ENDGAME ALL GROUPS: WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR

[grimgrinningghosts]

[An ominous door has appeared in the starry skies above The Other Side. It’s not at all what Group 3 expected to happen when touching the symbol - and yet, something about it doesn’t surprise you.

Should you leave with Rod and/or Walt and Mickey, you’ll find them here. All the facts will start coming together, and only one name comes to mind: Hades.

But..you have each other. You stand here, ready for any and all eventualities. Even in the face of the demise or everything.

Welcome to your final test, Foolish Mortals. Keep your head up.]

(ooc: Welcome to the end of the world! There’ll be no mod tag-ins/plot advancement for about an hour (12:05 EST), to allow everyone to reunite and regroup.)

Comments

[sorrydoods]

[The hug manages to snap him out of his staring, realizing that Stan's there and that he's still safe and that they need to do something but he doesn't know what yet.

Then the memories of finding Donald and Goofy come back, and they hit hard]

Y-yeah, I am, but-but Donald and Goofy, they-I...I think Hades-!

[His thousand yard stare is gone now, replaced with him hyperventilating. This is really happening, this is actually happening and there's nothing they can do to stop it now.]

[stanbyme]

Damn it Soos, you can't lose it on me now!

[His voice cracks. Stan's voice...doesn't- doesn't usually do that.]

[sorrydoods]

[He can't help but just...fall into hugging Stan, needing something to keep him standing. He's freaking out so much that he doesn't even notice that voice crack.]

I...what are we going to do? What are we supposed to do now? Hades is bad and he told us he was a bad guy and...

[And he just...cries into Stan's shoulder. He doesn't know what to do...he doesn't know what to do and he hates this.]

[stanbyme]

[It takes all he has to stay on his feet when Soos starts leaning on him. Someone with fewer decades of toxic masculinity might have just collapsed to the ground then and there, and just...bawled over their losses.

But that someone is not Stan Pines.]

We're gonna kick his ass, Soos. And then we're gonna kick every ass it takes until we can get back-- get back everyone we lost.

[He definitely still sounds like he's on the verge of tears, though.]

[sorrydoods]

[He's shaking, he's crying, he doesn't know how they're supposed to do anything, but...that...that makes him feel a little better, even if it's only a little bit.]

O-okay...we'll...we'll beat them. We'll beat them and-and we'll get everyone back.

[He's not sure he believes what he's saying...but he needs to do something. He can't just...let this all be.

But...he finally notices the sadness in his voice.]

What...what happened with your group?

[stanbyme]

[Stan can't say anything for a moment, through the knot that suddenly rises back into his throat.

But his sweater is missing and his white shirt is soaked in blood, Soos.]

Bill-

[He finally manages to croak. And... And that's it.]

[sorrydoods]

[...oh

oh shit

He's hold onto Stan, still, ready for him to start crying into his shoulder. He's regretting not coming with them now, going with them to keep them all safe, instead of just...running around and doing a but load of nothing here.

But...he can't do that now. He can't break down, because Stan is about to break down, and damn it, someone needs to be strong right now.]

I'm...I'm sorry.

[stanbyme]

[Stan breaks eye contact, looks down at the ground. The niblings are both here (even if the muns are not) so there's...pretty much only one person they could have lost who would be affecting Stan this badly.]

I'm gonna- I'm gonna get him back, or I'm gonna join him. It's my fault, I couldn't... I wasn't strong enough to pull him back.

[sorrydoods]

[Yeah, he...he figured. That doesn't make him feel much better. It makes him wish he'd gone with them, and-

wait

wait wait wait wait wait WHAT]

N-no.

[Soos is shaking again, getting terrified about what Stan just said. He can't...he can't be serious...]

We-we're going to get him back. That-that's the only option. We're getting him back no matter what, and you're not dying here.

[Please...please don't do this to him again...]

[stanbyme]

Soos, I don't got thirty years left to find him anymore!

[He takes Soos by the shoulders.]

Remember when I made you swear to guard the vending machine in the shack? I want you to swear to me, just as hard as you did then, that no matter what you're gonna protect Wendy and the kids.

[sorrydoods]

I...I...

[He's on the verge of tears. He doesn't want to say it, he really doesn't wanna say it, but...he knows he has to.]

O-okay. I...I swear. I swear I'll keep them safe. I'll keep everyone safe. I promise.

Just...please, not again. Please.

[He can't watch that again.]

I don't have any appropriate icons so here's one that hurts

[stanbyme]

[Stan cups the back of Soos' head.]

I promise I ain't gonna go looking for it.

But I'm old, Soos, I had a good run. If it happens, it happens. [He smiles weakly, wipes the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.] Ford'll be there to meet me.

It's fine I adlib most of the time with only fifteen

[sorrydoods]

[He doesn't like hearing that. It's like a knife to his heart, hearing that.]

But...I don't...I don't wanna lose you...again...

[He can't help but drop his face back into his shoulder, crying. He hates this, God in Heaven he hates this.]

[stanbyme]

You'll be alright, Soos. If I ain't with you when you get home, get in the secret compartment and get enough cash to get the kids home. Go with 'em, tell their parents what happened. ...Well maybe not all of this.

And then get yourself a ticket to Portland to see your girlfriend and go hug her for a week straight.

[Maybe if he lays out clear enough directions it'll be easier.]

Promise me you ain't gonna lose it if the worst happens.

[sorrydoods]

I...

[He needs to take in a couple deep breaths before he can keep going. It's...it's a lot of information to take in, but he's taking mental notes, trying to keep what Stan is saying in his mind. He doesn't want to hear this, he wants to just curl up in a ball and cry at this point, but...he knows he can't.]

Okay. I...I'll try. I'll try.

[That's the most he can promise, really. He can't do much else, really.]

[stanbyme]

I'm proud of you, Soos. You're a good kid.

[sorrydoods]

...thanks.

And...if I don't see you again...you were always like a dad to me, and I still wish you really were mine, instead of who my dad really is.

[May as well get that off his chest, before Stan probably gets his head cut off or something.]

[stanbyme]

[That manages to get a tiny smile out of him.]

That jerk may have been your father, but he wasn't your dad.

I'm glad I could be.

[sorrydoods]

[That get a little laugh out of him. It makes him feel just a little bit better, during all this Hell going on.]

Thanks. For always being there and stuff. And for always...just being the best.