell anyone that secret. "Fun," he murmured.

"Put a poster saying 'you're not alone' above your bed, then you wouldn't forget." The boy grinned at the idea.

"Of course you're not," he tsked. "You're not that alone." Shivering slightly at her touch, he pressed his lips back against hers, his eyes sliding closed. He could still see that man's body, broken and bloody, in his mind's eye. Shivering again, he leaned further into her.

"It does," she agreed with a nod of her head. "Better than to go around whining like a baby, thinking what other people are going to say." Iris chuckled softly, "I won't ever give up; that's not an option for me. You shouldn't either."

Noticing the blonde's expression, she smirked. "You know, you and I are more alike than I thought. I hate sympathy too, but thing is that, I actually feel for you Rousseau. I mean, it's a depressing topic to have in common with someone, but at least I know exactly how you felt through the ordeal. And how many can say the same?"

"Please, I'm not clown crazy, just a little demented is all," Iris scoffed and rolled her eyes at his 'suggestion'.

His shivering didn't leave her unnoticed and she knew the reason for his reaction. Both her hands under his shirt, she kissed him harder and only pulled back to say, "Want me to stop? Because I think the dead body is freaking you out."

"Ugh, people like that are annoying." He shook his head, thiny vieled disgust in his blue eyes. If they had the energy to complain, they had the energy to go make a difference. Julian grinned at her. "Good. I'd be ashamed of you, Grayson, if you did give up." The boy tsked, though he continued to grin. "Like I would ever give up."

Tilting his head up at her, the prefect shrugged a shoulder. "That's not such a bad thing. I don't mind being alike. I just wish no one else had to understand what I went through." It was bad enough just going through it. Knowing others had to as well made him feel nauseous. "I wish it was as few people as possible."

Julian shrugged, smirking at her. "Same difference, really."

Blinking slowly at her as she pulled away, the Prideux's arms fell to his sides. "Of course it's freaking me out. I don't see dead bodies all the time. I'm not -" you. Snapping his mouth shut, he shook his head. "But no, I don't want you to stop." His gaze flicking down to her lips, he let out a deep breath. And then he was kissing her again.

"They are annoying, aren't they?" Iris murmured in agreement. "I can never imagine being like that, even if sometimes it feels like I'm in hell." Smirking at the Priduex, she said, "I really wouldn't want you to be disappointed in me, I suppose. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger; story of our lives."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Wish what you want, but that won't change the fact that I do know how you feel." Though it was purely selfish, she was glad that there was someone out there who at least had some idea what it was like. Being lonely for a long often did that, she supposed. "You're still alive, that's what matters."

"You're not me," she completed his sentence with a nod of her head. "Of course you're not." The Gryffindor's hands slid from under his shirt and onto his shoulders once more. Feeling her heart rate slow down, and the numbness completely fading away, she kissed him back without hesitation.

Finally the relaxation hit her and she sighed softly against his lips, as her mind had stopped freaking out and accepted the horrific atmosphere surrounding the two students.

This time, she pushed Rousseau against the wall and feeling more like herself, she questioned with a raised eyebrow, "If you do not want to do this, why continue to do so?" It was not asked in a demanded tone, just one out of genuine curiosity.

She had a feeling she would regret this, but too much shit had happened this one night, and this thing with Rousseau might be the only sane activity she does.

"No matter what problems I have, I shall never annoy others with it," he vowed. Though he supposed some people disliked that about him. He'd internalize everything. It was so much easier to simply deal with things himself than to get others to help him. "For better or for worse," Julian agreed with a sharp nod.

He inclined his head slightly, a begrudging sense of agreement in his eyes. But he wished she didn't. He'd rather be alone in this. No one deserved to have this happen to them. "True," he nodded, a tiny grin flitting across his face at all the things he would've missed had he died that day. "I would've missed so much."

Julian's lips quivered into a grin, his arms wrapping around her. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he teased, pressing his lips back against hers.

It was relaxing, a welcome distraction from things he didn't want to think about. And being with girls had always worked wonders for moments like those.

Flinching ever so slightly at the shock of hitting the wall, he blinked rapidly at her before giving his head a small shake. "I never said I didn't want to," he pointed out. "By all means, continue." Grinning, he folded his hands behind his back, arching up an eyebrow.

Me either," the Gryffindor murmured, though she knew she did bother Alec all the time. Then again, she was just sick of having to deal with it all by herself and telling it out loud was beginning to help. There were still things she probably had to mention, but for now, all this was enough.

Still looking at the Priduex, Iris told with a humourless smile, "I am actually glad I found someone who understood. It was getting a little too lonely." It was something horrible, but it was the truth. "Missed a lot indeed," she smirked and shook her head.

"It's not that bad, just a little," the brunette replied, her tone almost teasing. At his comment, she raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Oh, so you have kissed girls with dead bodies lying around before? Really Rousseau, I had no idea you were that experienced."

Iris almost wondered why he was out here with her, when he could be getting what he wanted, inside the club. He could have easily turned down her offer.

Placing another kiss on his lips, she grinned. "Continue this? Why should I if you're freaking out? Aren't your usual doses of girls inside there?" Her head tilted towards the building, her hands on his waist.

He shrugged, "I was actually quite happy with being lonely in this regard, actually." He grinned slightly before shrugging again. "I just don't want someone else to suffer just so I won't be alone. That seems so...slimy." The boy shuddered, frowning. Just the thought made him feel ashamed. He smirked back, his fingers threading through his hair. "Like this, for example. Who knew that I'd end up spending a night in an alley with you?"

Julian tsked softly, his eyes glimmering. "Look at all the self-love right there. You know, I'd be honoured if there were people like me. Not exactly like me, of course. But you know what I mean." The boy let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Sure, let's go with that."

He pouted slightly, though he did kiss her back. "Because," he reasoned, "you want to make me feel better." Grinning cheekily, he added seriously, "Besides, we've been over this. I'm not leaving you. At least, not right now."

"Looks like I'm slimy then," Iris remarked dryly with a shrug of her shoulders. "However, I wouldn't be complaining either way and at the end of the day, I'm really fucking glad you're alive." Looking at the Priduex amusedly, she said, "You say that as though you're liking spending time with me in an alley."

She smirked and shook her head, "I do not think the world can handle more people like you, Rousseau. As for self love, at least I can be assured that someone loves me, even if that person is myself."

"Shouldn't you be the one making me feel better?" The Gryffindor laughed lightly. Before she could reply, the silent atmosphere was disrupted by the sound of a cell phone ringing.

It would not have surprised her, had it not been coming from a few feet away.

Stepping away from the boy, she walked towards the dead stranger and put her hands in his pocket, and dug out the phone and flipped it open.

"Did you find her?"

Without skipping a beat, Iris replied, "Yes, he did. But he won't be coming back to report to you."

"Grayson. Been a while, hasn't it?"

"What do you want, Irutherial?" She asked with a sigh.

"You already know what I want. Have you changed your mind? I'm sure the price will be worth it; the antidote and truth about your father."

"Not interested, and never will be," she muttered angrily, though they both knew she was lying. But she would never admit it to him.

"Let me know when you come to your senses." And with that, the line went dead.

The Gryffindor threw the phone to the ground in an act of frustration and gave the wall a good punch. Barely noticing her bleeding knuckles, she turned to her companion.

"I need to get out of here. Sure you do not want to leave me?" She questioned. Iris had no problem if the Priduex wanted to go back in, but she needed to be anywhere but here. It was getting a bit too constricting.

And more than anything, she wasn't in for being alone.

"It looks like you are, Grayson." He tsked, shaking his head. "I can't even look at you the same way." Grinning down at her, his eyes sparkled. He didn't truly mean his words. Despite what she thought, she was still his friend. "Of course you do," he smirked. "Who doesn't?" He preferred not to think about those people. Julian raised an eyebrow. "Who says I don't?"

He shook his head at her, his blue eyes wide with mock disbelief. "Blasphemy. Secretly, everyone wants to be like me. I don't know where you got that idea from." He nodded, chewing on his bottom lip uncertainly. He was supposed to say something here, wasn't he? But the words he supposed she wanted to hear were ones he could never say.

"And by making me feel better, you'll feel better." He smirked slightly. Blinking at the sound of the ringtone, his hands instantly dove to his pockets, pulling out his cell phone. Frowning at it, he glanced up, watching Grayson move towards the dead man.

He stayed where he was, only moving to lean his side against the wall, crossing his arms. Julian simply watched her, looking away only when Nightmare reappeared. Glancing down at the cat, he leaned down, scratching behind her ears.

Snapping his gaze back up to the brunette, he flinched slightly as she punched the wall. "You know," he began, slowly moving towards her, "the wall's always going to win here." Frowning down at her bloody hand, he pulled out his wand, murmuring a few healing spells.

"Very sure," the blond confirmed. Glancing at Nightmare for a moment, he returned his gaze back to the girl. "Neither of us are leaving."

"Oh shut up, Rousseau," the Gryffindor smirked and shook her head. "I'm too pretty to not be looked at." Despite the joking, she knew what the blonde actually meant. "Wait, you seriously liked spending time with me in such a circumstance?" She questioned, the surprise evident in her tone.

Iris scoffed and rolled her eyes good naturedly, "I only got that idea from the facts, because seems like you are a bit too delusional for your good." It felt a little better she figured, to say mindless comments rather than focussing on the deeper trouble. Her whole being was disturbed at the moment anyway.

"It's just a fucking wall," the Greek girl muttered. She just looked at him without saying a word of protest, too tired and worried to argue and allowed him to heal her hand. Of course, she was tempted to give in one more punch, but she knew that she had felt and seen enough of blood for one night.

At the Priduex's response, Iris nearly let out a sigh of relief, but instead of doing so, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, this one more certain than the last.

"Thanks for not asking questions," she told softly as she pulled away, a humourless smile on her face. And also for staying, she mentally added, though she hoped he knew that already.

"But where's the fun in that?" Julian grinned widely. Talking - he was good at that. He could tell people what they wanted to hear if that was what the situation called for, but he ould just as easily tell them what they didn't want to hear but had to learn to accept.

He was dreading the day someone used that against him.

Julian shrugged a shoulder. "You're my friend. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy being in your company no matter what." He tilted his head at her. "No need to seem so surprised, Grayson."

He shook his head. "You're jealous. That's what all of this is, just jealousy." The boy let out a little laugh. He thought of himself as being the farthest thing from delusional. How could he ever really think of himself as being that great and liked when his own family could hardly stand him?

"The wall has to belong to someone." He glanced over at the brick surface, knocking his knuckles against it. "They won't be very happy that you're punching it." But then, he didn't think that shopowner had been very happy about that broken window, even though it was laughably easy to fix with magic.

The prefect hugged her back, managing to lift her off her feet for a few moments. Letting her back down on her feet, he offered a small smile as she pulled away. "Don't mention it. If you want to tell me, you'll tell me yourself, without me asking."

"You should know by now why I am surprised," the Gryffindor muttered with a shrug of her shoulders. After all that she had told him, he had to understand why it's not a common thing for her to hear. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I encounter a dead body."

Raising an eyebrow at the Priduex, Iris smirked and leaned to whisper in his ear, "Why do I need to be jealous? I'm just as good as you are, maybe even better, including in the snogging department, judging by your...response."

"Like I said, it's just a fucking wall. No one's going to notice the damage," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Although, if you are that concerned about it, go ahead," the brunette said, indicating him to fix it.

Iris blinked at the Priduex in surprise and amusement as he lifted her and set her back on her feet. "I really did not know I was that easy to carry," she mumbled and shook her head. Gazing at him, she remarked, "For someone who looks so lanky, you sure are strong."

"Can we get out of here?" She questioned, looking around the place before beginning to walk away. "If there's somewhere else you want to go, lead the way."

After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "Just out of curiosity, are you friends with Blanchard?"

"Well, stop being surprised." He nodded, grinning. "Well - okay, this is never going to happen again, but if someone's really your friend, they won't care where you are or what you're doing." He liked to think that all his friends felt that way about him.

Julian laughed, shaking his head. "Keep thinking that, Grayson. Keep thinking that." He raised an eyebrow, glancing down before returning his gaze back to her. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he sniffed, crossing his arms.

"Psh, I don't care that much." Shaking his head, a corner of his mouth flitted upwards as he leaned back against the wall.

"Apparently you are." He grinned, flexing his muscles. "Or you know, I could just be strong." He didn't see the point of being overtly strong. The only thing being really strong was good for was hurting others. As long as he was strong enough to function, that was good enough for him.

"Thank you," he said, bowing. "Your compliment is appreciated."

Walking after her, he easily caught up with her, matching her strides. "Well, we could go..." he trailed off, tilting his head back as he thought. Shrugging, he finished, "I have no idea. There's nothing that jumps out at me as a 'a guy just died in front of you' sort of activity."

Tilting his head at her at the question, Julian shrugged. "Blanchard? Not really. I mean, we talk, but it's not like we talk often. I wouldn't call him my friend. More of a - an acquaintance. That's the word."