"You're wearing a beanie?"
Pacifica's remark wasn't unexpected. To see Dipper Pines in any new outfits was an oddity. To see him change it up with headgear was utterly bizarre. Him even removing his hat was strange. It was like it was part of him. His personal iconography. Before the night of the lumberjack ghost she didn't even realise he took that cap off.
Now the same was true of the lumberjack headgear - at least, since the end of last summer. And that hat? That hat was Wendy's. He loved that hat. That hat was important to him.
For her to see him suddenly deciding to put on a beanie? That was odd. She wrinkled her nose as she watched him slip it on over his impressively unkempt hair.
Dipper shrugged as he pulled the knitted hat down over his head. "I- uh - I just feel like a change, y'know? Mixing it up a bit-"
"Dipper, from what Mabel tells me you haven't taken that thing off in like, 11 months."
"Pft, please. I don't get attached to hats and stuff like that."
"Sure, just like you're not attached to wearing shorts."
"Hey, I'm just playing a long game with these. I like letting my knees breath, and they'll be trendy again one day. Just watch."
"Right... Who wrote the fashion column?"
"Look, I don't claim to be an expert, but I'm a busy guy. I can't focus on dressing as well as you."
"Hey, you have aliens and ghosts, I have fashion." She grinned. "That's why I'm so surprised to see you thinking about changing yours ."
Dipper huffed a little. "Look, you just said you liked the beanie, so I'm going with the beanie."
"But you love Wendy's hat."
"I d-don't love Wendy's hat, I just-"
"Dipper, are you sure everything's okay?"
Dipper was less than happy with the fact Pacifica had gotten so good at reading him. He had always kinda dreamed of being that brooding, mysterious hero. Clearly that wasn't working out. He just nodded.
"If it isn't, you're gonna have to tell me, hon. I'm here for you, y'know?"
"It's nothing, really. I j-just figure it's time I put things from the past down and, like, kept moving forward."
"Well, that sounds great," Pacifica smiled, holding his cheek. "But-"
A knock at the door sounded downstairs, prompting Mabel to squeal and hammer down the stairs eagerly, followed enthusiastically by Waddles the pig - who didn't particularly know what was happening, but loved running with Mabel.
"He's here he's here he's here he's here!" She shouted excitedly, hopping, skipping and jumping to the door in what could only be labelled as unbridled enthusiasm.
Dipper watched his sister's frantic behaviour with eyebrows raised, but very little real surprise. "Man, she's really into Kevin."
"I wish you acted like that whenever I knocked on the shack's door." Pacifica grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen even your sister that happy."
Dipper nodded as Mabel opened the door - then, he immediately froze. Kevin wasn't standing there. Instead, there was Wendy. Wendy Corduroy. The sixteen year old redhead of Dipper's dreams. Literally. Somehow the events of that night had made his reaction to her ten times stronger, ten times tenser, ten times more panicked.
And she didn't look like her cool, calm self either. Truth be told, she looked furious, a little battered and bruised - like she had been roughed up.
"Wendy! Ohmigosh, are you okay?!" Mabel panicked - then blinked. "Wait. Where's Kevin?"
Wendy limped in, holding her arm, seemingly more irritated by the attack than she was particularly upset. "I dunno what you guys have been up to, but Kevin's in trouble. We just got ambushed by a group of tiny mobsters with pellet guns, dude."
"I-is he okay?!" Mabel gasped and grabbed Wendy's arms. "Tell me he's okay!"
"I don't know if he's okay, man! They beat us both up and took him! Is your brother home?"
Mabel blinked, her eyes wide, and pointed up the stairs.
Dipper cleared his throat. "H-hey."
Wendy leaned on the doorframe and looked up at him. "I need your help."
For a moment, Dipper's mind flashed back to that damned dream. He winced as he briefly imagined Wendy back into that film-noir setting, her fearful gaze turning into a knowing smile…
Dammit, pack it in, Dipper.
"What… what actually happened?" He asked as he stepped downstairs.
"These weird little mobster guys came up to us in a load of those little battery-powered kiddy cars, cordoned us off and just… pounced, man. It was crazy. They were brutal. I've been kicked, punched, bitten-"
"And Kevin?!" Mabel asked, in renewed panic. "Did they touch his hair?!"
Wendy gave Mabel a funny look. "They just knocked him out and tied him up. Dragged him behind one of the kiddy cars. And these things must have gone zero to forty in six seconds. It's some kinda custom job. These aren't just normal goblin things, they're organised. Someone's telling them to do this junk."
"Well, we're familiar with this stuff now." Dipper said. "We know they're down in the Crawlspace."
"The creepy underground place? I thought you guys had blown it up?"
"Let's face it, in this town things never stay 'blown up'. Or 'dead'. Or anything, really."
There was a pause. A sort of an awkward stalemate. Dipper was inwardly panicking, Mabel was outwardly panicking, Wendy was somewhat occupied with getting revenge on the Clurichauns, Pacifica was pretty much ready to go and Waddles was chewing on the armchair.
"Guess you'd better come with us." Pacifica added. "You know Kevin better than anyone."
Mabel was less than pleased with the statement. She took it as personally offensive. Kevin was, as far as she was concerned, her most intimate partner ever. And that means she was an expert. Even if it had been less than a week. "Hey! I know him super well!"
"Dude, I grew up with him."
"And I grew up waiting for him!" Mabel replied.
Wendy rolled her eyes and smirked, giving Mabel a slap on the back. "Man, the Pines and the Corduroys falling madly in love. Who'd have thought that'd ever happen, right?"
Dipper's face dropped. Ouch. Wait, why should that matter? It didn't. Why are you saying 'ouch', Dipper?
It was almost a surprise when Pacifica wrapped her arm around Dipper's waist and smiled at him reassuringly. He glanced at her, flushing a delicate shade of salmon pink and - wondering, for a moment, if Pacifica kinda got how he felt.
She mouthed "you okay?" to him silently.
He just gave an appreciative nod - and pulled her a little closer.
He was okay. In his mind, he had to be. Big strong Dipper, right? Maybe not detective Dipper, but he could manage the other two.
Maybe.
Ford had been listening - in a characteristically dramatic stance, drinking his coffee. "Sounds like the mission has changed to a rescue one. Guess it'll be a lot more dangerous than anticipated."
"If you're going to rescue my brother, I'm coming with you." Wendy nodded, fiercely. "Besides, I want 'em to know not to mess with a Corduroy."
"You got it, future sister-in-law!" Mabel beamed. "It's time for a Pinesduroy payback!"
There was a pause.
"Please don't call us that," Wendy replied, firmly.