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]

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.

[jadedlynx]

I went from getting jumped every night I went out to taking early-morning walks without even being groped.

[ Obviously, both are an exaggeration. Ash wasn't raped daily -- anymore -- and he did receive unwanted attention here, but it had been a dramatic decrease. ]

[papalobo]

Just stopped tellin' me about it when it happens, huh?

[jadedlynx]

When it happened in New York?

[papalobo]

Every night 'n all. Guess after how I reacted to the last one, s'the only thing that makes sense. Not like I'd make it any better.

Need another bottle?

[jadedlynx]

You were with me some nights and saw it didn't happen. A writer should know hyperbole.

Yeah. Grab more.

[ Max isn't drunk enough yet .]

[papalobo]

I better, or it'd mean I was serious just now.

[Up he gets, though, entirely serious about more liquor.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash watches for any kind of sway in his step. There'd have been more even if Max didn't offer. ]

[papalobo]

[It's there, but he could just be feeling more gimpy as the night draws on. It's nothing severe. But Max's broader motor reflexes were usually good until completely smashed.

He's back with two bottles, a Wild Turkey bourbon and a cheaper (but still by no means 'bum wine') rum, in case Ash wants something sweeter as a 'dessert' to their liquor post-dinner-dinner.

He intends to stay on theme with Turkey. The name suddenly hit him as amusing enough to bring down for the next drink.

He explains none of this, despite normally surely being prone to running his mouth on it as an 'interesting' story, drunk or not.]

[jadedlynx]

Turkey, huh?

[ But Ash notices, and he'll be the one to comment. ]

It's been a really long time since I've had a second bottle. You missed out on the bet.