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]

You took it back 'cause I got I was wrong 'n finally did it your way. That's the way it works.

[Bathroom door closed.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He'll have to slam the door on Ash's hand for privacy. ]

Why's it so hard to get that my head was in a bad place after a week of being passed around?

[papalobo]

[Which he's not willing to do.

Because it's what works, despite a visible prickle that runs through his body like a cartoon shiver, further defeated, he holds out his phone in offering. Ash wins. Naturally.]

You didn't do anything wrong. Even if you'd've had a reason to.

[jadedlynx]

How am I supposed to make up for it if you don't let me take responsibility?

[ Instead of taking the phone, he pushes Max against the wall. Or tries. His coordination isn't at his usual level. ]

I'm pissed you ran! Even if you'll understand that my head was in a bad place, get that that won't always apply!

[papalobo]

[He's willing enough to go with it, a hand idly going to Ash's shoulder to keep him stable.]

Nothing to make up for. I'm the guy who ran. You were pissed then, you're pissed now, 'n you got a right to be. If I go now it'll be wrong 'n piss you off. But you miss me being mad so I just gotta "die mad" or whatever the kids say now. I get it.

[jadedlynx]

[ Max drank a lot. The story must've sobered him up. ]

Where would you go if you could?

[papalobo]

Nowhere. You win! You're right!

[jadedlynx]

[ His body falls into Max. ]

This isn't me winning!

[papalobo]

I'm staying! [He won't push him away but he does grab him, shake him, keep him out at arm's length.] I'm not going anywhere! I'm not getting myself put in jail! And I get why I'm wrong to wanna leave you alone with what all happens and keeps happening to go do it! I'm not thinking I can stop it, I'm not telling you it'll stop and making you pretend it's all good! What else do you need to win?!

[jadedlynx]

That.

[ Despite the somewhat rough handling, Ash smiles. ]

I want you to want to badly enough to fight me for it.

[ It sounds so stupid that the look on his face acknowledges the strangeness. ]

I want you to show me it's worth pissing people off and fighting the world. The stuff that made me pissed in the moment did something deeper than that, and you're the only person who would. I won't. If you don't, it's nobody.

[papalobo]

That's leaving you alone! That's being selfish. It doesn't roll back what happened to you. And telling you to round out the triangle with a third lover and roping in Eiji was just 'something-something' wanting the pressure off so I could leave. Am I supposed to get Nabakov's number and tell him to go do something so something gets done while I play Eiji, is that how we get both sides here?

[jadedlynx]

[ He blinks. ]

Stupid. If you play Eiji, who's playing Max?

[papalobo]

Right, right, Max is Eiji now, Sir Gay handles the stuff Max isn't actually up to but wants to do, we play some musical chairs with the names.

[jadedlynx]

So what? I need to give you an electric shock?

[papalobo]

I get a pass today. A turkey pardon. Forget I put it like that.

[jadedlynx]

I'll forgive you if you tell me how to undo it.

[papalobo]

The fact that I can't's why I won't go drunk-fly back to New York after all!

[jadedlynx]

What would you do in New York?

[papalobo]

Nothing, I'm being a good boy and staying home with you like you want.

[jadedlynx]

Answer the question honestly. What would you do in New York?

[papalobo]

Gobble gobble.

[jadedlynx]

Gobble gobble. That means there's no reason to hold back.

[papalobo]

Was gonna figure it out on the trip over while sobering up.

[jadedlynx]

How are you sober enough to pilot a plane, and I'm seeing double?

[papalobo]

Once you get in the air there's not a whole lot to run into, and no cops to flag you, so I figured it'd work out somehow.

[He actually seems a little proud of his own positivity and ingenuity for that part of the "plan."]