#and even then there's hints that pacifica and dipper will end up together

[obligatory-name-change]

'Gideon's mom is carla mccorkle' was always a dumb theory because there's no way the gravity falls writers would put that much focus on a female character

[countlessrealities]

@sinruby asked: How would you describe your relationship with your family? for Mabel!

Mabel's lips curl in a pensive frown at the question. This is the first time someone asks her about her family and the relationship she has with each member. It's not like she doesn't know how she feels and what that's like, because she does, no matter how little she tries to dwell on it. She just has never been forced to put her thoughts on the matter into words.

The first person she thinks of whenever someone says "family" is, of course, her brother. Dipper is and will always be the person she's the closest to, no matter what might happen. They have always been more than siblings, after all. They are twins, best friends.

However, that's not where she chooses to start from.

"My parents are...alright? I guess. They always made sure Dip-stick and I had all the stuff we needed. Food, clothes, toys, school things..." She trails off and ends the sentence with a shrug instead. "For the rest, they are never around. They're always at work, or away on their own. That's why they sent us to Grunkle Stan's last summer. So they could go on holiday on their own."

Is that how parents are supposed to behave? She isn't sure. That's how it is in her life, and she has never paid attention to what her friends' parents are like. Aside from Pacifica's, but everyone can agree that they are not a role model.

"But it's alright. Dip-sauce and I can handle ourselves! We learnt very quickly and it's...fun, in a way. I get to do everything with my twin! And that's amazing...you would get it if you had a twin too."

She means it. She's more than content to share everything with Dipper, to be independent, to have her life with him. It's what has allowed them to live through and survive everything they have faced in Gravity Falls.

Yet, at times, she wonders.

"Then there are Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford. They weren't...great at first. Grunkle Stan was always grumpy, but now I get why. He had lost his twin and...in his way, he was trying to protect us."

Stan also doesn't have the best people skills. Not when it comes to being sincere. He's a conman, he can lie and cheat his way through a lot of situations, but when it comes to baring his soul and dealing with his real feelings? He's as emotionally constipated as someone can be. And Ford isn't any better.

"As for Grunkle Ford, he's...well, he's been away for a very long time and he hasn't had the best life, so...I can't blame him for forgetting how caring works."

A hint of gloom lingers on her features, betraying that there's more to it that she's not saying, but after a moment her expression brightens.

"We had a rough start, the four of us, but hey, what matters is how we ended up! Our Grunkles saved us all, and Dip-Dip and I helped! Grunkle Ford and Grunkle Stan made up and now they are living their childhood dream. And we can tag along! They promised!"

Her grin brightens, as if the idea of battling sea monsters and getting lost in caves populated by dangerous creatures is the best life one can have.

"I can't wait to go back to Gravity Falls next summer! Buuut Dipper and I might even get to spend our winter holidays chasing after Bigfoot!"

Much better than sitting at a table eating pre-made Christmas food and receiving boring presents. Their winter holidays have been fun only when it snowed.

"And then, of course, there's Dip-pick! He's my family. He has always been. We're brother and sister, we're best friends, we're twins. We've been together since when we were just two little cells! We're basically platonic soulmates!"

Maybe she's being naive, or perhaps too optimistic, but she believes in that with all herself. Things have been tense between them from time to time, especially after what has happened during Weirdmageddon. The trauma, the fights, the insecurities, the regrets, the guilt. They have left indelible marks on them both and loose strings that they will eventually have to deal with.

However, Mabel has to hold onto the idea that she and Dipper will get through it all because it's the only scenario she can accept.

"I can't picture my life without him. And I know he can't picture his without me."

[httyddragonfox]

Similarities of Modern Disney Cartoons

If we look at the three major cartoons of today, we can find similarities that draw us as an audience in. For starters, it's a magical, fantastical, or supernatural world that is vastly different from our own. Second, the main character is a tween to young teenager. Third, they form an unconventional but strong family dynamic with the main cast and eventually befriend everyone in the main town. Fourth they have something that makes them unique as a character. Fifth, the big bad is defeated not in the way the audience all thought and someone ends up making a deathly sacrifice which doesn't stick because Disney. Sixth, the adventure is hinted to possibly continue. Seventh, there's a birthday involved in the story somewhere.

Gravity Falls: a mystery supernatural show taking place in an obscure town full of cryptids. The main character is Dipper, who is 12 to 13 years old. The main relationship they form is with their grunkles, and he's closest with his twin, but the entire town ends up admiring them. His unique trait is he referred to by a nickname and he has a twin.

We all think Bill is going to be defeated by the circular cipher that surrounds him in the opening, but he is instead defeated by Stan sacrificing his mindscape to erase him, which is a death of personality. Of course, he gets his memories back, the Stan twins go adventuring on the sea and Wendy gives Dipper a goodbye card that says 'see you next summer,' right after him and Mabel's birthday.

Amphibia: fantasy sci-fi story that takes place in a frog world called Amphibia. The main character is Anne, who is known for being a friendly and helpful 13 year old. The show starts with her 13th birthday, and then she is taken in by the plantar family forming a very close relationship with sprig and eventually befriending most people in Amphibia. Anne is a Thai girl, and this story is all about her family and friends (I'm looking at you shippers).

We all think the core is going to be defeated by Anne and her two human friends according to the prophecy, but instead Anne sacrifices herself to save everyone. This doesn't stick because the God of the multiverse wants her to be her best self when she takes over for him. The show ends on Anne's 23rd-24th birthday, and while her adventure is over, Sprig seems like he's going to explore the rest of Amphibia.

Anne seems a bit like a Mary Sue in a certain light.

Owl house: This is a fantasy-horror comedy that takes place in the eldritch location known as the Boiling Isles. The main character is Luz who forms a close relationship with the residents of the owl house, but forms a huge group of friends by the end of the show. Luz is an Afro-Latina queer girl, who forms a relationship with another girl.

We all think Belos is going to be defeated by the Hexsquad and the Owl house together, or We're going to get an understanding of what happened with Caleb and defeat with that, or it's going to be one climactic showdown. We get none of that. Luz dies, and is brought back by the titan itself to defeat Belos, the hexsquad doesn't directly fight him as Luz has been powered by the titan and doesn't need much help, and Caleb isn't mentioned at all. Moreover, Belos melts not due to breaking down, he's just melted by the rain, Luz doesn't even finish him off. The show ends on Luz's 18th birthday, and she's about to go off to university in the Boiling Isles.

Another similarity, owl house and gravity Falls both use coded messages to make mysteries for the audience.

Similarity number 7: someone has a redemption arc.

Gravity falls: Pacifica, Amphibia: Sasha, Owl house: Amity, but mostly Hunter.

I am a little insulted that Dipper's unique thing was that he was a twin (being a twin myself) and that counted as much as ethnicity or sexuality, because this means twins don't get that much representation.

I guess I should mention the outliers.

Star VS the forces of evil: the main character was from outside the dimension and a princess so it was hard to relate. The main world is Mewni, but not just Mewni. She forms a close relationship with the Diaz's especially Marco. Marco is more like the usual main characters, being bi-racial half-latino, but he's just a sidekick. Star's birthday happens on one random episode. She ends up befriending not just everyone from Marco's town, but also the monster race of her own world. A redemption arc, not really, just one day Buff frog is good, of course one might apply to Tom, and it's mainly in season 1. Star does sacrifice herself, but it was unintentional.

It was a little unconventional star saving the day by destroying all magic. We all thought Marco was going to move to mewni, but instead the worlds got merged.

That show was weird.

Then there's ducktales, but everyone is an anthropomorphic animal, they all go on adventures everywhere. They become close as a family of unconventional sorts. There is a bit of a mystery element, but nothing for us to solve on our own. There is no birthday except in a short and a one time episode. They defeat Bradford how we expected, as the entire family goes against him. Of course he is taken out by the villains, but that's an afterthought. There is no redemption for anyone.

[bedazzledmabel]

mabel pines 

age: 22 

favorite song: absolutely smitten by dodie 

sexuality: bisexual 

pronouns: she/her 

big three: virgo sun, taurus moon, capricorn rising 

mabel is a ray of sunshine! she loves meeting new people, she loves creating weird new pieces of art, she loves exploring creepy places with her brother- she just loves life! but not everyone can be happy and optimistic 24/7, and mabel can sometimes feel the pressure to stay this way because that’s how people see her. when she does get sad or angry or feel anything negative, she tries to hide it away, fearing that that’s not what people want from her. still, she has more good days than bad, and she never takes life too seriously. 

- mabel also had a crush on wendy at one time, but when she found out that dipper did, too- and that his was an even more massive crush- she moved on, and now she totally ships the two of them together. she’s always dropping way too big hints in front of wendy that dipper likes them, which embarrasses dipper to no end. 

- mabel wants to get her degree in fine arts, so that she can fulfill her dream of becoming an artist, but she knows that’s not really practical. as much as she loves art, she knows that most people can live off of it. that said, she’s not sure what else to get her degree in at school. 

- mabel once had a- sorta weird dream about her rival, pacifica. she woke up from it feeling tingly and confused. sure, pacifica is pretty and all, and has great style, and is so smart, but she’s also really mean, so there’s no way mabel could like her like that- right? 

- mabel is the older twin by three minutes. she never lets dipper forget it, and always insists, on their birthday, on blowing out the candles three minutes before he does. then, they take out the candles that mabel blew out, and put in a new set for dipper. it’s a pines family tradition at this point.

[ab-aj-blog]

Opinion on Star vs. final episode, season 4 (please watch the episode first)

First of all, I’m gonna start by saying that the overall quality of this show was so great and I’m gonna miss it so much! BUT I have to say that to me this last episode was somewhat disappointing. Let me explain. So clearly a few people loved the episode and some were disappointed. I believed it had a sweet ending, but the overall quality of the last episode seemed...dull? So here are some topics I want to discuss about the season overall. 1. Toffee. (This might take a while.) During this season, I was somewhat excited when a lot of the characters kept mentioning Toffee, even showing a younger Toffee in an episode. Glossaryk mentioned how destroying Toffee was a mistake. Meteora blasted Toffee in order to dip down, etc, etc. So of course, even if it was a few tidbits of Toffee, they kept leading it up to a point where you’d get your hopes up of his return. NOPE! Instead they just lead it to the idea that “Toffee was right.” And I’m oddly enough satisfied to hear that. (Being the Toffee fan that I am). But, to me anyways, it also meant that he just seemingly died in vain. I mean he went through all those lengths by himself, destroyed the entire magic dimension BY HIMSELF, got blasted by Star, then she’s just like “Oh haha wait, you were right. Whoops.” Like really? Granted. We know Toffee has done some bad things in the show. He killed Comet Butterfly, he used Ludo, he tried to kill Star, he even broke Glossaryk’s arm. Everyone who’s all “He’s evil and selfish! He deserved to die!” Just hear me out. The show introduces this mysterious, intelligent, very intriguing character, and the only information that you get is that he’s a villain. You don’t get any backstory to truly know if he’s an evil character. You also know that he’s a character that has developed despite not having a lot of background information. For example young Toffee (arrogant, rebellious, punk) vs. adult Toffee (clever, efficient, finely dressed). I mean, how are you supposed to judge a character based on the few actions he’s done when you don’t even know what he was like before the Mewmans showed up. Or before the monster massacre. Or anything on his side of the story. For example, you don’t know if he’s been wronged. Or if his family was killed. Or any of that because it wasn’t provided. How were we not too sure he killed Comet because he felt that she would betray them like past queens? How are ANY of us supposed to judge such an intriguing character without the proper information. Even if Toffee is just “a villain,” what was it that made him so bitter, to hurt anyone? No one’s just born evil. Again, NO ONE IS JUST BORN EVIL! Plain and simple. Again, granted, the show isn’t about Toffee. It’s about Star and her adventures. But it would still be nice to know more about a character that a lot of people seem to like. I was mainly upset about this because they seemingly kept hinting at what you thought would be his return. 2. The shipping drama Okay, this was definitely an issue it seems. A LOT of people can probably agree on that. I believe a whole lot of these episodes were simply shipping drama. Like Tom and Star dating. Then breaking up. And then suddenly Kelly and Marco dating and their relationship didn’t even last much of an episodes worth! And then they finally decided to go with Marco and Star. (Which I ship them). So yeah I guess I was happy about that. BUT I felt like if they would’ve just skipped all of that they would’ve had so much more time to put in meaningful episodes. And think about this! If they were going to go with Star and Marco, then why not just have them date to begin with?! Maybe near the beginning of Season 4. At least then they could’ve developed together throughout the season as a couple. Instead the whole Starco ship just seemed thrown in at the last few episodes and called it good. I’ve read from past tumblr posts that quite a few people believe that the shipping drama was just to please the fans who ship different ships. And if I’m gonna be honest, that’s what it kinda seemed like. The only odd thing about all this shipping drama is that it was somewhat almost like real life. Think about it In real life you’re not just going to automatically find the love of your life first go round. You’ll have other relationships (Tomstar). And sometimes you’ll have flings, friends with benefits, “break up buddies” (Kellco). You’ll even run into old exes, crushes (Marco running into Jackie, Star seeing Oscar again). I guess that’s the one interesting thing I found in all of that despite the fact it was pretty meaningless for the overall season. 3. DISNEY. IN. GENERAL. Okay, so I’m gonna start THIS by saying that Disney has ticked me off so many times with the stupid crap they seem to pull. They always seemingly rush their storyboarders, animators, etc. To me it just seems like a lot of great shows end, either by the creators decision (Gravity Falls), or simply because Disney just doesn’t want to air it anymore. (Wander over Yonder). Then they replace it with s**t like Pickle and Peanut! And I’m not sorry for saying that. But even with both of those shows. They all faced a higher conflict and worked together to defeat it. Which to some might be a cliché ending. But it can also provide a lot of passion depending on the story. Like with Gravity Falls, Dipper, Mabel, Stanley, Stanford, Soos, Wendy, Pacifica, Robbie, Gideon, Fiddleford, even the whole dang TOWN worked together to fight a seemingly impossible force. All unlikely characters working together. Two feuding twin brothers, who hadn’t seen each other for years, even worked together to fight Bill. Stanley even sacrificed his OWN MEMORIES just to stop Bill so long as it kept Dipper and Mabel safe. This show had such sweet lessons about the meaning of family. And with Wander over Yonder. The ENTIRE FLIPPING GALAXY worked together to try and stop Dominator from taking over the last planet. Even Lord hater, who everyone disliked at one point, cast a shield to stop that drill. And everyone, EVERYONE cheered him on. Because despite being evil at one point, they knew he was helping them and wanted him to feel stronger. Even Wander, the sweetest character of the show, could see right through Dominator’s “bad guy” exterior and saw that she was just lonely, needed a friend, and even wanted to be her friend. This show had SO MANY lessons. There was seemingly a lesson about being humble and kind in every episode. And that’s what made this show so meaningful. (Still ticks me off that it was cancelled!) The point I’m getting at here, is that if Disney hadn’t rushed Nefcy to finish this final episode, it would’ve felt more epic. It would’ve felt like a final stand. So what of the final episode? My main issue with this was that the finale didn’t seem to have a conflict, as it seemed the conflict was already presented in the episode before the finale. The main conflict this finale had was the purple unicorn, but that was seemingly a nuisance more than a conflict. And even when Mina DID show up, the unicorn just drowned her. Like, what? And then there was the internal conflicts between Star and Marco wanting to see each other. It just seemed like this. Gotta destroy magic➡️Destroys magic➡️Mewni and Echo Creek are merged. Do you see what I mean? Despite the fact that there’s a final force. It didn’t seem like much of an issue to stop it. Though I personally enjoyed how they handled the Star and Marco inner conflict. Two best friends, now two lovers, wanting nothing more than to be together. Even if it meant leaving their old life behind. Even if it meant living in the swirling chaos of the destroyed magic realm. They wanted to be together. And then, by some force of magic within THEMSELVES, brought about a portal. They’re sent home, but see the same portal, and both run towards their portal to see each other. Only to have their two worlds collide. Literally! And both Star and Marco stare into each other’s eyes, before smiling. It was absolutely the most heartwarming thing for Star and Marco to finally be able to see EVERYONE they care about. 4. Overall The things I liked Overall there were so many great characters, great stories, and meaningful moments that tied the show together to create this cute, interdimensional adventure. There was so much history, even racial issues were dealt with as far as the monsters go. The once irresponsible princess Star Butterfly, grew into a very powerful, strong, and wise adult. And now she and all of her friends and family can finally be together, live together, and have more adventures together. The things I didn’t like I felt there were still some things that were unresolved with certain characters (Toffee). And if they skipped out on the shipping issues just a little, and if Disney hadn’t rushed them, they could’ve made so many more meaningful episodes. They could’ve even taken things a different route if they just had the time. 5. If you managed to get to the end of this. Thank you so much for reading this and taking the time to listen to what I have to say. I’m sure you have your own opinions. Maybe you agree on some points, maybe you disagree on some points. Either way. I want to say thank you to all the fans, artists, shippers, and anyone who enjoyed the show as much as I did. It was a great adventure that we all shared together. And thank you to Daron Nefcy, storyboarders, animators, the crew, all of you who worked so hard on this show. This show, like many other great shows. Will have a special place in our hearts and memories.

[aceofstars16]

My Top 10 GF Episodes

So, I wanted to try and figure out my favorite Gravity Falls episodes just for the fun of it...but I will say I’ve only seen most of the episodes once so it’s very possible that there are some I might like more if I watched them again?

Also, most of my favorites tend to be relevant to the plot, but there are a few that aren’t that I still love (also big surprise, I love pretty much every episode with Ford in it xD)

Since I’m going to explain my reasoning behind why I like these episodes and am including some pictures, I’m putting this below the cut!

Honorable mentions (because there are some that I love that didn’t make it inn the top ten):

"Gideon Rises"

I feel like this episode is overlooked a lot, but it’s really good? I especially love how Dipper learns that he can be a hero without the journal. Plus you can SEE how much Stan wants to take care of Mabel and Dipper and sending them away hurts him but he does it because he can’t give them the care they need like oof my heart.

"Into the Bunker"

I love this episodes because it really sparks Dipper’s journey of finding the Author, not to mention the shapeshifter is kind of terrifying and makes for some intense action! It also adds to the mystery which of course I love! Plus, they really did the whole Dipper talking to Wendy thing well and in a realistic sense which I appreciate a LOT.

"Sock Opera"

This episode is so good I almost had it in my top ten, it was a close call. There is just so much I love about it? I think the main thing that I’m eh about is whatever the dude’s name is that Mabel is trying to impress. But everything else? Bill being terrible but hilarious, Mabel giving up her show for Dipper, just...solid and good and yes.

"The Stanchurian Candidate" 

This one gives me all the Stan feels (and also Ford freaking giving a mind control device to kids like...Ford no...xD) But I love how it’s so TRUE to Stan, like he isn’t the best person when it comes to ideals, but if you put his family in danger, his golden heart shines through and you can’t help but love him!

10.  "The Time Traveler's Pig"

I’ll admit, I haven’t rewatched this one yet, but I’m a sucker for time traveling shows and this one really helped me want to keep watching. It had interesting and fun elements that I enjoyed and Mabel and Dipper bonding that was so sweet and pure. Plus...fordshadowing...

9.  "Dreamscaperers"

Such a pivotal episode in the series. Not only do we meet Bill for the first time, which is in and of itself foreboding, but we also get a look into Stan’s mind and a glimpse of his childhood (though I will admit I’m still not sure if the kid is supposed to be Stan or Ford because of the whole glasses deal...) and why he is so hard on Dipper. It’s just such a good insight into characters and as pointed out is the shifting point from a lighthearted show to a show with darker themes.�� 

8.  "Northwest Mansion Mystery"

This one is just so creepy but also fun? And I really do love seeing Pacifica’s development, and how you can see why she acts like she does. It’s such an insight into her character and he stand against her parents is great! Not to mention Dipper is willing to give her a chance and says she doesn’t have to be like her parents. Like this boy said “you’re the worst” at the beginning but is willing to give her a second chance after seeing her home life. I don’t know I just love it.

7.  "Scary-oke"

Okay I love every bit of this episode, I just rewatched it and it’s just SO GOOD! Like, it’s the perfect start to season two, with Stan starting the portal, to the government agents noticing the power source and checking it out, to Stan, Mabel, and Dipper singing together to defeat zombies (not to mention how freaking PROTECTIVE and WORRIED Stan was for the kids, my HEART), I just love every bit of this episode man.

6.  "The Last Mabelcorn"

Another important plot episode that is all sorts of crazy and intense and great! I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of the unicorn part cause you know...the unicorns are jerks, but I LOVE the development with Ford and Dipper and how in the end Mabel didn’t need the unicorn’s acceptance because she had her family. Plus that one scene is SO INTENSE like dude...DUDE!

5.  "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future"

This episode gives me SO MANY FEELS, like when I first watched it I was a mess (partly because I needed to go to bed but CLIFFHANGER MUCH) The difference between Mabel and Dipper’s relationship from the beginning to the end is so stark and it hurts, but you can understand BOTH sides and the parallels to Stan and Ford just oof...PLUS Dipper going on and adventure with Ford is like my favorite thing ever. “Say hop, it helps!” Ford you dork I love you.

4.  "Carpet Diem"

Most of my favorite episodes are in season two, but let me tell you Carpet Diem is HILARIOUS. It was the first episode that I just absolutely loved because it made me LAUGH SO MUCH! Not only that, but the fordshadowing is there andi it’s real and painful. Also Mabel and Dipper realizing that they miss each other at the end...like ouch my heart but also so pure! <3

3.  "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls"

I’m just gonna go out and say Gravity Falls has one of the most satisfying endings of any show. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s gosh darn close! There is so freaking much about this episode that I love. Every bit of Mabel and Dipper and how they trust each other so much and face Bill together without fear like my precious children! Ford not giving into Bill’s torture, but then him getting VERY worried when Bill goes after Mabel and Dipper, and then both Stan and Ford realizing how much they messed up and how they both would do ANYTHING to keep Mabel and Dipper safe. And then Stan’s sacrifice I just...it hurts me soul so much ever bit of that scene and everyone’s reactions just HURTS SO MUCH. But then Stan getting his memories back and just the pure bittersweet ending, like it’s so perfect but it also makes me cry just because these characters grow on you so much and seeing them parting just hurts my heart. The only thing I wish had been included would be the kids hugging Ford and Soos at the end (Mabel said “We said goodbye to everyone...” but we didn’t see them saying bye to Soos and Ford...maybe that would’ve been too much, I might’ve been even more of a mess...) Anyways, the entire end sequence, including the credits (and the MUSIC) is so perfect and my HEART! (this can easily be #1 for me too, but I love the other 2/3 so much too hnnng)

2. "Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons"

This episode is just so freaking enjoyable??? There are a lot of reasons I love it tbh...I love the poking fun at D&D (because I’ve actually PLAYED D&D), I love the family bonding and how Mabel and Stan use their strengths to save their brothers, I love how Dipper and Ford bond and how they understand each other and just click so much and really love hanging out together. Plus this is the first episode where we really get to know Ford, at least post portal Ford - his dorkiness, his bamf-ness, how much he really does want to get to know his family. It just is...so good...not to mention the whole Ducktective bit, “I’ll have you know Ducktective has a mystery element and jokes that go over kids heads!” (I’m paraphrasing there I probably messed up the quote xD) And then the whole “twin brother” twist in it too, just so much 4th wall stuff that is so funny and I love it so much!

1. "Not What He Seems" & "A Tale of Two Stans" 

I can’t split up these two episodes...I really can’t...I know everyone raves on “Not What He Seems” and it deserves that! It’s such an intense episode and the culmination of all of the questions that have been brought up throughout the show, at least relating to Stan and The Author. The entire episode is just leaves you so shook, not to mention that last scene with Mabel like...FREAKING EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER MUCH??? It is just such a freaking good episode and I really do love it, but to me you can’t just say “Not What He Seems” because it ends with you having about a bazillion more questions, enter:

 “A Tale of Two Stans” I’m going to admit, if I HAD to pick a favorite episode it might just be AToTS because I just adore Stan and Ford so much. Seeing their backstory is so interesting but also so freaking heartbreaking, it hurts me every time I watch it and yet I always love watching it??? Maybe it’s just seeing how much Stan and Ford had each other’s backs as kids and how there is so much that shakes their relationship, but there are still hints of how much they still care about and trust each other (even continuing on in the show). It really just sets up their stories so well and has you rooting for them to reconcile and forgive for the rest of the series. And thankfully we get it in the end. I just...love this episode despite the PAIN because I love those Stan twins...

[mabel-godofdestruction]

name: mabel pines 

age: 22 

favorite song: absolutely smitten by dodie 

sexuality: bisexual 

pronouns: she/her 

big three: virgo sun, taurus moon, capricorn rising 

mabel also had a crush on wendy at one time, but when she found out that dipper did, too- and that his was an even more massive crush- she moved on, and now she totally ships the two of them together. she’s always dropping way too big hints in front of wendy that dipper likes them, which embarrasses dipper to no end. 

mabel wants to get her degree in fine arts, so that she can fulfill her dream of becoming an artist, but she knows that’s not really practical. as much as she loves art, she knows that most people can live off of it. that said, she’s not sure what else to get her degree in at school. 

mabel once had a- sorta weird dream about her rival, pacifica. she woke up from it feeling tingly and confused. sure, pacifica is pretty and all, and has great style, and is so smart, but she’s also really mean, so there’s no way mabel could like her like that- right? 

mabel is the older twin by three minutes. she never lets dipper forget it, and always insists, on their birthday, on blowing out the candles three minutes before he does. then, they take out the candles that mabel blew out, and put in a new set for dipper. it’s a pines family tradition at this point. 

[inktheblot]

uhhhh a rough timeline of some post-finale headcanons under the cut???

Fall 2012

The Stan o’ War II embarks

Melody moves to Gravity Falls to work with Soos

Pacifica starts public school for the first time and is Utterly Baffled By Everything

Fiddleford reworks the Manor to fit his taste (and to be more welcoming), he tidies himself up and trims his beard but not so much that he loses his character in the process

Dipper & Mabel go from being complete outcasts at school to being seen as kinda mysterious and cool after rumors spread of what happened during their bizarre summer (they’re still not “popular” by any means though)

Also they totally know how to fuck a bully up now

Winter ‘12-’13

Many a video call breaches the airwaves between both pairs of Pines Twins & their loved ones

Stan & Ford have quite a few important conversations, some deep (relationships, experiences, identities) and some not-so-deep (puns, food, sibling banter)

As one might expect, Ford documents anomalies; Stan hunts “money & babes!”

Stanley teaches himself ukulele, drives Ford bonkers

Dipper gets glasses (squarish like Stan’s)

No one is concerned about the supposed 12/21/12 apocalypse because the end of the world already happened and they kicked its butt

Spring 2013

Much of the same as above

Stan & Ford visit Glass Shard Beach

They take a seat on their old swingset for the Nostalgia but it immediately breaks under their weight and its age; they lie stunned on the sand for a moment before dissolving into emotional laughter

Stan gets an anchor tattoo on his right bicep; Ford gets the Big Dipper intersected by a shooting star on his upper left back

Summer 2013

Everyone reunites! Dipper & Mabel come back up to Gravity Falls from Piedmont and Stan & Ford return from sea, lots of tears and hugs ensue

Stan & Ford get to port a few days earlier than planned and surprise their kiddos at the bus stop…again the tears and hugs are a Big Thing

Since the Shack now belongs to Soos & his family, Fiddleford invites Stan & Ford to live in the Manor (aka “the Shed”) with open arms

It’s strange to all of them at first but…good things happen I promise

Stan & Ford celebrate their first birthday together in 45-odd years, surrounded by family and friends and home

Ford returns to his old piano hobby

The first hints of Ford & Fiddleford rekindling a romantic partnership begin to show

Fall 2013

Dipper & Mabel start high school

Ford’s studies turn him to the practice of witchcraft as an art, a science, a hobby, and a faith all at once

After spending an afternoon at the lake and finding the fortune-teller’s ring wash up beside him, the stone shining blue once again, he rethinks a lot of his old views on magic

Some might argue over the validity of science vs. magic, but Ford’s view is that magic is a science and being a witch doesn’t make him any less of a scientist—just the opposite, rather

Stan & Ford find a straggly stray cat during an evening walk in the woods and can’t resist taking the weird, bitter little guy in; they name him Pinecone

Winter ‘13-’14

Everyone gets to spend the holidays together for the first time

Mabel showers everyone with sweaters, naturally

Soos & Melody are engaged

Ford forges an amulet for himself, a gold pendant (pocket watch?) in the form of the Zodiac wheel, worn on a chain over his heart to keep the energy of the bonds of his loved ones with him always

The center of the circle is, rather than Bill’s image, an upside-down black triangle silhouette, to signify victory over their demons

Spring 2014

Pacifica moves in with Fiddleford and the others in the Manor officially (she knows who her real family is now)

Wendy & co. graduate high school

Summer 2014

From here on, the younger Pines Twins stay in Gravity Falls permanently (idk man I just never got the sense that their parents were that great or that they would ever see any other place as their real home)

Soos & Melody are married and play up the “Mr. & Mrs. Mystery” shtick as much as damn well possible

*insert Proud Dad Stan tears here*

Fall 2014

Wendy, Robbie, & Tambry opt not to leave town for college

Wendy has a heavy hand in her father’s business and is tutored by Ford & Fiddleford on the side

Robbie & Tambry attend community college classes nearby but honestly they’re more focused on being Gross with each other

Mabel & Pacifica begin officially dating after many a sleepover

Winter ‘14-’15

Ford & Mabel have a number of conversations about identity and coming out; this branches to their brothers before too long as well

Ford begins to feel comfortable labeling himself as genderqueer

Mabel gets glasses (ovalish, purple frames & pink-tinted lenses)

Ford & Fiddleford are engaged

Spring 2015

I…actually don’t have anything here lmao

Summer 2015

Mabel has a natural talent for witchy things as well and becomes interested in being Ford’s apprentice (oh the irony), but it’s more like they’re teaching each other

Enchanted sweaters, the color & symbol of each reflecting the charm it bears

Also lots of dreamcatchers

Dipper & Mabel’s Sweet 16!!

Fall 2015

Ford & Fiddleford are married just as the seasons change

They both have double/two-finger rings

Winter ‘15-’16

The next generation of Mystery Twins are born, Soos & Melody’s first children, daughters Serena and (of course) Stanley Pines Ramirez

They have a number more children in the future (7 was Soos’ goal after all) but they’re all adopted from here on out because Emotional Backstory Reasons (and because Mel never wants to push a kid out of her again as long as she lives)

[minijenn]

Notes for Together Forever.

Under le cut: 

Characters: Maven, Steven, Mabel, Dipper, Connie, Stan, Soos, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Candy, Grenda, Pacifica, Lion, Waddles, various other charactersSetting: Mystery Shack, Gem Temple, downtown Gravity FallsEpisodes to look at: OriginalTone: Humor, angst, drama, friendship

• Start with the Gems heading off on a mission that will likely last all day; they tell Steven to behave himself while they’re gone and have a little humor before they set out • A humorous beat later, Dipper, Mabel, and Connie arrive for the “party” Steven invited them to at the temple, even if it will be just the four of them; have some cute interactions in here • But be sure, above all else, to draw the parallels between Steven and Mabel in here early on, how they get along so well and everything (and how this somewhat isolates Dipper and Connie from them) • After realizing they forgot snacks down at the shack, Dipper and Connie set out to go get them, leaving Steven and Mabel behind; of course, the two of them are unable to resist starting the party early • After putting some music on, they start dancing wildly and freely; have some fun dialogue in this, though have it specifically point towards their friendship and close bond • Build up towards the fusion, have it come about in a moment of extreme joy between them both and be descriptive about it • As the new fusion (they/them again, no name yet) “awakens”, have them immediately notice something is strange with their perspective; after a moment, they realize they have four eyes first, before reaching the realization that they must have fused • Of course, they’re completely delighted (no conflict here), to the point that they can scarcely contain their delight; as they pick themselves up, they run to a mirror and take in their appearance (descriptive)Side note: Maven makes use of voicing their thoughts most of the time, rarely internal • At this juncture, Dipper and Connie return, so of course, the fusion plans on surprising them; after a moment or two, the fusion jumps out and surprises them, confusing them at first as they don’t recognize them (have the fusion be very playful in their interactions with Dipper and Connie) • They soon reveal that they’re the fusion of Steven and Mabel, and at this, give themselves the name Maven; show how shocked Dipper and Connie are by Maven, neither of them entirely sure of what to make of them • Right off the bat, show how upbeat, enthusiastic, cheerful, and silly Maven is, specifically through humor, though also hint a little admittedly odd they feel to be fused; still, make this part generally humorous • In the midst of this, start hinting at the fact that Maven might be a little too zealous over being fused, which kind of worries Dipper and Connie, though Maven’s quick to reassure them that everything will be fine • Unable to contain their immense excitement, Maven insists that they go show themselves off to everyone, which is an idea Dipper and Connie are initially against, but Maven insists upon it, so they head out • They head down to the shack first, so make Maven’s initial interactions with Stan appropriately funny (Stan doesn’t recognize them at first, but once he learns who they are, he’s quite confused by the implications of fusion (maybe include some more “adult” jokes in here); be sure to include some interactions between Maven and Soos and Wendy too • From there, the kids head into town, where Maven freely mingles with everyone they encounter (include various GF and SU characters in here, lots of smaller, funny moments); in particular, have them meet up with Candy and Grenda (who are just as excited as Maven is, also include a joke about “Grendy” in here) • In the midst of this, show how both Dipper and Connie (Connie in particular) are baffled at how open and showy Maven is, especially in comparison to how reserved and somewhat awkward Stevonnie was • Eventually, Maven encounters Pacifica, so have them be cheerful and nice to her (which is something the other two have no intention of doing (snappy dialogue); of course, Pacifica attempts to make fun of them (not knowing who they are), which quickly prompts Dipper and Connie to come to their rescue • So have a few more fun, sweet moments between just the four (three?) kids, fluff, general fun stuff, more show of Maven’s personality • As it starts to get late, Connie prepares to head home for the day, and in this, she lightly implies that she’d like to say goodbye to Steven and Mabel separately (something that Dipper agrees with), though Maven doesn’t get the hint • So Connie leaves and Maven and Dipper head back to the shack for the night (have some humor in this, of course); that evening, Dipper expresses his concern to Maven about them being fused for so long, but they assure him once again that its fine, and that they only want to remain together long enough for the Gems to see them the following day (though imply that they’re not fully being honest about this) • So the next day, Maven wakes Dipper up bright and early and after a little humor/angst, they rush up to the temple) just in time to greet the Gems as they return from their mission • Before giving the Gems’ their reactions, have Maven summon their weapon for the first time, a magical grappling shield; show a bit of what it can do (while also a little humor with them unintentionally causing chaos with it) • Show each of the Gems’ reactions to Maven (Amethyst is hyped, Pearl is confused), but pay specific attention to Garnet’s scrutiny over them, something that makes Maven somewhat uncomfortable • As carefully as possible, Garnet tells them that while they are a relatively stable fusion, she senses that they may be at risk of losing themselves from being fused not only for too long but being too zealous over it • While initially worried and confused, Maven shrugs her concerns off, and while they do promise Garnet that they’ll let go of each other when the time is right, show that they still don’t really intend to do so • Cut to later, with Maven hanging out with Dipper and Connie, who have both grown increasingly concerned, especially after hearing Garnet’s warning; have a brief scene of them discussing what they’re going to do while Maven is distracted; eventually, they decide on finally confronting them on it (especially since Maven didn’t keep their deal about unfusing) • They anxiously do so, both of them voicing their shared wish for Maven to finally unfuse, much for the same reason: they miss Steven and Mabel as individuals • But that’s something that Maven doesn’t really understand, seeing as how they are Steven and Mabel; as Maven’s usually sunny disposition gives way to doubt and woe, demonstrate how they feel negative emotions in a big way, to the point that they’re basically unable to reconcile them • As Maven starts to break down and shut themselves off from them, Dipper and Connie are quick to realize they made a mistake, but Maven doesn’t hear their apologies, instead, they run off into the woods with the intent of fleeing from anyone who might seek to judge them for being fused • So they run deep into the woods, and as they do so, they start to hallucinate, mostly through voices and sounds however, things that others have said about them throughout the chapter that imply or suggest that they shouldn’t remain together • Unable to take them any longer, Maven blocks them out with a bubble as it starts to rain; give them some sad introspection (though they speak it aloud in something of a conversation) about how they perhaps shouldn’t stay together, since its hurting everyone else around them, though they also really want to, seeing as how they enjoy the feeling of being together and want it to last forever • In the end they fall asleep and are found eventually by Garnet; she lets them vent/cry to her for a while before telling them that its not wrong for them to want to remain together, though at the same time, they are still both their own people and need to live as such, for both the sake of others and for themselves • Give some gentle introspection for Maven about how this is right, though cut before they can make their ultimate decision • Cut to Dipper and Connie, who are both still quite concerned and remorseful over what they said to Maven; they begin to plan to go after them, but before they can, Steven and Mabel return, unfused, with GarnetSide note: Themes dealt with in here: misunderstanding others, empathy issues, blocking others out, the power of words vs actions • Have some apologies go around on all sides, a few little thematic things, but ultimately, have everyone end up with good feelings at the end of it all • End the chapter off with one last bit between Steven and Mabel, where they apologize to each other, but still share a bit about just how much fun they had as Maven (while also implying that they’d love to form them again someday); but overall, end the chapter on sweet, fun, lighthearted stuff

Cryptogram (Rev. Ceasar):Two free spirits,Together as one,Why would they wantTo end the fun?

Untranslated: QTL COBB PMFOFQP,QLDBQEBO XP LKB,TEV TLRIA QEBV TXKQQL BKA XII QEB CRK?

[novantinuum]

Is there anyone that you look up to in art and fic?

For writing, I look up to @pinesinthewoods, @impishnature, @themadqueenmab, @embulalia, @witete, @skillfulstudio, @marypsue, and @the-ford-twin for their wonderful characterization of the Pines family and everyone else in GF, and their incredibly imaginative plots. Some of their stories are my utter favorites, and oH BOY is it time for some fic recs from all of them ooooh yes!! Let me drag out my favs!

Blind Faith (pinesinthewoods)

hhHHHH this is the first fic I read in this fandom and BOY is it still amazing! Blind Faith AU. Amazing characterization all around. 

It gets... really violent, do be warned. Heed the tags.

Ad Astra (themadqueenmab)

Mabel falls through the portal. Follows Mabel and Ford as they try to find a new normal, crossing through dimensions together, and also Dipper and Stan and Pacifica as they try to find a way to get them back. There’s some especially nice world building in this.

I think there’s the hints of Dipcifica?

Two Old Men and the Sea (embulalia)

oH BOY another one of the first fics I read for this fandom! It starts out as any other Stan O’ War adventure... and then develops into so much more! 

As a warning, this does have some violence.

The Wind in Visions (the-ford-twin and the-stan-twin)

I can’t even begin to explain the main premise of this without utterly spoiling a large plot point of the story, but it contains probably the best characterization of Stan and Ford and Dipper and Mabel and Fiddleford I’ve seen. Some lovely day-to-day misadventures in here, with the same heart the show has, but there’s whispers of something dangerous brewing on the horizon for this family...

There’s violence at times. Read the tags. Also some Mabifica and Fiddauthor in this! 

Any Misery You Choose (marypsue)

A Gravity Falls/X-Men crossover! There’s some awesome world building in this, and it truly feels like its own unique place separate from both of the canon universes. I especially love the powers everyone is given. Fit with everyone’s personalities a lot.

Some violence.

A Little Bit Lost (impishnature)

A collection of one-shots for the Feral Ford AU. Some really lovely stuff in here! 

(I can’t quite remember if there was any violence in these? It’s been a while, sorry.)

Haunt (witete)

HHHHH Stan O’ War angst. ANGST. It’s also been a damn while since I read this so I can’t coherently describe what goes on, but IT’S GOOD DANGIT AAA.

There was some implied alcoholism here, I believe? Once again, I’d suggest you read the tags. 

Maybe it’s Not Too Late (skillfulstudio)

A lovely hopeful little fic in which the Pines family has to deal with some unfinished business concerning the shapeshifter, and Ford and Fiddleford come to some revelations about themselves and their relationship. 

Some violence. Asexual Fiddauthor! 

Whoops that got long, welp! Now it’s time to scream about a bunch of artists I love! :DD

@kiki-kit, @the-ill-doctor, @tortoisefeet, @stariousfalls, and @picnokinesis have such an amazing grasp of colors, like?? The colors you choose are utterly incredible!

@julientel, @eregyrn-falls, @archervale, @danidery, @garrulousgibberish, @hntrgurl13!! Your line work and the sheer volume of unique concepts you go through with your art is stunning and inspires me!! 

I’m sure there’s ten thousand people I could name who make me want to squee for joy that I’ll remember later but I should probably... end this really long screaming happy post ahahah XD

You all are awesome and I give you many hugs and love your work, have a lovely day!

[starfiretheninja]

You know I gotta send Dipifica for the ship thing. XDD

How did I know you would ask me about Dipifica? XD

Ask me questions about my ships/characters here!

When I started shipping it if I did: I started shipping this a little before Northwest Mansion Mystery I believe. I saw that you were reblogging cute fanart of them and I was like ‘huh, even though I don’t watch this show, these two could totally work’. Then I saw gifs of NMM and I was a goner. 

My thoughts: They are perfectly sassy and supportive for each other. Their dynamic is just so fun and I could really see potential growth between the two of them as they get into their teen years.

What makes me happy about them: Just how mismatched they seem, sweaty awkward Dipper with regal and bold Pacifica, but they do have a lot in common!

What makes me sad about them: That Pacifica didn’t say bye to him in the series finale (but Dipper hinted at a crush on her in the Journal, so I’ll take that!)

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I haven’t read too many Dipifica fics, but they probably suffer from the always annoying ‘slap slap kiss’ dynamic. They’re snarky, not abusive (but I haven’t actually seen much of this so that’s good!)

Things I look for in fanfic: When they’re together as a couple and they just mesh like two people who are super comfortable in each others’ presence always yes please. Pacifica being super proud of her dork and Dipper learning that Pacifica will always amaze him (plus kisses so)

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I mean, I don’t really ship WenDip, but if Dipper was older I could kinda see that as a vague possibility, but I don’t ship these two with anyone else besides each other  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My happily ever after for them: Married with a set of twins in Gravity Falls, they live just outside the town for privacy’s sake in a good-sized house. Work may keep them busy, but they’re always attentive to their babies and make time for cuddling.

Who is the big spoon/little spoon: As dominant as Pacifica is, Dipper is the big spoon simply because of his height (he has a major growth spurt much to Pacifica’s liking).

What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Having adventures in the woods, whether it’s running around on a scavenger hunt or fighting monsters, they adore working together as a team. 

Thanks for the ask, @provider-of-guardians! You know how much I love my ships, especially ones that friends dragged me into. ;)

[tanakariza]

The Netflix Death Note is a Fanfiction

About a week ago, Netflix released the trailer for their live adaptation of Death Note and the internet is exploding with opinions of this trailer. “Oh no, Light is White! Oh no, L is Black! Light looks emo!! This anime is turning into an American drama! This is not Death Note! My favorite anime is getting destroyed!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Ok, everyone, what don’t you stop typing, calm the fuck down and listen to me.

There seems to be this notion that a story being adapted to a different medium must be exactly like the original source, because the original source is a treasure that must never be tampered with. The movie must be exactly like the book. The anime must be an exact realization of the manga. This anime or cartoon cannot possibly be a live-action film because the visuals wouldn't look the same in real life as they do in the original source. Any small detail different from the source material, even in the slightest, puts the fandom in an uproar.

Well, my friends, in order to help you overcome the horror that is the “ADAPTATION,” I have a proposal to make. Try viewing this Netflix movie not as an adaptation, but rather as a fanfiction, specifically an AU fanfiction.

For those of you who don’t know, in the realm of fanfiction, there is a genre called the AU, or Alternate Universe. In an AU the canon is written into an alternate reality. There are two types of AU fanfiction. The first is where, in a certain instance, something different happens, leading the story to go in a completely different direction from that point on. My friend Queen_Mab wrote a Gravity Falls AU called Ad Astra where, at the end of the episode “Not What He Seems” after Mabel lets go of the lever, Dipper rushes toward it and closes the portal. However, since Mabel was right next to the portal, she ends up falling into it when it closes and is transported to another dimension where she meets a long lost family member. In the story from then on, Mabel and the family member find their way home while the Mystery Shack crew try to open the portal again. There are also a number of Fullmetal Alchemist fanfics where Ed was not able to recover Al’s soul and has therefore completely lost him. And there are also a number of Your Lie in April fanfics where Kaori doesn’t die at the end (that is not a spoiler, they hint at it throughout the anime).

The other kind of AU fanfiction, which is the one we’ll focus on here, is either a complete retelling of the story in a different setting or the characters from canon in a different setting, making references to canon without completely retelling the story. Make No Mistake by dickyang and vageege is a One Piece AU that takes place at an American college. Luffy lives in a large mansion and is invites Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, and Chopper, who are all students at Sabaody University, to live with him in this house. Robin and Franky are professors of archeology and engineering at Sabaody University and Brook is the student’s landlord. The characters are a little different from canon to make more sense in this setting. Chopper is a human is a human instead of a reindeer and Brook is not a skeleton, but a very old man. This is only one example of this kind of AU. There are other fanfics from many different fandoms that are set in college, high school, and in coffee shops. There are others in which the primary cast from canon play in a touring band together. I personally like to think of any adaptation as a fanfiction of some kind. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fanfiction of the Marvel Comics with many things added in and taken out here and there. The American live-action Ghost in the Shell is an AU fanfiction telling a slightly different story than its predecessor, the Ghost in the Shell anime movie. This American live action Death Note is an American AU fanfiction set in Seattle, Washington.

Since the American population is much more racially diverse than Japan, all of the characters can be any race the writers choose. It is possible for Light to be white and L be black. It is also possible for Light to be black and L to be white. Any character in this movie could be Latina, Polynesian, Middle Eastern, or Asian. They do not have to be Asian.

I’ve also heard complaints about the names and to that, I’d say that Japanese names are very uncommon in America. Therefore, it makes sense to change them to American names. Light Yagami’s name is changed to Light Turner and Misa Amane’s name is changed to Mia Sutton. It makes sense. “But, Riza, this is still another example of America americanizing everything it touches!” Well, let me ask you this: What if Netflix decided to set the story in Japan for the sake of being true to the anime? If this were the case, we’d face similar problems we’re having with Ghost in the Shell. There aren’t enough American Asian actors who can fill up a film cast, and there certainly isn't American Asian actor who can attract a crowd the way Scarlett Johansson can. This leaves the casting crew with no choice but to cast non-Japanese actors to play Japanese people, including the main character. And the public falsely accuses them for the whitewashing they didn’t intend on. For reasons like this, I think that if you're an American film maker adapting a Japanese anime for a Mass American audience, the best approach is to write it as an American AU fanfiction.

Another criticism I’ve seen is that Light’s character is not like the Light in the anime. In the anime, Light was cool and handsome and thought of himself as superior to those around him, which was how his god complex came into formation. From what we’ve seen of the live-action trailer, Light seems a lot more insecure and reserved. Emo is a word I’ve seen used to describe him. Anime Light is Mr. Cool and Netflix Light is someone that Mr. Cool would pick on.

Now, remember the point I’m making here. This is not a Death Note adaptation but rather a Death Note AU fanfiction. And in AU fanfiction, writers have the freedom to make a character different from their original counterpart, because it’s not canon. The Reverse Falls AU is a very popular AU in the Gravity Falls fandom where Dipper and Mabel (the canon’s protagonists) are the villains and Gideon and Pacifica (the canon side-villains) are the heroes. In many realizations of this AU, Bill Cypher (the canon main antagonist) is Dipper’s sidekick and has a crush on him. In some of these fics, Dipper uses said crush as a source for abuse, making Dipper cunning and evil and Bill innocent and shy. Of course, there are many fans who don’t like these fics because of their different takes on these characters. What fans who like these fics appreciate is their different and creative ways of interpreting these characters. Maybe we can try viewing Netflix’s version of Light a different and creative way of interpreting the character.

Because Light’s personality is different in this version, the story is likely to go in a slightly different direction as well. And you know what, that’s OK. This is fanfiction. It can be whatever the writer wants. And judging the predictions I am making from this trailer, I think the story work. My predictions are that Light will be the high school student picked on by the jocks and has developed hatred toward those people for that reason. He finds the Death Note, learns what it can do, and uses it to eliminate his bullies so he can live a life of ease. Then, he thinks that maybe he can do the same to other bullies so that those bullies’ targets can live a better life along with him. Then he will branch out to criminals and this is where the police will come in if they haven’t made their appearance already. Frankly, I think this is an interesting take on the story. In this version, Light’s god complex would come from hatred built up over time rather than from just having the power to kill people.

Now, am I not saying it’s wrong to criticize adaptations. What is wrong is hating an adaptation for the soul reason of not staying true to the original source. I’ve read the Planet of the Apes novel by Pierre Boule, which the 1968 film was adapted from. The twist at the end of the film is completely different from the one in the novel, sending a completely different message to the audience. They each sent different messages to their audience while keeping the premise the same. That is something I think is amazing. I’m sure I would have appreciated the original 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime for their very unique takes on the alchemy of that universe. The only reason why I gave it a 4-out-of-10 on MyAnimeList, is because it had so many plot holes that made the plot make no sense and the ending came out of nowhere (and The Conquerer of Shambala made up for that ending either). In any case, what I’m hoping is to offer you a different way of thinking about adaptations so that you can look at them, not as reiterations of their source, but as something inspired by their source. Let me know what you think.

#adaptationsarefanfiction

[sage-nebula]

Over the Garden Wall or Gravity Falls?

I’ve only seen Over the Garden Wall once and I can’t really think of anything I would change in it, so let’s go with Gravity Falls.

From what I’ve read, “Not What He Seems” was rushed ahead of schedule because the fandom figured out that Stan was a twin too early on, and Alex felt that dragging out the mystery for any longer was a mistake. That, plus Disney’s horrible scheduling practices and how rushed the ending of the show was, means that Stanford’s development was shafted, and this, I feel, was a huge mistake. To me, Ford didn’t really become a likable character until I read Journal 3 and was made privy to his thoughts and feelings. In the show itself he was okay at best; in the Journal he actually became human, and that’s more of what we needed to see on-screen.So to start with, he would either need to be introduced even earlier somehow, or we would need another season in which to get to know him. This is particularly important for his relationship with the twins, because Ford barely seemed to care about Mabel at all until “Take Back the Falls” (he just called her “your sister” when convincing Dipper not to go after her in “Weirdmageddon,” for instance), which made his sudden concern over both twins feel forced, rushed, and fake. Furthermore, his treatment of Dipper is pretty terrible and manipulative (not intentionally, I don’t think, but all the same), and this is never called on. We also never get to see Dipper take back his agreement to stay on as Ford’s apprentice, or Ford’s reaction to that, until Journal 3. That’s another mistake.So essentially, I would change how Ford was handled, in that we needed to see much more of him in order for his development to feel as natural as the three original Pines. Ford is a very important character in the narrative, but because of how rushed the second half of season two was, we barely saw him and didn’t really get a true grasp on him until Journal 3. I would fix that if I could.

As much as I do love villains who just want to watch the world burn, and as much as Bill’s penchant for that is fun, I felt like the Cipher Wheel was originally hinted to be part of his plan, particularly since he tells Dipper in “Sock Opera” that he’s “getting too close to some major secrets” and that that’s why the Journal has to be destroyed (along with the laptop). I get Alex’s feelings that he didn’t want the cast to just “Care Bear Stare” Bill into defeat with the Cipher Wheel, and I agree that doing so would have been poor writing---but at the same time, I feel like the fact that the Cipher Wheel did nothing in the end was a letdown as well, particularly since, again, it always felt like it was part of Bill’s plan, rather than a way to stop him.So that said, I would have given Bill a grander scheme. Perhaps he set it up to make Ford think that the Cipher Wheel was a way to stop him, when really that was what he needed all along. Bill orchestrated it so that the humans marked on the Wheel would come together in an attempt to stop him, only to play themselves right into his hands by doing that. Again, we have a time constraint issue---the ending was rushed as it was, we wouldn’t have had time for Bill to get the upper-hand yet again---but I still think that would have been more interesting and fitting for a demon like Bill, and I would have liked to see that come to fruition as well.

Likewise, it was hinted at the end of “Northwest Mystery Noir” that the Northwest family have some sort of connection to Bill (with that tapestry in their house). What was it? We never found out, and I think that’s pretty lame. I want to know. Tell us, Alex. What (else) did the Northwests do?

It’s mentioned in Journal 3 that the Pines had a baby dinosaur that they were raising in the Mystery Shack for a while after the events of the pterodactyl episode (the name of which now escapes me). I want an episode (or five) with the baby dinosaur roaming around. I don’t care about Waddles, he’s not as interesting, I want to see the baby dinosaur that latched onto Grunkle Stan as its mother. I want this so much.

As much as I like the snark-offs in “Northwest Mystery Noir,” I admit that to this day I’m still a little salty that Mabel and Pacifica’s relationship was dropped in favor of passing the torch to Dipper instead. It was clear in “Golf Wars” that Mabel was the one who was helping Pacifica come around to another line of thinking, and while Dipper does seem to be the more logical choice to deal with a ghost problem, he and Mabel are the mystery twins, and so the fact that he was getting all the credit for solving mysteries around town and that he was the one who pulled Pacifica around in the end is a bit . . . ehhh to me. I would have preferred it if both of the twins were enlisted to help Pacifica, and that Pacifica and Mabel’s relationship continued developing throughout NMM, with Mabel being the one to finally pull Pacifica around (instead of just quarreling with Candy and Grenda over a boy for the duration of the episode).

[sirwaddlesesquire]

Ch. 4 - Afternoon Business Meetings (Love is Not Time’s Fool, Part I)

For the third time, the intercom beeped. And for the third time, Pacifica Northwest glared at the infernal machine. She would have thought that after she had so thoroughly ignored its insistent tone, it would have taken the hint and just been silent. For it to have so blatantly disregarded her wishes was the height of unforgiveable error. It would know her displeasure. So she glared at it until it stopped. And then she glared at it a little more, just for good measure. She nodded curtly; satisfied she had sufficiently exerted her will upon the disobedient piece of technology.

Deep down, she knew that her line of reasoning was perhaps somewhat flawed. The intercom wasn’t actually responsible for the noise it created. It was really her secretary, hitting the button on the other end. And her glaring couldn’t have actually stopped the sound, because her secretary couldn’t see her glares. What’s more, unless there was insubordination in the ranks, they were just doing their job, attempting to give notice to whatever business-related thing required her attention now. Her secretary was probably freaking out that the intercom hadn’t been answered yet. Pacifica sighed. It wasn’t the secretary’s fault.

It was her fault. Her fault she was in a bad mood, her fault she was attempting to ignore her duties, and her fault that she was still effectively running away.

It had been a week since that disastrous date. She had ignored all attempts at contact from the others, and had made no attempts of her own. She had relived the evening in her mind a thousand times, just as she relived it again now. Everything had seemed to be going well. There was laughter, there was wine, there was music. And even if the music hadn’t been of conventional fare, it had still been pleasant. She had opened up somewhat and shared some of herself, which was normally something she took great care to avoid doing. And yet, her honesty had been met with enthusiasm and interest and acceptance, and she had been grateful for that. She had felt the tiny hints of romantic interest, stirring within her. She had felt the huge demands of desire, flaring within her. She had wanted to act on both.

But it had been them. Everywhere and everything that night had been them. Their cozy apartment, their easy comfort, their amusing stories. Their impassioned and ardent love making. It was them. And she was not. So she had fled.

The intercom beeped once more, and Pacifica sighed again. She couldn’t flee from everything. She pressed the button to allow her secretary to talk.

“Ms. Northwest. Your 1:00 appointment is here.”

“Very well, show them in.” She replied. “Who is it again?”

“She gave the name ‘Lady Mabelton’.”

Panic rose within her. There could be no mistaking who her 1:00 appointment truly was. Who else would use that name? Pacifica tried to hit the intercom to tell her secretary not to allow the appointment in. But through the glass doors of her office, she could see the secretary already making their way over, showing her appointment the way. The blonde glanced about the room, trying to decide if she could find a place to hide. Beneath the desk, maybe? But she knew she had already been seen. Perhaps she would just lock the door, and then ignore them until they went away.

All of her planning was for naught, because the secretary reached the office doors, opened one to allow the other person in, and then closed them again. Without so much of an invitation, the other person strode over and sat down in one of the chairs across the desk from Pacifica. There was nothing for it, and she met the eyes of her 1:00 appointment: Mabel Pines.

For a while, neither woman said anything. They just looked at each other. Mabel wore a conspiratorial grin, her gaze steady across the desk. Pacifica kept a neutral and blank stare on her face, unsure of what to do or what to make of this. What did the female Pines want? The room was tense, and Pacifica felt awkward. Finally, she had to break the silence.

“Lady Mabelton?” She asked, incredulous.

The brunette shrugged, still smiling. “Apparently you have to give a name to make an appointment. So I gave one. As far as names go, it’s a pretty good one, don’t you think?”

The young Northwest grimaced at the non-answer. “And you made an appointment why?”

“Why, to talk business, of course,” came the response. “I know all the business terms. Imagine-ize, shoulder pads, sticker-themed motivation …”

“Mabel,” Pacifca began, trying to keep her voice stern and commanding. “I really don’t have time for this. I have appointments all afternoon, actual important appointments.”

“Oh?” The female twin’s tone was casual as she began inspecting her nails. “Like with who?”

Pacifica pulled up her calendar on her computer. “Like, for example, at 2:00 I have, let’s see, Martha Pinefield… dammit Mabel!”

The only response was a smug grin from the other woman. The blonde continued to scroll through her schedule, reading her next three appointments out loud.

“3:00, Maple Conifer. 4:00, Estrella Fugaz. 5:00, Elizabeth Bennet?” She turned to Mabel. “Really!?”

“I’ve always wanted to be her, what can I say?” The brunette said loftily. “I can’t seem to convince Dipper to dress up as Lord Darcy, so when I saw the opportunity here, I took it.” She raised an eyebrow. “I can do the accent, if you would like…”

Pacifica dropped her head into her hand in exasperation. “No, I don’t need to hear the accent. How exactly did you manage to take over my entire afternoon schedule without anyone getting suspicious?”

“Paz, come on! I was trained in cons by the very best.” Mabel replied, her voice proud. “He’s got this new one, where, using a turkey baster, you … actually, I probably shouldn’t tell you about that. I think that would technically make you an accessory.”

The faux-innocent look on the brunette’s face only caused Pacifica to feel more irritation. The female twin’s appearance was a major distraction at work. True, maybe she hadn’t been putting in her best effort at work this past week anyway, but that was beside the point. During the week, she had just been distracted by Mabel’s presence in her thoughts. Now she was being distracted by Mabel’s presence in her office. Pacifica tried her best to convince herself that there was a significant difference. She wasn’t sure if she was succeeding or not.

She took a deep breath. “Alright, so you are all of my meetings this afternoon. The rest of my day is completely blocked off by you. Essentially, my work load is now… you.” The other woman perked up. “Well then, it appears that I don’t have anything else to do today. Guess I’ll be taking off early and leaving now.”

Pacifica began to hurriedly bustle about in her effort to leave, all the while carefully avoiding looking in the other woman’s direction. Leaving so early may not be the best business practice, but the excuse would allow her to escape this uncomfortable and unwanted meeting. She packed some of her things into her attaché, closed out of her computer, and switched her phone to voicemail. In a matter of moments, she would be out the door and down the road, and then she could continue to not have to deal with all of this. It was just as she was beginning to stand up when Mabel spoke.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The female Pines’ tone was flat and heavy.

Her question and the emotion behind it made Pacifica freeze. Her first thought was that she did not want to talk about it. What exactly was there to talk about?

But something was preventing her from just walking out. It may have been the hint of distress behind Mabel’s eyes. It was possible that she was growing sick of running. But ultimately, it seemed the largest factor was a voice inside her compelling her to stop. Now that the subject was out there, maybe she finally felt like talking and confronting this was a course she wanted to take. She sat back down and, after a few moments trying to delay it, met Mabel’s eyes.

“Alright, Mabel.” Pacifica stated seriously. “Let’s talk about it.”

Mabel’s eyes lit up as she straightened in her seat. She opened her mouth to speak.

Pacifica’s raised voice and angry words cut her off. “Let’s talk about what exactly the hell the two of you were thinking, pulling a stunt like that! You invite me into your home, supposedly for a nice little date night, and instead, it’s the damn ‘Pines Twin Show’! You parade me around, showing off everything that makes your relationship and your lives so great and flawless. Demonstrating how you two are this perfect center of a whirlwind of happiness and comfort!”

She took a certain pleasure in watching the other woman recoil, her face falling, clearly caught off guard by the sudden ire and harsh words. So she continued, starting now to yell.

“And don’t even get me started on the harlequin romance novel level of sex that I had to watch. The moaning and the writhing and caressing. Not to mention the ‘I love yous’. Christ was that ever a performance!”

“You asked us to watch…?” Mabel’s words were hesitant and questioning. “We only did that because you said you needed to see the two of us together…”

“Please.” Pacifica responded, letting an edge of scorn appear in her voice. “You probably couldn’t wait for that chance. An opportunity for it to just be the two of you, to exclude me. To demonstrate just how immensely in love you are, and how superior it is to everything else. Just one more example of the Pines twins against the world.”

“So that’s what this is about?!” Mabel’s voice was sharp, her volume matching Pacifica’s own. “You think we purposely slighted you or tried to humiliate you? You saw a single situation that you weren’t directly involved in, and it’s automatically some great insult to you and your status?!” She spat the last word out as if it were a curse.

“And so you want to turn this into a ‘me versus them’ thing?” The brunette continued icily. “That’s your answer to this self-created affront? You’re just going to ignore all that stuff that came before that moment. How can you do that? More importantly, why?! Why would you do that?”

It was Pacifica’s turn to be caught off guard. She did not expect the other woman to be capable of anger or argument. She had only ever known Mabel to be bubbly and cheerful. Yet here she was, matching the young Northwest word for word and fury for fury. Her hands clenched into fists in her skirt, her chin raised, and her eyes meeting Pacifica’s own in a glare. Mabel looked like … Mabel looked like Pacifica when she was angry. Like she looked now, no doubt.

The sudden realization of seeing herself mirrored in the other woman shocked her. All of the fire within her dissipated in a moment. There simply was no longer any anger to sustain it. Instead, she only felt exhaustion, fear, and a little sadness inside of her. Pacifica leaned back in her chair, letting the sudden weariness course through her, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She sighed before taking a deep breath.

“Alright Mabel.” She said, opening her eyes and staring across the desk. “What do you want from me?”

“The truth.” Mabel replied, her tone even. There was a hint of pleading in it. The other woman had also leaned back into her chair, though she held herself straight and still. She had unclenched her fists, resting her hands on her lap instead. Her chin no longer pointed up, but there remained a sense of determination to the way she held her head up. Her gaze was steely. “I want the truth of what happened that night. Of why you ran away. And of why it seems like you are still running away.”

Hearing the very thoughts she had been thinking earlier now being spoken aloud caused something to twist inside of Pacifica. And she knew she couldn’t deny Mabel the truth. So she began to speak, the words tumbling out one after another.

“The truth is that I was scared. That I’m still scared.” She stated, sorrow in her voice. “You can’t understand what it was like, to see the two of you together like that. Everywhere I looked in your apartment, it was you two! All the pictures, your different styles in each room complimenting each other, and that adorable bedroom that was clearly perfect for both of you. With each new example, I felt like an intruder.”

The blonde shook her head a little, remembering the evening, before continuing her explanation. “The whole night, you were touching and kissing, and being so amazingly sweet. And it was natural! There was no effort behind it. You just… you match each other so well. I felt like an intruder there as well.”

The other woman tried to say something, but Pacifica held up a hand to forestall her. “And then, to see all of that reflected so perfectly in your love making. I mean, I wasn’t kidding when I called it like a romance novel. You read the frilly and sentimental descriptions in those books, and you assume it’s just some exaggeration. Because nothing in your life has ever been like that, so it can’t be real, right?” She frowned down at the desk at the deluge of sentiment.

“But suddenly, you get to see it. Sex and romance and love exactly fitting those descriptions. It’s happening right in front of you. There’s no mistaking exactly what it is. And it doesn’t include you. You’re just the observer, someone on the outside looking in.” She laughed bitterly. “You might as well be reading the damn books.”

She lapsed into silence. The room was quiet as both women appeared to be sorting through their thoughts and feelings. Pacifica was surprised at the depth of what she had just shared, and how it had all seemed to come out in a rush. Normally she wasn’t the sharing type. There was too much risk involved with the practice. But now that it was out there, she had to admit that she felt better.

“Well frick.” Mabel’s muttered faux-curse broke the silence. “It seems I owe Dip five bucks.” Pacifica looked at her in confusion. The brunette shrugged apologetically. “What you just said, your explanation? That was his theory on what happened.”

“And you bet on it?” She asked incredulously. The other woman nodded slightly and gave a shy glance. Pacifica blinked, and then started chuckling ruefully. It seemed like such a Mabel thing to do; to make a wager on an existential crises and only feel slightly remorseful about it after copping to the act. The whole thing seemed in such poor taste that laughter was really the only answer. After a second, Mabel joined in, laughing along with Pacifica. The two shared in the oddity of the moment, enjoying the reprieve from the tension and the awkwardness.

“How do you do it, Mabel?” Her question came as the laughter began to die down. “How do you roll with these crazy things and just go for it? You seem so confident about the whole thing, like it doesn’t even faze you. I’ve spent so many sleepless nights thinking and worrying about all of this, and you haven’t even blinked an eye.”

“No, you’re wrong about that.” Mabel shook her head, her expression turning somber. “I’m terrified. Like, constantly terrified.”

Pacifica frowned in disbelief. Never once throughout this whole experience had she imagined the female Pines to be terrified. She had been thoughtful and pensive at times, sure. But mostly she had been eager and gleeful, and had carried herself with a sense of self-assurance that was at times almost disarming. To hear her now speak of being scared was a surprise.

“Look, I’m really sorry about what happened Pacifica.” Mabel continued. “We honestly had no idea we were acting like that, or what it looked like to you. It was not our intent to purposely exclude you. I can try and explain a little, if you’d like?” Pacifica murmured her agreement, and the twin took on a thoughtful look.

“It’s a weird thing, to meet your other half so early in life,” she said. She glanced up in a look of concern. “I don’t say this to try and throw it in your face, but I think I need to include it to explain a little. Hopefully it helps. Like I said, it’s definitely a weird thing. But it’s even weirder when that other half is your twin brother.”

The twin’s eyes became far-away. “Those were some sleepless nights spent in worry, I’ll tell you what. And I won’t bore you with a bunch of sappy details, but you better believe it was a strange and crazy time in both of our lives. I was terrified then too. Scared of my feelings, scared of Dip’s feelings, scared of the future. And especially scared of what it all meant. I tried so hard to find a reason for all that was going on.

“In some ways, it’s the same thing here. You’re right, it has been the two of us against the world, for a long time now. It seems kind of crazy to invite someone else in to that, to try and extend that two-person circle to three. I feel a lot of the same fear now as I did then. Some of the same feelings as well. I’ve been trying to find a reason for doing this. And I’m pretty sure I found one. In fact, it’s the same one I found all those years ago with Dipper. You know what it is?”

The blonde shook her head, captivated by Mabel’s monologue and unwilling to speak, least she interrupt it.

The brunette gave her a meaningful look. “I decided that I didn’t think there was a reason. And more importantly, that I didn’t think there needed to be one.”

Pacifica was stunned by the words. “How can that be?” Her surprise evident in her question. “How can you be comfortable with that? Just … how?”

“I’m not sure I’m still one hundred percent comfortable,” was the reply. “There’s still a lot left in front of us. But it’s pretty hard to argue with the results. As for how, let me ask you a question. And don’t think, just answer! Why did you ask to be part of our secret?”

“Because there was a little something inside of me that did a flip whenever I saw either of you or the two of you together. Because that little something made me want to.” Her answer was blurted, out of her mouth before she could even register it. She felt her eyebrows shoot up in shock. “Because I wanted to.” She whispered to herself. Mabel made a ‘there-you-go’ motion with her hand.

“But is it enough? Can that really be it?” Pacifica asked.

“I can’t answer that for you.” The twin responded. “It was for me. Years later, and I am still so happy I took the leap, even if the basis was only because I wanted to. But you are going to have to decide for yourself. Is wanting it enough of a reason for you to go for it, Paz?”

The blonde frowned, thinking about the question. Was it enough? She wasn’t sure. “Are you happy you took the leap with me?” She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice.

“Yes,” Mabel replied. “Even if it resulted in me and Dip being naked in front of an open front door for the entire world to see, I am happy that we tried. You know, I’d be even happier if we kept trying.”

“Aren’t you scared something could happen?” The possibilities seemed endless to Pacifica. All of them seemed worthy of concern. “To us? Or to you and Dipper?”

“A little, yeah.” Mabel smiled. “I mean, I hope you don’t take offense, but I’m not super worried about me and Dip. Something tells me we’re pretty solid. But yes, it seems like anything could happen between the three of us. Obviously I can’t make any guarantees, but I think it could be something good. I’m willing to try for that.”

The room again lapsed into silence as Pacifica reflected on Mabel’s words. The female twin was right in many ways. The prospects were still terrifying, for a number of reasons. Part of it was normal relationship stuff. Another part was the unconventional nature of a multiple-person relationship. But perhaps the biggest source of fear was the complete lack of concrete, external reasoning. Instead, it would be based on stomach flips and essentially asking the question ‘why not’.

“Why did you invite me to join you two?” It was a slight change in subject, but Pacifica wanted to know. “That night in the guest bedroom? Or was that just a random event with no reason as well?”

Mabel chuckled a little. “Paz, I can honestly say that that wasn’t random. At least, not completely random. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to keep the reason secret for you. I promise that you will know in time.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but something about the way the other woman’s eyebrow raised in challenge told her she wouldn’t get far. A discussion for another time then.

“If we were to hypothetically keep going with this, how would we go about it?” She asked instead.

“Dip and I did some … talking,” Mabel said, a slight flush appearing on her cheeks. “And since he was correct about why you ran, it seems like his plan is the one to go with. Again, I’m sorry that seeing us together was difficult, and I can understand why that was. While the reality is that we’re kind of a packaged deal, it’s probably really intimidating to try and date us both at once.”

“You can say that again.” Pacifica’s tone was wry.

The other woman gave a smile of acknowledgement. “So, we think maybe for the time being, you can date both of us separately. Go on dates with just one of us, and get to know us individually. And we can both get to know you as well!”

The blonde thought about that for a moment. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. That could work…” She tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully before something occurred to her. “But what happens if I end up liking one of you more than the other?”

“Honestly, then I think things would come to an end.” Mabel said seriously, her voice a little sad. “At the end of the day, Paz, my and Dipper’s relationship isn’t going anywhere, and we aren’t going to allow someone to come between us. Nothing is going to change that.” She held up her hands. “But we’re not opposed to someone joining us. It seems like something we’d have to deal with if it came up. However, I think that if you find you like either one of us separately, you’re going to like us even better together.”

Pacifica thought for a moment. Mabel’s answer had been fair. Truthfully, in the back of her mind, she suspected she didn’t want just one of the Pines twins anyway. Something told her she wanted them together. But as the female twin had said, that was something to deal with if it came up. For now, the option to date the twins individually seemed like a promising one. It certainly would remove the primary source of intimidation and anxiety she had been feeling. Besides, why not?

And just like that, she realized that she had made up her mind.

“So, just like that?” She asked the female Pines. “We’re going to shrug out shoulders, say ‘why not’, and follow that little thing inside out stomach that says go for it?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” was the response.

“Alright Mabel.” Pacifica shrugged in a pointed fashion. “Why not? I’m in.”

Mabel’s instantaneous grin was huge and lit up the room. “Yay!” She exclaimed, then coughed and put on a more serious face. “I mean, yeah, that’s cool or whatever.”

The blonde was unable to keep a smile from her face either. “So, when shall we have our first date, just us girls? Or are we still calling them ‘romantic excursions’?”

“Well, it’s now 2:00. Which means your appointment with Martha Pinefield is starting…” Mabel wiggled her eyebrows. “How about you and Ms. Pinefield sneak out of here and you let her buy you a milkshake?”

Pacifica laughed. “Now that sounds like my kind of business meeting. Come on, I’ll show you the back way out.”

Both woman stood up and began making their way out, walking side by side. She glanced over and noticed Mabel smirking at her. “What is that look for?” She asked.

“Well, you know,” the female twin responded airily. “If you really wanted romance novel style sexy times, we can always make Dipper narrate to you. He can tell you about his ‘throbbing manhood’ and compliment you on your ‘quivering bosom’!”

The blonde began to giggle. “We can finally get him in breeches and find him a morning coat so he can be Mr. Darcy for you!” She gave the other woman a playful shove.

“Yes yes!” Mabel cried out, joining in on the giggling and gently shoving her back. “Can you imagine?”

“Of course I can’t!” Pacifica exclaimed. “I’m still trying to imagine how he reacted to being naked with the door open.” The two continued to nudge each other back and forth.

“Oh, oh, it was hilarious. So there we were…”

And this time, when Mabel jabbed an elbow, Pacifica caught it and tucked into her own, the two continuing their walk out into the afternoon sun.

[minijenn]

Universe Falls Chapter 32

Well, this one’s finally done. ANd that’s about all I can really say for it. It has its moments where I think its pretty cute, but other than that it stands as our last real fluff chapter for a while. Because next time around, kids, we’re diving headlong into the angst zone.... ;) 

Previous: http://minijenn.tumblr.com/post/158966244469/universe-falls-chapter-31

Chapter 32: The Golf War

X OFSXI KLT JFDEQ PLJBAXV YB X ZILPBO COFBKA QEXK BKBJV

While it was still relatively early in the day, that didn’t stop Dipper, Steven, and Connie from continuing their Lonely Blade movie marathon from the previous day. While they had watched the first third films in the Japanese action film series at the temple yesterday, today they had taken to the den of the Mystery Shack, the three of them nestled around the recliner with Lion and Waddles resting together close by. The climax of the fourth Lonely Blade film was at its height, and while the entire movie was in Japanese, the kids didn’t have much trouble keeping up with things thanks to the English subtitles.

“It was you!” Lonely Blade exclaimed dramatically, pointing his sword as his opponent. “You were the one who killed my brother, cursing me to fight alone forever!”

“Oh, Lonely Blade, you so lonely,” Steven remarked sympathetically.

“I think that’s kind of the point, Steven,” Connie said with a soft chuckle.

“You think you can defeat me?!” Lonely Blade’s nemesis asked challengingly. “The President of the Shadow Samurai Government?!”

“What?!” the young Gem gasped, sitting up. “The janitor is the evil samurai president?! That’s bananas!”

“Seriously? That’s the big twist?” Dipper asked incredulously, not impressed. “It was totally obvious! He’s been mopping the floor in the background of literally every fight scene.”

“Yeah, and he’s even on the cover of the box,” Connie pointed out, holding said box up. “If they had really wanted to write in a good twist, then they should have made the delivery guy the president instead!”

“Oh man, exactly!” Dipper exclaimed. “Considering how unassuming and nice that guy was, it would have been way smarter for them to make him the villain! That would have been a much better twist ending, if you ask me.”

“That’s what I’m saying! It’s thematically resonant with the rest of the movie, plus it would have created much better suspense!”

“Hm… I don’t see it…” Steven frowned, their analysis going right over his head.

Still, before either Dipper or Connie could go into detail, Stan interrupted, stepping into the den with a full pan in hand. “Who wants Stan-cakes?” he asked, nodding to the breakfast he had just made. “They’re like pancakes, but they probably have some of my hair in them.” Of course, despite this rare offer for free food from the conman, the kids were all quick to turn him down.

“Pass.”

“…No, thank you.”

“I’m…. I’m good.”

“Eh, more for me.” Stan shrugged with a grin. However, he didn’t have much of a chance to sit down and enjoy his pancakes before the shack’s door burst open and Mabel rushed in with a very excited squeal.

“It’s here!” she proclaimed brightly, holding up a newspaper as she ran around the den. “It’s here! It’s here! It’s here! I’ve been waiting all morning and it’s finally here!”

“What’s here?” Connie asked curiously.

“This is!” Mabel waved the paper she was holding around. “The Gravity Falls Gossiper accepted my article about summer fashion tips for squirrels! My picture is gonna be in the newspaper!”

“Whoa! Mabel, that’s so awesome!” Steven exclaimed in amazement. “You know, me and the Gems were in the paper one time, and so was the temple! But… only for an article about the most dangerous places in Gravity Falls that people should probably stay away from…”

A bout of awkward silence passed at this, though Stan broke through it a moment or two later. “So, let’s see that article, kiddo,” he said, sending Mabel a surprisingly encouraging grin.

“Check it!” she exclaimed proudly, holding the front page out for everyone to see while the conman read it aloud.

“Pacifica Northwest declares V-neck the look of the season,” Stan read, only for his grin to instantly fade into confusion. “What am I looking at here?”

“Whoa, whoa, what?!” Mabel gasped, looking at the paper herself to find that her article of squirrel fashions was nowhere to be found. Instead, the front page had been commandeered by an article by Pacifica, as well as a large, flashy photo of the heiress herself.

“Looks like someone bought their way to the front page,” Dipper remarked with apt distain for Pacifica, especially seeing how distressed Mabel was as she looked over the article.

“I’m surprised she doesn’t do that every day, considering how hard it is for her to stay out of the limelight for even a minute,” Connie scoffed just as crossly.

“Is it legal for a child to wear that much makeup?” Stan asked, a hint of contempt in his tone as well.

“Ugh! Pacifica!” Mabel growled, throwing the paper down onto the floor in frustration. “She always ruins everything!”

“Aw, I’m sorry about your article, Mabel,” Steven said with sincerity. “But look at the bright side! You can always share your squirrel fashion tips with all of us!”

“Yeah, and besides,” Dipper interjected supportively. “Who even reads newspapers anymore anyway?”

“Dudes!” Soos exclaimed as he walked into the room, holding a copy of the paper. “V-neck season is upon us! Who wants to help me get ahead of the fashion curve? I’m taking it one step further… With a W-neck!” The handyman paused as he drew a W onto the collar of his shirt before haphazardly attempting to cut along it with a pair of scissors. “Must… follow… newspaper…”

“Well… that was some bad timing…” Connie noted with a frown.

“Oh, come on!” Mabel groaned in loud frustration as she stormed over to the table, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and downing it all in one gulp. “Ugh, I need something to get my mind off of this.”

Before anyone could even suggest something that could cheer her up however, the television happened to do it for them as it cut to an amazingly appropriate commercial. “Looking for a distraction from your horrible life?”

“Why, yes!” Mabel perked up, looking to the TV with immediate interest.

“Victory! Honor! Destiny! Heroism! Valor! Mutton!” the commercial boldly proclaimed. “These old-timey words are alive and well at the Gravity Falls Royal Discount Put Hut! *No mutton available at the snack shop*.”

“There you go, Mabel! You love mini-golf!” Dipper exclaimed, grabbing his sister’s scrapbook off the nearby table to show the others. Sure enough, it featured a picture of a nine-year old Mabel taking home a gold medal in a minor league mini-golf tournament. “She’s been amazing at it since we were kids! What do you say, Mabel? We’ve had a stressful couple of days. How about we take a break, huh?”

“Great idea, Dipper!” Steven readily agreed. “Mini-golf is so much fun! There’s castles, and windmills, and having to outrun security after Amethyst jumps into the moat so she can collect all the lost golf balls and eat them all! It’s the best!”

“Well, everything but that last part is fun, at least,” Connie shrugged. “But still, Mabel, a few rounds of mini-golf would be a great for you to get your mind off of—y-you know what.”

“So what do ya say, pumpkin?” Stan asked with a warm grin. “Would kicking all our butts at mini-golf cheer you up?”

“Maybe a little…” Mabel said quietly, tugging gently on her hair while pouting.

“Come on, Mabel!” Dipper encouraged as he jumped to his feet. “Victory!”

At this, Mabel couldn’t really hold her usual zeal back as she brightly picked up where her brother had left off. “Honor!”

“Destiny!” Stan proclaimed, also caught up in the moment.

“Heroism!” Connie jumped in brazenly.

“Valor!” Steven declared with a huge grin.

“Mutton!” Soos finished as his W-neck inadvertently flopped down.

Seeing as how the excitement was infections, the entire group launched into a unified cheer as they began to head out, pumping their fists in the air in anticipation over their mini-golf adventure. “Victory! Honor! Destiny! Heroism! Valor! Mutton! Victory! Honor! Destiny! Heroism! Valor! Mutton!”

“And the pig and the lion can look after the house!” Soos exclaimed before shutting the door behind him, leaving Waddles and Lion to continue lazily napping together as if nothing had happened.

While Gravity Falls was a rather small town, its local miniature golf course was surprisingly large and elaborate. Ye Royal Discount Putt Hutt consisted of the standard 18 holes, each hosting a different decorative theme, from a pirate ship, to the Eiffel tower, to mines, to a large windmill, to its central medieval castle. Business was certainly booming as several groups played through the course, including the Pines and the Gems as they had just arrived.

Surprisingly enough, it hadn’t been that difficult for Steven to convince the Gems to come along, seeing as how they didn’t really have anything better to do with their free time. Plus, as soon as they heard that it was for the sake of helping Mabel feel better, they couldn’t really say no. And so, even though they really didn’t understand the rules of the game that well, the trio was still along for the ride as the group came up to the first hole.

“Ahh, mini-golf!” Mabel grinned as she took in a deep breath, already feeling much more content now that she amidst her old pastime. “The sport of mini-champions!”

“The grass is fake, but the fun is real,” Dipper added, leaning against his golf club. “There’s something here for everyone!”

“So when do we get to the part where we start beating each other with these weird sticks?” Amethyst asked, swinging her club around as the group prepared to take on hole 1.

“Amethyst, that’s… not how you play mini-golf,” Connie said with a concerned frown. “Though I’m pretty sure that is a good way to get arrested…”

“Oh come on,” the purple Gem groaned. “First I can’t throw cannonballs into the pool and now I can’t hit people with sticks? Human stuff is so lame!”

“Hey, Garnet,” Stan smirked in apt amusement upon seeing the overtly colorful plaid pants the Gem leader happened to be wearing. “Nice pants. Where’d you get them from? Some old Scotsman’s garage sale?”

“They’re my dad’s actually,” Steven spoke up. “I found them while looking through his old golf clubs. They’re a little big on me, so I gave them to Garnet so she can wear them!”

“And I think I pull them off well enough,” Garnet remarked assuredly. “By the way, Stan, nice slippers.” She smirked as she nodded to the conman’s choice of footwear, which, sure enough, happened to be a pair of bedroom slippers, despite the fact that they were out in public.

“Hey! I’ll have you know it takes a lot of effort for a man my age to put actual shoes on!” Stan protested hotly. “Plus, these just so happen to be really comfortable slippers, so I see no problem wearing them out and about every now and then.”

“Hey could you guys maybe keep it down a little?” Dipper asked as he prepared to take his first swing. “I’m trying to focus here.” Turning away from the group, he did just that, taking the time to carefully line up the shot, only for his swing to end up missing the ball entirely. However, this did end up sending the ball teetering to the right, or rather, into the nearby shallow pond.

“Oh, excellent shot, Dipper!” Pearl applauded with a genuine smile.

“Uh, Pearl? I was supposed to hit it into the hole,” Dipper pointed out with slight confusion as to the white Gem’s excitement.

“Wait, really?” Pearl frowned. “Well then clearly I misunderstood the point of this game…”

“Don’t worry, bro!” Mabel encouraged, pulling a dinosaur sticker out of her vast collection and slapping it onto Dipper’s cheek. “You’re still ‘ext-roar-dinary’!”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Dipper concluded with a sigh, moving out of the way to allow his sister to take her turn.

Mabel stepped up onto the green with apt confidence, making sure to grip her club just right as she positioned her aim seamlessly. “Ok, do the hip wiggle and—yah!” Despite her apparent finesse in preparing her shot, Mabel simply whacked it, watching expectantly as it glided through the course without hitting so much as a single snag. The others were all aptly amazed as the ball rounded its way to the hole, slightly missing it, though fortunately it bounced off of McGucket’s nose as the old man napped on the green before landing its way in. “Yes!” Mabel cheered over her hole in one as the others applauded, clearly impressed.

“Holy smokes!” Stan gasped with a surprised smile. “Someone in our family actually has talent!”

“Grunkle Stan, you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Dipper remarked, knowing full well just how much of a shark his sister was at mini-golf.

“That was incredible, Mabel!” Steven exclaimed with a smile. “No wonder you’re such a pro at Golf Quest Mini! You’ve got the real world skills to back it up!”

“It’s all in the hips, Steven,” Mabel shrugged, even if she was quite proud over her success. “All in the hips.”

“Mm, I’d argue and say it’s a bit in the shoulders too,” Connie noted as she stepped up to take her turn. Her approach was far different from Mabel’s however, as instead of hitting the ball hard, her stroke was gentle and precise, though still enough to send the ball careening through the green and past any obstacles in its way. In the end, the ball squarely landed in the hole, much to the group’s collective surprise. “Oh nice!” Connie exclaimed with a grin. “Looks like I still got it.”

“Whoa! Looks like we got two mini-golf masters on our hands!” Soos quipped, grinning at the girls.

“Indeed! How did you get so skilled at this game, Connie?” Pearl asked curiously.

“My parents enrolled me in mini-golf camp a few summers ago,” Connie explained. “I’m probably a little rusty after all these years, but I can remember most of what they taught us.”

“Mini-golf camp?” Dipper asked with a good natured chuckle. “Yeesh, Connie, what extra-curricular activity haven’t your parents made you do?”

“Eh, they mean well,” Connie also laughed. “They say all this stuff is supposed to help make me a ‘well-rounded individual’, but mostly I think its help bolster my college resume someday.”

“Well still, it’s good to finally have some friendly competition,” Mabel remarked, grinning at Connie. “It gets boring always beating Dipper by so many strokes on every hole!”

“Hey!” Dipper protested as Steven let out a small laugh.

“Well, I guess this will be a good chance for us both to put our skills to the test,” Connie smiled as she exchanged a sportsmanly handshake with Mabel. “Good luck, Mabel.”

“Same to you, Connie!” Mabel exclaimed brightly, though Amethyst was quick to interject into the friendly exchange.

“So now do we get to hit each other with these things?” she asked, holding her club up as the girls looked to her in confusion. “Yes? No? Later? Probably later, right? Yeah, probably later.”

Since their group was so large, it took a while for everyone to get through each hole of the course, but even so, fun was certainly being had. Throughout most of the game, Mabel and Connie were neck and neck, scoring mostly holes-in-one, with a few rare flukes every now and then. Of course, the others lagged far behind their skill, to the point that none of them could hope to come close, which meant they were all competing for third place. Despite his best efforts, Dipper inadvertently ended up sending most of his shots into sand traps or tight corners, while the majority of Steven’s shots ended up landing outside of each course altogether. Soos’ score was already ranking far above par for each hole, and Stan clearly wasn’t putting much effort into his swings, seeing as how they would often miss the hole by a longshot. Even the Gems weren’t faring much better, with Garnet sending more than a few balls hurdling towards the sky, Pearl coming up with complex, albeit non-functional formulas to try and land her shots just right, and Amethyst trying to eat her ball at nearly every hole.

By the time they had made it to the 18th hole, the dreaded Dutch windmill, Mabel and Connie were essentially tied for first place, with a very narrow margin existing between their scores. By their show of skill alone, the girls had already amassed a large crowd of patrons to watch their tense, yet friendly competition, and everyone waited on anxious, baited breaths to see who would come out on top. And indeed, it certainly seemed like either one of them could. Connie had already taken her shot, one that landed mere inches away from the hole, much to her disappointment. Mabel was set to go next, and already she was focusing all of her efforts into making this the perfect shot as everyone watched on in eager anticipation.

“Guys, this is amazing!” Dipper exclaimed as he finished tallying up the most recent score. “If Mabel gets one more hole-in-one, she’ll beat her all time high score!”

“But if she misses, then that means Connie could win,” Steven pointed out anxiously. “But I want Mabel to win too! Oh, this is so hard! Why can’t if just be a tie?!”

“I mean, it could be, if she misses,” Connie shrugged, not really bothered by either outcome. “At this point, it could go either way.”

“Or a different way entirely,” Garnet spoke up, adjusting her shades as vaguely as always.

Still, Mabel paid none of this speculation any mind as she lined her putter up to the ball, muttering intently to herself as she did so. “You got this, Mabel. Just pretend the ball is Pacifica’s face!” With that satisfying thought in mind, she finally made her move, whacking the ball and sending it cleanly through the windmill’s tiny opening. It certainly seemed like the ball was going to make it all the way to the hole, but instead, it rolled around its fringe and into the small puddle against the wall, where it unfortunately stopped and stayed. “Aw, nuts!” Mabel shouted angrily, tossing her putter to the ground in a petulant huff.

Upon witnessing this failure, a murmur of dissent rippled through the crowd as it began to steadily disband, only leaving the original group behind. Still, they were all quick to meet Mabel on the other side of the windmill as she morosely went to retrieve her ball. “Garnet, tell me the truth,” Mabel began as they all arrived. “Did you see me missing that shot with your future vision?”

“Mm… I saw it,” Garnet acknowledged gently. “But I didn’t want to throw your game off by telling you about it.”

Mabel let out a loud, exasperated groan at this, but even so, Connie was quick to jump in at an attempt to reassure her. “Don’t feel bad, Mabel. This is a tough hole, even for me.”

“Yeah! Plus that means you guys are tied for first!” Steven quipped with a reassuring smile. “You both won, which in my book, is pretty amazing.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, kid,” Stan remarked, pulling Mabel’s ball out of the water and handing it back to her. “The whole thing’s random anyway.”

“Besides the Bermuda Triangle, how mini-golf works is our world’s greatest mystery,” Soos added.

“Isn’t it just a matter of force and gravity acting upon the ball in a way that propels it forward as friction and curves gradually work against it?” Pearl inquired eloquently.

“Anyway,” Stan said pointedly, ignoring the white Gem as he turned to both Mabel and Connie. “As far as I’m concerned, you two are still better at this than anyone else in Gravity-”

The conman was abruptly cut off as a random ball happened to easily sink into the nearby hole, resulting in a perfect hole in one. Everyone gasped in shock at this, though their shock soon turned to disdain upon seeing who had landed this incredible shot.

“Oh, would you look at that?” Pacifica asked dryly, casually positioning her putter over her shoulder as she sent the Pines and the Gems a snide glance. “I didn’t know if was ‘hobos golf-free’ day!”

“Pacifica!” Connie growled hotly, gripping her golf club in tight anger.

“Oh come on!” Mabel huffed just as bitterly. “First the newspaper, and now this! How many other things can she ruin for me today?!”

The heiress didn’t happen overhear this as she strode over to the group confidently, her parents following not too far behind as they shared their daughter’s conceited demeanor. “Well if it isn’t the Pines family!” Pacifica remarked with faux delight as she launched an insult at each one of them. “Fat,” she pointed to Soos. “Old,” she said, nodding at Stan. “Lame,” she rolled her eyes as she got to Dipper. “And Braces!” she sneered, smirking at Mabel.

“Would it be wrong to punch a child?” Stan muttered, quite incensed as he clenched his fists.

“Maybe for you, but not for me!” Connie replied, already cracking her knuckles in anticipation.

“D-do we really have to resort to violence?” Steven asked with apt concern, though Pacifica was quick to cut in once more.

“Oh, and look who else turned up,” she raised an eyebrow as she turned to Steven, Connie, and the Gems. “Goofball, Glasses, and the Rhinestone Gems!”

“Oh, I’ll show her rhinestones!” Pearl hissed crossly, taking a step forward only for Garnet to stop her.

“Easy,” the Gem leader advised, as calm as ever until the heiress happened to throw a scathing remark her way.

“Nice pants by the way,” Pacifica mocked, pointing to Garnet’s golf pants. “They really go with that whole cringeworthy ‘stuck in the 70s’ look you’re trying to pull off and failing at”

The Gem leader’s expression darkened upon hearing this, and it was instantly clear to see she was anything but amused as her teammates looked to her expectantly. “On second thought…”

“Guys, I got this,” Dipper interjected before turning to the heiress with a smug grin. “Hey, Pacifica, how’s that whole ‘your family being frauds’ thing working out for you?”

“Great, actually!” Pacifica replied triumphantly. “That’s the thing about money. It makes problems go away!”

“Well it can’t buy you skill!” Mabel remarked. “You just walked into the game of two mini-golf champions, right Connie?”

“Right!” Connie readily agreed. “You may have gotten lucky on this hole, but we’d love to see you do half as good on any other whole here.”

“Pfft, ‘luck’ has nothing to do with it,” Pacifica scoffed before snapping her fingers. “Sergei!” At this command, a tall, lanky Russian man stepped forward, toting the heiresses’ golf clubs and other gear as he stood firmly beside her. “This is Sergei, my trainer.”

“The Sportlympics had mini-golf once,” Sergei said, his accent quite thick. “I took gold!” He pulled his shirt open a bit to reveal the large gold medal hanging from his neck, which was indeed for first place in mini-golf.

“Whoa… I wish I was good enough to get a medal in mini-golf,” Steven mused, amazed. His wonder was cut short however, as Amethyst quickly elbowed him as a reminder that they were against Pacifica in this. “Oh, uh, I mean…. I-it’s not that great.”

“Well, trainer or no trainer, Mabel and Connie could still kick your butt at mini-golf any day!” Dipper asserted, sending the heiress a harsh glare.

“Please. Don’t make me laugh,” Pacifica sneered, rolling her eyes as she moved onto the bonus hole, coldly addressing the girls on her way there. “Now, if you two don’t mind moving out of the way of the professionals…” With her usual pointed flare, the heiress stepped up to the hole and effortlessly took her swing, which landed right in the volcanic bonus hole and prompting a momentous explosion of celebration. “Enjoy sharing second place,” she remarked to Mabel and Connie, who had only watched on in severe unified frustration. “Give them a hand, folks!”

As the nearby crowd launched into a patronizing round of applause, neither of the girls were really paying them any mind. After all, they were far too incensed now after hearing Pacifica mock the skill that they were both rather proud of themselves over. “Ok, that’s it!” Connie seethed, gripping her golf club tightly. “Time to knock that dumb smirk right off her ‘perfect’ little face!”

“Yeah! Now we’re talking!” Amethyst cheered, more than ready to put her club to good use.

“Hold it, you guys,” Mabel stopped them before they could go after the heiress. “I have something else in mind… Hey, Pacifica!” she called after her rival as she began to leave. “We challenge you to a rematch!”

“Oh, good idea!” Connie exclaimed with renewed verve as she turned to Pacifica. “Let’s see you put those supposed ‘skills’ of yours to the test!”

“I don’t think either of you wanna go there with me,” Pacifica remarked, still not turning to face them. “After all, isn’t it already embarrassing enough for you being poor and mediocre? Do we really need to have some petty little contest to prove it?”

“Oh, what, are you scared?” Mabel challenged daringly, going on impulse as she launched into a barrage of insults worthy of the spoiled heiress. “You… you walking one-dimensional, bleached-blonde, valley girl stereotype!”

Upon hearing such a verbal thrashing, the entire crowd took in a collective gasp of shock. Still, no one was more surprised or more enraged at this call-out than Pacifica herself as she abruptly spun around to face Mabel and Connie, her expression beyond livid. “Like, let’s do this!” she accepted crossly, flipping her hair for extra emphasis.

Without any further prompting from either side, all three of the girls met at the center of the course, their putters in hand as they prepared to face off. However, before they could even set the rules of their competition, clouds quickly started rolling in through the previously sunny skies above, making it clear that a sporadic summer storm was in the offing. While Mabel, Connie, and Pacifica were more than willing to compete through it, the Mini-Golf King thought otherwise.

“Hear ye! Hear ye!” the course’s owner called, driving up in his gaudy golf cart, which he accidentally happened to drive right into a nearby lamp post. “Ow!” he exclaimed, bumping into the pole several more times before righting his vehicle and continuing. “Stop at once! The park is now closed due to weather! The King of Mini-Golf has spoken!” With his messaged relayed, the Mini-Golf King put his cart in reverse, only for it to ram into another pole and topple onto its side with him still in it. “Ah! The king is down!”

“This isn’t over,” Pacifica declared to her opponents. “You two, me, midnight. We’ll see who’s best!”

“Oh, you bet we will…” Connie scowled as the heiress sauntered off.

“Yeah! We’ll be here!” Mabel exclaimed with heated zeal. All too quickly, the oncoming storm began as lightning flashed in the distance and rain began to drizzle onto the course. The Northwests were more than prepared for it though as they whipped their umbrellas out in perfect unison before heading off, laughing amongst themselves over everything that had just happened as Sergei ran dutifully after them. But even so, Connie and Mabel remained firm in their stance as they watched their shared rival leave, both of them more than eager to beat her at her own game later that evening. That is, until Steven accidentally undermined their show of resolve with his usual friendliness.

“Bye, Pacifica!” he called after the heiress cheerfully. “We’ll see you tonight! It’s gonna be a ton of fun, I’m sure!” The young Gem paused in innocent confusion as he noticed the disgruntled looks that everyone, especially the girls, were giving him at this. “What?”

The Pines and the Gems had settled on waiting out the rain at the local taco joint, allowing them all to get some fast and cheap dinner before the mini-golf faceoff later that night. Well, everyone but Garnet and Pearl, at least, as Amethyst readily shoved her face with the huge load of tacos she had ordered, much to the white Gems’ absolute revulsion and the Gem leader’s usual apathy. Meanwhile, Mabel slumped against the table in something of a depression as she prompted Dipper to fed her nachos at consistent intervals. While she had been confident in her and Connie’s chances against Pacifica back at the golf course, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she wasn’t entirely sure if either of them really could beat her. After all, the heiress had an award winning-trainer on her side, and while Connie might have gone to mini-golf camp, all Mabel really had going for her was her own innate skill, which, if she was completely honest with herself, wasn’t as refined or sharpened as she wished it could be. After all, mini-golf was a fickle game of both dexterity as well as a good touch of luck. And if they ever wanted to win against adept heiress, then certainly they would need more than just a touch of that.

Still, while Mabel had mostly given up hope, Connie was doing anything but as she sat hunched over a small notebook, furiously scribbling notes down on it as Steven looked over her shoulder with apt confusion. “What are you doing?” he finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

“Planning out our strategy,” Connie explained her pragmatic approach, still working fervently all the while. “I figure that if we map out the path and trajectory of each of our shots beforehand, then we’ll be able to anticipate any flukes and work around them beforehand. This always worked for me back at mini-golf camp, so it can’t fail now!”

“What’s the point?” Mabel spoke up with a fretful pout. “Pacifica’s got us as good as beat already. I guess it’s time to scratch mini-golf off my talents list…”

“Aw, don’t give up, Mabel!” Soos encouraged with a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah, if you guys beat Pacifica at this, then she can never rag on us again,” Dipper added reassuringly.

“And maybe you guys will get really cool mini-golf medals too!” Steven exclaimed brightly.

“I’m not in this for any medal,” Connie said, her tone rarely cold and harsh as much as it was resolved. “I’m in this because I want to finally put Pacifica in her place.”

“Sounds like as good a motivation as any,” Garnet remarked, crossing her arms.

“I agree,” Pearl nodded pointedly. “That girl is a horrid, vain, spoiled little brat, just like the rest of her family. If you ask me, she deserves far more than just being beaten in a simple game of mini-golf for those callous insults of hers.”

“More, huh?” Amethyst asked, a sly grin already crossing her face. “You know, whenever someone insults or ticks me or Stan off, there’s only one thing that always makes us feel better about it…”

“That’s right,” Stan cut in with an equally mischievous smirk. “And that thing is none other than a good, old-fashioned Revenge Trip.”

“Oh no, you two,” Pearl quickly spoke up in protest as Garnet shook her head. “I don’t care how awful that Northwest girl is! We are not about to indulge in one of your senseless romps of debauchery and depravity!”

“Aw, c’mon, P,” Amethyst groaned. “We’ll keep this lowkey and small, I promise!”

“Yeah, all we’re gonna do is scribble some graffiti on the wall of Northwest manor,” Stan shrugged apathetically. “That’s child play compared to our usual Revenge Trip fare.”

“Seriously, guys, what’s the problem with that?” Dipper asked the two dissenting Gems. “Pearl, you said so yourself: Pacifica has it a long time coming.”

“The problem is that it’s immoral and illegal!” Pearl exclaimed hotly.

“And we’re not doing it,” Garnet said firmly. “That’s final.”

Stan and Amethyst let out a shared sigh of frustrated disappointment as they both sunk in their seats a little. Fortunately though, Steven was quick to lighten with his usual optimism. “Well, I still think you guys can win!” he grinned to Mabel and Connie. “And I’m sure that if you both start thinking that for yourselves, then you really will win! It’s like magic!”

“Or just plain old positive thinking,” Dipper cut in with a small, amused smirk.

“You know what? You guys are right!” Mabel exclaimed, slamming her fist down on the table as her usual zeal returned. “We just need to get in a little more practice before midnight, and we’ll have this in the bag!”

“Oh yeah, practicing would be a great way for me to test out all these shots I have planned out…” Connie mused, looking over her complex notes.

“Go to the golf course after dark, you say?” Stan interjected with a wry grin.

“No one said-” Pearl attempted to say before Amethyst interrupted her.

“Oh man, that would be super dangerous,” the purple Gem remarked callously. “Not to mention ‘illegal’ and ‘immoral’.”

“Yeah, I mean, we’d have to break in…” Stan mused just as innocuously. “Not to mention—just kidding! Let’s break in!”

While Pearl certainly had wanted to object to the idea of sneaking into the golf course after hours, her protests were ultimately shut down as Stan and Amethyst overrode her, leading the charge with cheers of excitement as the conman’s car crashed through the course’s toll gate. As they made it to the empty parking lot, the Gems dismounted from their shared spot on top of the car to see the kids off along with Stan, while Soos kept watch in case any security happened to come by. Putting their breaking and entering skills to good use, Stan and Amethyst made easy work of the fence surrounding the course, allowing the kids easy, yet inconspicuous access inside.

“We’ll be waiting right out here for you kids when you’re done,” Pearl assured with a smile.

“Yeah, unless we actually do end up tagging Northwest Manor,” Amethyst remarked with a shrug. “Which, considering these two buzzkills we probably won’t.”

“Be careful in there, you four,” Garnet made sure to advise. “Oh, and Mabel, Connie, good luck.”

“Thanks, Garnet,” Connie nodded with a sincere smile.

“Oh, and Mabel? One more thing,” Stan spoke up, opening the sticker book his niece had just handed him to hold onto and pulling out one of the countless stickers. This one in particular had a shiny gold trophy on it, as well as the words “U Da Best” featured prominently. With a supportive smile, the conman put the sticker on Mabel’s sweater, sending her a confident wink as she returned it with a warm smile. “Knock her dead, kid.”

Mabel responded with a bold thumbs-up before heading in after Dipper, Steven, and Connie, intent on her mission of improving her skills in the short time they had left. Meanwhile, Stan and the Gems stood somewhat awkwardly outside of the fence after the kids had gone in, an awkward silence that was soon broken by Garnet, especially after she noticed the hopeful glances the conman and the purple Gem were sending her way. “We’re still not going to vandalize the mansion. No matter how many times you ask.”

“Aw…” the pair sighed, disgruntled over how their Revenge Trip ambitions for the evening were apparently not to be.

Mabel and Connie had taken no time at all breezing through the first 17 holes of the course, pretty much all of their shots resulting in effortless holes in one. Still, it was quite clear that the final hole, the windmill, was still proving to be a substantial problem for them both. This was proven once again as Mabel hit yet another ball through the windmill, only for it to end up barely missing the hole on the other side once again.

“Darn!” she shouted in apt frustration. “Poop heck darn!”

“Aw, and you were so close that time, Mabel!” Steven frowned, leaning down to measure the small increment of distance between the ball and the hole. “Only 0.2 inches away!”

“Ugh, that’s not good enough!” Mabel exclaimed with a disappointed huff. “Pacifica’s not going to be 0.2 inches away when she lands the perfect hole-in-one and beats us both while making fun of our fashion senses and proving that she’s way better than us at everything!”

“Hold on a minute, Mabel,” Connie interjected calmly as she stepped up to take her shot. “I think I finally have this one figured out…” With intent focus, she made sure to line up her shot as precisely as possible, angling her putter as she eyed the path she intended her ball to take. “Ok… 30˚ by 70 ˚…. Winds south by southwest… pull back and-” Letting out a deep, concentrated breath, Connie took her swing, watching with anticipation and hope that her well-thought out calculations would serve her well. And at first, it seemed like they would as the ball soared through the windmill, coming out the other end as it made a straight beeline for the hole. Yet in the end, it swerved to the side right at the last second, bouncing into the wall instead and ending up far from the hole. “Seriously?!” Connie asked with an aggravated scoff, putting her putter down. “Ugh, This is impossible!”

“I don’t get it,” Dipper frowned in bewilderment as he walked up to the windmill itself. “What’s wrong with this hole? It’s almost like-” He stopped short as he happened to catch onto a very faint, almost unnoticeable clanking noise coming from inside the structure. “Did you guys hear that?”

“Hear what?” Steven asked as him and the girls approached the windmill.

“Shh!” Dipper quickly cautioned, listening for the mysterious sound once more to ensure that it was indeed there. “Grab your clubs,” he whispered to the others, who were all quick to do so, seeing as how they had no idea what they were about to find. Still, the four of them advanced towards the windmill at a steady, careful pace, their clubs raised and ready for attack. After they all exchanged a round of terse nods, Dipper brazenly stepped up to the windmill, taking in a deep breath as the others raised their clubs even more before quickly pulling the structure’s back panel off. And upon seeing what it had been hiding, the kids were scarcely able to believe what they saw.

An entire city existed inside of the windmill, completely in miniature and decked out in a folksy Dutch motif. Still, the numerous tiny inhabitants of this city were even more bewildering. Also clad in traditional Dutch garb and clogs, they all appeared to be humanoid golf balls, with large, colorful dimpled heads and disproportionately petite bodies. These curious creatures worked within their small scale home merrily, though their usual activity was abruptly halted as they noticed the group of much larger kids hovering over them.

Alarmed by this intrusion, the golf ball race let out a round of terrified screams as they huddled together for safety. Likewise, the kids themselves were aptly startled by this strange discovery as they let out their own respective frightened cries, their putters still raised though they didn’t dare bring them down yet. This exchange of panicked screams continued for quite some time, until the kids collectively realized that these tiny creatures certainly couldn’t pose them any threat, prompting them all to tentatively lower their clubs.

The members of the golf ball race were quick to notice this sign of armistice as they began to calm themselves into silence, even if they remained close together just in case. “We good?” one of the petite people at the front of the group asked kids anxiously. While still incredible confused, they all nodded their assent. “All right then! Hi! Hello!” he greeted brightly. “I’m Franz, and welcome to our home!”

“What is all this?” Dipper asked, looking over the intricate mini-city with relative awe.

“Whatever it is, its adorable!” Steven quipped with a delighted smile. “Seriously, you guys are so cute!”

“Thank you, thank you,” Franz chuckled as several of the other golf ball people blushed at the compliment. “We know.”

“So, what are you guys?” Mabel asked with a frown. “Tiny humans or enormous mini-humans?”

“Neither,” Franz clarified with another laugh. “We’re the Lilliputtians! Lilli—Lilliputt—the name makes more sense written down. But anyway, we control the balls! Behold!”

At this cue, the panel on the side of the windmill flew open, revealing an incredibly complex system of levers and pullies, all of which served the purpose of moving any golf ball that went into the windmill through it. The Lilliputtians operated their machinery with skill, apt timing, and adorable cheerfulness, bright smiles on all their faces as they turned cracks, pressed buttons, and even let the ball bounce off them to help the ball along on its journey. And in the end, the ball shot cleanly out of the other side of the windmill before rolling straight into the hole as the kids all gasped in amazement.

“That’s incredible!” Mabel exclaimed with an awestruck grin.

“And so needlessly complicated,” Dipper added, bemused.

“It all makes perfect sense now!” Connie laughed, flipping through her now completely useless notes. “How could I have ever factored tiny living golf people into my equations? No wonder this hole was giving us such a hard time!”

“Yeah! I guess luck really has nothing to do with mini-golf after all,” Steven shrugged. “Instead, we can owe it all to these guys!”

“Aw shucks,” Franz gushed proudly. “This is only our life-long passion. Would you like us to elaborate through song?”

“Yes!” Steven passionately agreed, always more than happy to hear an upbeat musical number. The Lilliputtians complied as they took in a collective deep breath and prepared to sing their piece.

“Actually,” Dipper quickly interrupted. “We’re good.”

Disappointed just as much as the young Gem was, the Lilliputtians all sighed as they began to disperse, heading back to their various roles and stations within the windmill. “So what are you hugelings doing here anyway?” Franz asked the kids curiously.

“Well, we kinda have to play this mini-golf tournament against our rival, Pacifica,” Mabel explained, though she was quickly cut off before she could say anything else.

The Lilliputtians all gasped and began to mutter amongst themselves, their usually upbeat, cheerful mood souring upon hearing this. “Oh, we know all about rivals…” Franz glowered crossly.

“Put a clog in it, ya windmill-lubbers!” a bold voice called from the other side of the golf course. Startled, the kids turned to see the pirate ship hole suddenly light up, a group of Lilliputtians clad in pirate wear standing atop its deck as they sent hostile glares towards the windmill. “These frilly bottom popinjays are terrible at controllin’ the balls!” the pirate captain exclaimed, drawing his tiny sword. “We are the ball masters, says I! Argh!”

The other pirate Lilliputtians arghed in loud agreement, though their revelry was soon interrupted as the nearby Eiffel Tower lit up next, a group of French Lilliputtians clinging to it with snooty scowls. “Shut your mouths, you show-boating pirates! Everyone knows ze Eiffel Tower hole is ze best!”

“Je ne sais quio! Sacrebleu! Au revoir!” one of the other French Lilliputtians added hotly.

“Stay your comments, ye churlish Frenchmen!” a knight Lilliputtian shouted from atop the castle hole. “None control the balls better than the knights of—Wiener Castle?” he paused, glancing down at the graffiti sprayed onto the castle wall. “Who wrote this?”

“We’ll settle which hole is best!” Franz challenged brazenly as him and his fellow Dutch Lilliputtians rushed forward. “Attack!”

“Ohh, I’m shiverin’ in me timbers!” the captain Lilliputtian mocked as the other pirates began to swing off their ship. “Get them!”

“Long live the mini-king!” the Lilliputtian head knight cried as him and his breather hurried to the fray, their little blades drawn and ready.

The kids could only stand and watch in surprised confusion as the various factions of the Lilliputtians collided in a violent, miniature battle at their feet. From dueling with swords and other blunt objects, to simply fighting first to fist, the small-scale violence that was unfolding was actually quite impressive. None of the golf-ball people held back against their respective foes, landing punches and blows that did sustain real damage and giving the kids quite a bewildering spectacle to behold.

“Yikes….” Connie remarked with a concerned frown. “You know, they never told us something like this would happen back at mini-golf camp. It’s… kinda weird…”

“Are you kidding? These guys are a riot!” Dipper laughed, fully amused by the rather comedic display.

“Aw, but they shouldn’t fight!” Steven exclaimed fretfully. “They’re too cute and small and folksy to be beating each other up like this!”

While Mabel agreed with this, she couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle herself as she decided to address the Lilliputtians in the hopes of quelling their brawl. “Guys, guys! Calm down! Your fighting is inadvertently adorable!”

“Adorable we are, hugeling, but our tale less so,” Franz said, lying on the ground battered and beaten just like the his fellow Lilliputtians. “Every hole in the park thinks they’re superior, from the cowboys in the east, to the grimy miners of the south. If only there was some way to decide which side is the best with maybe, an award… or like a trophy, I dunno.”

“But Franz, look!” another Lilliputtian gasped, pointing up at Mabel’s sweater. Or more specifically, the trophy sticker attached to it.

“The sticker!” Franz exclaimed, jumping to his feet zealously. “The sticker could decide!”

“It does say ‘ze best’ on it!” one of the Frenchmen Lilliputtians proclaimed.

“Decide for us, hugeling!” the head knight Lilliputtian demanded of Mabel. “Choose which mini-kingdom to give the sticker to, and end our war!”

All of the other Lilliputtians let out a unified cheer at this idea, every faction eyeing the sticker enviously as they all wanted to have it bestowed upon them. Still, despite their unanimous excitement, there was something of a discrepancy about it among the kids.

“Uh, I don’t know, you guys…” Mabel frowned, glancing down at her sticker apprehensively. “I’m not sure if we should get involved in your weird mini blood feud.”

“And besides!” Steven interjected with a smile. “You’re all so great that it would be like, impossible to decide!”

Clearly, the Lilliputtians were anything but appeased upon hearing this as they instead sent a cold glare the young Gem’s way. “Yeah… I don’t think that’s gonna cut it for them…” Connie muttered, taking in an apprehensive breath. “In fact, I’m pretty sure only one thing will…”

“Wait, you guys!” Dipper cut in, lowering his voice down to a whisper so the still arguing Lilliputtians couldn’t hear. “This is perfect! These guys control the course. Which means-”

“Which means if we have them on our side, then they can help us win!” Connie interrupted excitedly, having the exact same idea. “Not only could they help us both get perfect scores on every hole, but they could also sabotage every single one of Pacifica’s shots! It’s brilliant!”

“And all we have to do is tell them we’ll give the sticker to whichever group does a better job of helping us win!” Dipper added with a satisfied grin. “It couldn’t get any easier!”

“Mm…. I don’t know how I feel about this plan, you guys…” Steven frowned hesitantly. “I mean, I feel we’d just be taking advantage of these poor little guys if we did that…”

“Oh come on, Steven,” Connie reassured. “They said so themselves, they live for this stuff. Besides, by picking one of these groups for them, then their little war will finally end and maybe they’ll start getting along with each other.”

“Eh, I’m still not sure…” Mabel remarked just as concerned with this plan of action as Steven was. “I wanna beat Pacifica just as much as you do, Connie, but doesn’t this seem like cheating?”

“Pacifica’s rich, Mabel,” Dipper pointed out dryly. “She’s cheating at life.”

“Hm…” Mabel mused, still not entirely convinced. Still, after a little more convincing from both Dipper and Connie, Mabel and Steven both tentatively jumped on board with the idea, even if they were both somewhat anxious about doing so, largely for moral reasons. Still, they kept their worries to themselves as they came to stand before the mass crowd of Lilliputtians, who had temporarily put their feud on hold to hear what the “hugelings” had to say. “People of the eighteen holes!” Mabel called to the golf ball people after Dipper used one of their tiny trumpets to bring them to attention. “We’re gonna have a game of mini-golf! And whoever does the best job helping me and Connie win gets the sticker!”

“So work hard and try your best!” Connie added encouragingly. “You all have the same chances of winning. Of course, special bonus points will be given to the group that ends up embarrassing Pacifica the most, so keep that in mind!”

“It’ll be us, lass! Not these tulip-munchers!” the captain Lilliputtian exclaimed, sending a snide glare Franz’ way.

“I will not be insulted by a man with no depth perception wearing earrings!” the Dutch Lilliputtian seethed hotly.

“Whoa there, you guys!” Steven interjected before another mini-war could break out. “Being mean to each other is no way to get that sticker.”

“Steven’s right,” Mabel nodded firmly. “Just remember, as long as you guys are helping us, no fighting.”

The Lilliputtians’ collective demeanor quickly changed upon hearing this as they all perked up, exchanging broad, convincing smiles with both each other and the kids as a sign that they were going to behave themselves. At least, that’s what their smiles said while they crossed fingers behind their backs told of the exact opposite. But as far as the golf ball race was concerned, the kids didn’t really need to know that. After all, none of that would matter once the best among them was finally decided upon once and for all.

True to their word, Stan, Soos, and the Gems had remained in the otherwise empty parking lot to wait for the kids to return. Since the conman’s car didn’t have a great deal of space in it, the Gems had kept their place sitting on top of it, all of them quite bored as they waited in relative silence. Meanwhile, inside of the vehicle, Soos was hard at work with his scissors, snipping carefully along the dotted line he had drawn onto his tee shirt.

“Dude, I’m cutting W’s into all my shirts,” the handyman remarked to his disinterested boss. “Gotta give the public what they want.”

“Well, those kids sure are taking their time,” Stan mused, glancing out his rear-view window towards the course. “Looks like it’s gonna be a while.” The conman turned the radio onto a relaxing station as Soos took off his shirt to be able to work on its neck easier. With a laid back sigh, Stan reclined his seat back, closing his eyes to take a short nap. Still, before he could, he opened his eyes once again to see Soos, still shirtless, reclined in his seat next to him with a coy smile.

“Sure are a lot of stars out tonight…” the handyman remarked casually.

“Welp, this is getting weird,” Stan quickly concluded, instantly sitting up in his seat to get out of the awkward moment.

Meanwhile, on top of the car, the Gems were still encompassed in their ongoing silence as Garnet meditated and Pearl quietly stargazed. Amethyst, on the other hand, was nowhere near as appeased as she let out a long, exasperated groan. “Ugh, this is so boring, I could shatter!” she flopped down onto her stomach, sprawling out as much as she could considering the limited amount of space. “And to think, we could be smearing paint all over that dumb old mansion’s walls right now…”

“Amethyst, one day you’re going to learn that petty acts of vengeance get you nowhere,” Pearl said rationally.

“Oh yeah? When?” the purple Gem asked sardonically. “Cause it’s totally not today.”

Pearl let out a disgruntled sigh upon hearing this, looking to Garnet to reprimand Amethyst, though the Gem leader as completely silent as she maintained her relaxed, stoic focus. It was around this time that a long white limo pulled up not too far away from the conman’s car, one that clearly belonged to the Northwests based on its elegance and expensiveness alone. And inside of it, Pacifica’s parents were just finishing up imparting their daughter with something of a “pep talk” for her upcoming competition.

“Now just remember, Pacifica,” Preston began authoritatively. “Winning is everything.”

“Oh, and also looks,” Priscilla added as she used a small mirror to help her apply her copious lipstick. “Winning and looks.”

“Dad, relax,” Pacifica assured her father. “I’ve been practicing for like, a million hours, ok? I’ve got this. You’ll stay and watch, right?”

“Pacifica, darling,” Preston scoffed almost patronizingly. “Of course we can’t stay! We have a party to go to. We’ll just read about your victory in the paper tomorrow.”

The heiress frowned somewhat upon hearing this, but even so, she quickly shrugged the disappointment off. She was used to it by now, anyway. “Right,” she said diffidently as she got out of the car. “Sergei!” she snapped her fingers, prompting her trainer to emerge from the trunk of the limo as he grabbed her set of expensive golf clubs.

“Oh, and Pacifica?” Preston called to his daughter through the limo’s open window before she could head inside the course. “Whatever happens just remember one thing. You’re a Northwest. Don’t lose.”

Despite the relative harshness of this command, Pacifica nodded stiffly nonetheless before turning on her heel and making her way towards the course with Sergei trailing behind her. Surprisingly, she didn’t have any more insulting remarks for Stan, Soos, or the Gems as she sauntered past them, but that didn’t mean her parents didn’t.

“Oh, Priscilla, would you look at that?” Preston remarked mockingly, still peeking out the window as he dryly regraded the Gems. “The so called ‘Crystal’ Gems are so poor that they can’t even afford their own vehicle! Instead they have to be taxied around on top of the beaten down old car of some no-account carnival barker!”

“How embarrassing,” Priscilla laughed haughtily as her husband joined in.

While the Gems themselves were quite incensed upon hearing these scathing remarks, no one was more offended than Stan as he gripped the steering wheel of his car tightly. “Did… did he just insult my Diablo?!” he asked, completely appalled. The old vehicle happened to sputter a little at this juncture, prompting Stan to rub the steering wheel with tender affection. “Shh, baby, I know. Who cares what he says? He’s a rich, pompous jerk who deserves a good punch in the face.”

“Tell us about it,” Garnet muttered, her tone genuinely cross and hostile as she was finally broken out of her meditation.

“You know, it’s almost worth an ounce of pity,” Preston said to his wife, still smirking goadingly. “But instead, it’s just hilarious. I almost feel bad that our daughter has to wallow amongst such common filth for even a few hours. The sooner she wins this little competition the better.”

The wealthy couple shared another teasing laugh as the limo began to drive off, leaving the aptly enraged Gems and conman behind. Needless to say they were all infuriated, especially after hearing the Northwests indirectly insult the kids, even over them. Which was why, despite her earlier qualms, Pearl had no qualms about addressing both Stan and Amethyst with a very simple, very pointed question. “So what was that plan you two had about vandalizing their mansion again?”

“Now you’re talkin’!” Stan exclaimed with a daring grin, already throwing his car into reverse.

“Woo!” Amethyst cheered, jumping to her feet, though she fell right back into Garnet’s lap as the conman’s car lurched forward. Still, she hardly cared as she let out a rowdy laugh, one that Stan readily shared as the entire group sped off, their vengeful mission clear. “Revenge Trip! Revenge Trip! Revenge Trip!”

Pacifica strode into the mini-golf course with the upmost confidence, already completely assured over her victory before the game even began. After all, there was no way either Mabel or Connie could hope to beat her. With her well-bought and well-refined skill, the heiress knew that her triumph would only be a matter of a few easy, perfect shots.

“How much you wanna bet they’re no-shows?” Pacifica asked Sergei, only to immediately be proven wrong. The heiress and her trainer quickly spun around as an array of floor lights flashed on in quick succession, leading the way to Mabel, Connie, Dipper, and Steven as they stood already waiting to begin at the first hole.

“Hi!” Steven called, as friendly as always, though Connie was quick to shush him. “Oh, that’s right! I forgot. Serious,” he huffed, forcing his smile away and into a harsh, stoic expression instead.

“Looking for someone?” Mabel asked Pacifica with a knowing smirk.

“Waiting in the dark, not creepy at all,” the heiress rolled her eyes as she approached her rivals.

“We figured we’d get here early since we’re gonna be leaving early to celebrate once we win,” Connie retorted smoothly.

“Oh sure,” Pacifica deadpanned. “Just keep telling yourselves that. Seriously though, I don’t know why you bothered to come. Unless you’ve got something up your sleeves.”

“Oh, I guess you could say we’ve got a little something…” Mabel remarked innocently enough. Their cover was nearly blown however, as a Lilliputtian happened to poke its head out of her sweater sleeve briefly, prompting her to quickly shove it back inside before Pacifica could see. The kids all simply played it off with a nervous laugh, one that the heiress barely regarded as she checked over her nails.

“So are we gonna play mini-golf or what?” Pacifica asked, her tone already quite bored. “Because the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we won’t have to talk to each other anymore.”

“Sounds like as good of a reason as any to get started,” Dipper remarked with a sardonic smirk. Pacifica sent him an aggravated scoff upon hearing her own insult be thrown right back her, but even so, she simply shrugged it off as her, Mabel, and Connie faced off at the center of the course.

“Eighteen holes,” Sergei began, outlining the competition. “Standard rules. Winner lives in glory. Loser wallows in eternal shame. On you mark, get set… mini-golf!”

And on this command, the mini-golf match began. From the first hole alone, Mabel and Connie were able to easily tell that their deal with the Lilliputtians was going to serve them quite nicely. Pacifica’s very first shot ended up being a dud as the cowboy Lilliputtians moved the small covered wagon on the green over a bit so that it blocked the ball’s path, much to the heiress’s shock and frustration. However, the Lilliputtians were quick to oblige by shooting Mabel’s undershoot ball into the hole, and lassoing the ball that Connie shot back into it. As the group moved on, the girls made sure to show their gratitude to the cowboys with shared thumbs up, something that did not go unnoticed by the pirate Lilliputtians on the next hole. Determined to one-up the competition, they shot both of the girl’s shoots easily through the ship’s canons, blasting them both straight into the hole. Appalled by this, Pacifica took her turn, only for the pirates to shoot it right back at her, something that completely bewildered her seeing as how she knew nothing of the miniature people manipulating the entire game behind the scenes. Of course, both Mabel and Connie were reveling over the massive lead they had both gotten over Pacifica even at such an early point in the game. Neither of them cared so much about who one in the end, as long as it was one of them and not the heiress. If they could only see her eat her cold words in light of her agonizing defeat, then it would all be worth it in the end.

The next hole that the group came up to was rather simplistic, set up with a miner aesthetic and only one mere obstacle to overcome. Certainly it would be barely even a challenge for Mabel and Connie with the Lilliputtians on their side. “Heh, miner hole,” Dipper chuckled as him and Steven watched Mabel take her shot. “I wonder what cute, silly things go on down there.”

“I bet they have so much fun singing and using tiny pickaxes to move the ball around,” Steven remarked, beaming as the ball rolled into the mine entry. “I wish we could see it!”

The ball made its usual route down the chute into the mines below as two Lilliputtian miners met its cart and prepared to transport it into the shaft. However, before they could, a prospector Lilliputtian hurried to block their way in. “Stop! You can’t go in there! There’s been a gas leak! Anyone who goes in there will die!”

The miners gasped in fearful shock upon hearing this dreadful news, but their concerned whispers were soon silenced as a large, burly Lilliputtian miner broke through the crowd. “I’ll take it,” he volunteered boldly, yet stoically.

Immediately, a cry of distressed protest rung out from the observing crowd as a small Lilliputtian girl rushed forward, tears in her eyes as she embraced the much larger miner. “No! Don’t go, Big Henry! We need you!”

“Go home, Polly,” Big Henry instructed firmly, gently pushing Polly back towards the others. With a resolve of iron, Big Henry began his journey, pushing the mine cart carrying the ball into the dangerous mine as the others all watched him go in solemn, morose silence. Upon entering the mine, Big Henry was already struggling to breathe amidst the seeping toxic fumes, but even so, he kept going, determined to complete this for the honor of his people.

Of course, the group outside was completely unaware of this as they all awaited the ball to emerge on the other side of the mine. Mabel and Connie took in a shared anxious breath as Pacifica checked her watch, while Dipper and Steven exchanged a confused glance, silently wondering if something had gone wrong down below.

Yet sure enough, Big Henry trudged on steadily, growing weaker and weaker with each passing second to the point that his consciousness was quickly fading. “Come on, Big Henry!” he shouted to himself, slapping himself to stay away. “You can do this!” And sure enough, he did do it. As the miner made it to the end of the seemingly endless shaft, he struggled to push the button that would send the ball back to the surface, but he did it nonetheless, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion shortly thereafter. In his final moments, Big Henry’s eyes filled with tears as he pulled out a picture Polly had drawn for him of the two of them. The simply memento brought a small smile to the dying miner’s face, one that gradually faded as he let out a tired groan before his body went limp. Still, his death was not in vain as the ball rose up from the mine and propelled gracefully into the hole on the other side.

“What?!” Pacifica gasped in angry shock, throwing her putter in a fit of rage as Sergei skillfully caught it. “Sergei! Soda! Now!”

As soon as the heiress and her trainer were gone, Mabel wasted no time in lifting up the mine cover to reveal the anxiously awaiting Lilliputtians inside. “Ok, you guys, that was bedokulous!” she exclaimed with an overjoyed smile.

“Yeah! You guys really know how to build up some great suspense!” Steven added enthusiastically.

“We were worried there for a minute, but you guys really came through,” Connie nodded contentedly. “Great job!”

“Hey, you know what? Little high-fives for everyone!” Dipper offered, lowering his finger down to their level so each of the miners could high-five it in celebration. “Nice one! You did it! You’re the man!”

“I don’t wanna call it out early, but…” Mabel began, smiling broadly. “I think the miners might have one of these in their future!” She pointed to her sticker, which of course sent a round of triumphant cheers throughout the miners, something that the Dutch Lilliputtians were quick to catch onto.

“Are you kidding me?!” Franz exclaimed in frustration after observing this display from the windmill’s small telescope. “After everything we’ve worked for?!”

“Calm yourself, Franz,” another Lilliputtian assured. “There may be another way to win the hugelings’ favor. Knock on wood.” At this, both of them knocked on their clogs before leaping into working on their daring plan to achieve superiority.

Meanwhile, Pacifica sat on the bench near the vending machine with a bitter scowl as Sergei retrieved her a soda. She accepted it with a petulant huff, her foot tapping in frustration as she vented to her trainer. “There’s something going on, Sergei, I can feel it.”

“Maybe they have little people who control where the balls go,” Sergei suggested with a shrug.

“Hoo, we gotta get you English lessons,” Pacifica remarked, raising an eyebrow at the zaniness of that idea. “But seriously, think about it. I’m globally ranked. I’ve won countless awards! It’s ridiculous that those two nobodies are beating me!” The heiress scoffed harshly as she opened her can of soda, completely unaware of the tiny figures darting through the bushes behind her as she took a sip before coughing out its iconic pit. “Ugh, Pitt Cola! I always forget about the pit. Get me a different one, Sergei!”

The trainer went to go do so, leaving Pacifica to seethe by herself. However, she was only made aware that someone else was nearby as a small hand reached out from the shrubs and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Confused, the heiress slightly turned, only to be tightly grabbed by multiple sets of small hands. She screamed in surprised panic as the hands yanked her into the shrubbery with a surprising amount of force, all before Sergei could make it back. When the trainer did return, he immediately dropped the soda he was holding upon noticing that the heiress had inexplicably gone missing. “This is bad.”

It had taken almost no time at all for Stan, Soos, and the Gems to gather all of the necessary supplies they would need for their miniature Revenge Trip. Armed just a sizable horde of spray paint in the trunk, they hurried to Northwest Manor, with Stan speeding the entire time and Pearl just barely able to hold her tongue about it.

Seeing as how the conman and the purple Gem were Revenge Trip masters, they took the lead in this mission. Knowing that avoiding getting caught was of the upmost importance, the had Garnet take out the nearby security cameras first, which she did skillfully so. From there, the Gem leader continued to keep watch as the vandalism began.

“So…. What exactly are we supposed to be writing with this?” Pearl asked with a confused frown.

“Anything that’ll tick those stuffy Northwests off,” Amethyst shrugged as she began scribbling the words “Rich Prudes” onto the wall.

“Think you can actually come up with something clever, Pearl?” Stan asked with a teasing smirk as he finished his first tag: “Go Northwest to Loser Town”. “Or do you need a little help from the pros?”

“Please,” the white Gem scoffed, aiming her can towards the wall. “I’m sure I can think of something scathing enough to make those Northwests-” Pearl let out a sharp gasp as she accidently sprayed a single line of paint onto the wall, dropping her can as she looked over the minimal vandalism she had done with wide eyes.

“Oh boy…” Stan sighed in slight exasperation as he exchanged a dry frown with Amethyst. “Told you she wasn’t cut out for this.”

“I-I am too cut out for it!” Pearl protested earnestly, reclaiming her can.

“Oh yeah? Then prove it!” Amethyst challenged. “Write the meanest, harshest, craziest thing you can think of on there! Go wild!”

The white Gem paused as she looked between the wall and the paint can in her hands once more as a small, brazen smirk crossed her face. “Go wild, hm?”

“How’s this, Mr. Pines?” Soos interjected as he finished graffitiing his space. Stan overlooked his work, instantly letting out another disgruntled sigh as he did so.

“You’re not supposed to write your name, Soos,” the conman pointed out, nodding to what the handyman wrote: “You dudes are mean, love Soos”. “The point is to not get caught doing this, remember?

“Oh right!” Soos exclaimed innocently, not well versed in the practice of vandalism himself. “Well, I can fix that!” With only a few more lines, the handyman “fixed” his mistake by adding the word “not” in front of his name. “Is that better?”

“Sure, Soos,” Stan said with a small, amused chuckle. “That’ll throw ‘em off, for sure.”

“Alright…. I’d say I’m… done!” Pearl proclaimed with a proud smile before stepping aside so everyone could see her work. Her tag was quite long, but even so, it was impressive, not only in how elegant the writing was, but in the white Gem’s choice of words as well: “Snobbish, self-entitled, greedy, supercilious, upper crust, corrupted, coldhearted, thoughtless, rude, arrogant elitists!”

“Whoa… P! You just thrashed them!” Amethyst gasped with a huge smile.

“You really think so?” Pearl asked. “Are you sure its not overkill?”

“Oh, it’s definitely overkill,” Garnet cut in, glancing over her shoulder at what the white Gem had written. “But in this case, it’s the best kind of overkill.”

“Seriously,” Stan agreed with a hearty laugh. “I’d love to see those Northwests try and buy their way outta this kind of embarrassment!”

The group exchanged a round of genuine laughter at this, though it was abruptly cut short as an alarm started to blare from behind the outer wall. “Aw man! We should have figured they’d have some kind of alarm rigged up!” Amethyst exclaimed with a scowl.

“W-what do we do?!” Pearl asked, startled by this sudden turn of events.

“What we always do when things start turning south!” Stan asserted as he began running for the car along with Amethyst. “Bail!”

Soos wasn’t too far behind the two of them, and while Pearl remained in stunned silence at this tactic for a moment or two, Garnet was quick to help her wits return to her. “You heard him. It’s time to bail.”

“R-right…” the white Gem said with relative uncertainty, but even so, she hurried along, hopping on top of the conman’s car along with her teammates. As they always did after every successful Revenge Trip, Stan turned the car radio up all the way as Amethyst let her hair blow wild and free in the whipping breeze. Caught up in this spirit of revelry, Soos took the shirt he had been working on turning into another W-neck off and let it hang out the window, while Garnet reclined casually atop the roof with a satisfied smile. Pearl was the last to join in on the fun, but when she did, it was in the form of a burst of laughter she was scarcely able to contain, one that the others were all quick to catch. In no time at all, the entire car was rattling with their shared joyous chuckles as they rode off into the night, their success secured, even if it was a small one. Still, for all of them, it certainly felt momentous.

Since Pacifica was taking quite a bit of time in returning to the game, the kids decided to work on tallying up everyone’s scores in the meantime. Not that they really needed to of course; after all, it was beyond clear that Mabel and Connie, as tied as their scores were, were going to completely trump Pacifica, no contest. As long as things continued the way they were going, then in just a few more holes, that sweet victory would finally be sealed.

“Oh man, it’s gonna be so great once we beat Pacifica,” Connie said with a vindictive smile, casually balancing her putter atop her hand for fun. “After all the times she’s insulted us and made us miserable, it’s about time she sees what that misery is like for herself.”

“I know, right?” Dipper asked with an eager grin. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face when we win. I’m thinking it’ll be like: ‘ugh!’” At this, he twisted his expression into a disgruntled scowl, one that was befitting of the heiress herself. “You know how she does that? ‘Ugh!’”

“Oh my gosh, that’s totally what she does!” Connie laughed, though the levity was soon interrupted by Steven.

“Uh, you guys? I still don’t know if what we’re doing here is… ok,” the young Gem said with a concerned frown. “I mean, it’s great that we’re winning, but can we really even call it winning if the mini-golf guys are doing all the work for us?”

“Don’t worry about that, Steven,” Dipper reassured with a wave of his hand. “After all, Pacifica doesn’t know about all this, so it’s not like it really matters in the grand scheme of things.”

“Dipper’s right,” Connie nodded. “Besides, winning is still winning, no matter how you look at it. So what if we needed a little help to get this far? Pacifica has a personal trainer helping her out. So really, what we’re doing is just a matter of evening the playing field.”

“Don’t you mean the putting green?” Mabel cut in with a small, joking smirk.

“Oh! I see what you did there!”

The kids shared a laugh over this, though it soon fizzled out as Mabel glanced down somewhat anxiously. “Guys? Is it bad that I feel good about Pacifica feeling bad?”

“Just enjoy your victory, Mabel,” Dipper encouraged, wrapping an arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Trust me; Pacifica will be fine.”

No sooner had he finished saying this however, then the conversation was curtailed as a rather familiar scream rang through the golf course. Startled, the kids all turned towards its source at the windmill, only to find Pacifica tightly tied up on the ground in front of it, courtesy of the Dutch Lilliputtians who stood guard over her. “What’s going on here!?” she exclaimed, struggling to break free from her bonds. “Let me go, you little creeps!”

The kids all let out a shared gasp of shock at this surprising turn of events, but even so, the Lilliputtians hardly noticed their alarm as Franz stepped up to them with a blithe smile. “Welcome, kids! Welcome!” he greeted cheerfully, as though him and his brethren weren’t holding the heiress hostage. “I can tell you’re loving this, right? Right?”

“What are you guys doing?!” Mabel asked with apt concern.

“Why did you tie Pacifica up?” Steven questioned, rather confused. “You know we can’t really finish the game without her, right?”

“Well, we could,” Connie noted with a shrug. “It just means she’d forfeit. Which would make things a lot easier, actually.”

“Like I’d ever do that!” Pacifica scoffed, still as haughty as ever, despite the apparent peril she was in.

“Still,” Dipper cut in adamantly. “This wasn’t part of the deal, tiny Dutchman!”

“Ok, but get this,” Franz attempted to appeal. “We saw you were favoring the minors, so we figured, what’s better than beating Pacifica? Killing her! Am I right?”

“As if!” the heiress exclaimed hotly, still trying to get free from the tight ropes wrapped around her. “I’m calling my parents. Where’s my phone?” Pacifica glanced over as much as she could to see that the Lilliputtians had managed to snatch her phone away and were in the process of texting insults to her friends on it. “Hey! Hey!”

“So how about it now, Hugelings?” Franz asked the kids with a confident smile. “Who’s ‘da best’ now?”

“Not so fast, land lubbers!” the pirate captain Lilliputtian interrupted from the ship before the kids could even hope to interact. However, as they turned towards the pirate group, the let out another unified gasp upon seeing that they had kidnapped Sergei and had likewise tied him up as they forced him to stand at the edge of the plank. “If yer going to play dirty, so are we. Now give us the sticker or he walks the plank!”

“No! Give us ze sticker!” the French Lilliputtians protested.

“The miners!” said group of Lilliputtians ran up frantically. “Give it to the miners!”

By now, every faction of Lilliputtians had worked themselves up into a heated frenzy, all of them clamoring for the exact same thing: the sticker and the honor it would bestow upon whoever received it. The kids looked to each other with growing dread as this conflict started showing signs of violent once more, all four of them knowing that the pressure was on to finally make a decision between them. However, in the end Mabel was the one to break through the rumble of angry shouts and threats.

“Enough!” she exclaimed boldly, catching the attention of every single Lilliputtian as their fighting came to an abrupt halt. “You know what? No one gets the sticker!”

An immediate ripple of disappointment filtered through the crowd of golf ball people, though a single French Lilliputtian shared their common sentiment quite nicely. “Sacre boo!” He shouted as all of the others were quick to join in on the disgruntled jeer.

“No, no boing!” Mabel shook her head as she took the sticker off her sweater and held it high out of their reach. “No one gets the sticker because you’re all being jerks!”

“Why can’t you all just try getting along?” Steven asked with a pleading grin. His suggestion, however, was very quickly shot down.

“Because we hate each other!”

“That’s kind of how rivalries work.”

“Well maybe… maybe rivalries are dumb!” Mabel proclaimed, a hint of realization entering her tone, especially as she happened to steal a glance over at Pacifica. “Maybe you don’t settle them with petty competitions. Maybe the only way to be ‘da best’ is by ending the fighting and working together!” With her point clearly made, she promptly crumbled the sticker up before shoving it into her mouth and swallowing it whole in clear view of all of the shocked Lilliputtians. Appalled as they were by the loss of their prize, however, they somehow didn’t go into an all out riot. At least not at first.

“It’s all so clear…” one of the Dutch Lilliputtians mused thoughtfully.

“If we work together…” Franz trailed off before the pirate captain picked it up.

“Then we can cut open her belly and get the sticker!” he shouted, holding his small sword aloft. All of the other Lilliputtians let out a unified cheer at this violent plan, their hatred towards each other dissolved as it had found a new target instead.

“W-well this definitely took an unexpected turn!” Connie exclaimed fearfully as her and the others all backed away from the charging Lilliputtians.

“Uh, you guys really aren’t appreciating the lesson here!” Mabel tried to appeal to them once more, only for them to continue their aggressive pursuit. This unfolding chaos was soon broken through though, as Pacifica let out another frightened scream. Apparently, the Dutch Lilliputtians had pulled a lever that worked to push the conveyor belt the heiress was tired to towards the windmill. To make matters worse, the windmill blades were whirling at a deadly speed, putting Pacifica in even more peril that she was already in.

“We gotta get out of here!” Dipper urged, just as ready to flee as Connie and Steven both were.

“We have to save Pacifica first!” Mabel protested earnestly, nodding the heiress’s way.

“Ok, but think about it,” Connie interjected, not as ready and willing to let Pacifica’s past cruelty go as easily as Mabel apparently was. “Do we really have to save her?”

“Yes!” Mabel exclaimed as though it were obvious as she grabbed Connie’s wrist to pull her along. “Come on!”

As the girls raced off, the boys were more than set to provide them with backup, though before they could, they were halted by Sergei’s fearful cry as he started teetering off of the pirate ship’s plank and towards the pond below. “Ah! Mister Dipper! Mister Steven! Niet! Niet!”

“Don’t freak out, man!” Dipper advised. “The water’s shallow! There’s literally no way you could drown.” Of course, no more than a second later, the trainer finally did fall into the pond, and face first at that as he immediately started to take in water. “Seriously?” Dipper asked with disgruntled disbelief.

“We should probably save him,” Steven noted, already hurrying to go do so.

“Right…” Dipper agreed, following not too far behind.

Meanwhile, the girls made good use of their respective athletic skills as they managed to push their way through the clamoring crowd of Lilliputtians. Connie made sure to clear them a path by knocking several of the golf ball creatures aside with her putter as Mabel started scaling a nearby lamp post to get on higher ground. Connie was quick to follow her up, and after making sure that the Lilliputtians could not follow them, both girls used the hanging string of lights above to swing their way towards the windmill, all while narrowly avoiding the tiny pencils the golf ball people were lobbing towards them the entire time. Upon making it to the windmill mound, Mabel got to work on untying Pacifica as Connie stood guard, swinging any Lilliputtian that got too close for comfort away.

“Ugh, took you long enough,” the heiress complained as Mabel started undoing the knotted ropes. “And watch the earrings. They’re worth more than your house.”

“You know, I kinda figured this was a bad idea,” Connie mused dryly after having knocking away another Lilliputtian. “And it’s looking like I was kinda right about that.”

“Yeah… pretty much,” Mabel agreed, pulling her hands away as she gave Pacifica a critical frown. “Maybe we just won’t untie you then.”

“No! Untie me! Untie me!” Pacifica demanded frantically.

“That’s what we thought,” Mabel smirked as she finished losing the ropes. Finally free, the heiress quickly scrambled to stand, though the girls hardly had a moment to breathe easy as Connie found herself pushed back by the sheer number of Lilliputtians crowded around the windmill.

“We have you at miniature pencil point!” the pirate captain growled, holding said mini-pencil up threateningly. “There’s no way around us!”

At this integral juncture, instead of worrying for their chances, all three of the girls exchanged almost amicable, yet certainly confident smirks. Sure, Mabel was much more content to work together with Pacifica than Connie was, but still, none of that mattered now as they prepared to face off against their tiny foes. “You guys ready to putt?” Mabel asked daringly.

“Always ready,” Connie nodded, her expression serious as she drew her putter back like a sword.

“Way ahead of you,” Pacifica added, reclaiming her club as Mabel handed it to her.

Without any further ado, the girls began their decisive strike. Not paying much mind to aim or accuracy, all three of them stood back to back as they started whacking any Lilliputtian their clubs managed to make contact with. Despite the danger they were in, it was admittedly exhilarating for three mini-golf masters such as themselves to be using their skills for something this intense.

“You know,” Pacifica called to Mabel and Connie amidst their barrage of swings. “You two actually aren’t that terrible. A little rusty, but-”

“Shut up and putt!” Mabel shouted, too caught up in the moment to care about such sentiments now. Pacifica did so, sending just as many Lilliputtians flying as Mabel and Connie were. As fast as they were swinging, they were succeeding in thinning through the golf ball race’s massive numbers, to the point that sure enough, they had cleared all of the immediate ones away. And just in time too, as Dipper and Steven soon pulled up in the course’s golf cart, with the rescued Sergei in tow.

“Get on!” Dipper exclaimed to the girls urgently, knowing that more Lilliputtians were hot on their tail.

“Where did you guys find a golf cart?” Connie asked, somewhat bewildered as her, Mabel, and Pacifica climbed aboard.

“Well, Dipper says we’re just borrowing it,” Steven began with a fretful frown. “But considering all of the other iffy things we’ve done tonight, I’m pretty sure we’re just gonna end up stealing it.”

“Steal, borrow, same thing,” Dipper shrugged, unconcerned.

“Who cares?!” Mabel cut in as she spotted a crowd of Lilliputtians charging for them. “Just gun it!”

Dipper did just that, flooring the cart’s gas pedal as the vehicle lurched forward. The others all hung on for dear life as the cart swerved past the obstacles and traps the Lilliputtians had put in their way, including a row of axes that they only narrowly sped past. On their way towards the exit, they were forced into a loop-de-loop obstacle on one of the holes, something that the kids were all able to hold onto for, though Sergei unfortunately right off the back of the cart.

“Sergei overboard!” the trainer cried as the kids zoomed on without him.

“I’ll get a new one,” Pacifica concluded, knowing it would be far too risky to go back for him now.

Still, as they finally made a beeline for the gate, it was clear that the Lilliputtians weren’t about to give up their sought-after sticker that easily. Pooling their numbers and efforts together, the golf ball people piled on top of each other, giving them enough height and strength to start pushing the course’s gates closed in the hopes of barring any form of escape.

“U-uh oh! They’re not gonna let us leave!” Steven exclaimed fearfully.

“Well we can’t just stop now!” Dipper argued, not slowing the cart down at all.

“Don’t worry! We’ve got this!” Connie assured, exchanging a determined nod with Mabel. Not wasting a beat, both girls quickly climbed onto the roof, clubs in hand as they prepared to fend this final obstacle off. However, before they could, they were suddenly stopped by a voice from behind.

“Don’t even think about it,” Franz said coldly, prompting both girls to turn around and look down at him. “You two call yourselves golfers? Without us, that club is useless in your hands!”

“Oh yeah?” Mabel asked with a challenging grin. “Then what’s ten minus six?”

“Ten minus-” Franz paused, caught off guard by this question as he began counting on his fingers. “Wait… hang on…”

“Fore!” both girls shouted in bold unison, swinging their clubs together in perfect timing. Their shot rang true, striking Franz hard and sending him flying right into the nearby bonus hole. The hole’s decorative volcano erupted vibrantly as the golf cart sped up it, giving the vehicle just the speed boost it needed to sail over the last crowd of Lilliputtians and through the nearly shut gates just before they closed. The cart came to a skidding halt in the parking lot, mere seconds after Stan, Soos, and the Gems pulled up, having just narrowly returned from their impromptu Revenge Trip. Considering the fact that the kids had escaped them, the Lilliputtians were quite enraged as they threw mini-pencils and even a spare ax over the fence, sending threats at the group the entire time.

“And stay out, you dumb hugelings!” Franz shouted harshly from the other side of the gate.

“What did you say, you little trolls?” Pacifica asked hotly, getting out of the cart and storming over to the fence. “I will sue you!” She slammed her fist into the gate, an outraged scowl on her face. “I will sue you and I will own you!”

“Yeesh,” Dipper remarked dryly to the others upon seeing this petty outburst. “I feel sorry for whatever poor sap ends up dating her in the future.”

While they were still sitting atop the conman’s car, the Gems, Garnet in particular, happened to overhear this comment, and for whatever reason, it elicited an amused chuckle from the Gem leader. “What’s so funny?” Pearl asked with a confused frown.

“You’ll get it eventually,” Garnet smirked, letting out another small laugh as she adjusted her shades.

“You four!” Pacifica scowled crossly as she spun around to face the rest of the group. “I don’t know what you did or what’s going on, but if you think just because you saved my life, I’d-”

The heiress was cut off, her unfinished rant left hanging as she noticed the sticker Mabel was handing her, one that featured a cat and read “I a-paw-logize”. “I’m sorry, Pacifica…” Mabel frowned with genuine remorse. “We shouldn’t have cheated. You totally would have beaten us, fair and square, right Connie?”

“No,” Connie said coldly, only to change her stance upon receiving disapproving looks from both Mabel and Steven. And while she did put forth something of an effort to be amicable, it was clear that she still harbored a good bit of resentment for the heiress, even after everything they had been through. “I mean…. Yeah, maybe,” she paused for a moment, lowering her voice down to a mutter for her next statement. “If you got lucky or something.”

Pacifica’s glower deepened a little upon hearing this, but she actually decided not to fire any glaring retorts back this time as she instead but the sticker on her top. “Whatever,” she remarked with her usual haughty air. “You’re just lucky this sticker looks fantastic on me.”

“Hey, kids!” Stan shouted somewhat impatiently from the car. “Are we heading home or not? Cause I’d rather do that sooner than later if we are!”

“Yeah, especially if any cops are on our tails…” Amethyst whispered discreetly, though Pearl let out an alarmed gasp at this.

“C-cops?!” she asked, looking to Garnet worriedly. “We’re not going to get arrested for that t-tiny bit of vandalism, are we?”

“Mmm… probably not,” the Gem leader replied with a shrug.

Without needing much further prompting, Steven, Dipper, and Connie all made their way towards the car, climbing into the back. Mabel, however, hesitated for a brief moment before she got in, especially as she looked back to Pacifica, who was still standing near the gates of the park, glaringly alone. Conflicted, Mabel looked to the others, taking note of the fact that Steven gave her a small, supportive smile while both Dipper and Connie were shaking their heads in disapproval over the idea they both knew she had. Still, that really didn’t stop her from going through with it anyway.

“Hey!” she called to Pacifica. “Your parents aren’t here yet. Want a ride home?”

“Ugh, please,” the heiress quickly rejected with a bitter scoff. “As if I’d ever ride in your-” She was quickly interrupted, however, but an abrupt burst of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning in the skies overhead. Knowing that she really didn’t have any other options, Pacifica let out a sigh of defeat as she trudged towards the car, somehow managing to squeeze into the back (albeit uncomfortably so) along with the other four kids. While Stan’s car was far beyond its safe carrying capacity, especially with the Gems still riding on the roof, the conman hardly cared as he began to drive away from the golf course. Instead, him and Soos sang a short little ditty about driving while the car careened down the road, while on the roof, the noise of Amethyst and Pearl arguing about something could be heard even from inside. For a while, all five of the kids sat in relative silence, with Dipper and Connie still feeling quite petulant over the fact that they had even allowed Pacifica to hitch a ride with them while Steven and Mabel were in their usual high spirits. The heiress herself couldn’t have been more uncomfortable as she was pressed tightly between the twins, her gloved hand resting on an unknown sticky spot and her hair already far too frazzled for her liking.

“Hey! I found two tacos!” Mabel exclaimed with a huge grin, pulling out the snacks from the back window before taking a bite out of one of them.

“Oh, I was wondering where Amethyst put those!” Steven chuckled mirthfully. “I’m sure she won’t mind if you eat them though, Mabel. She has like, a whole secret stash of them back at the temple!”

“Great!” Mabel exclaimed, her mouth full. All the while, Pacifica could only stare at her in complete awe, as if she was unable to really comprehend what was happening at all.

“You’re allowed to eat in the car?” she finally asked Mabel, her jaw still dropped in shock.

“Yeah!” Mabel nodded brightly. “The car is where secret surprise snacks happen! Want one?” she asked, holding her spare taco out to the heiress.

“Oh, I’m not supposed to take handouts,” Pacifica quickly shook her head, only to hear Connie and Dipper both let out a shared snicker beside her. “And what exactly is so funny?” she asked them with an unimpressed glare.

“This isn’t a handout, Pacifica,” Mabel interjected with an amused grin. “It’s called sharing!”

“Sha-sharrring?” Pacifica asked, the word completely foreign on her tongue.

“Figures she wouldn’t even know what sharing is,” Connie muttered to Dipper, eliciting another small chuckle from them both.

“Sharing is when you give things to other people without asking for anything in return,” Steven explained with a patient smile. “It’s a really nice thing that friends do to show each other that they care!”

The heiress gave him a totally confounded look upon hearing this, several of the words and concepts he had used totally new to her. “Ok, now you’ve lost me.”

“You know what? Just take it,” Mabel laughed, handing the taco to her. Pacifica hesitantly took it, though she didn’t exactly eat it right away as she instead simply stared at it in muted confusion. On display all around her was a lifestyle that she had never really seen close up before. A lifestyle where one could eat what her parents would certainly deem as “peasant” food while in the car. Where people gave things to each other without thinking of money or favors that could be gained from it. Where the adults in charge consisted of morally ambiguous conmen, somewhat dim-witted handymen, and bizarre, yet supportive magical women. Where wealth, power, and appearances hardly mattered at all, and were instead replaced with fun, warmth, and freedom. And as much as it completely bewildered Pacifica, to the point that she could scarcely even wrap her head around it, she couldn’t deny that there was almost a strange kind of… comfort to it all. A comfort that she would certainly never let herself indulge in willingly. But still, a comfort nonetheless.

And yet, all too soon it was over. The car soon pulled up to the gates of Northwest Manor, Stan and the Gems all wearing proud, knowing smirks as the kids turned to take in their handiwork on the walls. Pacifica let out an appalled gasp as she saw all of the various insults graffitied onto her mansion’s outer gate, but even so, the vandals responsible for it played it quite cool all the while.

“W-who did this?!” the heiress asked hotly, quickly getting out of the car.

“Good question,” Garnet shrugged casually from atop the roof.

“Well whoever it was, it certainly wasn’t us-” Pearl’s innocent statement was quickly interrupted by an elbowing and a shush from Amethyst.

“Hey, maybe it was one of your hundreds of servants,” Stan remarked to Pacifica with a broad grin. “You should fire him and send him down to the Mystery Shack. I can use someone to massage my bunions.”

Pacifica simply let out a frustrated growl as the conman and the purple Gem let out a laugh at her expense, but somehow, she managed to push her anger away and turn on her heel to head inside. “Thanks for the ride, or whatever,” she remarked flippantly, though she did pause for just a moment. “Oh, and Mabel? Um, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I had fun.” She smiled briefly, one that was actually genuine in contrast to her usual sardonic smirks, before she continued to the gates. “Oh, and tell your servant I like his W-neck!”

“Yes!” Soos cheered before the flap of his W-neck fell down once again.

“I can’t believe you guys graffitied her mansion,” Connie remarked to Stan and the Gems with an amazed smile. “That’s so awesome!”

“Eh, it was just a usual Revenge Trip,” Stan shrugged, even though he was still grinning. “Nothing special.”

“Whoa, Pearl, did you write that one?” Steven asked, pointing to the long insult written in the white Gem’s usual curly handwriting. “Because even if it is kinda mean, it looks really cool!”

“Why, yes, Steven,” Pearl crossed her arms, grinning in proud satisfaction. “I did write that! And I’d do it again too!”

“Whoa there, rebel,” Amethyst chuckled. “Might wanna calm it down there a bit. Don’t wanna spend all your excitement on your first Revenge Trip.”

“F-first?!” Pearl asked in sudden alarm, suddenly troubled at the thought of going on another morally ambiguous escapade like this again.

“So are you and Pacifica like, cool now?” Dipper asked Mabel with a confused frown as they watched her approach the mansion gates.

“I think we made some progress,” Mabel nodded confidently. “The important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, she’s just an ordinary kid like us.”

She was quickly proven wrong, of course, as the manor gates swung open to reveal the lavish Northwest mansion standing safely behind them, its massive structure and scope far more impressive up close than they were at a distance. Of course, the elegance was only heightened by the beautiful fountains dotting its lawn, as well as the graceful peacocks meandering about it. As if to hail the heiress’s return home, a round of blaring fireworks went off as she stepped through the gates, spelling out the words “Congratulations, Pacifica!” in the night sky. For a moment, the kids could only stare in shared awe at all this pomp and circumstance that Pacifica certainly got to enjoy on a daily basis, until they all quickly regathered their wits about them.

“Honestly, I’m not even surprised,” Connie concluded with a tired sigh, resting back in her seat as she crossed her arms.

“Wow… look at all those peacocks!” Steven exclaimed in amazement. “I wonder if they all have cute little names!”

“You should have charged her for that taco,” Dipper said to Mabel, who really couldn’t argue with him on that point.

“Agreed!”

“Hey, you got any more of those surprise tacos?” Soos asked from up front as the car began to pull away.

“Wait, surprise tacos?” Amethyst asked with a sudden frown. “Hey! My car stash!” She pouted in faux anger for a moment before breaking into a devious smirk. “Well since you guys are gonna eat all my tacos, I guess we’re just gonna have to take a trip through tumble tunnel!” Shapeshifting her arms wide, the purple Gem grabbed the sides of the car and began to shake it around as it drove down the road. The kids all laughed in amusement as they bumped against each other in the backseat, and Stan couldn’t help but join in, even if he was still trying to remain on the road for as much as Amethyst was rocking the car.

“A-Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed, struggling to hold onto the roof. “Stop that this-”

The white Gem was abruptly cut off as Garnet placed a hand on her shoulder, sending her a coy smile as she shook her head and silently commanded her to enjoy the fun. And while Pearl’s first instinct was to protest this, she soon did, letting out a small chuckle and adding to the chorus of laugher rocking the car just as much as Amethyst was as it rolled down the road towards the rising sun.

Still, what no one was aware of as they headed home was that they had a tiny stowaway clinging to the car’s license plate, hiding just out of everyone’s view. “Laugh now, hugelings…” Franz muttered with a cold, calculating smirk. “But Franz will have his day! Franz will-” His vengeful musings were cut short as Amethyst’s rocking resulted in the car jolting violently as it went over a pothole. Unable to hold onto the license plate, Franz fell off and ultimately ended rolling into a ­shallow pit on the side of the road, unfortunately landing upside down. “Ah! Help!” he cried, squirming desperately in a futile attempt to right himself. “Sand trap! Ow! Somebody help me!”

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