[The memory halts without anywhere else to go, and Dipper is shaking under his hand. Stan wonders if Dipper really meant for him to see this part, but he's...well, glad isn't the right word. He's glad someone stopped Dipper from being a part of this and made him go outside where he couldn't see what was happening. He's glad someone took care of his family in his absence.
He's not glad about the rest, but it's painful and necessary. Dipper's given him a good look at a baseline for how he's been recently, probably by accident, and it will help him fix the corruption issues - even if he can't do it as fast as Mabel could.
He opens his mouth and shuts it, trying to find words. He should drag Dipper off, physically pull him away from all this, but...things are stopped right now. Maybe they need to stay stopped, for a moment. The least he can do though, is turn Dipper a little so he's looking at him and not the graphic scene frozen in front of them.]
...So, uh. Did I ever tell you what happened when I saw Cynthia, back in the dream?
[He didn't, actually. He can confidently say he didn't. He never brought up his choices, never asked the kids what theirs were. Sometimes it came up and he'd chime in with what he'd done when their choices matched up, but there were two he never spoke about - Cynthia and Sodder. He did the thing he always does where he talks just enough about something that no one realizes there are pieces he isn't sharing until the moment is long gone.
Fortunately, it isn't a long story. Stan takes a deep breath, rips the band aid off, and lets the truth linger in the air--]
Cw: death, gore, dismemberment etc
He's not glad about the rest, but it's painful and necessary. Dipper's given him a good look at a baseline for how he's been recently, probably by accident, and it will help him fix the corruption issues - even if he can't do it as fast as Mabel could.
He opens his mouth and shuts it, trying to find words. He should drag Dipper off, physically pull him away from all this, but...things are stopped right now. Maybe they need to stay stopped, for a moment. The least he can do though, is turn Dipper a little so he's looking at him and not the graphic scene frozen in front of them.]
...So, uh. Did I ever tell you what happened when I saw Cynthia, back in the dream?
[He didn't, actually. He can confidently say he didn't. He never brought up his choices, never asked the kids what theirs were. Sometimes it came up and he'd chime in with what he'd done when their choices matched up, but there were two he never spoke about - Cynthia and Sodder. He did the thing he always does where he talks just enough about something that no one realizes there are pieces he isn't sharing until the moment is long gone.
Fortunately, it isn't a long story. Stan takes a deep breath, rips the band aid off, and lets the truth linger in the air--]
--I didn't do it. I couldn't do it.