Apple Kiraz

"Wait - for like, this murder, or the old murders? I honestly like - don't even watch the news anymore, because if there's like, a dead person - I'll usually see them at work, anyways." Over the last several months - Myria had taken care of an endless stream of bodies. In a town as small as Nightrest - she mostly handled the elderly and a few isolated freak accidents; the work had overwhelmed her, initially - but at least she could dress them up nice, make them look a little more lively for their last days above surface, or in one piece. It was honorable, in her eyes. "Viper's really good!" Despite the depressing topic at hand - Myria only replied with enthusiasm, eyes narrowing at the board as she tried to think of another word. "Oh - this is like, so hard. Can I do victim or does the board like, not work that way?"

"Technically last time, if we can really say that. Seems a little soon for it to be someone new if they never truly caught the supposed accomplice." Apple shrugged again, unsure. The department seemed to forget all of the details of their investigation the moment that they were able to pin everything on that girl. "You would hope that the police would be more vigilant now then ever, but still." Instead the entire town just sort of seemed to move on to the point of throwing parties a mere few weeks post tragedy. Although it could also be their way of moving past the horror, and moving towards a brighter future. If only everyone had that perspective. "I don't think so," she said shaking her head with a laugh, "Not unless you read backwards. Also it would have to somehow match with viper as well, so I'm going to have to decline that one."

"I can do it!" They offered - enthusiastically this time, after the laughter had died down and their bashfulness subdued; the naked body was a beautiful thing, and Gabe had a deep appreciation for all bodies, even if their attraction only surrounded specific aesthetics. Plus, all tattoos were sick as hell - and Gabe encouraged them whenever possible. Their own body adorned with so many that they'd started to get tattoos over already inked skin, not much left to work with besides parts that'd hurt like hell. Even then - they had a small one, somewhere. "Back in my fucking - young and youthful days - like, when I was still trying to fucking... go to college, before I realized it was a fucking scam, and that I could make more money doing fucking - figure modeling, I had a lot of really... exuberant nights." A pause - maybe for dramatic effect, and maybe because the tale was still a little embarrassing. "I cracked a fucking - rib. I don't know how! It was all a blur - like, a really sweaty blur. Took me out, I couldn't even go moshing - it fucking sucked. All the doctors thought I was trying to suck my own dick - but I wasn't!" Even if it was embarrassing - Gabe grinned now, unable to help himself. It'd been a fun night, despite the injury. "I could do smoothies - I fucking, love smoothies. I'm the smoothie king - but unbranded. Fuck corporations. But it doesn't sound that bad, truthfully - I've had my wisdom teeth taken out - then stolen? - so I think I could handle it."

"Alrighty, let me grab the sharpie." Apple got on up and moved towards her kitchen's junk drawer. She found one after about fifteen seconds of moving things out of her way, and trashing the rest of the drawer around. Coming back to the floor, she pulled off her top and unhooked her bralette before laying down and handing Gabe the sharpie. She didn't like the way her breasts looked in regular bras so she settled for the next best -and prettier- thing. "Did you?" she asked turning to glance at them when they paused- ready for the rest of the story to go on. "No way!" she yelled, then laughed while covering her mouth. "That is awful, Gabe! Impressive if it were true, but awful nonetheless. Like is that even a normal thing? Do you penis having individuals try to give yourselves head regularly? It has to be some kind of thing for them to just assume it so." There was no way that the doctors just assume something as crazy as that sounded to her, but then again she's heard crazier things. She paused thinking for a minute before saying, "I think if I could go down on myself, I'd give it a try. Just to say I could." Apple never really got around the idea of masturbation. Not that she hadn't done it once or twice, but she didn't really find it as pleasing as others seemed to. "I swear you're like a living legend, Gabe. Who in their right mind would steal your wisdom teeth?"

"It doesn't shock me. They got their murderer and she was already dead. All the cases get closed and they give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done." Years ago she didn't have a set opinion on the topic, but when she lost her parents and saw how the only way some justice was served was by bringing outsiders' eyes on their case left a bitter taste in her mouth. And every cold case she covered only showed how they couldn't be trusted. "There's nothing that puts him on scene with the victims. No DNA, no witnesses - nothing. Even if he is involved, it's his word against a dead girl's."

"Yeah, for a job they truly had no hand in." The entire time everything was happening the police did nothing more than sit on their asses up until the engagement party. That's when they decide to turn everyone in there into a target for some crazy loones to play with. "Which makes perfect sense if Adee was the one really out there doing the killing, but I don't trust him for a second. You're going to tell me that this woman was able to attack multiple people at once, kill them all, and hide or take body parts away and yet he was able to overpower her? But no one else could? Not even the men bigger then he? It all seems a little too convenient." she said then shrugged. "But you're definitely right there. He can't be legally tried with no evidence. Kind of makes you wonder why they still got him locked up if they really believed it to be self defense. I think you might be onto something with this story."

"You should learn to not make assumptions, then. It's thoughtless of you to attach me to someone else considering all you know is my name." She hardly believed her name was coming up in whatever conversations Apple and Ren were having, so it all came across as very weird to her. Azra glances down at Apple's hand, making no move to shake it, nor did she offer any smiles. It would all just be fake niceties if she did anyway. It looked like she was covered in tattoos, and not even the cute kind. "Sounds fun. Welcome to town," she responds dryly.

"Don't be so sensitive, Azra. It's much more common than you'd think." she said with a small chuckle before shrugging. Apple didn't really see a problem in the way her brain chose to remember the woman before her. Whether that was by connecting her to a dear friend with whom she'd seen her previous talking to, or her horrendous stabbing. She figured the latter would have gotten a even bigger rise out of her though, so she settles for the first. "Thank you." she said, retrieving her hand unbothered. "It certainly has charm."

"I'm not... I'm not scared," he denies, shaking his head before another nervous chuckle escapes his lips. "I'm just a little surprised." There's nothing about his expression that screams 'a little'. Out of everything unexpected Apple has said or done lately, this takes the cake. He knows she's an artistic person, but he's never expected her to want to paint his nude skin and take a picture of it. He clears his throat. Not only does it make him shy stripping naked and standing there for hell knows how long, but then he has to pose for a portrait. Ren might lack an artistic bone in his body, but he's appreciative of artistic people, he's just not going to be volunteering for something like that! "I doubt I'd be giving a nude portrait of myself to anyone," he lets out, inhaling. He looks at the set-up again, things making more sense to him now. The way Apple explaining how she won't be looking at his private parts has Ren blinking. "Does it... does it have to be fully in the nude?"

"Of course. As you should be, it's expected." she said holding back a grin. "Don't you worry about anything at all though. I got everything ready to go. All the paint needed, I already tried some swatches for your skin tone, although I do have to test that one out on you in a minute." Apple moves around the room looking for the pallet where she tried a few different shades of his color. Coming back up to him, she raised the pallet besides him and squinted her eyes to get a better look at which one matched. "That's too bad, but I bet you could sell it on ebay for a pretty buck, then." she stood back for a moment glancing him over, "You seem to have a nice and soft build overtop your clothes, but I can always enhance if you'd like." Apple figured that he was squeamish enough without her adding on more by continuing to talk so she walked over to the little station she had set up for herself, and took a seat on the stool behind her canvas. "How about if we go slow? Start with your top, then we can move on down as I finish each part? You can keep your drawers on for the rest of the painting."

Deniz was full of ideas on how to approach everything. She knew she has to be careful, possibly try to ask her way around without showing her true motive. "Law enforcement feels like a good start. They determined it was two people who did it, but then there's only one and she's six feet under." It piqued her curious mind and she wanted to find out more. "It's hard to miss that family in Nightrest, but we didn't really know each other. There's nothing wrong with trying."

"See that's something that has stuck with me too," Apple said in agreement, "They had all this evidence that there were not just one, but two killers and just ignored all of that the moment that they caught one?" She didn't for a second believe that Jacob was innocent in any of this. It was way too convenient, despite the potential truth in why he may have killed the Adee. "They are like one of the founders on the town right? I don't know too much about the history, but I remember seeing that somewhere... Do you think he might have been involved somehow?"

( @applekiraz )

Apple sighed at the question, unsure of the outcome herself, but it wouldn't surprise her since this would end up being the third time now. "I wish I could say no, but... you just never know." she shrugged, biting her lip. "The police said that there was a potential for a partner, but did nothing to really find out more. At least nothing that we know of." She glanced down at the board, moving the pieces slightly as she counted her letters. "Sixteen, not bad!" she cheered despite how behind she was in the game. It took her a bit to figure out her next move but upon finding a word she grinned placing each blocked letter down, "Viper for ten points. Thank you so much for the v."

"Thanks," she replied with a small smile as she handed over the towel. She watched as Apple cleaned off the last traces of paint from her face, her smile only growing wider at the thought she was her girlfriend. Years of crushing and stolen glances and now they are together. It made her feel giddy. "Everything sounds so tempting," she bit her lower lip questioning which sounds best, but Apple's suggestion came right on time and it got her nodding her head. "Oh, I haven't had hot pockets in so long." She smiled as she leaned against the counter. "Do you need help with anything?"

She wasn't ever self conscious, but Savika's thoughtful expression did make her wonder where her thoughts were. The smile that adorned her lips, making Apple smile back and tap her nose with her finger. "They have become my life savers lately." Too busy to bother making herself anything to eat, so always she'd pop one in the microwave and ate it on the car on her way to work. "Why don't you get the hot pockets out, while I order the food?" she suggested as she dug through her takeout menu drawer and began shifting through them. "Then while we wait we could, I don't know, play some cards or pretend to watch a movie." Apple grinned as she gave a small shrug walking over to the couch.

Jieun turned to the sound of her name, eyebrows knitting in confusion about how the woman was standing behind her. A face that looked familiar, but she couldn't exactly put a name to. Obviously, whoever she was, hadn't been able to leave that much of an impression her. That, or she was a follower. Which alone was enough to have her play nice. "Yeah, that's me," she answered, bringing a smile to her lips as they both remained standing in line. "Good, I guess. What about you...?" Words trailing off, waiting for the other woman to give her name.

Apple chuckled lightly at her response, finding it funny that they'd both end up on the same spot in the same place they first met and still not truly knowing nothing about one another. "Apple. We met here a couple months back." she said offering a smile in return. She wasn't sure where that conversation was headed, but felt the need to chat while they waited anyways. "I've been well too. More settled, which helps a lot."

"There's nothing like adding a professional's opinion. Makes it feel even more real, you know?" She's been doing this long enough to know what adds on to the story and what can bring views. She's read files after files, but it wasn't her place to try to diagnose someone. "I've been thinking about what happened here. It's still so fresh in everyone's minds though, which is also the best time to do it. Hmm, maybe I should visit Jake, but I don't think he'd be up for an interview."

Apple nodded understanding exactly what she meant. She was more happy at having had the opportunity to meet her after listening to her podcast for so long. "Ohh, treat lightly." she said with a smile, but meant it. "I absolutely agree that this is the perfect time to do it, while it's still so fresh, but just be sure you're ready for the mixed opinions and emotions from the locals." she paused for a moment at the name, looking up at her, "Do you think he'd see you? Did you know him?" She had many questions, but held back.

Azra resisted letting out profanities, ignoring her doctor's orders and putting pressure on her broken ankle coming to bite her back in the moment. And it didn't help that she was in front of someone she didn't like, not that there were very many people she did get along with at this point. "Ren's friend?" she repeated with a wry chuckle, rolling her eyes and standing back up. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" Azra she asked, even when she already somewhat knew who the woman in front of her was.

"Or not." she said, perhaps she had her mistaken for someone else. "I merely assumed. I thought you looked familiar for a moment." Apple wasn't the best with faces, but she had been sure it was her. Shrugging, she placed all her belongings into her purse to avoid dropping them again. "Apple." she introduced herself, offering a smile and extracting out her hand out of habit. "I've only been in town a few months." Apple wasn't surprised that Azra didn't know who she was- despite having lived here four months now she didn't go out of her way to meet many new people. The murders happening at the time had also given her a good reason not to.

"Are you kidding? I think that'd look like - super fucking sick. I think you'd pull it off so good - if you want, I can like - take a photo and photoshop a general idea - but not like - in a weird way! I'm not - you're like, very attractive, Apple - but you're also not my type - I swear this is a very platonic thing. I just want you to live your best heart-nippled life." Gabe squirmed against the floor in a slight panic as they rapid-fired tried to explain their reasoning - before pushing themself back onto their ass. "Yeah - but like, you know - dicks are kind of like, rough. I'm a bit rough - maybe. I feel like I'll get it like - stuck, somewhere - and I've already been to the ER once for sex shit. It's only more embarrassing the more you go - makes me feel so fucking like, virginal. Which there's nothing wrong with! Except like - I'm experienced, you know?" Truthfully - they were more liable to biting the piercing straight off their tongue than anything else, with the way they spoke; too quick, always in a hurry to spit things out. "That's not bad - aw fuck, I think I just might." Their eyes widened at her confession - holding their jaw in case it dropped. "All of them? Christ - how'd you even like, talk? Eat? Other things?"

"Gabe, please!" Apple laughed so hard that she had to crawl into a ball to be able to breath. "I used to get my naked body photographed for work, do you honestly think I'd mind? Besides, knowing me I would have offered you a sharpie and told you to go to town. I don't mind." Apple used to hate her body when she was younger, but after she began tattooing and viewing herself as a work of art she stopped caring about the rest. She also knew that Gabe was anything but a creep. "I don't know actually, but I'll take your word for it," she bit back a grin, "Now that sounds like a good story. Why'd you end up in the ER, Gabe? Did you cum too hard and lost your breathe? I heard that happened to a dude once and he had to go to the ER to relieve the pressure. Gimme the details." She got on up, cross crossing her legs, as she waited to hear more. "A lot of smoothies, and soup." She had spent a good week weeks struggling to eat anything solid. "I'm sure it's the same as getting your wisdom teeth extracted all at once, except most of my pain was at the tip of my mouth so is anything so much as touched my lips I as done for."

Their lunch was spent in a comfortable, mutual silence for the most part. It was people like this Forrest valued the most - he was an introvert at heart, struggled to keep up constant conversation. Apple never asked much of him, just his company, and he had more than enough of that to give her whenever he missed her. Her sudden confession had Forrest pausing mid bite. It was clear she was changed, different after losing her best friend, and who was Forrest to tell her it’d all be okay? It felt like nothing would be okay after the tragedies in town. All he could think to do was shuffle his stool closer and press his nose to her shoulder, pressing a kiss there before sitting up again, like he was a cat gifting their few moments of affection. Forrest wasn’t the best with his words, but he could give himself to anyone that needed a moment's peace with a mere seconds notice. “You’re still allowed to have fun. I think she’d like it.” He said carefully, nudging Apple’s shoulder gently. “What’d you end up doing? I want all the dirty deets, my night was so boring. I mean - not boring, I was just working. More chaotic without the benefits. Got some free shots from people though, gotta pick your wins where you can find them.”

Apple smiled at their gentle and caring gesture, bringing her head to the side to tap his. "I know. You're right. She really would have." she said, nodding her head. Bianca would have definitely wanted her to have fun for both of them if not for herself. It was one of the things that she loved most about her - she never let Apple sulk or mope around no matter the situation. Dead or not Bi lived in her heart and she would make sure to live up to the person she helped her become. "Most definitely!," she said grinning at him, "I started over in the estates at the house party. Played some games. There was this huge jenga game there, some beer pong, and you know the usual party drinking games. I didn't stay there too long though, met up with KP and Savika for a while. Then headed over to Medusa for the remainder of the night. It wasn't too bad over there either, just the usual club scene with the exception of the bull being there." she wrapped up. She had drank perhaps a little too much, so most of the night had definitely been a blur. "Free shots are always a plus, my dear." she grinned at him, taking a sip from her shake before sliding it on over towards him, "Sip?" she offered. "How's mom doing? I got to put some time aside and head on over to see her. It's been so hectic the last few days at work."

"You'd look good with a septum - like the spikey horseshoe one, maybe." Unlike Apple - most of Gabe's piercings were visible at all times; they never had reason to want them hidden, like an actual professional career. They liked the glint of light reflecting off of their piercings, the asymmetry it brought to their face - made them feel more interesting than they really were. Gabe let out a laugh at her encouragement, "Probably just the fucking, um - midline. Snake eyes look really cool - but like, one bad move and that shit's going to fuck your entire mouth. And I like my tongue. At least like - when the split heals, it's like - good and done." They're rational now - but if somebody were to offer it as a free piercing; they would take the bait, not one to access the risks before taking them. Hell - Gabe's pretty sure he's done the piercing for someone before, before Ballgate and their almost-lawsuit. Maybe they should get back into piercing - couldn't remember the exact terms of their case's dismissal, but fuck that guy - if there was one thing Gabe was careful about, it was their craft. "Maybe - I mean, I've thought about it. I think it'd be fun, 'cos then you move two tongues, and that makes me feel like a hydra - you know, the fucking, um - beast with two heads."

"You think so? Maybe that should be my new thing then. I was thinking of a new tat around my nipples. I want just a single lined out heart around my areolas. I seen something similar somewhere but it was a flower. I think two hearts would look so sexy. But I don't know if it would look good alongside my other tattoos." Apple sighed remembering she had almost the same conversation with Levi a few weeks before his death. "Damn," she said with a laugh before sticking the tip of her tongue out at them to show their snake eyes, "I understand your fear, but I've never had a problem in that department. Then again I can be pretty careful with what and who I let in my mouth. I think I'd be more scared of losing sensation in my tongue ‘cause I love food too much." Split tongue was something that had totally amazed her when she was younger, and she went out of her way to research it for a while. Could never get past all the negative possibilities. "It don't take too long to heal either - only about eight weeks. Now, I'm getting excited. Do it! God, I don't know if I ever told you, but when I got my mouth piercings done my dumb ass decided to do all of them on the same day. It was the worst."

She doesn't know what to say or how to react, her cheeks heating up again. She doesn't think she'd ever stop blushing around Apple. Even a glance from her was enough to have her red. "I'd like that too," she thought she already knew a lot of things about Apple, but she wanted to find out more about her, she wanted to see everything. "I promise I will actually help tomorrow — well, try to." She replied with a playful tone, unsure if she'd be able to keep her hands away from her now. "I like the sound of that." She slides her hand into hers ready to leave the office and have the rest of the night with her.

"Let me." Apple said, reaching over for the small face towel so she could help clean off the remainder of the paint. "You're turning your skin pink from rubbing so hard." she observed as she dipped the towel in the small container with soap and water before reaching to wipe at the leftover marks. With everything somewhat cleared out of the way and the walls of her office decently left to dry, it wasn't too long before they found themselves in the comfort of Apple's apartment. Most of the paint had indeed landed on their clothes so their clean up wasn't too rigorous. "I'm not entirely sure," Apple responded towards the food but grinned because her mind almost drove her to saying something else entirely, "Thai? Chicken? Pizza with fries?" Her stomach growled as she named their closest options, "Maybe go with chicken and fries, and we can get started on some hot pockets because my stomach is screaming. Do you want one?" Apple dropped the cloth, having had gotten the last of the paint off of her.

Ren received Apple’s text during his last hour at work, and of course he agreed to pass by. She hadn’t really mentioned it why she wanted to see him, but he didn’t think too much of it, thinking she just wants to hang out, which wouldn’t be at all surprising considering they had been hanging out a lot lately. “Hey. Of course.” He smiles, giving her a hug when she opens the door for before he lets her drag him in inside. His eyes land on the new set-up and before he has a chance to react, Ren does a double take at Apple’s words, doubting what he just heard. There’s no way she’s asking him to strip down. He blinks at Apple, shaking his head a little as if he’s shaking off the confusion, before a light, nervous chuckle escapes his lips. “Wh-what? Take off my clothes? Why?”

Apple had to bite back the will to laugh at the expression on Ren's face. Sometimes she thought that he honestly couldn't be as sweet and innocent -compared to her- as he behaved, but then he proved her wrong time and time again and she lived for those moments of wonder on his face. "Don't get scared." she said, hopefully in what would sound like a reassuring way, "I just need you to get in the nude so I can paint a picture of you." It had become sort of an unspoken rule of Apple's to draw her friends. Ren and her were becoming so much closer than just the mere 'let's go feed the stray cats' relationship that had started between them so she felt like it was the right time. "It's just art, and then you can keep it or gift it to someone if you want. I won't look at your-" she motioned down his body with the tilt of her head, "-don't even worry about it. Never seen one anyways. I'll even turn away." she said, nodding her head for emphasis, "Then you can adjust it so that it's not visible to me. But I can assure you that I won't be looking for it." Was she talking too much now? Perhaps, but she offered him a big bright smile expectantly.