Day 265 - Friday, September 12th

[papalobo]

[A Chinese man who is definitely a mature adult and not a teenager checks in to the Hyatt, one of their more exclusive rooms, along with his half-white half brother who is also certainly not a teenager and most definitely not the notorious gang leader wanted on suspicion of a September 11th New York City bombing in retaliation for an angry rogue sect of anti-American zealots.

The entire suite floor has been rented out, and it requires a special key card in the elevator and on the stairs to enter that floor. But they can rent one of the still very luxe rooms directly beneath.

A familiar white limo is in the car garage, though the opportunity to gawk or investigate is slim, between the security cameras and live guards.

There's still no contact from Max, but the Department of Homeland Security has become involved, and has begun to enter Ash's territory with intent to arrest any known figures within his gang to bring in for questioning.]

Day 284, Wednesday, Oct 1st

Comments

[jadedlynx]

If you could...

[ The wig doesn't just pull off easily. ]

...make sure they don't shoot me on sight, it'll help with the interrogation. I talk a lot better without bullet holes in me.

[ It's easy enough to toss in a nearby trash as he starts to wipe at his skin. ]

I'm in the lobby.

[papalobo]

Alright. Hold up both hands and stand there. What shirt color?

[It will be a matter of seconds before forces are descending on him, reading him his 'rights' in a fashion so hurried it's like a foreign language robot being read English script.]

[jadedlynx]

I'm the only guy with blonde hair.

[ It's the last thing he says before his arms are up. He knows they won't be up long. He knows the cuffs are coming next. He knows they're not going to be kind to him.

Ash doesn't actually want this. He just wants the alternative less. ]

[papalobo]

[It's a long, vicious interview, with the feds, with the state, with the city police. He's asked about his history before joining Golzine's rings. He's asked about past crimes on his records. He's asked about Max. He's asked about a failure to disclose information about himself while paying to try to win custody for his boyfriend. He's asked about his interactions with Yut Lung. He's asked if Yut Lung knew who he was, before and after. He's asked if Jessica Randy knew. He's asked if Michael knew. He'd asked if Eiji knew. He's asked if Ibe knew. He's asked what's in his home. He's asked for passwords to accounts, to Max's accounts. He's asked again, again, again, and again. He's deprived of sleep. He's deprived of food. Old records, old pictures, old films are trotted out to try to get a rise and a reaction out of him.

Some play good cop bad cop. Some promise not to withhold Max's medication if he's a good boy; if he points out how illegal that is, those identified as DHS explain proudly that these are special circumstances, and both of them are wanted domestic terrorists.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He's tired. He isn't hungry, but he's tired. But, he's also on stage.

The story comes out a little too close to home. He was among the kids that Dino traded in before he decided to adopt him. There's history enough to prove some kind of sexual abuse. He tried to run. People died. A lot if the crimes in his file could be twisted to be him sending men after Ash. After all, he was always outnumbered.

They hadn't known. Yut Lung knew him through Dino. He tried to just be Ash around them. When Dino was dead, he tried to just be Ash again.

They get access to all the accounts they need to know exists. It's normal spending things. Bills. Household supplies. College. They can have full access to the house. His car.

It's not acting to be shaken at certain images. He doesn't want to keep seeing that stuff. He really doesn't know how much more of a 'good boy' he could be. He really didn't attack the mansion. He wasn't close with Yut Lung at all, and he'd be the last person with easy access to the mansion. ]

[papalobo]

[It mustn't be a shock that as attractive as Ash is, as helpless as he is, and with his history, there are those who consider taking advantage of the situation. A Lieutenant Colonel suggests he may get some clemency if he's willing to show thorough enough submission.]

[jadedlynx]

[ His 'submission' stops are answering questions. ]

[papalobo]

[Things can go a lot more smoothly. It's not the first time he's sold out his virtue to help his causes.

They have his Candy Bar video, from his escape from the Mental Health Institute.

Isn't that what Ash likes? Sweet and yummy Candy Bars?]

[jadedlynx]

[ He doesn't expect that to be brought up. His surprise, the way his eyes widen and his cheeks flush, is entirely real. The way he looks away is real.

His 'submission' stops at answering questions. ]

[papalobo]

[He's got to be wanting it. His live in boyfriend had been ordering some pretty shady pills. Couldn't get the job done.

Ash was a teenage boy with needs. He didn't need to be shy.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He wants a different officer to do the questioning. ]

[papalobo]

[It soon starts all over again, without rest, well into the next day.

Nobody outright tries to force him down, but he is told how much easier it could be.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Silly men, Ash only whored himself for other people. He also had no reason to believe a word of it.

His story is consistent. It's Ash so there's some sarcastic comment, but he's as cooperative as he can be. He'll ask about Max. Wu. Ash points out that the same men who pointed fingers for the explosion were also the same men who kidnapped Wu and shot at DHS. That's pretty damning. Is there no surrounding footage of the mansion? Ash was nowhere near the place.

He'd spoken to the cop who originally arrested Max. His cell phone should have shown pinging at a tower near his place and not Chinatown when the explosion happened. Ash is smart enough to use different numbers for different jobs. Max is a real contact and so it's his real number. He'll sign permission to have that checked. ]

Day 266, Saturday, September 13th

[papalobo]

[It's cute that he thinks they need permission.

Peter is also grilled about what he knows about Max, about what he knows about Ash, about the use of Ash as an investigative tool, his funding by an aggressive set of CIA and FBI agents, but eventually he'll be given the materials Max had asked them to fax, by the NYPD directly. Peter may pick up on the fact that the CIA and DHS would just as well Max not get the material out, but the detective who had spoken with Ash was determined to keep his word on that cooperation he had agreed upon with Ash. Not trusting the feds to actually deliver, somebody was flown out with it. Max hadn't had the time to finish touching it up fully but he had materials with him. Peter would be asked if he knew about any larger materials he might have been leaving his house with, several feet wide in two directions, at least a food wide in width.

Ash will be put in solitary, with no news, food brought to him, and a four hour repeat interrogation. Today's officer is a particularly large, portly, aging man.]

So, what's your connection to Lesotho?

[jadedlynx]

[ Peter would cooperate to an extent but he would protect the stories. An editor and writer are a team. He'd honestly say he didn't know all of Max's materials. He was an accomplished journalist, Peter never felt the need to babysit him.

As for Ash, he pokes at his food, eating when it feels like he has to. He hadn't been able to find Sing. ]

Lesotho?

[ It takes him a moment to even understand the question before he smirks. ]

I wish I knew. I met the guy once, and he seemed to hate me for my connection to Dino.

[papalobo]

You'd like us to believe that, wouldn't you? That the two younger little princes playing King are just good, wholesome people, against the big bad man you can pin your empire's sins on.

[jadedlynx]

I honestly don't care what you think about him. It's what happened.

[papalobo]

When and where and how did you talk?

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash tells him about a trip to Ireland. It was a family thing. He went to the concert. They talked with the guy not liking Ash and then it was over and they haven't spoken since.

What did he have to do with anything? ]

[papalobo]

[The man doesn't clarify. But he does segue that Golzine had been a loathsome old coot, hadn't he? He takes advantage of Ash's handcuffed state to reach out and run a hand across his chin, noting that Ash hasn't shaved in a couple of days but is still so smooth, so baby-faced. Golzine probably liked him past the age he got tired of his other toys. ]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash pulls away. After the 'offers', he doesn't tolerate much touch that isn't necessary.

Yeah, he was loathsome old coot. ]

[papalobo]

[He can only move so far. The touch is insistent.]

Lesotho's royalty knew about it and never reported it. Isn't that just awful? I bet they hate you for not carrying on the tradition...

[jadedlynx]

They'll recover.

[papalobo]

[He continues groping Ash's face, waiting to see when he stops trying to pull away and accept that it's happening.]

But you're a big boy now.

[jadedlynx]

[ He doesn't stop until there's no room to pull away. ]

Special powers or not, there are things you're not allowed to do during interrogation. You're crossing the line into one of them.