foolishmortals | Recuérdame.

[Those of you who wish to see those who passed on? You'll be directed outside by Zeus, where he raises his arms, and marigolds begin to float around him. They float upwards, and form into a bridge.

It's structurally sound, and it seems fitting that you can cross it.

Eventually, you'll see it. Elysium. The Land of The Dead. Gentle music plays as you cross over into the city.

It's...festive. It's always festive. The architecture is colorful and full of spirit, and your group seems to be the only ones...human in appearance. Even your old friends seem to be a bit more skeletal in appearance. You can spend as much time here as you like, but eventually, that bridge will disappear. And you'll have to leave.

But...they'll never truly be gone. Not if you remember them. And someday, you'll join them. But for now, you celebrate. You've earned your happy ending.]

(ooc: This is the last log for the three canon rounds of Foolish Mortals! Thanks for coming along for the ride - we loved having you, and we hope to see ya real soon!)

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[There's a face Ford has been anxiously seeking out, ever since people started appearing, and for awhile he's afraid Stanley won't come at all. That he's so angry at Ford for dying that he's just passing on the opportunity to see him again. But when he sees his twin coming over that hill and breaking into a run, he breathes a sigh of relief and braces himself. He's already discovered that it's all too easy to knock his top half off his bottom half.

When Stan finally reaches him, Ford doesn't hesitate to sink to his knees along with him, bracing himself on Stan's shoulders with twelve bony fingers.]

Hey, hey. It's alright, it's alright. I'm here, Stan. I'm right here.

[His voice is...maybe a little wobbly.]

[Stan gulps in air and it shakes out of him, and he can't get his breath, even when he feels Ford's bony fingers on his shoulders, he just slips his arms around Ford's back to grip at the back of his sweater instead, burying his face in Ford's bony collarbone and just breaking down completely.

Even still, his words aren't entirely unintelligible.]

I'm sorry, Ford, I'm so sorry--

[Ford pulls his head back, surprised, looking down at his twin brother just losing his shit into his sweater.]

Sorry? For what?

[You might think he sounds mad but that's kind of. just. his voice.]

[Stan doesn't have the luxury of lacking tear ducts, so he can't bring himself to really look at Ford.

His shoulders have the same slump to them they did that day on the forest floor, when Stanley Pines' life ended and started again in the same breath.]

I wasn't- I wasn't strong enough to pull you back. [His sobs are quieting, but his voice is still thick and rough.] I couldn't save you... I couldn't save you again, and now you're--

Stan. Stanley. Look at me.

[Ford is shaking his head gently, looking down at his brother sternly.]

I didn't want you to pull me back. What happened...it had to happen that way, and I'm glad it did. If we'd waited only a second longer, Bill would have come back through. It would've been all over.

[Ford sighs.]

I know it's not easy to hear, Stan, but I knew what I was doing when I closed that portal.

That doesn't make it right! Why did you have to go and be a hero, Ford? We could have found another way!

[He doesn't care about that stern look, the one that, with Ford's face less of a mirror of his own, makes Ford look more like their father.]

I'm not... I'm not ready to lose you, Ford. I just got you back...

To give you a shot at surviving, dummy. [He reaches out and ruffles Stan's hair, which is unreasonably long, if you ask him.] So you could go back home and finally get a chance to settle down. Be with Leia. Marry her. Adopt a damn dog or something, I don't know what heterosexuals do in their free time. After everything you've done...you deserve that much.

[Ford goes quiet for a moment.]

I know. But truthfully, would you ever have been ready?

[Stan swats Ford's skeleton hand away from his hair.]

What, Ford? Name one thing I've done that didn't backfire in the end. How can I- How can I just go back and pretend like everything's okay when my brother's--

[He's brought his tears under control, but his throat sticks on the word "dead," still, and when he can manage words again he has to wrench them out around the knot in his throat.]

Of course I wouldn't ever have been ready to go on without you. Everywhere we go, we go together, Ford.

Your brother's going to be there with you. [Ford's voice is uncharacteristically gentle.] I'm never leaving you, you know. I'll be right beside you the whole time. Probably...probably yelling at you half the time, or saying I told you so, but.

[His voice is definitely choked up by now.]

I'll be there.

[Oh good, now Ford sounds like he’s crying. Great, just what he needed. Stan has to take a few shaky breaths to not lose it again, still clinging onto Ford’s sweater like maybe if he just holds on hard enough the last 28 hours or so will all just be a nightmare and he’ll wake up back in the manor with Leia in his arms and Mabel sprawled across the entire width of the bed, and none of the awful events that started with Mabel accidentally killing someone and ended with Ford purposefully sacrificing himself would ever have happened.]

At least no one can say I’m not the good-looking twin now.

[It’s a weak joke, but most of his jokes are.]

If Ma could see you right now she’d throw a fit over how skinny you are.

Oh, no, I think I'm still the good-looking twin.

[Jokes are good, jokes giving him a chance to clear his throat under the guise of laughing at his own dumb jibe.]

I've still got this jawline, after all.

[He glances down at himself, and, well, he's still got that barrel chest thanks to his ribcage, but the rest of him is...awfully bony.]

I've got chicken legs to match yours now.

Recuérdame.

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