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]

[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?

[jadedlynx]

[ You don't get points for trying to pretend like you didn't start a 'fight'. Ash isn't desperate.

So why is he so desperate to get some? Ash obviously isn't in the mood to help him out after. ]

It's baby first drug order. He doesn't know how long it takes.

[ Did you tell them about Nadia? ]

[papalobo]

[There's no reply, leaving it at that, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts and his wait.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He gets the news about the videos after night fall. Since he doesn't want to leave any possible clue unturned, he decides to check out the alley himself, but as he does, he looks back at the text.

Things could be dangerous. He really hasn't left the kind of life that means he could die during any of this. It's not especially dangerous right now, but Ash has thought that before. Max was an ass, but he did care about him overall. Maybe he spent the day writing like Ash asked, maybe he didn't.

Some moodiness is to be expected with his condition.

If he'd been able to say that this would end without any kind of danger, he'd probably continue the treatment but instead, as he heads for the last spot Sing was seen, he replies. ]

That's my aim.

[ Then the phone goes into his pocket. ]

[papalobo]

['Don't push yourself' he almost answers, knowing from the long stretch without an answer that Ash is still mad. Not without reason. Max is the one who got moody just for waking up alone in the morning. Max gave him permission; how long is he going to keep riding his entitlement to jealousy? Ash is already feigning interest in him sexually, even making himself finish, to fluff his ego, when without a doubt the kid's got to get even less from him than he did before, now that he can get the caviar of ass fucking. Guy probably sucks dick like a moist silk interior vacuum, to boot. Then Ash's skilled tongue and his get together and see whose is the more--

He has work to get back to.

Ash'll be fine.




It's an unremarkable cafe which Ash doesn't know to have any special ties, often used as a place to shelter from the rain, with mediocre coffee and a tiny menu, rotating staff, no regulars. It's an ideal place to have and leave no impression, without being as conspicuously so as Blanca's usual choice of privacy oriented venues.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash also assumes he'll be fine. He can't be mushy every time something dangerous comes up. He'll turn into Blanca.

Alex gets a photo before Ash heads inside. He pulls up one of the better photos of Sing and approaches the counter, ready to lay on the charm. ]

[papalobo]

[The clerk is there for his charm. Today it's a man around Max's age, and even of similar build, though seemingly a little more concerned with looks. Maybe it's part and parcel of being a man mostly working customer service and tips; Max has worn many hats too.

The clerk wasn't working that day, but if Ash will flirt back enough, let the man run a hand through Ash's hair under the guise of brushing something out of his bangs (Ash knows there's nothing there), he'll start calling who had worked at that time of day for him.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash is sleeping with Blanca so it's stupid to feel like he's betraying Max by allowing a touch that, while pushing at the line, can be played off.

He'll confess it later. Max might be pissed, but he isn't going to let Sing die because some guy wanted to touch his hair.

Instead, leaning on the counter, he thanks him for the trouble. ]

[papalobo]

[While waiting on his coworker to text back, he does try to get Ash's number. But, and maybe it's sad, he isn't actually aggressive; while obvious and eager and fawning, he isn't demanding, he does ask about Ash a lot. He asks his name, what music he likes, what TV shows he's into, if he's in school.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He'll give the name Ash but without a last name. He's also good at keeping the spotlight on the other man while dropping just a bit of information about himself to stop it from being too obvious.

It's all to buy time, but he isn't giving out his number. ]

[papalobo]

[Soon enough, his coworker is on speaker phone. He'll also give Ash a free coffee while they're talking, if he'll take it. His coworker remembers the kid had came in and seemed a little lost, like the type who hadn't ever actually had coffee before and didn't know how to act, waiting for someone, then left with some brown haired white guy who looked around the same age. It didn't seem to be under duress or anything, at least from what she could tell. But she did remember the funny kid who was probably too young for coffee, yeah.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Did they keep any video cameras? He probably sounds over protective, but he's worried his friend might have gotten into some trouble. He hadn't been home, and he wasn't answering his phone... ]

[papalobo]

[Unfortunately, the security cameras here only show the register and neither of them came to order anything, but as long as it means he can put a hand on Ash's back while guiding him, the clerk is willing to take him to the backroom to let him see the security tapes. As they say, Sing doesn't come into view on it.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Brown hair white boy didn't narrow it down.

Then, he could check the buildings around the alley and try to track him from there. Ash is willing to flirt with the whole damn street if he had to. ]

[papalobo]

[And a happier street it is; men and women, boys and girls, the working cast of that particular strip of New York enjoy every excuse to touch his shoulder, stroke his hair, gaze lovingly, deeply into his eyes.

Until finally, one girl describes having seen them go into an alleyway, able to describe the brown haired boy as looking about Sing's age, 15 or so, his white t-shirt, his jeans, and that he left alone, but in a different colored shirt, which she had thought was kinda weird, but maybe it was a drug deal or something to dodge cameras. But Ash doesn't seem like a cop, so she can let him know to ask for anyone who saw him leave in a black hoodie and khaki cargo pants.

And that, through another round of flirting, can finally catch him on camera. Which may not do much good if Ash doesn't know every single face of The Unit.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Every single? No. A lot? Yes. He'd been feet on the ground for them too, trying to work through their issues and figure out where they could go from here. Still, if it was someone more unassuming, he's been betting on a Unit kid from the start. A quick text to Alex to have his men search for him can happen as Ash heads that way.

What did they do to him? Deliver him up on a platter? ]

[papalobo]

[It can be narrowed down to one of the younger residents, a 13 year old by the name of Conner Dunlap. There are no special reports of him seeming to be a problem. He was in The Unit allegedly for arson, trying to burn down a gas station.]

[jadedlynx]

[ A kid.

It was a kid. Sing. Where are you?

Ash has to interrogate a kid.

He sends word to have him at the bar when he gets there before texting Max. ]

I won't be home for dinner.

[ Since he's bothering to reach out, it means he's not doing it to be petty. ]

[papalobo]

[Isn't he?]

Gonna eat?

[Going away when Ash is mad is just what he does.]