Day 261 - Monday, September 8th

[papalobo]

[Max isn't awake early enough to be shocked by how early in the morning Ash can pull it together to text, nor is he shocked by waking up first and alone. Although that he's going to be in a good coma with the pill and his exhaustion probably isn't a great cause for concern for Ash in not getting a response. It's around 11:00 AM that Ash gets a thumbs up emoji as an answer.

In actuality, things are not thumbs up. Max wakes up alone, and his mind combines the dream with reality to quickly determine Ash has left him to finally take that flight to Japan; unaware he's awake, even while aware that's not very realistic, he lies there looking at the empty space not even occupied by cats, for several minutes, before the need to use the bathroom finally gets him moving enough to come back to reality just a little more, to process that all of it were dreams, that he has no right to get depressed, to blame Ash for any dreams. Nor for any realities. He told him to take on Blanca. He's urged him to take up Eiji when he's ready.

Ash had to go without breakfast today. Probably. He'll check the kitchen for signs of cooking before realizing the texts he read about Ash leaving last night weren't part of the dream, but were real; so he's living that double life, away from him now. Things are dangerous, and Max... sits at home and worries about food. Things are hazy. Maybe the good parts of yesterday were a dream too; at best, they were a delusion that really physically happened, he realizes.


He could call Alex and ask for a full update on the situation. He could probably ask Ash directly and get one.


Instead, he tends to his own work e-mails. He'll be on a few major shows soon, after all. Time to get his data together, time to follow up with some of those politicians, time to get with Charlie about how the lawsuits and investigations into The Unit are going.


Time to reach out to Shawn, since he does have his number. In confidence.

Misplaced confidence. At 12:30 Ash is texted by Shawn.]

Your old man's a drug addict~~

[Also today, the girl who is not presently covered in twigs but still looks as if she's been rolling around on carpet for static, frizzy hair and clothes meant for painting a house more than actually going out, glares at him bitterly through class, even during a test that should have her more distracted by it. But Ash is surely too busy to deal with that.

All the more when at 2:00, Wu is calling him. He's more of a caller than a texter.]

Comments

[papalobo]

Not much talk.

[He's disappointed.]

[jadedlynx]

I didn't come to beg.

[papalobo]

[Gou Sheng munches politely, as if he doesn't hear their conversation.]

[jadedlynx]

If you're still talking to Yut Lung, let him know I'll talk.

[ The enemy of my enemy. They should at least unite through Sing.

Or at least let Sheng know that Ash was serious. ]

[papalobo]

Is that formal request for a meeting with him? Neither he nor I know how to contact you directly, without Sing.

[A casual sip, finishing off one moon cake and then wiping his hands.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Where is Sing? ]

Is he hiding from you, too?

[papalobo]

Not just anybody can meet with the local head of the Lee clan. Or can anybody who wants easily take up your time?

[jadedlynx]

[ If they could, they'd have his number. ]

You know that most gangs work different than Chinatown.

[ Before, meeting with Dino would have been the same as meeting with Yut Lung - they stayed in mansions while someone else did their hands on. Now, Ash is their Ash and their Dino, but he's still a more like Cain in the fact that he's still feet on the ground. ]

But no, I'm not the welcoming committee.

I was talking about Sing, not Yut Lung. I assume he'd be more open to conversation.

[papalobo]

There's no reason to talk with him, for me. Not unless he wants to renounce his title. And it doesn't seem you want to talk much with me about anything, either.

[jadedlynx]

You've said more to me in the last three sentences than you have since I came in.

Is it a hostile takeover?

[ Is Sing in danger? ]

[papalobo]

[ He sips at the tea again. ]

[jadedlynx]

It's a pretty easy question: are you trying to hurt Sing?

[papalobo]

What would it benefit me to say anything either way?

[jadedlynx]

If he's not...

[ As if Ash is really going to believe that... ]

You have one less guy on your back. You don't have the stability to not pick your battles. New York isn't Chicago, you're fighting an uphill battle.

If you are, I'm still not looking to ignite a war with Chinatown anymore than you want a war with me. I'm more likely to offer a trade for him if it comes to that than to shoot you in the head.

[papalobo]

An uphill battle, is it? I'll keep that in mind.

[jadedlynx]

Unless you think Yut Lung is suddenly going to switch his support.

[papalobo]

No. I don't think he will.

[Finally a smile.]

[jadedlynx]

Then you have another Lee supporting you.

[ Not that Ash is particular fond of Yut Lung. The opposite, really. ]

[papalobo]

Says the man who overturned the Golzine empire when Interpol could not?

[jadedlynx]

Like I said before, my gang doesn't work like Chinatown. You run on tradition. We're eating mooncakes while Wu watches weirdly from the side. The Lees run deeper than Golzine ever did.

[papalobo]

What a transient way to refer to yourself, Mister Golzine.

[It'd be a stretch to say he sounds very sad for his observation, but it doesn't sound obviously mocking, either.]

[jadedlynx]

Dino Golzine was transient. He lost power before he died. Yut Lung was smart enough to see it happening and padded his defenses.

[ It's pretty disgusting to talk up someone he hates, but it's better Yut Lung in power than the people trying to reach in from behind the scenes. ]

But you know all of that. It's why your support isn't showing his head yet. It's probably why you're going to try to control him instead of replacing him. None of that's my business.

Sing is.

[papalobo]

Because of your friendship.

[jadedlynx]

It has nothing to do with friendship.

[ Liar liar. ]

He was an ally during the war against Golzine. Now I can at least make sure he's not being held in a dungeon or littering the lake.

[papalobo]

Was your friendship with Shorter Wong before that as obligational?

[It's hard to say if it's mockery, doubt, or a sincere question, for his almost mechanical tone.]