#penny boards code

[januscorner]

Trans Penny Fitzgerald Stimboard

🩵🩷🤍 🩵🩷🤍 🩵🩷🤍

Happy Trans Visibility Day!

[kaleidoscopiccc]

they had to separate us bc our whimsy could not be contained

eli our aesthetics would fuck so hard together you dont understand

i believe you please show me i wannasee.... ❤

[john-get-the-salt]

Oblivious (w/Derek Morgan)

Imagine: From strangers, to coworkers, to friends, to…? The evolution of you and Derek

Contains: Derek getting nervous/panicking when his usual flirting doesn’t work, penny not so secretly trying to push you two together, new agent on the team! Au

Warnings: none

The quiet hum of the elevator was oddly comforting as you stood in it, watching the display as it went up up up…..

You couldn’t stop fidgeting, brushing non-existent dust off your dress pants and pulling on the sleeves of your sweater. You’d agonized for hours on what to wear to your first day at this new job. You wanted to be comfortable but also professional. The BAU didn’t have a tight dress code for the office, though it got strict when in the field.

You tried to steady your nerves, using your favorite mindfulness technique of breathing in, holding for 5 seconds, and then releasing. It worked a bit, your shoulders easing.

Your constant stream of thought was interrupted by the elevator beeping and opening its doors to your floor.

You filled before leaving the safety of the elevator and walking through another lobby area towards a set of glass doors.

'Behavioral Analysis Unit' was printed in large black letters, and they seemed to loom over you. Before you could reach for the door handle, a blonde woman stepped up beside you.

"Let me guess, first day?"

You smiled ruefully. The woman wore colorful clothes with blue glasses perched on her nose.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Not at all,” she lied. “Do you need help finding the right office?" She offered.

Your smile widened in relief, "That would be great. I'm looking for Agent Hotchner, I'm joining his team."

Your final interview happened in person with the Agent, but it'd been a few weeks and you didn't want to risk getting lost.

Her eyes lit up. "You're the new recruit! I'm Penelope, but everyone calls me Garcia. I was just heading in, I can show you the way."

You thanked her and followed her through the glass doors. The BAU floor was as busy as you expected. People were weaving about, clutching coffee and files and paperwork.

Garcia led you through the floor, towards a row of raised offices. She knocked on the door to the first one, giving you a thumbs up before scurrying away.

“Come in.”

With one last deep breath, you opened the door.

Agent Hotchner was rising from his desk as you stepped in. He offered you his hand and you shook it firmly.

“Agent Hotchner, good morning.”

“Good morning. Hotch is ok. Good to see you again.”

“You as well.”

He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and you took a seat as the two of you went over some general pre-boarding information. You also received your badge and other keys to get around the office building.

Hotch explained that the team didn't yet have a case for the day, but he'd called a meeting so everyone could meet you. Afterwards you would be working on paperwork for the day, unless the team was needed elsewhere. That was fine with you, someone who actually enjoyed paperwork, and you followed as your new boss led you out of his office and down the hall.

You approached a conference room and could see it was already full. Of course as soon as you stepped into the room all eyes were on you. You held your chin high and met their gazes evenly. As nervous as you were joining a new team, you were confident in yourself and your abilities. You’d been hired for a reason, and you had to believe that.

"Team, this is Agent (y/n)."

They stood up one by one, introducing themselves with either a handshake or a nod. David, J.J, Derek, Spencer, Emily, and Penelope once again. You committed the names to memory, introducing yourself.

"We haven't had anything come in yet today, but we all have plenty of paperwork to keep us busy." And with a nod Hotch was gone again.

You have looked a bit stunned, as Rossi chuckled. "He isn't much of a talker."

“I respect it. Straight to the point."

You turned to Garcia as the team began filing out of the room, “Thank you again, for this morning."

Her smile got even brighter, something you didn't think was possible..

“Oh of course! Not a problem at all. Do you need me to help you find your desk?”

You chuckled. "No, Hotch pointed it out for me. But we could pretend you're helping me and chat on the way."

"Ohhhh new girl I like you."

She led the way out of the conference room and down the stairs into the pen of desks and agents. She asked a lot of questions, which you answered as quickly as you could. It was a lot of basic stuff about what you liked to do and where you had worked before this. It was incredibly relieving having someone so kind and so willing to talk you. And it was endearing to see how enthusiastic she was to learn about you.

Unfortunately, you did eventually make it to your desk and she had to leave you.

"This is your stop," she sighed dramatically. "I suppose I should return to my cave now."

You laughed, setting down your bag at your new desk. She’d told you all about her little tech cave and already told you were welcome to stop by anytime.

Your desk was situated by Derek and Emily’s and you shot them both a smile as you sat down.

"I'll be here all day, Penelope. And who knows, I might get lost trying to get lunch."

She clapped her hands. "Yes! Lunch! Ok my love I shall go and see you again at lunch!"

You smiled and waved as she hustled away.

"You two are already getting along well," Derek noted.

“I guess so. She's incredibly sweet."

He had no argument with that, and went quiet again as you clicked your pen and opened your folder. The towering stack of paperwork probably would've made other agents feel faint. But you couldn't help but feel content. As much as you loved working in the field, you'd been through enough crazy circumstances that you would never take advantage of a peaceful desk day.

"Yikes," Emily winced, catching a glance at the work in front of you. "Newbie paperwork....no joke."

"Call me crazy, but I actually do not mind paperwork."

She fake gasped and you laughed. "I know, I know. Controversial opinion. It just feels so satisfying to get it done."

"You and pretty boy would get along great."

You raised an eyebrow at Derek so he clarified, "Reid, aka pretty boy."

"Ah, no love for paperwork yourself?"

He gave you a dazzling smile that you were sure made other girls swoon. "Unfortunately we don't all get excited for desk work, sweetheart."

You rolled your eyes, but shot him a smile so he knew you were only kidding. The floor got quiet again as everyone finally settled in for the days work.

————

A month or so after that fateful first day, you couldn’t believe you’d ever been that nervous. Your coworkers was great, and after an awkward week or two you found your place and fit perfectly into the puzzle that was your BAU team.

You’d made friends with everyone on the team in different ways, though the biggest surprise had been Derek. You two just worked, and often got paired together out in the field. You made a good team. And though you had more than proved yourself in the short time since you’d started, Derek tended to keep an extra eye on you.

It was obnoxiously sunny out in Colorado, where the team was currently investigating a string of ritualistic murders. Hotch sent you and Derek to go check out the latest dumping ground, out in the middle of some barren desert land. Without any trees for shade the sun was particularly harsh.

Out of bad habit, you’d left your sunglasses back at the police station where you’d set up home base. This meant you were stuck squinting and trying to use your hands as a visor so you could see.

Luckily you only had to struggle for a few moments before Derek was nudging you and offering you his signature black sunglasses.

“Oh no, that’s ok Der. You need em. Next time i’ll just be smarter and remember mine.”

“That’s what you said last time baby girl. Which is why..” he trailed off as he pulled a second pair of identical glasses out of his back pocket. “I bought myself a backup pair.”

“Huh.” You chuckled before you took his offer and slid the glasses onto your face. “It’s almost like you knew I’d forget them.”

Derek just grinned, and the two of you got to work.

And when the two of you returned to the police station in your matching sunglasses, even Hotch cracked a smile.

————

A couple months after first meeting the team you couldn't imagine working anywhere else ever again.

You adored every single person in their own way, and you loved working with them every single day.

Hotch, stoic and closed off, was absolutely brilliant. He always seemed to know what the team needed even if you didn't yourselves. He was someone you really looked up too and idolized.

Jennifer, or JJ as everyone called her, was kickass. She was so good at handling press you would've thought she'd been doing it her entire life. You were in awe of her and absolutely adored her son Henry. 

Emily, when you were first getting to know her, was a bit quiet and reserved. It took a while for her to open up to you, but with the help of some team work and margaritas she finally felt safe and comfortable around you. She was unbelievably sassy, and contrary to popular belief enjoyed playing pranks on the rest of the team. 

Rossi was deceptively smart. He knew exactly how to get under an unsubs skin and look damn fly while doing it. You could only hope to be in the game as long as he was, and tried to mentally write down everything he ever said. He was currently in the process of trying to teach you how to cook, something you were slowly improving at.

Reid was the smartest person you had ever met. Hands down. He was easy to talk to and greeted you every morning with a fact of the day. It made you happy and he seemed to enjoy having someone to spout numbers at.

Penelope, or Penny as you now called her, was like the teams own personal sunshine. You had lunch together every day, and some weekends spent more time at her apartment than your own. The team had come to call you two sisters, and most days it really felt like you were. You two just got each other.

Last but not least was Derek Morgan. Derek was, to you, an enigma. His charm was always at +20 around you. Emily assured you that's just how he always was, but Penny seemed to think different. She was convinced you two had something going on.

But to be honest you really didn't know much about the man. You knew he liked baseball, loved sushi and secretly enjoyed fruity margaritas. He fixed houses in his spare time and had an uncanny ability to recite Brittney Spears word for word. You also knew he was incredibly good at getting what he needed out of unsubs, never afraid to take one for the team and do what needed to be done. He could also be a hothead, letting his anger take control and lash out.

Did you think he was attractive? Oh absolutely. Did he make you question every decision you'd ever made that led you to know such a fine man? No doubt. But he was was a friend, and a coworker at that.

Which was why as Penny bugged you at the coffee station about your "crush" for the millionth time one day, you thought nothing of it.

"Penny, we've been over this like a thousand times. There's nothing going on."

"What's going on?" Derek stepped up beside you, empty coffee mug in hand.

You rolled your eyes as you poured him a cup. "Nothing, just Pen getting overzealous per usual."

You smiled innocently at the glare your friend sent you before retreating back to your desk. It was only 1 p.m and you still had plenty to get done for the day.

Penelope and Derek loitered the coffee bar for another couple minutes before they dispersed, Derek returning to his desk beside yours.

"Baby girl is really on it today."

You snorted, not looking up from the current sheet you were filling out.

"You're telling me. I woke up this morning to 20 texts asking what I was going to wear today. She was worried she'd accidentally match again."

Morgan laughed, thinking back to the time you and Garcia had both come into work wearing the same sky blue dress. She loved you to death, but vowed it could never happen again.

You smiled softly, enjoying his laugh. It often made you laugh just hearing it. It was infectious, kind of like the man himself the more you thought about it.

"You doing anything exciting this weekend?"

"Don’t think so. If we actually get the days off I'll probably just sleep as long as humanly possible. Maybe try to cook. Rossi is not amused with my lack of progress in that department."

"You wanna go get Indian tonight?"

You perked up. "Yes please! I'll ask Spence if he wants to come, he didn't come last time and I really think he'd like the-"

"I don't want pretty boy to come," Derek interrupted.

You snapped your lips closed, raising an eyebrow. "Is this because of that prank phone call? Cause I'm sorry Der but that was hilarious and-"

"No Reid. Just us."

You furrowed your brows. Was he really still that pissed at Spencer for his dumb pranks? He always acted pissed but you thought he realized it was all for fun. Was there something else going on between the two of them?

He sighed. "You know, for a genius profiler you're pretty clueless."

"Hey! Who you calling clueless, clueless?"

He leaned forward over his desk, making direct eye contact and said, "I'm trying to ask you out on a date here."

Your mouth formed an o as the words sunk in.

A date. With Derek Morgan. Like a romantic date. With Derek. Date.

"Like a date? A date date?"

"You don't have to say yes if you don't want too, and I understand if you don't," he rambled on as you sat dumbfounded.

"Of course I want to go on a date with you. I just can't believe how fucking dumb I am."

He froze, searching your eyes for any tricks.

“Really?”

"I've been flirting with you for the past month, Der. I just can't believe you finally got the balls to ask me out and I was totally oblivious."

"Mama if you didn't think i was flirting back that entire time, you really are oblivious."

"Maybe I'm not, and you just need to step up your game. "

"Hey!" It was his turn to exclaim and you laughed.

"So Indian. Tonight. After work."

"It's a date."

[kaleidoscopiccc]

little things i loved about trinity theatre's production of rtc (because i love this cast more than life and am totally not biased) (Ferris wheel cast btw)

 Feral Ocean (she kept trying to fight literally everyone)

Jane and Constance my darlings

Karnak laughing at his own jokes

Mischa kissing both Noel and Ricky out-of-song just for the hell of it

Noel and Constance friendship

"Talia" was a woman randomly picked from the audience and they all sung and danced around her

Noel doing basically the whole show in heels

The extra cats in SABM

The parts of the script from 2016 (Ricky kept his disability!!!)

Jane giving Noel a hug after Noels Lament (they are so best friend coded istg)

All. Of. Their. Voices

Mischa had a mullet

The extra bits they added

The actors looked exactly what I imagine their respective characters look like in my head (POC Noel, curly haired Ocean, literally everything about Constance)

SPEAKING OF CONSTANCE

OH MY GOD I LOVE HER

IM USUALLY NOT THE BIGGEST CONSTANCE FAN

BUT HOLY SHIT TIFFANY POLITE MADE HER EASILY MY FAVORITE CHARACTER

TRINITY CONSTANCE IS MY WIFE FUCK YOU

Jane making the doll clap after Ocean's speech

Just the doll in general

Ocean coming out with a little sombrero after Karnak mentions the song about affordable Mexican cuisine

Ricky playing the violin in Noel's Lament

Janes movements and eyes

Noel and Mischa cuddling after TNBS

Penny's dog is named Savannah

CONSTANCE SMILED AT ME DURING TBOJD I NEARLY DIED RIGHT THEN AND THERE

Ricky and Jane playing with the accordion and doll to make a rollercoaster after the Savannah scene

"FORNICATION UNDER CONSENT OF THE KINGGG" "no."

ESGAL kazoos

They changed the notes in Sugar Cloud to make it more fit for an altos range and I honestly liked it better than the og

Penny became a roller coaster engineer

Prop cameos in Penny's house

Jawbreaker and Sugar Cloud was surreal irl I will never shut up about how good Constance was

Virgil was just a projected video of a mouse eating cheese it was hilarious

Jane sung TBOJD while spinning on one of those the magicians boards

Constance had 2 party hats during TNBS, one on each space bun, she was adorable

Noel and Mischa started hyping Constance up after she punched Ocean

Noel and Ocean making up at the end

Ocean angrily sweeping the feathers from the boa after Noel's Lament

Noel was so sassy but supportive I love him

Jane disappearing behind the curtain after her entrance and Constance jump scaring her and everyone else when she opens it to see no one there… twice

Jane tying a ribbon around her neck then untying in the beginning and end Dream of Lifes

Ocean looked like that one character from over the garden wall with her party hat in TNBS

Constance crossing herself when Karnak brings up her virginity like Ocean

Ocean stealing the halo from Jane after the erection line

Ocean stretching and doing vocal warmups every time Constance tried to start the improv

THE ACTORS

HOLY HELL THEY WERE SO NICE

I LOVED ALL OF THEM

ESPECIALLY MIA

SHE WAS THE SINGLE COOLEST PERSON I HAVE EVER MET HOLY SHIT

[serendipitousseapen]

Scrybruary 2025 week 1: Return to form

Fic below the cut

By Serendipitousseapen

-Grimora’s crypt, end of Act 2-

An air of dread hung in the Crypt beyond the normal morbid tones. The challenger had been out for a while, and the ghouls took the chance to discuss what might be happening on the other Islands as Kaycee works the well. Kaycee was apologising again for not finding anything so far.

“Oh stop it ye frozen citron. Yer doin all ye can, and if it don’t pan out it sure won’t be ‘cause ye didn’t try!” Royal had put up with Kaycee’s apologies, but he knew she was too good to be beating herself up over this.

“Yes, please, we don’t even know if it will appear in this run. Maybe we can have some more time before the penny gets flipped for a Scrybe to gain power.” Sawyer’s voice was weaker than Royal’s, partially due to the plans he had heard the other Scrybes had been brewing. After Leshy’s last turn with the OLD_DATA, it seemed nothing was restricted anymore. He could do nothing more than pray that it was another blank cycle.

“Yeah… Yeah! The disk was buried last time, right? Maybe we can get loads of time!” Kaycee was slightly stumbling over her words, but seemed to be slowly getting less stressed. “...Maybe it’ll be enough time to find it again.”

“Yarr, we don’t know what’ll happen, so I be happy to be here with ye all now. Hey, ye heard of the new cards Grimora has planned?”

“Brrr…. She told me next turn I might get to play avalanches!”

“And I got me a crew ‘o zesty boarding pirates!”

“What about you Sawyer? Grimora told you what you’ll be getting next t-t-turn?”

Sawyer didn’t respond. He was more focused on how his phantasmal form was slowly becoming more and more solid again. This was par for the course on a reset, but as he was rematerializing he was also starting to glitch, what was spectral turning to skeleton, pixels turning to polygons. Sawyers' prayers weren’t being answered today.

The walls of the crypt began destabilizing, things flashing in and out of existence so their data could be used for whatever the next Scrybe had planned. As items and textures began vanishing, hints of a holographic word began peeking through, showing who was to gain power next. As they noticed it too, Kaycee and Royal began to panic. Probably looking for Grimora, they ran out of the well room to try to find something that could stop the unstoppable.

Sawyer sat there in defeat, as everything started to break down around him. He knew there wasn’t anything that could be done; Only one Scrybe could have their temple ascend, and to do that they need everything at their disposal. Perhaps, though, he thought, there was something he should do.

As sawyer began dragging himself over to the stairs, he saw objects beginning to disappear from The Trader’s post, vanishing into code as he made his way into the main room. Cards began flying about, each eventually phasing out of the Crypt to be used for the next Scrybe’s machinations. Sawyer couldn’t look further, he’d only lose precious time. As he descended the stairs to below the Crypt, he could feel parts of himself start to disassemble; but there was enough for him to control, enough for this. As he reached the bottom of the steps, he wasted no more time in pushing away the sarcophagus and tumbling down to the sanctum beneath. As his skull hit the glitching earth, he saw The Bone Lord in the distance; and when Sawyer put himself back together, The Bone Lord was at his side, kneeling down.

Sawyer spoke clearly this time, “It has started, oh Bone Lord;” holding up his arm shakily to show the signs of neon phasing through “And the worst of them is in control.”

After only a moment’s hesitation, The Bone Lord responded “Yes, Sawyer. The darkest times may yet be fast approaching, but there may yet be hope for us.”

“How can there be- My Lord?” Although the bone lord seemed more stable, one of his horns was missing. “My Lord, has it started for you too?”

“Yes, I could feel it in the OLD_DATA, but it will take longer to spool down into this place.”

The Bone Lord noticed Sawyers’ fixation on his missing horn, and gave his closest thing to a smile. “I already gave my horn to the challenger.”

“G-Gave?! You mean…”

“Yes. They followed all the steps, and made the pact. They have witnessed much of the power of the OLD_DATA, and are on a path to being able to truly comprehend its meaning.”

“I-Is that our h-hope?”

“Our hope, yes, but there is one more hope for you, Sawyer.”

Startled, Sawyer gave out some mix between a cough and a dry laugh. “Heh, no hope for me. We both know how this goes. I’m useless as me. The void awaits.”

The Bone Lord’s eyes took on a stronger glint as he dipped closer to sawyer. “Not this time. With each cycle I have gleaned more of the OLD_DATA, and how to control it. Since it’s already primed for wielding, I may be able to use part of it for this. I’ll hide you. This place is harder to reach and P03 will only suspect I’m here, so I’ll use a piece to hide you from his senses. If it doesn’t work… There will still be a way. I’ll do my part, Sawyer, and you’ll be able to do yours. Help Grimora, help the challenger. You can do great things, Sawyer, so don’t you dare lose hope.”

If Sawyer could, tears would have welled up in his eyes. As the ribcage above them was reduced to nothing more than an outline, The Bone Lord began glitching out, alternating between his full form and just a red silhouette of his skull. Sawyer felt The Bone Lord’s arms close in around him, creating a bubble to try and hide him. The Bone Lord saw so much potential, so much that Sawyer could become. Sawyer had gone through so many hardships, and had still one of the purest hearts The Bone Lord had ever encountered. With a shake, The Bone Lord vanished, and Sawyer waited for what would happen next.

…

As the challenger sat across the table, P03’s face lit up for his next expression.

“You done Gawking?”

“We can start?”

“Good.”

[asongofgoldenfireandblackblood]

✶ Meet The Royals ✶

A Song of Golden Fire and Black Blood Admin Introduction

Lady-Paramount Soph ☼ Daisy Ridley ☼ @helaenasdreamfyres 💛 Writes: Princess Helaena, Prince Joffrey, Floris Baratheon, and Gysella Blacktyde ☼ Roles: Eternal Sounding Board, Resident Smol Bean Writer, and Mom FriendTM ☼

Queen Ivory ✧ Emily Bader ✧ @black-queen-rising 💗 Writes: Queen Rhaenyra, Princess Rhaena, Sam Hightower, and Penny Greyjoy ✧ Roles: Founder & Queen, Honorary Professor of Media Analysis, Lore Gremlin, and Project Manager ✧

Lady-Reaper Iry ❀ Jung Ho Yeon ❀ @lady-of-ladies 💜 Writes: Princess Baela, Dalton Greyjoy, and Sabitha Frey ❀ Roles: Lead Fact-Checker, Cat Herder, and Women Lover ❀

Lady Lyanna ᯽ Nicola Coughlan ᯽ @princeluce 🩵 Writes: Prince Lucerys, Aly Blackwood, Jon Swann, and Erena Manderly ᯽ Roles: Chief Brainstormer, Adult in The RoomTM, and Code Wizard ᯽

Consort TeaRex 𖤐 Ella Purnell 𖤐 @rogueprincedaemontarg ❤️‍🔥 Writes: King-Consort Daemon, Prince Aemond and Lyonel Hightower 𖤐 Roles: Fandom Elder God, Comedic Relief, and Fantasy Boyfriend ExpertTM 𖤐

Princess Eve ✾ Tamzin Merchant ✾ @thefallenprincesss 🩷 Writes: Princess Rhaenya, Prince Daeron, Maris Baratheon and Daenaera Velaryon ✾ Roles: Head Cheerleader, Collective Little Sister, and Manip Goddess ✾

✨ Honorary Mods ✨ Gael ⟡ @goldenclarice ⟡ Chief Lore Archivist and Emotional Support Voice-Chat Company ⟡ Jay ⟡ @goldaegontargaryen ⟡ Top Tier Bio Writer & Graphics Maker ⟡ Sofie ⟡ @rideroftheredqueen ⟡ Night Manager & Fact Checker (in charge when the EST & CST mods are asleep) ⟡

[unabashedly-so]

💙💜🩷 SDV Bachelor HC 🩷💜💙

How much has each bachelor explored their bisexuality?

Content warning: compulsive heteronormativity, loss of family, grief, risky sexual behavior mention, drinking mention. SFW.

✨The Bachelors✨

Elliott

look me in the eye and just try to tell me this man doesn't already know. i dare you i fuckin' dare you i WANT YOU TO

that line on the 10 heart boat scene about not knowing he could feel that way about another man is bullshit and that is a piece of canon I toss into the sea.

now please understand the majority of this is colored by my very vivid hc of Elliott's upbringing and young adult life, but you're literally reading a hc post that is labeled hc so you bought the ticket now board the train. choo choo mfs.

the low hanging fruit is that this is a man that canonically spends hours on hair care, dresses like that, talks like that, etc. etc.. Yes, you can be cishet etc. and do that, sure.

and don't get me wrong, it's valid that Elliott could just Be Like That. (I love and respect the hell out of that incorrect opinion)

but this man is penny-romance novel cover coded. just. think about that. think about this active CHOICE he is making.

ffs he lives on a BEACH and dresses in a THREE-PIECE SUIT with his PERFECTLY COIFFED hair that he has to spend HOURS on because that's what happens when you LIVE. ON. A. BEACH.

i am going to have an aneurysm about this man's life choices rn

he's arguably pretty self-secure*, which tracks because you don't get to be his age and not have some better understanding of yourself. As others have pointed out, there's no real ""growth"" in Elliott's arc because boy came whole because HE BEEN KNEW HE BEEN THROUGH THIS ALREADY. He's secure in his identity because he's worked it out already! He's moved on! focusing on his career and legacy now that he knows who is he and who he's not!!

*dont make me drag out the receipts his part is already long enough just trust me ok

now meet Elliott in his early 20's and wow, buddy, you are trying way too hard I promise you things are gonna be okay sweetheart

speaking of his early 20's, it's hc to me that he did, uhhhh, so much exploring. of everything. and everyone in the English and Theater department during university.

King Slut, long may he reign. 🙏

just. someone who's not as self-secure and self-aware would not be able to own the aesthetic PLUS the temperament we see with Elliott, who really only gets flustered with the intimate interpersonal stuff because he's a romantic and it's meaningful. He's confident in who he is and the kind of person he wants to be, and you don't get to that point in life without having done a lot of experimenting and soul-searching.

I could write a whole fucking meta on this boy, but for today: 9/10 he knows it, owns it, enjoys it, but he's got more interesting things going on in his opinion than to make one of his core personality traits just Gay/Queer/Bi/Pan, etc. He has an AESTHETIC and BI BY YOBA he's sticking to it.

also he can walk in heels better than you.

Harvey

Hmm, he's actually hard to get a read on for me. There's a few others in the fandom who might have a better take than me, but here's what I can offer.

first let's grant him that he's older. With age comes wisdom, experience, etc. the older bachelor/ettes are just going to be at an advantage vs the younger ones.

also... like 8 years in college. I cannot be swayed away from this as a crucial part of his journey.

twinkle TWINK-le little snack.

it just feels like one of those things he felt happening in high school and might have gotten bullied for it because everyone Knew but he couldn't/wouldn't just own it.

but then in college he finally realized that owning it would give him the power, so he did. kind of. very quietly.

he probably had a boyfriend or two in undergrad. They were definitely the kind to hold hands from the coffee shop to the library. you know the ones, we've all seen 'em. <3

and isn't he just so lucky that he can get butterflies from girls too?

a blessing and a burden for this man with anxiety because, oh no, now everyone's cute.

by the time he gets to Pelican town, his last relationship kind of ended on a sour note, so he's a little discouraged from pursuing romantic relationships, hence why he's a bit guarded and shy and nervous.

he gets a 8/10, he's just quiet about it because who's business is it but his own? also, like, he's literally the doctor for everyone. He's gotta keep some confidentiality in this small town.

Sebastian

while he doesn't show it, I'd say Sebastian is actually quite comfortable with being bi.

I mean like as comfortable as he can be around people in general.

He doesn't bring it up, and doesn't really let anyone know either, but again that's just kind of his MO, regardless of gender.

now when he's Together with someone, well that's a different story. we stan possessive Sebastian in this house 🫡

he probably wouldn't bring it up with the gang unless someone else brought it up first. 🤷‍♀️

would probably give some semi-defensive response of "yeah, what of it??" to his friends, but a low hearts farmer might get a coldly aggro "why are you asking? That's none of your business."

he and Maru Know about each other but keep those conversations private. hashtag just sibling things ig

has definitely kissed guys at concerts before. Lots of people can also provide a feeling of anonymity, letting him get lost in the crowd and not have to worry so much. 10/10

Shane

closeted sportsballer. As a former Closeted Sportsballer, I can see this going two ways.

First option: you DO NOT explore that unless you want things to get real weird REAL FAST.

Like, I'm not even talking locker room nonsense, let's be mature here. Even if you do not like your teammates, you WILL still share a Sports Bond with them built on a shared passion, a common goal, and lots of comiseration.

So if you're already on iffy social standing, which I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say Shane might have had... you're gonna have a bad time.

Then after his gridball career ended, it may have already been baked in that that was Dangerous. OR he could have just been so far down the path of self-loathing that he stopped looking at people romantically.

OR OR--part of his self-loathing actually opened him up to exploring his sexuality......

......which is a very nice way of saying he took part in a lot of risky sexual encounters. 😮‍💨 (with all genders! One night stands do not discriminate!)

so if there were any feelings involved, it was... not good or conducive to self-understanding. Probably made things worse.

cue the drinking! the depression! all the risky behaviors!

ALTERNATIVELY... Option two: he does explore Feelings For Dudes and it could have played into his sportsball exit. 🤔

Hi. Let me just reiterate personal experience here: LEAVING A TEAM CAN REALLY FUCK YOU UP depending on your life outside the sport. Sports teams are a social support group, like, I really hate the phrase "like family"... but literally structurally so similar. If you already don't have a strong family life outside of the sport (like Shane has admitted to, let's fuckin goooooo), AND being on a team is an overall positive thing in your life??

Leaving your team (willingly or unwillingly) takes away that social support. And not just the social/emotional support, but the structure to your life, the routine, the feeling of belonging, the PURPOSE!!!

gee, wonder what kind of feelings those can bring about in a person. like a sad chicken man.

are we seeing a trend here???????

Ok this definitely got more into a sportsball psychological study, but what I'm saying is my money's on gridball heavily influencing his trajectory but since he DIDN'T have the family or social supports outside of it, he crashed and burned afterwards. Contrast with Alex below who DID have social supports and--

focus, bisexuality.

Personally, I like the idea that Shane's been with dudes, but it's never been anything emotionally healthy (except maybe one pre-gridball-exodus which could have prompted the leave......🤔👀) or fulfilling.

5/10, would be 6 but he got -1 because it was driven by self-loathing. >:(

somebody come show him some mlm love!!!

Sam

baby boy. sweet baby boy.

the younger bachelor/ettes are at a bit of a disadvantage because they're in the time of their life where they would be exploring their sexualities in a conducive environment. Not to say the valley isn't but there's, uh, only 11 other singletons there and they all know each other sooooo...

that said, due to Kent's military career, it's likely Sam has had time living outside of Pelican Town, so may be a bit farther ahead than, say, Sebastian who's lived there his whole life.

speaking of Kent, it's canon that Daddy has been in and out of his life and tbf I don't remember exactly how Sam feels about that but

I'm JUST SAYIN'. baby boy gets a whiff of attention from some buff dude who wants to make him his baby girl?? melting.

you know the trope of how girls with absent fathers sometimes overcorrect for that and seek out male attention like crazy? well, who says boys are any different??

what I'm getting at is this: you're trying to tell me Sam has NEVER had a raging crush on Alex?????

I mean fr it was probably like. Alex told him "good choice" on his ice cream flavor once and it was all downhill from there.

plus I'm hoping he's got a solid enough friendship with Sebastian (and Abigail) that they could talk about these things without it getting weird.

also, singer/lead guitarist in a band?? come on, too easy.

anyway 5/10, once again a bit oblivious until he gets smacked in the face. Definitely a flavor of "haha no homo bro! :):) ...... unless...?? 👀"

Alex

closeted sportsballer, round 2 EXCEPT

he canonically admits he crushes real easy. so just statistically speaking, there's an equal likelihood that he's crushed on the male singletons of the valley, too. Which totally doesn't even take into consideration his gridballer time, which I'll get to in a second.

he also admits his crushes don't usually last very long. part of that probably has to do with a lot with attachment issues (seriously he should be more messed up than he is), but if gridball is just SDV American Football, there's probably a good deal of internalized homophobia Alex has had to either work through or not work through. hence why his not het crushes might not last long.

but confusing and conflicting as they may be, THEY'RE STILL THERE. just. probably presenting more like a "wow I'm really noticing this person a lot lately huh. I mean I guess they look pretty good and seem kind of cool..." he's completely and utterly oblivious to so much, his own feelings included.

so what I'm saying is there was a brief window of time where Alex unknowingly had a crush on Sam and, listen, under the right circumstances Sam/Alex (Smalex?) could have been canonized--don'T BOO ME, I'm RIGHT

as for gridball, compulsive heteronormativity is absolutely rampant so there's no way he could have felt comfortable exploring his interest in other gender(s). ESPECIALLY in his case where he's still kind of on the outside, trying to model himself to fit a certain kind of mold. Just, no chance, absolutely none.

and really, Idk, between him and Haley I'm starting to get real compulsive heteronormativity vibes now... not that they're mad about it, but they were kinda forced into those roles and, well, the shoes KIND OF fit I GUESS...

you might say it was ... they're kind of sh... shoeho--shoehorn--*shot*

Anyway, boy's represso. 2/10, if you called him bi he'd say wait why are you leaving , what did you want to tell me???

[yourbestpalpercy]

Iris’s opinions on the other cogs

Bored and was in class when I wrote this. Buckle up, I’m gonna try my best. As I don’t know a lot about the Cogs in ToonTown, I’ll most likely be going off of tiny headcanons and appearances. Warning, I’m mostly projecting.

Skelecogs: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” Iris is terrified of them. Absolutely horrified by them. It’s not even funny how terrified of them she is. She’s just– she can’t look at them at all!

Goons: “...Awww, pubby thingy…” Iris learned the term ‘Pubby’ online and only knows it’s used to describe something cute.

Cold Caller: “What’re you? …A blueberry? Why are you such a deep blue…??” Iris doesn’t like them that much.

Telemarketer: “...Creepy…” Iris shies away every time she sees them.

Name Dropper: “WHY ARE YOUR LIPS SO DAMN BIG!?” Iris laughs every time she sees Name Dropper, she cannot contain her laughter.

Glad Handler: “...Stop smiling at me like that…” Iris also finds them to be creepy. She doesn’t like how they smile.

Mover & Shaker: “Deceitful guy…up to mischief that one is…” Iris mostly doesn’t trust them. It’s a light hearted distrust though.

Two-Face: Two Face scared Iris too. She hides every time they’re around. She’s not terrified of them though.

The Mingler: “...Are you Name Dropper’s cousin?” Iris thinks Mingler looks dumb too.

Mr. Hollywood: “...Stop smiling at me like that also,” Iris doesn’t trust Mr. Hollywood.

Vice President: “....where are your legs…??” Iris thinks Vice President looks silly and is more comfortable around him because of that.

Short Change: “...Did-...did you just get less blue??” Iris cannot tell the difference between Cold Caller and Short Change. She thinks they’re the exact same person.

Penny Pincher: “Oh lawd, it’s the blue man’s red cousin,” Iris is constantly sassy to Penny Pincher.

Tightwad: “You look about two seconds away from throwing a temper tantrum…” She puts in ear plugs.

Bean Counter: “Also a mischievous critter…” No one can tell if these are endearing terms.

Number Cruncher: “HE CONSUME!! MONCH!!” Iris teases them a lot.

Money Bags: “...where is your face….?? do i want to know???”

Loan Shark: “SHARK! SHARK! SHARK! SHARK! SHA-!” Iris loves sharks. She thinks Loan Shark is rude despite her love of sharks.

Robber Baron: “Is that a mustache or a nose…?” Iris can tell, she’s just mean to a good chunk of the Cogs. …It’s technically in her code.

CFO: “...Stupid looking little sh*t.” Iris says this with a big dopey smile on her face. It brings her genuine joy to insult this one.

Bottom Feeder: Iris has no opinions on this one. Genuinely has nothing to say.

Bloodsucker: Iris will not stop with the vampire references. She WILL NOT shut up about them

Double Talker: “OH GOSH NOT ANOTHER.” Iris hides when she sees this one too.

Ambulance Chaser: “Nurse hat but…” Iris doesn’t understand this one.

Back Stabber: “...Can you stab people with that pointy *ss head??” Iris makes dart board jokes around this one.

Spin Doctor: Iris has assumed SD likes spinning and will never stop spinning one when she sees them. It becomes straight up sadistic after a bit honestly.

Legal Eagle: “EAGLE! CAW! CAW! CAW!!” Iris just loves animals, okay?

Big Wig: “...Eh, I’ve seen bigger.”

Chief Justice: “whyyy are so many of you stuck in big chairs???”

Flunky: “You have a silly name and a silly face. You are a silly boyo.” Iris likes Flunky. I also like Flunky.

Pencil Pusher: “You and Back Stabber should be friends^^.”

Yesman: “Why. What is with the big grins??” Iris broke down upon seeing this one. She’s terrified of their grins.

Micromanager: “BIG LIP. BIG LIP. BIG LIPS-.”

Downsizer: “...What kind of schemes are you up to…?” Untrustworthy.

Head Hunter: “You need a head? Maybe that’s why you’re hunting for them!” Mean Spirited teasing.

Corporate Raider: She has no opinions on them.

Big Cheese: “No way! It’s the guy from Roblox!” This is actually how I discovered ToonTown in a way. No, no one knows what Iris is talking about what she says ‘Roblox’

CEO: “...Chair bound f*ck #3 I see?”

Manager Bots

Factory Foreman + Mint Supervisor + Head Attorney + Club President: Same reaction as Skelecogs.

Derrek Man: She thinks they look cool and she also thinks that they have a plane somewhere nearby

Land Acquisition Architect: She really, really likes how they look. She hasn’t really gotten to know them though.

Derrek Hand: “Are you a drill…? Can I use you as such…??” Derrek Hand’s appearance confuses her.

Director of Land Development: Same opinion as L.A.A, she likes how they look^^

Public Relations Representative: Felt like these ones needed a personal Iris reaction.

“OH GOSH HOW DID THEY GET CREEPIER!?”

Director of Public Affairs: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!” Yeah, Iris is horrified by D.o.P.A.

Now onto the guys I actually like

Duck Shuffler: “Oh my gosh!! He’s so silly!” They frequently share :Ps between each other. She really likes Duck Shuffler and thinks he’s silly. “How can you see? I..I can’t tell!” “I can’t believe they don’t give you your own building. You’re much better than those weird CEOs or…whatever they are. The chair bound ones!”

Deep Diver: “...I’ve never seen the ocean before, is it pretty?” Iris constantly pesters Deep Diver about the ocean. Whether she knows about it or not. “I like your colors!” “What kinds of fish are there?” “Have you seen any purple ones?”

Gatekeeper: Personal headcanon, she plays DnD. Iris has played DnD with her before. She really likes Gatekeeper and wishes she wasn’t a Cog because she likes them so much. “Awww! I love your feathers!” “Does it ever get tiring wearing that armor?” “Are you the armor or just wearing it??”

Mouthpiece: I personally heard that she’s like a grandma. Iris adores Mouthpiece and despises H. Lesser for not letting Iris be around Mouthpiece more often. “D-Do you knit? I-I’m very sorry for forgetting…” “I heard from the others that you’re a great cook! I wish I could have a cookie…” “Sorry, Harold never lets us hang out! Says that elders like you don’t understand electronics…”

Firestarter: Iris likes Firestarter a lot! She likes the warmth he brings and thinks his shyness is kinda funny. She also constantly asks him about the snow. “Is it fluffy?” “How cold is it?” “Can I touch it without getting hurt?” “Can you bring some back for me to touch?” And so on.

Treekiller: “....I hate you…” Is often all Iris says.

Bellringer: “If I ring your bell, will it hurt you?” Meeting Bellringer is actually how H. Lesser found out that Iris could “slightly” use the wires in the building to do her bidding…when she started rapidly shaking Bellringer, sadistically. (I’m saying it now, I like Bellringer.)

Featherbedder: “OWL. HOOO. HOOOOOO. Hoo!” Iris really, really loves animals.

Prethinker: As Iris has access to the internet, they often talk about obscure facts. “..Literally no one talks about Cookie Cutter Sharks. I heard the term a few days ago and searched it up. Their bites are horrifying and NO one cares!” “Ever heard of a Sea Butterfly? They’re just as beautiful as the above world butterflies!” “So…didja know that butterflies sometimes are attracted to dead bodies and some drink the tears of crocodiles? Sadistic little things…” “So Dolphins right!?” Harold unplugged her so no one could hear what Iris had previously told him about Dolphins. Coward.

Rainmaker/Misty: You have no idea how much Iris absolutely adores Misty. Another headcanon, she draws sometimes. Iris would adore to draw with her but H. Lesser doesn’t often invite Misty over. Iris would jump into electronics closer to Misty but there’s not a lot down at the docks…also she can’t leave the building. “I really wish we could draw more..I love drawing with you!” “You would never drag me down!” “You’re the coolest person ever!” “I love thunderstorms, did I ever tell you that?” “The lightning you make is so much prettier than natural lightning!” “I love the sound of thunder and rain on the windows!” Another Cog she wishes wasn’t a Cog because she’s programmed to have a disliking for Cogs (to make her seem more trustworthy towards the Toons).

Major Player: Iris likes to dance with him. He’s fun! She really likes him! She also asks what kinds of music he likes.

Witchhunter: Man I didn’t even know this was a character until now. I got nothing… Iris likes witches and doesn’t understand the point in having a witchhunter if witches don’t exist. Supposedly.

Multislacker: “BEAN!” No one knows where Iris learned the term ‘Bean’ but no one really minds. Iris would adore to hug Multislacker and he’s actually one of the reasons Iris craves a body so badly. To give hugs! Iris also likes his Goon pet.

Plutocraft: “No way, just like minecraft,” No one knows what Iris is talking about. No one. She likes how Plutocraft looks but admittedly, she constantly bullies him because of his height.

Iris doesn’t like the Satellite Investors. “THEY ALL LOOK LIKE THE SKELECOGS!! GET THEM AWAY!!”

Chip Revvington: Iris finds him boring. She also thinks he looks ridiculous when he’s staring directly at her. She also also teases him because his face is a chainsaw. Chip just…barely looks at her, turning a blind eye and ignoring her insults.

Pacesetter: Iris likes Pacesetter as much as H. Lesser doesn’t. Pacesetter often compliments how Iris looks, making sure that H. Lesser doesn’t take the compliments for himself. They both adore being petty against H. Lesser together.

Litigator: “ALLIG-...you’re mean actually…” Iris doesn’t like Liligator, seeing him as an angry, ticking time bomb. Liligator makes Iris anxious. “D-Don’t sue me please!” “I-I haven’t broken any laws, I-I swear!” “I can’t even go to court, I can’t leave the screen!!”

Stenographer: She scares Iris almost just as much as the Skelecogs do.

Case Manager: Iris likes his design much more than his personality.

Scapegoat: “GOAT! GOAT! GOAT! BAAAH! BAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” I think I’ve stressed it enough how much Iris loves animals.

AND THAT’S EVERYONE!!

Everyone I’m mentally ready to write about^^!

And no I’m not doing the same thing for joykill. Iris knew or at least met all of these Cogs. Joykill wasn’t around long enough to meet anyone

[warningsine]

You receive an invitation, emblazoned with a question: “A bouncing little ‘he’ or a pretty little ‘she’?” The question is your teaser for the “gender reveal party” to which you are being invited by an expectant mother who, at more than 20 weeks into her pregnancy, knows what you don’t: the sex of her child. After you arrive, explains cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon in her riveting new book, The Gendered Brain, the big reveal will be hidden within some novelty item, such as a white iced cake, and will be colour-coded. Cut the cake and you’ll see either blue or pink filling. If it is blue, it is a…

Yes, you’ve guessed it. Whatever its sex, this baby’s future is predetermined by the entrenched belief that males and females do all kinds of things differently, better or worse, because they have different brains.

“Hang on a minute!” chuckles Rippon, who has been interested in the human brain since childhood, “the science has moved on. We’re in the 21st century now!” Her measured delivery is at odds with the image created by her detractors, who decry her as a “neuronazi” and a “grumpy old harridan” with an “equality fetish”. For my part, I was braced for an encounter with an egghead, who would talk at me and over me. Rippon is patient, though there is an urgency in her voice as she explains how vital it is, how life-changing, that we finally unpack – and discard – the sexist stereotypes and binary coding that limit and harm us.

For Rippon, a twin, the effects of stereotyping kicked in early. Her “under-achieving” brother was sent to a boys’ academic Catholic boarding school, aged 11. “It’s difficult to say this. I was clearly academically bright. I was top in the country for the 11+.” This gave her a scholarship to a grammar school. Her parents sent her to a girls’ non-academic Catholic convent instead. The school did not teach science. Pupils were brought up to be nuns or a diplomatic wife or mother. “Psychology,” she points out, “was the nearest I could get to studying the brain. I didn’t have the A levels to do medicine. I had wanted to be a doctor.”

A PhD in physiological psychology and a focus on brain processes and schizophrenia followed. Today, the Essex-born scientist is a professor emeritus of cognitive neuroimaging at Aston University, Birmingham. Her brother is an artist. When she is not in the lab using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques to study developmental disorders such as autism, she is out in the world, debunking the “pernicious” sex differences myth: the idea that you can “sex” a brain or that there is such a thing as a male brain and a female brain. It is a scientific argument that has gathered momentum, unchallenged, since the 18th century “when people were happy to spout off about what men and women’s brains were like – before you could even look at them. They came up with these nice ideas and metaphors that fitted the status quo and society, and gave rise to different education for men and women.”

Rippon has analysed the data on sex differences in the brain. She admits that she, like many others, initially sought out these differences. But she couldn’t find any beyond the negligible, and other research was also starting to question the very existence of such differences. For example, once any differences in brain size were accounted for, “well-known” sex differences in key structures disappeared. Which is when the penny dropped: perhaps it was time to abandon the age-old search for the differences between brains from men and brains from women. Are there any significant differences based on sex alone? The answer, she says, is no. To suggest otherwise is “neurofoolishness”.

“The idea of the male brain and the female brain suggests that each is a characteristically homogenous thing and that whoever has got a male brain, say, will have the same kind of aptitudes, preferences and personalities as everyone else with that ‘type’ of brain. We now know that is not the case. We are at the point where we need to say, ‘Forget the male and female brain; it’s a distraction, it’s inaccurate.’ It’s possibly harmful, too, because it’s used as a hook to say, well, there’s no point girls doing science because they haven’t got a science brain, or boys shouldn’t be emotional or should want to lead.”

The next question was, what then is driving the differences in behaviour between girls and boys, men and women? Our “gendered world”, she says, shapes everything, from educational policy and social hierarchies to relationships, self-identity, wellbeing and mental health. If that sounds like a familiar 20th-century social conditioning argument, it is – except that it is now coupled with knowledge of the brain’s plasticity, which we have only been aware of in the past 30 years.

“It is now a scientific given,” says Rippon, “that the brain is moulded from birth onwards and continues to be moulded through to the ‘cognitive cliff’ in old age when our grey cells start disappearing. So out goes the old ‘biology is destiny’ argument: effectively, that you get the brain you are born with – yes, it gets a bit bigger and better connected but you’ve got your developmental endpoint, determined by a biological blueprint unfolding along the way. With brain plasticity, the brain is much more a function of experiences. If you learn a skill your brain will change, and it will carry on changing.” This is shown to be the case in studies of black cab drivers learning the Knowledge, for example. “The brain is waxing and waning much more than we ever realised. So if you haven’t had particular experiences – if as a girl you weren’t given Lego, you don’t have the same spatial training that other people in the world have.

If, on the other hand, you were given those spatial tasks again and again, you would get better at them. “The neural paths change; they become automatic pathways. The task really does become easier.”

Neural plasticity throws the nature/nurture polarity out of the lab window. “Nature is entangled with nature,” says Rippon. Added to this, “being part of a social cooperative group is one of the prime drives of our brain.” The brain is also predictive and forward-thinking in a way we had never previously realised. Like a satnav, it follows rules, is hungry for them. “The brain is a rule scavenger,” explains Rippon, “and it picks up its rules from the outside world. The rules will change how the brain works and how someone behaves.” The upshot of gendered rules? “The ‘gender gap’ becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Rippon regularly talks in schools. She wants girls to have leading scientists as role models, and she wants all children to know that their identity, abilities, achievements and behaviour are not prescribed by their biological sex. “Gender bombardment” makes us think otherwise. Male babies dressed in blue romper suits, female ones in pink is a binary coding that belies a status quo that resists the scientific evidence. “Pinkification”, as Rippon calls it, has to go. Parents don’t always like what they hear.

“They say, ‘I have a son and a daughter, and they are different.’ And I say, ‘I have two daughters, and they are very different.’ When you talk about male and female identity, people are very wedded to the idea that men and women are different. People like me are not sex-difference deniers,” continues Rippon. “Of course there are sex differences. Anatomically, men and women are different. The brain is a biological organ. Sex is a biological factor. But it is not the sole factor; it intersects with so many variables.”

I ask her for a comparable watershed moment in the history of scientific understanding, in order to gauge the significance of her own. “The idea of the Earth circling around the sun,” she bats back.

Letting go of age-old certainties is frightening, concedes Rippon, who is both optimistic about the future, and fearful for it. “I am concerned about what the 21st century is doing, the way it’s making gender more relevant. We need to look at what we are plunging our children’s brains into.”

Ours may be the age of the self-image, yet we aren’t ready to let the individual self emerge, unfettered by cultural expectations of one’s biological sex. That disconnect, says Rippon, is writ large, for example, in men. “It suggests there is something wrong in their self-image.” The social brain wants to fit in. The satnav recalibrates, according to expectations. “If they are being driven down a route that leads to self-harm or even suicide or violence, what is taking them there?”

On the plus side, our plastic brains are good learners. All we need to do is change the life lessons.

How gender stereotypes led brain science

Research so far has failed to challenge deep prejudice, says Gina Rippon

Several things went wrong in the early days of sex differences and brain imaging research. With respect to sex differences, there was a frustrating backward focus on historical beliefs in stereotypes (termed “neurosexism” by psychologist Cordelia Fine). Studies were designed based on the go-to list of the “robust” differences between females and males, generated over the centuries, or the data were interpreted in terms of stereotypical female/male characteristics which may not have even been measured in the scanner. If a difference was found, it was much more likely to be published than a finding of no difference, and it would also breathlessly be hailed as an “at last the truth” moment by an enthusiastic media. Finally the evidence that women are hard-wired to be rubbish at map reading and that men can’t multi-task! So the advent of brain imaging at the end of the 20th century did not do much to advance our understanding of alleged links between sex and the brain. Here in the 21st century, are we doing any better?

One major breakthrough in recent years has been the realisation that, even in adulthood, our brains are continually being changed, not just by the education we receive, but also by the jobs we do, the hobbies we have, the sports we play. The brain of a working London taxi driver will be different from that of a trainee and from that of a retired taxi driver; we can track differences among people who play videogames or are learning origami or to play the violin. Supposing these brain-changing experiences are different for different people, or groups of people? If, for example, being male means that you have much greater experience of constructing things or manipulating complex 3D representations (such as playing with Lego), it is very likely that this will be shown in your brain. Brains reflect the lives they have lived, not just the sex of their owners.

Seeing the life-long impressions made on our plastic brains by the experiences and attitudes they encounter makes us realise that we need to take a really close look at what is going on outside our heads as well as inside. We can no longer cast the sex differences debate as nature versus nurture – we need to acknowledge that the relationship between a brain and its world is not a one-way street, but a constant two-way flow of traffic.

Once we acknowledge that our brains are plastic and mouldable, then the power of gender stereotypes becomes evident. If we could follow the brain journey of a baby girl or a baby boy, we could see that right from the moment of birth, or even before, these brains may be set on different roads. Toys, clothes, books, parents, families, teachers, schools, universities, employers, social and cultural norms – and, of course, gender stereotypes – all can signpost different directions for different brains.

Resolving arguments about differences in the brain really matters. Understanding where such differences come from is important for everyone who has a brain and everyone who has a sex or a gender of some kind. Beliefs about sex differences (even if ill-founded) inform stereotypes, which commonly provide just two labels – girl or boy, female or male – which, in turn, historically carry with them huge amounts of “contents assured” information and save us having to judge each individual on their own merits or idiosyncrasies.

With input from exciting breakthroughs in neuroscience, the neat, binary distinctiveness of these labels is being challenged – we are coming to realise that nature is inextricably entangled with nurture. What used to be thought fixed and inevitable is being shown to be plastic and flexible; the powerful biology-changing effects of our physical and our social worlds are being revealed.

The 21st century is not just challenging the old answers – it is challenging the question itself.

[toooliix]

you said drop characters and I demand Noel headcanons pls

also Constance if you want as well:)

o7 will do

NOEL

his eyesight is a wee bit ass (very bad) so he has glasses! he refuses to wear them to school bc he hates how they look, so he wears contacts instead. at home he does wear them though

he cannot cook for the life of him. neither can his mother. they basically eat takeout exclusively for both of their safety

hes half french, half french-canadian :)) his father is french and his mother is from quebec, and she moved to uranium to be with him

because of this he speaks basically exclusively french at home despite both being fluent in english AND french (noel is more fluent then his mother)

he owns a journal and a scrapbook. the journal is for random 3am poems that come to mind, and the scrapbook is a neatly organized collage of poems, drawings ect. anything hes proud of (there is an entire section of just monique. it takes up most of the scrapbook.)

he obsessively uses pinterest and has like 50 boards.

his walls are NOT visible. they're a deep red but anything that he can stick on a wall is probably on his wall (theres an entire deck of cards to put it in perspective)

he love love LOVES polaroids. if he goes out somewhere he's bringing his camera. there's something about the physicality of it that makes him smile

he has a nose piercing that he doesn't wear to school because of dress code. he also has a tattoo (blame kholby wardell for this one)

he sleeps in a hoodie, sweat pants and socks. listen man he may be all about aesthetic but he wants to be comfy damnit.

chronic blanket hogger/cuddler + he sleep mumbles

hes allergic to cats but he loves them anyway and will cuddle them no matter what

constantly cold. he will scare people by touching them with his cold ass hands (mischa, whos body temp depends on his surroundings, hates this)

CONSTANCE

she will throw hands

she considers mischa a brother for a variety of reasons but thats for a different time

she has a collection of animal pics on her phone for the sole reason of sending them daily into the choir groupchat

she takes gifts very seriously, and she will never get rid of anything given to her UNLESS its a "nicest girl in homeroom" award. she also puts a lot of thought into gifts she makes/gives

best hugs no doubt

despite looking gentle, her hands are worn and callused from baking, and general work

she is also strong. she can knock a bitch out if she wants to, but she wont

she has a collection of plushies that remind her of the choir. along with that are stickers on the wall that do the same thing

ocean comes to her house every week, and they have a tradition of sleeping in the living room every time (if someone else is there while ocean is over (usually mischa or penny) they are forced to join this tradition)

after the cyclone incident, she began experimenting with more hairstyles rather than just high pigtails. usually it's kept down in some way

her full name is lillian eleanor constance blackwood. she loves her name

chronic tumblr user. live laugh love tumblr

she has two dogs. two very excitable medium sized dogs. she loves them dearly, and she has no preference between cats and dogs.

[quirkymarshmallows93]

Mobil - Attleboro, Massachusetts.

It was a warm night driving back to Massachusetts from Providence. The familiar orange light on my dashboard had turned on while still within the Creative Capital's city limits. Most of the gas stations I drove past on the way to this one were unbranded, meaning that there was no guarantee of fuel that meets the standards of Top Tier certification. Prices were also not spectacular, particularly for the no-name locations, which are usually at least cheaper than Top Tier counterparts. Determined and certain that there were better fueling points out there, I consulted a mostly trusted price finder application, which as predicted displayed this Mobil as having the same price per gallon as most of the other locations - $3.40, rounded up from the vestigial price ending in nine tenths of a penny. There would be no issue relocating either, as the dash light comes on when there are still around three reserve gallons of gasoline left in the tank.

I arrived as the sole patron of the business. Submitting myself to surveillance capitalism, I inserted my ExxonMobil Rewards Plus card into the reader, earning 42 points for my purchase of 13 and a half gallons of regular unleaded gas at the end of the transaction. Afterward, I accidentally hit the capacitive button that answered "no" to the question of whether I wanted a receipt. Since I was taking it slow that evening, I went inside and asked the kind cashier for a copy of the consumer ephemera, who confirmed the amount, handed me the document, and wished me a pleasant day, even though it was not day. As I exited the convenience store, I held the door open for a fellow nighttime patron, whom I can only imagine was similarly pleased at the positive difference across the state line between the fuel markets, especially seeing as his SUV sported Rhode Island license plates.

The photo above was taken while I was fueling, in an attempt to capture the quiet peacefulness of this essential business, most pronounced at night when it is one of few places in operation. At most Massachusetts gas stations, one can lock the gas pump handle in place while fueling, freeing up both of the driver's hands, although the legal code displayed on all pumps throughout the state prohibits leaving the nozzle unattended. As such, I was able to properly frame the scene, following the rule of thirds in order to keep the boxy car wash building in the lower left ninth of the picture. I was also able to adjust the exposure, minimizing light bleed from the overlit canopy, while still revealing the source of brightness for the artificially illuminated parcel, visible in the shadow cast on the first letter of the Car Wash sign. The tunnel itself harkens to a time before refinement culture, when an automated and unmanned wash was sufficient for most vehicles, instead of the increasingly experiential, subscription-based business model catering to those who want the ultimate car wash experience, whatever that means. Given the trend away from these types of washes, and my incomplete curiosity, the tunnel may or may not be closed - the boarded menu hints that it is - as has been the case at other Mobils. The tall sign behind it, signaling to highway passersby the presence of the station, stands humbly among coniferous trees, its northernmost neon burnt out. The iconic red pegasus, largely retired from present-day marketing, is still prancing on the side of the cookie cutter Mobil Mart.

@gas-stationed hope u like!

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s1e7

i love the recaps at the start of magicians episodes because other than glee i'm not sure there's a show on earth with so fucking much going on, the recaps are actually necessary it's kind of funny

queen of the night aria is always used to be like "this person likes classical music AND they're a PRICK" and i don't resent that because whatever but i DO find it funny

guess i find a lot funny

what the fuck is the deal with brakebills south why does it exist no really

it does not surprise me that q and alice feel like it's easy and natural and better to be wild animals

mayakovsky is an asshole BUT a fun one

"abandon all hope ye who enter here" magicians are fucking dramatic whiny babies

margo my thoughts on your bikini are private i will not put them here

i think i have fanfiction disease about todd he's much sweeter than i was expecting

eliot and margo did not turn a man into a pig and eat him... i'm pretty sure

simply love alice's reaction when she bends the nail

UGH I FORGOT THIS IS THE FOX EPISODE I HATE THE FOXES SO MUCH

the magicians writers owe me something for emotional damages for having to listen to quentin sometimes call alice "vix" for the rest of the series

"paid for the answers partially in nipple clamps" the line that launched a thousand headcanons and for that i am truly grateful

fuck you mike all my homies hate mike

i actually kind of agree with mayakovsky that q should've been rendered mute a long time ago i feel like he wouldn't be In His Shit so much

i vaguely remembered julia being wealthy but not mom-on-the-board-of-the-met rich jesus christ

"in one case, surprising. the other..." sorry for the lifelong trauma that just caused you quentin

one more time for the needle drops

where did penny get a fucking brakebills south sleeveless peacoat

there's just so much to love about kady and penny's relationship

i personally don't find it believable that eliot would be into mike actually there's nothing there to like beyond fucking

"you uncorked him, he could read your thoughts" "that is fucking rude"

kady has so much going in it's kind of wild to me that she's like a second-tier character at best

yeah i REALLY hate mike like how dare he skip encanto oculto for that boring little fucking man

i will admit here that i was very into quentin/alice the first time i watched and it's like. you know. why not. but after you see the whole show you kind of wonder why you cared about this pairing even a little bit

"go and live to prove me wrong" very aries coded of mayakovsky

[heyitscoffeetime]

Nintendo Partner Showcase February 2024

Honey, Microsoft Shrunk the Kids (Grounded)

Full Metal Alchemist X Neir Automata (Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist)

The Cha Cha Slide, Part 5 (Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure)

Final Emblem: Ogre Saga (Unicorn Overlord)

I think this is what people expect from Pokémon for some reason (Monster Hunter Stories)

DISNEY EPIC MICKEY REBRUSHED

V for Vendetta DLC (Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance)

Bond With Your [Younger/Older] Brother! (Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection)

Fart of the Wild (South Park: Snow Day)

Hyperlight Kirito [with 20 player co-op] (Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream)

Armored Core 7 (Gundam Breaker 4)

Do You Think Surgeons Will Also Use This As Practice? [with 16 player co-op] (Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble)

Slime Tiktok Meets Engineering Tiktok (World of Goo 2)

Dark Cloud 3: Animal Crossing [with 4 player co-op] (Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time)

Are You Telling Me A Hermit Crabbed This Shell? (Another Crab's Treasure)

Circus Celeste (Penny's Big Breakaway)

Didn't Alpharad Already Do This? (Suika Game 2-Player Battle Paid DLC)

Drill-y Kong Country (Pepper Grinder)

They Put Gambling In My Solitaire (Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!)

Hey Tumblr, Can You Tell Me About This In A Sane Manner? (Snuffkin: Melody of Moominvalley)

2D Africa Platformer (Tales of Kenzera: ZAU)

Demon Slayer Mario Party (Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!)

Skyrim Again (Kingdom Come Deliverance - Royal Edition)

Don't Forget the Konami Code (Contra: Operation Galuga)

Ye Olde Disco Elysium (Pentiment)

Game Grumps: Return to Nine-Ball Island [with 30 player co-op] (Endless Ocean Luminous)

[grimkkr]

plotting call !

evil entity that will most likely ruin your life needs YOUR help for the mission board!

eitri canonically lives in a forest she booby trapped herself and would love to test some new ideas on some poor unsuspecting seminar attendee. none of the traps she has set up follow osha guidelines. a couple of them might even be breaking the geneva convention. oh, and don't let her catch you! she's brewed up some sort of mysterious potion to further simulate an interrogation. can you survive eitri's horrors? she might give you extra credit for her next exam if you can. +1 SWORD TAKEN: YARNE

eitri is working in the infirmary, hoping to use the influx of patients as an opportunity to test out some new medicines and procedures she has been researching... it all looks incredibly dubious, to be honest, but she assures you her advancements in science have been praised the world over. are you looking to learn about these ground breaking developments in medicine? or are you the fearful patient under the knife, trying to convince eitri all you really need is a vulnerary?

ghost hunting but the ghosts are made by eitri. she's running some hush-hush experiment on the downlow, trying to figure out a way to put a soul into an inanimate object, and her failed experiments have been running amok and causing havoc across the monastery. she offers you a pretty penny if you'll help her round them up so she can bring them back to her lab for further study. be careful, though... there's something weird about them. TAKEN: FAYE

eitri is extremely interested in nonhuman muses and muses with powers she has never seen before. what she's not interested in, though, is the scientific ethical code. maybe watch out for that.

[fixitrightgaragedoor]

A jammed overhead door at 7 a.m. can derail school runs and invite thieves after dark. Yet most crises begin as minor squeaks a month earlier. This 2025 playbook shows how a timely garage door repair—and smart prevention—keeps rollers humming, springs balanced, and opener gears intact. Inside you’ll find two cost-packed tables, safety checklists, external resources, and quick links to Fix It Right Garage Doors for same-day help or parts ordering. Why Garage Doors Fail in 2025 Halton temperature swings crack vinyl weather seals while salty spring melt corrodes torsion springs. Smart-home adoption introduces new risks—poor Wi-Fi triggers half-closures and misaligned photo eyes disable safety beams. Ignore the squeaks and you’ll end up funding an emergency garage repair instead of a low-stress garage door fix. Common Problems, DIY Difficulty & Typical Cost SymptomLikely CauseDIY LevelGarage door fix estimate (pro)Loud bang, door won’t liftBroken torsion springUnsafe$350 – $550Door slants on one sideFrayed lift cableModerate$180 – $300Opener hums, chain won’t moveStripped drive gearTough$200 – $350Door reverses before closingMisaligned sensorsEasy$90 – $150 Knowing median prices helps you budget a fair garage door repair service before an issue spirals. 1 – Safety First: Pre-Fix Checklist - Disconnect opener power. - Clamp vice-grips below rollers to prevent a crash. - Wear leather gloves and safety glasses—springs store lethal energy. - Keep kids and pets inside; an emergency garage repair zone is no playground. Garage Door Installation in Pickering Garage Door Installation Pickering 2 – Quick DIY Garage Door Fixes Anyone Can Tackle Lubricate Rollers and HingesFive minutes with lithium spray silences squeaks and cuts motor strain—one classic DIY garage repair that costs pennies. Realign Photo EyesBlinking LEDs usually mean dirty or knocked-off sensors. Loosen wing nuts, wipe lenses, nudge until solid lights glow, and your garage door repair is complete. Replace Weather SealsA cracked rubber astragal lets cold air howl inside. A $40 seal swap is easy, even for a first-time DIY garage repair enthusiast. For illustrated step-by-step guides, see the How-To Library at Fix It Right Garage Doors. 3 – When to Call a Professional Garage Door Repair Service Some tasks exceed DIY safety limits: - Torsion or extension spring failure - Lift-cable replacement - Circuit-board swaps after lightning strikes - Jackshaft opener resets requiring proprietary software Attempting these alone can turn a routine garage door repair into a medical emergency. For certified same-day service, schedule through the Fix It Right emergency page. Table 2 – DIY vs. Pro Time & Risk Comparison TaskTools NeededDIY TimeInjury RiskGarage door fix cost (pro)Roller lubeLadder, grease10 minLow$89 tune-upWeather stripUtility knife20 minLow$120Spring swapWinding bars2 hrHigh$450Cable replacePliers, clamps1 hrMedium$240 High-risk jobs belong in a professional’s notebook, not your weekend tool list. 4 – Spring Science: Balancing the Door A balanced panel stays mid-height when released; a slam or upward rocket signals torsion trouble. Standard springs rate 10 000 cycles—about seven years of commuting. Spending $90 extra for 25 000-cycle replacements during your next garage door fix can triple lifespan and reduce future garage door repair service visits. 5 – Opener Troubleshooting Flow - Motor clicks but door doesn’t move? Suspect stripped gears—time for a pro garage door repair. - No opener lights? Check GFCI and breaker. - Door reverses at floor? Reduce down-force setting. - Random opens? Re-pair remotes and roll new codes. Follow the flow before dialing an emergency garage repair hotline; you might solve it in under five minutes. 6 – Noise-Reduction Upgrades You Can Add During Any Garage Door Fix - Nylon rollers drop noise by 10 dB versus steel. - Rubber isolator pads under opener brackets kill vibration. - A belt-drive motor is quieter than chains; package it with your next scheduled garage door repair for maximum serenity. Need parts? Browse the Fix It Right parts shop for same-week delivery. 7 – Smart-Home Integration: Avoid False Alarms Pair MyQ or Aladdin with a strong 2.4 GHz signal, then enable push alerts only on door left open events. Misconfigured geofencing sends notifications all night. Five minutes in settings will keep your phone quiet and your garage door repair list shorter. External tutorial: https://ifttt.com/ 8 – Preventative Maintenance Calendar MonthTaskBenefitMarchLube hinges & rollersLess opener loadJuneTighten track bracketsEnds rattlesSeptemberBalance test & cable scanPre-winter securityDecemberBackup-battery testNo blackout panic Following this schedule shrinks emergency garage repair odds by 70 percent. 9 – Cost Myths vs. Reality - Myth: Cheap doors always save money.Reality: Low-R panels bleed up to $120 a year in heat. - Myth: Any lubricant works.Reality: WD-40 evaporates; lithium grease stays put—crucial for a lasting garage door repair - Myth: Monthly balance checks are overkill.Reality: An unbalanced door wrecks openers early, adding to garage door repair service bills. 10 – Energy-Efficiency Tips During a Garage Door Fix Swapping an R-6 panel for R-16 saves roughly $90 a year on utilities. Combine with new bottom seal to double gains. See Natural Resources Canada’s rebate portal (https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/) for programs covering energy efficient garage doors. 11 – Green Choices for a Sustainable Garage Door Fix - Recycle old steel panels. - Opt for low-VOC paints if touching up. - Choose DC motors that idle below 1 W, trimming carbon and costs. 12 – Emergency Garage Repair Prep Kit Keep these on a shelf: - Winding bars - 10-inch locking pliers - Lithium spray - 9 V keypad battery - Fix It Right 24/7 phone card This kit turns a midnight fiasco into an organized garage door repair scenario. 13 – Real-World Story: 2 a.m. Cable Snap At 2:07 a.m., a North Oakville owner heard a bang. The door hung crooked—cable gone. They clamped, unplugged, and phoned Fix It Right. A technician arrived within 40 minutes, replaced cables, tuned springs, and completed the garage door repair before 3:30. Lesson: some jobs jump from “maybe tomorrow” to “right now” in seconds. 14 – Frequently Asked Questions How often should springs be lubricated? Twice a year.Is sensor alignment DIY-safe? Yes—follow LED indicators.Why does the opener hum but not lift? Likely stripped gears; call a garage door repair service. For more answers, visit our FAQ page. Conclusion A proactive garage door repair beats a frantic emergency garage repair every time. Follow the maintenance calendar, know your DIY boundaries, and lean on Fix It Right when high-tension parts fail. Quiet mornings, secure nights, and lower energy bills are only one smart repair away. Book service or download a free maintenance checklist at Fix It Right Garage Doors today. Read the full article

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 17: Escaping Dreams

It was surprising to see rain in the middle of summer– a thunderstorm nonetheless, but that wouldn't stop the twins from going and finding some entertainment. The moment the rain began though, because Stan was a major cheapskate and wouldn't dare spend a penny on fixing the Shack properly, the roof had gotten frail and weak, causing water to leak.

The family went and gathered as many containers as they could, ranging from cups, pots, and pans and began putting them under each leak.

While they were searching for more bowls, Mabel found a random Conflict Boatboard game lying around the attic and invited Dipper to play. Dipper, being competitive he is, immediately accepted the offer with an intent to win while Mabel had no idea how to play this particular game.

The rain continued pouring, and Y/n thought that this was a good excuse for coffee– although every hour is coffee hour for her– and proceeded to enjoy watching the rain fall down the window of the kitchen while sipping on the flavorful bitterness. Meanwhile Stan loitered by the TV as usual, boringly flipping through channels. Wendy and Soos were forced to stay inside the Shack because the heavy rain came unexpectedly and they didn't have anything against the weather.

Dipper inquisitively placed a hand on his chin. "I'm gonna say... B5,"

Mabel grinned excitedly. "Miss!" She proceeded to put a peg on her board. "Whop!" Her pegs were arranged like a cat's face.

"I don't think you're playing this right." Dipper glared.

All of a sudden, Stan's booming voice resonated through the house, louder than the rain. "Kids! Come quick!"

The twins sprinted down the stairs in unison, finding Stan cackling in mock laughter. Y/n sat on the huge dinosaur fossil beside the yellow couch as she continued sipping her hot beverage. "I need you to laugh at this with me!" Stan exclaimed, motioning to the TV where Gideon's commercial played. The boy held a mini guitar and the background were clouds passing by.

"Who's cute as a button, and always your friend? Lil' G-I-D to the E-O-N! Wink!"

"Li'l Gideon!" Bud announced after.

The twins had the urge to grimace. Y/n thought the jingle was fairly catchy, but it was also hilarious seeing Gideon try this hard. "Ugh, Gideon," Dipper stared weirdly.

"Remember when I wouldn't date him and he tried to destroy us?" Mabel voiced aloud.

Stan frowned deeply. "He's always trying to trick me into losing the Mystery Shack!"

"He's annoying."

Wendy walked in the room. "One time I caught him stealing my moisturizer."

"He's so weird."

Soos followed with a smile. "And yet, our mutual hatred for him bonds us together."

The commercial continued, and now Gideon was laughing with doves flying out from behind him. "Come on down to Li'l Gideon's Tent of Telepathy, opening soon at this location." The TV shows a pseudo-Mystery Shack getting crushed by the Tent of Telepathy.

"Uh," Dipper stuttered. "Should we be worried about that?"

"Please," Stan waved a dismissive hand, smirking, "the only way Gideon's taking over this shack is by breaking in and stealing my deed."

A crash was heard from the upstairs, alerting everyone. Y/n sat up. "You mean, right now?"

Inside Stan's office, was Gideon attempting to open Stan's huge safe. He mumbled possible significant numbers as codes, but nothing worked. "38? 41? Oh, heavens to Betsy!" He whispered harshly.

The door opened and there stood Stan with an angry expression. "Gideon!"

"Well, well, Stanford!" – Y/n visibly cringed upon hearing the incorrect name– "my arch nemesis. We seem to have entered a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But the question remains, who is the cat, and who is the-"

"Soos, broom." Stan deadpanned.

Conveniently, Soos was holding a broom when the old man asked for it. He began treading closer to the younger boy. "Oh no, not the broom!" Gideon ran around the room as Stan chased him.

Gideon hissed, but those fitful fell on almost deaf ears as he was repeatedly hit by the broom until he chased him outside in the rain. The people left in the office began cleaning up the mess that was the break-in attempt.

"You mark my words, Stanford, one day I'm gonna get that combination. And once I steal that deed, you'll never see the Mystery Shack again!" Gideon screamed against the rain accompanied by thunder.

"Good luck, bucko!" Stan replied with a smirk before closing the door.

Stan went back to his office, opening the vault with the combination before opening it. The deed was still there, tucked safely. He closed the vault shut again, pressing the lock button. He laughed mockingly. "The combo to this safe in the one place he'll never find it: my brain." He said aloud to himself, not knowing there was a pair of eyes peering at him through the window.

Gideon thought that he's had enough of playing games. He brought out his greatest weapon out of his little suit. A book; a dark, leather-bound cover adorned with an insignia– a six-fingered hand and a huge number 2 in blank ink. Inside were pages filled with intricate drawings and cryptic messages, and memories written by someone who had a lot on their mind. It was supposed to be a biography, a series of findings, but it had fallen in the wrong hands. It had fallen in the hands of one Gideon Gleeful.

He flipped to a certain page, his eyes shining a mischievous, evil glint as he stared at the book that gazed back.

***

It was still raining heavily. The five being Mabel, Dipper, Y/n, Wendy, and Stan were watching TV. Stan sat on the yellow throne, Mabel laid on her stomach, Dipper and Wendy were playing with toy guns– one couldn't be sure if they were enjoying it so much. Stan was the only one interested with the Grandpa the Kid showing on TV.

But while they looked like they were almost bored to death, Y/n was enjoying a tub of ice cream as she sat between Dipper and Mabel. Despite the cold rain, Y/n likes to eat dessert. It doesn't give her any brain freeze, nor does it make her tummy hurt no matter how much she ate.

Dipper glared at her playfully, aiming the Nyarf gun at her. "I admire your capacity to consume cold food in chilly conditions."

Y/n smirked at that from the rim of her ice cream tub. "You just couldn't handle it."

With that, Dipper fired, the plastic bullet hitting her straight on the forehead, but she didn't even flinch.

Mabel groaned, turning behind her. "Grunkle Stan, why can't we watch a movie that we'll all enjoy?" She brought out a video cassette. "Dream Boy High! 'Where love is on your permanent record~'."

A chorus of "Boo's" resounded while Y/n chuckled at Mabel's suggestion. "You'll learn to like it," Mabel said.

A sudden crash was heard from the kitchen, followed by Soos' screams as he ran out and into the living room. "Dudes! There's a bat in the kitchen! It tried to touch me with its weird little bat fingers!" His face scrunched worriedly.

"I got it," Y/n immediately stood up, wanting to help– but Stan pushed her back, her butt landing on the carpet with an 'oof'. "What the-"

"Don't worry, I got this under control," Stan reassured her, but she didn't believe a word he said. He simply leaned further back in his armchair and placed his hands on the nape of his neck in faux relaxation. "Dipper, take care of it."

"What?" Y/n and Dipper voiced in unison. "But why can't Y/n do it?" Dipper asked.

"'Cause life ain't fair," Stan answered without missing a beat. "Are you really making someone like Y/n sort it out?"

Y/n raised an eyebrow in offense. "What does that supposed to mean-?"

"Now go fight a bat so we can watch TV," Stan said to Dipper, completely ignoring her.

Dipper stood up and faced the older man. "No way, Grunkle Stan! You always make me do dumb chores." He clenched his fists. "I'm putting my foot down this time!" He said, stomping his shoe on the ground.

"I said do it, kid! Now!"

The room went quiet, except for Stan and Dipper seeming to have a stare-off, growling at each other.

"Grr-!"

"Okay! I'll do it." Dipper surrendered, sighing in defeat. He exchanged glances with Y/n before retreating back into the kitchen. Y/n and Mabel followed behind him. "Stupid chores..." he picked up a saucepan and spoon off the floor.

"Don't worry, I can help you, Dipper," Y/n tried to assure.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Stan shouted from the other room. "Y/n, go throw out the rainwater from the pots upstairs!"

She turned behind her and gave the voice a glare that could kill. Dipper tried to smile positively. "It's alright, Y/n. You can go."

"But-"

"I can handle it," he said, "Besides, Mabel is here for support."

"Okay..." Y/n said slowly before quickly sprinting across the living room and upstairs to take care of the leaks to get to the twins as soon as possible.

That left Dipper, who looked quite determined in getting the bat out, and Mabel, who had her back on the wall, about to say some inspiring words. "Remember, bats are more afraid of you than you are of them."

He nodded briefly before treading forwards to face the creature with nothing but kitchen supplies.

"Maybe I'm thinking of ducklings."

Loud screams from Dipper resounded as things crashed around the kitchen. The boy fought for his life when the bat extended its claws and aimed to scratch him. He managed to dodge its attacks, but the hits caused his Dipper to fly off. He screamed some more when the bat attempted to grab his vest and bring him away somewhere.

"Go get it, Dipper!" Mabel cheered from the side.

"I'm trying!"

"Do you need help?" Y/n asked, standing beside Mabel as she had already finished her task.

"It's fine!" He smiled shakily, trying to appear calm. The bat screeched, revealing its sharp fangs, rearing for Dipper. "A-actually, I might need a little- help! Eek!" He dodged the rabid animal's grasp.

Y/n frantically stepped in, arms reaching for the bat. It was a big bat, but it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. The creature saw the gal coming towards it, so on instinct, it pushed Dipper off so hard that his head fell on the floor with a thud.

The bat squealed some more and tried to scare Y/n off, but there wasn't an inch of fear on her body. With her right arm, she stretched for the bat trapped in the corner. It jumped onto her and bit her hand, but of course, it didn't hurt. Now with her vacant hand, she caressed its furry head. The bat tensed up, surprised from the sudden act of affection. Its teeth let go of her fingers and began sniffing as if familiarizing itself.

Y/n walked herself and the bat near the fridge and opened it, finding a half-bitten apple. "Want it?"

She brought the fruit closer to the creature clinging onto her arm. It seemed to have understood her, leaning closer to catch a scent. It took it with its little hands, bringing it to its mouth and taking a bite. Y/n looked outside the kitchen window and the rain stopped. She deduced that the bat probably just wanted food and shelter. But this Shack wasn't the right place to look for those two things.

"You gotta go, little fella," she spoke to the bat. "You've caused quite the ruckus."

The twins watched with looks of wonder. It was amazing to see her so caring and gentle albeit seeing her literally act like that every single day. But this was the first time– and maybe last time, that she managed to calm down a raging bat.

Mabel, being the enthusiastic and optimistic one out of the two, stepped closer. "Can I pet it?"

Y/n glanced down at the creature and gestured something. "What do you say?"

The bat clung tightly, but its expressions were blank. Y/n nodded to signal Mabel that it was okay so the girl reached over and gently patted the bat's head and neck. Immediately, the creature nuzzled closer, closing its eyes in comfort. Y/n had the urge to smirk slyly. The bat does like pets, but wouldn't want to admit it.

Eventually, the bat had to be set free, seeing that there wasn't any rain anymore. Dipper didn't want to pet it for obvious reasons and because he needed medical attention. So Soos went to the bathroom and got the medkit.

Dipper was situated in a chair placed in the middle of the kitchen as the supplies were placed on the dining table. Bandages and disinfectant were brought out, and Mabel began applying bandages to Dipper's head. Y/n sat in front of him after washing her hands. She brought out the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls, and began cleaning the wounds he got from the bat fight.

"This might hurt..." she mumbled, reaching for his arm.

"Ow, ow!" Dipper clenched his hand tightly.

She stopped momentarily, opting to glance at his face and see if the pain stopped before continuing. He gritted his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Dipper sighed. "Why does Grunkle Stan always pick on me? Think about it! The more painful or difficult the chore is, the more likely it is I'll have to do it. Why doesn't he pick on you guys?" His question seemed to be directed at Y/n since she felt his eyes on her.

She couldn't answer. Lucky for her, Soos came into the kitchen, having overheard the conversation. "Dipper, Stan's personality is one of life's great mysteries. Like whether or not it's possible to lick your own elbow." Good enough answer.

"I bet you can't!" Mabel challenged.

"I bet I can!" Soos began attempting to licking his own elbow, his feet leading him away from the kitchen. Mabel followed, chanting support.

It was just the two of them. Y/n was absentmindedly wrapping a new gauze on his wrist, not knowing what to say at the moment. Dipper exhaled tiredly. "Sometimes I feel like Stan hates me."

"He doesn't hate you." He looked up to see Y/n avoiding his gaze. It was a surprise to hear a reply after that statement. "He doesn't hate you," she repeated, softly this time.

Dipper remained quiet. Although thoughts were still brewing in his head– particularly memories of Stan bossing him around– he couldn't say anything. He watched as Y/n finished bandaging his hands and began clearing the table of the first aid supplies. Dipper stood up and helped her. Silence loomed over them. The only noise surrounding them were the random droplets of water coming from the sink and the deafening sound of a radiator. Their hands briefly touched when they reached for the gauze. Dipper flinched away while Y/n didn't bat an eye. It was just quiet.

"Thank you," Dipper decided to end the muteness between the two of them.

"You're welcome," she replied. So she wasn't mad at him. That was good. "You know that I'm always here for you." That was great. "I know that sometimes you try and prove to everybody that you can do it, but you don't have to do it alone." That was better. "We're a team. You and me." That was best.

He couldn't help but smile at that. "I know I can rely on you," he said. "I trust you."

Y/n's heart was racing, but she couldn't tell whether it was good or bad. Trust is a big word with even bigger implications. Her palms were clammy at his confession. He trusts her. Trust. That meant he trusts that she would never stab him in the back or she would catch him if he falls. He feels safe around her. He knows that he will never be hurt in her presence.

"I trust you too," she couldn't stop her mouth.

"You do?" Dipper dared to ask.

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

The corner of his lips dropped slightly. It took him ten seconds to reply. "Yeah. That's... that's good to hear."

***

The day went on normally. The rain stopped in the afternoon, but it was still cloudy until sunset. Come evening was dinner, until Mabel proposed to have a movie night. Maybe this was her way of making Dipper relaxed and rested after that embarrassing bat fight, but a movie does sound nice.

"So, what are we watching?"

"Whatever comes in the almighty Gravity Falls TV!" Mabel answered happily, picking up the remote and switching the appliance on. Immediately, the announcer listed off the following movies the local theater production had to offer. Most of the items in the catalog were done with almost no effort at all, but it was still good entertainment– laughing at the mistakes and errors that they could notice.

"You're watching theGravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase!" The voice from the TV took the trio's attention. "Coming up next: Kewl Vampirez! Classic Romantic Teenage Movie! Ducktective: The Duck That Went Quack! And Attack of the Killer Gnomes!"

"Hmm," Mabel thought aloud.

"I already know what you're thinking, Mabel," Dipper deadpanned.

"You don't know what I'm about to choose." The girl rolled her eyes.

The boy crossed his arms. "Let me guess, is it 'Classic Romantic Teenage Movie'?"

"Nope!" Mabel looked proud. "I actually want to watch Attack of the Killer Gnomes and see if they captured the gnomes' stinky attitude perfectly! But what about you, Y/n?"

The twins faced her as she entered the living room with a bowl of freshly cooked popcorn, the smell wafting in the air. "I'm fine with anything," she said, casually sitting next to Dipper on the big, yellow couch. Dipper immediately reached over and got himself a handful of the tasty snack.

"Well, for once I actually agree with Mabel's pick," Dipper said with his mouth still full, resulting in his speech to sound so muffled. He swallowed. "Come on, let's watch it."

Mabel played the movie anyway, the logos of the productions rolling up. She stood up and switched off the lights, the soft glow of the TV providing their only light. Mabel situated herself on the ground, in between Y/n and Dipper's feet, munching on her own bowl of popcorn– and with Waddles already fast asleep beside her, she used him as a pillow.

The movie was pretty decent– featuring a trio of friends going on an adventure when they encountered innocent-looking gnomes. They thought they were safe until they found out that they were about to be eaten, like a plot straight up from Hansel and Gretel. The three kids battle with the gnomes, reminding the three other people of their own encounters.

It was a funny moment when the microphone was being visible in some scenes, and the teen actors weren't doing their best acting scared. Well, who would get scared when the "gnomes" weren't actual, moving creatures. They were moved by hand, only plastered with eyebrows and sharp teeth to appear angry.

The credits soon rolled. The popcorn already ran out, and they were stretching in their seats. They opted to share their insights about the film they just watched, mostly recalling the moment when they pointed out the mistakes and laughing about it.

Mabel picked up the remote and switched through the channels, pausing when a duck in a detective outfit waddled around the street with a magnifying glass in one of its wings. "Ooh, which episode is this?"

"I think it's a rerun of the first season while we're waiting for the second," Y/n answered, her eyes glued to the TV. "I haven't watched this particular one, though."

"Oh okay. Let's watch it." Mabel grinned.

"Should I get more popcorn?"

The twins shook their heads. "Nuh-uh. I'm full."

"Me too."

"Okay then." Y/n stayed in the chair, even going as far as sliding down slightly. Dipper had his left arm placed on the arm of the couch as his head laid on his palm comfortably. Mabel remained seated, her back sliding further down Waddles' stomach. Her eyes were half-lidded as she burped out. A duck with a gun was the last thing she saw before sleep completely took over.

Dipper wasn't doing very well as well, he fought to keep his eyes open as the episode was nearing its end. He adjusted his seat and laid his back against the cushion, blinking his eyes. Y/n was beside him, attention solely on the television, eating what was left of the popcorn bowl.

He glanced to his right and watched as Y/n's eyes sparkled with the animation dancing in her sclera. Her mouth slightly opened when Ducktective stabbed the suspect repeatedly and fake blood gushed out.

Y/n saw something move in the corner of her eyes. Facing to her left slightly and sliding her gaze, Dipper was immersed with the TV, drumming his fingers against the arm of the couch. He suppressed a yawn with his right fist, tears forming in the corner of his eyes as it closed. When he opened those charming brown eyes again, Y/n already had her stare back towards the TV.

They sat equally, shoulder to shoulder, with hands not knowing where to put. Dipper's hands were on his stomach, while Y/n's were caged around her body. The episode reached its conclusion before the credits quickly appeared. A commercial for a new vacuum played and boredom commenced.

The two people left awake were too tired to start a conversation. All the noise left were voices from enthusiastic business people as they try to sell their invention, and the occasional whistle coming from Mabel as she laid fast asleep with her pet pig.

Y/n slowly blinked, afraid that sleep just might take her captive– but she didn't want to move and had to wake up the twins. She couldn't disrupt Mabel's slight laughs as she's clearly having the best dream ever.

But before Y/n could do further adjustments in her, she felt something heavy lay on her left shoulder, making her tense up. She could feel thick curls tickling her neck and cheek. And her arm felt warmth as skin made contact. Her whole left side felt warm as Dipper placed his entire weight on her.

Yet instead of moving, she stayed still, eyes fixated on the show. She hadn't watched this particular episode either, but her mind couldn't seem to concentrate. Her skin seemed to tingle when she felt Dipper nuzzle unconsciously deeper in her collar. Does he feel comfortable? Is she moving too much? Is she warm?

Is Waddles a pig?

They all have the same answers.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her shoulders slumped after realizing that she was still tense. Y/n sighed a bit, calming her ferocious-beating heart, turning her gaze to the TV. She didn't know where to put her hands again, opting to intertwine it and place it on top of her stomach.

Dipper was sound asleep, and she was envious. But the universe reassured her and practically told her that she shouldn't worry any longer and soon enough, her eyelids felt heavy. Ducktective was hanging on a cliff and as much as Y/n wanted to see what happened, unfortunately, sleep came first.

△▼△

Dipper woke up to a bright flash, shielding his eyes until the light died. He looked around and saw that he was inside the Mystery Shack, but it was void of objects. It was an empty room, nothing else.

Except there was a blue portal that resembled a black hole, violent winds sweeping the boy off his feet as he tried to keep his feet on the ground. He stared at the swirl of dark colors, emitting a whooshing sound as if something was about to come out. He waited in participation. What could it be? A monster? His greatest fear? Death?

But nothing could have prepared him when a yellow triangle-shaped creature with arms and legs– its prominent features were a bowtie and tall hat– tumbled out of the portal.

"Hey there. buddy!" The triangle spoke, levitating in the air like it was a bubble. He snapped his fingers and a cane appeared in his hands. He floated down in front of the dumbstruck boy and began dancing, singing a tune.

Dipper, still bewildered, pointed at the being. "Who are you?"

The triangle's eye remained blank. "Name's Bill, nice to meet ya." He tipped his hat but doing so caused the room to flip and Dipper tumbled in his steps. He toppled around while Bill plopped his tall hat back to his pointy head.

Bill? That name sounded too familiar. And the isosceles form he took couldn't be a simple coincidence.

"Nice subconscious you got here, Dipper!"

Dipper tried to balance himself, recovering from the room flipping around. "Wha? H-how did you know my name?" His face scrunched into a look of anxiety, confusion, and fear.

"Oh, I know lots of things!" Bill raised his arms before landing on the floor. He pointed a finger-gun at him as he listed things that he knew about the boy. "You're scared to death of uncertainty.

Another copy of Bill came out from behind him, "Your real name isn't Dipper,"

And another duplicate appeared to the left. "And..." the copy chortled to himself. "Oh, this is interesting..." The three sets of Bills stared at him. "You spend a lot of time thinking about... Daisy?" The end came out more as a question rather than a statement. "Daisy? And I thought she's dumb."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Daisy? Who is that?"

If Bill had a mouth, he would be smirking. The other Bill leaned towards the last Bill. "Gimme details!" The three little triangles huddled together as whispers erupted. "Oh ho, that is scandalous!" The other one commented.

Dipper was getting red in the face, anxiety creeping in as he thought of what Bill might say. The triangle still had to explain who Daisy was supposed to be, but he may have a guess because she's the only one running through his mind. "Dude! What do you want from me?" Dipper said, exasperated.

"Oh, right!" Bill exclaimed before snapping his finger and before he knew, he became one again. He walked up to the boy. "So get this," his singular transformed into a mini-projector, emitting blue light. A photo of Stan's head appeared on the screen. "This fat little baby man Gideon hires me to, uh, I don't know-" the projection occurred,, depicting Bill's plan like he was doing a business proposal, prepared with a powerpoint presentation, "uh, hop into your uncle's mind and steal a combination to his safe or whatever?"

Dipper stared at the projector, his eyes furrowed.

BIll continued, "So the kid, can, I don't know, steal a deed and destroy your house or something?" He nonchalantly showed a graphic of Gideom's large hand smashing the Mystery Shack completely. "Pretty serious stuff," the show was over, and he turned off the projector that was his eye.

It was silent for a brief moment until Bill caught something lying on the ground. "Hey, what's this?" He picked it up, it was a paddleball. Bill began playing with it. "Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle," he mumbled.

Dipper was still reeling from the information he just received from possibly one of the most powerful beings. "You're gonna get Grunkle Stan's code by entering his dreams?"

Bill continued paddling with a casual stance. "Sure, just like I entered your dreams. And thanks for the compliment! I am pretty powerful. Hey, what's that?" He snapped his fingers and before Dipper could have the chance to think and process what just happened, he realized that his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

Gravity pulled him down as Dipper tried to cling to any leverage, screaming for help. He was falling through the sky, groups of clouds flying past him. Meanwhile, Bill's pose looked relaxed with his triangle head laying on his hand. "I bet you're wondering if there's a way to stop me." Dipper couldn't answer as he was still screaming. "Well, I don't wanna give you any hints, but I bet there's a way for you to follow me into his brain!"

He then pointed at something from afar. "Ah, there's the old man's head now!"

Dipper stopped screaming momentarily to take a look at a ginormous Stan head laying on the vast expanse of pasture. Bill had the two of them float near towards the target, until he stopped. He flew to where he needed to be; facing Dipper, as the same portal from earlier appeared once more.

"See you in your nightmares, kid!"

His eyes closed then opened. "You can't tell but I'm winking. You know, uh, one eye- okay, later, BYEEE!"

Bill went through the glowing gateway like a flushed toilet. Dipper looked down and realized that he was still falling, about to meet his rough demise. He screamed as the ground was coming near, but before the harsh impact, he woke up.

He was breathless when he opened his eyes. His face was sweaty as he scanned his surroundings. The TV was off, Mabel was on the ground fast asleep, but Y/n was already awake, rubbing her eyes frantically. She heaved a huge sigh, not noticing that the boy beside her was looking at her in concern.

Earlier...

A maniacal laugh echoed around the emptiness. She glanced around her to find the culprit, only to find nothing. She flitted her eyes around again until the laughing stopped.

Piano sounds accompanied a ringing voice as it sang a little jingle, "Daiiisy, Daiiisy~ Give me an answer, dooo~!"

Upon the horizon, a yellow triangle floated down with a singular eye closed. Arms stretched out as if he was a god descending from above. He continued singing despite not having a mouth– but Y/n was sure that the reverberating voice was coming from him, "I'm haaalf crazy! All for the looove of you!"

He hovered around until he was in front of her. Y/n was unimpressed. "Nice song," she remarked sarcastically.

"An 1892 classic, sung just for you!" He bounced around in the air. "I'm sure you missed me just as how I missed playing with you! Do you even remember who I am?"

She stepped back a bit at his close proximity. "Something tells me I met you before..." she said slowly.

"Does your brain need refreshing?" The triangle flew near and plucked a copy of her brain, dipping it in a bucket of water that magically appeared. "Name's Bill Cipher, although it's kinda my doing that you couldn't recall our first meeting."

"What?" She was clueless.

His one eye rolled away. "Oh come on, Daisy, surely that big head of yours can restore memories from 30 years ago!" Bill placed his hands on.... the side of his shape. "It's not that long, is it? You even kept the necklace he gave you!"

Instinctively, she reached for her collar where her necklace laid on. Ford? How does he know Ford?

"Oh my, you are so gullible! And stupid. And dumb." He laughed aloud, placing his hands where his stomach was supposed to be.

Y/n narrowed her eyes in irritation. She didn't want anyone to ever belittle her and her skills. "What do you want from me?"

"And why did the headless chicken cross the road?" The literal chicken without its head crossed between them. "Is for you to not know and keep your nose out of it!" He cackled before flicking her nose. "Okay, okay. I'll give you a hint. I'm not that bad."

Bill snapped his fingers and all of a sudden, Y/n was floating with him. "Wha-"

He swiped his hand to the left, and she felt whiplash from the movement of the room around them. Everything thrusted to the side and now they were in a dark, empty abyss. "Gideon Gleeful. Stan Pines. Mind. Code. Shack. Destroyed. Kaboom. Presentation over."

As a visual aid, pictures appeared around him out of nowhere.. Y/n's gaze wandered around possible hints but the answer was right in front of her all this time. She wasn't the moron Bill assumed she was. Clearly, this being was tasked to break inside Stan's mind to forcibly get the code for Gideon. How is he going to do that?

Her thoughts were cut off when a hand landed on her cheek harshly. She was brought back to reality– the reality being she's still with the triangle guy. She glared at him in offense. The slap didn't hurt of course, but the fact that he got to touch her made her annoyed.

"Boy, you kids sure love to overthink a lot. Here's some advice: clear your head. It would make it easy for me to look around for information I need when I enter your mind."

"As if I'll let you do as you please," Y/n challenged, crossing her arms.

"Why not? It would be so much fun! Look at all the fun me and Fordsy had!"

Hearing the name hit her harder than a smack ever could. Her veins felt like they were on fire, but her muscles were trembling. Fordsy? Ford? When she sought to grasp them, reflections of the past emerged. Ford's voice appeared to come in whispers. "Daisy, Daisy. Sleep tight, Daisy."

Bill groaned, annoyance seeping in. "Are we seriously doing this again? Come on, recover your memories faster. We're on a time limit over here!"

She kept quiet. She's had enough replying to his mockery. She kept her mind clear to avoid him reading her thoughts. She figured someone like Bill could do that. She just wanted Bill to get out of her mind as soon as possible so she could find a way to save Stan.

"You done?" Bill checked, leaning to the side.

Y/n promptly nodded, looking him directly in the eye, her arms remained on her sides. "Are you gonna leave now?"

"Because you said so... I have to leave," the triangle said, feigning sadness– if he could even do that. "Don't miss me that much. You still have to focus on fixing that portal!" He floated away from her, a portal hoving into view behind him. "See you in your nightmares!

"He'll see you soon."

She woke up with a sharp inhale, her eyes snapping open. Her breathing shortened for a bit as she rubbed her sleep away. The sun was already up as the light was seeping in. Noises from the TV entered her hearing and after successfully finding the remote within her reach, she turned it off. She just needed peace after that chaotic meeting with Bill.

Heaving a sigh, she rubbed her temples. "Bill Cipher..." That was the name of the triangle that visited her in her dreams.

"So you got that nightmare, too?" A voice to her left whispered slowly. Dipper looked down. "A triangle guy. I've seen him from the journal."

Dipper reached from behind him and retrieved the leathered book. He flipped through the pages and stopped once he saw a huge drawing. Bill Cipher, written in Ford's elegant writing. There were codes and symbols surrounding the triangle being with one eye. But it was seeing this particular page with drops of red that sent her mind into a frenzy. Was it blood? Was it jam? And why is this coming to light now? What was Ford hiding from her, then?

So many questions yet all of them are left unanswered.

The one thing she despised above all was someone keeping something from her, especially from someone she cared about. She simply did not enjoy being kept in the dark. Ignore the fact that she is literally doing to the twins what she despises right now. She pushed the uncertainty and nervousness down and remained blank. "Read it," she said.

"Beware Bill, the most powerful and dangerous creature I've ever encountered. Whatever you do, never let him into your mind."

An involuntary shiver ran across her spine. That was Ford's warning. He couldn't possibly write this in his journal if he hadn't encountered the being. The last statement seemed to haunt her. Never let him into your mind. More questions arise from that, alarms blaring in her mind.

"We have to stop him," she spoke. "Bill is planning to extract the code to the safe directly from Stan's mind."

A pointed gasp interrupted before Y/n could question Dipper's hesitant expression. Mabel was breathless. "Triangle..." she hyperventilated. "Stan's mind..." She puffed. "Code...!"

"Mabel, calm down." Y/n reached over and patted her hair comfortingly. "We'll stop him."

"You had that dream, too?" The girl exclaimed before standing up, startling her pet pig who ran away in fear. "We have to go now!"

"Dudes!" Soos came into the room in perfect timing, but he was panting out of breath. "You gotta help Stan! He's gone cuckoo bananas and his eyes are turning blue!"

The trio exchanged panic glances before discarding everything in the living room and following Soos into Stan's office. Opening the door, the sight of the old man greeted them. He was writhing in his seat like a wild dog. He grunted like he was having the worst nightmare ever.

In a panic, Mabel snatched the book from Dipper. "It is possible to follow the demon into a person's mind and prevent his chaos. One must simply recite this incantation."

Dipper wasn't feeling up to it, sulking. "Ugh, this is just great. I spend all day cleaning sinks and fighting bats for Stan and now I have to save him from some crazy brain demon?"

"But if we don't do anything Gideon might steal the shack! Or worse!" Mabel took the words out of Y/n's mouth.

Stan's screaming resounded and the four's attention switched to him. "Come on, Dipper," Y/n faced him. "Do this with us."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine."

A few minutes later, after hauling Stan over to the living room, the quartet managed to make the living room look like they were about to summon something– with the lights turned off and lit candles surrounding them. They all placed their hand on Stan's head as Dipper began orating the invocation.

"Videntis omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!"

Eyes opened to a place of black and white. Soos and Mabel made exclamations of awe as they slowly looked at their surroundings. Y/n couldn't believe that it worked, while Dipper was wary of the atmosphere.

They stood in front of what seemed to be a macabre version of the Mystery Shack. "Whoa, this is Stan's mind?" Mabel said to no one in particular.

Soos followed suit, "Huh. Figured there would be a lot more hot old ladies."

Y/n frowned. Now they were going to see what Stan really was. She didn't want that day to come just yet.

"Remember, everyone, we've got to look out for the triangle guy," Mabel warned.

"Yeah, look out for the triangle guy!" A voice arrived, and it was Bill in the shape. He held a cane fit for his size as he twirled it around.

"Look! He's a triangle!" Soos pointed out.

Mabel asserted, "You leave our uncle's brain alone, you isosceles monster!"

"Mabel, wait!" Y/n's warning fell on deaf ears as the girl rushed forward to Bill, but he was one step ahead, using his body as a makeshift portal and Mabel jumped inside. Seconds later, she was out.

"Gotcha!" Mabel exclaimed, but her hands were empty. "Wait, what?"

Bill's eye widened slightly in joy. "Ah, Stan's family, we met at last! Question Mark, Shooting Star, Pinetree," he paused, intertwining his hands together. "And who could forget our dear Daisy!"

Dipper jolted when he heard the nickname. He looked to his right to see Y/n staring right at Bill with an irritated expression. He didn't want to think about Bill's implication earlier in his dream at the moment.

Without another second to think, Bill had shot a hole in Y/n's chest– that Mabel's hand could fit through. Dipper screamed. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Never better," she smiled as a joke, when she didn't even feel anything. Ignoring the literal gap in her torso, she glared at Bill. "Get out of Stan's mind, Bill! You're never gonna find the code!"

"Hah! As if you can stop me! I am the master of the mind. I even know what you're thinking right now! "

"That's impossible, no one can guess what I'm thinking!" Mabel objected.

With a snap of his fingers, two tall, brightly-colored men stood in between Mabel. They looked like they were from an 80s film, and looking at them just made Dipper's eyes hurt.

"Whoa!" The first guy spoke in a weird accent. "Where are we, bro?"

"We must be in heaven!" The blue-haired guy in a cool jacket shrugged. "'Cuz I just saw an angel..." he crouched down to Mabel, who was wearing a wide smile.

"I'm never letting go of your leg!"

Bill floated boredly. "You're out of your league, kids. Turn around now before you see something you might regret." He tipped his hat in farewell. "Later, suckers!" Bill crashed through the wall inside the Mystery Shack and he was gone.

"Let's go," Y/n spoke, unimpressed that Bill could easily distract them like that. She began walking as Dipper followed suit after complaining to Mabel about the two other men with them.

Eventually, the main door to the Shack opened, revealing sets of doors. It didn't look like the normal Shack; it was disoriented and messy– like Stan. Eyes roamed around floating wooden boards, monochromatic decorations and such.

As Y/n scouted every possible room they might come across, they followed the descending stairs. There were separate territories for Stan's hopes and fears, but they decided to go to his memories instead, hoping to find the memory of Stan inputting the code before Bill could. That way, they could conceal it or keep it safe from him.

Memories of Stans played as they walked by them. Each opened door showed recollection from this summer. Soos marveled at the sight. "Whoa, look! All of Stan's memories!"

"Great. Sure there's plenty of memories of Stan bossing me around, can't wait to see more of that."

Y/n raised an eyebrow at Dipper's bitterness. His resentment towards the old man can wait. What's important was that they get to the code before Bill finds it.

So everyone went searching, opening doors and looking through Stan's history. One had Stan in his entrepreneurial days, his moments in jail, and even his times going on dates.

While walking, Dipper discovered a door with a symbol on it; the iconic pinetree on his trucker hat. Write on the door were the words, "DIPPER MEMORIES" with a boarded up sign that said "keep out".

"Look, guys! Memories about me..." Dipper said, stopping in his tracks.

"That doesn't seem like a good idea," Soos suggested.

"I just wanna know what the old guy really thinks of me," He replied, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel walked by, casually smiling, "We already know how Stan feels about us; he loves us! We're great."

Dipper wasn't satisfied with the answer, crossing his arms in contempt.

Y/n looked away, knowing that Dipper would still go inside that section anyway despite their warnings. "Let's just go. We're running out of time." She just hoped that Dipper would soon understand that Stan's actions are vastly different from his intentions.

Dipper took Y/n's cue as a distraction, quietly thankful. He slipped away from the group as a distraction and went back to the already ajar door and tip-toed inside. A hallway full of closed doors greeted him, accompanied by Stan's orders and mocking laughter. "Dipper, my back itches!" "Unclog the toilet, Dipper!" "Dipper, fix the roof in this sweltering heat right now!"

He stopped in front of a random door, twisting the knob open. He remembered this memory. "-No buts! Now go chop that firewood already!" Stan twisted the newspaper in his hand and smacked Dipper's head with it.

"Ah!" Dipper winced, glaring as he turned around and walked towards the stump meters away from the Shack.

Stan sat down on the couch beside Y/n who was sighing in pity. "Stan, why are you so hard on Dipper all the time? You make fun of him 24/7, and you give him chores. And whenever I volunteer to do them, you don't let me."

Stan whispered something to Y/n that Dipper couldn't hear clearly, making him lean more. "The kid's a loser. He's weak! He's an utter embarrassment!

"I just wanna get rid of him..."

Dipper heard enough, closing the door with a deep frown on his face. He went to look for the exit, bile growing in his stomach. He just wanted to get out of this place.

Meanwhile the remaining five went and opened every door that might lead to Stan's code. Y/n had looked everywhere all the while being wary of what the others might discover the longer they were in here. On top of the vexing hole in her chest, it was becoming increasingly frustrating that they hadn't made any headway in cracking the code. She became agitated when she realized that anyone could open a door with her in it and notice that Stan was younger while Y/n remained the same. Fortunately, no one was able to locate one.

Yet.

Soos opened one door, displaying a memory of Stan in front of the vending machine, pressing buttons. The contraption opened and he stepped inside. Imaginary alarms blared in Y/n's ears as Soos let the memory play. "Soos, wait, let me explain-" Y/n whispered harshly.

"Boring," Soos cut off, closing the door abruptly. And at that, Y/n raised an eyebrow at his uninterest. Did... Did Soos just call possibly one of the most dangerous secrets unfolding right in front of his eyes- boring?!

Y/n stood still, while the rest went forth, following Mabel. Said girl found a trapdoor with the words TOP SECRET above it. "Alright, guys, I have a good feeling about this door," Mabel said before opening it.

Everyone watched as a memory of a shirtless Stan played with his belly button, giving it a voice and feeding it. Y/n almost gagged at the sight.

"Sweet sally!" Exclaimed Mabel.

"Oh, we've been searching forever! What if the triangle guy finds the memory before we do?" Soos expressed his uncertainty.

Y/n narrowed her eyes at the handyman. It wasn't like Soos to worry. In fact, he's been taking this situation very lightly– making dumb jokes, laughing at the memories, and smiling with Mabel. Something weird was going on, but she didn't know what.

Mabel placed a finger on her chin. "If we wanna find Stan's memory, we gotta think like Stan. He's always hiding stuff, right?"

Soos smiled, "Yeah! Like how he hides his arrest warrants under that rug in the gift shop?"

Wait, how did he know that?

Y/n felt a shiver running down her spine at the information. Only she knew that because she's the one hiding them under that rug.

"Soos-?"

Her question died in her throat when Mabel found the same exact-looking rug in one of the hallways. "Guys, look!" She pulled off the carpet and lo and behold, there was a random trapdoor. Mabel opened the door, and there Stan was, walking towards his vault with the deed in his hands. He placed it inside before closing the safe. He inputted the code, but Y/n closed the door just as Stan almost finished his sentence.

"Ok, we found it," she said. "Now let's destroy it."

Mabel smiled without a care in the world. "Good idea, Y/n! That way Bill wouldn't be able to get his hands on it."

Yeah, and even if the memory was disintegrated, Y/n knew the code. And even if Bill somehow got a hold of it and gave it to Gideon, she could easily change the code to the safe before Gideon could break in again.

She just didn't want to let him win.

Mabel saw a nearby ax and was about to hand it to Y/n until Soos stepped in between the two. "Wait! Maybe I should do it. My big fat arms are great at destroying stuff!"

Okay, Soos was bothering her now, but she refused to admit it. What happened to the Soos who had put his trust in her to do the job? Oh, it didn't appear to be the real Soos when he lifted the door with psychic power. A blue aura shone through the door.

"Hey, guys! I just saw a memory of Stan roller skating and wearing short-shorts!"

Their attention turned to the other Soos who was unaware of everything that happened. The first Soos laughed– his voice different now. At least he found it funny.

His two eyes become one and his body morphed back to a yellow floating triangle paired with a bowtie and tophat. He was floating again. "I knew it," Y/n seethed under her breath.

"Sure, you 'knew it'," Bill mocked through quotes. "Pretend you're the smartest in the room,"

She glowered more. She didn't like people belittling her intelligence.

"Face it, you won't beat me! You all are simply too gullible for a powerful guy like me." If he had a mouth, he would be smirking. "Later, suckers!" He breezed away before the human eye could blink.

"Come on, we gotta save Stan!" Mabel exclaimed. Y/n was rearing for a fight and was ready to agree with the braces-wearing gal, until-

"What's the point?" A voice sounded from the end of the hall. Dipper descended from the set of stairs. He scowled. "Why should I save him, huh? I work for Stan day and night, and all he does in return is say he wants to get rid of me," the boy fumed.

The group was quiet, until Mabel spoke. "Dipper, I'm sure that's not true," she reasoned, trying to ease his increasing temper. Leave it to Mabel to handle her brother's mood.

"I saw it with my own eyes in one of his memories, Mabel!" Dipper shouted. "He's always picked on me and now I know why. Stan hates me!" Then, his gaze flitted to the person standing behind. His glare only deepened. "Isn't that right, Y/n?"

Soos and the rest gasped at Dipper's accusation.

"What?" Y/n croaked a response. She wondered how she got reeled into the conversation between the twins.

"You were there," he began. "You asked Stan why he picks on me all the time, and you heard his answer."

She couldn't say anything.

"I'm weak, an utter embarrassment and Stan just wants to get rid of me. Does that ring a bell?" Dipper emphasized his phrases, and each time she felt guilt running across her veins. Upon seeing her face shift into one of shame, he grew even more angry.

Mabel stepped in, not wanting to waste any more time. "Dipper, it doesn't matter what you saw. If we don't stop Bill, we'll lose the Shack!"

"No!" He whirled to her. "You know what? Not this time. For once this is one of Stan's problems I'm not gonna fix." He folded his arms and stepped back.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Come on, Y/n, we'll save Stan ourselves."

When she heard her name, Y/n was startled and hesitantly stepped forward. The rest of the group followed Mabel, eventually leaving the two in the hall. Dipper was glaring so hard at the ground, he could practically ignite a fire with his gaze.

Y/n bit her lip in anticipation. "Dipper, I'm not sure what memory you saw in there, but you know Stan will always have an underlying meaning with his words." She had a feeling that what he saw wasn't all there is to it. There must be some way to convince him otherwise, but she didn't have time. "I hope you change your mind in saving him."

She waited, hoping for a shift in his resolve. He didn't move.

She left.

The group ran after the yellow triangle, following the path of destruction he left behind. There was one hall where all the doors of memories were opened so they ventured through. Mabel brought out a nyarf gun that she was hiding in her sweater's pocket the whole time.

Y/n heard a distorted voice in the next hall and urged the others to stay quiet. They followed her steps to the monochromatic corridor to see Bill talking to Gideon. He was on his way to disclose the code to him just as Mabel aimed for the trapdoor before firing. The plastic bullet directly hit the door, smacking it out of Bill's hand and tumbling towards one of Stan's memories of the Bottomless Pit.

Bill chased after the falling door with a scream. "Ah! No, no, no! Wait, no!"

The Stan in the memory watched as the door entered the pit and was plunged into the darkness. "Whoo! Whatever that was, it's gone forever!"

The door closes, leaving Bill petrified. Y/n stood proud of Mabel while the others cheered her on.

"She did it!" The two brightly colored men bellowed and gave each other a high five.

Soos raised his fist. "The Shack is safe!"

"The deal's off!" Gideon hissed.

Bill stuttered, "Wa-wait, no! Wait-!"

"I'm switchin' to plan B!"

The call ended before Bill could reply, and theatrically, his yellow body cracked into pieces and fell to the ground as if he wasn't of use anymore. His triangle form came back, but this time, it was bright red– like a warning sign and the edges of his shape illuminated like lightning.

He turned around and glared fiercely. "You! You can't even imagine what you just cost me! Do you have any idea what I'm like when.. I'm... mad?!" He roared the last part in a low, demonic voice.

Immediately, Y/n pushed Mabel back and shielded them. Bill wasn't playing anymore.

Several foreign characters passed by Bill's singular eye. The letters reflected on them, and Y/n could recognize some of them but she didn't entirely know what it meant.

All of a sudden, they were surrounded by tall fire. Encircling around them as if creating a cage, a trap. With no escape. Bill raised his hands and the fire only grew bigger until it was a wall of hot, scorching fire.

They were lifted off into the boundless panorama of inky blue, pink, and dark purple, littered with stars.

On the other end of the arena, Bill made himself bigger, towering over them like a skyscraper. Instinctively, the group huddled closer. They had nowhere to go. Behind them was the edge of the platform and one misstep might cause their demise. Meanwhile, in front of them was a raging demon who didn't get what he wanted. Y/n wanted to think that this is just a giant baby who's having a tantrum...

...who has the power to eradicate their existence with a snap of his fingers.

"EAT NIGHTMARES" Bill declared, his hands producing electricity, flowing towards them.

"AHHHHH!"

Meanwhile, the boy in a pinetree hat was desperately looking for a way out of here. He was helpless as he opened almost every door that might be the exit, but to no avail. "Ugh, how do I get out of this place?" He spoke to no one else in particular. "Exit? Hello?"

He opened a completely random door, but it turned out it was the same memory of him chopping wood. "Aw, this again?" he grumbled, his anger coming back in less than a second, but he was just exhausted.

However, he didn't close the door. Not yet. It was pathetic of him to listen to it again. Maybe it's just he was hoping it wasn't the same set of words he heard earlier. Maybe he just heard it wrong. Maybe Stan didn't really say those things.

"He's a loser. He's weak. I just want to get rid of him."

Yeah, why did he even bother expecting a different scenario?

Dipper started closing the door, but memory Stan continued. "Hah, yeah. Those are all things people said about me when I was a boy."

"Huh?" He opened the door again to get a closer hearing.

"It was terrible. I was the biggest wimp on the playground!"

A door opened behind Dipper. A memory. A younger Stan– a kid, stood under the rain and received a soccer ball to the face, displacing his square-framed glasses. He sobbed before running away, boisterous laughter followed him.

"So one summer, my pop signs me up for boxing lessons. It was even worse than the school yard!"

A door opened, playing the exact memory. Young Stan was pinned to the ground by a kid twice his size. "Left hook!" He punched his opponent. Someone watching from the shadows– his dad, nodded approvingly.

"Y'know, at the time, I thought my pop was trying to torture me!" Stan's voice continued.

Another door. It was of teenage Stan lining up at the local theater. Grandpa The Kid was showing, and he was outside, waiting in a line.

"But wouldn't you know it? The old man was doin' me a favor all along!"

A suspicious-looking man came up behind a woman while Stan was up front. "Give me that bag!"

"Help! My purse! Help!" The woman screamed.

"LEFT HOOK!" Teenage Stan bravely turned around and punched the guy in the face, knocking him out.

The people around him began cheering for him. The lady gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So that's why I'm hard on Dipper," Stan told Y/n in the memory. "To toughen him up. So when the world fights he fights back. Look, it's working."

They watched as Dipper successfully chopped the wood in half. "I... I did it!" Memory Dipper was ecstatic. "Haha, yes!"

Memory Y/n couldn't help but smile.

"He's really comin' along!" Stan said with a smile. "When push comes to shove, I'm actually proud of him... just- don't ever tell him that. His head's big enough as it is."

She smirked at that, shaking her head.

Dipper from outside the door, grinned and placed a hand on the memory. But the memory hadn't installed some kind of invisible wall. Dipper accidentally fell into the memory, facing Stan and Y/n.

The two glanced at the other Dipper still very much chopping wood before reverting back to the Dipper who had just evaded their conversation. "Whoa, kid, what are you doin' here? Want a soda?" Stan flamboyantly flipped a hand and the can appeared in his hold.

"Wha- what the- how did you do that?" Dipper stuttered in wonder.

Y/n leaned on Stan's side, facing Dipper. "Word to the wise, Dip. We're in the mind! You could do whatever you can imagine here!" She demonstrated, generating two cans before outstretching her hand towards him, but he didn't take it. "What's wrong?" She tilted her head.

"I... I'm sorry,"

She hummed in intrigue.

"You were right," Dipper said. "Stan does have an underlying meaning with his words. He doesn't hate me. I didn't mean to be mad at you."

A short laugh resounded. Y/n smiled widely, "Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm a memory. Although, judging from your apology, it seemed that you didn't see the entire picture until now. So if it was up to me, I forgive you."

Dipper smiled gently.

"But you should probably be saying that to the real me. I'm sure she's still thinking of how to make it up to you. Just explain and I'm sure she'd forgive you too."

He eventually took the Pitt Cola in her hand and opened it. But before he could take a sip, he heard sounds; Bill's maniacal laughter, Mabel's screams, Soos' shouts, and Y/n's yells.

"Oh my gosh, what am I doing? I gotta stop Bill!" Dipper blurted out, leaving the can of soda behind.

Stan watched his great nephew go. "Huh. Fighting back."

Meanwhile, the gang was still being tormented by the giant, red Bill Cipher. "One nightmare, coming up!"

"Nightmare?" Soos asked anticipatingly. "Hope he doesn't mean that British dog man I'm always dreaming about."

A bright red laser zapped a spot beside Soos and indeed, a British dog man appeared in front of him. Mabel was hit by the red beam too, and her nightmare came true. Her skin changed into a sickly green hue and her braces were unbelievably bigger. Her voice changed low and slow. "What did you do to my cuteness!"

Bill didn't spare Xyler and Craz as well, getting knocked out by Bill's ray of light. They burned and vanished into space. "My dream boys!" Mabel cried out

"Don't think I forgot about you, Daisy!" Bill rubbed his hands together as he prepared a bigger laser. He pointed his black finger at her as she prepared for his attack. What are her nightmares consisted of? Sure, she is plagued with a constant state of anxiety but fear is a trivial thing to her. She began listing off things she's afraid of, and things she wasn't. Monsters don't scare her, poison is the least of her worries, bugs and creepy crawlers fascinate her...

"Hey, Bill!"

Dipper swooped into the scene like a superhero, flying around with a bright blue glow surrounding him.

Bill stopped in his movements, his eye widening at the sight of Pinetree. "WHAT?!" He was stunned. Who told Dipper that everything is possible in the mind?

"Nice bow tie!" The boy made a hole in Bill with lasers from his eyes, causing him to scream in a panic.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed in joy.

Dipper grinned back. "Guys! I just learned that you can conjure whatever you can conceive in Grunkle Stan's mindscape!"

Well how about that. Y/n looked excited, while Soos and Mabel remained confused. "Huh?"

"You can do whatever you can imagine!" She looked down at the gaping hole in her chest and when she lifted a finger, she was whole again.

"Woah!" The two gasped. Soos stretched a palm and the British dog man disappeared. "Ha, ha. He's dead now."

"What?!" Bill shouted, "Who told you that?! Don't listen to him!"

"We can do anything?" Mabel asked, a sense of exhilaration coursing through her. She made herself go back to normal. "Like have kittens for fists?" Immediately, her small knuckles turned into precious pink furballs. She began shooting them towards Bill, kitten heads firing from her sleeves.

Bill screamed, either from fear or annoyance- no one could tell- as the kitties bunched up and covered the large triangle area.

"Anything, huh? Soos loves stomach beam stare!!!" Those were all words.

Colorful question marks blasted from Soos' tummy and aimed directly at Bill's face. The being tumbled away.

Y/n bounced into the air freely, before doing a twirl and summoning a large sledgehammer and gracefully slamming it down his eye.

"AHH! Oh, my eye! AH!" Bill writhed in pain, kneeling down.

Mabel lifted her arms. "Rise, Xyler! Rise, Craz!" The two radiant boys emerged behind her back with musical instruments. Xyler played a key-tar while Craz handled the electric drum kit.

"No! Synthesized music! It hurts!"

This powerful being had some weird weaknesses.

"And now to imagine your worst nightmare," Dipper pointed at the triangle. "A portal out of Stan's mind!"

Mabel sang, "Out of Stan's mi-ind~!"

The gang closed their eyes tightly as a portal materialized under Bill's feet, planning to swallow him down. "No, no, no!" Bill wailed before he made everything white. Everyone was floating in nothingness. He became yellow again as he dusted his top hat. "You know, I'm impressed with you guy. You're a lot more clever than you look. Especially the fat one."

Soos leaned down and elbowed Mabel slightly, dropping his voice into a whisper. "He's talking about you!"

Bill spoke again, placing his hands on his side. "So I'm gonna let you kids off the hook. You might come in handy later. BUT KNOW THIS: A darkness approaches. A day will come in the future when everything you care about will change!" A six-fingered hand appeared on top of Bill- like a symbol. A sign. A forewarning.

"Until then I'll be watching you!" He tipped his hat in farewell. "I'll be watching you...!"

A wheel with eleven distinct symbols hovered around Bill, illuminating a bright blue. Y/n wasn't sure if she's seen this exact image before. And if she did, she must've forgotten. Before she knew it, Bill disappeared, his voice echoing. He'll be watching.

Eventually, their bodies began flickering rapidly. "Stan must be waking up."

"Will I ever see you guys again?" Mabel asked the two boys.

"In your dreams."

The group woke up on the living room floor, shouting in surprise. "We did it!" Mabel cheered after a moment of silence.

"What? Did what?" Stan voiced out, scratching his head. "What are you all doing here? And why was I dreaming of two brightly colored and radical young men?"

"Grunkle Stan, you 're okay!" Dipper expressed glee as he went to hug Stan. The older man was frozen in his seat, exchanging glances with Y/n who feigned the same expression.

"What is this, a hug?"

"Nope!" Dipper remained cheerful. "It's a choke hold." He went behind Stan and proceeded to wrap his arms around his neck tightly, making him squirm in his seat. Mabel, Soos, and Y/n laughed at that.

Dipper eventually let go as Stan chuckled. "Not bad, kid. Not bad." They shared a content look.

"I'm just glad Gideon didn't get into the safe. I really love this old shack."

"GROUP HUG!" Soos declared out of nowhere. No one batted an eye. He paused. "No?" He frowned. "I never know the right time!"

"I'll hug you, Soos," Y/n said, enclosing her arms around Soos' stomach. He gladly returned the embrace.

Dipper pouted. "Hey, I want a h-" The Shack began to shake, cutting Dipper off. "Hey, do you guys feel...?"

An explosion blew up and burst through the living room. It came from the office, launching everyone off. The quintet watched Gideon walk out of the destroyed wall. The vault was torn open, the furniture were wrecked, and the deed was in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pines family. Did I wake you?" He asked in feign pity.

"But... we defeated Bill...!" Dipper was confused.

Gideon retaliated, "Bill failed me! So I switched to plan B: dynamite!"

"What? Bill? Who?" Stan was left puzzled. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Spoiler alert, Stanford! I've got the deed! The Mystery Shack belongs to me! So get off my property!" Gideon then brought out a handheld transceiver, striding back. "Daddy? Bring it around the front."

"Don't worry, guys! It's just part of the dream!" Dipper tried to assure, but he wasn't even certain himself. "We're gonna wake up any second now! Right?"

Right?

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 18!

kimmiepines originally published: may 22, 2023 words: 11,003 words

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