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

[papalobo]

[On camera, it's a little old lady who walks up and sets down the phone, going on about her day.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He's lost the trial. Ash starts to head toward the shopping center after leaving money downstairs and sending a message to Nadia, but he doesn't know what he's looking for. ]

[papalobo]

[It's getting to be the hours of the morning when people are beginning to move around, but still entirely too early for tourists. Ash stands out. Especially going into an area really only used by locals.

Eventually, someone who's tall for a Chinese, but still a little shorter than Ash comes up to him.]

What are you doing walking in here unannounced? You're Ash, aren't you?

[jadedlynx]

Looking for somebody.

[ That it's doubtful he'll find.

He needs to find Shawn before going to jail. ]

[papalobo]

You probably know by now Sing's missing.

[jadedlynx]

If I could find him by walking around, everybody else is doing a pretty bad job.

Somebody else from Chinatown is missing. Older guy. Mr. Wu.

[papalobo]

Wu-xian sheng is missing?!

[jadedlynx]

What's your name?

[papalobo]

Ya Lin...

[He answers cautiously.]

[jadedlynx]

Ya Lin, I know I'm not popular around here, but I also know Wu is. The guy helped me out, now I want to get him back.

[ He describes the location that Shawn seemed to be held at for so long. ]

Are you familiar with it?

[papalobo]

I live around here.

But I also know you drug us into a war with Golzine just for you to move up in power there, and no benefits to our side, besides showing off that you could lead our boss around like a dog on a leash.

[He doesn't sound like he actually has much resentment, so much as caution; those are words he's been taught more than words he particularly holds onto.]

[jadedlynx]

Do you know that? Sounds like a lot of rumors. Anybody who thinks Sing would be anybody's dog hasn't spent enough time with him. He's nice, not weak.

But I'm not trying to move in. I want to make sure Wu's safe. It sounds like you want the same thing. I need to know if there's a place around there where you could hide somebody.

[papalobo]

Uh, only behind every door, window, trash can, and fire escape?

And nice and weak are the same thing. People are either being nice to be stronger than an idiot who can't see through it, or trying to come off like a not-threat so somebody might overlook 'em and let 'em lick their feet.

[jadedlynx]

If you think it's strong to be mean, point your gun at any bully, and they're crying at your feet.

I'm all for the philosophy lesson, but I'm talking abut a kidnapped body.

[papalobo]

Most people drop for a gun. And if you wrap 'em up and squish 'em up enough, like I said, anywhere.

But people here wouldn't just let Wu-xiang sheng get drug in here roughed up.

[jadedlynx]

Most people aren't strong.

A kidnapped body that's still alive.

[papalobo]

Alive don't gotta mean comfy. It's kidnaping, not hosting.

[jadedlynx]

You guys walk by a lot of squirming garbage cans?

I'm talking back rooms, abandoned places, that kind of thing?

[papalobo]

Every room's a back room. White people...

[He gets an eyeroll, but he does look around.]

I've only been up half an hour, but I haven't seen nothing...

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash knows why this guy isn't the brains of the operation. There are no backrooms without fronts. ]

It happened before 2 this morning.

[papalobo]

Then you should find him fast. You know the 24-hour rule and all.

[jadedlynx]

[ He slides the hood back over his head as he moves by the guy. ]

That's the plan.

[papalobo]

If anything bad happens, I'm telling everyone you were here.

[jadedlynx]

If anything bad happens, keep looking for Wu. They'll try to pin it on me. They'll use my reputation. It'll work for a lot of people, but it'll be a decoy. Look at the same people pointing the finger. If getting him back is more important than hating me, don't accept their explanation.

[papalobo]

Sounds like bullshit, but you're not here with an army right now, I guess.