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]

[ 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.

[papalobo]

You think you know a lot about the rules, huh?

[His girthy form casts a round, dark shadow over him as he closes in, continuing to stroke his face, his hair.]

[jadedlynx]

I think I have two brain cells so get your hands off me before I yell stranger danger.

[ Why is there this kind of annoyance even in lockup. ]

[papalobo]

[Down his neck, over his shoulders.]

I like 'em loud.

[jadedlynx]

[ Finally, both hands came to slap his away. Cuffed, he has no choice but to use both. Then, Ash is trying to shoulder past him. ]

I'll be sure to add that line in the report.

[papalobo]

[The hands on his shoulders quickly close in on his neck, trying to slam him forward onto the table.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Hands catch himself in time to keep from hitting it face first even as he curses himself for taking a relative dose of safety for granted. They hadn't treated him with kid gloves, but they hadn't really gotten very physical. Men have offered but none pushed. ]

What the hell?! Keep your hands off me!

[papalobo]

[The man moves to push against his hips, to try to keep him pinned enough to the table to keep from getting any leverage.]

Either you confess something useful enough people listen to you, or, since we're gonna decide you're a lying sack of shit, I give you one more attention-seeking thing to go lie about. Discredit a bunch of your boyfriend's stories too, why don't we? Make talk about this your MO...

[jadedlynx]

I've told you the truth about everything, you perverted asshole!

[ Ash isn't easy to push down though with the angle, a strong enough man might manage with enough fight. He's already lost leverage. ]

You think they'll think I'm lying when they come in here and find you over me like this?! What the hell is your excuse going to be?!

[ His leg kicks out at the man. ]