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

[jadedlynx]

They don't, huh?

[ Ash locks the door to let them inside. It leaves his back to Max. ]

But there's a reason they let me out early. There's going to be a wide scale investigation against them for prisoner abuse.

[papalobo]

[Who were these sons of bitches who could do this to an innocent boy? Why did they seem to be everywhere, as if pulled to Ash by gravity? What world had Max slipped into where such things could happen with no consequences? All the ideals of justice and equality now seemed like cruel jokes, and himself one of the jesters telling it, telling Ash he could have a normal life. What the hell had he known? If he hadn't insisted it were possible, when he should've had the doubts he harbored now, back then, when he should've trusted Ash to know Ash's world, Ash's life, Ash's reality better than himself--when he should have known Ash was always smarter than himself, always right, what was he even bringing to the table?

A familiar rage started building. Those "anger issues." Too incompetent to actually make anything of them, helping make them forgivable in Ash's eyes.

With his back turned, Ash can't see his reactions, either.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Max can probably guess the type of abuse. It's always that type of abuse with him, isn't it? Raped victims are often raped again because somehow, those predators are able to detect wounded prey, but doesn't Ash project strength? ]

It'll probably come out in the news, but they're supposed to leave my name out of it. They have some proof so it'll be pretty hard for them to get off.

[papalobo]

[Ash is now trying to tell him in a way to calm him. Ash is trying to talk as if there's some salvation in this, as if it's less bad, because they'll be punished, as if they can skip the trauma that Ash had to go through, alone, in the immediate aftermath, because they can focus on the future. The future, in which Ash will have to face it in a courtroom. "Anonymously." Right.]

[jadedlynx]

Are you planning on saying something?

[ The most dangerous sound is a loud person becoming quiet. ]

[papalobo]

[Nothing. He says nothing, turning sharply and going back for the truck. It's time to break the rules on his monitor already.]

[jadedlynx]

Max!

[ Hearing the footsteps, Ash turns and grabs his arm. ]

Don't land back in jail already!

[papalobo]

[His arm jerks, hard, angry, a sincere attempt to push him back.]

If I don't, you'll keep acting like it's something you should be able to just shrug through like you do!

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash's attempt to hold him back is just as sincere. ]

Having you in jail won't change my mind, but it will mean I'll hide it when it happens in the future! If you want to change my mind, stay here and change it!

[papalobo]

I can't change it! [Ash is, unfortunately, stronger than him now. Enough that he doesn't even have the raw muscle power to make it at least the struggle he could have before even without hitting him.] That's why this's all I can do!

[jadedlynx]

I want you to stay here with me!

[ This is the anger he's talking about. ]

[papalobo]

Only 'cause you want me outtah trouble, there's nothing me being here does for you!

[jadedlynx]

Because if you're not here, I'm alone with them again!

[papalobo]

Bullshit! What the fuck'm I gonna do, hug it away?! Who's the fucker who spent the last nine months telling you your life wasn't gonna always be this?! You're too smart to feel good 'cause some idiot who don't know what he's talking about says nice things! I don't even say 'em that good! If you get to--nggh... [He tries pushing at Ash's face to see if he can get an opening to make a break for the truck] ---blame yourself for that, so do I!

[jadedlynx]

[ He ducks the hand. ]

You're being a fucking coward and running off to feed your own ego! I'm telling you what I want, and you decide it's a fucking lie because it's not the easy thing for you to do!

[papalobo]

You think going in to a fight I can't win, when I won't even get a bruise on them, feeds my ego?!

[jadedlynx]

Yes! You're doing it for yourself, not me! I didn't spend three weeks hoping for this! I told you what happened, and then I'm fucking begging you not to leave me, but you decide I'm lying because then you feel better about going off on your suicide mission! It's getting harder to believe you when you say you love me if you can't even keep your ass around me when I need you to be around me!

[papalobo]

I'm not helping you! What am I supposed to do, hug you and say sorry it happened?! Where was I 'till now?! Locked up! I already made you deal with the aftermath alone! No fucking wonder you needed a replacement!

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash swings at Max's face. ]

The aftermath?! What, you think it's a two-day cooling period, and then it's all over?! I'm still on the medicine I got from the hospital! It's still happening, Max, and I'm sorry I cheated, but you can get back at me in some way that doesn't involve focusing on your ego right now!

[papalobo]

[He doesn't expect it, and so it goes completely unblocked. It's enough to have him on the ground with a hard grunt, dazed, but too mad to even be surprised, still raging, even if his body is reeling.]

You think this's about 'getting back at you'?!

[jadedlynx]

I think before Blanca, this isn't something I'd have to beg for.

[papalobo]

[Max struggles to sit up, wiping at where Ash's fist made contact with the back of his own hand.]

I'm getting blamed for that shit now...? I know m'the one who told you to do it, but fuck... Now every fuck up I made, you're gonna wrap back around to that? Like I ain't been a fuck-up falling short of Eiji from the start... I hate to break it to you, but when you tried to pick the middle of the road guy, all you got was the worst of both worlds!

[jadedlynx]

You're the one comparing yourself to him, not me! You're so desperate to try to prove something to yourself that you decided the only fucking kind of thing that matters is how hard somebody can punch!

[papalobo]

Should I make it about how hard I can hug you, instead?

[jadedlynx]

[ Suddenly, as if realizing the weight of his words, Ash freezes, a red flush coming to pale cheeks. He was begging Max to stay here and help. Begging. 'I was raped, and now I'm sad. Don't leave me'. Maybe he was more neutered than he thought. Now with that question, shame washes over him. The words sound so ridiculous in his head that the need to have somebody close is humiliating. Weak.

For a moment, shame steals his voice. ]