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[Ford blinks. Are they? Do they do that?
He's also not sure he agrees about Steve (though he will, in a few weeks) but is quickly distracted by the flag. He gestures with his drink as he suggests:]
We should find it, and replace it.
He's also not sure he agrees about Steve (though he will, in a few weeks) but is quickly distracted by the flag. He gestures with his drink as he suggests:]
We should find it, and replace it.
[The guy doesn't even want a room, he wants to sit in an empty cabin. What?]
YES. LET'S GO FIND IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN STICK ON IT. THERE'S A TON OF RANDOM TRASH THEY LEFT, ACTUALLY, YOU'D THINK THEY WERE CAMPING IN A WINNEBAGO INSTEAD OF VISITING YOUR ONLY MOON. C'MON!
YES. LET'S GO FIND IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN STICK ON IT. THERE'S A TON OF RANDOM TRASH THEY LEFT, ACTUALLY, YOU'D THINK THEY WERE CAMPING IN A WINNEBAGO INSTEAD OF VISITING YOUR ONLY MOON. C'MON!
[Ford knocks back the rest of his drink, and they're off.
This is going to be an atrocity. This is vandalism of a historic scientific achievement. Ford has several writing implements with him meant to make marks in inhospitable environments. Most likely, someone's boxers are going to fly on that flagpole. They're going to be a pair of gremlins about this.]
This is going to be an atrocity. This is vandalism of a historic scientific achievement. Ford has several writing implements with him meant to make marks in inhospitable environments. Most likely, someone's boxers are going to fly on that flagpole. They're going to be a pair of gremlins about this.]
[Should Ford be cannibalizing rocket parts while drinking? No, he absolutely should not. But he's doing it anyway.
He puts together a tiny rocket with a tiny little engine, just barely stable enough for ignition, lights it, then lets it go. The thing flies away in screaming loop-de-loops for a few seconds, then explodes into scrap metal and scorch marks.]
He puts together a tiny rocket with a tiny little engine, just barely stable enough for ignition, lights it, then lets it go. The thing flies away in screaming loop-de-loops for a few seconds, then explodes into scrap metal and scorch marks.]
[Ford grins. The arm is just fine, he likes the arm. Gonna lean into it just a little; relaxed.]
Ah, I've been brushing up on rocket science lately.
Ah, I've been brushing up on rocket science lately.
[Stan wouldn't expect anything less from Mabel, and frankly if she didn't throw them a party he'd do it himself.
He laughs and shoves Ford when he opens his mouth up, like they're little kids again, and the relief just rolls off of him.]
I might not even need it, y'know! Maybe I'll pull some sorta miracle and get him graduated before Bill! But, uh.
[He hesitates. Not so much because he's trying not to lie, but because the truth is embarrassing and he's not sure this flood will let him downplay it as much as he wants.]
...Thanks.
He laughs and shoves Ford when he opens his mouth up, like they're little kids again, and the relief just rolls off of him.]
I might not even need it, y'know! Maybe I'll pull some sorta miracle and get him graduated before Bill! But, uh.
[He hesitates. Not so much because he's trying not to lie, but because the truth is embarrassing and he's not sure this flood will let him downplay it as much as he wants.]
...Thanks.
Wherever we go, we go together.
[....oops, oh heck, there's something in his throat. Ford crushes it in his teeth, spits it out, and coughs uncomfortably.]
--at least, as long as we have any say in the matter.
[A pause. There. No bugs.]
Sheesh. Can't I express what I want to happen without being reminded of the parts of my life I can't control?!
[Fuck you, Authority.]
[....oops, oh heck, there's something in his throat. Ford crushes it in his teeth, spits it out, and coughs uncomfortably.]
--at least, as long as we have any say in the matter.
[A pause. There. No bugs.]
Sheesh. Can't I express what I want to happen without being reminded of the parts of my life I can't control?!
[Fuck you, Authority.]
Ha! Nope! You're gonna have to watch your mouth as much as me the next couple days. Either that or we're gonna develop a taste for crickets!
[But hey, at least he's in good company.]
This place can shove it with its stupid bugs though. Wherever we go, we go together!
[He's fully expecting that cricket, and spits it out easily when it happens. Fuck you, Authority.]
[But hey, at least he's in good company.]
This place can shove it with its stupid bugs though. Wherever we go, we go together!
[He's fully expecting that cricket, and spits it out easily when it happens. Fuck you, Authority.]
[Fuck the Authority and what they think. He and Stan are going to make it work. SINCERE SIBLING HUG.]
Hah. I'm way ahead of this flood. I got out of the habit of lying -- except by omission, about a few subjects that're nobody's business -- ages ago. One too many truth-revealing floods for comfort.
Hah. I'm way ahead of this flood. I got out of the habit of lying -- except by omission, about a few subjects that're nobody's business -- ages ago. One too many truth-revealing floods for comfort.
Which is much harder.
[Ford surveys the damage that's been done. It is really something else, just how much they've fucked up this historic hard-to-reach site.]
...I'm gonna get a picture of this.
[Ford surveys the damage that's been done. It is really something else, just how much they've fucked up this historic hard-to-reach site.]
...I'm gonna get a picture of this.
Ha ha, okay.
[Ford snaps a photo of the scene. It's not particularly artistically composed, but it gets the idea across: they're on the moon, that's Earth back there, and the moon has been trashed.]
[Ford snaps a photo of the scene. It's not particularly artistically composed, but it gets the idea across: they're on the moon, that's Earth back there, and the moon has been trashed.]
[Nope. No, Ford doesn't get duckface, and ends up even more confused than before. There is definitely a photo of Ford with his foot up on some moonrock doing precisely the pose Bill's made fun of him for -- but the underpants flag is in the shot, making the whole thing a self-aware kind of goofy.]
[juuuust friiiiends.
God, just friends is hard when Ford is doing a goofy heroic pose. What a great guy that Bill is extremely fond of.
Bill gives him a dumb tour of all the left-over artifacts and the actual stories behind the landings. There's some really fucking weird stuff here that didn't make it to press.]
God, just friends is hard when Ford is doing a goofy heroic pose. What a great guy that Bill is extremely fond of.
Bill gives him a dumb tour of all the left-over artifacts and the actual stories behind the landings. There's some really fucking weird stuff here that didn't make it to press.]
[Ford is all about the weird stuff that happened here that didn't make it to the press. Bill gets rapt, engaged attention. This was the best idea for a friendly, friend celebration that is not a date at all.]
[He's had such a nice time. Ford is happy and comfortable and lookin out at a real impressive view of planet Earth from a fake real moon.]
When was the last time we did something like this? Coney Island? Hawaii?
When was the last time we did something like this? Coney Island? Hawaii?
[What Ford suspects is not wrong, to be sure.
But to Steve, this is genuinely different. He frowns, because,] There's a difference between taking responsibility and blaming myself.
I mean - don't get me wrong. I can do both at once. But there's still a difference.
[Right?]
But to Steve, this is genuinely different. He frowns, because,] There's a difference between taking responsibility and blaming myself.
I mean - don't get me wrong. I can do both at once. But there's still a difference.
[Right?]
[Holding hands was okay when he and Hilda were just friends, Ford reasons, so it should be okay here, too, right?
He takes Bill's hand.
Ohhh no. Oh no, Ford's having a lot of feelings, a lot of feelings that need to be totally fine. Why are interpersonal relationships so complicated?? Ford will take rocket science every time over all of this.]
I--I'd like that.
[Is this how to stay involved in Bill's life without being in a relationship or involved in an ill-advised project?? Is this the answer?]
He takes Bill's hand.
Ohhh no. Oh no, Ford's having a lot of feelings, a lot of feelings that need to be totally fine. Why are interpersonal relationships so complicated?? Ford will take rocket science every time over all of this.]
I--I'd like that.
[Is this how to stay involved in Bill's life without being in a relationship or involved in an ill-advised project?? Is this the answer?]
YOU EVER THINK ABOUT HOW WE KINDA WERE CREATED HATING EACH OTHER? FELT LIKE WE HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER, BUT WE DIDN'T.
[Bill looks down at their hands.]
NOT THAT WHAT HAPPENED DIDN'T HAPPEN. STILL DID, STILL MY FAULT! THINGS CAN BE REAL AND NOT REAL AT THE SAME TIME.
[Bill looks down at their hands.]
NOT THAT WHAT HAPPENED DIDN'T HAPPEN. STILL DID, STILL MY FAULT! THINGS CAN BE REAL AND NOT REAL AT THE SAME TIME.
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