Toxic Encounters [Private] [Ended rp]

Class was over for the day, and most students were heading home at this point, or off to whatever they did after school. Kyler was usually one of those, eager to get out of the school as quickly as possible. But today he lingered in the dark hallways, one arm lightly crossed over his chest. His most recent tattoo that spiraled up his arm and onto his shoulder blade was sore. The fabric of his shirt normally soft against his skin, felt like sandpaper over the inked skin. It was like he had a bad sunburn and someone had come up and smacked him. Hard.

The pain worried him, it could be an infection. So instead of heading home, he trudged slowly down the hallway to the men’s restroom instead, carefully peeling off his shirt as he went to stand in front of one of the mirrors. Craning his neck over his shoulder he peered at his back and shoulder carefully. The area around the tattoo was red, which wasn’t unusual. But other than that, nothing seemed to be wrong. Maybe it was just still sore…? It was only a day old… But none of the others had hurt like this. He stepped back closer to the mirror and squinted his eyes, as if trying to find something wrong or some sign of infection starting.

Finally, the time had come. The perfect opportunity had arisen, and Julius would be quick to take it.

He had watched Kyler Daniels for so long he could no longer count the days (not true; he could count the days easily if he so wished). It was almost striking how the blonde had never noticed him. Never noticed the pull of their thread when they passed in the hallways, never felt an odd urge to be closer to him. After all, everyone else seemed to, whether it was to try to attack him in vengeance, seduce him to see if he truly did live up to his reputation, or simply congratulate him on this achievement or that good grade. But nothing had ever been able to throw Kyler Daniels, Toxic Fighter, and himself together.

Of course, that was also because Julius went out of his way to keep his distance.

Still. It would have been logical for them to bump into each other at least once, wouldn't it? Despite precautions, there was always a variable in the equation.

Bright eyes followed the taller figure into the men's room, quickly coming to the decision that he would reveal himself now. He had kept himself hidden in plain sight long enough. Besides, Kyler was visibly becoming more and more worried that his sacrifice hadn't shown up. Yes, this would have a very negative outcome, both for himself and for his fighter, but the pros of becoming a known pair far outweighed the cons. So he followed the young man, keeping a safe distance. He had no friends to shrug off or any teachers to be speaking to. Julius kept distant acquaintances at best.

Upon entering the bathroom, his eyes met an... interesting sight. Kyler stood shirtless with his back to the mirror, inspecting a very elaborate tattoo that crawled up the length of his arm and up to his shoulder. He already had another piece, blue flames, crawling from his waistline up, around his side. It was tantalizing, in Julius' mind; his fighter was a "bad boy." He himself was the fruit of sin. Just alluring enough that everyone wanted to take a bite. He leaned against the door, sliding the lock home silently behind his back. This conversation needed no interruptions. "Kyler Daniels..." he spoke quietly, cutting off his ring completely to the other person. "I do not think we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. Shame, considering you've been here so long now." his words were sly and spoken softly as he pushed off the door and took a step into the bathroom.

Kyler heard the door open, but paid little attention to it. This was the men’s restroom after all, he didn’t have to worry about throwing his shirt back on. With his opposite hand the Toxic Fighter reached up and pressed his index and middle fingers to the tattoo lightly, it didn’t sting to the touch thankfully. Maybe it was just the shirt he was wearing, rubbing the tattoo wrong. He sighed and let his arms fall back down.

Reaching out for his shirt he paused, and swiveled his head to the side when he heard his name called. “Huh?” He questioned, caught off guard. That was Julius right? What was he doing talking to him? “Oh yeah,” his lips turned down slightly. “Real shame…” He replied, trying to keep the dry sarcasm from his voice. He was automatically suspicious. Kyler and Julius didn’t run in the same circles, and it seemed extremely out of place for Julius to suddenly want to strike up a conversation.

Turning away from Julius Kyler reached out again and grabbed hold of his shirt. Flipping it inside out he glanced at the back, checking to see if anything was there that would be causing the sudden irritation. He didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean there was nothing there. Carefully he ran calloused fingertips over the fabric, feeling for a thorn or something of that nature.

Julius' eyes narrowed a fraction, unnoticeable to his unknowing fighter. He didn't enjoy being shrugged off... Of course, he had also expected that to some extent. His reputation preceded him once again, after all.

Dark, bright eyes fell to Kyler's slightly reddened skin; raking over the flames lapping at his abdomen and wrapping around to his side and back... The small tattoo just on the hollow of the blonde's collarbone... the newer one that his fighter pressed fingers to carefully. It went almost completely up his arm, and up over his shoulder, and it seemed irritated. Didn't Kyler know how to take care of his ink by this point? "It seems dry, your tattoo..." he noted quietly. "Don't you have any lotion?" he knew Kyler had tattoos. It had led him to look up proper care of one. Julius himself had never seen the point of permanently marring your skin, really. Nonsense.

Stepping just a bit closer, Julius allowed a small smile to play at his lips. He watched Kyler's fingers searching for something in the fabric of his shirt, most likely some small bit of material that would cause his already irritated skin discomfort. His fighters hands didn't look very smooth. He had callouses, he must have worked hard for a prolonged amount of time. It wasn't unattractive. Really, it was quite the opposite. "If you need, I can help you with the part you can't reach."

Kyler’s eyes narrowed a fraction, what was Julius getting at. Was he actually trying to be nice? Definitely not. Or was he trying to hit on him, by offering to help him take care of his body? Kyler snorted at that idea, Julius may be good looking but Kyler wasn’t interested in becoming another one of his many conquests. Plus he was already seeing someone, Mina, and he wasn’t going to betray her. He’d seen enough cheating in his life.

“I’m sure I can handle it myself,” he declined turning back to the mirror to once again look at the tattoos before shrugging and turning his shirt right-side out. He disliked being exposed in front of Julius, not because he felt self-conscious about his own body but rather he didn’t like feeling so vulnerable in front of him. Something in the back of his head told him that Julius was not someone he should let his guard down around.

“Thanks anyway,” he slipped his shirt on and went back to ignoring Julius expecting his comment to hopefully act as a dismissal.

His smile widened very, very slightly. Of course he'd be declined. After all, Kyler didn't know Julius from Adam, and with his reputation preceding him, surely the other young man had heard nothing but bad stories. Julius was infamous for being a slut. For tricking the teachers into thinking he was a good student; top marks, excelling in combat... but in reality, their reality, at least, (twisted opinions and carefully placed lies) he was a slut. Filthy, whoring young man who they all seemed to be addicted to. And that was the exact [half] facade Julius had given them. He built the lies up around himself, reveling in the darkness around him, the sheer power it gave him over them all.

Quietly, Julius stepped to the sink beside his unknowing fighter and flipped the faucet, washing his hands at an angle to where Kyler couldn't their shared name slowly being revealed. "I completely understand. We don't know each other very well, after all..." he reached for soap idly before continuing, sly eyes connecting to Kyler's through the mirror. "Any word from your sacrifice yet, Daniels-san?" he asked, feigning curiosity.

When Julius didn’t leave, Kyler was momentarily perturbed. Julius wasn’t the kind to make idle chitchat just for the hell of it. In fact, the blonde didn’t even think he would talk to him if he didn’t think there was some sort of gain from it. The question however, was what he wanted. Of course Kyler could always leave himself, nothing said he had to stand around and play along. Or he could stay, and find out just what Julius wanted, or at least just stay for a little bit longer. Logic said he should leave, that nothing good could possibly come from this. But logic wasn’t in control right then. His curiosity to find out, and something stronger that he couldn’t quite figure out, made him stay right where he was. At least for the moment.

“Not yet,” he answered slowly, eyes narrowing a fraction. He didn’t like the idea of Julius talking to him about this. The subject of his Sacrifice was a sore one, and he didn’t want Julius sullying it with some of his lies. Because most likely anything the dark haired man had to say were just that, lies. “Why do you ask?”

"Just wondering, of course." he lathered his hands, angled carefully so Kyler still couldn't see where their name was. The young man wasn't going to be happy about this noise, of that he was positive. He'd felt the blonde's worry, even though Kyler of course had no idea his sacrifice was even near him; not to mention keeping surveillance and tuning himself into their bond finely enough to feel the emotions Kyler did. Only at certain times, of course. Julius believed in giving the fighter as much privacy as possible. "Have you ever thought that perhaps you have met your sacrifice? Passed them in the hallway, maybe, or seen them out on the street." With his nameless hand, He turned off the water and reached for a paper towel, drying the skin very slowly. "I myself am in a similar predicament with my fighter. We've met briefly, but..." the sentence trailed off as he finished drying his hands, simply holding the paper towel over his name now. Though he held it in a way that wouldn't rouse suspicion in Kyler. Turning his head, Julius lifted dark eyes to light.

"Oh. How are you and your girlfriend doing?"

Kyler turned and rested with his back against one of the other sinks, arms crossed defensively over his chest. He kept his head facing the bathroom stalls, though he watched Julius carefully out of the corner of his eyes. Again the mention of his still unknown Sacrifice agitated him, even if he had been the one to keep the topic going. “I’m sure if I had met my Sacrifice we’d be together then.” Wasn’t that obvious? Kyler wouldn’t willingly keep himself away from his destined other half. It was the whole reason he was still putting up with this shitty place of a school.

“Really now?” He asked sarcastically. He hadn’t heard anything about Julius meeting his Fighter, and that would surely be prime gossip around the school. Come to think of it, Kyler didn’t even know what Julius’s True Name was. Did anyone even know that either? It seemed out of character for Julius to hide a fact like that. Surely he would have flaunted that, unless he felt his name wasn’t worthy of him or something. Now that would be hilarious, Julius ashamed of his own name.

The barest hint of a knowing smile was finally allowed to reveal itself. "Really? But you've been here for quite some time... Perhaps they're closer than you think." with a slight turn of his head, deep sapphire met golden brown and Julius straightened.

"Oh, yes really." his smile became a bit more friendly, less prowling. Though it still held the tone of knowing more than Kyler. "But as I said, I'm in a similar predicament to yours. See, my fighter has met me before, but since my name has been kept completely secret, he is unaware that I am who I am." he glanced down to the napkin in his hands, adding "Shame, really. I've known I am attached to him for some time, but because of certain circumstances, I haven't been able to calm his anxiousness." His eyes flicked back up to Kyler's. "He is anxious, too. Most likely questioning whether or not his sacrifice even exists."

Kyler turned then to fix upon Julius’s face with an unrestrained glare. “Just what-” He stopped then, eyes widening in pure disbelief. It couldn’t be possible. He refused to believe it was possible. And yet, it all made sense. “Show me your hand!” He demanded icily taking a step towards Julius. “Show me!” His whole body knew what his mind refused to accept. Julius was his Sacrifice. And yet, he couldn’t willing acknowledge that without proof. Proof that the same inky black letters were imprinted on his finger just as they were on Kyler’s.

This whole thing was insane. All those years, all that wondering, it was for nothing. His Sacrifice had been there all along, and did nothing! He even hid his name away. But why?! It didn’t make sense. None of this did. Julius was a slut, a devious whore, and yet he was also the Toxic Sacrifice. It made Kyler want to scream and punch the walls, and at the same time a part of him wanted to take hold of Julius and never let go. But that part was far too small at this point, drowned out by his anger and frustration. It wasn’t fucking fair. All this time when he’d thought himself above Julius’s little games he’d been nothing more than a fucking pawn in his master plan. He was just as used as all the others, and at the same risk of being cast aside when something better showed up.

His own calm gaze held Kyler's slightly frantic one for a moment before he laughed once and dropped his head, looking down at the napkin clenched loosely in his hands. "I'm glad you understood that." he stated quietly, looking back up into the mirror for a moment. "A small part of me wasn't positive that you'd understand, and I'd really hate to try explaining it further." He turned to his fighter, leaning a hip against the sink and raising his hand for Kyler to see. Right there, in the exact same spot as the blonde's (he knew this to be fact) was the scrawl of their name: Toxic.

Dark blue watched carefully, gauging how bad Kyler's reaction would be. He knew it would be bad, yes. He might very well even come out of this with a few bruises. Julius knew how to defend himself, but Kyler would deserve this. After the years of worry Ju had put him through, watching to make sure he was worthy, Kyler deserved a moment to take it out on the person causing it. He wouldn't fight back, at least not physically. But he did have ultimate control over the young man if it got too bad, which was comforting. The trump card.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyler." he purred, smiling slyly.

Kyler reached out and toughly took hold of Julius’s wrist, splaying his fingers apart, then dropping the hand and stepping away as if he’d been burned. It couldn’t be true, but the proof was there. In the same black scrawl in the same exact spot upon his flesh was the name Toxic. The matching twin to his own. But it didn’t make sense. Why had Julius taken so long to step forward and reveal the truth? “Bastard.” Kyler snapped, his chest tightening. He was angry. Oh so angry that’d he’d been left alone for all these years when his Sacrifice had been so close all this time. Why hadn’t he realized it? Why hadn’t Julius said something all those years ago? It wasn’t fair!

“You could have given me some clue, some sign! Anything at all!” He roared, clenching his hands into iron tight fists. It was so much to take in all at once. He couldn’t even look at Julius anymore. His eyes remained either clamped shut in frustration or glaring holes in the white tile floor. All those years of worrying that maybe something bad had happened to his Sacrifice, or even worse, that no one had been destined to be with him, were all for nothing. Senseless worrying. While Julius sat back and had a good time. Fucking Bastard. His hands tightened even more, nails digging in so hard they almost broke the skin of his palms. “Why now? Why the hell now?! Run out of people to fuck with?!” It was his anger talking now, but he wanted to know the answer. He needed to know the answer.

"I'll never run out of people to fuck with, Kyler." he answered truthfully, dropping his hand back to it's rightful position at his side. "Believe it or not, my waiting was for your benefit." he knew the blonde would never believe him, even if he was being honest. Julius had a reputation that would instantly cause people to target his fighter. And that situation was just a little too parallel to his mother. Family and partner, the two people others were never allowed to touch.

And Kyler had come much too close already. That was one fact Julius knew all too well.

"I couldn't give you any hints, actually. Because you would have confronted me, and it wouldn't have been good for either of us." he turned and tossed the napkins into the trash bin before looking back at Kyler. "You've gotten yourself into enough trouble without me, Toxic. Think of what would happen when people realized you're tied to me. The one person who's angered more than anyone else at this school." his ring released, mingling with Kyler's, it's twin, it's match, and causing small bubbles to erupt on the white bathroom walls. The paint would begin peeling in a moment. It was perfectly natural, just extra proof that they were who they were. And they were already powerful enough (simply be the sheer amount of training at least one of them had done) that the next people to enter the boys' bathroom would know. The Toxic unit was complete.

"You sick bastard." He gritted his teeth, jaw clenching tightly shut as he held back more curses and profanities that he wanted to scream at Julius. But he couldn't hold himself back from angrily retorting to the next thing Julius said. "And what gives you that right huh?! Who are you to decide what's best for me, you don't even know me! You know nothing," his jaw tightened again and he shook his head and mumbled harshly "...Nothing about me. So don't you fucking dare to presume what is or what isn't beneficial for me..."

His fury burned through his veins, spreading to every part of his body. But another feeling was spreading too, one of completion. The instant Julius released his ring Kyler's own flared stronger, swirling with Julius's in perfect harmony. It was hard to stay focused on his anger with that feeling threatening to cloud his mind. It was like someone had injected him with a sedative. One that made him feel light and almost giddy. Kyler fought against that feeling and tried to stay focused on his anger. He refused to let Julius off the hook so easily. His Sacrifice had let him suffer for absolutely no reason at all. It was completely and utterly unfair. Wrong.

"I don't give a fuck about everyone else! We're supposed to be together! Screw everyone else, they don't matter! What matters is that you were here and did nothing!" His head shot up so he could finally meet Julius's eyes with an infuriated stare. "If they don't like it then we could take them down. I'm not some fucking child who needs your protection! I'm the Fighter for a reason!"

In an instant, Julius had reached out, taken Kyler by the neck, and slammed him into the wall between two sinks, a muffled crack emitting from where his fighter's head met the tile. "Listen to me, Kyler." he drawled, tone perfectly patient despite his actions. He hadn't moved with enough force to seriously injure the blonde. Just to give him a little headache. "You're right, I don't know much about you. But I know enough. From the moment I realized you're my fighter, I've been watching you, judging how you react to certain things, how you act, down to how you speak, Kyler, I know all the details." deep blue was locked on hazel as he spoke. Julius hated speaking for long periods of time, but he supposed it needed to be done, so he continued.

"I knew exactly what would have been more beneficial for you. What kept you relatively safe for the past few years." He released Kyler slowly, digging his nails into the flesh once sharply before letting go. "Attacking units aimlessly is foolish. You're the Fighter, but you have so much left to learn before you can protect me. First thing you'll need to know is if you ever lash out at me like that again, I'll kill you without a second thought. They have blanks much more powerful than you. Much more useful." His hand came back up, this time running through Kyler's soft yellow hair slowly. "I'd much rather use my true other half, though, wouldn't you agree?" The paint by this point had peeled from the walls, some melted, some flaking. The stalls had lost their paint as well, leaving large bare spots of metallic grey clearly visible. A flower on a window sill had wilted completely, it's once bright yellow and green petals and leaves turning a charred, burnt black. Julius liked knowing their ring was this powerful when mixed. It elated him, and somehow, it drew him to Kyler in a very sexual way. He couldn't wait to claim and be claimed by the other. Though of course, he'd have to wait a while before Kyler would let him near like that, and he knew it.

Kyler barely even registered that Julius had moved before he felt the sharp sting in the back of his head as it collided with the bathroom wall. Then the loud crack echoed in his ears, and he didn’t know what it was from. Did the tile break? Or was it his skull? The sudden pain left him dazed, then Julius was speaking again, and Kyler focused on that, willing the pain away. But he didn’t resist Julius’s hold, that would have just been stupid. Julius had all the power here, there was no use making him prove it. Kyler didn’t need to be reminded that he was a puppet with Julius pulling all the strings. The chains tying him down were real enough. None the less he was mostly glad with Julius finally pulled away from him, for despite how angry he was a traitorous part of his body had actually enjoyed the rough contact between them.

“You can make excuses all day long, but it doesn’t make it right,” his voice still held the fury from before, but it was more controlled now. “You say you know all about me. But that’s impossible.” Hazels flickered away, focusing instead on the now dead flower. “Seeing and knowing are two different things. You come in here like some stuck up asshole and act like you’re God. You expect me to just accept that?! That’s fucking ridiculous.” Kyler finally looked back to Julius, “If you really knew me you’d have realized that I’d never go along with this bullshit.”

Julius laughed at Kyler's words, a sound more threatening than humorous. "You're so worked up about everything..." he noted with a smile that wasn't happy, deep sapphire staring straight into golden hazel. They were an attractive pair, the "bad boy" with his yellow hair and blue tattoos against tan skin, and the local slut, dark to Kyler's light. A dangerous pair; one not to be fucked with under any circumstances. If only the fighter could drop his little temper tantrum.

"Take into consideration one thing before you accuse me of not knowing what, I assure you, I do know.

You think I'm giving you a choice in 'going along with this bullshit.' But I'm not."

Julius didn't give two shits what Kyler thought about why he waited to tell the other, why he kept them apart. What the blonde had yet to learn (but he would, in time, as Ju trained him) was that when he had an idea formed, a plot that was foolproof and had both of their best interests at heart, he didn't ask the other person involved if they were okay with it. Humans were fools, they rushed into things without thinking. They were emotional creatures instead of logical ones. And that was what got them hurt, maimed, killed. The things he would let happen to Kyler under NO circumstances.

Julius was heartless, but he did have a few certain things he had to keep safe.

"I'll go ahead and tell you, there's no escaping me. You can hit, kick, threaten, whatever you'd like, but I am your namesake carrier. I am Toxic, and you were created for me. Please, walk out the door now. Think you can get away and go back to class. Act as if nothing has changed. But your mind will be on me. Your thoughts will revolve around one person, and only one person. Myself. Even if you leave now, you have a bond with me that won't die easily." His lips tilted upward again as he watched the other, waiting for his reaction, whether it be calm or violent.

His fists balled up, clenched tightly as he imagined wrapping them around the neck of the smirking asshole in front of him. God he hated that look, wanted to knock it right off. He might have too, if he thought he could get away with it. Kyler was pissed, but he wasn’t stupid. The pain in the back of his head was a good enough reminder for that. Julius had more than proved that he wasn’t one for idle threats. So he took in a forced deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, then exhaled.

“What is it you want anyway?” Since he didn’t have a choice whether or not he wanted to go along with all this or not, Kyler figured he might as well find out exactly what the fuck was going on. He flexed his fingers out while waiting for an answer, then lifted his right hand and ran it through his already mussed hair, carefully avoiding the sensitive spot where his skull had connected with the bathroom tile. So far it seemed like he was screwed over no matter how things went. Either become Julius’s bitch, or end up six feet under. Life really fucking sucked.

With Kyler's response, Julius tilted his head slightly back, approving of the fighter's compliance. He took in how the blond clenched his fingers, knuckles turning white, before releasing them again. A useless attempt to calm himself down. A riled dog couldn't simply turn away; it would wander until it found a lower victim to take it's anger out on. Lucky for him, Julius wasn't that lower dog. Kyler could go pick a fight with someone else once their interaction was over.

"I want an obedient fighter." he answered quietly, the dark smile splayed on his lips falling away. Julius wanted someone to fight alongside himself, but not just anyone would do. The one who shared his name had a lot to live up to if they wanted to be affiliated with Julius, and with the Nakamura family as a whole. And Kyler was street riffraff. A dirty rat among a family of cats specially trained to hunt. They would rip him apart unless he could learn to play his part correctly. This was not a game of whether or not they liked each other. This was cold, hard war in the form of a business family, and Julius would not allow his fighter to fail. "Your petty fights end now." he commanded seriously, allowing the tone of his voice to ripple through their red ribbon and alert Kyler to the fact that this was indeed an order. "No bruises may mar your body unless I give them to you." As if to prove his point, Julius reached over, closing the space between them again and gently caressing the tender spot where he had slammed his fighter's head into the wall. The slow hum of contentment that burned upward from his fingertips brought the small tilt back onto his thin lips.

A slow moment later, Julius pulled away from the blond, allowing his tingling fingers to fall back to his side. "Meet me at the City Park thirty minutes after school ends." he ordered again, voice soft and low. "I will be on the bench directly opposite the swing set. I do not like to be kept waiting."

Kyler could have laughed at Julius’s response, and almost did. If it weren’t for the fact his head hurt and he was still pissed off. What kind of archaic bullshit was that? Most schools now were teaching the values of partnership, of Fighters and Sacrifices working together as an equal team. Seemed Julius skipped out on that lesson. Or the Sacrifice just didn’t give a shit. The Fighter felt the second option was more than likely the real answer.

When the order was issued, Kyler felt something in himself change. It was like he could already feel the first of many chains to come being placed on his body. The heavy feeling lasted only a moment, but it was long enough to let the Fighter know he didn’t enjoy it. And he immediately knew that he wouldn’t be able to disobey. His body wasn’t his to control anymore. Julius quite literally held Kyler’s life in the palm of his hand. Of course Kyler always knew his Sacrifice would hold that power over him. But it was one thing to know, and another entirely to experience an order being given and to know that you can’t disobey no matter how hard you try or how badly you want to. It was slavery through and through. The only want to survive was to do as he was told, for there was no doubt in Kyler’s mind that Julius could and would hurt him if he felt like it. And in that moment Kyler made a silent promise to himself. A promise that he wouldn’t let Julius break him. He would do whatever it took to come out of this alive, and hopefully on top. He wouldn’t let his Sacrifice win. But from the look in Julius’ eyes, it seemed his Sacrifice was used to winning.

His body tensed when Julius reached up to brush the back of his head, immediately thinking that his Sacrifice was going to try something again. But when he only lightly brushed the already forming knot, Kyler’s body relaxed despite his intentions. Any other time Kyler would have admitted he liked the feeling of Julius touching him, but given the situation he didn’t like the reaction his body had against his will. While his mind seemed determined not to like Julius, his body apparently had other ideas.

Gritting his teeth again, he agreed even though he knew he would have to listen whether he agreed or not. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” Taking that as a dismissal, the Fighter stepped around Julius and headed towards the door. After unlocking it Kyler paused a moment, almost as if he were going to say something else, but then changed his mind and headed out the door anyway.

[Kyler has left: Septimal Moons Campus Student Lounge: Toxic Encounters and is headed to: City Park: I don't wanna hear you talk about it anymore]