From California to Oregon
Sometimes the journey to the adventure is more exciting than the adventure itself. As many family road trips can attest to. - Someone wise.
The trio had finally reached the town limits of Gravity Falls, on their travels so far they stopped at a post office, to get stamps, envelopes, and paper, as well as Somewhere Diner for lunch and a quick break from driving.
The diner looked like it hasn't been renovated or has had any major changes since the 1960s, causing Mabel to act like she had gone back in time much to the amusement of the staff and other patrons and annoyance to Dipper. Raphael on the other hand was soaking up the peculiarity of everything, enjoying the strangeness and hoping that the rest of the summer was just as unpredictable.
The food was just as good as the diner was strange. Mabel praised her pancakes to be the best she's ever had and Dipper declared the chocolate milkshake was simply incredible. Leading to the unanimous decision that they would definitely be stopping at Somewhere Diner once more on the way back home. As they were leaving neither of the two twins noticed how Raphael was very careful to not let them see the receipt, because he knew that if they saw what was written down in pen they, or at least Mabel, would be a pain in the ass for the next few days.
Returning to the present, the trio were crossing the Gravity Falls Bridge. A very important bridge as it crossed the town river and thus connected the two halves of the town.
Well the two parts of town, as Raphael would later learn from the town hall, when Gravity Falls was founded by Nathaniel Northwest in 1883 the town was created with two different sections in mind. The first making up 80% of the town is home to the general population of Gravity Falls and is obviously in varying states of rundown. While the other 20% of the town is was the private property of the Northwest family in everything but name, and thus is kept up to date and is well maintained.
Crossing the bridge into the general town Raphael glanced at his watch and saw that they still had plenty of time before they were to meet with Stan at his Mystery Shack. Parking on the side of the town's mainstreet Raphael looked up and down the street before turning toward the twins and calmly asking how fast they could run.
Dipper blinked his eyes in confusion and a slight panic asking back, "Why is how fast we can run important?"
"Well Dipper, I'm planning on entering the town hall and local library in hopes of learning more about this town while we wait for it to get closer to the meeting time that has been set with you great uncle. And with the point of this adventure being that you two are in need of fresh air, I don't have any plans of dragging you two along with me into a couple of dusty buildings. So, I'm trying to determine how safe it would be to let you two explore on your own."
Dipper just looked back with a blank stare and confusion on his face.
Seeing the open moment Mabel jumps in with, "Don't worry Raphael, Dipper and I are very fast and if we do get into trouble, which we won't, we both can scream very loudly, especially Dipper. To the point I swear at a haunted house he once nearly made someone's ears bleed after they scared him. Would you like to hear?"
"No Mabel, I'll happily take your word for it. So, see that bench over there?" Both nod in agreement. "I suggest that we meet there in half an hour, to make sure everything is going smoothly."
The two preteens look at one and other before turning to their caretaker, "Yeah I think that's a good idea (Dipper)" "Great plan lets go! I've got big plans. (Mabel)"
"So then, which one of you two has a watch to keep the time?" They look at each other's hands and realize that neither has a watch, before turning back to Raphael with embarrassed half smiles. "Well then I will just have to lend you guys one. Come on, my spares are in the trunk."
Once at the back of the car Raphael pops the trunk open and starts going through his bags. After a few short moments he pulls out a black case. Upon opening it is revealed that the case contains 5 different watches of either silver or black color and ranging from fairly expensive to bang for the buck. He hands Dipper a simple black watch, wordlessly expressing his doubts that Mabel would even remember to look at it. Dipper in turn tightly secures the watch to his left arm.
After putting everything back away and locking the car Raphael stands tall and addresses the youths before him, "Alright, I better see the both of you at the bench in half an hour or we are going to have some problems. Clear?"
Dipper nods in confirmation while Mabel shudders thinking back to the last, and only time, she had problems with the 17 year old. Once out of her flashback she determinedly says, "Crystal clear." certain in her conviction to be back on time.
Raphael hands each a ten dollar bill before sending them on their way.
Mabel and Dipper have been running around the town for the last 20 odd minutes, while Mabel was starry eyed and intrigued by everything that moved and nearly everything that didn't, Dipper felt lost and didn't have much heart to explore the new surroundings. His mind was focused on Raphael or more accurately comparing himself to Raphael.
Mabel finally noticed her brother's mood and asked him about it.
Dipper takes a deep breath, "Mabel do you think I will ever be as cool as Raphael?"
She gives a concerned look toward her brother, "Dipper…"
Dipper continues, "I mean look at him. He's almost 4 years older than me yet stands taller than most adults! And not even continuing on his looks, he's polite, respectful, kind, encouraging, and so much more. He's respected by nearly everyone in town, drives a beautiful car that he both bought and fixed himself, and I swear he has multiple girlfriends. How can I ever hope to be like him?"
By the end of his short outburst Dipper had small lines of tears dripping down his face. Mabel can only get a sad look on her face as she softly calls out, "Dipper…."
The emotional 12 year old took a moment to collect himself, wiping the tears away, and opens his mouth once more, "I was only excited to come here after I heard that he was coming along, because I thought... it would be the perfect chance to learn from him or at least learn to be like him, but he obviously thinks differently. He thinks I can become great by being myself, why else would he let us explore on our own, but I don't think I have the ability to be great. I mean I would still be getting bullied at school if not for Raphael helping me out."
"Mabel if I can't be like Raphael, then who should I be like then?"
Mabel was at a loss for words for a few minutes, she had no idea that her twin was dealing with such internal turmoil. After a couple more moments of silence Mabel wets her mouth and begins to speak, "I don't know what the right thing to say in this moment is, but I do know that I have never once wished for a different brother. So, while you may never be Raphael you will always be Mason 'Dipper' Pines. And I couldn't ask for anything or anyone else."
Dipper looks up at his sister and gives her the biggest hug he could. Leaning in he softly whispers with his slightly broken voice, "Thank you, love you Mabel."
They stood there hugging until Dipper glanced at the newly lent watch on his arm and saw how the meeting time was fast approaching. After slowly separating they walked in silence to the meeting bench where they sat down and waited.
Raphael noticed the emotional state of the two preteens as he walked up to the bench right on time. After quickly and internally expressing his thanks that he doesn't have children of his own to care for he addresses the twins, "So, is everything alright?" knowing full well that everything wasn't alright.
Dipper raises his head to look up to his seemingly unreachable role model, lets out a sigh and, "Mostly, I was just thinking about my future and who I am and used Mabel to vent."
"Well then, I have some good news for you young Dipper Pines. Worrying or even planning on your own about those things doesn't really do or change anything until you are at least 15 years old. So you still got a solid 2 years of the freest time of your life to enjoy before such things begin to shackle you. Good things come in time, it is best to always remember that."
"And to you miss Mabel, is there anything bothering you this afternoon? A mental quandary perhaps?"
Mabel looked up surprised, clearly not expecting the attention given the state of her brother, but nevertheless thought about the question. Once she finished she asked, "Why are rainbows rare and unicorns impossible to find?"
Raphael blinked at such a sudden shift of tone and theme and took his time to formulate an answer. Seconds ticked by as he thought.
"Well the common answer to such a question is that it is the rarity of such objects that make them special, and there is a logic to this question. A kind of chicken and egg mentality of method of thought if you will. Is a rainbow more of a wonder than a tree due to what it is? Or does the fact they're rare make them more wondrous?"
"But I chose to believe that they are rare because our world is an empty and restrictive where all the mystical and magical elements aren't allowed to exist or someone else has already lived the life and done everything making it impossible for you to live it as well."
Realizing he spoke more than he meant too, he swiftly changed the flow of the speech.
"Mabel, I want you to know that neither of the two answers are to take away how special rainbows and unicorns are to you and that not everything in life needs or even gets a reason. Now I saw an ice cream shop a bit away, so how about a scoop or two?"
Lost in their own thoughts both just passively nodded their heads in agreement.
After ice cream the whole trio was feeling better, Mabel was back to her bubbly self, Dipper was more relaxed, and Raphael was proud of himself for handling the preteens' abnormal emotional states without major issue.
Once more they decided to split up, this time for 40 minutes. Raphael was headed toward the town library and the twins were figuratively cruising around town taking in the slightly off nature of everything, before finally stopping at an arcade. Within minutes of cashing out the money they were given, the two children forgot any troubles and got lost in the world of games.
This time as Dipper and Mabel made their way back to the bench Raphael was already waiting for them with a book in his hands. As they got closer he marked the page as he closed the book, allowing Dipper to quickly read the title; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
Once more as three they piled back into the car, this time with Dipper in the shotgun seat and Mabel in the back.
As the car closed in on the Mystery Shack the three youths got their first look at what would be home for the rest of the summer. The shack looked like it had been built a great many years ago and hadn't been properly repaired or maintained for at least a decade, as evidenced by the fallen S and the aged and weathered wood that constructed the building.
After parking Raphael glanced at his watch and once more frowned at the time reflected back at him. Not because he was late, no he was 5 minutes early. He was frowning because his normally razor sharp internal clock was off for the third time today by a significant margin.
Walking up to what looked like the front door with Dipper and Mabel in tow, he knocked on the door.
Laying down on a mattress on the floor of the attic room he currently shared with the twins Raphael thought back to his introduction to Stanford Pines or Stan as he requested to be called. The aging man was not what he expected to say the least, the man has a strange sense of whimsy and dresses in a well worn tux.
Nevertheless Raphael was sure that Stan had a purpose beyond just tricking dumb tourists out of their cash, the light in the back of his eyes guaranteed it. Did he know what it was? No. Did he care to find out? Also no.
Hearing the twins rustle and make noise as they slept, he thought back to the reading he had done that afternoon and a plan came to mind.
Author's notes:
- There is no reference for how the first meeting between the kids and Stan went, so I dodged it.
- If you have any comments about how best to structure the dialogue, I'd be happy to read them.