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]

He's here?

[Blanca inists, looking downward and assuming that Ash, while not having x-ray vision, can conclude that the cat who previously wouldn't leave Kuroneko's side was at Blanca's feet behind the kitchen island.]

Although your--or perhaps it's Master Glenreed's--hide out is something of a roach motel, now. It seems his tactic to feeding them was to open every type of food stored there and hope they didn't engorge themselves, and that someone came for them before they ran out.

I suppose he was likely in a hurry, but.

[jadedlynx]

I have a guy who's in charge of feeding them if I go missing.

[ That seemed to be his worry more than being arrested. A hand pets through Kuro's fur. ]

Max didn't know that.

[sentimentalstoic]

He meant well.

[jadedlynx]

I know.

[ Ash isn't angry. Max didn't expect the need to make those plans. It was all last minute. It could have gone very badly, but it would have been worse if they'd been found. ]

It worked out.

[sentimentalstoic]

I did take the liberty of snooping about your base and bringing a few other things back. I've set them in your garage. It seemed a shame to leave some things overrun by cockroaches.

[jadedlynx]

Max's base.

[ His are still being manned, but the clarification comes from curiosity. What would Max have there that's worth bringing back? ]

What things?

[sentimentalstoic]

Ammunitions, burner phones, books, pieces of art, first aid kits, and medications I'd assured no bugs had gotten into.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash grabs at a piece of toast before bending around to see Asher. ]

Morning to you, too. Glad you missed me.

[ Then to Blanca. ]

Since when is Max storing art?

[sentimentalstoic]

[Asher rubs up against Blanca's leg, making eye contact with Ash as he does.]

Since when, indeed?

[jadedlynx]

[ He raises one eyebrow. ]

The cat must have some Chinese in him.

[ But then, it clicks. The things Max were seen carrying, why they never taunted him about the paintings, and the location. ]

Mine, huh?

[sentimentalstoic]

He likely knew your own hideouts would be manned, and thus choose his own for your privacy.

[jadedlynx]

I trust the guys I have over those bases, but that door was even locked to Max.

[ So, that was the right call. Ash didn't want other people to see them. They were meant to hopefully get out feelings that can't be expressed with words before they're expressed in nightmares.

Good call, Max.

Ash slides into a seat. Busy day or not, he can sit for breakfast.

... And he doesn't want to jump into it yet. That won't change later, but ten more minutes won't hurt. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

I'll have to earn your forgiveness for seeing, it seems.

[Setting the toast points and caviar in front of him, Blanca turns to begin making a turmeric Turkish, as a digestive morning drink, as well as to have his back turned to allow Ash some privacy to collect his thoughts for the day.

Asher keeps trying to jump on the counter, only to be calmly placed back on the floor each time.]

[jadedlynx]

Better you than them. All they needed was more ammo.

[ Around the third time, Ash sends a look as if asking if Asher's crush is still in place.

He's a cat, he doesn't really expect to be understood, but it's still amusing. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[Seeing that look, Asher seems ready to leave Blanca's side to trot over to Ash and try to hop up on the counter next to him instead. He'll come annoy Ash, for being so cheeky.]

Your feelings don't exist to hurt you. Nor should your expression of them be punished, anymore.

[jadedlynx]

[ Oh? He remembers he exists now? ]

That's a heavy topic to have over breakfast.

[ His eyes stay on Asher. ]

That might not be why they exist, but you know that's how assholes use them. The humiliation is almost as hot for them as sticking it in.

[sentimentalstoic]

[Gonna try to steal off Ash's plate, though.]

Three months ago, I'd have cautioned you to flush such sensitivities, even if it would be a shame for the art world. All the more as you have no intent to ever share them, even anonymously.

[jadedlynx]

Sensitivities, huh? When you say it, it sounds like I'm allergic to grass.

I should've burnt them after. But they'd be there even if I didn't paint anything. The difference is I wouldn't have used an outlet.

[sentimentalstoic]

There's a reason you didn't burn them. You're not someone so impractical as to only lock them up rather than destroy them, if it was all the same to you.

[jadedlynx]

They weren't finished.

[ Some were so abstract that a finish was hard to pinpoint. Some seemed did seem to be finished. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

Have you destroyed any yet?

[jadedlynx]

Yeah. There's a firepit off to the side. I use it when something feels finished.

[sentimentalstoic]

[Wordlessly, he sets a warm, thick Turkish tmeric coffee with the texture of a creamy milk in front of him. He will pour himself a cup of that, while he's at it.

Asher tries to eat Ash's caviar from his toast.]

[jadedlynx]

[ If it's Blanca, this is real caviar so it's just as safe in very small amounts as it is for humans. After taking a bite of his own, he breaks off a very small piece for Asher. ]

Only bite. I'm not having everybody in the house at risk of too much sodium.

[ But with Asher getting a small bite, Kuro needs the same. ]

[sentimentalstoic]

[He does, and he is nuzzling Ash's feet on the floor to remind him.

Blanca doesn't remark on Ash talking to cats.]