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]

He was right, I wasn't kidnapped... And, vetoed.

[jadedlynx]

It'll be to clear my name. I'm not playing the matry, but I can't always be on the run.

[papalobo]

I know what happens when you end up in jail, you fall in love.

[jadedlynx]

That definitely didn't happen in jail. You were one tragedy away from getting stabbed with a fork.

[papalobo]

You made out with another guy while in there that time too, 'n look where that lead.

[jadedlynx]

To the tragedy. The note should've waited until I made it out.

[papalobo]

It happened in spite of the note, not because of it.

[jadedlynx]

We'll have to stop to rest.

[ More because Shawn needed it. It's also a way to dodge the reply. ]

I'll find a hotel, get a nap, and some food. If I miss the call, I might be sleeping.

[papalobo]

...Got it.

[jadedlynx]

Call anyway.

[ Ash imagined the torture Max was enduring. The pain he was feeling. It made it harder to breathe, and the need to be stupid in his rush was real. ]

[papalobo]

I can be good.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash snorts. ]

Since when?

[papalobo]

I'm not in jail right now.

[jadedlynx]

And you're not being tortured by their them.

[ It's a big win. ]

I'll send you the address after we hang up.

[ He can't say too much more with Shawn right there. ]

[papalobo]

Guess I'll hang up, then.

[jadedlynx]

Yeah. Talk to you soon.

[ The call ends. Max was told to expect a text message. He probably doesn't expect two. The second is directions to the safe house. The first are three words that could have been easily said on the phone, but maybe Max gets that they're too real for him to say easily in front of Shawn.

I missed you. ]

They don't have Max after all. The guy can't make it upstairs, but he really did escape police custody. For now, let's find a cheap motel out here and rest up. We'll move in when you're in better condition. My face stands out too much so I'll need you to do most of the prep.

[papalobo]

The lack of rush. It's 'cause he's okay, huh?

[Shawn grins knowingly, watching him text as if he could read it from the passenger's seat.]

You liiiiike me.

[jadedlynx]

Wu and Sing are still missing, but they don't have Sing. Wu is in a fancy hotel so I have to be smarter about getting inside.

[ As if he's going to be sappy. That, combined with Max's text, has him all but huff when he looks back out the window. ]

[papalobo]

Anyone they don't know in your gang? Could send 'em in as a hotel worker looking person, try to get info from the staff, from the ledger, from snooping around. If they don't try to confront anyone directly, should be safe enough.

[jadedlynx]

That depends on what we see in the hotel, but most workers are probably Chinese. One of my guys will stand out too much.

[papalobo]

You do got one of the rare interracial gangs out here, but I bet they know all your Asians...

[jadedlynx]

The number isn't zero, but I don't have so many Chinese guys that they'd be hard to spot. I'm good enough with makeup to change their appearance a little, but we might not need them.

[papalobo]

[Chin in hand, Shawn stares. Evenly.

This Ash guy. Even Shawn can tell he's a little shaken. And he hasn't known him that long.

He's not someone who should be any good at this life. He's got a natural softness. Like Sing.

But it's been beaten out of him, hasn't it? And instead of breaking, he became impossibly good at it. Against his will.

Good enough now to avoid the things he should be good at to thrive, things like hurting others, things like sacrificing others. Instead, he becomes so good at taking on pain himself, he can usually avoid it.]

Let's get you a snack and a nap.

[He doesn't know who Shorter Wong is. But somehow, being liked to him to hurt this guy pisses him off. As if this guy who can't risk his own pawns would kill someone easily. He'll go through this much over Shawn, who isn't Shorter. Probably, Shorter was used to try to break him, too.]

[jadedlynx]

[ It sounds so out of place against their plans of subterfuge and assault that Ash laughs. Maybe he's also just that relieved that Max is okay, too. ]

Sure thing, Mom.

[ Then, more seriously: ]

The cheap hotel will allow us to get a couple of hours of sleep at least.

[papalobo]

I'm sure I still got some drugs in me to sweat and sleep and shit out. There a reason we're hoteling instead of your base, though?