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

[venemoussnake]

Did you want to have a private party line for us to talk about hair and boys on?

[jadedlynx]

I want to know if he's safe.

[venemoussnake]

I want a damn lot more than that.

[jadedlynx]

That doesn't end my wishlist either, but it's the important one here. Have you talked to him?

[venemoussnake]

I answered this line from an unknown number, what does that tell you?

[jadedlynx]

[ He sighs. ]

When was the last time you had contact with him?

[venemoussnake]

It's been three days now. And you?

[It's problematic enough he won't dance around answers and play games over it, at least. If Sing has been in contact with Ash more recently than him, that's a problem for another day.]

[jadedlynx]

Closer to a week.

[ Much less recently. ]

Lao?

[ The guy hated Ash, but he was close to Sing. ]

[venemoussnake]

Still mostly invalid, but trying to feel out who's remained loyal in his absence.

[jadedlynx]

I met with Sheng.

[ He's still driving away from said meeting. ]

He was as useful as wet paper. What were Sing's last known plans?

[venemoussnake]

[Ash might be able to feel the tension in the few seconds of silence; how bad are things, to be working rather equally with Ash, to be unable to lord and dangle information over him? It isn't as if he can't rely on Ash to fish Sing out of whatever he's in without himself having to lift a damn finger, it shouldn't bother him in the slightest that Ash will be his little errand boy in what could otherwise become a bloody and messy internal affair.

And yet, Sing could end up a casualty. And that's truly not allowable.

How frustrating.

But he says it without the blame or taunting he wants to lace it with.]

Your territory. He met with the Chicago boy often. It seems like he found it therapeutic to spend time helping others in that housing unit of yours.

[jadedlynx]

[ Damn it. Under his nose? He went fishing in Chinatown, but how was he supposed to know Sing was spending time there? The last he'd heard Sing wanted to handle it here.

Yut Lung can't see the say his hands tighten on the wheel. He can probably hear the text going out to Alex. He'd interacted with them enough to start the search and ask around about Sing until Ash made it.

Shawn hadn't mentioned anything. But, victims as they were, some of the Unit kids were also dangerous. They also knew he'd sent Shawn to Nadia. ]

I'll take care of it. Call me if you hear from him.

[venemoussnake]

Since you have this number, you should tell me everything you find out, as well.

You'd said he was useless, but can you remember what Ling said?

[There might have been something said that Ash didn't have the context to make sense of. But he hardly wants to reach out to him directly at this stage, himself. Ash doing it for him is the most convenient, politically.]

[jadedlynx]

Shorter. That's a favorite topic every time I visit Chinatown.

[ Yut Lung knows the complication behind that one. ]

A lot of vague threats. The ways somebody can hide a body without anybody knowing. How he wouldn't tell me if Sing was dead. He offered to set up a meeting with you, but it doesn't sound like he's too chummy with you himself. Wu hosted.

[venemoussnake]

Wu is a neutral enough ground. Probably, all he knows about Shorter is that you killed him. Despite your pet rabbit and mine having the combined IQ of a rabbit's average litter size, it doesn't seem like the darker underpinnings of all of that have spread any further... But, that's a dangerous assumption to assume is still in our favor.

[jadedlynx]

None of them should know. Even the guys from the French legion who know are gone. It's an insult the Chinese like to throw around. It's not the first time I've heard it.

For now, I'm focused on finding Sing.

[venemoussnake]

That narrow minded focus on saving someone else without looking ahead will eventually make Okumura Eiji a very sad boy, and Max Lobo a very sad man.

[jadedlynx]

I'd know who you're talking about even without their full names.

I didn't make it this long by being short sighted. It the drug came up, I'd handle it.

[venemoussnake]

[Well, if Ash doesn't want to think of why Sing is missing, only that he is, that makes him a useful enough dog.

Speaking of useful dogs... No. Even if it is for Sing, he won't see about using Ash to ask Blanca for his assistance. Ash can't know that he may (or may not, really) have a better connection to the one man who tips the scales of balance between them, whenever he takes a side.]

Keep in touch.

[Click. He has work to do.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He knew. Yut Lung is the one behind on that specific information. He also won't take advantage of Blanca.

He will, however, text Shawn as Ash himself heads toward the apartment building housing the Unit kids. ]

Sing was last seen working with you with the Unit kids.

[papalobo]

About a week ago he stopped by. Not unusual. Nobody else here's mentioned seeing him since but he would probably come say hi to me if he did.

[jadedlynx]

He said he was helping out three days ago.

[ Ash had been working with local businesses to track the movements inside of his territory. It was more for people who weren't meant to be there, but he could probably find Sing somewhere. He kept them out of range of the bar for obvious reasons, but it was a start.

He'd set more of his men on that. The bribes have already been paid.

Once he arrives at the bar, while he waits for the tapes, he sends Max a simple text. ]

Still alive.

[papalobo]

Dare you to keep that up.

[jadedlynx]

[ What, his mood is better now? Too bad. He's getting a sulky Ash. ]

[papalobo]

[No answer.

Eh, it was his fault for trying to patch things up a little. He's probably already turned to Blanca or buried himself in this side of his life for comfort, telling himself he was a fool for believing in Max.

Max blew it. Nothing new there.

He'll text Shawn again.

Which means Shawn texts Ash again.]



He is really jonesing for me to fill his order. Maybe he's got a hot side piece he does when he knows you're gonna be out busy for a while?