Dipper and Mabel were already on their own way to educating themselves about the Northwests - so to speak. Dipper had made it his mission to learn about the mansion house they were due to investigate, and there was one man that - although he couldn't be certain - he was pretty sure would know more about that grand building than anyone else in the world.

"So why are we going to Wendy's cabin? She's not even going to be there, she's working-"

"Mabel, just because we're going to the Corduroy's doesn't mean we're going to see Wendy."

"Haw! Makes a first! So what are we doing there?"

"If the Grunkles want us to investigate Northwest Manor, I need to know where we're going."

"Straight to the bedroom!" Mabel grinned.

Dipper choked on his own spit and gave Mabel a slap across the back of the head. "Y-you need to quit with that, Mabel! It's - it's embarrassing!"

"What? I didn't say what you'd be doing in there, bro-bro."

"Look, just...stop, alright? You know what it's like being in love, you said so yourself. Why do you keep teasing?"

"Because I'm your sister. It's my job." Mabel beamed, in her typical high spirits. It almost seemed as if their rathermore serious conversation last night had been forgotten entirely. "So if we aren't here for Wendy, what are we here for?"

"Northwest Manor was built by Lumberfolk, and I'm convinced the Northwest Manor ghost was a Corduroy. There's a pretty decent chance that Manly Dan knows something we don't about the place."

Mabel cocked her head as she followed her determined brother marching through the towering Oregon pines with purpose. "That's right, he built the Shack, too!"

"Exactly. The Corduroys have built almost every cabin, hut and house in Gravity Falls, and nobody has ever bothered to ask if they have blueprints. If there's anyone there who knows about secret rooms in that Mansion, it's Manly Dan."

"Wowowowow, do you think he has plans for anywhere else? Maybe he knows all of the secret hideouts in town!"

"I mean… maybe. But one thing at a time, okay? You know he can be a bit short tempered."

"Please! No man on Earth can resist my adorkable charm!" Mabel replied, skipping up to the cabin and knocking on the door. "I mean, I'm just the-"

The door was opened by one Kevin Corduroy; Wendy's nearly-14-year-old brother. It was fair to say that Mabel was not prepared for the gappy-toothed teenager with the natty red pompadour.

The twins were not well acclimated with the other members of the Corduroy family. At most, they were known as a rough family with an aggressive streak - but Wendy's brothers, outside of being very supportive of their father's love of punching, were all relative unknowns.

The middle brother, Kevin, did seem to stand out somewhat, though Dipper and Mabel had never considered it in much detail. Broad shouldered, short, with a sharp chin and well kept hair, Kevin did - in retrospect - seem to be a distinct pretty boy among his brothers.

While he had never noticed Mabel, and Mabel had never noticed him before, his visage had just hit Mabel with the force of an articulated lorry.

"...C-c-cutest…" The usually hyperactive Pines twin had suddenly become very quiet, very static, and carried a distinct flush in her cheeks as her eyes met the quizzical brow of the red headed young man.

"Hi." Kevin greeted, simply. "Dipper and Mabel, right?"

"Y-y-you can call me any-" Mabel began replying, before Dipper - thankfully - interrupted.

"Hey Kevin." Dipper said. "How's things?"

"Decent." Kevin replied, tucking his ever-faithful comb back into his pocket, glancing momentarily at Mabel and almost immediately causing an eruption of giggles. He decided not to comment on it. "What're you both doing here?"

"We're here to see your Dad. Is he home?"

"He's out collecting lumber. He'll be back soon." Kevin shrugged. "He likes collecting lumber."

"Do you… get through a lot of firewood or something?"

"I mean he literally collects lumber. It's his hobby."

"...Huh."

Kevin beckoned for the two of them to come in with a polite smile. "It's fine, he likes both of you. As much as Dad can like anyone, anyway."

The two twins nervously entered the rustic log cabin, something Dipper was far from used to doing without Wendy's accompaniment. Frankly, it felt a bit weird being in the house without having a mad crush on the sole Corduroy girl.

The family's living room was an immediately infectious blend of flannel and hardwood furniture, every one skillfully carved by Dan, or the eldest brother, Marcus. The smell of pine wood filled every room, creating a surprisingly calm atmosphere in the midst of what seemed to be a particularly chaotic family.

The cuckoo clock on the wall ticked loudly, there was no television, and there were axes and saws decorating every piece of the building's interior. That was the first thing that Dipper noticed as they sat on the living room couch, quietly waiting for the lumberjack to arrive.

"So…" Mabel smiled, leaning back over the arm of the couch towards Kevin. "What do you do with your spare time?"

Kevin blinked and glanced to Dipper, who just shrugged in reply. "I mean, I uh… I sometimes play guitar, I-"

"Ohmigosh, you're a musician? Me too!"

"Really? Heh. Cool." The large-chinned teenager replied. "You should show me sometime."

Mabel giggle-snorted, trying to up her charisma to impress the little man. "Oh I'll show you lotsa things, Kevin! How about a duet? HAW! I'm kidding. Unless…"

Kevin barely had time to reply before Gravity Falls' chief puncher - and chief architect - arrived at the log cabin, through a very forceful encounter with the doorframe, rattling the entire building.

The middle Corduroy brother wordlessly dusted the sawdust from his hair before jumping off of the armchair and running to greet his dad.

Dipper whipped his head around to Mabel with a knowing grin. "Got a thing for Kevin, huh?"

"Hey, I like a guy who washes his hair more than once a week, Dipper. More than can be said for Pacifica. He's cute."

"You aren't even a musician, Mabel. Don't go into the whole sock puppet mess again."

"Whaaaaat? This isn't the same thing. He's not making out with his guitar. Besides, I can play synth!"

"You can play 'Happy Birthday' and 'Hey Diddle Diddle."

"And that's more than you can play. So boom! Musician!"

"Alright, alright. I get it." Dipper smiled, though it was pretty involuntary. "Just don't come too hard onto the guy, alright? I think he kinda likes you too."

Mabel's pupils swelled to six times their size. "You think? Omigosh. Omigoshomigoshomigosh-"

Then, all of a sudden, things went dark.

The voluminous silhouette of Manly Dad Corduroy cast a shadow upon the kids as he entered the doorframe. "DIPPER! MABEL! GOOD TO SEE YOU TWO KIDS BACK IN TOWN!"

Oh boy. Dipper had almost forgotten how loud - and intimidating - Dan Corduroy could be.

Even with his presumably friendly greeting, he seemed to be in an almost continuous grimace as he towered over his young visitors, clutching an axe - an axe almost the size of Dipper - in one of his gigantic fists.

"WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU KIDS?!"

"Uh, hey there. We're investigating something, and you were absolutely the best man to help us."

Dan picked at his teeth with his axe and pointed out of the room, almost accusingly. "FINE! WE'LL GO TO MY OFFICE! BUT MABEL STAYS HERE!"

Mabel blinked. "What? Why?"

"I CAN BARELY FIT IN MY OFFICE ALONE, LITTLE LADY. THE INVESTIGATOR COMES WITH, YOU CAN STAY HERE! KEVIN, GO MAKE A COFFEE FOR OUR GUEST!"

"Uh… I'm not sure if giving Mabel coffee is a good idea."

"BLACK COFFEE IS ALL WE HAVE HERE, KID. I DRINK TWO GALLONS A DAY!"

"Okay, okay-"

"NOW COME ON, LET'S GO TALK!"

Dipper shrugged and followed the enormous man, obediently - though he couldn't imagine Dan talking about anything. He wished he had brought earplugs or… something.

Could 13-year-olds get tinnitus? He sure felt like he could.

Mabel looked back at Kevin and winked, who simply blushed and stepped back to the kitchen to make her the caffeinated beverage.

Which definitely, definitely wasn't a good idea.