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 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."]

[jadedlynx]

I'm pissed at them too so let's hit some stuff instead.

[ It's far from Ash's usually sophisticated plans. ]

[papalobo]

I don't wanna.

[jadedlynx]

[ He frowned. ]

There are a lot of faces I could've imagined.

[papalobo]

Stuff aren't faces.

[jadedlynx]

I have a good imagination and a punching bag. The faces are in jail. Or dead. I'll never forgive Dino, either.

[papalobo]

I might piss on his grave again while I'm over there. If I was going.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash tries to lean on him again. ]

Want a boost over the fence.

[papalobo]

I'd offer to have you come piss too but he might've liked that.

[jadedlynx]

[ His head shakes. ]

Dino hated when I was crude. He wanted a proper lady for a sex slave.

[papalobo]

M'goin' to bed.

[jadedlynx]

Come back outside with me. I won't mention anymore perverts .

[papalobo]

So we'll just play house.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash shakes his head and steps back though he has to use a hand to catch himself on the sink. ]

Don't fly anything until you're sober. Don't get put in jail. If you're not here in the morning, at least tell me where you'll be and when you'll be back.

[ He never took the phone. ]

[papalobo]

It doesn't fix anything. We'll go drink and talk about turkeys or something.

[jadedlynx]

Neither does drinking or talking about turkeys. It's a Thanksgiving miracle, and Max is back into Max's body so I'll forgive anything that follows those conditions. Just know that if you get hurt, you're getting slathered with makeup.

[papalobo]

Stick to painting canvases.

[jadedlynx]

Then make sure you dodge a punch.

Things don't improve from stagnation without change. Go to New York. You've done stupider stuff for lesser reasons.