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

[sentimentalstoic]

Cultural consciousness.

[It's better for Ash to assume in his travels he just comes to know various books and movies, rather than thinking how thoroughly he's been trained in understanding cultural and countercultural zeitgeists.


All the more because he's really not as hip with any such media that came out after he retired.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He sits back as the movie starts. Their first date was a trip to Ireland and a private jet over the most beautiful sky he's ever seen. This not-date is in a nice, but it's not as marvelous as the wonders Blanda treated him to.

The man knew Ash had a few sides. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

You should finish the wrap. There isn't much left.

[He half expects Ash to fall asleep against him again, as it is. It's been a difficult two weeks.]

[jadedlynx]

Thanks, Mom. I'm full.

[ He pushes the platter toward Blanca. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

I suppose you've proven you will still love me if I get fat.

[jadedlynx]

After the psych exam.

[ Blanca wouldn't let himself get fat. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

You want to do a Buzzfeed couples quiz?

[jadedlynx]

No.

[ It's an intentionally short answer before Ash hits play. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[As a man who has administered psych exams, that sort of fluff seemed more entertaining to discuss. But he takes a bite of the wrap, again offering it to Ash to see if he won't take one or two more. It can be an indirect kiss.]

[jadedlynx]

I'm coming off IVs. Anymore and you'll have another cleanup job.

[sentimentalstoic]

I'd accounted for that.

[He thinks Ash can handle more. But he'll take another bite himself.

He had sought to make it especially easy to digest, with a balance of micro and macro nutrients. He would daresay his balance was on par with a direct IV's ratios for his needs.]

[jadedlynx]

[ But Ash didn't have to physically eat his fluids. It isn't an issue with Blanca's food. He's simply full.

And focused on the movie. There's a curious part of him who wonders what kind of story Blanda would suggest. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[It's a Japanese film about two delinquent boys who bully and rob from their classmates and set their teacher's car on fire. A big, strong man is hired to swoop in and handle the two delinquent boys, and it sets one of them on a vicious path of revenge even as they drop out of high school... only to find out his friend Shinji, the more meek and subdued of the two hellions, is the natural boxer. While they had initially begun training to get revenge on the strong man, he's soon forgotten, as Shinji takes to boxing as a career, and Masaru to a more formal life of crime under the yakuza.

Only, the fun, glamor, and drugs of the prize fighter's life leads to Shinji self sabotaging and ruining himself and his career within two short years. Likewise, Masaru cannot seem to come to terms with following the rules of order and accepting rank if it means he must be below anyone, and the two are jobless and without prospects, connections, or degrees in their mid-20s as Japan faces another economic downturn.

The two ride around a bike on their old high school's P.E. lot oddly peppy for two who had lost everything in a quest to avenge their pride here at a school where anyone had known them had long graduated, and where students now only see some sad adults doing bike laps on the grounds. Supposing themselves never to have had any prospects or hope to begin with, things aren't really so different for them now than they were in high school, and they shall simply have to start again.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash manages to make it through the movie. Japanese, huh? He's intentionally avoided most Japanese things specifically to avoid the what might have been with Eiji. He's happy with Max, but when the world is dark and terrible, it's easier to imagine what life would be like in that magical land. ]

That had a lot of laughs.

[ He's not surprised that Blanca would choose something depressing though. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

I thought you may enjoy Japan's reflection of their own societal drop outs.

[Japan's a different world, to be certain, but not entirely divorced from the same planet on which Ash goes about Ashing. Eiji being Eiji is far removed from even a fairly mild if depressing take on those with no place in the proper and model society, but such lightness and darkness exist near enough to almost everyone's lives, if they look.

Eiji didn't look, in Blanca's Private Opinion. He looked away. Most of Japan did; it was a part of his training, on the Japanese psyche. This particular movie had slightly romanticized, allowed for sympathy for such folk, but the Japanese did not do stories of Ranbos or unlikely heroes defeating society. The eventual necessity to either bleed into the system and play one's role, or to bleed out and simply die, was as ever present as it was in more gristly films such as Clockwork Orange or Fight Club, perhaps with more understatement; and therefore, more forgiveness.

Eiji would, if separated from Ash, ultimately 'grow' towards normal, if forever sad for his loss of love.]

[jadedlynx]

Their own, huh?

[ Eiji was kindness personified, if Ash were to be asked. Since he's not, he smirks. ]

Did you just use a movie to insult me?

[sentimentalstoic]

I'm not sure how much I can imply you're a 'societal drop out' while planning to spend the night in your luxurious and tasteful New York City adjacent private island beach side mansion. But you seem to humor us well.

[jadedlynx]

[ Standing, Ash allows for a large stretch to ease some of his cramped muscles.

They're still on his mind. The touches. The tastes. It's heavy, suffocating. ]

We'll sleep downstairs.

[sentimentalstoic]

[ A hand frisks up his spine as he does, the same way a man might absently pet a dog who comes to sit next to him. ]

Tense.

[It's a test; in the past, Ash would flinch from him after an assault, but Blanca's suddenly now in an inner circle which may be immune to that reaction. Or maybe not. He'll find out.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash doesn't even realize he's being tested, but Blanca passes. He feels safe around him now. Before, he knew he had the capacity to be safe around him. ]

Neither jail nor a hospital was very relaxing.

[sentimentalstoic]

[Likely before even Ash can realize what's happening, the touch to his back has looped around his stomach, pulling him backwards and into his lap, with a smoothing set of hands drifting to settle with a firm grip on his shoulders, as if to assure some professionalism even if the only reason he's offering said skill is for less than platonic reasons.]

I'll draw a warm bath for you shortly.

[jadedlynx]

[ But even if he doesn't draw away from the touch, he does move away from the hold. He's not ready for that much yet. He's been in enough laps the last two weeks. ]

A bath sounds good.

[ Ash trusts he doesn't have of explain. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[Fair enough, he can stand up and give a good squeeze to his shoulders just as easily, a pre-relaxation.]

Do you want to pick out a change of clothes yourself or shall I fetch them for you?

[jadedlynx]

I'll grab them.

[ There's only so much his pride will allow when it's obvious he's in a downed state. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[Another good grip, a push on a knot he promises to fully defeat by the end of Ash's bath before letting him go.]

Something very unfair happened to you. There isn't anything wrong with letting me unfairly spoil you now, you know.