daemonized | RECOLLE IC CONTACT.

[And so Ardyn picks up right back where he left off. Cleaning the wound is a straightforward task, though made more complicated by all the dried blood. Still, when that's done, he moves on to unravelling clean bandages. He works idly, automatically even, as he replies.]

Only a handful of others, I think. The ones who have been telling me their memories, so it's only fair that I do the same. I think it might be time to be more transparent with some of my family, too.

[A slight brow raise, not that Jack would be able to see it.] I didn't know you and Grell were exchanging memory stories. Tell me about this "grandma thing".

Eh, nothing special. [ A slight wave of his hand. ] I remembered some other grandma - I mean, she didn't look like my real grandma, but somehow I knew that's who she was? Different house, different place, never seen any of it before, but she was whipping my ass with the odd end of a friggin' axe. Thing. Like, think of an axe, but instead of the pointy end, it's just a goddamn tetanus-ridden sawblade.

Bitch.

[ He should probably be slightly more solemn and/or traumatized by all of this, he knows, but it gets kind of ridiculous after a certain point.

Abruptly: ]

What was your childhood like?

[He’s right, everything about this was borderline ridiculous, but that doesn’t make the admission of being beaten with a saw blade object any less horrific. Ardyn’s hands hesitate a bit as he begins to wrap the bandages properly this time.

Of course, any comment he was about to make was interrupted by Jack’s question. (Don’t think he’s not going to loop back around to this new, traumatizing memory eventually.)

Another beat, though his hands continue to work again, slowly.]

My childhood was… fine. [He almost laughs at his own words. Fine. How vague. He tries again.] Or rather, I should preface anything I say with, yes, I realize that I have no reason to complain. Countless others have had exponentially worse than I. [He exhales.] My parents placed all of their expectations and aspirations on me, and my eldest siblings hated me because of it. But I somehow managed to weather the storm of daily passive-aggressive sniping without too much injury. Of course, when you're a child, you only think that your parents are strict and your siblings are mean. It isn't until you're older that you gain new... perspective on the matter.

[Don’t sound bitter. Don’t. Sound. Bitter. He moves the focus to another sibling that doesn’t immediately bring up negative associations.]

…My youngest brother, so detached via age difference from everyone else, clung to me like glue. My attentions were scattered, and it was tiring. Exhaustion was a close friend of mine, during my teenaged years.

[Remember that looping around? Here it comes.]

But I never had a hand laid on me.

Ya don't have to keep doing that, you know. [ An idle wave. ] It wasn't that bad, it could've been worse, blah blah. Just sounds like you just dealt with a different flavor of bullshit than I did. At least she never expected anything out of me. Never had to deal with my brother either, he got shuffled off on an aunt or something.

Sounds like hell, though.

[ But who knows - maybe if Jack had been the one with the overbearing parents, he would've turned out differently. Maybe if Ardyn had had the psychotic grandparent, he would've gone the "rebel without a cause" route too. There's no telling. ]

You grow up the way I did, you get to this point where it's just kinda... I dunno. Annoying? Like, ugh, gotta go home and get new clothes, gram's probably gonna whip my ass, maybe I'll crash on Kenny's couch tonight, that kinda thing. You do whatever you want. You get old enough to start hitting her back and she backs the fuck up 'cos she don't wanna get smacked the fuck up, unless you're both kinda drunk and pissed off that night. Then you wake up in the hospital and tell the doctors you got jumped on the way home.

[ #oversharing strikes again. ]

What I'm saying is, your childhood sounds even more ballsack than mine, chief.

[As far as Ardyn's concerned, he does have to say it; because it could have been worse, and he's studied his fair share of family law cases that are legitimate proof of this. Ardyn had a roof over his head, a warm bed to sleep in, was fed and clothed, and money was never an issue. He refuses to turn his childhood into a sob story, which is indicative of three things: 1) Rationalizing it, 2) his own way of coping, or 3) just another shade of denial.

Ardyn often goes for the fourth route, which is just not lingering on the past long enough to make any real assessment of it. Dismissiveness fits his personality better, anyway.

So it should come as no surprise that he doesn't reply immediately, instead focusing on tending to Jack's head. When he's done with the gauze/bandages, he cuts off the excess, making sure it's all going to stay together before he steps back to assess his work. All-in-all, it's definitely better looking than what was there before.

Only then does he reply to what Jack was saying prior.]

Is becoming tired and accepting of it really much better? At least in my case I managed to perfect the art of the verbal back-and-forth, and didn't have to worry about hospital bills.

Annnnnd I learned how to ride a motorcycle. See, we each came out of it with some valuable life skills.

[ But Ardyn's finished, and now Jack sits forward again, immediately... reaching up to touch it. Because of course he does. ]

And we both mastered the fine art of pissing people off. I can touch this, right?

[ Hopefully, because he's touching the shit out of it. ]

[Jack. Jack pls. He just redid those. Stop.]

If I told you no, would you stop?

...Aw, hell. For you, sure. [ He drops his hands. ] Kinda hurts anyway.

[ A pause. Ugh, gratitude. But Jack stands, giving Ardyn a friendly pat on the shoulder as he passes back towards wherever the hell he left his plate. ]

You're a lifesaver, Ardie.

[ I am like 80% sure Fynn's called him that at some point but otherwise pretend it's just a stupid nickname out of nowhere. Because this is Jack's kind of gratitude. ]

[You are indeed correct that Fynn has called Ardyn that over the oh-so very public network. He mentally curses at his brother for revealing that childhood nickname to the world, but outwardly just gives his usual cheeky smile.]

You're more than welcome. But let's not start calling me by that nickname, shall we?

You stay off John and you've got yourself a deal, professor.

[ Fingerguns and a wink. ]

That, uh - that's your brother, right? The one knockin' around town. Issat the little one that used to chase you around?

[But "John" was his leverage against Jack if he ever started calling him "kiddo" again. Now that's all but null and void. What a shame.]

The one who was bragging about his newest financial blunder over the network recently? [Ardyn gives a little "ha", but moves back over to where his plate was.] Yes, that's Fynn. I'd say he's grown more independent since those days, but since he's currently sleeping on my couch, I'm going to have to hold my tongue for now.

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