It was a much cooler day than per usual when Norman, Raz, and Dipper decided that they needed an adventure to themselves, and the girls likewise. The two groups had become very irritated with each other when they couldn't decide which mystery to chase after first, and after Lili setting a toaster on fire, Dipper almost dropping the Journal in his cereal, and Norman getting hit with a fork that had originally been aimed at Raz, they came to a conclusion that splitting was the best option. So, with different maps and different plans, they set off in different directions.
"Dipper, how much longer are we going to walk? How do you guys even walk this much— it must suck to not be able to have psychic powers." Raz groaned miserably beside said older boy. Dipper rolled his eyes, nose still stuck in his map as he led the trio through the woods.
"Well, it's not my fault you sprained her hand and you can't do your… Weird Sailor Moon hand gesture thing." Norman snorted at the remark and Raz bristled.
"It is not Sailor Moon! It's a super official and cool Psychic hand position that maximi-"
"Yeah yeah, can it brain-breath, you've only said it like, a million times." Norman chuckled, interrupting the goggled dork. Raz sighed angrily, rubbing at the wrapping on his hand before stopping abruptly and dramatically sitting down.
"Okay, well, my legs are dying, so I'm going to take a break." Dipper and Norman paused to look back at him incredulously.
"Are you serious?"
"After all the big talk you do, you can't even walk a mile or so to find a cool-ass monster?" The two echoed each-others angry disbelief. Raz shrugged, adjusting the collar of his sweater. Dipper grumbled angrily, but sat on a raised tree root anyways, settling in to read his book more thoroughly.
Norman scowled with frustration, folding his arms and letting out a grumbling sigh.
"Honestly Raz, don't you do anything? Or do you just use your psychic powers to be lazy?" He scolded, cocking a brow at the younger psychic boy, who gave him a look of contempt in return.
"Hey, shut up, defying gravity, I have a good reason to use them so much, so you can screw off." He adjusted his helmet. Norman laughed dryly and sitting down onto his hands.
"And what good reason would that be?" he prompted when he realized Raz wasn't going to continue.
"Nunya." Raz flopped onto his back and pulled out a small bouncy ball from his jacket pocket, and began to flick it into the air.
"Which translates into- none at all?" Norman laughed. Raz sat back up and glared at him.
"Hey, you didn't have to earn your psychic powers, so if anything, your the lazy one. You didn't have to work for anything. I would kill to see ghosts and talk to them." He accused, and Norman gaped in disgust.
"What?! You think this is some blessing to have dead people following you around all the time? You think I enjoy being harassed by children with mauled bodies and suicide victims in the middle of a forest? Have you been seeing that this whole walk? I don't think so so shu-"
"Oh my god, will both of you shut up for five seconds without arguing." Dipper snapped, shutting his book violently and eyeing both of the younger boys with agitation.
"Dipper?"
"Seriously, you two are like an old married couple, bickering about things you both have in common. Pretending like you two even have differences at all…" Dipper rolled his eyes, and pushed his hat up a bit to look at them more comfortably. The two boys blinked at him with owl eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, Raz is an idiot, and I'm not, so there's one difference." Raz shot Norman a spiteful look, hating the smug look on the mediums face.
"Jeez, are you two seriously that stupid? Both of you do what you do to help people and do great things. Norman's family is cursed too, Raz, maybe not to die, but to see the dead. Raz, you have probably the most stubborn minds ever— have you ever tried inferring something Norman would do, let alone enter his mind? He's so stubborn at times, I bet a mule would tell him to lighten up." Dipper's agitation slowly grew into amusement as he realized just how alike the boys actually were.
"Hey! I am not stubborn! I avoid conflict…" Norman pouted, and Raz scoffed.
"Avoid con… Norman, you beat the guts out of a cockroach because you thought it was talking to you. You threw the TV onto it…" Raz and Dipper laughed heartily and Norman flushed.
"I-It was late! I was really tired and being weird! At least I'm not an idiot who rushes into things!"
"What?! At least I-" Raz began to get angry again and Dipper hopped off his seat and held his hands out in a 'calm down' kinda way.
"Haha, okay, no more arguing. You both get it right though?" Dipper asked, offering a hopeful smile.
"Get what?" Dipper whacked Raz with the Journal and sighed.
"That you two have a lot in common. You two are really great friends and you both need to stop bickering and being annoying so that the people around you can enjoy you. Just shut up and be bros already." Dipper chuckled, stuffing his free hand into his nylon vest.
Raz and Norman eyed each other, weighing Dipper's words. The both nodded in unison after a moment of contemplating. Dipper grinned victoriously.
"Cool. Can we go catch a monster now?" he spun on his heel and opened his book again to shove his nose into. Raz and Norman made eye contact and smiled awkwardly, catching up with Dipper, and standing closer to their good friend than they had before.
Sure, Dipper could be a huge idiot, but at least he recognized how much they all meant to each other. Norman and Raz just hoped he also realized just how much he meant to them.