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[Slam. Into the jar it goes. Ford gives a handwiggle.]
I was hoping for confirmation one way or another but.....yes, that's what I expected to happen.
I was hoping for confirmation one way or another but.....yes, that's what I expected to happen.
Ha ha. Pretty surprised. I mean, Rose did all the work herself, but I never thought an inmate paired with me would actually end up graduating!
I offered her the deal, you know, if she wanted it. She wouldn't take it. It was the right thing for her to do -- she realized that she couldn't assume what the people she cared about needed anymore, and using a deal to change things would just be making the same mistakes. Changing things in a way she thought was better, instead of listening to everyone else.
I'm really proud of her. She came a long way.
I offered her the deal, you know, if she wanted it. She wouldn't take it. It was the right thing for her to do -- she realized that she couldn't assume what the people she cared about needed anymore, and using a deal to change things would just be making the same mistakes. Changing things in a way she thought was better, instead of listening to everyone else.
I'm really proud of her. She came a long way.
Eh, well. It was worth a shot, and it was worth it to watch you cough up your own daddy long legs.
[He laughs, though it's just good-natured ribbing.]
So, what now? Sounds like we can't get much from this place just by guessing. [He picks his words carefully, to try and reduce his chance of some kind of bug. It does, indeed, sound like that!] Got any other ideas?
[He laughs, though it's just good-natured ribbing.]
So, what now? Sounds like we can't get much from this place just by guessing. [He picks his words carefully, to try and reduce his chance of some kind of bug. It does, indeed, sound like that!] Got any other ideas?
...actually, I wanted to talk to you about the Stanowar.
It shouldn't be that much longer until it's complete. I got components from the Admiral that'll let us travel safely into Gravity Falls. As soon as it's spaceworthy, we can go and get the kids.
It shouldn't be that much longer until it's complete. I got components from the Admiral that'll let us travel safely into Gravity Falls. As soon as it's spaceworthy, we can go and get the kids.
Ha ha. You think so?
[He's not convinced. He did tell Rose she shouldn't keep secrets, but she had to come to understand why on her own. All Ford did was be her friend.]
[He's not convinced. He did tell Rose she shouldn't keep secrets, but she had to come to understand why on her own. All Ford did was be her friend.]
Really? He gave you the thing?
[It's a stupid question - it's not like Ford coughed up any bugs afterwards - but it just slips right out of Stan. It's the first real evidence that the Admiral actually follows through on his deals, and Stan is pleasantly surprised!]
And it works, right? It's gonna do what he says it'll do?
[Despite all the tentative questions, Stan's hopes are clearly pretty high up.]
[It's a stupid question - it's not like Ford coughed up any bugs afterwards - but it just slips right out of Stan. It's the first real evidence that the Admiral actually follows through on his deals, and Stan is pleasantly surprised!]
And it works, right? It's gonna do what he says it'll do?
[Despite all the tentative questions, Stan's hopes are clearly pretty high up.]
...I haven't given it a field test yet. But I haven't heard anyone complain about a warden deal so far. Bill thinks I should test it with a drone first, but I'm not sure that's feasible, given how impossible to replace some of these components are. We've only got one trans-metaversal drive, and I don't want to risk losing it by sending it in unmanned.
[Stan nods. That makes enough sense to him, even if he doesn't get all the science parts. He certainly gets only having one shot at something.
It's risky, but so are a lot of stupid things Stan's done for the kids.]
So how much longer, you think? Until the thing's spaceworthy, I mean.
It's risky, but so are a lot of stupid things Stan's done for the kids.]
So how much longer, you think? Until the thing's spaceworthy, I mean.
It looks like it won't be longer than a month or two.
That's different! It's not my job to get you to graduation. I'm just trying to get us to a point where we can live with each other!
I KNOW. AND I WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO WARDEN ME, WE DON'T NEED THIS TO BE ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT IS ALREADY.
BUT I'VE SEEN THE SKILLS FOR IT YOU HAVE, KID. YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND, AND YOU'RE A KIND PERSON. YOU KNOW HOW TO SET BOUNDARIES. AND LEARN FROM MISTAKES!
BUT I'VE SEEN THE SKILLS FOR IT YOU HAVE, KID. YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND, AND YOU'RE A KIND PERSON. YOU KNOW HOW TO SET BOUNDARIES. AND LEARN FROM MISTAKES!
Great! We'll have the kids outta there in no ti-- I mean, a month or two! A month or two assuming everything goes according to plan.
[YOU CAN'T CATCH HIM, BUG FLOOD!!!]
Ugh, this stupid flood might almost be worse than the last thing that happened here. At least that alternate barge me wasn't in danger of coughing up crickets or choking on bees trying to have a normal conversation!
[Of course, no one's mentioned bees before now but now that Stan's brought it up, Ford might notice his cheek does look a little swollen. He isn't allergic and he has a large jaw, so it isn't comically over-sized swelling, but it's still there and has been for most of the day.]
[YOU CAN'T CATCH HIM, BUG FLOOD!!!]
Ugh, this stupid flood might almost be worse than the last thing that happened here. At least that alternate barge me wasn't in danger of coughing up crickets or choking on bees trying to have a normal conversation!
[Of course, no one's mentioned bees before now but now that Stan's brought it up, Ford might notice his cheek does look a little swollen. He isn't allergic and he has a large jaw, so it isn't comically over-sized swelling, but it's still there and has been for most of the day.]
Edited 2020-08-02 04:57 (UTC)
...thank you.
[The people who've expressed that they want him to stay, and that they feel he's doing good here, have surprised him. It's surprised him that it's happened at all! He's somehow gone from "heartless bastard" to this, and...even if he leaves eventually it's nice to know that's how some people feel about him.]
It's nice to hear that, even if being thanked by the Admiral for my "hard work" was galling.
[u g h.]
[The people who've expressed that they want him to stay, and that they feel he's doing good here, have surprised him. It's surprised him that it's happened at all! He's somehow gone from "heartless bastard" to this, and...even if he leaves eventually it's nice to know that's how some people feel about him.]
It's nice to hear that, even if being thanked by the Admiral for my "hard work" was galling.
[u g h.]
--wait, what kind of lies create bees?
[That's significantly more unpleasant than anything Ford's observed so far.]
[That's significantly more unpleasant than anything Ford's observed so far.]
[Stan shrugs.]
I dunno. I was talking to someone on the network, and all of a sudden I had a pissed off bee in my mouth! I... [He frowns.] I don't think I was lying about anything? We didn't even talk that much, just some chit-chat about the flood and how terrible it is.
I dunno. I was talking to someone on the network, and all of a sudden I had a pissed off bee in my mouth! I... [He frowns.] I don't think I was lying about anything? We didn't even talk that much, just some chit-chat about the flood and how terrible it is.
Do you remember what it was you said?
[Then it occurs to him what a bad idea this might be.]
--hang on! Just a minute. Don't say anything yet.
[Ford goes over to a cabinet. He pulls out a flyswatter. Comes back.]
Now do you remember what it was you said?
[Then it occurs to him what a bad idea this might be.]
--hang on! Just a minute. Don't say anything yet.
[Ford goes over to a cabinet. He pulls out a flyswatter. Comes back.]
Now do you remember what it was you said?
Edited 2020-08-03 00:55 (UTC)
I still feel like I'm playing the Authority's game by cooperating, [he admits.] I don't like feeling that way -- like what I'm doing is helping them, even if it's also helping someone I care about.
[He feels used and complicit at the same time.]
[He feels used and complicit at the same time.]
[Ugh, he should have seen this coming.]
She broke the news about all the bugs and that it happens when you lie, we bickered a little about whether it was better than the last one or not. It wasn't that though, it was...she pointed out it was just a week and she talked me up a little and when I said I could handle a week of this I got stung.
[This doesn't immediately cause any bees, since he's just recounting what happened. But it doesn't change that he's frustrated about the whole thing, and he crosses his arms.]
The whole thing's stupid. Most of what I do is lie, so it could be pretty much anything!
[That though. That does it. The bee that just appeared hasn't stung him, not yet, but he can feel and hear the buzzing in his mouth, and on instinct he shuts his mouth tight. It doesn't solve the problem, but it certain prevents him from saying things that will make more bees appear.]
She broke the news about all the bugs and that it happens when you lie, we bickered a little about whether it was better than the last one or not. It wasn't that though, it was...she pointed out it was just a week and she talked me up a little and when I said I could handle a week of this I got stung.
[This doesn't immediately cause any bees, since he's just recounting what happened. But it doesn't change that he's frustrated about the whole thing, and he crosses his arms.]
The whole thing's stupid. Most of what I do is lie, so it could be pretty much anything!
[That though. That does it. The bee that just appeared hasn't stung him, not yet, but he can feel and hear the buzzing in his mouth, and on instinct he shuts his mouth tight. It doesn't solve the problem, but it certain prevents him from saying things that will make more bees appear.]
[did you think he wouldn't notice, stanley]
....Stanley?
[Something wrong?]
....Stanley?
[Something wrong?]
[He was admittedly kind of hoping!
Of course, he can't open his mouth and reply, or the bee might move and sting him, so he tries to look as nonchalant as possible. It isn't an answer, but a silent assertion that no, he's fine! He's completely fine, he just has...
...two. He just has two bees in his mouth now. Oh no. He goes from pretending to be okay to not at all okay pretty quick after that. One hand over his mouth, one hand blindly reaching around for the bucket even though bees can fly and a bucket will absolutely not help him.]
Of course, he can't open his mouth and reply, or the bee might move and sting him, so he tries to look as nonchalant as possible. It isn't an answer, but a silent assertion that no, he's fine! He's completely fine, he just has...
...two. He just has two bees in his mouth now. Oh no. He goes from pretending to be okay to not at all okay pretty quick after that. One hand over his mouth, one hand blindly reaching around for the bucket even though bees can fly and a bucket will absolutely not help him.]
[STANFORD PINES HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING BUT HE ASSUMES IT'S BEES AND HE MOVES IN WITH THE FLYSWATTER HELD LIKE A BASEBALL BAT. BRING IT, BEES. NO ONE IS STINGING FORD'S BROTHER WHILE HE'S AROUND. IF HE GETS A SHOT HE'S TAKING IT.]
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