Axel breathed in and puffed out a few clouds of smoke. Nicotine was flavored these days and he hadn't realized that grapefruit was so delicious. He had put himself in this bubble of contentment that no one could destroy. He had his smokes and he had his liquor. He had back up food.
For now.
He pushed the cancer stick to the right side of his mouth and took a swig of the whiskey he nabbed while the others attacked the food. He could always eat later. Heat was what he needed if they were going to make another long trip. It sucked not having a place they could call sanctuary. Living as a thief for hire on the wrong side of the law wasn't all that different from this, but at least he could have meshed into society without having to worry so much. All he had to look over his shoulder for were the police and random hit men out to collect the bounty on his head. Now he had even government officials and the army on his ass. Life sucked. He missed his brother, too. Well, the guy wasn't a blood brother but a brother to him nonetheless. He felt guilt at the back of his gut for the longest, knowing Jace would have been out of his mind with worry. The man may have been stoic and standoffish but he was a kind soul.
A right bastard.
Axel chuckled softly to himself at the memory. The last time they were supposed to meet was before a big job. A job to handle for one of the higher ups in the underworld. Axel never made it, having been nabbed right off the streets in broad daylight. Who stole in the middle of the day, much less kidnapped? The thought made him sneer at the air and roll his eyes at the stupidity. Even if the idea worked out in the end. He was a half octopus with a reptilian complex and poster man for what not to do to make oneself feel better -- or alive at least.
He wondered what Jace was up to these days. He hadn't been able to catch up with the news and he couldn't afford to get in touch with any of his former contacts.
Axel absently noted the presence of someone coming to plop down between him and Ferith. He listened with half an ear to what went on.
"Okay," came Noel's voice. The tyke was alright for a kid. "So where are we going next?"
He saw Rhiannon take a seat next to Noel, effectively taking up all the available space left between the four. He heard a package rustle and the scent of Twinkies hit his nose. The appendage wrinkled reflexively. Oh how he hated Twinkies. He couldn't stand them and wouldn't eat one to save his own life -- for the most part.
"Well," Rhiannon answered. "Personally I think we should head south. It'll be warmer down there and there are more forested areas. I'm not sure that staying near any of the cities would be a good idea."
There was a valid point.
Head south, huh? Maybe he'd run across Jace whenever they ran low on supplies. Probably sneak into where the guy stays and snag a well deserved shower and a bath that would last twice as long... Axel's hair weaved itself back into a braid and it draped itself over his shoulder so he could look at it in the cigarette light. He chuckled mirthlessly. He did say he wanted to grow his hair. Here it was. All grown...and alive at that. The end snaked almost hypnotically in the air, its reddened ends swaying back and forth.
Axel yawned.
"South sounds pretty good," he said nearing the end of the yawn. Axel shifted so he could he could lay on his back next to the other three, grunting in relief. He could almost imagine the rock and rapidly chilling dirt as some horrible motel bed he'd give his only barely cirrhosis-plagued liver for -- alcohol did nearly nothing to him. The dark haired half octopus folded his arms behind his head, the half empty bottle's neck titled carelessly in his grip. He relaxed a bit and huffed out another wisp of cancer's breath. The cigarette was nearly done. He'd have to reach for another one later.
"Hopefully there's be some lake nearby or something. Hell, maybe even a pond," he groused. He knew it was his inner octopus talking. He could do without a swim personally but every once in a while he'd need to go swimming. He was conditioned to do it back in the labs. Damn scientists. He punctuated his annoyance with a swig from the bottle that drained the glass completely. He heaved a sigh and used his hair to grope for another cigarette. If it was one thing he even liked his new ability for is so he can be extra lazy whenever he felt like it. Jace used to hound him about being lazy but Axel pulled his weight when push came to shove so it wasn't much of a big deal.
Axel yawned, before popping his second smoke into his mouth and lighting it, taking a drag. "I take we're heading out come dawn, then."
