[Breach memories of being Bill Pines in the breach over Respite rear up so suddenly it almost shows on his face. (Redimere is here too, fainter: he cared about his sisters, in a distant way, the lawbreaking gang of redheaded nieces on Jean's side.) Before Respite, Stan had taken a bullet for Bill Pines. It had hurt worse than if he'd just stayed out of the way and Bill hadn't understood why even then. (Similar, more vivid: 7718's reeling terror at the sudden possibility of losing Ford and Rhys in one night.) Things had been different afterwards. Mostly Pines didn't tell either of his stupid, self-sacrificing parents if he was going to get into something dangerous because he didn't want -... (7718 completes the thought again with the feeling of stepping backwards into thin air. One dead. One hospital. Phasma still out there.)
He remembers growing up running in circles around Soos, vidcalls with Dipper. (Redimere helped Jean adopt her son.) Taking a shuttle out of the Core to see Mabel's school play. But that's just the thing, isn't it? They're not Soos and Dipper and Mabel, they're Question Mark, Pine Tree, and Shooting Star. (Phoenix and Odd.) None of this ever really happened.]
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He remembers growing up running in circles around Soos, vidcalls with Dipper. (Redimere helped Jean adopt her son.) Taking a shuttle out of the Core to see Mabel's school play. But that's just the thing, isn't it? They're not Soos and Dipper and Mabel, they're Question Mark, Pine Tree, and Shooting Star. (Phoenix and Odd.) None of this ever really happened.]
IF I EVER THOUGHT I DID, I WAS WRONG.
[The ring glows.]