Diverting His Gaze, Of Course, Not Wanting To Give Her Much Reason To Try And Assess What May Or May

Well… I got 'em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That's when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood. Hot, thick blood. It was coming down. It was choking us. We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind.

Avan Jogia photographed by Raul Romo for Grumpy Spring 2023

At the voice demanding something of him, he opened his eyes a crack, glaring slightly at the rudeness of it, before giving his excuses. Afterward, however, the narrowed gaze remained. Azazel wondered what some people had against sleeping outside, it wasn't that bad. Clicking his tongue, he moved to sit up and looked around as Hux went on. Not really concerned with the danger, he moved to stretch and laughed hollowly, “If it's dangerous in the middle of the day, I'd hate to see how dangerous it will be when the night comes.” He wasn't too concerned with direct danger at the moment, though. No one would be stupid enough to propose many issues at this time of day. If they did, the knife in his backpack might help dissuade them. Crossing his arms over his chest, he's sitting, slouched, against the bench and watching Hux.

“What danger do you see right now? Hm?” Quirking an eyebrow as he asked this, he wanted to know what the other might consider a danger in the afternoon, to someone snoozing on a bench, crowded by people as they made their way from one booth to the other. Though he wasn't so ignorant as to not realize that, if someone intelligent were to attack at this time, with this crowd, they could very easily slip off. But still, the odds weren't likely, as he had nothing worth stealing, anything that could be stolen, he considered, was maybe a handful of Benjamins, and little else. Which he wasn't too concerned with losing. Azazel held his gaze intensely on Hux, before he continued, “Well? Where's the danger? Is it in the crowd around us today?” He teases a bit.

Of course, he wasn't silly enough to not factor that, percentage-wise, there had to be many dangers in the crowd with them, that day, or any other day, really. But, he was aiming at a more direct target of threat, possibly Hux himself, for even having brought it up in the first place. Azazel's gaze held, dark abyssal pools, staring back at the other, watching Hux intently. Waiting for the others' answer.

Easy food is always appreciated, specially after fate decided to keep other people coming this way for some reason. Hux was just an animal, he had no problem on accepting that, but as the apex predator, he still had some sort of control.

If there's something Hux is good at is at remembering faces; trauma built him that way and there's some recollection of seeing this person around the strip. Call it a sudden rush of benevolence or the idea of crippling guilt, but he knew that if he was there, others with way less decorum could or would be here soon. "Hey. Wake up". Voice deep and and intense unblinking stare, one could've swear there was a strange glow in his eyes for an instant as he towered over the other resting on the bench. "Shouldn't be sleeping here. It's dangerous. Go home".

A gray blur dashed past where Ava was lounging. A few minutes later, Azazel jogged to a stop, gasping as he dropped at his waist, his breathing heavy before he startled at Ava's comment, accusing him of standing in her sunlight. He stood straight again, laughing tensely, his eyes narrowing on the other, “Alright, Diogenes, calm down. I'm not here to Alexander the Great on your sunlight.” He remarked lowly before looking out across the way again, trying to find his dog, who was being a real menace to him right now. Letting out one last heavy breath, he shifted, still looking, and spotted Shadow digging off somewhere far off. His attention moved back to Ava again, however, “Join you?” He looked like he was considering it, though he really wasn't. He couldn't think of anything more boring. Not only that, but he figured he might just fall asleep and suffer more for it, “I'm just here to get my dog. Who. Is being an asshole!” He shouted the last sentence out to where the dog was. Hearing him, she lifted her head up and looked over at him, staring, “Yeah. You!” He pointed, seeing her bark before dashing off again, “Ugh!” Closing his eyes, Azazel tilted his head back, thinking about just letting her exhaust herself and take Ava up on her offer, “Want a irish wolfhound?” He jokingly asked with an unenthusiastic attitude as he moved his head back and lifted his right hand, checking on the time. It wasn't that long since he woke up from his nap, but he was definitely ready to have another.

( cactus ridge trailer park, april 10, mid-day ) @boneyardstarters

Heaving a long, happy sigh and tilting her head back against the headrest of the plastic outdoor lounge chair, Ava closed her eyes as she soaked up the Nevada sunbeams. She was beyond grateful to have the morning off from her usual chaos down at the salon. She couldn't have asked for a better day all to herself, with the sun shining down on the patch of land just outside of the home she shared with her girlfriend, bathing the hairdresser in golden rays that were sure to have her positively glowing by the time summer rolled around. That is, until the warmth suddenly vanished off her skin. Opening her eyes, the Adler girl let out a dramatic groan. "What? Can't blame a girl for wanting to soak up the sun on such a beautiful day, can you? Or at least, I would be, if someone weren't standing directly in my light," she announced sweetly by way of a proper greeting to the person walking in her direction. A playful grin tugging at her lips, the blonde sat up, removing the red heart-shaped sunglasses adorning her face to better see her companion. "Care to join me? Or were you just gonna stand there and protect me from melanoma all day?"

What did your muse want to be when they were a child? Would their child self be happy with what they are now?

Azazel has always wished to be in a career that allows him to learn and keep learning. He had always enjoyed finding out and picking up new things. New hobbies, new skills, new information. He was often a consummate reader. But also would go out and experiment on some of those things he would learn. So he technically had no name for what he wanted to be as a child, other than 'scientist', and that dream continued throughout his life into adulthood, where he has a professional career in the sciences, primarily in biotech. Moonlighted in his advisory position for the Vitelli's. His child self would probably be very amused by how everything turned out. Thinking that being in a 'mafia' and working as a scientist would be 'the best' way his life could have turned out. Seeing as most of his childself thinks of gangster related things in the more fictionalized settings, and not the serious, life-threatening, deadly nightmare it actually can be. Also, he would be so happy about any lean into the supernatural rumors surrounding his older self. So, child Azazel would be completely ecstatic to present Azazel's life, with a rose-tinted glasses idea of it.

springs preserve > las vegas, nevada