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

[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?]