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[Actually, they both agree on that. Ford checks through the peephole to determine what Bill's general appearance is, then shouts through the door:]
What do you want?
What do you want?
I'd like to take you up on your invitation. To discuss Adam Worth!
I figured this would make it easier.
I figured this would make it easier.
It will.
[He might not be able to get drunk, but it'll still give him something else to focus on, a little.]
Come on in.
[He steps back from the door at that, allowing Ford access to the rest of his cabin, which looks just about the same as it always has.]
[He might not be able to get drunk, but it'll still give him something else to focus on, a little.]
Come on in.
[He steps back from the door at that, allowing Ford access to the rest of his cabin, which looks just about the same as it always has.]
[Bill has experienced a lot of personal growth, by which I of course do not mean personal or emotional development and only mean that he's taller.
His feet are on the ground and his hat comes up to Ford's shoulder. It's a touch smaller than the size he seemed to prefer in the mindscape, but this is about as tall as he can get and still have his widest point fit through doors.]
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME LYING TO YOU WITH AMNESIA AND ME LYING TO A VERSION OF YOU THAT'S A KID AND SCREWING AROUND WITH THE COPIER MACHINE? OR A VERSION OF YOU THAT'S GOT CLAWS? HUH? I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LOKI PART. THAT WAS DUMB.
His feet are on the ground and his hat comes up to Ford's shoulder. It's a touch smaller than the size he seemed to prefer in the mindscape, but this is about as tall as he can get and still have his widest point fit through doors.]
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME LYING TO YOU WITH AMNESIA AND ME LYING TO A VERSION OF YOU THAT'S A KID AND SCREWING AROUND WITH THE COPIER MACHINE? OR A VERSION OF YOU THAT'S GOT CLAWS? HUH? I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LOKI PART. THAT WAS DUMB.
It was very dumb.
[Does Ford want to have this conversation? He's not sure he does. He's very weary of picking apart everything Bill does and says. It's been....simpler, without him. Lonelier in a lot of ways, but Ford suspects he might be happier now.]
If you're trying to figure out when it is and isn't acceptable to lie to me, then I'm not sure we have much to discuss.
[Does Ford want to have this conversation? He's not sure he does. He's very weary of picking apart everything Bill does and says. It's been....simpler, without him. Lonelier in a lot of ways, but Ford suspects he might be happier now.]
If you're trying to figure out when it is and isn't acceptable to lie to me, then I'm not sure we have much to discuss.
...
[Silence from the door. Ford supposes, on reflection, that he'd feel the same way, if a fresh-from-Weirdmageddon Bill showed up, even if it had the same dimensional signature.]
I see.
[The meaning there's all in the tone: it's not dismissive, it's an, "I get it."]
I shouldn't have expected honesty from you, anyway. I should have realized you'd decide to protect yourself! Frankly, it's everyone who knows both of us that should've spoken up.
[Silence from the door. Ford supposes, on reflection, that he'd feel the same way, if a fresh-from-Weirdmageddon Bill showed up, even if it had the same dimensional signature.]
I see.
[The meaning there's all in the tone: it's not dismissive, it's an, "I get it."]
I shouldn't have expected honesty from you, anyway. I should have realized you'd decide to protect yourself! Frankly, it's everyone who knows both of us that should've spoken up.
I ASKED EM NOT TO, BACK WHEN I THOUGHT YOU WERE A NEW FORD AND THAT I WAS JUST LEAVING ANYWAY.
[Bill is tall enough to meaningfully sit, now, lean his back panel against Ford's door and let gravity flump him down to the floor, his black stick legs sticking straight out in front of him.]
I CAN'T DO IT AGAIN. I CAN'T START OVER AGAIN. I DON'T HAVE IT IN ME.
[Bill is tall enough to meaningfully sit, now, lean his back panel against Ford's door and let gravity flump him down to the floor, his black stick legs sticking straight out in front of him.]
I CAN'T DO IT AGAIN. I CAN'T START OVER AGAIN. I DON'T HAVE IT IN ME.
Edited 2020-11-30 21:56 (UTC)
Wait, you what?
You asked our friends not to tell me you were here?!
...
[The implications of that kind of domino themselves into place. Ohhhh it feels familiar. Oh fuck.]
Bill Cipher, if you're going to keep doing things that make me mistrust everyone I know, you're going to have to start over, because I'm never going to speak to you again!
[He's going to deal with the fact that NO ONE TOLD HIM ABOUT THAT later. Good god, when are people going to stop keeping secrets from him on Bill Cipher's behalf?]
You asked our friends not to tell me you were here?!
...
[The implications of that kind of domino themselves into place. Ohhhh it feels familiar. Oh fuck.]
Bill Cipher, if you're going to keep doing things that make me mistrust everyone I know, you're going to have to start over, because I'm never going to speak to you again!
[He's going to deal with the fact that NO ONE TOLD HIM ABOUT THAT later. Good god, when are people going to stop keeping secrets from him on Bill Cipher's behalf?]
Edited 2020-11-30 22:02 (UTC)
You and I both know I can't talk you out of that.
[The door opens.]
Oh, I don't care?
You think I want things to be like this? Where I can't trust you because everything you said about trying to be better turned out to be another lie the second you decided I couldn't take care of myself? Where you have no idea what you want out of your future anymore but one with me in it isn't worth taking a single risk over, so you're just going to sit around without a plan figuring you can just be miserable forever? I'm not the one who doesn't care, Bill!
Oh, I don't care?
You think I want things to be like this? Where I can't trust you because everything you said about trying to be better turned out to be another lie the second you decided I couldn't take care of myself? Where you have no idea what you want out of your future anymore but one with me in it isn't worth taking a single risk over, so you're just going to sit around without a plan figuring you can just be miserable forever? I'm not the one who doesn't care, Bill!
[Bill is so beyond being able to absorb any of this; it all just kind of hits as a wall of sound. He looks like someone who just had a bomb go off next to him and can only hear ringing in his hears and nothing else.]
YEAH, [he says, hoping that will make sense as a response to whatever the fuck Ford said and will allow him to smoothly exit this conversation.]
YEAH, [he says, hoping that will make sense as a response to whatever the fuck Ford said and will allow him to smoothly exit this conversation.]
Edited 2020-11-30 22:46 (UTC)
...
You're a real piece of work.
[If shutting the door in Bill's face counts as a smooth exit, Bill gets it. There's a pause, and then a thunk as Ford's fist hits the wood.]
You're a real piece of work.
[If shutting the door in Bill's face counts as a smooth exit, Bill gets it. There's a pause, and then a thunk as Ford's fist hits the wood.]
[ Orpheus just shrugs. ]
People've been predicting that we're all going to die from something or other for thousands of years now, so it's sort of hard to say who has a point? [ Especially when the respectable oracles won't say anything on the subject, probably for censorship reasons. ] You get kind of desensitized to all the doomsaying, even when it's probably right.
People've been predicting that we're all going to die from something or other for thousands of years now, so it's sort of hard to say who has a point? [ Especially when the respectable oracles won't say anything on the subject, probably for censorship reasons. ] You get kind of desensitized to all the doomsaying, even when it's probably right.
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