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]

[Finally, deciding Ash isn't going to send him for anything else, he sits down to get settled, himself, pulling closer to the fire.]

Drunk-sitting's about it, isn't it? I'll be drunk too, but I'm better at it than you, more years of experience.

[jadedlynx]

Better at drunk sitting?

[ As he takes the second 'sip', one thin, blonde brow raises. ]

Or just the drunk part?

[papalobo]

Drunk part. I'm not great at sober-sitting.

[jadedlynx]

Even after all of that practice?

[ Ash isn't planning to pick on Max too much tonight, but he really did give that one to him. ]

Do you think you're better because you can drink more than me?

[papalobo]

Be pretty sad if I couldn't, I've got at least fifty pounds on you. [Sip.]





But yes.

[jadedlynx]

[ Max isn't wrong and so, Ash doesn't argue, but tonight is about fun, not winning. ]

Then we'll make a bet on it. Keep drinking. In an hour, we'll do some tests. If you're less drunk, you can have a turkey pass.

[papalobo]

What kinda turkey pass?

[jadedlynx]

The kind you asked about earlier. You get a free pass tonight.

[ While Ash isn't entirely certain he'll win, he also knows Max won't do anything too bad to him if he can think of something to do at all. Will he be annoyed? Very likely, but will it be lively if there are no stakes? ]

[papalobo]

Could be pretty dangerous. You sure you wanna risk that? On a holiday?

[jadedlynx]

I'll hide the phone and keys beforehand.

[ Though he's confident that he won't be so drunk as to make bad decisions. ]

[papalobo]

Your phone's got a lock.

[jadedlynx]

So we'll lock your phone.

[ Max is the one most likely to call someone while drunk, anyway. ]

[papalobo]

Jessica's still blocked.

[jadedlynx]

You know how to unblock somebody.

[ Ash holds out a hand. ]

I'll hide mine, too.

[papalobo]

If I did, I'd unblock her and would've texted her once today already! Pre-turkey me and unblock her.

[jadedlynx]

Wait. You really don't? And I'm the one people pretend to worry about?

[papalobo]

You put some kinda thing so I can't text her.

[jadedlynx]

[ Smirking, he makes a motion with his hand that reminds Max that he's waiting for his phone. ]

Sounds like you should put a lock on your phone.

[papalobo]

[And yet he makes no move to fetch it for him!]

It's got one.

[jadedlynx]

Give me the phone. It's a small price to pay for a dare you're sure you're going to win.

[ Tonight really should be about nothing. No worries, no heavy cloud hanging over his head. ]

[papalobo]

If you'll forgive anything, it should include phone stuff.

[jadedlynx]

That'll be too annoying.

[ The cleanup would be too annoying if it involved other people, but this idea is becoming more annoying than it's worth. Ash is willing to fight with Max, but not over this. ]

Bet's off. Now it's just drinking.

[papalobo]

Jokes on you, I like drinking.

[jadedlynx]

The bet involved drinking, too.

[ But Ash seems unbothered that the idea didn't work out. If everything had to go his way, he'd have given up on life a long time ago.

The firepit casts dancing flames across his face as he takes another drink. Just drinking it is.

It's not the worst way to spend a night. ]

[papalobo]

[Well, it's not like he actually trusted some unilateral 'forgiveness' anyway. And when pressed for what he'd do, he's not even sure. Argue about what he thinks Max thinks about him and his 'family friendly' rating, but that was probably actually too real to count in a bet.

Letting Ash think that doesn't seem like the 'right' move but with his history of 'right', it's best to just stop thinking for himself and let it all happen. Ash'll stay with him and they'll have a fun enough life drinking, he'll get in more normal than he thinks he deserves for Michael's sake, might find himself settling into it and realizing it, if the fantastical meetings with world famous musicians in foreign ports doesn't delay the sense that 'normal' has become 'normal' for too long.

Come to think of it, nothing ever even came of the oddities in Japan, did it? Even all of that really was just harmless 'Ash is attractive' setups, then.

See? Normal's not in the cards for Ash. His idea of 'right' isn't anything to act on. Better to drink and leave thinking to the smart people.]