PRE-ENDGAME REUNION LOG

[grimgrinningghosts]

[For those of you who've touched the box, congrats, you made a good call.

You find yourselves sucked in to a black void, The Hollywood Tower Hotel stands in the distance. Everywhere you look, you'll see familiar faces and...amusement park rides. That's fine. Everybody ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with their significant others.

You still have work to do. You need to prevent this from ever happening again. But, for now, you need to be happy. Have fun.]

*

(OOC: Welcome, friends! Round 3, with the help of the now-redeemed(?) Hades, has made their way to Deadland. The survivors of Round 1 and 2 will arrive approximately half an hour after this. You have approximately two hours ICly before Rod, Hades, Mickey and Ghostave discuss battleplans.

This is our cooldown log before the This will be the last log you have from us until Sunday, where we'll kick off the first phase of our great big gay endgame week. Feel free to make as many toplevels as you want until then.)

Comments

[stanbyme]

Sweetheart, I'd still think you hung the stars if you were the same age as me.

[Is a tease.]

... You want I should go knock him out again for ya?

[hasit]

I don't even want to think about what I'll look like when I'm your age.

[She winks. She can tease, too. But then she's rolling her eyes, shaking her head.]

No, don't worry. Last I saw, it seems like your brother's got that handled.

[stanbyme]

[Blink blink.]

Ford? What horse has he got in the "whaling on that jackass" race?

[hasit]

[She gives him a big shrug.]

I just saw a man identical to you stomping over to him a little bit ago. Couldn't tell you otherwise.

[But she honestly could care less right now??? She places both hands on his chest.]

Stanley. I meant what I said before, I—I love you. I should've told you a long damn time ago.

[stanbyme]

[He's distracted from wondering why his brother wants to hit Gaston by the way that Leia smooths her hands over his chest, bringing his gaze back down to her.

He should probably say something sweet and not just stand there blushing.

Right, Stan?]

I meant it too.

Honestly, I ain't done a thing "casual" in my whole life, and y'know at first I thought it'd be easier, if you...if something happened or if you didn't...wanna stay with me when this is all over, if... if we didn't say it... but it happened anyway and I guess we both...

[He rubs the back of his neck, keeping his other arm still around her.]

...knew it, anyway? [Hopeful grin.] I ain't ever fallen this hard before, but... I'm starting to think maybe there's something about that kiss.

[hasit]

Good.

[A smile spreads over her lips, listening to him talk it out, explain himself, and she finds herself nodding knowingly.]

I know. I kept thinking...it was a mistake to get attached to anyone. And I guess part of me thought that admitting I was in love with you was a surefire way to get you killed.

[She rolls her eyes.]

Joke's on me. Anyway, I think you're right.

[Leia leans up on tiptoe to give Stan a soft kiss, relishing the familiar smell of him, so close and warm again.]

As silly as 'true love's kiss' sounds.

[stanbyme]

[He gives her a sheepish, regretful smile when she mentions she thought admitting it would get him killed. He did a good enough job of that on his own, and judging by that eye roll he doesn't need to remind her for her not to let him forget.

He returns the soft kiss sweetly, humming something against her lips and as he pulls back.]

Well, we'll make it work, right, Lei'?

[The mask of confidence hides how much it's tearing him up knowing that after all this is over he's going to have to let her go. He grins and bends down to kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her nose.]

Maybe we oughta try another kiss to make sure.

[And lastly on the lips again.]

[hasit]

Of course. Somehow. We'll make it work.

[She's not just saying it. Her mind has been moving a mile a minute trying to figure out a way. She has things to see through at home, she has justice or peace or at least some kind of resolution to find, but after that...

Her family is gone. Her own son isn't even planning on returning to see his plan through. Sure, there's Poe and Finn and Rey, but they don't need her nearly as much as they think they do. She trusts them enough to think she could retire, and...

Travel to this Earth, somehow. Find it. It may be far, far away, but she's determined.

His lips on her forehead smooth out the wrinkle of thought that's formed there, and she hums softly, letting him lavish her with attention. When his lips find hers, again, a soft sigh comes from her nose, and she pulls back feeling more sure of things than she ever has.]

Yes, I think that's it. [A pause, and she tilts her head up at him.] What's that you were humming?

[stanbyme]

[Stan isn't going to stop bothering Ford until he comes up with a way for them to keep in touch while she's gone. He made a portal to other worlds, he can manage some kind of a telephone, right?

She's determined enough to find him. But it'd just be nice to be able to keep in touch while he waits.

The kiss makes certain something he wants to say, but she calls him out on his humming before he can even start.]

It's, uh... just an old song.

[You know, like the last time he snuck up on you humming something that I'm absolutely making canon.]

[hasit]

It's nice. [It's a cute habit of his, one she's noticed before. She wonders if those songs are Earth courting songs, or just regular popular music.

But Leia noticed that there was something more in his expression, and lifts her brows.]

You looked like you were about to say something.

[stanbyme]

[Any song can be an Earth courting song if you're not a quitter.]

No one's ever accused me of having a nice voice before. [He says with a playful look.

When she looks at him expectantly like that, his feet go cold, and he stammers.]

I-I, uh... Well, it's... I was just kind of thinking that. I mean, just...

[He laughs nervously, almost wishes he had a smoke bomb.]

You're- you're planning on going home, and sorting out your business and, y'know, maybe eventually taking off a few of those hats?

[The metaphorical hats. Princess, Senator, General, all things he's not sure how many of them she wears still.]

[hasit]

I'm pretty fond of it.

[Was it a little grating at first? Sure. But now there's just something...familiar about it. She has good associations with the sound of Stan's voice.

Her brows raise steadily as he explains what he'd been about to say, and a sort of understanding settles over her face.]

That's about the gist of it, yes. I've been thinking, once I sort out the trouble back home...I think my days as a general are over.

[stanbyme]

[He's relieved to hear that. Not just because the idea of her going back to a war by herself, the chance that something could happen and he'd never know, scares him more than 90% of what the manor had to offer.

But because it makes his next question easier.

He takes both her hands in both of his, looks at them as he rubs his thumbs over her knuckles.]

...So then, I was thinkin' maybe when ya come to visit you could... Stay? And, and uh...maybe we could...get hitched, or something? Let me make an honest grauntie outta you?

[That last part is a joke. Stan’s never done a thing honest in his life.]

[hasit]

[Somehow, she hadn't seen this coming. And yet, deep down inside, is she really surprised? Things are moving fast, but Leia's approaching the age where that's much less of a concern than it once was, and she's also learned to trust her heart. Trust her feelings. Her mouth curls into a smile, and she tilts her head up at him.]

Stanley, are you...are you proposing to me?

[She kind of just wants to make him admit it.]

[stanbyme]

[Underneath all his fluff and curls, his cheeks burn incandescent when she calls him out.]

I-I... I know, it ain't much of a proposal, but I didn't really have the time to get ya a ring or...even flowers or anything.

But...wouldja say yes if I was?

[hasit]

[She shakes her head, slowly, her eyes twinkling as she looks up at him.]

Sweetheart, I don't need any of that. I...I sold off the crown jewels of Alderaan, for kriff's sake.

[Leia's thumbs rub over his knuckles.]

For the record? Yes, of course I would.

[stanbyme]

[He looks up from their hands and meets her eyes, pinned there by the sparkle in her lively brown eyes.]

...Then I'm askin'.

[It's terrifying, but it's also one of the surest things he's ever done.]

Leia, will you marry me?

[hasit]

[She splits into a smile, and for a moment she's twenty again, beaming up at him. She drops his hands, only so she can slide her arms around his shoulders.]

Yes. A thousand times, yes.

[She's never been more sure of anything. After all of this, everything they've been through together? This is an easy decision to make.]