Day 328, Friday, November 28th

[papalobo]

[It's weird, to end up at a home that's not home. He's spent more time there than anywhere else this year, but that says more about his transience than anything. If told five years ago he would live such a lifestyle, he'd have believed that, but not the part about most of those multiple places being not just six but seven, eight figure abodes.

And yet it's Jessica's home (still probably the nicest one he'd lived in as an adult, before Ash swept in) they're doing Thanksgiving in. Maybe it's a fear of being upstaged on her part if it's in such a house; such a naive thought is, while unvoiced, just more proof of Ash's suspicions, that Max's mind is on something, something Ash had likely been trying to put his mind on for months. Because with even half of his braincells to put to it, he'd suspect the worst sooner.

It's not until they're pulling up to the house and there are two other cars there that he remembers the hell of Thanksgiving is not only family, but family you don't normally have to see. And thanks to Michael, Jessica's family is still his family.


And their ride is a taxi. It's not like they can turn around. Though Michael coming out to greet them right away in a hurried excitement would've made it impossible in anything.]

...Maybe she decided to start investing in cars. But not especially good ones. To be more undercover. As a journalist.

Day 375, Friday, December 14th

Comments

[jadedlynx]

[ It was also for Michael. Holidays are something Ash is trying to find meaning in, not something overly special so he thinks his grandparents would have been just as happily traded the day for a longer visit. But, if they'd been here the day before, there'd have been a greater number of people around, and that increased the likelihood of a fight. Ash doesn't want the kids to associate holidays and Max with that any more than he already does. ]

Good catch.

[ Perhaps it's not polite to compliment Jessica on catching the plates after being the reason they were falling, but Ash isn't polite. ]

[papalobo]

Really, like attracts like.

["Both you and your ex-husband are impulsive and violent."]

Don't be silly, dear, she's much better at it than him.

[Even said through grit teeth, he might somewhat mean it as a compliment. It's harder to tell.]

Geeze, you'd think I insulted her kid...

[jadedlynx]

[ Or, he's afraid of her.

Or he thinks she's hot and would still compliment her. Hot people get away with a lot more things.

Ash doesn't actually like or dislike either, but he's also someone who'd doesn't force conversation. Compounded by the fact that he's inherently more likely to interact with those closer in age, he's happy to focus on cleaning the table.

If he hurries, he can likely take a surprise picture of Max and Michael. While Ash has no interest in them himself, Max had a picture of Michael in his cell, and it's something the kid might like.]

[papalobo]

[Natalie will talk of some involvements with a church bakesale, but for the most part, in the short time it takes to get a dishwasher loaded, things are able to be peaceful enough: he can go snap his picture. It's simple enough Max doesn't actually need instructions, but he has Michael hold then open, up, and read them; Ash can probably tell by the angle Max is 'looking' down at, he's not actually concerned with seeing the paper. Maybe he just trusts Michael's reading enough to go off of that.]

[jadedlynx]

[ That's likely. As long as it's safe enough, he's someone who can laugh at the result and consider that an experience, but Ash knows Max is skilled enough with his hands that no instructions are needed.

He takes a few pictures but simply waits. It isn't the kind of activity that changes often enough to earn a lot of pictures.

When it's finished, they'll leave. Michael will have a few more toys and one more memory, but ultimately, it's temporary. But, of the problems today,Jessica wasn't really one of them. Maybe it can happen again.

Maybe he's being too optimistic.

This is one time he wishes he can turn off his brain.]

[papalobo]

Hnn... Wasn't it him that used to be the photographer?

[Ash is caught being a good family record keeper after a while.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Unintentionally, his guard lowers when he feels safe in a situation, but it's a rarity. Perhaps a combination of days has eased him a little.

While Ash is hardly a fan of Jessica's family, Michael aside, their words haven't been painful enough to cause any real dislike. Still, he startles slightly, lost in his thoughts and the movie outside.

He soon settles back into a neutral posture. ]

You don't need to be a professional for the family stuff. I can point and click okay.

[ He won't mention Max's lack of current pictures. That is largely on Max, too. ]

[papalobo]

Kids these days still say "point and click" even though nothing 'clicks' on a phone-camera, huh? Ever held an old camera-camera?

[jadedlynx]

[ He's been on the wrong end of a clicking camera. Ash really does handle most 'triggers' so well that it's impossible to even know what may or may not bring memories, but that sound is one of them. ]

I'm not old man enough for that.

[ He was too young to be into pictures before the phones fazed them out. ]

A phone is more convenient, anyway.

[papalobo]

Guess he didn't groom you that far, then.

[He says as if Ash having been groomed by Max is an open and known, accepted take on the whole affair.]

[jadedlynx]

[ And yet, it's such a comment to come unexpected. Ash knows that their age difference and his youth can imply a certain scenario, but it was hardly a given.

And the comment isn't out of concern. ]

You must be looking pretty hard to see somebody who's been groomed.

[papalobo]

Psht. [He lets out a snort and gives a raised eyebrow.] You're not young enough you gotta pretend that's not it anymore, none of it's illegal now, you're legal and all.

[jadedlynx]

Wait.

[ Ash gives an exaggerated blink. ]

Are you saying Max groomed me? Does he know?

[papalobo]

Oh, yeah. He knows.

[He knows Ash is being sarcastic, but.]

In fact, he did it on purpose!

[jadedlynx]

Wow. I'll let him know. I can't believe I let that happen. I'd say I'll remember to be careful next time, but it stops being grooming once you hit 18.

Are you one of those guys who's going to be petty because Max bagged the hot sister so you're going to spew stupid stuff? If you are, can we skip to the end? It's a pretty boring conversation.

[papalobo]

"The hot sister"? You've got Mommy and Daddy issues, huh? He sure likes the messy ones... Nat's a little uptight, so maybe you didn't notice, but my wife's a looker, too.

[jadedlynx]

Don't get it confused. I'm not into her. I told you, I've run into this before.

[ Maybe just once, but Ash is sure there are more waiting.

No, even that isn't right. Max has been insulted for being with Ash, too. ]

If it's not jealousy, what's your need to make him look bad? You just keep looking worse instead.

[papalobo]

It's not that anyone here's trying to make him look bad. It's that what he's doing is a bad look.

[jadedlynx]

Everything is red when you look through red lenses. I wasn't groomed. Is that it? I was busy.

[papalobo]

[Approaching, he leans against the window still, looking out.]

Busy making sure he doesn't do nothin' to his kid?

[Because Ash knows how Max is.]

[jadedlynx]

Say that again, and it's not Max who'll make sure you can't say it a third time. It doesn't just mess with Max, but it'll mess with Michael, too.

[papalobo]

I get that you wanna defend him. But you can't punch out everyone who sees it. You don't think the kid's gonna hear people talking about his celebrity dad and step dad-brother?

[jadedlynx]

[ It's not like Ash hasn't thought of the impact his presence in Michael's life. Often. ]

You going to be one of those people?

[ That's not a problem Ash can walk away from as easily. ]

[papalobo]

Gonna go 'Thug Life' on me?

[jadedlynx]

What would I know about being a thug?

[ Ash is Ash Golzine, after all. ]

You're really on a row with your weird assumptions.