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

[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.

[papalobo]

You're the one making threats.

[jadedlynx]

You think only thugs would threaten somebody who might hurt a kid? Maybe focus a little more when you go to those church meetings instead of imagining what life would be like if your wife was willing to do something besides missionary.

Michael isn't dumb.

[ Ash finally steps a way from the window. ]

Try to convince him of anything weird, and you'll be the one on the outside if Jessica lets you live.

[papalobo]

[Tyler doesn't turn away from the window completely, watching the 'movie' outside Ash has lost interest in. Ash knows what kind of 'movie' he's seeing.]

It's trying to protect him. Get prickly all you want, you're the one dating a creep. I know you're a victim too, but Jessica's got to have limits on how far pity takes her on that.

[jadedlynx]

[ That conversation was definitely more annoying than the talk they had over dinner. Tyler is right: it won't be a unique opinion. It's the inclusion of Michael that takes it a step too far.

Still not wanting to interrupt the scene but also not feeling up for a second round of pedo talk, Ash moves off to the kitchen under the guise of looking for more cleanup. In reality, he's looking for solitude until Max is finished. ]

[papalobo]

[Fortunately or unfortunately, not long after it's set up, Max is coming inside looking for him. He wasn't thrilled leaving him alone in the viper's nest to begin with.]

Look at you, being all domesticy and sticking around to make small talk instead of looking for the first chance to bail out for a walk after dinner. You're learning this 'normal' stuff real fast, for your second Thanksgiving.

[jadedlynx]

I looked.

[ Once Max enters, Ash pulls his phone from his pocket and begins to type. ]

I found. I decided to torture myself. I don't get why people are into it.

[ As he finishes speaking, Max's phone should ding with a notification. ]

[papalobo]

[Instead, he makes a face and heads over to Ash, trying to pull an arm around him and yank him in to read Ash's phone directly.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash assumes his intention is to be annoying and though he still doesn't believe himself wrong, he doesn't realize that Max's true goal is the phone.

It's a text to Max with the pictures attached. ]

What are you doing?

[papalobo]

[He's not exactly wrong, as Max is still making a face, still trying to be clingy.]

What're you doing?

[So his hand goes for the phone. He could just check his own, but.]

[jadedlynx]

[ One hand pushes at Max's face while the other keeps the phone out of reach... as much as possible with Max hanging onto him. ]

Check your own phone.

[papalobo]

[So he tries to reel his arm in, reaching for his forearm instead.]

You can just say stuff direct, you know. What're you getting shy for now?