HAUNTED

🐱---- Is your muse graceful? Do they possess a skill that they're quite precise and never sloppy with? 🐶 ---- Does your muse get excited easily? Is there someone (or particular people) that make them excited? 🐎 ---- How strong is your muse? Could they fight someone with a stronger skillset than them? 🦒 ---- How does your muse feel about height? Do they like their height or are they ashamed of it? 🦝 ---- What things have your muse gotten away with? Do they get sneak away often? 🐻 ---- What are some strange sleep patterns your muse has? Do they sleep a lot, too little, not at all? 🐲 ---- Is your muse hot-headed? Do they have a short-temper? If so, what are some signs that they're getting to the boiling point. 🦘 ---- If they have kids, what type of parent is your muse? If not, what type of parent would your muse be? 🐍 ---- Has your muse ever been two faced? Do they talk badly of others behind their back? And how often are they this way? 🐬 ---- Is your muse considered smart by their peers? If so, what do other people think of their intelligence? 🐙 ---- Is your muse a hugger? Do they enjoy physical affection whether it's platonic or romantic? 🦉 ---- What's the wisest thing your muse has ever said? Are they often that way? 🐞 ---- Do they believe in love at first sight? If not, what's the reason? 🦋 ---- How sociable is your muse? Do they make friends easily? If not, is there a reason why they aren't / don't? 🦂 ---- How deadly is your muse? Do they have the capabilities to kill someone? Would they if given the opportunity? 🐝 ---- Has your muse ever helped someone in a tough situation? Do they enjoy helping others? 🐌 ---- Does your muse take their time on things that are important? Are they the patient type of person?

if it's possible, max glows even brighter for the praise. he's at least aware enough to realize that ari isn't easily impressed, to say nothing for the sopping wet cop dragging his way up from the tank. serves him right, anyway. did he really think he'd get away dry this year? probably not. was his hair wet when they arrived, or is he just hoping to ( mentally, at least ) kick him when he's down? whatever the case, his day has been made. maybe even his week, depending on how the show goes later. um, and it's completely because he's surprised even himself, not because he's impressed anyone. "i've been practicing." is it really a lie if nobody believes it? it could even be less of a lie if practicing means making shots into the garbage whenever he gets tired of the trash on his floor... but either way, it's safe to say he's got luck's light on him tonight. not only has he avoided breaking the bank—antioch has plenty of good samaritans about, it seems—but he's even humiliated his biggest nuisance! when was the last time he's gotten a two for one? there's a thought in his head, lightning fast, that almost questions the idea of a reward. what could be more rewarding than seeing petersen soaking wet in the midst of a swelling crowd? but there's another part of him, insatiable, that won't let the thought leave the recesses of his mind. what else could there be? "reward?" he asks instead, brows bouncing up. "like a get out of jail free card?"

what's less surprising than max managing to make the shot is the quick, greedy way he latches onto the concept of a reward even as ari tilts his head, intentionally difficult as he goes, "i thought you already got those." with petersen soaked, ari turns to walk away, once more assured that max will follow him - there's a prize on the line, after all. "something else." how often did ari get max out of trouble? he should really keep count just to have an idea of how many times max 'owed him one'.

he can already think of all the things he wants to say when—um, if—ari catches him. catches up to him, that is. he doesn't plan on losing this competition, but well—surely there will be time in this race to get some gloating him? it occurs to him that neither of them had set an end to their game—max doesn't have the slightest idea how prepared ari is to dig in. is he willing to wait out here all night, if max is good enough at hiding? is max willing to wait that long before the bugs, dirt and chill start to get to him? that's really the worst part of any given situation—he's too in his head. he should be weaving his way through the trees with some idea of where he's going. he isn't. he's spent a good chunk of his life in these woods, but he's not an expert—it occurs to him just now that, between the two, ari does have a sizeable advantage. so what? all the better to gloat with when—yes, when—he wins. max at least has the sense not to sprint. he recalls every one of those articles he's seen. humans are persistence predators. it's true enough, isn't it? built to walk, not to run. jog, at the most. max himself is not a jogger. keeping a good pace, max is hyperaware of his surroundings, determined to catch anything amiss in the wilderness around him. he's confident he will, in fact, despite his lack of training and experience. after all, who needs experience to hear?

judging by the way the leaves aren't kicked up and disturbed, max isn't running, and the places where the ground is bare and show dirt agree - the gait is too short. aiming for stealth instead of speed, which is an interesting choice, but is he smart enough to weave his way through instead of going in a straight line, that's the question. pausing next to a tree, ari reaches down for a rock and catches it in his hand once before throwing it to the side, catching a branch and making leaves rustle. a sign of movement with a misleading point of origin, and one corner of ari's mouth curls up as he waits, listening.

He nodded as he followed Ari's instructions and gathered the necessary equipment. various knives, gloves, and a table tray. Now, Ethan was no surgeon, but this took him to a different place mentally. Taking the knife in hand he cut down the middle of the body, it was effortless and precise. He was one to do such things in a clean-cut manner. While he knew most of the body's blood vessels are clamped before being cut, he meticulously cut around the organ starting with the liver. "Wouldn't want them to bleed out just yet."

sometimes when you were upset, all you needed was something else to put your focus on. ari knew how meditative and calming this was for him, to feel the way that skin gave beneath a knife, and see how bright the flesh inside was. Some would vomit over the sharp tang of blood in the air, but it was like anything else, something you grew used to, and he didn't associate it with panic or alarm, but a zen like feeling of control. something it seemed ethan could use. "where would the fun be in that?" ari muttered, observing ethan patiently and taking in the well control slicing of the blade with an approving nod. "very clean."

"oh, sure. i've got some ideas," he says, nodding along. there's plenty of trouble for him to get up to in antioch—anywhere, even—without sticking his nose in everyone's business. it was always a beautiful day for him and he was always, always, a terrible goose guy. "woah, motor oil? couldn't that kill someone?" he asks, brow arched. "not that i'm trying to discourage you, i just think it's easier to probable cause your way out of a murder charge with laxatives." or maybe not. surely someone, somewhere, has died from something like that, right? "hey, you might be onto something there... we could pretend it was some poisoning scheme meant for me. that way, none of them could get us for shit! well," he snorts; "i'm sure we'll have plenty of shit." rolling his neck, max steps in front of the mirror to inspect his hair. "you know, i think this is some of your best work." is he talking to gen... or himself? hard to say. probably both. "remind me why i ever let anyone else do this?"

"really, do i look like the kind of girl that's ever changed her oil by herself? far more likely some questionable individual at my house while i was baking did it and i was a hapless middleman." and laxatives didn't seem likely to kill someone, but who knew? gen was sure max ran with a crowd that would find the concept of shitting yourself to death to be funny. "that's probably a sign of your influence. no need to poison someone unless they're in your way." the fact that something in your way could just be a nuisance instead of something important wasn't a distinction she would mention - it was amazing how much good flattering a man's ego could do. "you just hadn't discovered my talents yet. speaking of talent, how goes things with the band?" an easy segue, but also something she was curious about considering their tinder man performance had been upstaged by a murder.

Though right now he figured he could manage to walk, and he wanted to go to the place by the lake. There was a bridge there and a good scenery. Turning to gen and leaning down "D'you 'member that spot by the lake? The lil' bridge… with the view? Can we go there?"" she was tiny compared to him, if anything he really was holding himself up. "Y'know… you smell… real nice, by th' way." he paused when he spoke this, almost causing him to tip to one side.

for a moment, she wanted to ask which lake?, but she knew. once he mentioned the view, gen knew exactly what lake and she smiled up at him as the cool night air hit them once they exited the bar. "depends. do you promise not to try skinny dipping? i don't think i'll be able to pull you out of the lake if something gets you." she teased, softening her worry that the idiot would get in the water and drown in his current state. "thank you. put perfume on just for you, don't you feel lucky?"

"Miss Blume—Genesis. Fancy meeting you here." While it's a chance meeting, Dante doesn't discount the possibility that the woman actually tracked him down. "I'm looking for an antitoxin for a candle. Is there something I can help you with?"

"why, doctor hernandez, aren't we being familiar today?" faint note of surprise, light lilt as if pleased… really, by the man's usual grumpy standards, he was practically showering her in adoration. how nice. how suspicious. "can't a girl just check in? it really is a shame if you don't have that in your life, but! never fear, i've been baking again." yes, with his little recommendation taking into account. "but it sounds like you've been having far more interesting a time. i didn't realize candles could be toxic unless you ate them… maybe that's why incense gives me a headache."