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]

I keep forgetting I got money, so I still end up trying to think how to afford something sometimes.

[jadedlynx]

You've always been pretty bad at being rich.

You'd probably have some kind of job right now without the money.

[papalobo]

Yeah, I'm all unemployed now.

[jadedlynx]

Unemployed? You're still writing.

[ With the towel still over his head and his body on display, Ash shoots Max a quizzical look. ]

[papalobo]

That's the joke.

[Max isn't looking at his face to notice. He has a body. It's nice. He could look at that all day.]

[jadedlynx]

The joke only works when you're not getting spammed with work offers.

[ As if casually, without knowing Max saw the laptop, Ash adds:]

I'm thinking of finishing school online.

[papalobo]

[It's a really nice body. He forgets to pretend to be surprised.]

A formal PhD could end up useful, I guess.

[jadedlynx]

I guess somebody growing up in a family that didn't think college was important probably has a harder time seeing its use when we're already rich, but yeah, I think so.

[papalobo]

So that is what it was about, huh...

[jadedlynx]

About what? Going to school?

[papalobo]

Yeah. For me it was the social part I was pushing, but that didn't really have a lotta sway for you...

[jadedlynx]

That was the reason behind going in person.

[ With the mood settling into something almost positive, even Ash hesitates to bring it down. ]

I had to leave before that took off.

[papalobo]

If you see a point in going for the whole academic thing, that's still something you didn't think you could have. I'll count it as progress.

[jadedlynx]

Some of the better schools want more than just good scores. The top universities even ask for volunteer time.

[ Which isn't impossible to get, but it isn't something that can happen in an instant, and Ash can't imagine himself on that side of the soup kitchen. ]

[papalobo]

That's for the plebians. You're patrician. You can cake walk into any of 'em.

[jadedlynx]

Going to Harvard or Yale is like moving from New York to L.A. I blend in a little better. I can't just cakewalk into them.

[papalobo]

Now which one of us's bad at knowing we're rich? You're the type of people they give emeritus positions to without even showing up.

[jadedlynx]

Harvard and Yale have a lot of people with money already vying for admission. They won't be so easy to bribe.

[papalobo]

Yeah, but you're a historically important figure, with a sob story background--and that's just the parts they know about. You're good looking, influential in international politics, and you're the star of a number of hard hitting journalism pieces. They'd practically pay you to be able to tie their name to what they expect out of you in the future.

[jadedlynx]

[ Amused, Ash raises a brow. While most of that is true, one element requires questioning. ]

Historically important?

[papalobo]

Sure. You don't think so?

[jadedlynx]

What part of me is going down in a history book?

[papalobo]

You inherited a lotta senators. Some king of Bellariusonisia or something talked to you at a concert in Ireland. You're good looking enough girls're gonna be writing self-insert love stories with you and one of 'em's bound to end up being the romance novelist of the year. If Fifty Shades can make it big, so'll you.

[jadedlynx]

Maybe you should get started on that and beat them to it.

[ With his body now dry, he tosses the towel into the hamper; Ash didn't bring any clothes, but the bathroom sports two large robes. Since they live alone, it's a luxury he happily abuses. ]

Fifty-one shades.

[papalobo]

[Finally, with Ash's body covered, he can look to his face again.]

I was thinking less shades. Make things more clear. More clean cut. Twenty shades of gray.