Goodbye, 90s Kid

[sailorlaughter]

Characters: Anyone
Content: 90s Kid's funeral goodbye party
Location: Nature Deck
Time of Day: Evening-ish, at the beginning of the week
Warnings: Party-style, may contain undue amounts of Star Trek references

Pinkie took longer than usual to set this particular party up. She'd been moving a lot more slowly lately, and the Party Cannon wasn't really much of a help here.

She was having a party because she didn't think 90s Kid would want them all to be sad. She wouldn't have wanted it, if the dinosaur had eaten her instead. So there were treats and balloons, just a few green and orange ones decorating the rather modest buffet table. Somehow, Cammy'd dug up a few songs Pinkie deemed fit for the occasion. In addition to the normal party things, she'd set up a little stage over by the lake, with a few pictures of 90s Kid on it surrounded by flowers. A microphone stand waited nearby, just in case anyone wanted to say anything. Pinkie herself hadn't quite decided what she wanted to say yet, though she knew she had to say something.

After everything was ready, the pony sat slumped over by the entrance, sniffling and running a foreleg across her face occasionally. Hopefully the cheering-up part of the party would work better once she had some guests.

Comments

[verygassy]

Anyone looking for eulogists might be rather unnerved to see that Minako doesn't seem to be among the gathered. Even if she wasn't exactly in complete love with her, er, husband, he was still married to her.

But she was there. She just wasn't visible. Minako was behind a tree near the main party area, sitting quietly with arms folded from her legs. She wore a black camp outfit, no shoes, just letting the cool grass rub on her feet.

To say she felt awful was an understatement. It was bad enough when people she genuinely fell in love with died because of her existence, but when people she didn't have romantic feelings for died, it only made it worse. Would getting that divorce even have mattered?

No, it wouldn't. She's single again anyhow. Just what she wanted, wasn't it? Her own desire to extricate herself from 90s Kid as quickly as she could - to hopefully prevent something bad from happening to him - the decision almost seemed to mock her now.

[punsofiron]

Liz was very quiet when she approached Minako, wanting to get away from the party herself. She hadn't spoken to her friend about this at all since the incident, if only because nobody had the ability to speak, but even then she could tell that this was affecting her. And now, even with her voice back, she still didn't know what to say.

So instead, she just sat on the grass next to Minako, and slowly, lightly reached her hand out to the younger girl's shoulder.

[verygassy]

Minako started a bit at the touch. However, when she saw who it was, she relaxed.

"Oh, I...hi."

[punsofiron]

"Hey," Liz muttered, drawing her hand back for a moment, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She looked Minako up and down.

"You okay?"

[eyeofwildtiger]

Kotetsu hadn't known the kid that well, but a life was a life. It was even worse in that Pinkie was so down about it. He still had his preparations to make, but he made sure to stop by the ceremony.

When he entered, he immediately walked over to the pony, giving her a tiny smile. "Feeling any better?"

[colorbymemory]

Namine hadn't known '90's Kid that well, but she and Xion had both wanted to come to the goodbye party, so they'd come together. It was a little more subdued than Pinkie's usual events. That seemed appropriate, though, and Pinkie probably hadn't been feeling up to anything more.

They stopped by to say hello to her and found her crying. Namine offered her some more tissues before speaking. "Everything looks nice."

Probably not the best thing to say, but asking how Pinkie was feeling seemed even sillier.

[punsofiron]

Liz probably should have stepped up and said something. She knew 90s Kid, after all. They were always like one big family in the apartment back home. And yes, she would even go so far as to call him her friend. A young, innocent, idiotic friend.

But she just felt numb to it all, sitting by herself near the stage, fiddling carefully with one of the photos, his carefree smile captured perfectly in the frame. She always thought 90s Kid's behavior would get him killed someday, but she never thought it would actually happen. At least not out here, where they couldn't even ask Pollo about progress on that cure for death he was supposedly working on.

She sighed, resting the frame carefully back in its place. He wouldn't want her dwelling on this, she knew that. But it felt like everything she knew was starting to just disappear on her. Of course she was having a blast up here on the Satellite of Love, and she was confident that they'd find their way home someday. But that didn't stop her from feeling homesick.

[milliondollarpipes]

It wasn't like Harvey hadn't seen this coming. How many times had he told him? "Kid, you're gonna get yourself killed doin' that!" It was practically rote by now. Still, he'd never...really thought it would happen.

He slunk around the edges of the little gathering, only pausing to tip his hat at Pinkie Pie as he entered. It was good of her to do this - he'd been afraid he'd have to pull something together himself. After all, he hadn't been there when the kid needed him most; the least he could do was make sure they saw him off right. Still, he hadn't been looking forward to it. He was a performer, sure, but he didn't like to grieve in front of an audience. Hell, he wasn't sure he could even pull off a eulogy.

Well, it didn't matter at the moment anyway. Right now, he was only here for one person. Quietly, hands in his pockets, he drew up alongside Liz, looking over her shoulder at the pictures. He had no idea where the pony'd got those from - he didn't even have any pictures of any of the kids up here. "Hey." He opened his arms for a hug as she set the picture down again.

[punsofiron]

Liz looked up when she sensed Harvey next to her. "Hey." She stood slowly, leaning into Harvey's shoulder as she accepted the hug, squeezing him tightly. After a moment her grip loosened, but she kept a hand on Harvey's arm, silently looking up at him.

"I almost wasn't even sure you were gonna make it." Harvey was always a very private person, after all. She didn't expect he'd miss it, even as much as he gave 90s Kid a hard time in life, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking sometimes. She never did well with funerals either...it took a lot just to show up.

[milliondollarpipes]

Harvey squeezed back just a bit tighter than he'd really intended, and let her go only reluctantly. Truth was, he hadn't been doing so well the past couple days, not that he'd said anything to anyone about it.

"'Course I was. Probably would've done a little somethin' myself if she hadn't." He shrugged and reached forward to straighten the pictures, mostly to avoid catching Liz's eye at the admission. "Dunno how long I'll stay. It's a little crowded in here." Of course, it wasn't; the nature deck was more than big enough to hold everyone.

[punsofiron]

Liz nodded.

"You should at least give a few words though. He looked up to you a lot. You and Linkara."

She shook her head, "He probably would have skipped this altogether."

[youreallweirdos]

Despite Sam's rather...tenuous relationship with 90s Kid, he felt that it was only proper that he offer a eulogy. Sam certainly never wished that kind of ill fate on anyone, annoying as they could be. And after all, if there was anything Sam was terribly good at, it was serious speeches.

Dressed in camp counselor gear, since that's all that had been available in his locker at the start of the week, he made his way to the podium at the front of the camp area and 'goodbye party' that Pinkie had set up. He wished there could be some American flags around here, but it was a funeral, so likely he could let that slide for now.

"Friends, and fellow persons, robots, and otherwise on the Satellite of Love. We are gathered here today, to mourn the passing of one. 90s Kid. I am sure that we all have very...fond memories of 90s Kid. I, for one, recall with great fondness, the time he...um..." He shuffled through his notes. "...The time he ate some pie. Yes." There was a pause. "Or, who could forget the...pranked everyone unfortunate enough to wander around the housing decks on April Fool's Day. But! That just showed that he was. Very serious about the celebration of holidays."

"Yes, indeed, 90s Kid was certainly...a. Person. His unbridled enthusiasm for comic books about...men with large muscles and many guns...and pouches...was obvious. To all. He also always worked hard at. Things, although I can't think of what they are right now. But regardless! The most noble thing of all about 90s Kid, was that he was a true American, and the loss of any such is a great tragedy indeed."

"And so, we bid you a fond farewell, 90s Kid. In honor of his memory, I think it only fitting that we don one of his favorite articles.

And with that, Sam put on a pair of sunglasses.

[sailorlaughter]

It was well into the funeral before Pinkie finally mounted the stage, rearing briefly on her hind legs as she pulled the microphone down to her level. "Um..." There was a dull thunk as she tapped a hoof against it. "Hi, everypony - I mean, everybody. I just wanted to thank you all for coming. And Sam, thanks for the sunglasses. It was really nice of you." She pushed her own pair up on her muzzle, tucking a long strand of pink mane behind one ear.

"90s Kid was...totally one of my best friends ever. I always loved hanging out with him and playing pranks and eating pop rocks and stuff. I never really thought it was fair that he was a blank flank, back when all that stuff with Discord happened. I thought his special talent was kinda like mine." She shuffled her hooves, ducking her head. "I mean, he always made me smile."

The pony stood staring at her hooves a few seconds longer, before seemingly remembering that she was on stage. Sniffing, she drew herself up again, rallying her spirits. This part was important! "Of all the humans I ever knew, he was the most..." She choked back a little sob. "...radical."

There were a few moments of silence. "...I'm gonna go fill up the punch bowl." Pinkie hopped neatly backwards off the stage and trotted briskly over to the buffet table, curling up into a little pink ball beneath it, behind the long tablecloth. She didn't want to ruin the party by making everyone else even more sad.

WAT A TWEEST!

[liefeldisgod]

And then, as the party was beginning to wind down into sadness and confusion, a voice could be heard right behind Pinkie Pie as she sat off to the side.

"Dude...who died?"

A voice who sounded suspiciously like 90s Kid. Exactly like him, in fact.

"Was it anybody I know, 'cause like, I'm no good at that heavy stuff."

[sailorlaughter]

"Oh..." Pinkie wiped a foreleg across her nose with a snuffle. "Hey, 90s Kid. This is our goodbye party for..."

[sailorlaughter]

[sailorlaughter]

Pinkie turned around and blinked. Then she pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead and blinked again. "90s Kid?"

"90S KID!!!!" Pinkie shrieked, heedless of the others around, and leapt up into 90s Kid's arms amid a mass of expanding pink curls. "ImissedyousosoSOmuchnevergoawayeverAGAIN!" Forelegs clamped tightly around his neck, she buried her muzzle in his shirt and sniffled away a few happy tears.

[liefeldisgod]

"Woah-gack!" 90s Kid stumbled back as Pinkie latched herself onto him, awkwardly patting her on the head as she babbled away.

"Ghhk, Pinkie...can't...breathe..."

[sailorlaughter]

Pinkie squeaked and loosened her hold instantly. "Oh no! Are you okay?" Her sunglasses were tangled up in her mane now, and...oh! Right! She was at a party!

Without quite letting go of 90s Kid, the pony managed to wriggle around to face the rest of the gathering at large. "HEY EVERYBODY! IT'S A WELCOME BACK PARTY NOW!" As if on cue, Cammy changed the music with a swift whack, and a few hidden confetti guns fired all at once. Pinkie had confetti guns stashed all over the Satellite, just in case of party emergencies.

[youreallweirdos]

Sam had been quite proud of his eulogy, and was just about to help himself to some bars and punch when he noticed the very person he'd been eulogizing show up at the back of the room.

Sam just gave a looooong sigh and buried his face in his wing.

Of course this would happen to him. Of course.

[liefeldisgod]

90s Kid just looked dazed at her as the music started up again, but oh hey, he loved this song!

A goofy grin came over his face and he waved at everybody in the room, before leaning to Pinkie and whispering.

"So what's this all about?"

[milliondollarpipes]

Harvey just about jumped out of his skin when the pony screamed, but as close to the stage as he'd been, it took a few seconds for him to actually figure out what the hell was going on back there. Eventually, he managed to get a look through the people, and....no. There was no way that was who he thought it was.

He took off, probably shoving more than a few people aside in his haste. But when he finally got there, he suddenly turned a bit wary, hanging back. "Kid?" He saw what happened down in Deep 13. If this is some kinda replacement clone thing, he is going to kill Dr. Forrester.

[liefeldisgod]

"Heyyy Harvey, wazzup!" 90s Kid waved to the older man as he approached, still holding the pony hanging off of his neck. It was quite clear that this didn't seem like anything but an ordinary day to him, as if nothing even happened.

[milliondollarpipes]

"You - " Harvey was momentarily lost for words. At least it wasn't a clone; only the real 90s Kid could possibly be so - so nonchalant about this.

Pinkie, twisting around, noted his expression. Sometimes even she was capable of picking up hints, and she tilted her head in brief thought before dropping back down to the ground. "Hey 90s Kid! I'm gonna get us some punch, okie-dokie-lokie? Be right baaaack~"

Harvey didn't pay attention to her leaving. He'd finally gathered his thoughts, and the second the pony'd bounced off he was stalking forward tensely. "What the hell, kid?" he hissed furiously, trying hard to keep from actually shouting in the middle of a former-funeral. "Of all the goddamned idiotic things to do, you had to get yourself eaten by a dinosaur? I swear to God, I have never met someone so - "

By this point, he was gripping 90s Kid by the shoulders, looking him up and down for damage. He was good. Everything was good. He folded the kid into a tight hug, for once not caring who else was around. "Don't you ever do that to me again, kid."

[liefeldisgod]

90s Kid stiffened as Harvey grabbed his shoulders, staring at him like a deer in the headlights. He was used to Harvey being cross with him, but not like this. Whatever he did this time he must've really been in for it now--

And then he was being hugged. The kid was as rigid as ever for several moments, awkwardly raising his arms to return it.

"I'm...sorry?"