And you can't pull me down

[musacal]

[ There's a groundhog anxiously pacing around the halls when suddenly everyone appears in the lobby and she's rushing up after all the initial reactions. ]

Wh... What happened?!

[ And where the FUCK is Maya UHHHHH ]


(ooc: y'all can respond to this however you want and make any generic top levels you need!)

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[employeeoftheyear]

[Eventually, Spongebob leaves Maya’s side to find Angus. Deep down, he gets the feeling that his presence wouldn’t be wanted. He fears that Angus would ignore him, or worse, yell at him.

But he doesn’t care, he’s still family and he’s still hurting.

He sits across from him, giving Angus a soft look and pointing to the crown he’s making. ]

Do you want help with that?

[mcfife]

[After getting his NOOOOs out of his system, Angus doesn't have the energy to fight Spongebob. One of the flowers slips out of his chain and glides across the table, onto the floor.]

Do you know how to make one?

[He pushes the pile of thistles to Spongebob without looking at him. He can focus on his own portion of the chain.]

[employeeoftheyear]

Of course! I used to make them all the time at home.

[Well this is a good start! He starts on his own portion, in silence.

After a minute, he sighs and looks up at Angus.]

Hey Angus, I wanted to apologize for yelling at you earlier today. I know I was projecting myself onto this case after the stunt I did on Wednesday, but I shouldn’t have taken out on you.

You’re allowed to be angry, about everything. But I promise I’ll still be here for you.

[mcfife]

[Angus' thumbs slip. He can't be angry at Spongebob anymore. He's not angry for what he tried to do to himself and Farrah; they're alive. That's what's matters in the end.

But he's apologizing, so he may as well may as well reciprocate the conversation.]

I hope that when I killed Spinel under the influence of the Knife of Evil, everyone was angry at me. I took one of the kindest people away from them. They couldn't have let her death mean nothing. [He doesn't remember the trial, but if there was nothing of his original self left, what else could they do but hate him?] I don't blame you for what happened. I wanted something to come out of their deaths, that they hadn't died for nothing.

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob listens to Angus, and he reaches for him. He’s not sure how to respond, at first. Sure he lost his dads, but he can’t imagine the pain of having his partner killed and having the culprit going free.

He doesn’t hate Maya for what she did, he can’t, but if he was in Angus shoes he imagines he would be daring much worse than he was right now.

When he speaks, his voice is quiet.]

The deaths haven’t meant nothing, Angus. You saw the execution, remember? Hester actually did something to help us. And even if lived, it means that the Wizard no longer has such a strong hold on her.

And Janis, she was able to do something too! Angus, don’t you know what that means?

It means we aren’t as powerless against the Wizard as we thought at first.

[mcfife]

[Angus nods. It's good news. They can escape. They have a fighting chance. So why does he feel nothing?

He picks another flower and messily weaves it through the other stems, missing all the right holes for it to stick together.]

...She has to be alive. Hester can't be gone.

[employeeoftheyear]

I know she can’t. I know the Wizard wouldn’t let her die.

... And I’m still keeping my promise, to save Elle. I promise you that she’ll be the first person I bring back from the afterlife.

[He leans to make sure he locks eyes with Angus.]

I promise you that I won’t rest until you two are married. I don’t care if it takes me a day or a decade to make this happen.

[mcfife]

[Another nod, this time with tears threatening to return. He'll never know her answer to his question until she comes back. Elle will never know how much she meant to him until he sees her again.]

She needs to know now. Before she comes back. That I am waiting for her. If our gifts can be seen by the dead, I must finish this.

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob smiles at him, sad but genuine.

When Angus is done, he hands him a completed flower crown, that he somehow completed while he was talking.]

I promise I’ll help you however I can. I won’t let you suffer through this alone.

[mcfife]

[He holds the flower crown in his hands gently, cradling it like it could blow away with a single thought, like it was a fractured skull that could collapsed if handled improperly.]

...Do you know what the thistle symbolizes?

[employeeoftheyear]

[He cocks his head, unsure.]

No, what does it mean?

[mcfife]

[He rubs a thumb over a flower.]

Devotion. Strength. Bravery. A symbol of those that defend. [Just like...] Elle said that it reminded her of me.

[employeeoftheyear]

[He smiles wider. It’s still sad but as genuine as always.]

And she was right. I don’t know if I’d even be here if it wasn’t for your strength. You gave us so much strength when I thought the world was crashing in around me.

[Suddenly he remembers something.]

Hey, I think Per still has that Ouija Board. I can ask her if I could borrow it for you.

[mcfife]

[A prince must always be there for his people...

It's difficult to be a pillar of strength when his foundation has been taken out from under him.]

...Won't The Wizard try to stop us again? [He wants to talk to Elle again, but if she will be harmed, he won't ever live with himself again.]

[employeeoftheyear]

[He winks at him, absolutely confident in this plan.]

Cmon, you know he can’t see us in the bathroom! He’ll never know!

[Even though he’s announcing it here.

It’s fine.]

[mcfife]

[Spongebob...Angus glares at a corner of the room.]

He'll know if we go there all together.

[employeeoftheyear]

C’moooon Angus, what’s fishy about two men going into the bathroom together?

[Don't answer that.]

[mcfife]

A-

[It's way too soon for a rebound, Bob the Sponge.]

If the opportunity ever arises. We'll bring it up in our next meeting.

[employeeoftheyear]

Next meeting then! [He reaches over to slap Angus’s shoulder.] I promise you, Angus, we’re gonna figure out a way to get outta here and save your girlfriend!

[mcfife]

[..........]

We can't reach that point just yet. We first have to fight our way to freedom. [He hangs the wreath on his wrist like a bracelet.] How do you make these so quickly?

[employeeoftheyear]

Of course, but I promise I'll fight for freedom for the rest of my life if I've gotta!

[He laughs, then gets up to sit besides him.]

I've gotten so quick because of practice, but I can show you how to make the perfect flower crowns!

[mcfife]

That would be good. [Better than keeping idle.] I want to make more of these later.

[And his mind won't wander and think of Elle.]