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]

So? That's all it took for them to back off? Finding out you're not easy?

[jadedlynx]

I killed some of their guys, I still have the Ling kid, and I got the NYPD to storm the hotel room where a lot of them were holding Wu.

[ They found out he wasn't easy in more than one way. ]

[papalobo]

Might be the first time they've ever been any use. [He mumbles the next part more quietly, reaching for the glove compartment to see if he happens to have any cigarettes still stashed there.] Including the whole time I worked there...

[jadedlynx]

They changed plans and was willing to kill Shawn after they grabbed him. They'd do the same with Wu if they knew how close I was to them. Their room was on a private floor. If the cops didn't actually storm them, it'd have made them leave at least. But it's why I had to give them something back. Wu was only in this because of me.

[papalobo]

What about you only bein' in this 'cause you're a good kid, that count for any reason you shouldn't have to be the one sacrificed every time?

[jadedlynx]

The guy served mooncakes to two guys meeting for gang business he's not related to. There's not much of a question as to who's the better guy.

[papalobo]

You could make mooncakes.

[jadedlynx]

Don't let him hear you say that. It'll break his old guy heart. He's an older man than you.

[papalobo]

I have met him, you know. Last time I was locked up.

[jadedlynx]

And before he went off to play stepdad. I remember.

[papalobo]

Almost missed him in solitary this time.

[Pack of cigarettes found, he seems to stop to think now if he really should light up. He's stressed, sure. It'd taste and feel good, sure. But he is also trying to recover. For Ash.

He'll toss them in his shirt pocket for now, instead of fishing one out.]

[jadedlynx]

The youngest Ling might've held back, but I don't think his brothers would. A lot of the questions they asked were about me. They probably would've used him against me eventually.

[ Did that count as self preservation? ]

[papalobo]

So, how long're you gonna hold onto the guy? Any chance of turning him around into one of your friends, too? You got the charisma for it, but...

[jadedlynx]

No. I tortured him.

[ His voice is clinical. He's ready to argue the need for it while also hating himself for the willingness to do it. ]

[papalobo]

[There's a moment of hesitation, eyes briefly widening, then settling in to an accepting expression. Ash wouldn't have done it if it weren't necessary. And it's not secret that Max himself was likely to have taken a few swings and put the guy through some less meaningful but all the same painful torture for the way he thought of Ash, the things he tried to do to Ash.

The guy was an enemy. If anything...]

...You're a nice guy, holding onto him alive. If you let him go, he's more likely to go to the cops on you.

[jadedlynx]

You're going to excuse that too, huh? I cut into his dick.

[ Painful. Humiliating. But usually effective. Usually fast. ]

[papalobo]

Sorry, come again. You what?

[That even comes with a hint of a strained laugh; he had to have misheard. Or this's a weird, weird joke.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Attacking his hands or feet enough to cause the same level of pain would've crippled him. Though the cut was more humiliating, Ash stopped before it became too much to heal. Eventually.

But none of that excuses it from a morale perspective.

Finally, he grins. Max gets it now, right? He can spout excuses. 'They had Shawn, Sing, and Wu. They were all moving. I didn't have time for traditional torture.' But that's all excuse. The treatment and pain medication, the food and therapy, none of it makes him any less of a monster. ]

Want to change a few parts of your story now?

[ Ash doesn't believe in karma, but if he did, he'd know that's why he was raped in that station. ]

[papalobo]

[Broad shoulders hitch up, a bristling sensation in his spine as he turns his neer to the road.]

Wipe that smirk off your face, you're not that sick.

[jadedlynx]

I'm not smiling about what I did. I'm smiling because for a second, you got it.

[papalobo]

That's what I mean! You're not actually even a little bit happy about that!

[jadedlynx]

Not getting off doesn't undo the fact I stuck a knife into his dick.

[papalobo]

So stop acting like you're happy I know about it! That "This's the real me, don't you get it!" bullshit when you actually feel like a damn monster over it and you're hoping I got an out for you!

[jadedlynx]

I'm not looking for an out! I did what I did!

[ Max could demolish the entire structure, and Ash wouldn't see an out. ]

You don't get a pass for that!

[papalobo]

The fact that you think like that's the out! You think I can't tell how much you hate yourself for doing it? For even thinking and knowing how to do it?!