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

[papalobo]

Too late, they're already programming the ankle tracker.

[jadedlynx]

Next time, I'll ask for the chat before handing over the check. My fault for falling for a scam.

[papalobo]

Yup, now you gotta take me home.

[jadedlynx]

They didn't tell this was supposed to be an adoption.

I'm going to get some stuff ready.

[ It'll be more useful than just standing here. ]

Any requests?

[papalobo]

[The question seems to blindside him, as if in all this time he hadn't actually stopped to think about the reality of getting out, or what he might have missed or wanted.]

Ah... Uhhhh.....

[It's right out of the McDonalds "I'll have uhhhhhhh...." meme, really. Under prepared for what he should be ready for.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash raises a single brow. ]

Your stay must have been more accommodating that mine.

[papalobo]

I mean, probably, but it's more like getting to see you was the only thing on my mind for all this time, the parts past that just kinda...

[jadedlynx]

I'll already be there. You've probably had some pretty tasteless food. For a guy who likes to eat, you don't have a meal request?

[papalobo]

You just got out, too. M'not gonna make you cook... What was your first outtah prison meal?

[jadedlynx]

Yesterday. I had a sushi salad. I'll eat with you tonight, too.

[papalobo]

S'get hot dogs.

[jadedlynx]

[ Get. That works. Ash isn't actually itching to cook. ]

We'll grab them on the way home then.

[papalobo]

How's all the stuff at your place? The unit kids, the classes while I've been out, and all that.

[jadedlynx]

I took care of most of that stuff before I was brought in. The Unit kids have extra security, the classes were paused. I didn't know how long we'd be. Obvious stuff aside, it could have gone down worse.

[papalobo]

Still out of the loop on how it went down.

[jadedlynx]

I don't know about yours, but I wanted to be a law abiding citizen so I gave myself up.

[papalobo]

I got caught on the run...

[jadedlynx]

I'd have been pretty pissed if you'd decided you were tired and gave up.

[ He leans against the bars. Ash supposes it's the best time to be honest with Max; what's he going to do, squeeze through and smack him on the head? ]

It would have taken me too long to get into the room where they were holding Mr. Wu.

[ Mr. Ash isn't sure they aren't listening. ]

Giving them the address wasn't enough, I had to make them willing to look. It was a trade.

[papalobo]

Guess it's what you had to do to save him. You really can't let anyone go.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash blinks. No lecture about not sacrificing himself? No comment calling him an idiot for thinking too lowly of himself? For a moment, he can't even joke. ]

Huh... Yeah... He was with dangerous people.

[papalobo]

[None of the above. Leaning against the bars, fatigue showing a little more now that his brain is registering that Ash is here, Ash is fine, he continues to stare at him. He'd missed him. He'd worried about him. The fact that he can make Ash take a compliment on being a good person is just icing on the cake.]

Hmm...

[jadedlynx]

You're really okay?

[papalobo]

'Course I am. Prison's not a daily fight for my asshole like it is for you.

[jadedlynx]

You were kept with other people?

[ As assumes Max was as 'isolated' as he'd been. ]

[papalobo]

No. Mostly solitary, besides some questioning. Guess it's the same for you, huh?