#stan and ford returned from their adventures to spend the summer with dipper and mabel in gravity falls

[nope-4]

a/n: I wrote this a couple weeks ago and have not continued it since, so I decided to just post what I wrote

Danny was tired. It was exam season, the ghosts hadn't eased up on their attacks despite the stress he had with school, Jazz was off for college (meaning his parents expected him to pick up the slack and add her chores to his chore list...) he was more than tired. He was EXHAUSTED. You couldn't really blame him for what happened. ...at least that's what he's been telling himself.

Why is be being so dramatic, you ask? Well... he may have... sorta accidentally spaced out while flying and found himself waking up out in the middle of a forest full of pine trees. And this forest looked NOTHING like the forest in Amity park.

Now this wouldn't usually be a problem, right? Amity has such a big ectoplasmic presence, he could sense it from anywhere in the world! Except... as previously mentioned, he was physically and mentally exhausted, had barely eaten 3 sandwiches in the past week, hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep a night (some nights getting no sleep at all) for over a month now... and to make things even better, he couldn't even ask for directions to a nearby city!

Ever since the whole Pariah Dark incident Amity (as in the city spirit of amity park) had decided that staying in one place was "too dangerous", so she'd started moving amity around the US with no apparent rhyme or reason.

Maybe it was because amity was a rather young city spirit, but this didn't achieve anything other than getting the GIW out of amity (they weren't able to reliably track the city location quickly enough to get there before it moved again, and amity has developed a tendency to leave them behind while moving herself, at this rate they would lose their funding before they managed to develop a way to locate amity quickly enough)

All that to say he's currently lost in an unfamiliar forest in the middle of nowhere, barely conscious, just praying to all the ancients (that he hadn't fought) that he could get some food and sleep before anything hostile could find him in this weakened state.

So far he had only heard a few distant animal noises, and there was no way he was attempting to eat something from a forest (he might have grown up eating ecto-infused food, but that didn't mean he had no standards for the food he put in his body! He wasn't going to attempt to eat something from an unfamiliar forest!

Danny hadn't gotten any closer to civilization from what he could tell, and he was running out of energy way too fast. So in a move of rare intelligence, he decided to find a tree with a strong looking branch, fly up to it, and drape himself on the branch for some hopefully undisturbed sleep. He didn't want any big forest animals finding him while he was asleep after all.

- - - - - - - - dipper pov - - - - - - - -

"hey mabel, isn't it weirdly quiet here today?"

Dipper and Mabel had gone into the forest with hopes of easing their boredom (and more importantly, get away from grunkle Stan and Ford's bickering), but so far they hadn't seen even a single red pointy hat peeking out in between the pine branches.

"maybe there's some new creature in the forest today..." he voiced out loud, a small part of him still wanting to prove himself to ford by finding something he had missed in his exploration of gravity falls.

"if it's scaring away all the other creatures, wouldn't it be better to call ford for help?" Mabel replied, worrying they might not be able to deal with it by themselves.

"nah, we can totally deal with this! we survived bill's weirdmageddon, we can definitely survive some weird new creature! have some faith in our strength, Mabel!"

"yeah, you're probably right, there's no use worrying"

[genericnam]

Why, out of GF, Amphibia, and TOH, only Luz didn't have to leave her new world behind:

I've seen people complain about Amphibia and to a lesser extent, Gravity Falls, for having their series end with a goodbye; the main characters having to leave their found families and this world they've grown to love and return to regular life. But the thing is, the three shows all have MASSIVELY different morals, that each fit in with how the goodbyes (or lack thereof) work into the finales.

Gravity Falls has a large theme of temporary goodbyes and reconciling. Stan and Ford being the primary example. But there are others: Soos and Melony, Wendy and Robbie, even Dipper and Mabel to an extent. The show builds upon this with Gravity Falls being a VACATION, they aren't trapped there, they could theoretically go home at any time. Episodes such as Summerween and Dipper and Mabel Vs. The Future also build on the tone, telling that it's okay to both grow up and move on, but you don't have to leave behind what you once loved in doing so.

The final conflicts (Wierdmaggedon) are caused because of characters not being able to let go. Stan couldn't let go of Ford, Mabel couldn't let go of Gravity Falls, Gideon couldn't let go of Mabel.

Gravity Falls teaches the viewer that even if you love something, you have to let it go, and eventually it will return. In the words of Bill Cipher: "We'l meet again. Don't know where, don't know when. I just knew we'll meet again, some sunny day."

Amphibia has a similar theme of Gravity Falls, but it takes it further. Amphibia tells you that if you don't let go, sometimes things will only get worse. The primary example for this is the show's catalyst event: Marcy getting Anne to steal the Music Box. Marcy chose to go to Amphibia, rather than move away, and she dragged her friends into it with her. Instead of having a long distance friendship with Sasha and Anne, she took them to an alternate dimension in order to spend eternity on a massive adventure, and it got her killed. Marcy and Anne died and Sasha tried to kill herself.

And that's only Marcy. Sasha was a control freak that bordered on yandere at the height of her villain arc. Sasha couldn't accept that Anne was beginning to move on from the toxic friendship that the Calamity Trio had locked themselves into.

The trio were horrible to eachother, pre-character arcs, and they needed to focus on self improvement before they could even hope to be good friends. In the time between 'All In' and the epilog, the Calamity Trio would not have actually been able to be good for eachtoher. They say they forgive eachother, but that was forgiveness given during a WAR. Post show, the real feelings would start to bubble up. Anne's resentment for the betrayals, Marcy’s abandonment issues, Sasha's definite self hatred. The trio HAD to split up to have any semblance of a friendship.

Amphibia tells its audience that not all good things can last, and if you obsess and force it to stay, it can destroy you.

The Owl House has a completely opposite moral. It tells you to find your people, and fight for them.

Luz lived in the Human Realm, but it was never her home. Her home was with Camila and Manny, but when Manny died, Camila and Luz's relationship began to falter. That world wasn't her home. When Luz found the Boiling Isles, she was always supposed to be able to leave. This wasn't a summer trip she didn't want at first, or a one way portal. The Boiling Isles was HER choice.

Luz picked Bonesburrow. Luz picked Hexside. Luz picked The Owl House. Her home was always meant to be The Boiling Isles. She only started trying to find a way back to Earth because the choice was taken from her. Luz no longer had the choice to go back to the Human Realm. In fact, the only time Luz chose Humans over Isles was when she was PUNISHING herself for helping Belos.

Luz got to stay in the Boiling Isles because TOH tells its audience that where you start isn't where you should always stay. Find your place and find your people. And when you do, hold it dear and never let go. "Us weirdos have to stick together."

[writtenbyjos]

Starlight and Shadows: Gravity Falls Prologue #1

Prologue 1: Vagabond

((ALL FAN-FICTION RELATED CONTENT AND OC'S BELONG TO ME))

Gravity Falls, oh it is good to be back! I am BEYOND excited to share this with you guys, I've put my absolute heart and soul into writing this story, but I'm going to post chapters 1-5 whenever I can finally get them polished, edited and formatted the way I want. But this is the first prologue out of two that's going to set up the story before the story even begins. It'll introduce Eliza and Matilda, (Matilda's Prologue COMING SOON) and gives some context for where we'll pick up later in the story. It's going to be a full fledged story with all the angst, romance, mystery and adventure your heart can handle. To let you know what you'll be getting yourself into, we have a very charming and mysterious male antagonis with unknown intentions named Trick, changlings, vampires, the darker, more sinister side of Gravity Falls, inter-dimensional travel, heartbreak, a character who can see and communicate with ghosts, flashbacks and delving deep into some angsty Pines Twins content. What the people (AND ME) love to see. I've posted some artwork of my OC's, Eliza and Matilda if you wanna go check it out! I am so hyper-fixated on this fanfiction, its actually insane. Like, Gravity Falls has literally taken my mind and heart hostage and I am a WILLING participant. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! :) <3 Attaching the Spotify playlist I created to read along with the stories. Enjoy!!

(ALL GRAVITY FALLS CONTENT BELONGS TO ALEX HIRSCH AND THAT KING ON EARTH ONLY WE ARE HUMBLE SERVANTS)

Summary:

PROLOGUE PLOT:

The first prologue (Vagabond) revolves around the happenstance meet cute and completely chaotic situation that Stanley and Eliza find themselves in. Eliza is an ex-pageant queen hailing from a wealthy family business, but escaping to big cities to live out her dreams of being on stage while haboring a complex darkness she can't seem to break free of. But right now, performing nightly at a seedy variety club downtown with her two best friends will suffice. After a heist gone very, VERY wrong, Stanley Pines, hunky drifter, takes cover from a cop chase and drug bust into an alley where he stumbles through a back door-- and onto Eliza, in a robe, smoking a cigarette out the door before she goes on for her first set. Their meeting would set off a butterfly effect, and set many events into motion. And the rest, my friends, is history.

MAIN PLOT (IN PROGRESS): After a year of sailing the seven seas and repairing their strained relationship and re-discovering their love and zest for life, Stan and Ford Pines return to Gravity Falls to spend a highly anticipated second summer with Dipper and Mabel, fresh off the track of their first successful year of high school. Dipper and Mabel have been trying to figure out how to be teenagers under the strain of their parent's failing relationship while Ford and Stan have made a fortune from their research. But while still trying to re-adjust to normal life after the traumatic events of defeating Bill and surviving Weirdmageddon, everyone still feels weary of calm waters and still haven't found their footing. But they know as long as they'll have each other, they can make it through anything. After the reunite, it was as if they had never left. The whole gang is back and better than ever. But in Gravity Falls, all is not always as it seems... and when Stan's long time old flame Eliza resurfaces and her estranged, mysteriously charming lover Trick comes looking for her, he brings with him a looming threat that no one could have ever imagined. This would be the summer where everyone's lives changed forever.

It was a hot, soggy-aired late afternoon where the days of august seemed to drag on like a bad movie. In Las Vegas, you needed three things, a tough hide, a sharp mind and a little dumb luck. In 1978, 'Grease' had just been released, and dancing was the capture of everyone's attention, but anew kind. Big cities like these offered the opportunity for young people with big dreams to think they could take the world, where it was almost still possible for people to have hope for the future, everything was so unknown, so mysterious. Stanley Pines was no exception. After a disastrous attempt to pull off a heist that involved certain "illegal" and "counterfeit" goods, exotic animal smuggling and a fake ID ended in being busted by two undercover cops. Stanley was once again evading the arrest and capture as he hurtled himself through the busy streets of one of his favorite cities in the world. He'd become well acquainted with the unpredictability and excitement of las Vegas. In other words, Stan had successfully learned how to be a full time criminal, evading the grasp of the LVPD many times in the past year. But this time… this time he may have taken things just a little too far.

As his heart pounded in his ears, he made sharp turns on street corners, jumped over chain link fences and ducked into a few port-o-poties eventually pushing some sad sack off their tourist bike and making a mad dash for the south side of town, where he knew he could find enough chaos to blend in with or a seedy bar to hide in. He cycled through the sidewalks and lights like a race car on a fast track.

He had become addicted to the feeling of escaping the authorities, it was the same rush he would get when he'd do something to get him sent to detention in high school. There was still no feeling like it. But he was so caught up in the adrenaline of outrunning the police, he nearly crashed into a construction site surrounding a large pot hole gaping in the middle of the sidewalk. He swerved around and barely missed it, laughing as he looked back, pounding a fist proudly into the air.

"Suckers!" He cackled. But what happened next was no laughing matter. He felt a small bump underneath the tires and his heart sank as the wheels began to pedal slower and slower.

"Goddammit, not now, not now! Fuck! Shit!" He cursed to himself, pulling over by a brightly lit club and hopping off into its hidden alleyway. He examined the front wheel: busted. There was a giant nail stuck in the tire, presumably from the construction site he almost fell face first into moments ago. He grabbed his hair in his clutched fists frantically and paced back and forth, in a disheveled suit he had sticky fingered from an old thrift store for this exact occasion. He put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

"He went that way! We got him now!" He heard voices yelling from the street not too far away and knew he had to think of a plan and fast, if he didn't want to be locked up and sent off to the big house. He looked around frantically for an escape, and spotted a back door that was slightly open, cracked. He didn't think twice, just forward and lunged for the door, opening it and hurting himself inside. He managed to get himself through the door and flattened himself against the wall just as the cop car zoomed past the alleyway in the opposite direction, away from the club. It was one of his more graceful exits. But what wasn't so graceful, was his crash landing. He'd gotten his boot stuck in part of the ply wood that stuck up from the ground and fallen face first onto the dusty floor. Luckily, his giant nose broke his fall. He lay there for a minute, unsure if he could move his anything. He sighed and turned over to lay on his back, grimacing from the pain of falling flat on his forehead.

"Hey, this is a closed smoke session, buddy." A gravely voice startled him almost half to death, and it was coming from a short-torso-ed, long legged, blonde leaning against a door frame with a lit cigarette in her left hand, taking a long drag. Before he could say anything, she stepped over to him where he was sprawled out on the floor like a complete idiot about to make a snow angel with no snow. She was wearing nothing but a pink robe with fluffy cuffs and red platform heels—a specific detail that Stan would remember fondly for years and years to come. With every step closer she got, her heels echoed in the hallway full of metal shafts and a boiler sitting in the corner huffing like a train engine, presumably about to burst open. She seemed to walk in sync with the bursts of hot air, like the world was her stage and it beckoned to her every move.

"I—uh…sorry…" He scrambled to his feet as she towered over him, a look of annoyance plastered on her face as she took another drag and puffed it into the already clouded air. When he got to his feet and brushed his jacket off, he winced at the still open door that spilled into the street that he'd just been chased down. He closed it with two hands and huffed, turning back towards this mysterious stranger. And from this angle, he was almost stricken with how beautiful she was.

"Hey I'm smokin' here! Why'd you close the door?" She whined.

"I think you'll live." Stan muttered, catching his breath, searching around the room for something to barricade the door closed.

"Who the hell are you, anyways?" She asked, more inconvenienced than upset, watching him scramble about.

"No time to explain! Just help me keep this door shut, toots!" She eyed him suspiciously and crossed her arms. He looked at her with a pleading look and sighed, rubbing his eyes together with one fist. "Please?" He asked. The woman groaned and dropped her shoulders.

"Fine, fine." She said huffing. She threw him an old pipe from a pile of metal scraps and broken show signs in the hallway and Stan made a makeshift lock so that no one could barge in without exerting a good amount of effort. She came up right behind him and fastened a small chair and placed it underneath the door handle, making sure it was secure. She took her arm in his and put out her cigarette on a small ash tray by the door and lead him hastily to a small door down the hall. Upon entering, it looked like makeshift dressing room. He ran in and caught his breath, the lady shutting the door abruptly behind her.

"Y'know, most times I don't let strange men into my room until at least the third date." She said putting her hands on her curvy hips. Stan propped his forearm on a beam and wiped the sweat off his forehead panting a little from all the excitement. When his head cleared enough for him to realize she had just back handedly insulted him, he felt his face turn red.

"Hey! I'm not strange! Besides, y-you're the one who pulled me in here!" He said smoothing out his beige leisure suit and shook his head. "Strange men my ass…geez, women are so paranoid." He muttered under his breath, irritably. He'd had just about enough of today.

"How about I throw you back onto the street? Hello? I'm also the one who saved your ass back there!" She said, strutting over to him and poking an accusatory finger into his chest with force. "Where's my thank you?" She said crossing her arms definitely. Stan sighed and decided he needed turn on his charm to smooth his way out of this one, that is, if he wanted to stay hidden from Sergeant Amos and Deputy Jones. He grabbed her chin between his pointer finer and thumb, giving her a warm smile.

"Thank you, princess." He noticed her face flushed with a rose tint.

"I…y-you're welcome." She was trying to act big and tough, but Stan could see a quiver of weakness in her eyes, and he thanked his lucky stars for his natural wit and charm, and that he wasn't his twin nerdy twin brother.

"You got a name, sweetheart?" He asked. She gave him a look and smiled.

"Eliza. Like in 'My Fair Lady'." She held out her hand and Stan took it gently in his, grazing her knuckles with his stubbled lips. "But you can call me Liz." She said, walking her fingers up Stan's torso.

"My fair lady indeed….Liz, I like it. Pretty name for a pretty gal like you. I'm Staley Pines. But…you can call me Stan. Nice to meet ya." He said with an award winning smile.

"So, you man of mystery, I know I'm probably gonna regret asking this and regret letting you into my dressing room but, who or what exactly, did I just save you from?" She took a few steps closer with each word til she was inches away from his face, fiddling with the hem of his coat. He didn't know if she was pickpocketing him or just feeling him up. Either way, he didn't care.

Stan gulped and tugged on his jacket collar.

"See, if I told you, where's the fun in that?" He chuckled nervously.

"Oh look—my dressing room telephone…" She pulled away and grazed her hand over a pink rotary next to her lit up mirror and a few make-up brushes. "Hello? Hello operator? There's a strange man in my dressing room that won't leave me alone…" She pretend to be on the phone and twisted the wire between her little fingers, feigning fright.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you, just—just put the phone down, shortcake." He held out his hands cautiously, as if he were talking her down from the ledge. "But… how do I know you're not just gonna call the cops for real?" She put her weight on one foot and played with the belt of her robe.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me." She said bopping him on the nose.

"Meh, cut it out!" He chuckled, gently swiping her hand away. "Fine…I was uh, I was sorta being…chased or something." He said sheepishly.

"Or something?" She asked, holding back a chuckle. "Who was chasing you?" She crossed her arms.

"Charley and Hudson Combs, L.V.P.D. Precinct nine." Stan waited for her to make the usual judge-y, freaked out or doped out reaction he'd usually gotten from everyone else, but she never did. She just nodded and raised an eyebrow, pulling a box of cigarettes from the breast pocket on her robe. She lit another cigarette and motioned for him to continue.

"I was… s-supposed to meet a few fellas about getting a few tigers and an alligator down across the boarder. Know what? I shouldn't be telling you this. You need plausible deniability." He winced, but there was still no reaction out of Liz except a slow, exhale of smoke from her drag and a nonchalant shrug of reassurance. Stan sighed. "…But when I met up with the buyers to seal the deal, they turn out to be undercover cops! They tried to arrest me but uh…" He chuckled proudly. "Let's just say these hands can get away from anything, out of any situation. I managed to outsmart 'em and get them off my trail…maybe just long enough to buy me some time to figure out my next move. But twiddle-dee and twiddle dumber put a slash in every one of my tires! Gonna cost an arm and a leg, too.

"So how'd you end up on the floor of my Long story short, I've been trying to outrun these asswipes for half an hour now!" He exclaimed.

"Well, why the hell didn't you just say so?" She asked casually, still holding out her cigarette with a bent wrist.

"What?" He asked, surprised at her accepting nature…or was he skeptical?

"Why didn't you say that earlier? It would've made things a lot easier! There's a secret stairway that goes up to the attic, dummy." She said matter of factly.

"Well, in a city like this, who knows who you can really trust? Or if���if you're a guy like me…" He said shifting uncomfortably. Eliza half smiled, knowingly.

"A hunky drifter with a thrill problem?" She asked giving him a look down. Stan ran his fingers through his hair and shot her a hand gun, winking.

"Haha, yeah!"

"Wait here." She said, turning around briskly and meandering towards the back of her boudoir.

"Look, Eliza… I appreciate you and all of this but I don't exactly have time to wait. I need to figure out what the fuck I'm gonna do! What if they come looking for me here? I left the bike outside, I mean…I'm toast! Christ on a saltine cracker…" He took a flask from his pocket and guzzled down a large swig of whiskey.

"Calm down, mon cher," she had disappeared behind a drape and he heard her fiddling through what sounded like a dresser or drawer of some kind. "You're bumming my good mood. Besides, all you need, is a little wardrobe change!" She sang.

"What the fuck?" Stan muttered to himself. "What the hell does a wardrobe change have to do with getting me off the hook? So I can take a prettier mugshot?"

"God. Men are so lucky to have women. You're all hopeless. Without us, you'd be chasing your tails, itching your fleas and off starting wars." She called. "Oh wait, too late."

"That's debatable." Stan muttered, taking another swig of his drink.

"Hey pal, I have a strict alcohol policy here." She said coming around the corner with a new suit, some make up and a bag of mystery supplies. Stan put his flask away quickly and blushed trying to play it off cool. She set down her haul on her make up table and put her hands on her hips.

"No alcohol allowed." She frowned.

"Damn, you really know how to have fun, don't you?" He asked, putting it away.

"I said, no alcohol…Unless you're willing to share." Eliza extended her hand expectedly and Stan felt a sly grin grip at the corner of his lips. He shook his head and sighed.

"Guess I misjudged you, kid." He said handing her the flask. She twisted one the top.

"Guess you did." She said taking a giant swig, both alarming and impressing Stan at the same time.

"You nervous or something? What's got you so thirsty?" He chuckled, amused as she wiped her mouth with her arm and handed him his flask back.

"Pre-show nerves. And there's a very devilishly handsome stranger in my boudoir." She hummed.

"Devilishly handsome, eh?" Stan tried to appear more confident and put together than he really was and leaned on the side of her mirror, like he'd seen James Dean do many a time in the movies."Hey, what's the plan with those? This devilishly handsome stranger needs to make like a bird and fly out of here, y'know…unseen." He stroked his chin, looking at the pile of stuff on her table.

"Cops can't arrest you if they don't recognize you." She said smiling, holding out the suit for him. It was flashy alright, it was black with electric blue lighting strikes and a silky pant to match. She had picked out a wig with long brown hair, and a fake mustache to tie it all together. It was a stretch, but better than anything he had on hand.

"Huh. You really think this disguise can hide me from the cops? Don't you think it's a little too…sparkly? What if I just draw attention to myself?"

"Thats the point! If you were trying to outrun the law, the last thing you'd be doing is going to a sketchy variety show at a dingy night club. You'll be hidden in plain sight! Besides, I've never met anyone who can grow a mustache in under half an hour, Stanley." She raised her eyebrows and Stan felt his stomach settle for the first time all day. This might actually work.

"I like your style, kid. That's impressive. Crazy, but we might be able to pull this off." He said taking the costume and draping it over one arm.

"Are you crazy? Of course we will. I didn't grow up learning how to make myself eight years older with my pageant make up for the fun of it…" She paused and winked. "I did it to help disguise shady figures and get them into the witness protection program."

"Pageants, huh?" Stan asked, masking a snort. Eliza was amused that he didn't even question her comment about the witness protect program.

"Yes." She gritted her teeth and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Isn't Miss America supposed to be a role model or something? Like a goody two shoes in an expensive dress?" Eliza rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea." She shivered slightly and rubbed her arms quickly.

"You know doll, I did have this under control. But I appreciate the help anyways."

Eliza smirked.

"Right. Until you came stumbling in here with a broken bike and into the arms of a half naked stranger in a leotard? Yeah. Sounds like you have everything under control." She looked amused and Stan blushed. "It's a good thing you're cute." Stan puffed out his chest and cracked his knuckles.

"What can I say? I'm adorable! People can't get enough of me, even the cops keep ridin' my ass from here to New Jersey." Eliza giggled into her hand and adjusted her robe. Stan couldn't help his wandering eyes as they surveyed this lovely stranger he'd stumbled upon, literally, and the slip in her robe near her chest that was opening up just enough to get a better look. She was a good foot and a half shorter than he, with high cheekbones, long blonde hair and big, blue eyes. She had a small trail of freckles lining her nose, and they way her small waist and big hips swayed with every word she said, beckoned Stan to come closer.

"That's debatable." She smirked, turning around, hair hitting Stan square in the face. But he didn't care—it smelled like vanilla ice cream and babies' laughter.

He watched as she made her way behind a curtain and motioned him to look away. "Do you mind? I have to get ready… And you need to get into that suit, pronto."

"R-right, sorry…" Eliza slipped behind a pink curtain by the velvet couch and disappeared. He instinctively turned around and crossed his arms, hearing a zip and a tug here and there. Stan's face flushed and began to shed his layers and put on the blue suit while Eliza was still getting her dress on.

"Where did you say you were from?" She called.

"Uh…that depends. I've been banned in seven states including my hometown…"

"Seven states? No way." She said impressed "And you're hometown…Which is…?" She asked.

"Glass Shard, New Jersey. Born and raised. But like I said, I'm not exactly…allowed back. Got a lot of angry people with fake pitch forks waiting for me if I ever do." He chuckled.

Eliza peered around the satin drape and looked pleasantly surprised when she got a good look at Stan. And vice versa. Her robe had disappeared and she was now wearing a sparkly a two piece set, with a white, bedazzled, form fitting tank top and matching pants with bell bottoms and platform heels that almost brought her up to Stan's chest. She had on big, circle, blue tinted glasses and her hair was teased.

"Very nice. Very Bowie." She said signing Stan to do a turn around with her twirling finger.

"Not so bad yourself, toots. Damn. You're a sight for sore eyes. What I wouldn't give to be walking around the streets of Vegas with a gal like you on my arm." He took her hand and twirled her around slowly, ending her in a dip, locked in his arms. They stayed like this, locked in time for a minute and Stan's eyes wandered to her pink lips, so soft and so thick.

"I mean…if you play your cards right…" She said, the breath taken away from her by their embrace. There was a moment—just a fleeting moment—where he thought she might want to kiss him back, but before she could there was a knock at the door and Stan nearly dropped her on her head before catching her mid fall. She hit his arm and dusted herself off, scoffing. She put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to be quiet.

"Eliza? Your little girl group is on in fifteen. Sage Green is finishing up her last set." A male voice called from the other side of her door.

"Thanks Julio." She called, turning back to Stan, she sighed and went to get the fake mustache and matching wig. "Now then, after you put this on, you're on your own. I have a show to do." She took the mustache and applied a thin line of glue on its sticky side, and stood of her tip toes to reach Stan's upper lip. She stuck it under his nose and smoothed the edges, her fingertips brushing against his lips every now and then. Next, she fitted the wig over his head. Her hands pulling and tugging at his hair was doing more than he'd care to admit. But the look was pretty convincing…and Stan couldn't deny her obvious expertise.

"One more thing…" She reached for her makeup palette and grabbed a brush readying herself to work on Stan's face.

"Woah, woah, woah…that is not touching my face, doll face." He said defensively. "Guy's don't wear makeup! I'm not some kind of sissy." Eliza raised an eyebrow and snickered to herself, dipping the brush in a red color, then a blue, then a black.

"There is so little you understand about the world, Stan. Get your head out of your ass. Do you want to look convincing for the cops or not?" She asked. Stan looked at her, then the make up brush with powder on the end and sighed.

"Fine. But you better not make me look bad." He said. After a few moments of breathing in Eliza's perfume which was a heavenly blend of amber and childhood wonder, he began to grow tired of the poking and prodding of the prickly brush and wondered how the hell women could sit still and do this for hours when he could barely sit still for five minutes. He had a newfound respect. He liked having Eliza stand so close to him, he could hear all the small catches in her breath as she honed in her focus, their lips barely inches away from each other. "I still don't understand how this is gonna help."

"Of course you don't," she sang. "C'mon, admit it, you secretly love this. I know you do." She found his discomfort quite hilarious but Stan just groaned in annoyance.

"Oh yeah, I love getting stabbed in the eye. Feels like I'm kissin' a porcupine. Hey!" He flinched. "Be careful with that thing—you're—you're getting powder in my cornea!" He blinked, scrunched his face up and tried to rub the make up out. Before he could start messing up all her hard work, Eliza scolded him and slapped his hand away. "Great, just great!"

"You big baby. Hold still…" She hissed. "Aaaaand…all done." She stood back and tilted her head. She looked pleased with herself. "Take a look." She stood behind him as he checked himself out in the mirror. And he had to admit it, she make him look like an entirely different person. The wig and mustache combo made him look like a young and hip club goer, and the suit didn't look half bad. What really threw him was the fake black eye she had given him, he assumed with the red and blue make up.

Somehow, she had managed to re-sculpt his face with what little make up she used and he was amazed. He put his hands on his hips and beamed. "And thus, Stanwick Pinestone was born." She winked at him through her reflection.

"You can really do all this with make up?" He looked intrigued, admiring his newly sculpted jaw line.

"Duh! I told you! Make up is the most magical tool in the world. It can turn you into anyone you want to be; on stage and off. Now that's my kind of thrill. It probably doesn't beat illegally smuggling exotic across the Mexican border or being on the FBI's most wanted list, though." She eyed Stan who was rubbing the back of his neck."One thing I do know, is that those guys aren't looking for someone with a black eye and a mustache." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to one side with pride.

"Lizzy, you're a genius! But the good kind!" He picked her up by her waist without thinking and spun her around in the air. She laughed and gripped tightly onto his forearms, throwing her head back with pride. The thin, blue veiled skirt attached to her was it billowed around and twirled as she did. When he put her down they both took a beat and chuckled uncomfortably.

"I just meant—you—well…thanks. For this." Stan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You really are somethin' else." This time, he found it in himself to give her a real, genuine smile.

"Just don't get arrested, I will need that disguise back." She laughed. "And you know what? The mustache combo isn't a bad look for you, in fact, I think it's kind of sexy."

"Yeah, not bad, huh? Let's just hope its enough to keep me out of trouble…for now." He checked himself out in the mirror a few more times, smoothing his fake hair back and stroking his brand new stache.

"Not that I'm not enjoying our little pow-wow, but I do have to get to stage before they cut our act altogether. Are you good from here?" She asked, grabbing a little tiara from a shelf by the door and placing it on her head.

"I'm good from here…" Stan paused when he turned around and noticed the glimmering crown placed carefully on her head. "…Princess." He flashed her a smile.

"You can stay and watch y'know…if you want…" She said.

"Hey, I gotta act the part anyways, right? Can't give it away too soon." Stan said cooly. "Might as well stick around and pretend like I'm having fun. Y'know, sell the look."

"I swear to god, if my girls don't show up soon, I'm going to throw up." She said adjusting her hair and costume.

"Your girls?" Stan air quoted, squinting.

"Ellie and Betty…they're my partners. We sing together? In the variety show."

"What's your act?" Stan asked.

"We're all named Elizabeth…does that count?" She shrugged making Stan chuckle. "The Three El's…it's—it's a work in progress." He could see her blush in the mirror as she powdered her face.

"Oh joy. There's three of you?"

"Hey, I'll have you know we're very popular! Any day now and we'll have a real residency here in the city. Just you wait." She squinted and pointed, getting right up in his face.

"I have no doubt about that. Who wouldn't love you?" He said, coming off as way more confident than he felt, and it was secretly making Eliza's knees weak. She blinked and shrunk off her tip toes.

"If they show up…I hope they're okay. They know how important this show is for us! It's exposure!"

"Hey doll, cheer up! Even if they don't…who need's em? You've got that crowd in the palm of your hands. Knock 'em dead! Break an ankle! Isn't—isn't that what they say in theatre or whatever?" He asked, rolling his wrist.

"Something like that…You're not totally wrong." She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Course I'm not! I'm always right!" He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"And hey…" He lifted her chin. "If you need someone to play off of, I'm already dressed for the part, huh?" He stretched out his arms and did a turn around.

"You know, you're pretty alright. For a criminal." She winked.

"You're not so bad yourself, y'know… for a pageant queen." He replied. She looked side to side, taken a back slightly.

"How did you…my title?" She shook her head, scanning his face.

"I used to live in Jersey! A.k.a, pageant capital of the East. I know a first place tiara when I see one, kid." He looked up at the little, silver crown on her shelf right above them, picked it up and fitted it on the top of her head gently and she blushed furiously, stunted for words. He mustered all of the courage he didn't have and bent down to kiss her quickly on the cheek. Her face was completely red now, she absent mindedly touched the place he had kissed with her fingertips and smiled, immediately snapping out of it and the color from her face draining at the reminder that she had to go on without her two counter perfomrers.

"Well—partners or no partners! The show must go on! I've gotta get going! Shoo!" She ushered him out the door and she waved as she fled through the hall, but not before turning around, running up to Stan and giving him a quick, hesitant peck on the lips, returning the favor and leaving him stunned and frozen in place. It was…electric. It made him wonder what her lips might've really tasted like.

"Thanks for the drink, Stanwick. See you out there! At least try to act like you're having fun." She saluted him and disappeared into throw two big, double doors, leaving Stan to his own agenda. He already missed her, and wondered how could so much change in the span of half an hour, after having lived without her his entire life.

He entered the main stage area complete with a piano, a bar, a microphone and sea of weirdos clinking glasses and dancing with the disco music blaring from the speakers. He did exactly as him and Eliza had planned, he grabbed a drink, mixed and mingled and tried to stay as calm as he could. He was actually starting to feel like things were going to be okay, until he saw the two cops that were chasing him, slip through the back way and spill into the room. All sense of confidence abandoned him and he began to worry that their entire idea was a bad one that would put him directly in arms reach of the people he was running from. Stan anxiously began to shuffle through the crowd, dodging investigative eyes.

He started to panic, to fear, to imagine himself locked behind bars with no family that cared enough to come and find him. His thoughts were racing, till he felt pressure on his wrist. For a split second, he wondered if his time had finally come. But when he turned his head, he saw Eliza, practically glowing underneath the disco lights, grabbing a hold of his wrist.

"Eliza?" He pulled her in close, sure she could hear the pounding of his heart. She pulled away with a panicked look as well—had she seen something she didn't want to?

"Stanwick, I need your help!" She looked at him with pleading eyes, and Stan melted under the veil of sweet relief that he hadn't been caught yet. Her disguise was working. She pulled him to a back room behind the stage and caught her breath, fanning herself. "I'm going to kill them, I'm going to kill them!" She said frantically.

"Careful, sweet thing. You're still in ear shot of the cops, they came through the front like fifteen minutes ago!"

"Well, they haven't found you yet!" She said dismissively. "Look. You gotta help me. El and Betty—my scene partners, bailed on me! They were supposed to be in costume with their heinies on stage fifteen minutes ago, and no one has seen them! And I need someone to fill in for them and make this a duet. And that someone is gonna be you!" She took his shoulders and shook him.

"Woah, woah, woah there is no way that I'm getting up there with this—"

"You said you'd help me!" She frowned and it was adorable. "Consider it pay back for saving you life!" She put emphasis on the end expectedly.

"Doll, I can promise you, nobody, and I mean nobody—including you—wants to hear me get on that stage and sing. It ain't happenin'. Being a silent stage prop, now that's more up my alley." He said defiantly. Eliza huffed and looked around, as if to find an answer to her situation. "Besides, I thought you said you could handle it by yourself?" Stan said.

"Thinking about doing it yourself is a hell of a lot different than actually doing it by yourself, you know! I didn't think they'd really bail on me!"

"Not…happenin'." He said firmly.

"Look, if you help me with this, I—I'll get you a ride. Anywhere you need to go. I know a guy that works here at the club with a limo we can borrow." She said. Stan looked apprehensively at the stage doors, and then back to Eliza's pleading face. He must've been absolutely out of his damn mind. "Seriously, he can get you anywhere you need to go, but I can't go up there alone and sing a song meant for two or three people by myself!" She pleaded, clasping her hands together. Stan sighed and his shoulders dropped.

"Fine. Since you're practically humping my leg…I'll…I'll do it." He said begrudgingly. Eliza squealed, throwing her arms in the air and then wrapping them around Stan's neck happily.

"Thank you, Stan! I'll make it up to you, I promise!" She hung around his neck like a necktie.

"Kid, this ain't gonna be pretty. I'm warning you now." Eliza dropped down to her feet and grabbed his wrist, pulling him through the bustling dancers and to backstage.

"Just follow me, I'll lead. And…don't worry about those cop guys. They won't bother you." She said slowly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, kid."

The next few minutes were spent getting the stage equipment ready for singing, and touching up their hair and costumes. It was a smaller club, but everyone involved seemed to be eager to put on a quality show for their patrons. The stage lights shifted and Eliza and Stan stood with hand held microphones with anticipation, his bad and her's good. She took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze as the club owner, a tall man with about fifty gold chains around his neck and a mouth full of silver grills announced them.

"Give our little girl a round of applause. To continue our night of nostalgia variety show, Eliza and her—friend will lure us into a night of romance with their rendition of a timeless classic." He said, turning around to face them. He whispered to both them within ear shot:

"If I see those two, it's their heads and your ass. Don't fuck this up." They both nodded.

As the curtains pulled back, the heat and harsh light from the stage lights nearly blinded him, throwing a hand over to shade his eyes out of instinct. Eliza was already posing, holding the microphone like she'd rehearsed what spot to be in. She was absolutely beautiful under the glow of the overheads. But it didn't distract Stan from the burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. The last time he'd gotten up on stage was when he was faced with the decision to be in a high school production for community service hours or face suspension because he had busted into the gym and stolen equipment and left a half smoked joint behind. He was usually prepared for anything, but this wasn't something he was ready to jump head first into.

Stan immediately recognized the song being played on the piano as 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. This was gonna be rich.

Stan put on his ultimate con-man facade, to pull off one of the greatest scams ever, tricking this crowd into thinking he could sing. He followed Eliza's lead clumsily but kept up pace. He noticed the uproar in the crowed when Eliza's verse came on and her smooth as silk voice echoed through the microphone. She had the audience completely captivated, and as they came together in harmony, they soon both had them eating out of the palms of their hands, cheering and moving to the rhythm blindly. Eliza's stage presence was unlike anything Stan had ever seen in his life, she was graceful, smooth, confident and…shining. Literally, she was glowing like a star in the night sky. The way her hips moved, and how to crowd moved with her, was intoxicating. It almost made Stan enter late on the second chorus.

As they sang, Stan noticed the two cops swaying in the audience too, as if they had been dismissed from duty like nothing had happened. They even made eye contact once or twice and…nothing. It was like they'd been caught into a trance of some kind…weird. It got him excited enough to really let loose on stage and get caught up in the rhythm of his singing partner and of the song. He and Eliza made a very convincing duet, their chemistry was electrifying the whole room, wether they intended for it to happen or not. Without the fear of being caught, Stan finally let his fun side run wild. He busted a move and tangled Eliza into his arms at every chance he got, conjuring a few excited screams from the ladies in the crowd. After shedding his jacket and letting his gold medallion shimmer in the disco ball's reflection, a pair of underwear was thrown at him and he smiled egregiously. He hadn't had this much fun in years.

Then just as the song ended, the crowd went wild and cheered for the new not-so-power couple. He saw the two cops high five and leave through the front entrance. He had never felt so alive. It was a rush like he had cheated death or gotten away with murder. He and Eliza joined hands and took a bow together, exiting stage left to make room for the other performers. As soon as they were back stage, they burst out into laughter and embraced passionately.

"That was so fucking awesome!" Stan let out a belly laugh, spinning Eliza around in his big arms. "Did you see those moves? I was on fire!" He cheered.

"And to think you tried to tell me that you couldn't sing! You lair! That was amazing!" She pushed a pointer finger into his chest. "I don't think I've ever seen someone throw underwear at a variety show!"

"I've never done anything like that before…I felt so alive. Being there with you—kid—that was…thanks. And…the way you saved me from jail tonight, nobody's ever stuck out their neck like that for me before."

She gave him a warm smile and looked at her feet.

"Don't mention it. You saw them leave too, right?"

"Walked right out that door after looking right at me right in the face! Idiots! Don't know how the hell that happened but who am I to argue with fate?" He ran his hand through his hair, still shaken up by that entire performance.

"Do you…still need that ride?" She looked up at him, a twinge of sadness in her big, pale, blue eyes.

"Well, I mean…if I got those guys off my back, maybe I could…stick around town a little longer. Y'know if the mood strikes me. I've got places to be and suckers to scam. Y'know how it goes." He tried to play it off as aloof, but wished he could just take her in his arms and never let her go again. Because the thought of walking away from someone like her was almost unbearable to think about. Funny how fast things can change on a dime.

"Well, you're always welcome on my dressing room couch. I could use a partner like you…maybe I'd actually be able to get out of this city, make a name for myself." She glanced over to the stage doors.

"Look, I know I con people for a living, so take what I say with a grain of salt but kid. I'm being honest when I tell you I've never heard a voice like yours before. And I've even been to Minnesota!" He barked.

"Thank you, I think?" She half smiled, unsure wether to take it as a compliment or not, considering who she was talking to. Nevertheless, she couldn't ignore the feeling in her chest, that felt like the warm glow of a sunset on an august evening like this one, where everything seemed absolutely perfect. They paused, unsure of what to say but very sure that neither of them wanted to part ways yet.

"Do you…I was supposed to get dinner with the girls but…they aren't here so…" She said twirling her hair anxiously.

"Girls shmirls…They didn't even bother to show up! I mean, you'd have to be pretty dumb to pass up an opportunity like that." He said.

"I just hope they're alright…It's not like them to miss a performance." She rubbed her arms, shivering slightly. Stan realized how cold it was back stage now that they were out from under the heat of the moment and of the crowded, musty stage room. He paused, then draped his suit jacket around her arms.

"I'm sure they just just got caught up in traffic or they're doing lines somewhere. Isn't everyone these days?" Stan smiled at her. "But hey, I gotta admit…kinda glad they didn't show up." Eliza blushed and pushed a strand of loose hair out of her face, almost completely engulfed in how big the jacket was, and how small she was.

"Yeah, who needs 'em anyway?" She said. It was then that Stan noticed a little dimple in the left corner of her mouth and a small gap between her front teeth. She was about as adorable as they come.

"So, you were inviting me to dinner?" Stan chuckled.

"It's funny…I seem to remember you offering to pay." She said sneakily.

"Hey, hey, woah…Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, what kind of man would I be if I enforced those toxic stereotypes? This ain't the nineteen-fifties anymore, baby. But if you're nice to me, maybe I'll buy you a shake."

"What a gentlemen." She said sarcastically.

"Come on, let's get out of these clothes. The sequins on this damn top are making my tits itch." She pouted.

"What happened to the 'third date' rule?" Stan put his arm around her and pinched her cheek. "Did'ya finally find your exception?" He grinned from ear to ear.

"Not a chance." She said putting her head on his shoulder as they walked to her dressing room. "I just don't wanna be worried about getting burger grease on this outfit."

They got back to her room, just as they had left it. Stan felt as though his life was now divided into two parts, before he met Eliza…and then everything that comes after. She freed herself of his grip, and disappeared again behind her changing curtain. Stan looked long and hard in the mirror before he took off his disguise. Was this some divine intervention to get him off the streets for good? Was Eliza some kind of heaven sent protector? He glanced over to a pair of arms that were held up and visible above the curtain rod. Her top was coming off and she stretched, letting out an adorable little grunt.

He changed back into his old clothes, that felt sweaty and smelled like cigarettes. His reflection turned from hunky drifter back to a lost, disheveled, low-life, con-man. Far from the world of glitz and glamour that he'd just been exposed to. He slumped his shoulders and sighed. Where had everything gone so wrong?

"Stan?" Eliza appeared in the mirror next to him, brushing his arm. She had removed her make up and her hair was now up in a messy ponytail, her small stature being devoured under the fabric of a baggy hoodie. The dark circles under her eyes were more evident now, she looked tired. Normal. Angelic.

"Nice to know you're still there under all that make up." Stan teased. She shoved him lightly in the arm and gazed at herself, standing next to him. Maybe she wouldn't let him in on it yet, but seeing them stand side by side brought her a great deal of comfort to her.

"Nice to know you're still an asshole under that wig." She reciprocated.

"Touche." He muttered. "So this is you? The girl behind the pop star?"

"I can be both…" She fixed her hair slightly and sighed.

"I don't know about you, but you better be careful, baby. I could get used to this." He chuckled and turned to face her, running a hand through her hair. She let her face rest in his giant palm and before either of them could think, they both leaned in, their lips touching at last. It was the perfect kiss, tender with purpose and meaning. Stan cupped her small face into his hand and ran his thumb along her ear. After what felt like an eternity of bliss, they pulled apart and looked at one another. Neither of them would admit it, but this was the first time in either of their lives that they felt they had been truly seen by someone else.

"Well, I could get used to that." Eliza said smiling. She was about to lean in for another kiss when she purposefully missed his mouth and whispered something in his ear instead. "Shakes first, kissing later." Stan shivered at her voice in his ear.

"You're making this so hard." He teased. Eliza looked down at his pants and then back up at him with a raised eyebrow and a smug look.

"No… just you." She bopped his nose and took his arm, leading him out the back door into the alleyway where he had entered from. He followed up with a loud, 'HA' and pointed a finger gun at her quick-witted remark.

"You're trouble alright…I like trouble….Maybe if you're sweet to me who knows where the night'll take us?" He escorted her down the street and into the bustling Vegas street.

"Who knows? If you buy me dinner, I might be nice to you." Stan stopped in his tracks and gave her a long knowing look. She was the one. He was done searching, but he'd never admit it to her, not till he was sure she felt the same way.

"What?" She asked, still holding his hand.

"Nothin'. Just thinking about how good that shake is gonna be when you pay for it." He chuckled and tickled her waist, bringing her back into a warm, tight embrace. They walked together, side by side, hand in hand to a greasy old diner underneath a train track that looked like the toilet water would give you sepsis, but as far as they were concerned, it was absolutely magical.

The rest of the night went off without a hitch, she laughed at all his jokes at the right time, and he listened when she told him about her dark and twisted past with American beauty pageants, her strained relationship with her mother and step father and how she planned to take over broadway one day. It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. It was no secret both of them had had it hard the past few years trying to make it on their own, but they agreed that finding other people to sit in the shit-storm with you, made it considerably less horrible. It was the start to the beginning of a new chapter for both of them and they could feel it. It couldn't have been a more perfect night, and Stan even paid for the shakes.

[damnghouligans]

Rewatching GF may have saved my brain from complete annihilation….. but I miss the rush :(

I offer post-series headcannons as consolation:

- the Stans had a GREAT time having to explain to the family wtf happened with Ford…… they basically said they were in witness protection and Stan broke the rules. If you say it with enough conviction, people believe you.

- the Pines return to gravity falls in the summers throughout Mabel and Dipper’s high school years to spend time together��. Things change, however:

- Wendy finally did move to Portland! She left for college and stayed, but she comes and visits her family often.

- we have little sooslets running around!! Stanley, Laura, and Lucia. They’re all girls. :)

- Pacífica eventually opens her own restaurant and cuts her family out… mostly. Their relationship is complicated

- all the kids all have frequent communication via social and text and video calls… which is great because eventually everyone leaves or changes or has different schedules. Yall know what it is. Time is fleeting and all that jazz.

- the Stans take the kids with them on their adventures when the kids are adults. The whole Paranormal TV show thing??? Takes WAY off. The Pines are world famous. Sort of like a weirder crocodile hunter situation

- McGucket’s hut is pretty much entirely honkified!! Fiddleford throws a big hootenanny cookout every summer for the town, and uses pretty much the entire mansion as a lab/playground.

- He and Tate run McGucket Labs Enterprises together. They’re pretty much what Musk and Jobs wish they were …. But way more fun

- mcgucket is pretty billy gibbons coded now. Still as fun and unassuming as before but with better teeth and nicer overalls. And occasional shoes. But only well worn ranchers boots. He’ll be damned if he’s gotta wear them fancy foot prisons.

- When Fiddleford’s not making the world a better place through his inventions, he’s basically the worlds best OP artificer to the Stans

- Ford was kinda….. weird when seeing Fiddleford again for the first time after the Stans sailed off. Because they were back in town to ask for something and Fiddleford was all too happy to oblige. Which is great…. But ford still feels bad about all of the hurt he caused.

- Stan pressed him on it and Ford talks out loud with no real point… just talks about college and their time in the lab together. The gloves Ford’s kept all these years. The globe. Frilliam. All of it. How the guilt absolutely kills him inside. How excited he is to see his friend anyway. He nervously talks about the gifts he’s bought Fiddleford across the globe in hopes of somehow making it up to him. In hopes of ….. idk, salvaging a glimmer of what was somehow….

- Stan clocks Ford’s crush immediately. Fishing out the backstory was to figure out how that crush came to be, and now….. well it sounds like the feelings are mutual. Or at least WERE once upon a time. McMillionare’s rich now, and he’s actually really nice from what Stan knows of him. Beats the shit out of the triangle, anyhow …. Fuck it. He’s playing matchmaker now. 12 year old Mabel would have been proud.

- yes this is ABSOLUTELY a fiddauthor fic idea. They’re end game and you won’t tell me otherwise.

[nataliedanovelist]

GF - Braid Braid

Summary: One day Mabel asks her Grunkle Ford to braid her hair, but ever since he went out to investigate an anomaly with Dipper instead, the fact he couldn’t deliver her simple request plagued him.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, Ducktective, it seems you’ve quacked the case.”

“Quack, quack, quack.”

Mabel laughed as she continually brushed her hair; the show may have ended ten months ago, but she was convinced that Ducktective was real and would never die, so she happily watched reruns whenever she could. She sat in her grunkle’s chair with her case of hair things, having already finished her sweater for the day, and she planned to play with her long hair while she watched TV. She heard footsteps and casted her eyes to her left. Soon an old nerd came into view and she grinned. “Hey, Grunkle Ford!”

“Hello, my dear.” He smiled at her. “What are you up to?”

“Just watching TV.” She then lit up as a brilliant idea came to her and she held up her hairbrush and glittery bag full of hair clips and hairbows. “Wanna braid my hair?”

Ford held up a hand as he smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Mabel, but I don’t know how to braid hair…”

“I can teach you if you want!” The girl offered happily. “I bet you’d be great at it!”

Just then, Dipper came down the stairs called, “Hey, Grunkle Ford! Ready for our mission?”

“Indeed!” Ford gave him a high-six and the boys headed for the door.

“Where are you two going?” Mabel asked.

“I convinced Ford that we should investigate the Hawktopus further.” Dipper answered. “No anomaly is too stupid to look into.”

“We’ll be back by dinner.” Ford promised as he opened the door. “If not, then assume the monster ate our flesh.”

“See ya later, sis!” Dipper called and the boys were gone.

“Bye!” Mabel yelled after them through the door happily, but her happiness slowly went away as sad thoughts occupied her brain. “Have fun. Without me.”

The teenager slumped in the chair, the sounds of the TV unable to penetrate her thoughts. She knew her grunkles loved her very much, but sometimes she wondered if Ford liked Dipper way better than he liked Mabel. She could understand Ford liking Dipper a little bit more than her, because they were so similar, but it sometimes felt like the Sweater Twins only had sweaters in common and that’s it.

The more Mabel thought about it, it was no wonder Ford liked Dipper way more than he liked Mabel. Stanford Pines was an experienced scientist who had been all over the Multiverse, traveling for thirty years, and was as tough as nails and as strong as an ox; no one like that would want to hang out with a girl who likes glitter and make-overs and other girly things. No wonder Ford would much rather hang out with Dipper than her. Mabel didn’t blame her uncle, but it still kinda hurt.

She wished there was something they could both do. Something Ford and Mabel liked to do. Something no one would only be doing to spend time with the other. Mabel loved adventure and weirdness and exploring, but maybe Grunkle Ford only wanted that to be a Dipper and him thing, which was fine! So Mabel racked her brain for anything he would want to do with her, but she couldn’t think of anything.

To get her mind off of it, she went into the kitchen to get a drink of Mabel Juice and then to maybe hang out with Grunkle Stan, play some cards or throw water balloons at each other. She didn’t really feel like playing with her hair anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Hawtopus investigation proved to be more difficult and more enjoyable than Ford had predicted, so after dinner and the kids had gone to bed he yawned into his hand and ventured into his bedroom to take a shower and go to bed. He entered the clean space and slipped off his trenchcoat to hang it on the coat track, and as he did so his eye caught something bright purple and sparkly. He smiled as he saw a bundle messily wrapped with coloring paper and tied up with red ribbon, glitter added for some “pizzazz” as Mabel would have called it.

Ford gently picked up the package and sat on the couch with the gift on his lap. He couldn’t contain the huge smile on his face as he unwrapped the gift. There, cushioned in wrapping paper and on his lap, was a brand new sweater. Ford grinned and held it up for a better look at the new turtleneck. It was blue, his favorite color, and had a beaker with atoms swimming around it, something science-y for him to display proudly on his chest. Mabel had made him a sweater once before, a new red one with a golden six-fingered hand on it, and now he was honored with two sweaters.

He made a mental note to thank Mabel with hugs in the morning. As he stripped for his bath and turned on the shower, he wondered how in the world Mabel found time to do this, to make so many sweaters in such a short amount of time; she seemed to miraculously make a sweater every day! Then his mind toyed with the idea of her working on the sweater while watching TV, but then he remembered that Mabel had been doing her hair and had asked Ford to braid it.

Under the warm water, the old scientist felt like a rock had been dropped in his stomach. He realized he might have hurt her feelings to choose to bond with Dipper rather than her, considering the boys always seemed to be together. Ford was aware that he accidentally showed favoritism in one twin, something he completely didn’t intend to do, and not only had he done so, it had hurt Mabel’s feelings. He had hoped countless messages and phone calls and video chats between summers had assured Mabel that Ford cared about her, but it was very possible that she might need a reminder every so often.

To make it up to her and to reward her for her kindness and patience with a special treat, Ford racked his brain for what to do for her. The only thing that stuck out was the way she had innocently asked her grunkle to braid her hair. Taking into account that no one in the family seemed to do “girly” things with her, at least not nearly as much as she does “boyish” things with the men in the family, Ford made up his mind.

After the shower and dressing in his new sweater, dark pants, and trenchcoat, Ford snuck out of the house to do some research. The library was closed, but Ford had no problem sneaking in and settling in a desk at the dead of night, reading books on the History of Braids and the Origins of Dreadlocks and literally any hair-themed book and magazine the library had; he even read up on hair-dying techniques for whenever Mabel had the desire to try something new.

The books didn’t feel enough. After a quick cup of coffee at a gas station, Ford hurried up the hill for his best friend’s manor. He knocked on the door urgently and waited a minute or two for Old Man McGucket to come to the door, rubbing his eyes with a bathrobe over his green flannel pajamas. “St-Stanford? Whazza matter?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, buddy, but it’s very important.” Ford pressed, his arms full of books and magazines he had borrowed without permission from the library. “I need to learn how to braid hair for Mabel and I was hoping I could use your mobile computer.”

Fiddleford blinked through his thick green glasses and smiled a half-toothy smile. “This is an emergency. Anythang for Lil’ Sweet Tea! C’min, c’min. Want some coffee?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

Long into the night, the old researchers acted just as seriously as they did back in the day, except they weren’t unintentionally creating a gateway to Hell. McGucket dug up some more books from the Northwest’ private book collection in the lounge and Ford used the laptop to do some more recent, or “trendy”, findings. To he and McGucket’s amazement, the internet was full of videos showing exactly how to do all sorts of hairstyles. From coloring hair to cutting it to braids and ponytails, all kinds of hair from straight to messy curls to somewhere in between could be learned to tame with a few clicks on a computer.

“Bingo!” Ford said, readjusting his glasses, and he quickly got to work, just as enthusiastic as he was about earning another PhD or discovering a new anomaly. Fiddleford had a very hard time keeping the smiling eyes off his friend as he watched him get so excited about a feminine activity, one both men had been deprived of due to a lack of females in their lives but were eager to explore.

The next morning, Mabel yawned into her fist and skipped cheerfully down the stairs for a glass of orange juice to start the day. She heard the front door open and close and she was surprised to find Ford coming home. “Grunkle Ford, wh… Aw! You’re wearing your new sweater!”

Ford grinned and nodded. “Yes, I absolutely love it! It’s almost as beautiful as you, my dear. Thank you very much.”

Mabel blushed and drank some juice. “You’re welcome! So, where have you been? Out on a morning walk?”

“Something like that.” Ford said with a shrug. “So, would you still be interested in me braiding your hair?”

Mabel gasped and cried out, “OH, YES PLEASE! I’ll be right back!” And the young girl ran off to get her bag of hair things.

Ford sat himself in his brother’s chair and Mabel soon returned and plopped in his lap when he petted his right leg for her. Mabel gave him the hairbrush to detangle her bed-head and said, “Okay, so it’s easier to start by parting it into sections…”

“Oh, don’t worry, my dear.” Ford said calmly as he brushed her hair lovingly. “I’ve done my research.”

Mabel had on idea what he meant by that, but she shrugged and decided to let him do as he pleased. She had braced her skull for a bit of tugging as it was sometimes difficult to brush tangled hair, but Mabel was pleasantly surprised to find Ford being as gentle as a kitten and brushing her hair so gently she could hardly feel the pull on her scalp, and yet she could feel the knots becoming undone and progress being made. She grinned and said, “Wow, Grunkle Ford, you’re really really good!”

It was a good thing she couldn’t see how red his cheeks turned. “Well, thank you, sweetheart. You truly have very beautiful hair.”

“So do you! It’s so fluffy and cute! After you braid your hair can I braid yours?”

Now Ford’s whole face was as scarlet as a king’s robe. He knew his hair was a bit harder to manage than Stanley’s but he never considered it to be cute or fluffy. “I see no reason why not.”

“Yes! I’m so excited! You really are very beautiful, Grunkle Ford.”

Okay, who gave this young lady permission to be this adorable? There were several dimensions in which it was illegal. “Th-Thank you, Mabel, but really I’m not… B-Beautiful is a more suitable term for wom-”

“Nu, uh!” Mabel interrupted and shook her head only a little bit, trying to be still for her uncle as he brushed her hair. “Daddy says anyone and anything can be beautiful. If a flower or Christmas lights or an animal can be beautiful, then girls and boys can be beautiful. And also girls and boys can be handsome!” Mabel added to drive her point further home.

Ford chuckled and it made his niece’s chest feel warm. “That makes sense. Thank you, Mabel. So, did you feel well last night?”

“Yeah! I had a really funny dream!”

“Oh, what was it about?”

The conversation spilled into swapping stories of past dreams. While Ford’s dreams from the past mostly contained nightmares, he could recall a small handful of dreams that were positive spins on his imagination and he happily recalled them with Mabel. As their talk flowed so easily, like water, Ford detangled all of Mabel’s beautiful hair and then began to braid. He wanted to impress her with something big and elaborate, but he wasn’t confident in his skills yet and this was his first attempt, so he met in the middle and did something a bit more complicated than a simple braid but he wasn’t nearly ready for a boho wedding braid.

With his tongue between his teeth, Ford carefully tied the braid close and held his polydactyl hands away to inspect his work. “Okay, I think I’m done.”

“I wanna see, I wanna see!” Mabel squealed and pulled out a mirror to see her uncle’s work. She was silent with a hard-to-read expression on her face as her eyes fell on her reflection. She tilted her head and the mirror to see the back of her head to see the braid and remained silent.

The braid started as two side braids at the back of her head, but they trailed down and combined into one big, lush braid that hung loosely from the bottom of her skull and trailed down her back. There were one or two times the braid didn’t match the rest of the hair piece and Ford thought the big braid was too loose now that he took a second look at it.

His face fell a little as he was concerned that she didn’t like it and was trying to hide her disappointment. Ford knew he should have interviewed some hairdressers before attempting to do Mabel’s hair, but he had been so excited that he had become reckless, just like always. “I’m sorry, Mabel, I understand if you don’t like it…”

“I LOVE IT!” Mabel had finally conjured up the strength to grin, the wind had been knocked out of her from pure delighted shock, and her eyes were filled with tears and her lips trembled as she admired Ford’s work. “IloveitIloveitIloveitILOVEIT!!!” She squealed loudly and was bouncing in Ford’s lap. “Look, Grunkle Ford, look! You did SUCH a good job! I’m so pretty now! That’s the best braid I’ve ever seen! ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!” And she spun around to kiss his cheek and she hopped off of him. “I’m gonna go show Dipper! DIPPER! LOOK WHAT GRUNKLE FORD DID!” Mabel yelled as she ran as fast as she could.

Ford was as still as a statue as his niece’s kind words ringed in his ears like cheerful bells. He wanted to smile, but all he could manage was a tearful look as he used all his might to try not to try, his eyes wet and shiny and his lips pressed together. He chuckled at himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose and composed himself. Soon Mabel was skipping back to him and leaped back into his hold to hug him and nuzzle her face in his shoulder.

“Thank you, Grunkle Ford, I love it.” She repeated.

Ford hugged her back tightly and rubbed circles into her back. “You’re very welcome, my dear. Thank you for letting me braid your hair.”

After one last squeeze, Mabel climbed up the armchair to sit on the back so she was behind Ford’s head. She held out a hand for the hairbrush and said, “Your turn!”

Ford grinned and handed her the sparkly hairbrush and felt himself relax as his scalp was treated to the gentle sensation of his niece brushing and caring for his gray fluff.

[withered--s0uls]

Soo yalls SU x GF crossovers made me watch Gravity Falls. Congratulations!

I don't think I'll make an outright AU (since... I have a lot) but maybe shirt comics or something? (Who knows, maybe it develops into an AU anyways)

I see most people headcanon GF starting around the time SU ends or the twins generally younger than Steven. For some reason I like the Idea of Steven being younger?

The twins are born 1999 from what I know so GF would have played 2012 since they at the end turned 13.

Steven was around 13 at the start of SU. I like the idea of him being 2 years younger (2001) as we don't have a canon birth year for him. So that would place SU starting for my headcanon around 2014-2015. Making SU Future end around 2017-2018.

I want to play with the concept of the age for the twins being around 18 turning 19 and Steven close to 17. Which would make it Summer 2018 in my book for this crossover!

This way all the very insane stuff is over so Steven won't need to carry any further extreme trauma from Bill and all that chaos. Our boy deserves a break! But they would still have smaller adventures.

At the end of GF Soos and his Grandma moved into the Mystery Shack. I feel like they would renovate the living space a bit and keep a bedroom for the twins to visit and maybe even for Stan and Ford to crash in whenever they return to Gravity Falls (They would actually go out travelling the world and different countries but come back every once in a while to spend time with friends and family!).

Due to Steven suddenly showing up during both pairs of twins staying at the shack he likely would share a room with Mabel and Dipper (Probably Mabels suggestion after finding out he's kinda stuck in GF until further notice).

(Yes this also includes some of my headcanon for what happens after GF ends)

[rhodochrosite-love]

WOW everyone who commented on my Wirt birthday post are amazing!

Here’s the au I’ve been working on where it started off as just a Ford Pines self insert, but turned into very interesting idea!

Stanley is kicked out and Ford goes to Backupsmore, while Penny stays in Jersey to help pay off her childhood home’s mortgage. All in the early 1970s.

Ford is awarded a doctorate 3 years ahead of schedule, and prepares to move to Gravity Falls, Oregon in 1973.

In the same instant, Ford gets a call from his parents and after he tells them he’s moving to the northwest, they inform him of Penny living with them. Shocked, Ford is conflicted. Should he go to his sweetheart? He couldn’t imagine what could’ve happened that made her stay in his parents home… After consulting with Fiddleford, he quickly travelled back to Jersey to confront Penny.

Penny explains that she couldn’t take care of the house like she thought she could, what with her book-keeping job as well as her secretary position AND the pressure from it all really weighing her down. She couldn’t help her home anymore so she turned to the only people she knew left in Glass Shard-- Filbrick and Caryn Pines. She had been pulling her weight with buying food, despite Caryn’s pleas to rest whenever she could and her job offers.

Ford listened and took her side. He said he was moving out West to Oregon and had wanted her to come with him. He missed her dearly and could clearly see she needed to get away-- Jersey is no place for a princess.

She accepts in a heartbeat at the thought of living out there, alone with her sweetheart amongst the wood.

1972-1979 Penny and Ford start a life of adventure in Gravity Falls up in their cabin in the woods, catalouging new anomalies every day! After such a hard time, Penny adores the relaxing atmosphere and spending time with her boyfriend after 3(ish) years.

C. 1976 Penny can’t help but begin to think about the future with Ford, and tries to decide whether or not they should marry. In her heart she knows she wants to, but in her mind she feels as though Ford wouldn’t be as on board for whatever reason. After speaking with Susan (Lazy Susan) and Lana (Wendy’s mom), her newfound friends, she decides she has to speak with Ford!

After being avoided most of the day by her beloved (due to him being very distracted by the mystery of the Hide-Behind, and eventually their unavoidable run-in with it. emotional scenes with Penny’s annoyed tone) At the end of the day, Ford admits over dinner that he was avoiding her for the whole day due to his nervousness. After being asked why, he tells her that… “I’ve been fascinated by anomalies my whole life-- the Hide-Behind, the Gnomes, the Eyebats, that UFO theory I’ve still got stuck in my head--” “Stanford, please.” “--Even I, as normal as I may seem, my six fingers made me who I am today! … But… “ Ford reaches in his coat’s pocket, and pulls something from it and places it on the dinner table. “You, Penelope Wright, have been the one thing that’s done both for me-- Fascinated me, baffled me, cherished me, twirled me ‘round and ‘round again ‘til I was dizzy with delight.” “Ford, what’re ya sayin’?” “Penny, dearest... “ He reveals the item, it being a ring with the sweetest red gem in its center shaped like a rounded heart. Penny sniffled, “The apple… Stanford, you’re such a prince!” Before he could utter those four simple words, Penny kissed him breathless. When she pulled away, he was flushed from his ears to his nose and asked her then, whispered against her lips. She said yes, and then many times that night.

C. 1977 Bill realizes his plan is being challenged by this engagment! He had never thought of Penny to be a true problem until now, what with the now foretold probability of the wedding and children as a distraction! Bill makes a deal with Lana to guide Ford to the cave in which Bill was scribed by the natives in exchange for a long life. Ford summons Bill and to no avail, nothing happens until Ford falls asleep.

It was then Ford dreams about Bill and begins to work with him to open his dimension to study the weirdness of Gravity Falls and beyond.

With the new development in the mysteries, the wedding is delayed and Ford and Penny become very busy in their new findings with Bill’s help.

C. 1978 Fiddleford McGucket is employed as the head engineer in building the Portal to the other dimension. Upon hearing the news of Stanford’s engagment, he hoorah’d and congradulated his old roommate.

C. 1978-1979 The portal has been built, as well as the bunker and the second level of the basement. Fiddleford begins to despise his creation and begs Ford not to follow through with his plans and instead publish his findings and settle down properly with Penny. Ford declines and they move to test the portal the next day, Jan 18th 1979.

Jan 19th 1979. Fiddleford gets sucked into the portal, but then gets rescued by Penny and quits the whole she-bang.

Jan 20th, 1979. Bill sees that he has to manipulate Penny, too. She’d been taking Fidds’ side, and since she’s very close with Ford, it’s necessary. He enters her dreams and states that if she make a deal with him, he can make him see reality again. To Penny’s knowledge, Ford’s been driven to madness with his paranoia and struggles to see the light. Bill says that he can fix everything. If he ensconced a baby in Penny’s womb, one that’s both her’s and Ford’s completely, he will see the light again. In return, she has to take a hike. She makes the deal, and he ultimately sends her away. Confused, she cries. But when Bill explains that he basically makes her pregnant with a baby of a man that ‘doesn’t love her anymore’, and literally told her to ‘take a hike’. Embarrassed and humiliated, she flees into town and stays there, leaving Bill to torment Ford to his isoceles heart’s delight.

Sometime in October, before the 22nd, 1979. Penny gives birth to little Walter in Sacred Hirsch Community Hospital. At this point in time, Ford has been thrown into the portal by accident and Stanley has taken his place, in the process of making money for the new Murder Hut.

1980. Penny interrogates this new so-called Mr. Mystery, thinking he’s Ford. She rips at him, accusing him of neglecting her and hurting her. A lot of anger comes out, as well as sadness and despair and raw misery when she says that he no longer cared about her, and she doubted he ever had in the first place. When Stan pulls her to the side and finally looks her in the face clearly (before he was frantically looking around the room, his hut full of customers), he recognizes her faintly as Penelope Wright, the girl Sixer was in kahoots with back in Jersey. He sees her and the now crying baby she’s holding and connects the dots, and is flabbergasted that he’s an uncle! Well, he was already an uncle but that was for Shermie! Penny argues that it was a mistake. Little Walter was the making of a demon named Bill Cipher, and she never should have trusted him. Stan then takes her down to the basement and shows her what he’s done.

1981. Penny gets a job as a waitress at Greasy’s Diner with a little help from Lazy Susan.

1982. Penny needs to start fresh. Despite the fact that she’s got a job and is living with Stanley with a 3 year old Wirt (despite being named Walter, his first word was an attempt at ‘squirt’, which was a nickname given to him by Stanley. Everyone simply calls him Wirt now), she misses all the adventure from when she had Ford. Realizing she’s missing Ford, that son of a bitch that fell into a hole so deep he couldn’t climb out, she needs to get away. She saves up money from her Greasy’s job and now the Mystery Shack (unofficially hired. Stan just says that she’s always rearranging and flipping stuff over and it happens to look nice so he gives her some funds. She’s tried to refuse the money before, but he intensly insisted that she take it.) and moves to Arizona. Teary goodbyes are made and she hugs Stan the tightest of all, telling him to keep in touch.

1983-1994. Walter “Wirt” Wright is living in Arizona with his mother, Penelope Wright.

C. 1985. Greg Universe visits town and performs a live gig and seduces Penny. After a couple of succesful dates, they end up having unprotected sex. Not long after, he leaves town for another gig in Delmarva, doing gigs along the way. She ends up falling pregnant and struggles to comprehend the consequences.

C. 1986. Gregory Wright is born.

C. 1994. Halloween night, Wirt and Greg experience an adventure in The Unknown.

1999. Mason and Mabel Pines are born from Randy Pines and Kathy Pines

(2003. Steven Universe is born from Gregory “Universe” DeMayo and Pink “Rose Quartz” Diamond. Everything that happens with Steven is seperate from Dipper, Mabel, Wirt, and Greg.)

Update - Summer 2012. Penny takes a vacation to Gravity Falls and visits the Mystery Shack. She marvels at Dipper and Mabel and exclaims their cuteness. Mabel likes her when she’s given a butterscotch, but Dipper can’t help but question her motives. She seems awfully close with Stan and gets along well with everyone! Is she hiding something?

All is well until Dipper catches Penny trying to steal Journal #3, and he fights with her over it in his bedroom. Penny falls down and cracks something, making her scream. Stan rushes upstairs and takes Penny away, giving Dipper a nasty stinkeye. He tries to argue that she was trying to take his Journal, and Stan reacts by taking it himself.

Stan and Penny argue in the basement, saying that Dipper should have the Journal back. Stan tries to argue that he shouldn’t, but gives in. After making photocopies, Penny gives it back to Dipper. At first Dipper is skeptical, but awes when she tears up in front of him about it.

“Wow… You really care about the author, don’t you?” “Yeah, we were close…” She sits down beside him, opening the Journal to the Gnomes. “I remember the first time we saw the gnomes together… They tried to take me as queen!” “No way! They took Mabel as queen two weeks ago!” DIpper interjected, to which Penny laughed. “That explains this, then!” She pointed her crooked finger to the words; “Weakness: LEAFBLOWERS!” They both laughed.

At the end of it all, Dipper trusted Penny infineitly more. He was also more curious, as she knew the author. She wouldn’t give him a straight answer, however. Just saying he reminded her of her own son, Walter.

Penny stays in Gravity Falls until the Twins’ Birthday is over and they’re heading off to California.

August 22-25 2012. Weirdmageddon takes place. Penny serves as a scavenger and is found by McGucket and taken back to the Mystery Shack to be protected. She joins in the fight to defeat Bill Cipher, and when everyone’s in the Fearamid, it’s the first time Penny’s seen Stanford in nearly 33 years. He begins by saying hello, and saying he missed her. Before he can say anything further, she hugs him tightly, saying that he can apologize later. He prepares to retort, but when seeing Fidds’ face in response, he quietly hushes and hugs her back.

August 28 2012. Ford apologizes for how he acted and what he had done to her, like he always should have. She tells him about their son Wirt and he’s shocked. She tells him the deal she made and how she moved out of the state. After that conversation he hugs her tight and says she never should have gone through that. If he were a better man back then, she wouldn’t have had to make a deal to have a baby.

The same day, Mabel secretly arranges a wedding for her Grunkle Ford and new ‘Grauntie Penny’. Stan is on the sidelines for the whole occassion, but finally takes his brothers side as the Best Man. Mabel is the flower girl and Dipper bares the rings, while Susan is her maid of honor. Stanford promises to protect and cherish her for as long as he lives. Penny promises to care for him and heal him when the times arise. They smooch after some crazy heartfelt vows, thus they are married.

October 15 2012. Penny and Ford celebrate Wirt’s 33rd birthday. Wirt still isn’t used to his dad but comes around when he sees just how quizzical he is. They’re so alike it’s crazy!

November 2012. Penny joins Stan and Ford on the Stan ‘O War II.

(just to keep track-- in 2020 Wirt is 41, Dip and Mabs are 21, Greg is 34, and Steven is 17)

Mans that’s what I have! I’d love to hear anything from y’all about this!

[minijenn]

Random Keys/UF Crossover Ideas

Because I’m torn between both of my projects right now and I hate myself, here’s something that’ll only really appeal to the very niche audience of people who read both Universe Falls and Keys to the Kingdom. Basically its a list of somewhat spoilery (for Keys more than UF) headcanons of what it might be like if the Gravity Falls world scheduled to be in Keys was a Universe Falls world instead (in the sense that it still takes place in Gravity Falls physically but like... its set in the universe of Universe Falls (oy I’m explaining too much lemme just start rambling off the random ideas that have been popping into my head over the last several days of this hypothetical crossover of my two stupid fanfics):

For reference’s sake, on the UF end of things, this would take place somewhere around the middle of arc10ish, pretty close to Weirdmageddon as the GF world in Keys is gonna take place pretty close to Weirdmageddon too. 

For Keys, the trip to this world would still take place in the same spot the GF world does, so semi close to the end of the story, as one of the last Disney worlds of the fic (guess it wouldn’t really be a “Disney” world here but ehhhhhh) 

Guess I better give some context about what’s going on in each fic around that time; UF’s is easier to do so we’ll start with that; basically without spoiling a certain upcoming arc ender too much, during arc 10, everyone’s sorta frazzled what between all of the interdimensional travel, worries about Bill coming back and causing chaos, worries about the Diamonds possibly getting involved in stuff, shaken by the recent revelation that Rose allegedly shattered Pink Diamond and so on (basically there’s a lot going on in the leadup to UF’s ending hahaha) 

Context for Keys (again without getting too spoilery (gotta tread even more careful here) is that by this point in the story Sora is basically in nonstop Panic Mode about the whole norting thing thanks to a certain encounter with one Bald Old Fuckhead during the Aladdin world immediately before this; so Sora’s on the run from basically his entire support system cause he’s all worried about unintentionally hurting his friends (and he also just doesn’t want Riku or Kairi in particular to see what’s happening to him cause Disaster Bi). 

Cont. Context for Keys cause that last bullet point was Long: Despite all this fuckin Angst, Sora’s still out searching for the Keys on his own in the hopes of securing the final few for the guardians of light before he can be fully norted and forced into handing them over to the Organization instead 

Not to mention those freak relatively dark/light powers of his are alll outta whack cause he A. Doesn’t know how to control them At All and B. Is Emotionally Distraught so that’s only making things worse

And the entire gang is more or less out searching the worlds tryin’ to find Sora (he yeeted his Gummi Phone off a fuckin cliff or something just so nobody could get in touch with him smh what a waste of a perfectly good cell phone); among the teams that are out doing so include the one we’re gonna focus on here, Ven and Roxas  

Back to the UF end of things, I wanna talk about where each of the Mystery Kids are at this point; Steven is sorta all over the place with, again, the revelation that his mom could have been a murderer; Dipper is hella nervous about the idea of Bill getting his hands on the Rift (even moreso after RMD cause PTSD is Somethin Else kids), Mabel is in that mindset of not wanting the summer to end so they can all stay together, and Connie is basically (as usual) the only one with any brain cells as she’s trying to hold the gang together

(lowkey spoilers for the Keys GF chapters start here) So Sora arrives in Gravity Falls, suffering from all the angsts and anxieties and whatnot and just Not Having a Very Good Time Emotionally/Mentally as he starts lookin around for the Key in the woods or whatever

But lo and behold everyone’s favorite Evil Corn Chip just so happens to be spyin’ on him, and before too long Bill makes his appearance and acts all friendly to Sora, claiming that he can basically undo the whole norting thing (which he knows all about because of course he would, this is Bill Fucking Cipher we’re talking about here)

Sora’s skeptical but at the same time he’s sort of willing to do whatever he can at this point to keep his heart from being taken over by Mr. Bald Old Fuckhead and all Bill is asking for in return is for him to nab some sparkly snow globe that he claims already belongs to him but was stolen by some local family who Bill makes out to be pretty bad so hey, why not at least give it a shot? (dumb, the kid is dumb this is something we’ve established many times over by this point)

So Sora sets out to look for both the rift and the Key (while also being harangued by Xemnas who’s the Org. baddie of the GF world but errrrr i don’t have a ton of ideas about what he’s gonna do yet so we’ll just skip over that for now and focus on somethin else)

Something else being the fact that Sora happens upon a bunch of kids being attacked by a group of Nobodies, so he swoops in to save them even though the kids already look like they’re holding their own pretty well against them (two of them are out here swinging swords around, one’s really handy with that grappling hook while another one has some sort of magical shield? Its weird??? But cool imo) 

So they all team up to take the Nobodies out and following that, Sora meets and mostly hits it off with the Mystery Kids

Mabel is super hype (she kinda instantly crushes on Sora as soon as she sees him even though he’s too fuckin old for her); Steven and Sora radiate the same sort of Sweet But Sad energy so of course they’re best friends immediately 

Connie’s a lil bewildered by Sora (who the hell goes around swinging a giant key like its a sword, that’s just not practical???) but Dipper’s distrustful radar is instantly raised for a a number of reasons, but the biggest red flag he notices about Sora by far is that his eyes are yellow (btw by this point his eyes will more or less be completely yellow and his hair almost entirely white; he usually wears his hood up to try and hide that, but it got blown off during the forementioned fight) 

So the kids were out and about in the woods for mystery hunting reasons, mostly cause they were trying to cool their heads from all of the stress they’re under mentioned earlier (and cause hey, the summer’s ending soon and they gotta spend all the time they can together at this point) 

However, they quickly change gears when they learn about Sora’s quest to find some magical Key and they all eagerly decide they wanna help with that cause it sounds hella rad; Dipper would likely be the only dissenter to this plan, but he’d be lowkey about it, kinda deciding to keep a suspicious eye on Sora all the while (he doesn’t really act like he’s being possessed by Bill, but ya can never be too sure nowadays...) 

So they all set out in search of the Key (Sora decides not to tell them about Bill or the rift just yet, but even so right off the bat he’s basically decided “yes I’m adopting all four of these kids as my new little brothers and sisters and no one can stop me”)

So cut to the other end of things and we have Ven and Roxas who have basically only just met each other face to face for the first time (they’re both basically constantly doin that spiderman look alike meme); they’ve been more or less teamed up to look for Sora together tho, and they both got a massive guilt complex about the whole thing cause they used to be able to directly protect him inside his heart but now they can’t since they’re out of it so they’re determined to find him and make sure he’s OK

They also show up in Gravity Falls, arriving much closer to the Mystery Shack and the Gem Temple than Sora did; since its the closest thing nearby, the boys decide to venture over to the Mystery Shack to look first 

After some brief, confused yet fun conversation with Soos and Wendy, they bump into Stan and that initial meeting goes something like: 

Stan: Who the hell are you two supposed to be? You twins or something?

Roxas: No??? What the fuck is a twin??

Ventus, realizing that Roxas has like 0 real world experience or regard for world order at that moment right fucking there: (oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck) Ummmm YES WE ARE WE’RE TOTALLY TWINS AHAHA AREN’T WE BROTHER?

Roxas, immensely confused: What the hell is a brother??

And then Ford shows up and Roxas looks between him and Stan is just like “ooooh ok now I get what a twin is” and Ven is just like “oh my god I think Roxas managed to catch some of Sora’s stupidity after all asdkjalsdkalsd” 

Anyway after all this awkward confusion is over, Roxas and Ven bring up that they’re there looking for someone, and while neither Stan nor Ford are that invested, they do offhandedly mention maybe the Crystal Gems can help

Ironically enough, the Gems happen to burst into the shack right then and there, taking refuge from the surge of strange creatures swarming outside (Nobodies & Heartless); the Gems are rather overwhelmed by them since their weapons don’t work that great on them so they’ve come to seek Ford’s help (since he’s got all those weapons and lasers and shit he keeps stockpiled) 

In this Ven and Roxas end up meeting the Gems and both of them are just like :O (Ven’s lowkey like, “Aqua would get along great with these ladies, they’re total badasses just like her!”) and the Gems just kinda pass the boyos off like “yeah whatever there’s a fuckton of monsters outside meanwhile where are our kids?”

Stan and Ford are like *shrug* cause neither of them are very good at being Responsible when it comes to keeping an eye on these danger-prone kids and the Gems are just like *facepalm* “Morons” so they set out to find the kids and Ven and Roxas are like “well they know their way around here so why not go with them to see if we can find Sora too!” and so they all head out on a lil adventure

Then a whole bunch of stuff happens on both sides of the plot that I haven’t bothered to figure out; bunch of cute character interactions and whatever; insert possible second encounter with Xemnas in here somewhere where he basically shows up just to intimidate Sora but Sora’s like “no way jose, you touch any of these precious kiddos and you’ll Die” 

Somewhere in here, under... some circumstances, Sora and the MK make it back to the shack but like... everyone’s gone? (cause they all went out to look for them, didn’t even leave a note, fuckin rude) 

They search the house for anybody and then, on complete fuckin accident, Sora finds his way down into the basement (the portal room to be exact) and what else does he find down there but that thing Bill asked him to get (the rift)! 

Though he’s a little confused about why its there (Bill did say some awful family “stole” the rift from him, but none of the MK are awful, they a bunch of Good Kids); Sora still pockets it like a desperate dummy dumb anyway and doesn’t say a word about it to the kids because he thinks they might be too innocent and young to know anything about it anyway (he’s wrong of course because much like him these kids are Traumatized with a capital T but we’ll just ignore that for now)

Still on the search for that Key, Sora and the kids head out only to run right into Stan, Ford, and the Gems on the way out; course, Ven and Roxas are still with them and they see Sora and they’re like :D while Sora’s just like “aw fuck” and runs away from his problems like always

So he rushes off into the woods and who else would show up but that Motherfuckin Evil Corn Chip again who’s like “yo kid ya got the stuff” and Sora’s just like “brb having a panic attack rn” but then he ends up obliviously handing the rift over anyway cause again he’s incredibly desperate for any way out of his current horrible situation

Of course because I’m a sap for Drama, he happens to do so just as all four of the MK show up, having followed him into the woods and ohohohoh boy oh boy let’s just say them seeing Sora just up and giving the rift over to Bill would be a Moment (well, at least for Steven and Dipper cause they actually know what the fuckin rift is unlike Mabel and Connie who still wouldn’t at that point) 

So basically Bill is a little shit and takes the rift, but he can’t actually fuckin do anything with it cause he’s a physical object and he’s still intangible (or somethin like that idk I just don’t want Weirdmageddon to happen cause it would make things too complicated) so he’s like “fuck gotta find some stupid sap to possess so I can smash this dumb thing” and he nearly targets Sora (cause the kid was already stupid enough to help him in the first place so why not?) until Steven ends up being the one to fend him off using his shield 

Bill shrugs it off and makes off with the rift anyway (its like... hovering or something? idk I’m running out of steam) and everyone panics of course, especially Sora cause he’s just like “well shit I certainly Fucked Up didn’t i?” and the MK are both a mix of “YOU THINK?” (from Dipper and Connie mostly) and “imo not your fault Bill’s tricked just about all of us he’s an asshole” (from Steven and Mabel)

Amidst this a bunch of lil things also happen; the Stans and the Gems show up (along with Ven and Roxas), basically everyone is immensely confused (aka those who have no idea what the fucking rift is) and alarmed (those who do know what the rift is) that Bill has what he needs to more or less fuck the entire world over 

So everyone just decides to put everything aside and team up all together to track Bill down and get the rift back before he can break it (there’s a lot of heartwarming trust moments in here, mostly cause trust is like... the cornerstone theme of the GF chapters in Keys for obvious reasons) 

They eventually do find him and *insert big epic battle scene here* where everyone teams up to basically beat Bill to death or whatever (don’t ask me how they be doin that if he’s intangible, again I.... I’m tired and this post is long enough as it is) 

Yadda yadda yadda they beat him, get the rift back and effectively prevent Weirdmageddon from happening to begin with (which just does SO much wonderful fuckery for UF’s timeline moving forward but whatever, this ain’t about that) 

Oh and during that Climactic Battle Scene somewhere there’s some bit about Sora learning to better trust others/himself that leads to him getting the world’s Key? I-I I dunno its a work in progress...

Anyway after this there’s a lot of good character interactions all around, reconciliations between the UF characters and the Keys characters, particularly between Sora and the MK (again he’s adopted these kiddos and don’t you forget it)

So with the Key in hand, Sora starts to leave and Roxas and Ven almost convince him to go back with them until *insert Big Keys Spoiler here that results in the Organization getting their hands on that Key Sora just got and also results in Sora running away again cause... reasons*

And that’s the end of the chapters or whatever idk 

There’s probably more ideas I had in mind for this but I literally can’t do anymore my brain is dying 

I might possibly write this for reals someday i dunno I’m stuck in two personal hells here so I might as well combine ‘em

Yes I’m aware this post leans more heavily on Keys than UF but its set in the world of UF so fuck off 

Feel free to add on with any thoughts you might have about the idea

I’m tired

Amen 

[starfiretheninja]

Birthday Surprise

This was a request by an anon and I was happy to tackle my favorite gravity falls ship. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope that you enjoy it!

~

“Do I even want to know where this came from?” Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose, already suspecting that this enormous pastry was Mabel’s doing. 

Before him was a multi-tiered cake that towered a foot or so above him with a circumference wide enough to feed the denizens of Gravity Falls. The colors were primarily red and blue blending into purple with other interspersed shades. Inspecting it closer, he quickly found that the pattern was hastily frosted on with no rhythm or rhyme to it. Almost as if it was designed by someone obsessed with spontaneity. However, the frosting looked like it came from a fine French bakery. Almost as if only someone with some affluence could afford this. . .

“Wait a minute. . .”

Not a moment later did he hear a smothered click!, a brief sizzle, and in an instant the cake bursted into a million gooey fragments. Nothing in the backyard was untainted by the explosive pastry, from the windows of the house to Dipper’s socks. Sucking in a breath, Dipper attempted to keep some semblance of dignity intact as he drew his hand upwards and swiped away a large glob of cake off of his cheek. 

Looking up, Dipper realized that where the cake once stood was a mess of poster board and firework shells. The structure soon gave way, and Dipper’s peeved expression fell away as the fallen poster board revealed a cheeky looking Pacifica Northwest. That alone nearly made Dipper’s jaw drop. He couldn’t believe that she had come all the way to California. And on such short notice before classes started again. She looked dazzling in her lavender knee-length dress with off the shoulder straps and a ribbon draped around her waist, all accentuated by her loose platinum hair and confident smile. And. . . was that a cigar clenched between her teeth? A lit cigar?!

“Not that I’m not absolutely thrilled to see you, but why do you have a cigar? I thought you didn’t like those,” Dipper began, not entirely sure what to believe. 

“It was my dad’s birthday gift to me. I figured the best way to get back at him was to use it for my peasant boyfriend’s birthday surprise so he couldn’t get mad at me for ‘not appreciating his generosity’,” Pacifica responded mischievously. “And while I’m using this. . .” Taking a drag, she let out a perfectly crafted smoke ring. She then gracefully lifted her hand and snapped her fingers at the top of the ring, causing it to collapse into a smoky heart shape. Dipper felt a mixture of pride for his rebellious girlfriend and distaste for her father’s lack of consideration. 

“How long did it take you to perfect that smoke form?” was the only thing Dipper could manage.

“Just now. I wasn’t about to let this puppy go to waste with practice.” With that, Pacifica dug the butt of the cigar and drove it into the platform under her feet to put out the flame. “Now with that out of the way, let’s celebrate your birthday, Dipper.” 

Pacifica drew a case out of her purse, tucked the cigar into it, and stashed the gift away into her purse. Popping a breath mint into her mouth, she then held out her hand to Dipper.

“Come on, I’ve got the whole day planned out,” she smiled softly.

Snapping out of his stupor, Dipper eagerly took her hand, then wrapped his other arm around her to give her a much needed hug. 

“I can’t wait.”

~

To start off, Pacifica treated Dipper to lunch at the nearby diner that he always mentioned to her. 

“I see your point, this does look a lot like Greasy’s. Except this place probably actually has an inspector come through every so often,” Pacifica commented upon stepping into the busy restaurant. 

“I haven’t gotten food poisoning here yet,” Dipper said, referring to a certain incident from last summer when he visited Gravity Falls. “Plus, everything’s affordable here.”

“Good. I wasn’t planning on spending the fortune I no longer have on one meal,” Pacifica snarked, as she thumbed through the menu. Dipper took the moment to admire her. Despite the shock of losing her family’s inheritance, she clearly rose to the occasion and worked to build a savings for herself. And she was taking what she was able to earn to give Dipper an awesome day. He couldn’t appreciate that more.  

Pacifica noticed her boyfriend’s loving stare and raised an eyebrow knowingly.

“Yes?”

“I’ve told you how awesome you are right?” Dipper toed his foot to brush her leg.

“Only every other Skype call. But you could always stand to say it more.” Pacifica responded by gently rubbing her leg against his.

Dipper reached his hand across the table and gently took her hand and rested it on the table. 

“Then maybe I’ll say it later,” he said cheekily. Pacifica let out a fake scoff of indignity. 

“And after all I’ve done for you!” she said dramatically. 

“I mean, you haven’t paid for dinner yet.”

“We’ll see if I still feel like paying after you’ve actually ordered something.” 

The two parted hands once their food arrived, but continued playing footsie throughout their meal. Pacifica smiled deviously to herself, reveling in getting away with being publicly affectionately with her boyfriend with her parents in the next state over. 

~

“Remind me again why you asked Mabel to arrange the scavenger hunt?” Dipper asked as he did his best to hold steady. This task was growing increasingly difficult as Pacifica, who was sitting on his shoulders, pushed harder on the top of his head to reach for the next clue sitting precariously on the tree branch. 

“I don’t live here, so how would I know where to actually put the clues. Aha!” she laughed triumphantly as she finally caught the slip of paper between her fingers. “And would this be nearly as fun if you didn’t get to lift up your gorgeous girlfriend?”

“I’m just more afraid of what my parents would say to your parents if they saw you scandalously exposing to much leg in front of me,” Dipper joked, referring to her hiked up dress so Dipper could lift her up. He lowered himself to the ground in a crouching position. Pacifica gracefully swung off of him and straightened out her dress. 

“You’ve seen me in a bathing suit before,” she pointed out. 

“That’s different. But I’m glad I can lift you up like the princess you are.”

“Darn right you are. Now let’s figure out where Mabel will send us next.”

~

“Okay! Glad we’re out of that mess!” Dipper wheezed. Attempting to climb through the various attractions at Mr. Fuzzbert’s Arcadia past all of the clearly unsanitary tunnels was difficult enough, but digging around in the perfume department where half of the employees recognized Pacifica as a Northwest and viciously attempting to upsell her their products was a place they never thought they’d get through. 

“So help me if one more girl sprays me with a free sample. . .” Pacifica started, but stopped short. “Wait, there’s the fountain!”

The two joyfully rushed to, what was hopefully, their final destination: the water fountain in the middle of the mall. They immediately scrambled to find the right carved in pattern on the outer ring. 

“The clue said the unicorn, right?” Pacifica asked frantically, hoping their nightmare would soon come to an end.

“When Mabel says a sparkly, violent horse, she definitely means unicorn,” Dipper answered, still circling the fountain. “Here it is!”

He pushed on the pattern. The stone slid backwards, then sideways to reveal a secret compartment as Pacifica hurried to his side. Reaching his hand inside cautiously, Dipper pulled out a package wrapped in tinfoil.

“This is a weird wrapping for Mabel to use,” Dipper wondered aloud.

“That’s actually mine,” Pacifica said.

“Really? I would have thought you would have used hot pink or something.”

“I used it to protect your gift from the aliens.”

“I found an actual spaceship with Ford, you know.”

“But you never showed me, so it’s still a conspiracy theory.”

“Oh har har, very funny. . .” Dipper trailed off as he ripped apart the foil to reveal his gift. He then proceeded to let out a very girly shriek, causing passerby to look on in concern. 

“Nowayisthisreally-” 

“The Tome of the Truskian civilization, yes.” Pacifica had remembered Dipper grumbling about one of the items that the Stans had found on their world-touring adventures, but they refused to let their great-nephew look at it for fear of a curse on it. However, from what Soos reported from spending time around them upon their return was that the curse seemed to have been suppressed once more by Ford’s quick thinking. So long as Dipper didn’t stain the paper with the blood of royalty from the ruling class of the Truskian empire, he would probably be fine.

“How did you get this away from Ford and Grunkle Stan?! They banned me from ever even touching this!”

“Let’s just say it took a little sweet talking and breaking and entering,” Pacifica said cryptically. “I distracted them with a cheesy song and dance at Greasy’s while Wendy swiped it from the Shack and planted a fake.”

“You really do love me,” Dipper teared up, holding the book to his chest and drawing Pacifica close with his free arm.

“The things I do for you,” Pacifica sighed contently as she wrapped her arms around Dipper’s shoulders.

~

The pair finally arrived at the beach at sunset and located the tucked away corner that Mabel had secured for them earlier. The setup was complete with a large towel, a cooler, and a flashlight for the two to read the tome together. Mabel had also taken the liberty to surround the area with pink rose petals.

“I didn’t ask for the petals, but I’ll accept them,” Pacifica resigned, hoping that Dipper wouldn’t get too flustered by the romantic additions. 

“At least she didn’t cover them in glitter,” Dipper joked, trying to suppress a certain evening that Mabel had stuck her creative hands into. 

Cozying up together, the couple watched the sunset fade into a fiery gold color. With no company other than the ebb and flow of the ocean, it didn’t take long for the two to start making out. In between the desperate kisses, they whispered ‘I missed you’ and “I love you’ over and over again. Knowing that it wouldn’t be long until they were separated again, they held each other tightly. In the midst of the haze, Pacifica remembered her final surprise for Dipper. 

“Mason,” she whispered. 

“Hmm,” Dipper hummed, knowing that the use of his name always meant that she was being serious.

“There’s still one last gift left,” she gestured toward the cooler.

“Can’t it wait a little longer?” he whined, unwilling to let her go.

“Normally, I would want to kiss you longer. But I’m pretty sure the beach closes after sunset and I don’t want to get chased out by cops before the grand finale.”

“I suppose so,” Dipper sighed, releasing her. “So what do you have in there?”

“Just a little something I picked up outside the county.” Pacifica proceeded to pull a massive heap of fireworks out of the cooler and placed in carefully on the beach, angling it upwards towards the sky. 

“I’ll. . . pack everything up. We’ll need to run after setting that thing off,” Dipper noted, as fireworks were highly illegal in his county. As he neatly folded the blanket, Pacifica pulled out a lighter and the remainder of the cigar from her purse. Lighting up the cigar, she gave it a quick puff to ensure that it would stay heated for the moment. Popping a final breath mint into her mouth, she turned to the eager Dipper. 

“Ready?”

“Let’s see what firepower this thing has.”

Pressing the cigar to the fuse, Pacifica watched as her father’s precious gift gave flame to her boyfriend’s final gift of the evening. The fuse began to spark and the two ran a few meters away, both plugging their ears and giggling hysterically. The fireworks shot up into the air all at once, breaking off into two segments. One firework exploded, letting out a bang! and formed the shape of a constellation very familiar to Dipper. The other popped and sizzled immediately afterwards and formed a purple heart.

“Whoa! Pacifica that was. . .” Dipper started, a dopey grin on his face. He turned to Pacifica, who raised her eyebrow expectantly. Dipper threw his arms around her.

“Incredible. You really are the best girlfriend.” Dipper kissed her cheek affectionately, hoping he could demonstrate just how grateful he was that she would take the time to track down a Big Dipper firework just for him.

“For you, it was more than worth it,” Pacifica smiled, burying her face into his chest. Dipper had brought so much adventure and joy into her life. The least she could do for him was to give him a special day. Pulling back, she said, “Now let’s book it before we get into trouble. But first. . .” 

Digging the cigar into the sand to put it out, Pacifica gracefully tossed it into the nearby garbage can as the two ran hand in hand from the now crime scene.

“Thanks, Dad. Your gift came in handy after all.”

[mythomagically-delicious]

Here's a good fluffy Stan prompt: Stan lives the rest of his life happy and enjoying his new life on his ship with Ford, who is also very very happy. They both thrive and enjoy life to the fullest after living most of their lives miserable. They go on cool ass adventures and have a great time because they deserve it. -The flower anon

Ford teases Stanley every couple of days about the length of his hair. Stan always shrugs it off or makes a joke. He loves that for the first time in his life, he doesn’t have to care about looking respectable, he can just let his hair grow as long as he wants, and worry about shaving it when it gets annoying to him, not anyone else. He’s got an impressive beard before the Santa Clause (No, Stanta Clause, Ford) jokes come out, and he decides to finally get a haircut.

Ford prefers keeping to a better personal grooming schedule, shaving regularly, because it is a luxury he did not have in the last thirty years either. Stan returns the teasing he receives and tells Ford he needs to stop shaving if they ever want to look like twins. Ford allows his head hair to grow longer than his chin hair, and it poofs out more than ever, despite the salty sea air. Stan jokingly laments about how they missed out on going for matching afros in the 70s. Ford says there’s no way they could have pulled it off. Stan maintains they could for a couple of weeks before dropping it.

-

One day when they’re out to sea, when they’ve come down further south to the more mild temperatures rather than the arctic, Stan proposes a fishing contest. Both brothers out on the deck, no fancy gadgets, just anchored down and fishing, like they used to as kids. 

Unlike the “true fishing fashion”, though, the brothers joke and talk and their booming laughter scares away more than a few potential bites. But the restful day was worth it more than the fish they caught. (They each ended up with about seven or eight fish apiece, and they would’ve caught more, except one of the later catches reeled in a deeper sea beast anomaly, and they got distracted into fighting it rather than trying to haul it on board. They lost track of whose fish was whose and just called it a tie).

-

They run into ghost pirates. Stan talks their way out of being thrown into the brig or off the sides, and the brothers end up having to fight their way off the ship in the end. But in the meantime, they found their way to a bunch of treasure and tricked the pirates into sinking their own ship before making it back to the Stanowar, richer and with a healthier respect for both ghosts and pirates.

Stan admits it wasn’t the first set of ghost pirates he’d dealt with. Ford was shocked, and demanded the full story immediately. Apparently some story about a similar anomaly appearing in Gravity Falls some years ago? He resolved to do more research in the summer once they return from their first year at sea to see Dipper and Mabel again.

-

Stan gets regular emails from Soos, telling him about his life and running the Mystery Shack, new exhibits he thought up, how he and Melody are doing, all that jazz. He loves pouring over everything Soos tells him, even if his responses seem short in comparison. One day Ford catches him pouring over the laptop and wiping a stray tear of pride over what Soos had written. He smiles softly at his brother and resolves to send his own email to the young man and make sure he knows how much Stan cares for him. 

(Soos practically faints at getting an email from both of the Mr. Pineses in one week. Especially when one is re-affirming what his Mr. Pines thinks of him. Stan is a bit surprised to get a gushier email than usual from Soos the next week in response, but Ford never says a word, and he lets down his guard and responds in kind to Soos next time. Doesn’t make it a particular habit to gush on the young man, of course. But just a bit more didn’t hurt anything, Stan thought. Ford got an email from Soos thanking him a bunch and Ford just smiled, glad to help both Stan and his son-ployee like this).

-

Stan takes up sculpting in his spare time. Just small stuff, with clay he bought (and also clay tools Mabel sent him as a gift because CRAFTS and GRUNKLE STAN YOU LIKE CRAFTS TOO??) so he starts trying his best with what he’s got. He’d always loved claymation, and despite the wacky experience with it that summer, he still enjoyed trying to create it. 

He practices little figurines and then smashes them again. Over and over, trying to get them just right. Once he is satisfied with it, he starts making little shapes and leaving them around the boat for Stanford. Ford is impressed with Stan’s artistic skill (that he honestly didn’t really realize Stan had. Though later he realized he should have guessed at it–Stan did create many Mystery Shack exhibits that were wildly unrealistic but very interesting, at least.) 

Ford finds Stan and tells him everything he loves about the figures. Stan gets all gruff and tries pinning his talent as beginner’s luck, but Ford persists in complimenting Stan, really letting his brother know that he’s done a fantastic job, and it lifts Stan’s spirits straight up to the sky. He is encouraged to keep making more. When they spend time off the boat he goes for a bit larger designs, eventually making things for Dipper and Mabel as well. And Soos and Wendy, later. Everyone gets a figurine by Stan, once he realizes he doesn’t just like it, but they look good too.

He loves his new hobby and while he doesn’t have time every day, it’s always a fall back for him in free time and it’s phenomenal. He and Ford don’t have to spend every living minute together, and it’s nice to find something that still makes Stan feel like a distinct entity from his brother, while still doing things and living together.

-

Wow, you’re right Flower Anon. I just had to get my mind into the happy time of Stan’s life. Thanks for the fluff suggestion!!

[apathetic-revenant]

so I was having some thoughts about Gravity Falls last night, in lieu of going to sleep at a reasonable hour. specifically there were some things I noticed about Weirdmageddon. 

literally only finished watching this show a week ago so like. I’ve no idea how much any of this may already have been discussed or pointed out. probably all of it. this post may well be hilariously redundant. 

but uh

okay, so...initially the situation with Mabel wigging out over Dipper accepting Ford’s apprenticeship, and Dipper ultimately giving that up without much of any discussion on the matter, and just all that jazz, that bothered me a little bit. I do think the show handled Mabel’s characterization a bit awkwardly at points and the way she tended to get favored over Dipper resulted in some missed opportunities for development on her part. 

(note that I’m saying this in the sense of “yeah they could have done that a bit better” not “screaming and punching my computer screen”. it’s not perfect. guess what! no tv show is. it becomes perfect when you learn to accept it for what it is. please don’t send me death threats for saying this.)

where was I? right. so. at the same time, even if the lack of focus on Dipper’s decision to give up the apprenticeship kind of made it seem kind of like another case of Dipper giving up what he wants for Mabel, that’s tempered pretty strongly by the fact that as much as the apprenticeship might be what Dipper wants it’s really not that great a thing for him in the long run when you think about it. and thinking about that was what led me to realize that actually, Dipper and Mabel’s situations with the apprenticeship and Mabeland actually parallel each other a lot more than initially meets the eye.

the situation with Mabeland is, quite obviously, that Mabel’s being given everything she could possibly want. it’s her perfect world where everything is as she wants it to be forever and nothing has to change or grow, and she never has to face anything uncomfortable or unhappy. thing is, this is basically what the proposed apprenticeship would be for Dipper, albeit in a much less obvious and thorough way since, y’know, it’s an offer being made by a real person instead of a fantasy prison conjured up by a dream demon. Dipper spends his whole summer idolizing the author of the journals and wanting to follow in his footsteps, and then he finds out that said author is actually his great-uncle and is way cool, gives Dipper the approval and validation he desperately wants, and then literally says he wants Dipper to follow in his footsteps. Ford’s offering Dipper a chance to do everything he wants-study weirdness, have grand adventures, spend time with someone who gets him and approves of the things that he’s previously been made fun of for-but he’s also, if unconsciously, offering him a chance to not have to do the things he doesn’t want to. he wouldn’t have to go back home, or back to school, or really interact much with anyone except Ford. he wouldn’t even have to put up with the things about Mabel he finds annoying, at the cost of also losing the things he likes about her, much like how in Mabeland Mabel can ‘fix’ the things she doesn’t like about Dipper by replacing him with a ‘better’ copy, at the cost of losing the things she does like about him, since whatever she says it’s pretty clear Dippy Fresh really doesn’t bear any resemblance to Dipper.

don’t get me wrong, I love Ford and I love Dipper and I think their relationship could be great for them in a lot of ways. Ford gives Dipper a self-esteem boost that he badly needs, and gives him someone to talk to and connect with about his interests, something he’s obviously sorely lacking; Dipper tempers Ford’s cynicism with enthusiasm and makes him come out of his shell some. but the two also share a lot of not necessarily healthy traits-obsessiveness, overthinking, paranoia, difficulty with socializing/communicating, a tendency to ignore health or safety when in pursuit of a goal-and if there’s no one else around to temper any of that, it’s gonna turn into an echo chamber that magnifies those traits badly. (this is not even getting into the fact that no one should ever let Ford “it’s okay to give children weapons, right” Pines be solely in charge of raising a teenage boy). 

I saw someone point out-I think it was on TV Tropes somewhere-that accepting Ford’s apprenticeship would mean that Dipper basically would get to avoid confronting the things that are hardest for him. yeah he would be dealing with all kinds of scary things, but at the end of the day monsters and mortal peril are clearly not what Dipper has the hardest time with; we see several times throughout the show that he struggles most with social issues, communicating and connecting with other people, and repeatedly we see that he has a tendency to try to ‘cheat’ at this situations either by over-planning or more literally by falling back on actual magic/weird science (the clones, the time travel, the shrink ray, etc). that’s something he improves a lot on over the course of the show but it’s not something that’s going to get any better if he just spends his entire adolescence in a basement lab with Ford. he even says something along those lines when he tells Mabel he’s not accepting the apprenticeship, so he’s clearly aware of this to some degree (”I actually thought I was going to spend my entire teenage years cooped up in a lab with Ford” or something like that). 

basically, both Mabeland and Ford’s apprenticeship are temptations for Mabel and Dipper that offer them the chance to have what they want, or at least what they think they want, and the chance to escape from the things they find unpleasant; but by doing that they would also not be growing as people, or at least not in very healthy ways. when Mabel rejects Mabeland and Dipper rejects the apprenticeship, they’re basically turning down comfortable stagnancy in favor of change and growth despite that being frightening and unknown.

I also sort of feel like it’s relevant that both situations are sort of capitalizing on or maximizing the qualities that are most prominent for the twins, and the ones that they identify with the most. Mabel, quite obviously, has her personality imprinted all over Mabeland; it’s everything she loves, silliness, sparkliness, cuteness, stuffed animals and dream boys and sugar. the apprenticeship is also centered around Dipper’s core interests and qualities, his intelligence, his research ability, his love for the paranormal and weird. and I think that’s a big part of what makes them so tempting because both of the twins are afraid of losing those things. a recurring theme in the show is “if I’m not [single personality trait], what am I?” Dipper struggles with this more obviously, but we also see that Mabel has some insecurity there like in Irrational Treasure where she reacts very badly to Pacifica mocking her silliness, so much so that it’s one of the only times where we see her actively trying to change her own behavior. for both twins growing up and returning home could seem to pose the frightening risk of losing those things and what they see as their identities along with them: Dipper would be going back to a place that’s presumably quite normal and doesn’t have the weirdness that he loves or anyone to encourage his interest in it, and Mabel-I think a big part of Mabel’s desire for summer to never end and things to stay as they are might come from the fact that a lot of the things she loves and centers her personality around, all her sparkles and hyperactiveness and glitter, are the kind of things society would generally consider childish, things she would be expected to start growing out of as she enters high school and might be mocked or reprimanded for if she doesn’t. which makes for a clear contrast between Mabel and Dipper that probably didn’t help the divide growing between them in season 2 at all: Dipper is in a hurry to grow up as fast as possible while Mabel wants to hang on to childhood. Mabel could easily see herself as being more threatened by oncoming adulthood than Dipper because in contrast a lot of Dipper’s core personality traits-his intelligence and analyticalness- are things he would be expected to retain and develop as he grows up, even praised for. (let’s face it, Dipper’s basically a college student already.)

so, Mabeland and the apprenticeship are tempting not just because they offer what the twins want in an immediate and material sense but because they offer safety and reinforcement of the twins’ identities at a time in their lives when anyone is going to be questioning and worrying over that a lot, without even getting into massively complicated family dynamics and literal armageddon. 

but, even as the younger Pines twins are about to go brave a big scary unknown future, the show kind of also offers a point of comfort that contrasts all that. look at the older Pines twins.

what are Stan and Ford doing at the end of the show? they’re fulfilling their childhood dream, sailing around the world together looking for treasure and adventure (and babes). it took a huge amount of time and effort and pain and trauma for them to get there, but they got there in the end. and the thing is, for them, this is still change. if the show ended the way things were going right before Weirdmageddon, you’d have Ford back to studying and being more or less isolated, and Stan would be homeless again which would almost certainly mean he’d have to go back to conning and stealing and all kinds of shady business practices just to keep going. basically, it would be stagnancy for both of them, things continuing on the way they were before. change and growth, the same thing that’s looming and frightening for Dipper and Mabel at the moment, is what allows Ford and Stan to move on from unhappy lives and do what they always wanted. and for all the fear that the younger twins are facing in growing up, the fact that Stan and Ford are living out the dream they had as children is there to prove that growing up doesn’t have to mean giving up what you love or losing your identity. it all sort of comes full circle in the end.

/2 cents

[masked-fox-creations]

Stanprise

Who’s ready for some fluffy stanchez (with some mild fiddauthor)! I wrote this fic for @lynsleigh in honor of her birthday which was yesterday. I meant to have this up in time, sorry, last night I was too busy being a good for nothing beracha. I hope you enjoy regardless!

Rating: PG-13 

Summary: Rick doesn’t like celebrating his birthday. So of course Stan tries to throw him a surprise party.

Warnings: mentions of drug and alcohol use, swearing, allusions to sexual activities, and sappiness.

ao3 link

Rick gave a derisive snort. Stan turned to look at him the best he could without jostling them. They were snuggled up together on the couch in the Mystery Shack watching a genre-changed spinoff of ‘The Duchess Approves’. It wasn’t nearly as good, but engrossing nonetheless in a so-bad-it’s-good sort of way.

“This is the worst episode yet,” Rick commented.

“What about the one where the duchess’ sister doesn’t realize she was kidnapped by aliens?” “That, that’s a close second. At least that one was funny. This is just bullshit.”

“What? He’s spending the day throwing the best birthday she’s ever had to make up for years of disappointments.”

“Exactly.”

Sometimes Stan wondered if Rick was just born bitter. Then something tingled in the back of his mind. He focused on it, and soon a fact he had forgotten reformed.

“Isn’t your birthday coming up?”

“Ye-up,” Rick confirmed unhappily.

“Are you finally hitting eighty, old man?” Rick narrowed his eyes. Stan didn’t bother stifling his laughter.

“Fu-fuck you, Lee.”

Stan winked.

“So, what are we doing to celebrate? Harass an alternate version of ourselves? Steal the fortune from an alien kingdom? Binge watch ‘Ball-Fondlers’ and stuff ourselves with cakes? Or go the classic route and celebrate with the family?”

With each suggestion Rick seemed to grow more and more peeved. And as his mood soured further, more memories came back to Stan.

The time Stan had pointed out it was Rick’s birthday and he proceeded to down a whole bottle of tequila, then washed it down with another one. Or the birthday where he had set fire to a giant sign with the date displayed prominently on it. Or when he crushed k-lax with some other alien drug and sprinkled it into a vodka bottle he didn’t share.

“Yeesh, Rick, you still don’t like celebrating your birthday?”

“Lee, birthday celebrations are just another capitalistic excuse to make you spend frivolously on asinine decorations and thoughtless gifts all to pretend like life—individual if in particular—has any meaning or significance.”

“Someone hit their grouchy nineties.”

“F-fuck off, Lee.”

——

Rick knew Stan well. Well enough to know not to trust him. Everyone else just strengthened his suspicions.

First it was Morty and Dipper not-so-casually remarking on their busy weekend plans, the details of which they couldn’t be explicit about, several times in his vicinity. Then it was Summer and Beth talking about the favorite types of cake and pestering Rick to see what his were. Even Ford and Fidds were playing coy, talking adamantly about some project whose deadline was short, then quickly clamming up when he entered the room.

If all of that wasn’t incriminating enough their poorly concealed sneaking around with streamers and glitter and other disgustingly cliché party favors was a dead give away.

That bastard was planning a party.

Oh, fuck no.

Of course no one was going to just come out and tell him anything, specifically where it was so he could shut that shit down. Willingly, anyway. Rick had his ways. And his easy targets.

“What’ve you go there, Jerry?”

“Rick!”

To his credit Jerry managed not to drop the package in his hands. Barely. He looked at Rick with panic. If Jerry was any less pathetic he might be entertaining.

“I thought Morty and the twins were supposed to be distracting y—I mean, I thought you and the kids were on an adventure?”

“I ditched them at Blips and Chitz.” Rick approached Jerry slowly, backing him up against the wall. “S-so what are yo—urp—u up to, Jerry?”

“What, can’t a guy sneak into his own home with a  suspicious unmarked box?” Rick raised his eyebrow. Finally Jerry broke. “Alright, fine! For the record I didn’t want to be a part of this but Beth made me.”

“A part of what, Jerry?”

“We’re throwing you a surprise birthday party. Stan organized it! We were going to do it here and set everything up while you were gone with the kids. That way you couldn’t escape.”

Fucking dastardly. Rick had to give props to Stan.

“Where is everyone now, Jerry?”

“Waiting at the Mystery Shack. I’m supposed to give the all clear so we can set up.”

“We—urp—ell that’s not gonna happen.”

Rick took out his portal gun and fired it. Jerry flinched away from the portal that appeared; if Rick wasn’t so furious he’d be amused.

He walked through, Jerry unfortunately inviting himself along. Rick instantly recoiled as something sparkly was thrown in his face and a chorus of voices chimed together as one.

“Happy birthday!”

Rick scowled at the banner and streamers hung up around the shack’s living room. Mabel raced over and snapped a party had around his head. He turned his scowl on her.

“D-did you douse me in glitter?”

“Funtime birthday boy glitter!”

“I thought I left you at Blips and Chitz?”

Morty and Dipper came over with party whistles, which Morty had the gall to pop into Rick’s mouth. Dipper blew his in Rick’s face.

“All part of the plan.”

“So you couldn’t be a party pooper and so Grunkle Stan could show you how much he love—��

“Alright, sweetie,” Stan interrupted, hurrying over and nudging her towards the table filled with snacks. “Why don’t we let everyone say hi to the birthday geezer.”

As the kids moved away Beth and Summer came over, both hugging him in turn. Rick stood motionless, glaring at Stan.

“Happy birthday, grandpa Rick. I’m amazed we pulled this off.”

“Stan came up with everything. Even using Jerry as bait.”

“Wait, what?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, dad. Grandpa Stan knew that grandpa Rick would be super on guard at the weeks leading up to his birthday, so we were all supposed to be obvious about being up to something. The twins and Morty even made you take them out knowing you’d ditch them so you could put a stop to the party.”

“I gave them a miniature portal gun set to specifically bring them back here,” Ford explained, having come up beside his brother. Both were grinning and Rick was torn on whose he wanted to slap off first.

“And since we all knew you’d try and get the information out of Jerry since he’s the easiest target—” Beth started.

“Hey!”

“We purposefully told Jerry the wrong thing so you’d come here.”

“Where we set everything up! Do you like it, grandpa?”

Rick took a good look around the Mystery Shack living room, ignoring Jerry’s wounded whining. The carpet sparkled a rainbow of glitter, he noticed, and the banner had crayon-drawn likenesses of Rick’s face; they were in several different styles, giving away that Mabel wasn’t the sole artist. He turned to the long table that had been set up with at least six different cakes and brightly wrapped gifts. Fiddleford was off to one side fiddling with a piñata shaped like a unicorn.

“I hate it.”

Beth kissed his cheek and said, “That’s the spirit, dad. Now come celebrate.”

“Yeah, grandpa, blow out your candles!”

Summer pushed him towards the table. Rick stumbled along begrudgingly, unable to squirm away even if h wanted to as Stan tossed an arm around his shoulders.

“You’re dead to me,” Rick whispered.

“Can it and enjoy how much your family cares for you,” Stan returned happily.

“Th-they’re not the ones who organized all this.”

“Wow, will you look at all these cakes Mabel, Beth, and Melody made!” Stan said, voice a little too loud and pointedly looking away from Rick.

Up close Rick counted more than just six cakes. There were actually nine, all decorated uniquely and appearing to be different flavors. Rick admired the one which was actually made up in his image.

“Why are there so many?”

Melody smiled sheepishly and admitted, “We weren’t sure which you liked.”

“So we baked plenty of options!” Mabel chimed in.

“Between the Pines’ sweet tooth and your own I’m sure none of it will go to waste,” Ford commented.

“I didn’t know how old you are today, so I got a hundred candles!” Mabel told him. “I hope it’s enough.”

Rick narrowed his eyes but her grin didn’t falter. Though he couldn’t see, Rick could sense Stan rolling his eyes.

“Soos, light the candles already.”

“You got it, Dad!”

As everyone sung him happy birthday Rick gazed at the tiny flickering flames. He counted; sure enough Mabel had actually gotten one hundred.

At first Rick didn’t realize the song had ended. He glanced around all the eager faces. Well, why the hell not?

Rick took a deep breath and blew. Of course, since there were a hundred candles not all of them went out. In fact, less than ten did.

“Yeah, I’m not blowing the rest out.”

“We’ll help you, old man,” Summer offered.

Everyone else blew until the candles were all extinguished. Despite himself Rick was smiling.

“I want a slice of each,” he decided.

“Yeesh, Rick, how do you stay so skinny?” Rick waggled his eyebrow and Stan turned several shades of red.

“Have a slice of this one first!”

Rick glanced over at the beaming Mabel. She, Morty, and Dipper were holding a plate with a generous slice of cake. Before he could say anything they pushed it into his face.

It was definitely a devil’s food cake.

Rick wiped his eyes and slapped Stan, cutting off the man’s laughter. Then he popped a finger in his own mouth.

“Not bad, y-you little shits.”

Suddenly Mabel, Summer, and Morty threw their arms around him.

“Happy birthday, grandpa!”

“We’re glad you like it, Rick.”

Rick glanced over at Dipper.

“What, no hug from you?”

“I’m just here for cake, man,” Dipper replied, grin betraying him.

“Grunkle Rick, you need to open your presents!”

“Y-you didn’t need to get me anything,” Rick protested as the kids pushed him towards the other end of the table where the gifts lay. “Except Lee.”

“What, throwing you a party isn’t enough?”

“Nope.”

Mabel giggled, thrusting a packing into his hands.

“Don’t worry, Grunkle Stan thought really hard on what to get you—and it’s from the heart.”

Rick raised his eyebrow as he opened the shiny wrapping to reveal a blue sweater. Unfolding it he saw on the front was a small burgundy heart, around where his would be when he put it on.

He glanced over at Stan who wouldn’t meet his eyes and noticed how bad he was fidgeting. For the first time Rick took a good look at the sweater Stan was wearing. It was burgundy, with a small blue heart resting over Stan’s own.

“Grunkle Stan told me exactly how to make it,” Mabel helpfully supplied.

Pulling at his collar Stan grumbled, “You don’t have to wear it. I just couldn’t think of anything to get you.”

“Shut the, the fuck up, Lee. I’m never taking this off,” Rick said, shrugging his lab coat off and pulling the sweater over his head. It was by far the comfiest article of clothing he had that wasn’t stolen from Stan.

“I told you he’d love it, Grunkle Stan.”

Mabel nudged Stan’s side and winked. His blush only grew.

“Yeesh, don’t get sentimental on me. I just asked her to make that so you wouldn’t steal mine.”

“Y-you sap.”

Fiddleford let out a sudden high-pitched cackle, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Piñata’s ready!”

It was shaped like a unicorn—and even sounded like one.

“I dare you to try and strike me!”

The piñata snorted indignantly and kicked her legs about.

“Sweet Moses, McGucket.”

“At first I was just gonna make it an animatronic, but then I thought—why not give her a personality? Makes it more fun.”

Rick’s face lit up as Stan slapped a hand to his.

“You two were made for each other, Pointdexter,” he grumbled.

“I assure you we used a simple software program. The piñata is not actually sentient.”

Rick shrugged.

“Still works for me.”

He let Summer blindfold him and eagerly took the piñata stick. After being spun a few times he swung wildly, grinning when Jerry screamed.

“Watch it! You nearly hit me, Rick!”

“Whoops,” Rick said, aiming in the direction of Jerry’s voice.

The unicorn piñata snorted.

“Pathetic, Sanchez!”

Behind the blindfold his eyes narrowed.

“You programmed th-that dialogue, didn’t you, Ford?”

There was a noncommittal hum in return. Rick quickly flipped off the general area Ford may have been in and went after the piñata again. This time his stick connected with something solid, giving off a very satisfying whap. The unicorn whinnied.

Lifting a corner of his blindfold, Rick grinned at the crack he’d caused. It ran down one side of the piñata. Not enough to break it but it was a good start. He took the blindfold off fully and handed both it and the stick over to Summer.

“Make grandpa proud.”

“Hell yeah I will, grandpa Rick.”

As the piñata started to insult Summer Rick went over to Stan. Ford excused himself, going over to where Fiddleford and Beth were talking. For a moment they stood in silence. It was Stan who broke it, voice tentative and unsure.

“So, were you surprised?”

“That you’re such a goddamn sap? Nope.” Rick grinned, elbowing Stan playfully. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Heh. I’m glad you’re enjoying this. I was kinda worried you’d just portal out.”

“What, and ha-have everyone bitch at me later? Besides, I’d miss out on nine different cakes and all my presents. And whatever’s inside the piñata.”

Stan shivered and said, “I hope it’s not realistic.”

“Isn’t unicorn blood sparkly and shit? It would make Mabel’s day.”

“Huh, guess you have a point.”

“Ye-up. So, after this party wanna go hit space vegas? Then we can get wasted and fuck with the Council of Ricks.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe. As long as we make a stop in that dimension where you’re a cyclops and I’m a gargoyle. Gargoyle me lost a bet.”

Rick smiled and clapped his hands together.

“Ah-alright. First I’m going to go eat my face.”

Stan slunk an arm around Rick’s waste and together they went over to the snack table, the room filled with the curses of an angry piñata and everyone else’s cheers.

[rational-mastermind]

PokeFalls: A Long Summary

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4/Part 5/Part 6/Part 7/Part 8/Part 9/Part 10

....I’m just sorry this is so damn long...

3 years pass.

Mabel decided to spend a Summer in Johto with Carla and Stan, who had recently moved into New Bark Town. She runs an errand for Prof. Elm with a newly obtained cyndaquil (since Waddles had retired) and gets sucked into another pokemon adventure. She becomes even more serious about it, collecting all the badges and becoming champion when a news report states of a dead body found on Mt. Silver, and some footage of a boy riding a charizard was taken. But even after becoming the champion, Ford refuses to let her go to Mt. Silver. If for no other reason than because it’s a dangerous mountain and he doesn’t want to risk losing her unless he knows she’s perfectly capable of handling it.

Mabel goes above and beyond by gaining all the Kanto Gym badges as well, but Pacifica gives her a hard time for it as well. Gideon, who has recovered and became the gym leader in Viridian after Stan retired, listens to what she says. Mabel thought it through and…it has to be Dipper. She couldn’t see him well on the TV, but somehow it made sense. If Cipher had done something to him all those years ago, which is why Pacifica couldn’t find Mabel, because Pacifica couldn’t track pokemon. Gideon believes her, and knows she can handle herself, but warns her about what happened to him and McGucket. If it was Dipper up there on Mt. Silver, how was Mabel gonna 1) get Bill away from Dipper 2) catch Bill 3) what was Mabel gonna do with Dipper because obviously whatever happened to that trainer, might’ve likely been because of the trainer the camera caught. The fact that Dipper could’ve possibly been a murderer and hasn’t even tried to find Mabel in three years says a lot about his mental condition.

Mabel takes it into consideration but one thing’s for certain: even knowing if Dipper was alive at all would be better than to think he was dead.

Despite what Ford had said, how dangerous the mountain was, Mabel’s persistent and when she arrives at the base, Ford and Stan confront her one last time. Mabel insists she has to see who’s at the top of the mountain. Ford promises he won’t stop her, if she could beat him and Stanley in a battle.

As opposed to every other battle Mabel’s ever had, this one was the saddest. But she couldn’t refuse and she couldn’t lose. And Ford knows that. When she beats them, Ford sees to her pokemon’s health, makes her promise to keep in touch with them, and lets her head up the mountain. If they went with her, it would only slow things down. Ford and Stan wait at the mountain’s pokecenter, praying she’ll be okay.

Mabel gets to the summit when she loses connection with Stan and Ford. She goes through one last series of caves when she finally sees him. Her brother turns around, and Bipper grins down at her fearful expression. Mabel demands an answer and Bill explains that when he and Dipper were in the cave, Bill promised to get Dipper out, in exchange for “a place to hide from humans”. A willing puppet was easier to possess, honestly. Bill had escaped in Dipper’s body and had been hiding away here on the mountain. Some humans come and fought him, but easily lost. Which was understandable; Dipper’s pokemon were incredibly strong. One human decided to snoop around but died of hypothermia in the mountain’s unforgiving blizzard. Bill had gone to look, sensing his presence, but that after that only Mabel has disturbed his solitude.

Mabel demands for her brother’s release but Bill refuses until Mabel bargains, Dipper’s body for the strongest trainer in the Johto Region, her. With her reputation, Bill could travel anywhere and people wouldn’t challenge him. Bill’s unsure if she’s bluffing, until they settle it with a pokemon battle. It was a huge fight, and Mabel just barely won. Bill accepts his defeat with unbridled enthusiasm of obtaining a new, stronger body.

But as soon as he leaves Dipper’s body, Mabel pulls out the masterball and almost throws it, until she drops it and loses it in the snow. Before Bill reaches her though, Tyrone tackles Bill. He’s weak, but faked his fainting. Bill fights him and Mabel’s typhlosion while Mabel digs around for her masterball. When Bill throws them back, he races to Mabel’s body and runs face-first into the masterball.

As it was designed for, it captures him, and disappears into the Pokemon Storage Unit.

Mabel takes a moment to breathe until she remembers Dipper. Dipper is laying unconscious on the cave’s floor, left there by Bill. Mabel hurries over and returns Tyrone to his pokeball. She hefts Dipper onto her back, with help from her Typhlosion, and begins to harder part of this adventure: getting Dipper down the mountain.

It’s freezing, and already snowing. She nearly slips but Typhlosion, despite being weak, is ready to help her and Dipper get down. The blizzard picks up and it gets harder for Mabel to see or travel. She eventually collapses in a bank of snow and curls up with Dipper’s sleeping body. She tries to get warm. Typhlosion wraps himself around her to help, but it does little good. The pokemon tries to keep his trainer awake, but she’s already slipping. He sends out a few small flamethrowers, hoping to signal someone, but concentrates more on keeping close to his trainer.

And then a light sweeps over them.

Ford and Stan find Typhlosion and Mabel and are shocked to see Dipper with her as well. But unlike last time, Ford is ready and uses his alakazam to teleport back to the pokecenter. There, Stanley works on keeping Mabel alive while Ford sees to Dipper. Mabel survives and eventually comes back. When she’s well enough she tells them what happens and finds that Dipper made it down with her safe and sound. But still, he’s unconscious. In something of a coma, which Ford could only assume would be because of the extended period Bill has spent in Dipper’s mind.

While they wait for him to wake up, Mabel and Ford discuss what to do with Bill. Ford offers to properly dispose of him, but Mabel…hesitates. She decides to hold off and think about it later. Right now, all that matters is Dipper.

It takes Dipper about a week to finally wake up. And when he does he’s very disoriented. He only remembers up to when Bill talked to him in the cave. Mabel tells him how three years has passed and Dipper passes out again. When he wakes up Ford calmly walks him through the shock and three years until Dipper’s ready to accept reality and see Mabel again. It’s a beautiful tearful reunion in where there’s much crying and laughing and hugging from all the family. Dipper is introduced to Stanley, who helpfully offers him some of the Pokecenter’s cafeteria, and is brought up to speed about what’s happened in the last three years.

In the end, Mabel decides that while Bill seemed bad, she couldn’t bring herself to justify him getting killed. She decides to try to tame him. If Bill refuses to listen to reasoning and tries to hurt anyone though, Ford is free to kill him. Which won’t be hard because Bill is now tied to a pokeball. At first Bill is as unruly as he can get away with, without harming someone. He still tries to scare Mabel. Taunt her with ways he could kill her, or give Ford a good scare and more reason to not like him. It isn’t easy to live with. Eventually one day Mabel snaps at him and calls him out on his bluff. She corners him, daring him to actually try an do something. And he does. And it changes everything.

Mabel is severely hurt from Bill’s powers and Bill hides until Dipper and Ford calm down and take care of her. After a while, when they’re alone, he reappears. Mabel’s rightfully terrified of her and Bill heals her. Dipper and Ford show up in time to witness it, but before Ford could do anything, Bill disappears into his pokeball, willingly.

From there, Mabel starts to make some progress with him. And Bill goes from being unruly to being an annoying house cat to actually caring about her. It takes a while, but they get there.

And Bill sits down with her and tells her his side of the story between him and Ford. That when Bill was first created, he saw no reason to not like Ford. Ford was friendly and always there for him. But Fiddleford hated him. Bill never understood why until one evening when he read into Fiddleford’s memories. And then he had his answers. He discovered he was nothing more than just a project to Fidds and Ford, that he was going to be turned over to someone he didn‘t know, and all this time all Fidds and Ford saw him as was an amazing and yet fearful prize for them to hold. That both the scientists were terrified of his powers. His last shred of faith in Ford was shattered when Bill pressed him for answers, losing his patience, and Ford shot him with a tranquilizer dart. After that it was only a matter of time before Ford and Fidds tried to dispose of him. The fight was ugly, Bill possessed Fidds to try and escape Ford’s gun, but was met with a horrible pain in his shoulder just the same. When Bill destroyed the lab in a fit of fear and rage, Ford and Fidds had survived and Ford managed to remove the fallen debris. Ford looked around and came face to face with Bill. And Bill never forgot the look of speechless terror engraved on Ford’s face. But even though he could’ve killed them right there…he fled instead. And had bee on his own for years since. He just..couldn’t..kill.

Call it a happy ending, cause I don’t know how to end things. XD;; Bill kinda starts caring about the rest of the family, is definitely become more of Mabel’s lap-pet. Ford starts to lower his guard around Bill, tolerates him around the house. Dipper still has to remind himself sometimes that he’s 16 and not 13 (cause the Cerulean Cave incident was after his and Mabel’s birthday). Pacifica is dating Dipper. They all live happily (tolerably) ever after, the end.

[nope-4]

Dipper had his suspicions. After all, more often than not meeting unnatural beings in the forest led to him and mabel getting attacked. However, this creature didn't show any signs of aggression yet... and he knew for sure that at the very least, ford hadn't met this creature yet. After all, he did read through the journals enough times to memorize which creatures were there and how they looked/acted.

...maybe it wouldn't be so bad to approach this creature and see what it was doing here.

----- danny pov ------

it looks like his projected feelings worked? the kids did look less ready to pull out a weapon on him now...

"Hey I'm not gonna attack you!! I didn't know anyone lived near here, where even is this? I didn't mean to drop by here, I just wanted to go on a quick lil flight, get a little break you know? I didn't think I was so tired I would get lost!"

"...so you aren't from around here? you didn't come here on purpose?" the boy asked. Danny thought it was a stupid question. Did he even listen to what he had just said??

"No I didn't come here on purpose! I have no way to get back to my city, I'm too tired and hungry to even think properly!"

At that, the girl (mabel, if he heard the boy correctly) perked up. It seemed like she was thinking up a plan, but sensing the boy's growing dread lead danny to think it was probably gonna be something incredibly stupid. It reminded him of ellie, though he hadn't seen her in a while since she was traveling the world nowadays, only checking in every few months.

"If you come with us we can get you some food!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly

at that, the boy turned to her and whispered sharply "mabel! haven't we been through enough supernatural boyfriends last summer??"

"oh come on dip dop you know I can't give up on love that easily! I'm still searching for my perfect partner, I can't limit myself to humans!"

at that, danny decided to interrupt them.

"hey guys there's no reason to argue over this in the middle of the woods! lets go get that food you offered first..."

look, food was a higher priority right now than preserving these siblings relationship! you'd do the same if you were starving and saw a golden opportunity for food like this.

"I dunno, how do we know we can trust him?"

"comeeee onnn broski! feeding the poor guy won't hurt!"

"I even have some money on me if that's a problem!" danny hurriedly exclaimed, not wanting to miss his shot at food.

"fine! have it your way, we'll talk over lunch."

with that, the siblings beckoned him over and started walking in a seemingly random direction, eventually reaching a worn footpath and some unusual wooden signs? weird.

a/n: I wrote this a couple weeks ago and have not continued it since, so I decided to just post what I wrote

Danny was tired. It was exam season, the ghosts hadn't eased up on their attacks despite the stress he had with school, Jazz was off for college (meaning his parents expected him to pick up the slack and add her chores to his chore list...) he was more than tired. He was EXHAUSTED. You couldn't really blame him for what happened. ...at least that's what he's been telling himself.

Why is be being so dramatic, you ask? Well... he may have... sorta accidentally spaced out while flying and found himself waking up out in the middle of a forest full of pine trees. And this forest looked NOTHING like the forest in Amity park.

Now this wouldn't usually be a problem, right? Amity has such a big ectoplasmic presence, he could sense it from anywhere in the world! Except... as previously mentioned, he was physically and mentally exhausted, had barely eaten 3 sandwiches in the past week, hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep a night (some nights getting no sleep at all) for over a month now... and to make things even better, he couldn't even ask for directions to a nearby city!

Ever since the whole Pariah Dark incident Amity (as in the city spirit of amity park) had decided that staying in one place was "too dangerous", so she'd started moving amity around the US with no apparent rhyme or reason.

Maybe it was because amity was a rather young city spirit, but this didn't achieve anything other than getting the GIW out of amity (they weren't able to reliably track the city location quickly enough to get there before it moved again, and amity has developed a tendency to leave them behind while moving herself, at this rate they would lose their funding before they managed to develop a way to locate amity quickly enough)

All that to say he's currently lost in an unfamiliar forest in the middle of nowhere, barely conscious, just praying to all the ancients (that he hadn't fought) that he could get some food and sleep before anything hostile could find him in this weakened state.

So far he had only heard a few distant animal noises, and there was no way he was attempting to eat something from a forest (he might have grown up eating ecto-infused food, but that didn't mean he had no standards for the food he put in his body! He wasn't going to attempt to eat something from an unfamiliar forest!

Danny hadn't gotten any closer to civilization from what he could tell, and he was running out of energy way too fast. So in a move of rare intelligence, he decided to find a tree with a strong looking branch, fly up to it, and drape himself on the branch for some hopefully undisturbed sleep. He didn't want any big forest animals finding him while he was asleep after all.

- - - - - - - - dipper pov - - - - - - - -

"hey mabel, isn't it weirdly quiet here today?"

Dipper and Mabel had gone into the forest with hopes of easing their boredom (and more importantly, get away from grunkle Stan and Ford's bickering), but so far they hadn't seen even a single red pointy hat peeking out in between the pine branches.

"maybe there's some new creature in the forest today..." he voiced out loud, a small part of him still wanting to prove himself to ford by finding something he had missed in his exploration of gravity falls.

"if it's scaring away all the other creatures, wouldn't it be better to call ford for help?" Mabel replied, worrying they might not be able to deal with it by themselves.

"nah, we can totally deal with this! we survived bill's weirdmageddon, we can definitely survive some weird new creature! have some faith in our strength, Mabel!"

"yeah, you're probably right, there's no use worrying"

[mythomagically-delicious]

More than a Memory, Part 2

The man looked down at the scrapbook in his lap. On either side he was bookended by two kids who would point out different pictures and tell stories about the adventures within the pages before him. He knew somewhere above him was an older man, but he hadn’t heard him speak in quite a while, besides to lead him back to this shack of a house.

The kids, Dipper and Mabel, he reminded himself. They’d told him their names, and they felt more familiar than anything else had, so far. Dipper and Mabel waved their hands around in wild gestures while they told their stories. From the very beginning, they seemed too wild to be true. But even that big guy in the corner who’d been crying as he walked in was backing up the stories. The man felt something familiar about him, too. He’d remembered his name in a burst of memories earlier, flashing through quickly before leaving him in the dark again. Soos. My employee, and something…more? The man shook his head. He’d figure it out when it was less confusing. If this ever feels less confusing.

The first few pages were nice. Not a lot of commotion, just starting off the summer and getting to know the great uncle they’d been sent to spend time with. Me. That’s supposed to be me.

The man knew they’d told him his name. But it felt so disconnected. He didn’t feel like that was really who he was. And while the pictures he was shown started to stir something in his gut, he couldn’t connect the pictures and captions to who he actually was. He felt too…empty for that. And yet, somehow, that emptiness felt familiar, too.

The man shook his head. Just focus on the kids and their words. I’ll figure it out as we go. He held his breath for a moment in confusion. Weird. Flying by the seat of my pants feels familiar too. What kind of guy was I?

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, he returned his attention to the pages before him. As he turned to the next story, he heard a slight hitch in the rhythm of breathing behind him, and a small curse filter through the air to his ears. It was so faint, he was sure the kids didn’t hear it. The girl, Mabel, her name is Mabel, let out a squeal at that same moment that had the man twist one finger in his ear and wish he could adjust his hearing aids.

He’d all but forgotten there was another person in the room, breathing down his neck as they looked over the scrapbook together. He said his name is Ford. He didn’t give any reason for him being here. Not like these other three did. A concerned friend? Another employee? The man gave up the questions and focused on the page.

“Look, look! This is when Soos discovered the Hall of Wax Historical Figures display!” Mabel was shouting in his ear. Dipper named all of the figures in the shot while Mabel told him the story. “One of them had melted—Abe Lincoln, and you got so upset!—and you told me I could use the wax to make a NEW figure!!” The girl bounced excitedly beside him.

“Ha, I did? If your sculpting skills are as good as your scrapbooking, then it musta been a great new figure!” The man smiled and laughed as the girl flung an arm around his neck and told him thank-you-thank-you-thank-you-Grunkle-Stan-it-was-amazing and the man just laughed again, adjusting his gaze to the next page.

A flicker of sadness rushed through him as he gazed down at the next photo. The little girl lifted her arm from around his neck and was showing him all the finer points of her sculpting. The man compared the two figures in the photo—one a wax statue giving a thumbs up, the other an old man slinging one arm around the wax figure’s neck and pointing with a huge grin on his face as if to say—

“’Look at this guy! I love it!’ Those were your exact words, Grunkle Stan!” the girl shouted next to him. The man kept reading the caption as the kids pointed out the man in the photo’s grin. “I mean, you weren’t expecting to see your wax doppelganger, but then you told me how good it looked, especially the glitter!” The man laughed again and agreed, telling her it was a good job.

The boy, Dipper—there’s no way that’s his real name, right, turned the page and pointed out all the shots of the man and the wax figure doing different activities together. The man wondered what this guy’s deal with a wax version of himself was.

The old man in the photos had a huge grin on in every frame, somehow touching or holding the wax figure. Jeez, what an ego on this guy, huh? To love a wax version of himself so stinking much. The man sitting in the dilapidated house refused to connect the dots between the pictures of this old guy and himself, but his body remembered for him on the next photo.

There was a picture of utter dejection and sadness, tears streaming down the old man’s face, next to a headless wax statue. Mabel took over where Dipper, hey, I got their names right this time, left off, talking about the toothpaste deductions and how Dipper could basically be a detective, continuing on about the story in his ear.

“The Mystery Twins were on the case!” Mabel threw in excitedly. The man felt his fingers tighten on the edges of the scrapbook momentarily, body tense before he made himself relax. For a moment the man had heard an echo of shouting; “No!” and “Please!” and “Not again!” before it slipped away, leaving him back on the comfy chair with two kids on either arm, prattling about the serious investigating they did around town, silly shots of the two of them as they got deeper in the case of who murdered Wax Stan.

The next photo was almost worse, the man thought. It was definitely morbid. The headless wax figure was in a coffin while the old man was at the front, shoulders hunched and the loss clearly written all over his face. Looking at the caption did him in, though. This is the service for Wax Stan. Grunkle Stan ran out after he started speaking, too choked up. Soos went out crying too, and comforted him. The man paused for a second and looked at the big guy sitting on the—what is that, some sort of coffee table?—next to him. Soos. My employee and… the man felt something stir in him, a fierce desire to protect this man, and a softer feeling of affection. Hmm, this guy really was important to me. I guess I’ll be figuring that one out for a while.

Looking back down at the scrapbook, he kept reading. Then we had an epic battle with the rest of the wax figures in the room because we found out they were cursed to come to life and had tried to revenge kill our Grunkle for locking them away for so long. Dipper got chased by Sherlock Holmes until he lured him to the roof and was melted by the rising sun. We killed the rest with candles and fire stick pokey things.

“You kids did what? There’s no way you took on a whole wax army—how’d that happen?” And with that question the kids—Dipper and Mabel—bounced in their spots and reenacted the great battle that he apparently missed. The man laughed and gasped in all of the right places, encouraging them and smiling at them to continue on.

The man chuckled and turned his attention from Dipper’s last quip about what Wax Sherlock Holmes had said to him and looked down at the scrapbook again. The last picture in the saga of Wax Stan was a group photo, with Dipper and Mabel on either side of Stan, who was holding Wax Stan in one arm.

A family photo, Grunkle Stan called it. Just the four of us, and Soos behind the camera. What an adventure! If everything those kids said was true, then it was an adventure this guy had mostly missed out on. Still, the man holding the scrapbook did feel like he was staring at his family. He felt something wet splash the back of his neck, just a tiny bit. Oh yeah, he thought, this fella is still here. Crying—no that can’t be right, he hasn’t cried in front of me since tenth grade— “Whoa!” the man yelled, one hand reaching up to halt the flow of words still coming from Mabel.

“What is it Grunkle Stan? Are you remembering?!” her voice took on a shrill pitch that had the man wincing but he didn’t ask her to quiet down.

“Eh, I don’t know yet kid, but can you start this one over? I was still finishing the last story and you jumped straight into evil ten year olds with unreasonable hair. How am I supposed to take that?” He laughed and the girl hugged him around the neck again and started over. Dipper leaned over and began waving his hands for this story too, while Mabel flipped between the pages and pointed out all of the fantastical, crazy events that transpired.

That’s when the man above him spoke, reaching with one of his six-fingered hands down to point at something in the book and ask a question. Sixer, the nickname flashed across his mind as Mabel answered his question.

The man above him—Sixer—laughed along with the kids, and the man in the chair smiled, patting the two little gremlins on either side of him on their heads.

It’s already working, he thought. These pictures are more than a memory pressed between pages. It’s becoming real. I am Stan Pines, and this is my family. Maybe there’s hope for us after all.