[IC INBOX | lastvoyages ]

[mothmansplaining]

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"Stanford Pines. Leave a message."

Comments

[tetractys]

WHAT'D YOU GET EXACTLY? DID YOU MOVE THE WHOLE DIMENSION INTO THE REAL WORLD? OR CAN YOU PULL PEOPLE THROUGH WALLS NOW?

YOU KNOW, THAT LAST ONE WOULDA BEEN USEFUL A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

[mothmansplaining]

I didn't trust him to move the whole dimension. For all I knew, he could destroy the old one and make a copy, and I'd never know the difference! I wanted access to the real thing.

So, the Stanowar III's got a drive now that'll let me pass safely in and out of less-real dimensions.

[tetractys]

YOU'RE GOING TO GO IN YOURSELF.

... IS THAT GOING TO BE SAFE?

[mothmansplaining]

I don't know. Probably. It's a Barge deal, isn't it? I earned it, so...the Authority's going to want to see the payoff.

[tetractys]

IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE SHIP, CAN THEY EVEN KEEP YOU SAFE?

... YOU GOTTA DO THIS, I KNOW. BUT LET'S, EH, LET'S SEND A DRONE FIRST.

[mothmansplaining]

I don't know if I can send a drone in by itself. These components aren't easy to replicate!

[Bill's worried, though.]

...but I could send a probe off the ship once I get to Gravity Falls, before I disembark.

[tetractys]

IF YOU GET PULLED BACK INTO THE STORY, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU BACK OUT.

[mothmansplaining]

Do you think you could petition the Admiral, on the grounds that the deal didn't work? He got me out once. He can do it again.

[tetractys]

ME? NO. ANOTHER WARDEN MIGHT BE ABLE TO, THOUGH! I'LL GET HANGE TO HELP.

WAS PART OF YOUR DEAL SAFE TRAVEL OUT, TOO? 'CAUSE THAT'D BE SWELL.

[mothmansplaining]

Yes. It was to be able to go in, take people out, and get them to a real place. I didn't specify the mechanics, but he must have thought the most efficient way to do it was to make it a function on the ship.

[tetractys]

[Long pause, thinking.]

OKAY.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TRY?

[mothmansplaining]

Once I'm finished with the ship. Viable space travel is harder than NASA makes it look! I'm still working out some of the kinks.

[tetractys]

EEEH, NASA'S GOOD AT MAKING IT LOOK LIKE THEY LAUNCHED THINGS...

[mothmansplaining]

Ugh. I know.

[The moon landing is a personal betrayal.]

[tetractys]

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO UNTIL THEN?

[mothmansplaining]

[He shrugs; you can hear it in his voice.]

Stick around.

[tetractys]

ARE YOU HEADING OUT WHEN THE SHIP'S DONE?

[mothmansplaining]

....I don't know. I...haven't been thinking that far ahead, yet. I was expecting to have to negotiate a lot harder for the deal!

[On the one hand, he wants to be with his family. On the other, he...wants to stay with Bill, until Bill's free too. He hasn't brought it up to Stan yet.]

[tetractys]

[Soft:] YEAH.

[Bill believes him, Ford tends to just sort of take problems as they immediately appear in front of him.]

HOW ARE YOU FEELING, HUH?

[deal is pretty great, maybe they should celebrate.]

[mothmansplaining]

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.

[tetractys]

YOU'RE NOT A DEAD WEIGHT, YA KNOW. YOU HAVE A LOT TO OFFER!

[mothmansplaining]

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.]

[tetractys]

FORDSY, COME ON. YOU'VE BEEN GREAT FOR ME, AND I'M NOT EVEN YOUR INMATE. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET YOU TO STAND STILL SO I CAN PET YOUR HEAD!

[mothmansplaining]

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!

[tetractys]

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!