The middle school Dipper and Mabel Pines attended did not place as big of an importance on Valentine's Day as much as their elementary school did, but there was still some display of the holiday. There were no small store-bought cards with the images of pop stars, cartoon characters, or professional wrestlers handed out during class. However, the middle school acknowledged Valentine's Day by having the eighth grade students purchase a cut rose for a dollar to give to their peers.
Dipper was already cynical towards the February holiday, both from personal experience and his firm belief that it was nothing more than a scam to benefit certain business under the guise of celebrating the trite notions of romance in America. The thirteen-year-old did not place any high hopes of receiving anything from his classmates, even from the kids he was friendly with. He and Mabel bought a rose for each other as a kind gesture symbolizing their solid bond as twins. The exchange of flowers was the one positive light of an otherwise average school day for Dipper.
Unfortunately for Mabel, her day went downhill shortly afterwards.
When she went to her grab her books after lunch, she found another rose and a small note taped to her locker. Mabel took the rose and the small piece of paper and read the message. It was a passionately detailed love letter from a boy in her science class. Being the hopeless romantic, Mabel's heart already locked him as a potential boyfriend. She eagerly confronted the boy who stood by his locker and surrounded by his guy friends. When Mabel showcased the rose and the letter, the boy and his friends responded with cruel laughter. The males loudly guffawed on how funny it would be if one of them was to date someone as eccentric as her. The poor girl's hopes for romance were demolished by adolescent mockery, leaving her heartbroken.
When she told her Dipper everything that happened, the boy grew livid. Fueled with anger and a strong sense of justice, Dipper confronted the boy after school and punched him in the face with a swift left hook. The callous boy received a black eye and Dipper darkly reminded him to never hurt his sister again lest he wanted to face his wrath once more. When Dipper reunited with Mabel, he assured her that the cruel jerk will never mess with her again.
After the school day ended, Dipper and Mabel silently trudged back to their home. The girl sorrowfully gazed at the grass along the sidewalk. Her brother winced at her pain. Dipper always hated seeing his sister so wistful and depressed. Melancholy did not suit the usually cheerful and optimistic Mabel. It wasn't like her to be this quiet on a day like Valentine's Day, especially how she's in love with the concept of love.
Upon reaching their home neighborhood, Dipper stopped in his tracks and placed a soft hand on Mabel's shoulder. The unusually sullen girl looked at her brother.
"Hey, I've got an idea," He piped up with a small smile. "When we get home, I'll make us some ice cream sundaes and we can watch some of Dream Boyz High before we start our homework. Does that sound good?"
Mabel's eyes grew wide. She pulled Dipper in a strong hug before he had the chance to react.
"Thanks bro-bro," Mabel responded tearfully.
Dipper returned the hug, wrapping his arms around his sister. "Sure thing Mabes."
Shortly after releasing themselves from the embrace, they completed their trek back home. When Dipper and Mabel approached their house, they immediately noticed four large packages sitting by the front door. Curious, the twins looked over and noticed that the two smaller boxes were marked for the both of them, and that the two large boxes were marked separately for them. They were even more eager to learn where the mail was sent from.
One package was marked from Stan and Ford and mailed over from Moscow, while the other three packages were shipped from Gravity Falls, Oregon.
Mabel squealed with excitement as she picked up one of the packages.
"That's weird," Dipper remarked. "I wonder who in Gravity Falls would send us mail at this time of year."
"Maybe Soos wants to showcase his new items from the Mystery Shack!" Mabel guessed enthusiastically.
Dipper smiled at his sister, happy to see her usual wide smile plastered on her face again. "Could be." He added.
The twins carried in the packages into the house. Just as they settled their mail in the living room, Waddles trotted down the stairs and happily greeted the twins with an oink. Dipper went into the kitchen and retrieved a pair of scissors.
"Let's open Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford's package first!" Mabel happily declared.
"Good thinking," Dipper said as he returned to the living room with the scissors.
The twins carefully held the package from their Grunkles, which was respectfully addressed to Mason and Mabel Pines. Using the scissors, Dipper neatly cut through the tape. Both kids then opened up the package and scoured through the packaging peanuts to find some gifts: an authentic Russian Army Ushanka hat for Dipper, Russian nesting dolls for Mabel, and two Moscow-themed shot glasses for the two of them.
The twins discovered a small yellow envelope. Opening it up, they found a handwritten letter and a small collection of pictures. Dipper and Mabel picked up the letter and silently read it together.
Hey kids,
So we just about finished up our tour of Russia, and it went as well as we expected. We've been to all the points of interest and we were lucky that Stan didn't get apprehended by the authorities, despite teaching some bears how to drive cars.
Nothing too weird in Russia though, besides their backwards dating rituals of having the males pay for dinner! (Stanley tried to woo over a couple of the locals but to no avail) (HEY, WE'VE ALREADY GOT TREASURE A WHILE BACK, WE NEED TO GET THE BABES TOO!). We've purchased some delightful souvenirs for you two.
I hope you kids are doing well in California and keeping up with your studies. We're aiming for another facetime session real soon. Until then, you kids better have good grades in school and not cause a lotta trouble. We're looking forward to seeing you knuckleheads in person again for the summer!
Love,
Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford
The twins laughed at the ridiculous antics their Grunkles were getting into over in Russia and smiled at the sincerity in the letter. Dipper immediately took the photographs out from the paperclip and shared them with Mabel.
Together they kids looked through their Grunkles' pictures to look through with great interest. There was Stan and Ford in ushanka hats standing in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral, Stan sleeping on the park bench while clutching a bottle of vodka, Stan pointing at the Moscow Kremlin, Ford standing by their hotel window admiring the snowfall, Stan and Ford sharing drinks at the local tavern, and Stan and Ford looking on at the sunset together.
Dipper and Mabel chuckled as they grinned at their Grunkles' latest expedition. They were able to recognize Stan and Ford's portions of the message. They were glad to hear how happy they were traveling the globe together.
There was another piece of paper with a short message from Ford.
Ud ud Udvsxwlq
Oryhu ri wkh Uxvvldq txhhq
Wkhuh zdv d fdw wkdw uhdoob zdv jrqh
Ud ud Udvsxwlq
Uxvvld'v juhdwhvw oryh pdfklqh
Lw zdv d vkdph krz kh fduulhg rq
Vwdqohb zrxog qrw vwrs vlqjlqj wklv vrqj vlqfh zh duulyhg khuh dqg qrz L fdq'w khos exw kxp dorqj. L grq'w nqrz zklfk lv zruvh, wklv ru Vwudljkw Eodqfklq'.
Utilizing his impeccable knowledge of Caesar cipher, Dipper quickly decoded the message inside his head before speaking aloud.
"Ra Ra Rasputin...Lover of the Russian queen- oh dear lord, it's that song!" Dipper exaggerated, causing Mabel to giggle. The teen skipped to the last paragraph. "Stanley would not stop singing this song since we arrived here and now I can't help but hum along. I don't know which is worse, this or Straight Blanchin'."
"I like both." Mabel piped up.
She directed her attention towards the smaller package from Gravity Falls. The girl immediately grabbed the small white box marked from Lazy Susan. Gingerly opening the package, she discovered two refrigerated pies: a cherry pie and pecan pie. Greasy's Diner may not have the healthiest food, but their pies were certainly something to write home about.
"Wow, that was really nice of Lazy Susan." Mabel awed.
"Yeah," Dipper agreed. "She makes the best desserts."
The two were glad that they were able to have a taste of Gravity Falls cooking back at home. Mabel took the pies over into the kitchen to place into the fridge. Dipper took the opportunity to start opening the large box addressed to him.
With great precision, he cut through the thick tape on the top and opened up the giant package. When he heard Mabel enter the living room, he passed her the scissors to open her respective package.
Dipper looked inside the large package to find countless number of Valentine's Day cards marked for him. He picked up two random cards up to inspect. One was a simplistic doodle of a police car. Dipper read the contents of the card:
Being too sweet should be a crime! Be our Valentine!
Yours truly,
Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland
Dipper laughed at the police officers' sincere card. He looked over at the other card was a drawing of a stereo playing music which read:
Disco girl! Comin' through! That girl is you!
Happy Valentine's Day to my favorite BABBA enthusiast!
Your friend, Multibear
The teen smiled at the message before placing it along side Blubs and Durland's card. Dipper peered into the box full of valentines, assuming that everyone in Gravity Falls made him and his sister Valentine's Day cards. He couldn't help but wonder why. After his terrible Valentine's Day back in the fourth grade, he detested the whole holiday and as the years passed his hatred cooled into sardonic indifference. But seeing all of the colorful cards addressed to him was a pleasant surprise.
"Dipper!" Mabel called out. "Look what Candy and Grenda sent me!" The girl held up a new, werewolf romance paperback. He couldn't hold back his laughter, remembering her friends' lust for sensual supernatural literature. Dipper smiled as Mabel inspected her pile of decorative valentines, happy that his sister returned to her normal, upbeat self.
Dipper went back to finding more cards. He soon found an incredibly amusing card in the shape of a pterodactyl. He quickly figured out who it was from before he could begin to read the note.
Dipper,
Happy Valentine's Day to my Pterodactyl Bro! I hope you're doing great! I can't wait to see you again dude!
Love, Soos
P.S. BROS BEFORE DINOS!
Dipper neatly placed the card into the pile and he went through the rest.
He read through each valentine one by one. There were some store-bought cards, while many others created their own valentines for the boy. He found more cards from supernatural creatures, like the gnomes, the manotaurs and decapitated head of wax Larry King (who had such wonderful penmanship for a being with no hands). He also received nice cards from people he didn't think would write to him, including Mr. Poolcheck, The Woodpecker's husband, Gideon, Ghost Eyes and the other inmates of the Gravity Falls Prison, The boy was surprised when he found a large pink heart decorated with white lace.
Dipper,
I want you to be my Valentine, no ifs, ands or buts about it!
Truthfully, I can't thank you enough for helping me stand up to my dumb parents last summer, and you will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope you are taking care of yourself. Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXO, Pacifica Northwest
Dipper lightly blushed at the unusually sentimental valentine. He enjoyed Pacifica's company ever since the party at the former Northwest Manor and he was grateful for the sweet message. He carefully placed the decorative paper heart atop the pile of valentines he already looked at and continued looking through the box.
Moments later, Dipper discovered a small cardboard package with a short letter from Fiddleford. He took the note off the box and began to read.
Dipper,
Here's a small somethin' that I put together fer Valentine's Day! I hope ya like it a lot!
Yours truly,
Fiddleford Hadron McGucket
Dipper opened up the small box and took out a small bundle wrapped in paper. He discarded the brown wrapping paper to discover a small-scale figure of the Shacktron. There was so much detail put into the figure, from arm comprised of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex encased in tree sap for an arm to the Gobblewonker in the back and the legs comprised of trucks and used billboards.
"Mabel, check out what McGucket made!" Dipper exclaimed.
Mabel scoured through her box and found the smaller package. She hurriedly opened it up to find Fiddleford's note and the intricate Shacktron figure.
"Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!" She gushed.
Dipper resumed to searching through the box of valentines until he came across an envelope marked for Dipper in Wendy's handwriting. Dipper immediately opened it up, taking out a folded up letter. He began to read the note's contents.
Hey Dipper!
I hope you're doing well!
So I bet you're wondering, 'Why the heck did Mabel and I get these ginormous packages from Gravity Falls? Well, I'm about to tell ya.
So I've been thinking a lot about Weirdmageddon (experiencing the end of the world first hand is something I've learned is a memory that well never go away). But specifically I remembered when we were inside Mabel's bubble and that insane court-case. I remembered you bringing up the Valentine's Day memory and how you received that touching card from your sister made from all her valentines, and I can't help but relate. I've never gotten much from anyone at my elementary school except for Tambry. That memory was so deep that I decided to do something about it.
So I contacted Soos and the two of us went to the town meeting back in January. We brought up how you and your sister helped save the world (and everyone in town are eternally grateful for you and your family!). I didn't bring up what I've seen back inside the bubble (friends don't spill each other's secrets), but I pitched that we should send Valentine's Day cards as a way to remind you and Mabel how thankful we are that you two came by over the summer and helped everyone out. Seriously, this town hasn't been the same without you two.
I know we normally call each other over the phone and face-chat online, but I figured that writing you a letter would be more sincere.
Can't wait to see you guys in the summer! Stay cool!
Your pal,
Wendy
Dipper's eyes began to water, tearfully smiling at the letter. The entire town of Gravity Falls cared about him. He felt loved. He truly found a second home in the rural community, and it warmed his heart that the residents welcomed him and his sister.
"You okay bro-bro?"
Dipper wiped away the joyful tears that threatened to fall. "Yeah, everything's fine Mabel." He answered honestly. "I can't believe that people in Gravity Falls actually miss us, and that they'd go out of their way to send us personalized cards for Valentine's Day."
That they actually care about me... He wanted to say.
Mabel went up to her twin and wrapped her arm around him. "Of course they care about you, bro-bro!" She spoke, as though she had read her brother's mind. "You've helped out so many people over the summer and we helped save the town from the actual apocalypse! No one would ever forget that. You, me and our Grunkles are the town heroes!"
Dipper glanced at Wendy's letter with a wistful smile. Despite all the unintentional trouble he caused with his curiosity of the supernatural, he was able to help out plenty of people during the summer. He befriended the Multibear, who had been ousted by the Manotaurs for liking pop music. He helped take down a dangerous shapeshifter. He helped overthrow a powerful brainwashing cult that terrorized the town for decades. He helped Fiddleford retrieve his lost memories. He encouraged Pacifica to stand up to her overly-controlling parents. Even in the midst of Weirdmageddon he helped out by rounding up Wendy, Soos and Mabel as well as rallying the remaining townspeople in a team effort to stop Bill's reign of terror over Gravity Falls.
Dipper managed to make a positive impact on their lives and they expressed their gratitude in the sincerest way possible.
"Thanks Mabel." He softly replied.
"That's what I'm here for Dip-Dop." She concluded.
"Though I wouldn't let the whole 'hero' thing to your head," Dipper joked as he playfully jabbed her shoulder, causing her to giggle.
"So you want to have some of Lazy Susan's pie while we watch Dream Boyz High?" Mabel inquired.
Dipper looked over to her and nodded.
"Absolutely."