all that glitters is gold [AFTERPARTY]

[sixfingeredstan]

[It's been a very long, and very upsetting morning, and honestly, Ford is feeling goddamn drained. All the events of the day have hit him like a ton of bricks. And as much as he wants nothing more than to sleep for about a week...well. There's work to do.

After talking it over with Fiddleford, his first mission is hitting the kitchen and scraping together all the eggs, potatoes, and onions he can find. It takes him a good few hours, but eventually he's got five big casserole dishes full of kugel, steaming hot, fresh out of the oven. He stacks up a big pile of plates, forks, and serving utensils and carries it all into the lounge in trips.

Next is the business of the still. Between the two of them, the two Fords manage to get it into the lounge and set it up on a table where it's easy to access. Ford also pilfers a big glass jug of apple juice for the kids and puts it nearby. All the adults are free to partake of a cup of Fiddleford's sugar shine. They'll be needing it, tonight.

Lastly, are the notes. Ford writes them all out in his neat, block lettering, and slips one under each door—pausing at the doors of the deceased with a sad frown each time.

The lounge is quiet while they wait for everyone to arrive, save for the sounds of banjo music....

Comments

[terribibble]

I reckon we're all in a state where someone ought to be worried about us.

[For god's sake, she's just a kid. He'd swallow the whole 'I'll be okay' line from one of the adults, but he's not buying it for a second from her. He isn't quite close enough to her yet to really press the issue, though, so instead he says:]

Thank you for bringin' the tea. Every little bit helps.

[chainbroke]

[ She's relieved, at least, that he appreciates the tea. More than that, she's glad he's not forcing the issue. It's fine to talk about her worries with Lefou and Maui and Ford, but that's because she's closest to them.

Maybe... maybe she should really reach out to the others more... ]

You're welcome. I'm not sure if you wanted it sweet... I can go get more sugar for you, if you need it.

[terribibble]

Aw, it's fine how it is.

[And anyway he plans to more or less dunk his entire face in moonshine tonight, but like. A little tea in between to re-hydrate never hurt anyone.]

Y'know we're neighbors and all but we haven't actually talked much, have we. That's a failure on my part, you have to pardon me.

[They've all been... busy. Dealing with things. But he still feels obligated to apologize all the same.]

[chainbroke]

[ She blinks, looking downright surprised. Neighbor or not, he has no obligation to talk to her. ]

Oh, you don't have to apologize. You've just been busy, and we've all had enough to worry about... It's okay.

[terribibble]

[See, he feels like he did. He has an obligation to everyone in this house. They're all stuck here together, aren't they? Besides, he's Fiddleford McGucket. He always feels like he could be doing more, especially in situations with no easy solution.]

Still. I ought to at least know a little about you if we're goin' to be sharin' this house for... for the foreseeable future. And I'd rather hear about you from you than read it off the wall.

Maybe not now, of course. You're probably exhausted.

[He has to imagine everyone is, to some degree.]

[chainbroke]

[ Huh.

That's the thing that confuses her most about everyone here. They want to get to know her, they treat her with such kindness... heck, even after four weeks, it catches her off-guard. ]

I'd like that. And to get to know you better, too. I don't mind talking a little now, though.

[terribibble]

If you don't, I'll listen. Whatever you'd like to tell.

[That's better, he thinks, than asking pointed questions. Letting her decide what she reveals on her own time is bound to be less stressful, right? Not that he thinks talking about herself ought to be stressful at all, but y'know. Best to minimize it where he can, if he can.]

[chainbroke]

... You sound like Mr. Pines.

[ But she doesn't mean it negatively. There's even a touch of fondness in her voice. ]

[terribibble]

Do I, now?

[It's weird to think of that as a compliment when Ford is so... Ford. But he'll take it.]

[chainbroke]

Mm. When he wanted to know about people's worlds, and I went to go talk to him... he didn't ask questions, really. He let me talk as much or as little as I wanted.

[terribibble]

[He almost says that doesn't sound like Ford, because the Ford he knows would ask a hundred and one incredibly probing and exacting questions, but then again the Ford here has thirty more years of experience under his belt and has already proven over and over that he's wiser and more thoughtful than the Ford of 1982. So... yeah. He can believe it.]

Well. Makes sense. It was probably a lot easier on both of you than him askin' you a bunch of questions you couldn't answer.

[chainbroke]

Well... he did ask a few questions. But they weren't anything I couldn't answer.

[ She tucks a bit of hair behind her ear. ]

But you two seem very close. Do you come from the same world?

[terribibble]

[How did this go from talking about her to talking about him. Whoops. He done got played.]

Mmhm. We sure do. He's from thirty years forward in time, mind you, but it hasn't been as difficult to navigate as I thought it'd be.

[That's something he doesn't mind talking about. It's weird but with how much weird physics he works with it's been easier to wrap his brain around than a lot of other things.]

[chainbroke]

[ Her eyes widen. ]

Thirty years... Oh, then it must have been an incredible shock when you met him here. [ But she smiles a little. ] I think it just shows how close you are, that it hasn't been as difficult.

[terribibble]

[... Well the time difference hasn't been difficult. Everything else was a fucking roller-coaster, but he's not going to give her all the details on that. It's behind him anyway. Keep moving forward, right?]

A shock, sure. But... y'know. Once you're real friends with someone you'll be friends with them no matter the circumstances.

[Unless you erase your memories and try to convince yourself you hate them. Hahha. Ha.]

[chainbroke]

[ She nods. She understands that, since... she and Axel and been friends. And she'd like to think she and Lea are friends here. ]

Mm. I don't think I really believed that, until I came here.

[terribibble]

[What the fuck, she is way too small to be saying anything like that. The father in him perks up and lets out a very loud (but completely internal) yell.]

Well... I'm glad you met folks who changed your mind. Stanford is... he's a good man. He's odd, sure, but I don't think there's a mean bone in his body.

[A lot of stupid bones. Several tactless ones. But none that are mean.]

[chainbroke]

[ She nods again, and... yeah, that's a smile. Small, but very there. ]

He's been so kind to me. I hadn't expected that.

[terribibble]

[LET HER SMILE]

From him specifically or just... in general?

[He's getting the impression it's the latter, which is heartbreaking.]

[chainbroke]

In general.

[ sorry, fidds... ]

[terribibble]

[U G H

He really wants to ask her what the heck kind of place she's from that taught her never to expect kindness from people, but that seems a little too personal even if this whole conversation did start with asking her about herself.]

... Well... well, hey. That's one good thing to come out of all this, right? It's always good to find... to find a silver linin' on things where you can.

[Yikes]

[chainbroke]

A silver lining?

[ Pardon her going quiet again. They've never been the easiest things to find, but... Somehow, here?

She thinks she can. ]

Even in the most unexpected places... you're right, Mr. McGucket. And I think this is the most unexpected place of all.

[terribibble]

It sure is that if it's anythin'.

[Who knew he'd find so many good people in a murder house full of ghosts?]