ajmeadcws

[ajmeadcws]

"Just cheese and sausage or meatballs?" AJ asked after typing down the order, his eyes shifting from the screen towards the woman. "No vegetables? Mushrooms?" He looked down at the menu, ordering some brownies, too. He knew a lot of things about McKinley but it just occured to him he didn't know much about the small details, like what she liked for example. Silently taking a water bottle out of one of the cupboards, he walked over to hand it to her before taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"Umm. Cheese is fine or sausage and meatballs. Anything but pepperoni really." She said with a shrug. She didn't are to much. She was exhausted and the night was starting to catch up to her. "Do you have any water?" She asked as she stepped into the kitchen to where the sound of the fridge door came from.

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Still uncertain of what the real reason behind Miray's decision to call him of all people, for now AJ gladly played along. There were a couple that crossed his mind, however, he preferred not to dwell on any, knowing the woman was good at reading him. Maybe she'd just wanted to take her mind off of everything. "Tell you or remind you?" He couldn't contain the slight teasing in his tone. Not when she'd decided to make the first step anyway. "I don't know, I just got here. Got my drink even. Where do you suggest we go?"

She'd known before even considering it that texting her ex would be a wonderful way to spend her day. The conversation could have gone a myriad of different ways but she was perfectly happy with the way it had turned out. "Oh yeah? Why don't we get out of here them so you can tell me more about these memories?" Miray asked, her face the picture of innocence as she slowly, casually, trailed her foot up his leg. It was his fault really, for planting the idea in her mind

[ajmeadcws]

"And you're a little old to be hanging out with minors." AJ pointed out in return, letting out a small laugh. Under different circumstances it'd even look quite alarming, but right now the only look Donovan was giving out was ridiculous. As convinced as he was that he fit in, he could be looking more out of place. Perhaps just as much as AJ looked and felt out of place, wondering how the idea of coming in had even crossed his mind in the first place. "Me?" AJ furrowed his eyebrows together, shaking his head. "Oh, no, thank you. I'm good. I've got no need of a stuffed animal anyway."

Donovan chuckled softly as the crime analyst approached him, the corners of his mouth lifting in amusement. It was comical, really, how quickly the man had judged him, especially given the absurdity of his own situation. They stood beside a brightly colored claw machine, the lights flashing and the cheerful music playing, a stark contrast to the serious demeanor of the analyst. "You’re a little young to be so negative," Donovan remarked, a playful glint in his eyes as he pulled out his game card. He swiped it with a flourish, his movements confident as he maneuvered the claw inside the machine, hoping to snag a prize. "Where's the fun in just giving it away? People have to learn initiative at some point." Donovan pulls a stuffed cow from the machine. He glanced up, catching the analyst’s skeptical expression. If the man wanted to judge, Donovan thought, perhaps he needed to step into his shoes for a moment—see the world through his playful lens. With a casual grin, he added, "Give it a try. It’s free." He gestured toward the machine, the claw poised and ready, inviting the analyst to join in the whimsical challenge.

[ajmeadcws]

He eyed her, opening the beer bottle with well-rehearsed manner. He wasn't used to this new attitude Mckinley presented. He wasn't sure whether it was the exhaustion finally catching up to her or something else, but right now he was way too tired from everything to figure that out, too. "What's your favourite pizza flavour?" He asked after taking a sip right out of the bottle. His phone was already in his hand again, his fingers ready to dial out the order.

As Mckinley made her way back, listening carefully. The sound of him speaking alongside the thud of the fridge made her jump a little, not realizing he was that close. "Um, Yeah a little but I can also manage without." She said softly. She accepted she was stuck here but wanted to be the least amount intruding as possible. She slowly found the couch again and felt around for the shirt before pulling it on and letting it hang down.

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AJ met her words with a small smile. Miray was a dangerous woman, he knew that. Not only because she was deadly, but because she was smart, too. And he'd let his guard down with her once, letting her in, sharing some of his secrets with her. That made her dangerous. But then again, they'd both done that mistake while together and it was the reason for their doomed end. Perking up, the devilish glimmer inside his dark eyes returning, he leaned towards her. "The type you don't speak out loud in public." Then he retrieved his posture and took a sip of his drink.

"It is, I pay attention to people. That's usually how you find out all of the juicy stuff." Or if you were Miray Aslan, it was how you figured out people's weaknesses so you could exploit them later. It was a tactic that had never failed her. People's most obvious, glaring weakness were often things that had been poked and podded at before. The deeper stuff was what truly mattered. "Yeah? What kind of good old memories? Tell me more."

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AJ picked up a blanket from his bedroom and a shirt for Kinley to put on, if she decided to, then returned back to the living room and dropped both on the couch before walking up to the fridge. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through the messeges, already aware of what they were saying, except the one calling for an urgent meeting, which he ignored. He figured whoever was responsible for the attacks wasn't going to be caught so easily, so he could deal with figuring out who they are in the morning. Hearing her voice, he snapped out of his thoughts, remaining still for a moment before turning to open the fridge and pick a beer. Not the smartest decision to pour even more alcohol into his system, but it felt needed. "Are you hungry?" He asked, closing the door with a distinct thud, just so he could see her reaction towards the sound.

Kins let aj pull her up and guide her where she needed to go, at least now she wouldn't have to try and figure it out once he fell asleep. She nodded to his directions, entered the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. She moved slowly throughout the room and found the toilet and everything else she needed. She didn't take long to finish up but used the last minute or so to gather her thoughts and set up a game plan in her head. Opening back up the door she retraced the way they came moving slowly, "Aj?" She called out, not knowing where he would pop up.

[ajmeadcws]

Part of him was starting to regret not driving Kinley to her own apartment. As much as he enjoyed their small banters, there came a time when he much preferred to be left alone with his thoughts. Or at least be able to have a nice grown-up conversation. Letting out a loud sigh, he grabbed her hand, pulling her up. "Come on." He was far from the idea of giving her full directions as they walked down the hallway, but every now and then he gave her a light nudge in the right direction, despite that there was barely anything across the short and narrow space. "Here's the bathroom." He announced, giving her a final small nudge forward. "I'll grab you some clothes and a blanket and meet you here in five minutes, okay?"

McKinley rolled her eyes, "I don't know where it is." and that frustrated her having to admit it, but he knew that. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching her suffer to figure it out. "As fun as that sounds, no I don't need you holding my hand while I piss." She was tired and agitated now. "I prefer my own bed but looks like this is my only option, but yes, please do." she quipped, hoping he would give her a shirt or something.

[ajmeadcws]

Just when AJ was convinced he'd seen everything, fate always decided to interruped and show him yet another low lever that a human could fall. As if the latest texts hadn't been convincing enough. He couldn't lie, though, it was rather amusing watching as people gathered around the man, mostly kids, but he spotted a couple adults as well. Even more so when not only the kids followed the flying plushie across the arcade, but the adults as well. "You certainly know how to fool people." AJ mused, walking up straight to Donovan.

Status: Open @sinnerssquarestart Location: Highest Score Arcade

"See the secret is that it's all in the wrist." Donovan starts with a flourish of his own. He shakes both hands as he approaches the intimidating machine. The metal claw taunts him as it shakes, moving closer to the Pikachu plushie. Donovan bites his lip in determination. A song begins to play as he confirms his choice. The metal claw goes down. "Success!" Donovan announces, his hands raised in victory. The plushie lands in the winner's bin. "And that's how you play." He says to the gathered group. Donovan then chucks the store across the arcade. "I'll give thirty tickets to whoever can bring that back to me first." He chuckles as everyone rushes to find the toy.

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"Is that so?" He couldn't help himself tease her. It was true, though. He'd shared stuff he normally would keep private with her and even after their break up, he was sure Miray had her ways at collecting information. It was usually the smallest, unsignificant details about someone that made them vulnerable, contrary to what most believed. Light laugh escaped his lips and AJ shook his head. "You're bringing back good old memories, you know?"

"I remember a lot about you. It wasn't that long ago and the memories don't just go away because we broke up." Miray admitted with a shrug. She made a show of looking around, as if to try and something something that was fun before her gaze fell back on him. "It has me." She winked. "And I'm all the fun you'll ever need."

[ajmeadcws]

AJ watched her reaction attentively with amusement dancing in his eyes and pulling at the corner of his lips. His expression shifting slightly the only time his eyebrows furrowed as she undressed. Not that he didn't enjoy the view. She did it less gracefully and entertaining as some of the girls in Seduction did, but who was he to complain. "I thought you wanted to go to the bathroom." He mused. "Or do you want me to come with you?" He knew exactly what she was doing and while the tiredness of the day and the alcohol consumed were slowly trying to take a toll on him, he was willing to play along for as long she wanted to. Turning his back to her, he made a step towards the inside of his apartment. "If you prefer the couch, I'll get you a cover."

McKinley waited for Aj to lead her. It didn't take them long to get up the stairs and to the apartment. His lack of directions annoyed her and this is why she hated going to new places. Besides not knowing where anything was, she also had no idea where the furniture was placed either. "Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes as she slowly proceeded forward. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved around hitting things until she left the couch. turning to face him with a wicked smile on her face she pulled off the sheer top to her outfit and left herself in the bralette before pushing her skirt off and dropping down, feeling for a blanket. She was fully aware she was practically naked in nothing but a bra and panties, but let him look. She would never let him touch her.

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AJ left her question without a reply. Instead, keeping his attention on the road as they moved from lit up street to less lit up ones, the highway road was replaced by small, narrow streets with cars parked on each side. The car slowed down before stopping in front of a small brick building. Without a word, the man walked out and over to open the door for her. Navigating her, they climbed to the first floor where he unlocked the door to his apartment and gently pushed her forward before locking the door again once they were inside. "Bathroom is to the right." He informed. "Bedroom is down the hallway. There is beer and some leftover pizza in the fridge, if you're hungry."

McKinley closed her phone and dropped it into her purse with a sign. She let her roommate know she would most likely not be home and checked in with the gang. Miray would probably be mad it took her so long to respond. "Wanna give me some ideas on how to do that?" She questioned as she adjusted in the seat, trying to get comfortable. She was starting to get tired, without moving around, and the decrease in adrenaline. She let out a small yawn as she dropped her head to the window again. She knew she shouldn't be giving in to the drowsiness because she had no idea what Aj was planning but it was getting the better of her.

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Soft chuckle fell from his lips. "Sure. I bet you still remember my choice of poison." He replied, unable to hide the tease in his voice. Curiousity over the real reason Miray had called him here still burnt in him, but for now AJ decided on going with the flow and keeping the conversation and his tone casual, no inquisition whatsoever. He knew when the time was right, she'll tell him. "So what else is that this place had to offer when it comes to fun?"

"How could I ever forget who you are, clearly you know me better than I know myself." She laughed. Miray had no clue what look she apparently had in her eye but she made a mental note to hide her emotions better, especially from him. There were very few people out there who knew her well enough to be able to tell something like that when she was hiding it. "I don't want leads on the shooting, that's not why I called you here. Like I said, I was bored. Care for a drink?"

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AJ was unable to hold back his laugh. It came out loud and husky. "You know, I often feel like you forget who you're talking to." He mused, though he was used to being overlooked and underestimated. In fact, he'd learnt that lying low opened way more doors than always being under the spotlight. "Maybe I went a little ahead of myself with that suggestion but... I know that look in your eyes. But if you wish to pretend, that's fine by me." There were some aspects in life, which AJ found way more interesting than personal affairs. "So what's your idea for fun for today? And, no, there are no leads yet on the shooting at Babylon."

"You've always been a fluffy puppy to me." Miray winked teasingly. She didn't mean it of course, she never would have dated somebody like that but it was fun to tease him. "Break up? I'd have to be in a relationship to possibly go through a break up and I haven't been in one of those since my ex-husband." Miray knew she'd kept it together after her fight with Griffin so she had no idea how AJ knew anything about it, unless of course he'd overheard something. Had Griffin been talking? "But please, tell me more about my relationships. I'm fascinated to know what else I've been doing that I had no idea about."

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AJ allowed her to finish whatever she was doing, not looking bothered about the possibility of McKinley giving her roommate or a friend the heads up of where she'd headed dragged at. Even then he still held power over her. AJ gave a quick nod, which he knew went unnoticed. He'd felt his phone buzz but there were other priorities at hand, so he'd left going through his messages later. Now he knew all that's been happening and wondered what will happen, if he left those messages unseen. "As long as you don't destroy the inside of my car, I'm fine." He returned the favor with a snarky remark of his own while taking the exit from the main road and entering his neighbourhood.

Mckinley pulled an airpod out of her purse, connected it to her phone, and allowed her notifications to play. "Shut up, I'm trying to text" She pouted. Griff and Oxana were being sent to the hospital, and sudden relief washed over her not hearing her roommate's name. "She was there too, she might be the same target." McKinley pointed out, "It's Oxana and Griffin who were hit." She informed him, before typing out a message to the Crimson's group chat. She slid her finger over to get a voice to tell her which letter she selected. This took longer than her preferred voice to text but she didn't want him to know what she was sending. "No, I'll drop dead before you pull in just to spite you."

[ajmeadcws]

"Relax," AJ sighed. "It won't happen again." He wasn't willing to die either, not tonight and certainly not in such a pathetic way. It wasn't as though he'd put too much thought on the matter actually, he just always felt it'd either be due to old age or because of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe. "Look," another sigh escaped his lips, but this one was heavier and laced with slight annoyance. "Someone is targeting people. Do you really want to get home and put your roommate in danger, too?" He couldn't be sure she was the target. Just like he couldn't be sure she wasn't hurt and hiding it. "Almost there. You think you'll be able to hold it for a couple more minutes?"

"Yeah, but not by car." She said, rolling her eyes. "I refuse to die in a car again." She was being a bit dramatic but her fears were valid. "So you think you will need me in the next twelve hours and that's why I can't go home to my own bed?" She snarked back. "Are we at least almost there? I need to pee." She didn't like how her pulse raced around him, how he made her skin tingle. She needed space and she needed it fast before they did something she would regret, or at least try to convince herself she regretted.

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"You make me sound like I'm one of those fluffy puppies in the circus that jump and turn on command." AJ scoffed. She was right, though, he could be entertaining; it was a concept he himself didn't really get but other people had always found him amusing in one way or another. It had to be his versatile personality or that constant drive that fueled his passions. Who knew. "Missed me?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does that have something to do with your whole break up look last night? Because you know better than to throw me a booty call."

"Well you see, I was bored and you're always entertaining." Miray admitted with a shrug and a smirk on her lips. It might have only been half the truth but it wasn't a lie. She was bored and he was entertaining. In all honestly she just felt like playing with somebody and AJ was the first person who came to mind. "Plus, maybe I missed you. Did you ever think about that?"

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Wry smirk kept dancing on his lips despite the certain near-death experience, which gave him a rush of adrenaline and which probably explained him not looking so concern at the moment. He wasn't the type to be known for reckless driving but then there was Kinley and everything about her made him act reckless, especially when knowing if done right it'll push at least one of her buttons. "Didn't you just say a possible death would at least save you from me?" He teased. "What I want with you? Hm, right now not much but you've proved to be a valuable asset and who knows when I may come to need your help, so it's nice to keep you close."

Was it? No. She was just being dramatic, but if it got her out of this car. She was not a big fan of cars, not after the accident. It was a fear she had overcome but still gave her anxiety. Her spine stiffened at his words, up to him when she could leave. "What do you want with me, Aaron?" She spoke, her voice gave away her tiredness about the situation but she also had no issue using his full name. The horn altered her a second before the car jolted to the side in a last-minute turn, her hand shooting out to catch the dashboard. "Can you not try to kill me on the way, I barley survived the last car wreck I was in."