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]

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.

[papalobo]

The moment's over. I learned from last time.

[jadedlynx]

It's not just a moment.

[ Ash needs more alcohol. ]

I can't prove anything if you won't trust me at all.

[papalobo]

You don't actually want me doing anywhere or doing anything. You want me to wanna, without doing it. That's what you said. Right?

[jadedlynx]

I don't want you in jail or seriously hurt. That's the same conditions I'm placing now.

Do you know how hot it was when you pissed on Dino's grave? I'm not even into piss.

[papalobo]

You can stop.

[jadedlynx]

I'm not lying.

[papalobo]

So you were lying back then?

[jadedlynx]

[ Finally, it seems the courage from the alcohol fades. He looks away. ]

Do you know how stupid it is to be happy somebody did something that stupid for you? I lost IQ points just by being a witness.

[ Sighing, he scratches at the back of his neck. ]

Tonight took away a few more. I haven't lied, but I got pretty desperate. I'll finish up out back.

[papalobo]

[But he gets a snap; Max's hand slams down on the bathroom countertop.]

You gave a tearfull goodybe to the cats! You were gonna end it over it! I had to beg! I had to promise I'd be a good boy and behave! I'm agreeing I'll go pick up some side-piece so you can feel less guilty about the other guy! I went back when you were in Chicago!

Now, what, you're bored? Not too worried I can get up to too much trouble with them in jail and China being quiet? Shit, just file another date with the competent lover, why don't you?

[jadedlynx]

I know!

[ Ash snaps back in return. ]

I screwed up! Do I need to draw a damn picture?! I'd just spent a week being gang raped and having to imagine them doing the same thing to you!

You don't think I cried and panicked when you left me?! I organized fucking search parties that had entire groups knowing I'd probably just gotten dumped and instead of acting like an adult, now had a bounty out on his ass! I stood in the damn VA asking you to come back after you ran away! I never made it out of the fucking house that night, Max, so don't stand there and pretend like somebody can't end a relationship and still be in love because the only way you wouldn't understand that would be if you stopped loving me then! And I don't buy that!

[ His lips thin further. There's still anger in his words, but there's somebody else. ]

Nobody told you you had to be with somebody else, too.

[papalobo]

If I don't, you'll just keep dragging it back to being about him.

[It's an absent explanation, as if that topic isn't even really important, off hand.]

In the VA you--[He remembers being the one chasing him down the hall. It's painful enough to be pretty hard to forget. But the energy drains. This is just hurting Ash again. Ash is right. Ash gets his way.]

When I sober up I'll go piss on a grave and bribe a prison guard to bribe some sickos to get their sick on on some 'approved' targets. Or something. I'll have time to think it out more.

[jadedlynx]

[ Maybe there's a lot of things Ash should focus on. There's definitely a lot of emotions to acknowledge. But... ]

So you're going to? Find somebody else?