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

[babyboss]

I don't know! But, I have to do something! I've gotta take responsibility for being the weak link they went after! I've gotta be strong!

[jadedlynx]

Don't be stupid! They went after all of us! And they got most of us! They got Wu and Shawn! They managed to blow up Yut Lung's mansion! You think I wasn't on that list, too?! I got pushed to the back of the list because some of your stupid-ass men told them I'd become a good little cat without any bite!

[babyboss]

For all I know that might've been me! How much are you gonna go on about blaming the bad guys instead of me if I ended up telling them about Eiji?! If I talked about you, then.... You and Eiji are basically a package deal!

[jadedlynx]

Why would you have told them I wasn't dangerous anymore?!

[babyboss]

If I could, I would've! You're the second most dangerous guy on the planet! I don't want them to have any warning about that!!

[jadedlynx]

Then why the hell do you think you're the one who told them I wasn't dangerous?! Are you looking for an excuse to blame yourself?!

[babyboss]

I'm taking responsibility!

[jadedlynx]

No, you're not! You're looking for reasons to beat yourself up!

[ Damn it, Sing, he's too tired for this. ]

Unify Chinatown. Your next move is making sure a stronger has no hope of laying claim.

[babyboss]

I'll have to route out the traitors...

[jadedlynx]

Hey, Sing?

[babyboss]

There's no choice but to have some bodies, is there?

[jadedlynx]

If you can be sure. But don't over correct. I wouldn't like that version of you.

[babyboss]

Not being liked's just part of the package. Isn't that what you and Eiji fought over that time?

[jadedlynx]

If I think you went too far, it means you went too far.

Our fights were usually about him going back to Japan.

[babyboss]

If you think you went to far... That kind of thing after the fact's a little late.

[jadedlynx]

I'm saying you don't reunite Chinatown by killing the wrong people. When I came back and Arthur had control of the place, I took out a few of the bigger names as an example, and then I gave the other guys time and the option to leave town before I went after them. If you overcorrect and kill too many, they're going to hate you more.

[babyboss]

Did you expect me do go in just mowing down masses?

[jadedlynx]

It's easy to over correct.

I'll be in contact later.

[ He's tired. ]

[babyboss]

I'm glad you're out now. Thanks for calling.

[jadedlynx]

He took a guy under my protection. You have a reason for us to officially be allies against them that has nothing to do with you and me. Officially, you can lead it but don't lead it into Chicago.

[ The call ends, and it's not until the next red light that Ash calls Blanca. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

The jailbird has finally flown the coup?

[jadedlynx]

I used the front door.

[ He doesn't work too hard to hide the fatigue in his voice; Ash is sure Blanca would hear it anyway. ]

Still in New York?

[sentimentalstoic]

I am.

[jadedlynx]

The house was probably torn apart. I'm going to survey the damage, grab clothes, and head to a hotel. It's not going to be romantic but want to join me? We can have dinner before I check in.

[sentimentalstoic]

It'd be a pleasure.

[He talks casually, as if ultimately all that happened, as if Ash returning home to survey the home and expecting it to be a mess more stressful to deal with than relocating to a hotel for the night, is fine because the net end is a (not romantic) date.]