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Set later in the evening after Having Faith
Jack Martingale: In the absence of alcohol after a conversation like the one Jack had just had with Aaron, he's chosen to immediately change into pajamas and treat himself to delivery rather than leftovers.
He's still flickery and shuddery, and the coppery scent of blood is apparent as soon as one might walk into the living room, overpowering the normally strong scent of an oncoming rainstorm. Jack's curled up on the couch in said pajamas, controller in hand, playing some mindless game with the sound way down. Badly, probably - he's never really been one for video games.
Asbolus: With the volume down the sound of someone making their way into the house, keys jangling before they were placed into a pocket, drifted towards the living room to herald Asbolus' appearance. The Darkling was dressed for work and he looked ready to head to his room to change before spotting his flickering housemate curled up on the couch. He paused, eyebrow arched a touch as he took in the scene before him. "Everything alright?"
Jack Martingale: By the time Asbolus gets from the front door to the living room doorway, Jack's paused the game, looking a bit hesitant as he waits for confirmation as to who it is that's come home.
Asbolus gets a slightly strained smile and a shrug as he appears. "Yeah, it's...yeah, 'm fine. Rough day, you know," he's clearly trying to downplay it. "Your day okay?"
Asbolus: "Been there." He nodded quietly, making a 'may I?' gesture towards the couch. "It went well, all told. Nothing too exciting, which isn't a bad thing."
Jack Martingale: Jack gestures back, a 'sure, yeah,' and shifts over, curling up a little tighter as he does. It's not like he's taking up that much room to begin with.
"'S good, 's good..." Jack agrees distractedly. "Aaron was over earlier, I uh...we talked about some shit. Not...I mean it was bad, but...not between us. Just...shit about Before, mostly." He grimaces slightly.
Asbolus: Asbolus claimed a seat on the touch, thinking a moment on the name given before the lightbulb went off. "Ah...anything I can do to help you feel more at ease? More than willing to listen if you need it, or just be here if the extra presence helps."
Jack Martingale: "Mmmh..." Another grimace. "I mean what I really want is a drink. But you being here...will help me not do that. Dunno that there's much to talk about."
Asbolus: "Can make some tea if you'd like. Always helps me in more trying times." He offered with a small smile, nodding as Jack continued. "It touched enough of a nerve that you're still rattled, which is telling."
Jack Martingale: "Yeah," Jack's chuckle is a little hollow. "Yeah, it kinda did. I'd...take some tea, 'f you're gonna make some." There's a few beats of silence, and he stares at his knees.
"You...don't remember a lot about your time Before, right?"
Asbolus: "Certainely. Black or green?"
"Quite the opposite, actually. I've always had a particularly keen memory; only what happened while I was gone isn't always clear."
Jack Martingale: "Black's fine - get the feeling I'll be up anyway, might as well have some caffeine." He shakes his head. "Ah - sorry, that makes sense. What uh...are they good memories? Even if they're bittersweet, now?"
Asbolus: "On it." With that he moved to the kitchen to get a kettle on and prepare a pair of mugs, the tea strainers packed just so in a practiced manner. "There were some darker moments, as there always are, but yes for the most part."
Jack Martingale: "Mmmh. I got the opposite. Mostly shit memories with a few okay ones in the mix." Jack stands with a groan and pads into the kitchen.
"It's uh...an' I don't remember Over There enough to even know 'f it's worse than Before. Which is just..." he shakes his head with a huff.
Asbolus: "Sorry to hear that. Glad you had a few points of light in there, at least." He nodded, leaning against the counter while the kettle started to heat up. "Those memories have been becoming clearer for me as of late, which is a blessing and a curse in equal measure. It's good to know, on some level, but some of what I did while I was there is hard to look back on."
Jack Martingale: "It's always rough when memories from Over There start to come back, yeah." Jack nods and hops up to sit on the island. "You ever wanna talk about it, I'm around, yeah?"
Asbolus: "Will do, and the same goes for you as well." He thought a moment, looking Jack over as he got settled on the island. "What are some of the good memories from before for you?"
Jack Martingale: "...Uh." Jack runs a hand through his tousled hair. "Couple memories from when I was real little - parents took my sibling an' me to Disney when we were like...ten? The uh...judge shaking my hand when I got my name and gender changed. Couple smaller things, going on tour wasn't so bad even if the production itself was kind of a mess..."
Asbolus: Asbolus nodded, smiling a touch at the last anecdote in particular. "I can imagine. Never toured myself but there were some interesting moments backstage on a few of the productions I was in at university."
Jack Martingale: "Backstage is always a trip," Jack says with a grin. "Even if it's overall a bad one. At least you can trauma-bond with everyone else stuck in the same shitty production..." A small shake of his head. "But the bad shit's just...always there."
Asbolus: "Indeed." He looked ready to continue before the whistling of the kettle caught Asbolus' attention, taking a moment to pour the water into the waiting mugs before turning off the burner and setting the kettle back to the side for the moment as the tea began to steep. "Mmm. Always in the background, waiting for the proper moment to pop up and remind you of its presence, no?"
Jack Martingale: "Yup. I know 's what therapy's for, but it feels...I mean 's not like we can just find any old therapist, you know?"
Asbolus: "Sad but true. I imagine there are some in the community at large that could help on that front, but finding them would be the trick."
Jack Martingale: "Yeah. And then the whole issue of conflict of interest, too..." Jack grimaces. "I had some stuff set up with another Spring, but that didn't really end up going much of anywhere, I don't think we were really the right fit. I'll find something. Hopefully. Or just...deal, or something."
Asbolus: "Hopefully. Don't feel like you have to deal with it alone, though; that's what we're here for." He said with a small smile, motioning to the house about them briefly. "Keeping each other afloat is important."
Jack Martingale: "It's...I don't wanna drag - especially Mearc and Lux - into my..." Jack trails off. "'S mostly to do with religion and shit, and...they've got enough on their plates finding their ways without me holding 'em back." He runs a hand through his hair again. "And I know they'd say they're fine with it, but...if I don't have to dump it on them I'd rather not."
Asbolus: "Perhaps, but if they do have the space on their plate to help they'll want to, and I imagine they'll want to be given that option rather than not knowing what's bothering you."
Jack Martingale: "Mmmph." Jack doesn't sound very optimistic about it. "Doesn't mean I wanna bother either of 'em with it. And they're both so busy, I dunno 'f they'd have to spoons to listen to me whine about it, anyway."
Asbolus: "You won't know that unless you ask, and it's not whining." Asbolus reiterated, giving Jack a quiet "I see what you're doing" look. "You have the people to support you if you need it."
Jack Martingale: The charcoal-sketch changeling squirms under that Look. "Yeah, I know," he finally mumbles.
"Part of it's that...it's hard for me to talk about at all. 'Cause it means I have to actually think about that shit. The conversation I had with Aaron was...uncomfortable as fuck, even if I'm glad I had it. I don't...mm. Sometimes it feels easier to just...not."
Asbolus: "It may be easier in the moment, but pushing through it and engaging it is worth it in the long run. There was a lot I had to work through personally once I got back, and some of it I still am struggling with, but putting the effort into it has opened up things I wouldn't have imagined before."
Jack Martingale: "Goddamit Asbolus, calling me on my bullshit - that's supposed to be my job for other people..." Jack's tone doesn't have any heat in it though, and he gives the other Changeling a smile.
Asbolus: "Well, someone has to do it." Asbolus replied with a smile of his own. "We all have our burdens to bear, but we also have those close to us to help balance the load."
Jack Martingale: "Yeah...I know. Working on believing it's a whole 'nother thing, but...I know." Jack huffs, his silhouette a little less flickery now. "Thanks for listening, it...every little bit helps, even if it's hard to talk about."
Asbolus: "Long as you keep working on it, that's what's important. It took a good year or so - and seeing you three bond as well as you did - for me to start putting the proper effort into stepping out of my own shadow, so I know how it goes."
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