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]

[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.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Things aren't the way they once were between them. Ash is far from stupid so it's obvious that Max is in some kind of odd space in which he believes he can only push back so far. Ash even took advantage of it when things were dangerous in Chicago.

Words won't change it. He's tried as far as he even knows to try, but the blonde isn't sure how to word it though he came as close to possible when telling Max that he missed him even while being at his side.

It's stupid to miss the fighting, but that isn't really what's lacking now but the personality that clashed with Ash's even while being something that Ash needed more than he'd ever admit. The true pain, however, lies in knowing what it means for Max's ego. How much does he hurt? Ash never should've gone with Blanca, but the past can't be undone.

His eyes fall on the same bottle he's drinking. Hm. Maybe... ]

[papalobo]

[It's not all bad. He has Ash here at his side for now. He has a great house. Two. Beach front in New York, with a pool and an overgrown garden yard off the other coast. Good liquor. It's a good life. Ash is safe enough. His own health isn't perfect, but he can do basic bitch stuff. And he's as basic bitch as they come these days. Could probably outrun Jenkins and outdo Jenkins in pushups. Not easily, but it wasn't off the table now.

Liquor numbs a lot of things. It's good liquor. And he can chug fast, whenever a thought threatens him, drown it down and look up at the sky and be away from anything here or real. Ash is giving him a happy life. So take it.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Liquor numbs a lot of things and removes a lot of filters.

It's dirty to use liquor, but Ash isn't getting very far playing clean. Sometimes, doing everything in your power means living with the knowledge that not everything you do is good. For now, he'll see what happens if Max gets drunk enough when not in a bad mood. From there... Well. It's not the most formulated plan, but that's not where it ends, either. ]

[papalobo]

[Max is chatty sober, and he's not a withdrawn drunk. Or wasn't. Or maybe he isn't drunk. But between the fire and the sky and the now unfamiliar again yard, he seems to have enough distractions not to be making small talk.]

[jadedlynx]

You can take a breath to talk sometimes.

[ Then Ash will help invite the conversation. ]

[papalobo]

Liquor me up, see if you can get me to spill the secrets on my latest stories, huh? That the plan?

[jadedlynx]

[ Sip. ]

The spyware keeps me pretty up-to-date on most of them.

[papalobo]

Hoping for another Youtube hit candid camera bit, then?

[jadedlynx]

What would I find on your computer that'd become a YouTube hit?

[papalobo]

Meant with the whole tryin' to get me to talk thing. I'm a real entertaining guy.

[jadedlynx]

Quest's not like you.

[papalobo]

Should I start singing?

[jadedlynx]

If I ever say yes to that question, I'm too drunk.

[ Max isn't even approaching drunk enough yet.]

[papalobo]

[He's also quiet again.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash tries again as the bottle nears empty. ]

It was pretty nice having no neighbors in New York.

[papalobo]

Have we met the neighbors here?

[Max isn't usually a slurring drunk, so talking clearly enough doesn't mean anything, but under normal conditions he would recall that Ash had to go through all the niceties with the neighbors; Max remained pleasantly, anti-socially busy with other things.]

[jadedlynx]

Half of us met the neighbors. Kind of. I played nice.

There were a few people I met when I left for my hikes, too. A woman about five houses down knows you have a record, but she thinks it was for murder.

[ Just so Max knew. ]

[papalobo]

Be rude to disappoint her. M'sure I can find someone.

[jadedlynx]

Don't waste it. She's too afraid to come around to confirm anything.

Was L.A. better than New York?

[papalobo]

You're askin' if pork ribs're better'n beef ribs.

[jadedlynx]

You couldn't pick one?

[ That was at least an answer. Kind of. ]

[papalobo]

Both're so good it's impossible to imagine bein' picky. 'specially when I get to have both. Shit, if I wanna go somewhere fancy when you do, nothin's keepin' me from spoiling myself if for some reason I want Rockafeller Oysters instead'a ribs.

[jadedlynx]

I like L.A. better.

[ Perhaps the house is nicer in New York, but: ]

In a land of models and actors, I don't stick out as much.

[papalobo]

Nah, you're still too hot for everyone to handle.