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]

Two or three days?

[ It'd been almost three weeks. ]

I'll talk to him. [ That isn't a new part of the plan. ] But he worries. He'll have a lot of questions. I'll wait until I'm home.

[babyboss]

That's what I mean! If it was just two days, Eiji would be worried, so all this time...

But. Answering... Talking about what happened... I get wanting to avoid that, too.

[jadedlynx]

[ It sounds like Sing is doing the same thing. ]

How are you holding up?

[babyboss]

I'll know that once I know how much whatever they got me to spit out got you hurt.

[jadedlynx]

I didn't know there was anybody saying anything.

[ It's the truth. ]

They kidnapped Wu and Shawn. That sparked the escalation. And Shawn got drugged with the same stuff and got asked the same questions. Are you going to blame him, too?

[babyboss]

He's not a... He is a boss, but it's in Chicago. You know that's not New York. I've got to be at a higher standard.

[jadedlynx]

I'll let him know it was okay, and he shouldn't feel too bad because he's not you.

[babyboss]

I heard about Mr. Wu, but not him... How is he?

[jadedlynx]

A little bruised up but okay.

How is Wu?

[babyboss]

Heh... He said the guys who had him were dishonoring the Chinese with such bad hospitality.

[jadedlynx]

Yeah, that sounds like him. Let him know I expect more mooncakes now.

I have a lot of work to do. Stay away from the Lings. They're not on your side.

[babyboss]

I still don't understand what happened or why. Yausis's back to babying me, but...

[Well, he's not in a position to argue.]

[jadedlynx]

We're assuming you got tortured.

[ But Sing probably knows that. ]

[babyboss]

Even I remember parts of that.

[jadedlynx]

The torture? That's why he's babying you. It might be annoying, but you're 80% of the guys he gives a damn about so take it as a win.

[babyboss]

Who's the other 20%?

[jadedlynx]

Blanca. 10% is how much he really cares, 10% is how much he pretends, and the other 80 just isn't there.

[ But he's not in the mood for conversation now even if he plans on calling Blanca next. ]

I have things to do. Just stay away from the Lings.

[babyboss]

[Yet Sing is chatty.]

I guess I should be honored if there's room for anyone he can spare a thought for besides Blanca, but he's got his hard to deal with sides too.

Unless they get invited over for a banquet, I don't think I could meet them if I wanted to.

[jadedlynx]

[ Apparently, he needs to chat. Ash can't close his eyes; it's a bad choice when driving. ]

You're more of a person to him than Blanca. That's coming from a guy who finds all of his sides hard to deal with.

[babyboss]

I guess for you, it's kind of like you are to Yausis. That 'always someone better'.

[jadedlynx]

Blanca isn't a somebody to him. He's a something.

[babyboss]

Or so much of a someone, he wants to make him a something to deal with that feeling better.

[jadedlynx]

[ Sing and Max aren't allowed to be in the same room. ]

I'm not really the guy you come to for relationship advice.

[ Especially while he's trying to handle the most recent round abuse. The most recent. Ash can't even say it was the last one. ]

But you can do better.

[babyboss]

I'm not interested in dating Blanca.

[jadedlynx]

That's not the guy I was talking about.