Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoy your stay.
"Well, this looks cute…"
Pacifica mumbled to herself as she looked at various articles of clothing that adorned the shelves. She had uneasily agreed to join Mabel for a shopping trip. Mabel insisted that the two of them participated in "sisterly-bonding activities" now that she had enacted "Project Pacifica." Suffice it to say, Pacifica had no idea what Mabel's plans had in store for her. While at times Mabel's sudden and seemingly random ideas could irritate her, she couldn't lie to herself that more often than not she ended up enjoying the escapades they participated in.
"How do I look Pacifi-pal?" Mabel stepped out of a changing room and displayed her change of wardrobe to Pacifica: She had on a blue sweater with a white tank top peeking out on the shoulder and jean shorts. With one hand she threw back the length of an accompanying blue and gray scarf. Pacifica couldn't deny she looked good, if quite different than usual.
"Well, you're styling for sure." Mabel's smile grew wide at the compliment, she ran up and embraced Pacifica.
"Yes! We're gonna have you rehabilitated yet!"
Pacifica groaned and lightly shoved her away. Mabel just giggled in response and skipped back into the changing room. Pacifica could feel just a small twitch of a smile try to break her typical sneer. Mabel poked back out from the changing room and addressed her.
"Are you going to try anything on?"
Pacifica shrugged. "I haven't really seen anything that's caught my eye."
Mabel looked thoughtfully for a moment, and then jumped back into the changing room.
"Hey Mabel, I think I'm gonna take a look around, I won't go too far though."
"Okay!" Mabel said.
Pacifica made her way over to another section when she overheard some familiar voices.
"Ha, Dipper, some of this stuff is ridiculous."
Pacifica's heart thumped and she stopped dead in her tracks. She crouched slightly behind a rack of clothes and peeked out from the side. She saw Wendy and Dipper sharing a laugh over something on the shelf. Wendy put on a pig hoodie over her coat. The hoodie had small pig ears and brown splotches on it. She threw her hands out as if to say "ta-da." Dipper snorted with laughter.
"Watch out Wendy, Mabel might try to take you home looking like that!" Dipper and Wendy laughed, and Pacifica covered her mouth as she giggled.
"Nice one Dipper. Ugh, Pink is definitely not my color though." Wendy pulled off the hoodie while Dipper searched for one to put on. He reached for one and pulled it over his head without taking his hat off. It was grey with a black nose and eyes, and had fuzzy rounded ears. Pacifica assumed it was supposed to be a koala bear.
"Hey Wendy! Look! I'm the one thing in Australia that won't kill you!" The two laughed again. "But actually if I scratch you you could get an STD so..."
Wendy raised her eyebrows while Dipper was pulling off the hoodie. "Whoa, that's rough."
Dipper's head came out with a pop without his hat, his birthmark in full view. "Whoops!" He reached in and pulled it out, and nestled it back on top of his head where it belonged.
"Huh, you didn't seem too freaked out about that dude," Wendy said.
Dipper shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really bug me here. Everyone knows me, and no one is gonna go out of their way to poke fun. If I was back at school I'd have an issue, some of those guys are ruthless.
"Pssh, tell me about it. Actually, let's not. The less I think about that place the better."
"Oh hey Pacifica, what are you doing crouched here?" Pacifica panicked for a moment as Mabel appeared behind her. She motioned with her fingers for her to shush but Mabel had already noticed Wendy and Dipper. "Hey guys!" Mabel waved with vigor while Pacifica slapped her own face in frustration.
"Oh hey Mabel, what are you doing here?" Wendy asked.
Mabel dragged Pacifica over with her as she joined her brother and their friend. "Just shopping with Paz! We're bonding." Her cheeks were in a bright smile as she added the last part. Pacifica rolled her eyes.
"Sounds like fun. Hey Pacifica, lookin' good." Wendy held out her fist in wait.
"Thanks." Pacifica hesitantly bumped it with her own, still a bit unsure on where exactly she stood with the intimidating redhead.
Dipper nervously scratched the back of his head. "Hey 'Cif."
"Hey Dipper." Pacifica returned the greeting.
Mabel picked up the pig hoodie Wendy had previously put on and gasped. "I think I need this guys." Both Pacifica and Dipper stifled their laughter.
Wendy spoke up. "Couldn't you just make something like this yourself? You have like 20 handmade sweaters, how much harder could it be to add a hood?"
Mabel looked intensely at the sweater. "You might have a point Wendy. Thanks!" She put it back down on the shelf. "So, what are you guys doing?"
"Oh, we're just putting on hoodies and crackin' jokes," Dipper said.
"Hmmm," Mabel loudly vocalized her thinking. She narrowed her eyes at the shelf before immediately grabbing one and putting it on. "Like this?" It was obviously a unicorn. "Hey Wendy look at me! I'm a big dumb jerk who doesn't want to help people!"
Wendy and Mabel laughed hard at the comment, while Pacifica and Dipper looked from them to each other in confusion.
Pacifica looked at the shelves and spotted a grey cat hoodie with paw sleeves. She grabbed it and turned from view as she put it on. A strand of her hair flopped out the side as she put on the hood. She slipped her thumbs into the little holes on the sides of the sleeves and bent her fingers down in a paw shape. She went "ahem" as she turned back around.
"Hey, don't I look purr-fect?"
Mabel and Wendy looked only for a moment before bursting out in laughter. The pun was pretty standard, but Pacifica figured she just must have had good timing with it. Dipper was not laughing though. His face was beet red and he was as still as a statue. Pacifica tapped him on the forehead with a "meow" and he shook from his senses.
"Ermyoulookprettycute." Dipper blurted out in a hushed tone.
"What?"
"Uh, nothing!"
Suddenly, a brown hoodie with rounded ears was shoved in front of Dipper by Mabel.
"Gosh Dipper, sometimes you can be so unBEARable," Mabel said. She began to laugh at her own quip and Pacifica joined in too. Dipper just looked cross as he pulled the hoodie out of her hands with a huff and put it back on the shelf. He pointed with two fingers from his eyes to Mabel's indicating she wouldn't be getting away with that tease so easily.
"C'mon Wendy, let's leave these two to bond." He stuck his tongue out at Mabel who did the same in return and they both laughed.
"Catch you later," Wendy said.
"Bye Dipper" Pacifica called out. Dipper waved in response. Pacifica smiled as she pulled off the hoodie, but gasped as Mabel's face was revealed up close and personal after the fabric passed over her eyes.
"So, you're buying that aren't you?" Mabel smiled a toothy and knowing grin.
Pacifica just scoffed.
But she didn't leave the store without it.
A thank you to my friend who shared the image that was the inspiration for this story, and also provided the idea for Mabel's outfit. I am unaware of who drew the image though, reverse searching gives me no results, my apologies.
An additional thank you to another friend who proofread it in small form. All help is appreciated.
To the few people I have told a longer story was coming: It is still in the works, but I encountered some struggles. Art from adversity though.