MONTGOMERY WARDEYN && DR. WARDEYN.
She was going through the motions of their dance when suddenly a necklace was dropped into her hand. This began a whole slew of strangeness. It was cheap, but only because the spoon was found for free? Not that Monty knew that. It just looked cheap to her. If the spoon it was made from came from the Doctor Wardeyn's home their mother would surely recognize the pattern and eventually question how he'd gotten it turned into such artwork as they didn't exactly have access to such precise bending or buffing tools inside the asylum at his disposal. They aren't exactly giving hammers and hacksaws to patients. It wasn't exactly cheap nor easy for a patient to send it out and have custom jewelry made either. As luck would have it she was tipsy now and paid no mind to the necklace on her daughter.
Monty however did not recognize it. Like she cares what's in the attic, her mother's precious, boring, garbage, that collected dust. So, she accepted it for now and let him put it around her neck to be nice to her brother. She smiled here with every bit of excitement her brother was giving her a gift. She leaned in and whispered, "I love you." Then she pulled back and rolled her eyes like she was trying to say it where their mother wouldn't hear because she didn't want her making a fuss out of them being sweet. They both knew she would and ew neither of them needed anymore of that. "All your moments are dramatic, my boy." Jude teased her son back with a big smile enjoying his presense.
The mother and daughter pair finished their dance and Monty held the heart necklace in her hand and winked as she said, "Night Bay." She gave it a little shake as a reminder she cared and it was another way to give him another thank you for it and show appreciation. "I will." She said about the phone on the way out to the garage. She'd sit in the car and the sight of the Penguin would actually make her jump. She'd scream, "BAY!" It'd be heard from inside the garage all the way into the house.
Jude would stare at her son with one of those "what did you do now" Mom faces. Then she'd just shake her head as she heard the car back out and the garage door go back down. Whatever it was Monty didn't come back in furious so she'd let it go. It made Jude laugh.
"Oh you two."
She was squeezing and rubbing over her son's forearms which were currently wrapped around her from behind. Celestis was right. It was a Bayden thing to do. She tilted her head into him and enjoyed the moment a little longer.
She wouldn't notice Bayden messing with her drink. Good thing. It'd change her fast. Happy tipsy would turn to mean.
"Yes darling. Of course." She'd turn around in his arms and embrace him in a big warm hug instead of just close enough to dance.
A mother/son dance would occur next and no one could tell Jude he wasn't the best partner to ever step in with her.
The little problem Celeste had gotten herself into by cohercing Monty to bring them to the main house was what could have been a quick visit and done became a spend the night with Jude because she wasn't going to driving him back to the asylum in this condition. No one else did these off the record trips off property except Monty and Jude. She had paid off security but it wasn't like every move wasn't risky. When leaks happened more bodies happened. Monty was on a date. She might not even be back till late or the next day. They really hadn't thought this through unless they wanted to be back in Bayden's house for some reason other than checking in on Jude.
It might start to sink in as they danced and she would say, "I love our slumber parties." She'd move his hair. "I'll make a snack tray and we'll watch tv in bed all night again. I'll catch you up on my stories right where we left off. Days of our Lives is off the rails. You won't believe what's going on with John Black. Ohhh, the pawn card is back." She was ready for Bayden to gasp in a no way sort of way because this would have been a big deal in the story they were both following.
More tales the real Bayden wouldn't have admitted to Celestis without provocation, that he cuddles up with his Mom to binge watch day time tv on Peacock to bond with his mother.
As they swayed to the song she'd also say, "And you can tell me how things are going with you dear. And that little friend of yours. Classy. She's so adorable. The cliffs wouldn't be the same without her." She meant Clarrissa of course, "Oh and the other one. The one you always make the Valentine's for. The one you said was pretty. Miss Rowan."
And there's one the real Bayden would want to slit his mother's throat for. Oh the condundrum of that one considering they'd never been anything more than friends for literally years and the real Bayden now knows Celestis actually hates Rowan's face.
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In Monty's car, as she was driving, she was on the phone with one of her girlfriend's telling them they were finally on their way to hit up their date.
"Family interference. Yeah, I know. You know how it is for me. It's like all I ever do is spend my time helping the needy. Charity work exhausts me. I'm just too good a person. I know, thanks. He's just so sad. It's not my fault if he didn't have me he'd kill himself. You're right. I should do more for myself. My mother expects way too much out of me. I'm in the prime of my youth. I should be living. I get he's my brother, but I don't know why he's my problem. Anyway, text me in 15 in case this guy bores me, show up, make him think he's getting lucky. We'll make him buy us both dinner for being a loser."
She'd get off the phone and then look in the mirror when she'd park. She'd notice the necklace and get a better look at it now that she wasn't dancing around with Bayden. It was cheap. She grumbled out loud to herself, "Probably turn my neck green." Then she pulled it off and threw it in the glove box before going in. ( @montywonmom )
Being trapped in Bayden's body — they were barely keeping up with the familiar but utterly foreign rhythm of dancing together when they gave MONTGOMERY — the p e n d a n t.
To Montgomery it just looked CHEAP && k i t s c h y — a fitting gift from a quirky older brother. Though silver from 1937 was pure material. Unfortunately wasted on Montgomery. While they did a lot of the shaping back during CHRISTMAS in the dead of n i g h t in the garage hoping to snag the computer but it was never the right moment.
But the filing? That took a lot longer than they expected. Almost the entire month of January worth of time — delegating between the paint drying over for Freckle's rock grave mound [ x ] they made a promise with Bayden a while back.
Having found the rock's when they were ROWAN — && painted them when they got stuck in B a y d e n ' s body.
Only issue was they couldn't capture the real Freckle's. Not like the real Bayden could. They had no idea what Freckle's even truly looked like. But when they were lost && didn't want to return back to assistant living in case they crossed paths with the real Bayden in Rowan's body they spent time doing just that. Painting rocks for Freckle's grave mound && taking a nail filer smoothing the metal edge of the pendant as the rock's were drying.
Was it worth it? NO. Did they do it anyway? Y e a.
It sucked being HELPFUL && s y m p a t h e t i c. They were stuck in SHIT-t a s t i c storm of there own responsibility && damned personality traits they can't break out of even as Bayden. They should take a page or two from Bayden's own sister. They put to much effort into something they shouldn't give a DAMN a b o u t.
" I k n o w ~ " as they couldn't help themselves whispering back to Montgomery. A PRETTY b i g smile on Bayden's face. Between Montgomery's rolled eyes && Bayden's appearance it would be very clear they shared a sibling moment.
They felt in that moment that was more of a ' DAMN straight they a r e ' but they froze — saying nothing as they weren't sure if they ever heard Bayden curse around his own mom before. It was one of those borderline moments that they felt they needed to censor themselves as Bayden. But knowing Bayden he'd take that PAINFULLY && p r i d e f u l.
' All your moments are dramatic, my boy, '
From the moment Bayden was born right? An INNOCENT k i d swept in the Wardeyns family dysfunctional dramatics. An INNOCENT k i d literally forced into the black sheep role with the dramatic hair — the dramatic everything.
Again that AOL sign o n dail u p played in there head. Weirdly it was almost comforting in the moment. Getting them out of there own anger? Where they angry? If they were they didn't show it physically. But they needed to break out of it. Because the song was winding down && Montgomery was saying her goodbye's.
" Night, Monty " as they saw the gesture of her phone " Can't wait to hear how tanked you're date went later. " Not that they believed for a moment Montgomery would call them. Obviously calling him would mean Dr. Wardeyn would also be around to hear how her date went too. Only thing they could hope for was that Montgomery would make more of an effort to call Bayden randomly throughout the months she's absent for.
They watched her go — relief mixed with hypervigilant. They felt the hair on the back of there neck stand up. The cold rush of being on there guard. They realized in that moment that perhaps the thing they saw in the garage was more a WARNING for t h e m.
A WARNING for t h e m not to use the computer then. A WARNING for t h e m not to be left behind now.
There was nothing they could do about it. They needed to get to the bottom of answers that they have — they knew the risks when they left but there isn't going to be another chance to check GOOGLE m a p s on a computer privately either. If the worse truly happens — then maybe being Bayden && taking his place isn't the end of ends? In a worse case scenario he get's to truly live. There was that ' come clean ' motive.
&& then she found the text. Shattering the moment as they got a very ' mom looks ' that was equal parts questioning && amused from Dr. Wardeyn waking them up from there IMPENDING d o o m s d a y ticking countdown. Nonchalantly shrugging Bayden's shoulders && boyishly smirking trying to play off whatever had SPOOKED M o n t g o m e r y.
Feeling there own soul tense against Dr. Wardeyn's calm, reassuring buzzed presence. Polar opposites in the moment. There was something they were getting to understand about Bayden. Perhaps Dr. Wardeyn herself wasn't all that terrible. Sure she had made some pretty terrible choices that destroyed Bayden's life. Dr. Wardeyn chose the wrong kid in there opinion to support. Though they can see WHY B a y d e n was strung along into all this. For a moment — that rareness — almost like peace as Dr. Wardeyn leaning herself back — perhaps radiated a warmth only a mother could.
Not that they understood what that meant — or known what that felt realistically. Just that . . . they understood a little more about Bayden in a weird way.
Yeah well they were going to regret taking her DRINK a w a y in a moment. They could feel it.
The most awkward thing — as they fell into step with Dr. Wardeyn for that MOTHER/s o n dance was that all that they did today was all very knew to them. Some things they could live without FEELING for the rest of there l i f e. Yet through all that they had to do — they did get to see a glimpse of something they NEVER got to k n o w.
Thankfully they weren't starve crazy for a family? Pretty sure they weren't starve crazy anyway. They didn't feel the need to overlord && high jack Bayden's life. Rather if things don't fall apart tonight in the kind of way that put's Bayden's life on the balance of the ASYLUM or j a i l. Now that's the weight they were carrying on there shoulders as of now.
The only way they know how to swap back into the other's body would be the last resorting method they had. Knowing Bayden's head space a little more they didn't want to confuse him — or make things more complicated than they already where for them.
Yet perhaps they had thought of this a little more. The BIGGEST r i s k s. The r i s k of being CAUGHT. The r i s k of being the reason Bayden would assume they RUINED his life. What they couldn't do? Live with themselves if they FAILED to do the o n e thing they came here for. If everything was going to fall to RUIN the least they could do was s e a r c h.
Search the entire property && even outside of the borders to find where those DAMNED t h i n g s could be kept hidden.
Any. Lead. Is. Better. Than. Sitting. &&. Waiting. For. Something. Terrible. To. Happen. Again.
The evil in them wanted to be deviant && get Dr. Wardeyn hella drunk so she'll pass out faster. The good in them. . . the good in them. . . The. Good. In. Them. Wanted. To. Help. The. Evil. Side. Of. Them.
That look on there face when was clouded over when Dr. Wardeyn started talking about Day of our Lives. John Black — they felt like all of that was something they bonded over but they had 0% knowledge of. It felt more like Dr. Wardeyn just spoke Spanish or a secretive brail lingo that they were overthinking.
" No. No way. I think you're trying to trick me this time !! The jokes on you I'm not falling for it Mom. Not until I see it with my own eyes. " The way they shook there head ' no ' ' nope ' ' lies ' ' all the lies ' came forth.
They could act all thunderstruck when they kind of watch it all unravel? Jack Black can't be that hard to figure out — the guy that they forgot the name of already. Pretty sure they got the guys name wrong. Being in denial was there only out in this awkward situation. If they weren't on such a high level mission to out awake Dr. Wardeyn tonight they would drink to get them the hell through this.
" Augh. I didn't get to see Clarrissa today. " They sounded a little sulky sense Dr. Wardeyn brought it up " the day went by so fast — talking about fast she's learning sign && getting really good at it. Soon she'll be able to tell us what kind of sheet music she needs. " Clarrissa talent could only grow from there. In the kind of way if they knew what she needed. What she also wanted to explore can only go further. " She's a smart && talented kid. " Instant excitement as Classy or Clarrissa they knew exactly who Dr. Wardeyn was talking about without even having to drop a hint. It was just an all knowing feeling.
Though there was a rather long pause. They wanted to be careful with what they say next. Not taking what Dr. Wardeyn said to heart. Maybe Rowan's more his type in looks. So what? Perhaps if things were reversed in the kind of way they were stuck in Celestis body Bayden could have said the same thing. They didn't want to make it confusing.
" Were kind of in an ICE a g e movement right now. " Simplifying everything? Yea. That sounded lame but oddly accurate. There friendship was colder then the Tundra during a snow storm. It's more likely there friendship was buried underneath an avalanche that the snow storm happened to create. They don't really blame anyone but themselves for it. While they didn't go into much detail what even an ICE a g e movement even meant to Dr. Wardeyn. They could already feel the follow up questions Dr. Wardeyn's going to ask as if mentally preparing themselves for it.