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]

Why would I reward you for making me throw up?

[ As if it's Max's fault instead of the copious amounts of alcohol he consumed the night before.

His clothes, as much as he'd brought with him, are upstairs. It's also the master bath so Ash's reply comes as he rounds the corner to climb up to the second floor.

Upstairs, Blanca gets a text. ]

I'm going to stay in L.A. for a little while.

[sentimentalstoic]

Did you want to be that much closer to him just in case?

[Often enough there are longer waits between his replies, a given when he's 'on the job' so to speak, but it's about 4:00 AM in Japan and so Blanca being anywhere out and about or where he needs to be hyperattentive is unlikely.

Given the task he's on and has been on for two months, that he would, ether jokingly or serious, immediately muse on Ash's motivations being Eiji rather than the man whose family is in L.A. is probably a little more jutified.]

[jadedlynx]

If the 'him' you mean is Michael.

[ It wasn't. ]

Pretending that doubling zero will give you two, I doubled my number of Thanksgiving dinners this year.

[sentimentalstoic]

You're becoming a consummate family man.

[jadedlynx]

That's almost an oxymoron.

Is Heather's plan to bore you to death?

[sentimentalstoic]

Eiji is a charming young man, watching his growth is measures better than spending long periods watching a single point for movement in inclement weather.

[That is not actually a ringing endorsement.]

[jadedlynx]

Watching a single point for movement in inclement weather wasn't your alternate plan.

How much longer is he going to drag this out?

[sentimentalstoic]

I can make him stop whenever you need.

[jadedlynx]

Without a dead body?

[sentimentalstoic]

Without an immediate one. Admittedly this is keeping the Chinese Triad's Civil War somewhat in check.

They see him as keeping you from becoming involved as much as you see me keeping him in check. Once they realize your Thanksgiving outing is more permanent, they'll see it as a sign of your pulling out and it may end the stalemate and allow for a few movements.

More importantly, I imagine, he'll finally be paid.

[jadedlynx]

[ Unfortunately, Blanca can't hear the sigh over text. ]

I could've come to L.A. before now if I knew it'd end this part. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not Chinese.

[sentimentalstoic]

I'm not sure if you'd consider the end of the stalemate a good thing.

[Of course he'd like him away from Eiji. But he's also not actually worried about Eiji so much as he's guilty that there's a situation in which one could, hypothetically, be worried.]

[jadedlynx]

I don't think the stalemate is a good thing.

You're not wrong, but we both know it's not going to last forever. How much does Princess know about Heather and Eiji?

[sentimentalstoic]

Enough not to have made grand moves, for your sake. He is courting Chicago for when the time comes. He supposes I'm there still.

["He's courting me but it gives your friend in Chicago a reason to be courted instead of steamrolled."]

[jadedlynx]

[ Then Blanca can't tell him of the change in plans. ]

What's the likelihood that the Lee family will let your presence in Japan slip? I can play the jealous loser, but if he finds out it's an act, there'll be some fires.

[sentimentalstoic]

If you found out I was on a job for two months, would you suppose I was moved by love or money?

[jadedlynx]

It would've been money if you'd also been willing to accept my jobs, but you haven't made yourself available to him.

[ That's not a complaint. ]

But he's delusional enough to grasp any excuse that wouldn't be feelings for me.

I'll let him know my plan to stay out of New York for a bit. He'll know what that means.

[sentimentalstoic]

Have I caused you trouble again?

[jadedlynx]

Are you smiling while you type that?

[sentimentalstoic]

I usually am when talking to you.

[jadedlynx]

I never knew old Russians had so much in common with teenage girls.

I'll let you know how long the princess needs. Looks like you'll be free of Japan by Christmas.

[sentimentalstoic]

You don't want to do a vacation here with me?

[jadedlynx]

Why would I come back to L.A. just to go to Japan?

[sentimentalstoic]

The sting of rejection.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash's head won't allow for him to actually contact Yut Lung yet. ]

It's not a total rejection. After this is settled, we'll have a longer call.