The summer storm raged on around the northwestern town, showering man and nature in a prime bounty of water and wind. However, one house in particular happened to be ignorant of nature's expressive art, the sounds of bad B-movies and laughter drowning out the patter of the rain and the howl of the winds.
A trio of young women lay transfixed by the glow of the 50" television before them, swaddled by blankets and snack foods, the howls of viking women clashing filling the dimly-lit living room. Twelve year-old Mabel Pines rocked back-and-forth in place, popcorn draped along brunette hair, legs crossed and eyes wide at the violence being shown on-screen. Her two best friends sat alongside, the smaller Korean beauty sitting in the larger pre-teen's lap, hair being braided into a ponytail.
"What now, Professor? The more radioactive lava they drink, the stronger the Viking women become."
"We can only hope the radioactivity eventually overloads them and they destroy themselves. To us, they're monsters; but to them, they're fighting one another for the right to be the bride of the volcano."
"Poor devils."
"This movie is awesome." Grenda marveled, pausing in her braiding to place an empty bowl on her head. "Where did you say you found this, Candy?"
"In a box, floating downstream a few days ago." Candy Chiu absentmindedly nibbled on a pretzel piece, the reflection from the television giving her large glasses an ominous glow to them. "There were some beavers chasing after it, but FINDERS KEEPERS!" She raised her arms in triumph, scattering wrappers into the air.
"Ooo! Ooo, girls! I have something I've been working on that I've been wanting to share for DAYS!" Mabel reached behind the couch, the sounds of rattling cans, bottles and wrappers distracting the girls from the poor acting on-screen. "Behold, girls!" She reemerged with a large blue box held above her head, pieces of paper sticking out haphazardly. "Its my new slumber party game: TRUTH OR STICKERS!"
The box slammed onto the ground, tiny stickers already escaping their flimsy shoebox prison. She lifted the boxtop to reveal a multitude of randomly collected stickers, some with cute characters and some that might have come from around the whole town.
"Rules are simple: Ask anyone a question. Tell the truth, get a sticker. Pass the turn, lose a sticker." Her face was strangely serious as she began to stick tiny kittens onto her cheeks, eyes focused on her two friends/victims.
"You're going down, Pines!" Grenda grabbed a handful of random stickers from the pile, slamming them onto her body in a show of bravado, laughing manically in the process.
"You cannot hope to win, friend Mabel." Candy's Korean accent gave her a more foreboding tone as she grabbed a single sticker from the box, a green-blue computer character with three letters on its side staring back at her. She clutched the character tightly to her breast.
The game seemed to start off fast-paced, questions being thrown around like bullets at a gunfight, stickers being passed around like illegal tender. For what seemed like hours, the sounds of stickers peeling and unpeeling filled the house, laughter not far behind. Eventually, the game had reached a finale of sorts, two of the girls having been covered in their winnings while the smallest was still clutching her prize trophy tight to her chest.
"Okay, Candy... Truth-Or-Sticker!" Mabel's voice was hard, forceful and filled with more than a few cups of sugar and Mabel-brand juice. "WHO is... your secret crush?"
"I-i~!" Candy stuttered, looking between both girls with wide eyes and bright-red cheeks. "I refuse this question!"
The female twin licked her lips in anticipation, reaching out for the prize on her friend's chest. "Well then, I'll just be taking that, now."
"No." The word was crisp and clear, as if it weren't just a statement of fact, it was an obvious law of the universe. She was, apparently, not to have the tiny blue robot.
Apparently noone was.
"Candy, that's not how the game works. You have to tell us the truth. You have a secret crush, right?"
"Yes. Of course."
"But, you won't tell us?"
"No, I cannot."
"Sooo, now you have to give us the little blue sticker, ri~ght?"
"Once again, I must deny this fact, Mabel."
Stickers fluttered off Grenda's body as she waved her arms in the air. "Oooo oooo, I wanna guess, I wanna guess! Is it Soos?" she pointed, eyes growing bright with excitement as she spoke. "Older men are in this year..."
"No." Candy spat, arms crossed. "That is YOUR secret crush, Grenda."
She deflated at the statement, playing with her fingers, face turning bright red. "Oh yeah. Heh... heh, I-uh, forgot..."
"What about Grunkle Stan?" Mabel teased, pulling her hair back and frumping into what she had affectionately dubbed a 'Grunkle Stan' face. "Grey hair shows experience, ri~ght?"
"No, it is not 'Grunkle Stan'."Her mood had turned sour, the name coming out in a mocking tone as she rocked her head back and forth at each syllable.
"Well, what about that boy at the arcade?" Mabel started, looking to her larger friend to continue the sentence.
"-the one with the acne who never blinks!"
"Or maybe the guy at the gas station..."
"-who really needs a shower!"
Candy Chiu sat to the side, shivering in rage as her friends teased her, crinkles appearing in her prized sticker as she resisted the urge to strangle her only best friends.
"What about Old Man McGuckett?"
"Or Manly Dan? He's SO MANLY!"
"Or even-"
"Or even-"
"Robbie V!"
"ENOUGH!" Her voice came out strong, eyes focused and wide, the sticker finally crushed in her firm grip. "There is only one boy that I like and that is Pines! Dipper Pines! I like your brother, Dipper, okay!?"
Both girls were wide-eyed in shock, hair in disarray from the outburst. Mabel looked from Candy to Grenda and back again. She whispered, partially from amazement and partially because she didn't want to interrupt the string of Korean that her friend was muttering "You... you like my Bro-Bro?"
The adrenaline drained out of her in an instant and she let the cause of the incident flutter out of her hands, the robot's smile mocking her. Candy's face grew pale, jaw hanging open as she made an attempt at a response "I-i-i-"
It was unreal how fast Mabel had moved from point A to point B, violating Candy's personal bubble. "You're telling me that YOU. Like. Dipper Pines. You're serious? NOT pullin' my legs?"
The poor pre-teen was locked in a state of shock and embarrassment, her only response other than a singular vowel was to weakly nod her head.
"Yes. Yes-yes-yes-yes YES!" Mabel pumped her fists for a few moments in excitement, doing a very poorly contained dance in the middle of the living room before snapping back to face her friend. "NO! Wait, wait. WHY?" She placed both hands firmly on her shoulders, staring Candy down through fogged spectacles. "I mean, Dipper's a nice guy, he's LOVEABLE. But he's... kinda...?" Mabel looked behind her.
"Undateable?" Grenda chimed in, shrugging with her hands spread wide.
"I was GOING to say 'rough around the edges'." Mabel grumbled, tilting her head in thought. "Though its probably not a little bit untrue..."
"Dipper Pines is not undateable!" Candy found herself protesting loudly, breath panting. "He is simply in need of a girl to show him what he has to offer!"
Mabel found herself pondering the Korean girl's words."You've really snapped your cap over my brother, haven't you?"
"I will admit to no such thing!"
"O~kay, now I know it's serious. Our little Candy is off the deep end, Grenda."
"What, you mean like that time you went all crazy over Sev'ral Times? Or that way Gideon acts whenever he looks at you? Or maybe-"
"I am not crazy pants!" Candy protested, stomping her food. "Dipper is a good person, he just, just needs someone to love him." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she finished.
The entire living room was silent, save for the sounds of viking women screaming in horror at their imminent demise. As if she had planned it in advance, Mabel spoke out, just as the explosion filled the room.
"Alright then, it's settled! We're gonna get you and Dipper together!"
"You are!?"
"We are!?"
"Yes, we are! I've been trying to set him up for weeks on blind dates. They... haven't been going so well." Mabel trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "I mean, I tried that one girl at the gym, lemme tell you THAT was a mistake." She rolled her eyes at the memory. "But that's all about to change, you're PERFECT for Bro-Bro, Candy!"
Candy rubbed her arm, a shy smile growing on her face as she looked between friends. "Y-you really think I have a chance with-!"
She wasn't ready for the oncoming assault, her newest friend scooping her into her arms and stealing her glasses in what appeared to be a single act. Letting them fall far along the bridge of her nose, Mabel was a picture of energy, bright smile and shining eyes further helping to raise her friends' spirits.
"Don't you dare sell yourself short, Candy. When we get back to the Mystery Shack tomorrow, Dipper won't know what hit him!"
"YEAH!" Grenda's cheer was accompanied by her lifting both smaller women into her arms, holding them tight for more than a few moments. "You've got this, girlfriend!"
Taking her glasses from Mabel and readjusting them properly, Candy looked to each friend before nodding her head and smiling, easing into the Trinity's infectious energy. 'Maybe, just maybe...' She thought with new confidence 'I might actually have a chance.'
Can you tell I'm getting my groove back? I have a tumblr now, so please ask things of me. Also, next part is the last of the prologues, so we'll be getting real quite soon. Get ready.
-POOR SHE-DEVILS-