[ There's an edge of doubt in that, even if Kendall doesn't really doubt him. It's just a standard Roy response to anything remotely positive. ]
It – really messed him up, I think. More than me and Shiv. When my dad did that to us. Because, I mean, Roman... he's kind of, um... Sensitive's not the right word. I guess he can kind of fold under pressure, but like, whatever, we all do that. But it's like, he really beats the shit out of himself over it, when it happens.
[Sensitive was close enough - Raylan understood what Kendall was describing, and nods gently.]
It did. He and I have talked about Logan. Not so much about the deals y'all got burnt out of but. [the deals themselves weren't really that important. It was set dressing for the emotional tragedy that was the Roy family.]
I dunno. I guess, we were all together so it was like... I had them to focus on. Roman and my sister. I think it kind of mattered less that it happened to me.
[ Kendall frowns, looking distant for a moment. ]
It's pretty rare that we're all on the same side, you know? And I'm the eldest, so I guess I kind of felt like I had to help them first.
[The eldest of that group. The erasure of Connor was known to Raylan but no one needed him to be pedantic. Wouldn't help shit around gaining trust either.]
That's good of you. Important that family sticks together like that. [To some people. To most people.]
And how'd Shiv handle it? Just so I can.. get a clear understandin' of your dynamics. Hard to gain tone sometimes, off a file paper that only reads in facts, not intent and emotion.
I mean, I don't wanna be dramatic, but it kinda ruined her marriage.
[ Privately, Kendall had never really been fully convinced by Shiv and Tom's relationship, and he doesn't think his father was entirely wrong when he told Shiv that she'd invested in Tom because she thought he'd never have the stones to betray her. Which just makes that whole thing so much fucking worse. And now, of course, he wants to poke Tom's eyes out with his thumbs, so. ]
Her husband ratted us out, to get in our dad's good books. That's... pretty much how it goes with us. Either you're smart enough to get the fuck out of dodge when you realise what a shitshow our family is, or you stick around long enough to fuck us over to get props from the patriarch.
Sounds like her husband ruined their marriage. I'm gonna tell you what I tell Roman and honestly, it sounds harsh but also fuck the patriarch. My daddy also happens to be a grade A asshole who charms the pants off anyone he can pass the con on, and has shot me a couple times so- A little different.
How much further ahead of him are you again? I mean, I know a lot can happen in a frighteningly short amount of time, but. How much 'a lot' are we talkin' about here?
[ Kendall thinks about telling him the truth about what happened in those six months, not for the first time. It's tempting. It'd be nice to talk to someone about it, someone as straightforward as Raylan – especially considering what he just said about his own dad. But he's already been through it in his own head a million times. If he tells Raylan, Raylan will want to tell Roman, and then Roman will know. So. ]
Yeah, no. We went home, all of us together. We had this idea for a business we were gonna run together, and we spent most of the time working on that, once we got... Well, I don't think any of us actually got over the shit with our dad, but we were trying to get past it. But then this other thing got in the way. Our dad tried to make a bid for PGM – like, a rival news broadcaster, he wanted to buy it for years, so we all decided we'd outbid him.
[ Kendall doesn't want to vocalise his actual point, which is is that he's already very aware that the thing for them was never actually about owning PGM but rather getting one up on their father. So it's a good thing that Raylan changes the subject, actually, but also not really. ]
That's kind of it. That's where we're at. That's the last thing that happened.
[ The rest of it is extremely irrelevant, as far as Kendall's concerned. He'd tell Roman if he asked, and Roman, he supposes, could go tell Raylan, but that's on him. ]
[Another answer with no details. Raylan doubted it was the truth.]
And what's waitin' for him? [Roman, he means, but his dark eyes don't move from Kendall's face. He's not sure that he'll get an honest answer there either, but you miss all the shots you don't take.]
Yeah, because he's a shitshow. We all are. And Roman, he's... you know. He can be self-destructive. And that's, like, one hundred percent the pot calling the kettle black, but that doesn't make it untrue.
We can all be self-destructive. That being said... He's made a lot of progress here. He's learnin' how to handle things with a bit more- [Not grace, exactly - that would always be a work in progress for Roman, but 'emotional intelligence' would have been closer. 'Emotional Intelligence' wasn't a phrase that was easily understood by most people.]
A bit more maturity. More control. [So long as the news wasn't 'Logan Roy is dead.' Raylan knew full well that would break Roman more than a little. No matter how shitty a dad Logan had been.]
If it's just business, I'm not overly worried. [He couldn't help but think it wasn't just business. Maybe his dark minded gut was just.. sensitive. He doubted that too.]
[ Kendall lets that all sit in the air between them for a little while, brow furrowed. Probably best that he push the conversation back in Roman's direction, given... everything. ]
I can tell, you know.
[ He lets that hang too. He's hanging a lot of shit right now. ]
He feels different. Better. Better than I remember him ever being, actually, except when he was, like, a child. Which is why I'm trying to... to not make it hard for him.
Lyin' to him isn't going to make it easier. Whatever it is you got tucked in your vest there Kendall, it's gonna come out eventually.
[Kendall's excuses didn't add up, not with the changes Roman has made, the growth. The support he has now. ]
You should trust in the work he's doin'. I'm not sayin' get into shit as soon as he wakes up but.. Longer you wait, the harder it'll be. All I'm askin' for is warnin' so that I can help you take care of him, if it's somethin' severe.
[ Okay, well, that's ominous as fuck, and Kendall's going to do what he does with all prescient warnings which threaten to destabilise his sanity: ignore it. ]
Sure. I'll – yeah, if anything comes to mind, I'll tell you.
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[ There's an edge of doubt in that, even if Kendall doesn't really doubt him. It's just a standard Roy response to anything remotely positive. ]
It – really messed him up, I think. More than me and Shiv. When my dad did that to us. Because, I mean, Roman... he's kind of, um... Sensitive's not the right word. I guess he can kind of fold under pressure, but like, whatever, we all do that. But it's like, he really beats the shit out of himself over it, when it happens.
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It did. He and I have talked about Logan. Not so much about the deals y'all got burnt out of but. [the deals themselves weren't really that important. It was set dressing for the emotional tragedy that was the Roy family.]
How did you handle it?
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[ Kendall frowns, looking distant for a moment. ]
It's pretty rare that we're all on the same side, you know? And I'm the eldest, so I guess I kind of felt like I had to help them first.
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That's good of you. Important that family sticks together like that. [To some people. To most people.]
And how'd Shiv handle it? Just so I can.. get a clear understandin' of your dynamics. Hard to gain tone sometimes, off a file paper that only reads in facts, not intent and emotion.
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[ Privately, Kendall had never really been fully convinced by Shiv and Tom's relationship, and he doesn't think his father was entirely wrong when he told Shiv that she'd invested in Tom because she thought he'd never have the stones to betray her. Which just makes that whole thing so much fucking worse. And now, of course, he wants to poke Tom's eyes out with his thumbs, so. ]
Her husband ratted us out, to get in our dad's good books. That's... pretty much how it goes with us. Either you're smart enough to get the fuck out of dodge when you realise what a shitshow our family is, or you stick around long enough to fuck us over to get props from the patriarch.
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Sounds like her husband ruined their marriage. I'm gonna tell you what I tell Roman and honestly, it sounds harsh but also fuck the patriarch. My daddy also happens to be a grade A asshole who charms the pants off anyone he can pass the con on, and has shot me a couple times so- A little different.
How much further ahead of him are you again? I mean, I know a lot can happen in a frighteningly short amount of time, but. How much 'a lot' are we talkin' about here?
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[ Kendall thinks about telling him the truth about what happened in those six months, not for the first time. It's tempting. It'd be nice to talk to someone about it, someone as straightforward as Raylan – especially considering what he just said about his own dad. But he's already been through it in his own head a million times. If he tells Raylan, Raylan will want to tell Roman, and then Roman will know. So. ]
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That's not nothin', six months. I'm gonna guess that the plane that Roman remembers comin' here from didn't crash for you?
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Give the old man a challenge? Prove you three were up to the task of running negotiations? How'd that go; did you guys win?
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So. Did you guys win?
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We won. In the way that matters.
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[He lifts a couple of fingers and waves it away with his next words.]
Doesn't have to be a stickin' point. I'm guessin' you made sure that Logan knew - so what happens for you guys after that.
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That's kind of it. That's where we're at. That's the last thing that happened.
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And how you got here?
[He had Roman's file. He knew about Kendall's darker tendencies and he was trying to be gentle about it.]
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[ The rest of it is extremely irrelevant, as far as Kendall's concerned. He'd tell Roman if he asked, and Roman, he supposes, could go tell Raylan, but that's on him. ]
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And what's waitin' for him? [Roman, he means, but his dark eyes don't move from Kendall's face. He's not sure that he'll get an honest answer there either, but you miss all the shots you don't take.]
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[It wasn't quite adding up. Raylan's head tilts a fraction with the unasked question.]
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A bit more maturity. More control. [So long as the news wasn't 'Logan Roy is dead.' Raylan knew full well that would break Roman more than a little. No matter how shitty a dad Logan had been.]
If it's just business, I'm not overly worried. [He couldn't help but think it wasn't just business. Maybe his dark minded gut was just.. sensitive. He doubted that too.]
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I can tell, you know.
[ He lets that hang too. He's hanging a lot of shit right now. ]
He feels different. Better. Better than I remember him ever being, actually, except when he was, like, a child. Which is why I'm trying to... to not make it hard for him.
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[Kendall's excuses didn't add up, not with the changes Roman has made, the growth. The support he has now. ]
You should trust in the work he's doin'. I'm not sayin' get into shit as soon as he wakes up but.. Longer you wait, the harder it'll be. All I'm askin' for is warnin' so that I can help you take care of him, if it's somethin' severe.
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Sure. I'll – yeah, if anything comes to mind, I'll tell you.