Day 264 - Thursday, September 11th

[papalobo]

[Max sleeps; has as he'd thought, he achieves nothing, and he's not even a small-talk source of comfort or somebody to soothe Ash's nerves before his two AM meeting with yet another Chinese teenager. Something about Chinese teenagers seems to always spell trouble for Ash, and now he's in a mess involving no less than four of them.

But Max doesn't move. If Ash comes to see him, setting that pill counter and the note about the smoothie, he may notice he hasn't so much as shifted a finger. Ash has had to turn to painting, but there's no need to lock that room before, or even for a long while after. The only one in this house besides him is a breathing corpse.

But Shawn's ready and waiting for him at one, prepared to be decked out a wires that Ling's likely to hang him with if he finds out about them.]

Comments

[jadedlynx]

[ It's easy enough to send a return text. The first part describes where Wu's room is. He'd stayed here, after all. ]

Don't go directly there. I don't want them to know I know the layout.

[papalobo]

[There's no answer. But he can still be heard moving; he'll stay on the lower level, going right upstairs. Ling watches him text, aware, but not interfering.]

[jadedlynx]

[ And not worried, but that means nothing. Even if Wu is sleeping peacefully, it means nothing. Ling is intentionally being difficult. ]

[papalobo]

How's your relation with the Lee clan?

[Ling waits to ask until Shawn reappears to start going up the stairs.]

[jadedlynx]

About as good as you'd expect. He hates me, I hate him, we call it a day.

[papalobo]

You were best friends with Shorter Wong, and killed him.

[That's interesting enough news for Shawn to end up audibly hesitating up the stairs despite himself.]

[jadedlynx]

That was Shorter. He wasn't a Lee. Neither is Sing. Not a bad job trying to make him doubt me.

[papalobo]

Sing challenged you to a fight to the death, over territorial and honor issues, in the past. What had come of all that to lead to your current state? You go back and forth a lot.

[jadedlynx]

My current state?

[papalobo]

Of relations.

[jadedlynx]

I don't want his territory, he doesn't want mine. We had a common enemy in the end, and he earned his honor, and I earned mine.

[papalobo]

His honor is only in your eyes.

[Shawn makes a face and continues upwards.]

It was a duel he picked to recover that honor lost to relying on you against a common enemy.

Tell me about that enemy.

[jadedlynx]

You won't tell me where Wu is in his own house? What part of your conversation would make me want to talk?

[papalobo]

[Not looking surprised, he takes another sip. It's back to silence.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He can leave them alone once Wu is found. Ling has refused to answer even the simplest of questions so Ash isn't about to tell him the deepest of secrets. ]

[papalobo]

[Ling is unphased as Ash makes a call to Shawn after ten minutes; but there's no sound of his phone ringing within the house, nor does he pick up.]

[jadedlynx]

So the trap is upstairs, huh?

[ He tries again. If he's wrong, it's dangerous to make a move against somebody from a powerful family. ]

[papalobo]

Now I'll be able to talk to him under my terms. Whether I have to deal with you any more is up to you.

[Ling denies nothing, remaining seated.]

As a parting gift: I really don't know where Sing is.

[jadedlynx]

That's cute. What part of this made you think I'm going to let you walk out with two guys under my protection?

[papalobo]

You're going to go up looking for him. I'll be gone by the time you're back.

[jadedlynx]

[ He has to predict that Ash is going to pull out his gun. ]

We can go up looking for him, or I'll put a bullet through your spine, and your men will have to carry you out for the getaway. Kidnapping a gang boss is a declaration of a war. You have to know that.

[papalobo]

[That finally earns a faint smile.]

You may as well be pointing a finger at me.

[jadedlynx]

[ The shot moves through the air close enough to nearly graze his cheek. ]

How many of your men are going to come running from that?

[papalobo]

[Despite himself, despite fully expecting the shot, and for it to miss, he flinches. But he doesn't look away, and indeed, there are no footsteps. There's no sound from upstairs.]

[jadedlynx]

[ A step closer. And another. Instead of approaching him, however, Ash is moving behind him. ]

You're too used to being protected by your family name.