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]

Not unless you can produce Sing. The princess will use you, leave your body twitching, and forget your name by tomorrow.

[papalobo]

I don't imagine I'll make it out of this well any way you do it.

[jadedlynx]

[ He doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to be that person he was trained to be. He doesn't want to. He doesn't want to.

Reaching out, he grabs the free hand and forces it back into the lock before removing the food. ]

You're using it as an excuse now. I've given you the way out, and you're making your decision. Leave.

[ It's said to the man who brought the food. He's quickly complying. ]

So, here's the new deal: me and you spend 10 minutes together. At the end, you either stay a comfortable prisoner until I get what I want and you're freed, or I give you over to the guy who'll poison your body until your digestive system is making you eat your own shit.

[papalobo]

Why should I believe you? You're going back on your promise not to touch me for 24 hours already. Has it even been four?

[jadedlynx]

They're already calling the cops. I made it clear that that voided the deal.

[ Pulling a chair closer, Ash takes his seat, casually pulling out a knife. ]

[papalobo]

Have they done it, or are they only discussing it?

[jadedlynx]

The instruction was given when they decided to leave you to die. I never said I was waiting for them to show up at my doorstep before the deal would be off.

[papalobo]

It seems the only thing making me more valuable alive, then, is the exclusive information I hold. I have no bargaining value. Hm.

[jadedlynx]

If that's all it was, it'd have been pretty easy to turn you over. You're not in his hands because I know what happens when you go. He does what he wants to you. Your question wasn't a bad one, but you got the wrong answer. My claws were retracted.

[ He twirls the knife. ]

10 minutes start now.

[ Immediatly, the knife slams into the chair, right in front of Ling's groin. ]

And you know the thing about us whores, we're always thinking of the dick first.

[papalobo]

[Despite himself, he flinches. Despite himself, he can feel sweat forming.]

[jadedlynx]

So, my first question is where is Wu?

[ The knife turns so that the blade is pushing against his groin. It's enough to already feel sharp. ]

This is the one chance you get with this. It's not really an area we can linger on without making it weird.

[papalobo]

[A sucked in breath. Silence.]

[jadedlynx]

[ It's not quick. He starts to push in slowly. He does have to stop before it becomes too big of an opening, and Ling can answer to make it stop.

This is the guy who thought maybe he wasn't a monster a few days ago. ]

[papalobo]

They do say the sexually abused go on to do the same themselves... I guess that'll be me, too.

[jadedlynx]

[ Push. ]

There's nothing sexual about this. It's like cutting off an arm.

[ It'll start to pierce soon. ]

You're going to answer eventually.

[ Push. ]

You should save yourself from the pain. I really will sell you to him to get Shawn, and he has medicine that will make you tell the truth. You're going to have the choice taken from you.

[papalobo]

So you're just going to torment me yourself for fun. But as long as it's not sexual, you can... live... with... it....

[jadedlynx]

[ He's taking a knife to the dick much better than Ash assumed he would. ]

Until I have no other choice, I'm making the calls that keep you alive.

[ Push. ]

He'll kill you no matter the outcome.

[papalobo]

[He can't help but start to breathe more quickly as the blood begins flowing in earnest. His teeth grit, steeling himself against crying out.]

[jadedlynx]

Is he dead?

[ The pain is only going to increase as he pushes further in.

He won't be able to push in too much further. Ling doesn't know that. ]

[papalobo]

[He doesn't intend to answer. But he also doesn't intend to scream, and scream he does.]

[jadedlynx]

Is he dead?!

[ It's Ash's final push, but it's not the final cut he'll make if there are no answers. ]

[papalobo]

[Blood gushes, and the boy screams in protest.]

[jadedlynx]

[ And then Ash pulls back. ]

If I find out that he is, I'll finish cutting it off.

[ He has to move on Shawn and quickly. Ash looks down. He could, and should, trade him to Yut Lung. ]

I'll be back after I get him. We'll finish then.

Come back in!

[ The guy from before returns. ]

Undo one of his hands, give him a towel. Make sure he puts pressure on it.

[papalobo]

[But by now, he's only really half there, gasping in pain, bleeding profusely from between the legs.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Not enough to die. Ash was sure of that. It'll hurt like hell. Inside, the guy does as instructed, even trying to lift Ling's hand to make him apply pressure. You don't disobey the boss.

He turns on the bug as he heads back toward Chinatown. He'll also check the news to see if there are any updates on Wu. ]