she's learned that vulnerability often means danger. someone finding the weakest parts of her and using them against her. so, clarice starling has always hidden those parts from the world, keeping them away from those who were putting their nose to the ground and constantly hunting for them. she'd done the same to emil, at the start, but as she strips the blood stained clothes from her body, wondering how many steps it was to the light switch she so desperately wanted to flick off, she realized how things have changed. which might scare her more than she would ever let on.
she takes a moment to watch him take his clothes off, noticing that a lot of the blood had soaked through his shirt and stained his skin. clarice vaguely knows about how emil feels - she wouldn't be surprised if he was thinking about ripping his skin off his body, in this moment. but she would take care of that. finally, she steps out of her slacks, folds her clothes neatly on the counter, despite them needing to be washed. she fights the urge to cross her arms over her chest, hide her body and her scars from a man who had them, too, as she steps into the hot water behind him. 'close your eyes,' clarice murmurs, a hint of insecurity in her tone, though she's reaching for soap and water. 'i'll get your face first,' @klarsynt.