Day 208 - Friday, July 17th

[papalobo]

[Ash's alarm is going off at seven, which seems entirely too early to Max, drugs worn off enough to wake with the noise, worn off enough to know the meal he prepared last night is still probably good to go with a quick reheat. There really is no reason to get up so early, is there? Unless he has things to do.

Max can't do things. Why would he know if Ash had things to do?]

Comments

[papalobo]

No, it's not that....

[jadedlynx]

So what is it?

[papalobo]

Nothing.

[jadedlynx]

It's not a problem if you want something else.

I hate working out. Just lifting weights or using a treadmill. That's why I'm painting instead. That was the point of the blocks.

[papalobo]

But you're right here...

[jadedlynx]

I'm here painting. It's better than being in a room picking up a weight over and over. It's why I hike instead of using a treadmill.

[papalobo]

Playing with blocks at my age in front of the guy I technically wanna at least seem a little cool in front of's easier said than done.

[jadedlynx]

They're engineering blocks. Guys use it to visualize bridges and buildings.

[papalobo]

That's why all kids play with blocks.

[jadedlynx]

They're not Legos.

Would you use them if I wasn't here?

[papalobo]

Just go back to painting.

[jadedlynx]

I'm painting you building a bridge, but I need inspiration.

[ Ash isn't serious. ]

[papalobo]

I'm throwing one of these at you.

[Neither is Max.]

[jadedlynx]

My body bends in a way that we call a duck. I'm not too worried.

[papalobo]

[He's still self conscious. So he'll wait for Ash to return to paintings.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Which he does. He really has no intent on watching Max work out. If there's no conversation within the next 10 minutes, he'll even put in earbuds. So, if blocks are noisy being moved, he won't hear it. ]

[papalobo]

[In 15 minutes, he'll start building.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Admittedly, Ash wants to look up. He's curious. Not about most people, of course, but this is Max. What will he build? Or will he just stack stuff together?

He paints. He'll paint until Max is finished.

His own isn't very good, but he's new. ]

[papalobo]

[Positioning himself to try to keep it hidden, he ends up trying to build a two tiered race track. But he gets tired about an hour in, his hand not doing what he wants making his patience wear thin.]

[jadedlynx]

[ 45 minutes in and Ash is done. He sighs and removes the earbuds. ]

It's been a while since I did a new hobby.

[papalobo]

A natural at it?

[jadedlynx]

[ His head shakes. ]

A few times, I hid it behind abstract, but I'm trying something real this time.

[papalobo]

College'll be so easy, it's not a bad thing for you to remember what having to "git gud" at something that's not life or death, but that's still a pain in the ass, is like.

[jadedlynx]

Not every year of college will be easy.

[ His eyes go back to the painting. ]

Just the start of it. Writing up the Banana Fish research wasn't fun.

[papalobo]

"Wasn't fun" says the kid basically recreating and summarizing two heavily funded top military-slash-government scientist's life's work.