The choppy waves and wind crashed against the hull of the Stan O' War II as if protesting the monstrous boat's presence in Lake Gravity Falls. Yet the vessel gave little regard to the forces of nature. Its numerous motors sailed the boat swiftly across the lake without an issue.
Gideon sat eagerly at the bow of the ship with his face directly in the breeze, enjoying the high speeds. He'd never been on a boat this huge or fast before. Much preferable to the little dinghies he was used to his father taking him out on. He wasn't poor, but he was certainly anywhere near close to the life of luxury the Pines seemed to lead. He knew he should be more on his guard with Paz's warnings about the Pines family, but man did all that wind on his face feel good!
Too bad not all of it ended up on his face. His prized blue pine tree ball cap flew from his head, soaring behind him. Immediately feeling the loss of the hat from his head, he began to panic. Only as he turned around to see where in the lake it could have landed. Instead he saw Mabel Pines proudly holding the rim of the hat in her hand.
"My, my. You just keep running into little bits of trouble, don't you?" Mabel teased as she brushed her fingers through her hair. The jewel atop her headband gleamed in the sunlight.
On something like a fishing trip, Gideon usually kept his wardrobe casual (Not that he really dressed differently from the t-shirt, vest and shorts he was used to). Yet Mabel seemed to be wearing what looked like some kind of fancy blue jacket, a ruffley shirt underneath, and a skirt with leggings. All of the fabric seemed to be waterproof to the point that she could probably jump in the water for a swim and hop out looking just as pretty as a picture from the moment she walked in. Had to be expensive or designer wear of some kind. It was hard to say if she approached every situation with an extravagant wardrobe, or if Mabel just really enjoyed herself some adventuring out on the lake.
Gideon approached Mabel, embarrassed for being so clumsy with his things. He probably should have kept a better grip on his prized hat.
"Sorry 'bout that. Not used 'ta going this fast." Gideon admitted extending his hand. Although it didn't seem like Mabel was giving up the cap just yet.
"Oh! Thanks for being quick on your toes again! You must have a sharp eye too!" Gideon complemented hoping it would be enough.
Mabel twirled the hat along the center point in the hat. All kinds of romance novels described the sensation of being intoxicated by the lover's scent, falling to lust from just the slightest whiff. The toxic part seemed to be accurate. Mabel was about ready to fall overboard from the pungent scent of the hat. Didn't he ever wash the thing? Or was the small boy just in need of a shower? So much for having a romantic keepsake. Still, she was glad she got her hands on it.
"Why would you want to put it on again so soon?" Mabel asked as she leaned down a little closer to Gideon's level. She was normally pretty short compared to other girls her age. Normally she had to wear high heels just to stay at their level. It was so adorable to have someone shorter than her- even if it was because they were probably a year or two younger than her.
Mabel's finger twisted around one of Gideon's white locks of hair. Most of it was sweaty and pressed down from all that hat hair, but it was still such a unique color. Oh what fun she'd have with it and an hour with a blow drier.
"You have such pretty hair… why would you want to hide it?" Mabel commented.
Gideon bowed his head a bit embarrassed at the mention of his hair and only reached for his hat again.
"I can't say everyone would be inclined to agree with ya." He admitted meekly.
Mabel once again pulled the hat away from him, putting her hands on her hips.
"Why that's ridiculous! Why should you listen to what those idiots think! Has anyone in Gravity Falls been upsetting you? Was it the Northwest girl?" Mabel demanded getting angry at the thought of it.
"No, not at all! Paz has been nothing but a delight!" Gideon immediately insisted. "Just… you know… a lot of the folks back home… they sure get a good laugh at a boy my age with white hair."
Gideon's hand passed through his hair, nervous to be talking about it. There wasn't anything wrong with him per say. He wasn't an albino, there wasn't anything stunting his growth, and he was perfectly healthy. It was just something genetic that occasionally happened a few times on his Ma's side of the family. It wasn't even grey. Just white. Some kind of melanin malfunction.
He had tried dying it once. Brown, just like his Pa'. Although, oddly enough he could see his dad missed the old white color. He enjoyed what made his son special. Said the white hair made him look like some kind of old-timey noble with a powdered wig. That it made him stand out in a crowd. The hair dye didn't change him getting picked on at school either. He still got teased, only this time he got remarks about him being some kind of prissy little primadonna. No matter what he did, it looked like he was going to get picked on. The best he could hope for was to don a hat, lay low, and hope everyone else would forget he was in the room.
Mabel reached over, booping Gideon on the nose. Even when upset, he was so adorable.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Gravity Falls is your home now. And if anyone dares to laugh at you again… well, just make sure to point them out to me. And I'll make sure they'll never bother you again."
Mabel Pines had a gleam in her eye that was less akin to a comforting friend, and more like someone about to set the town ablaze. Gideon knew she had been nothing but nice to him all day, and she even looked and sounded like an angel. But something about her was screaming at him to run away as fast as he could.
With her this close and staring into his eyes, he finally got the chance to snatch the hat out of Mabel's hand.
"Uh… I never got a chance to get a good look around the ship! Better take a quick tour while I can!" Gideon insisted as he snuggly tucked his hat back on his head and dashed across the deck.
Mabel had a second of shock and frustration at the idea of Gideon ditching her like that right when they were having a moment! But after giving it a second to process, her lips curled into a smile. She enjoyed a good challenge. Poor thing. He was probably flustered and just as head over heels in love as she was. 'He just doesn't know how to address his feelings' She assured herself. By the end of the summer, she knew she'd be able to win him over.
"Slow down! Wouldn't want you falling overboard!" Mabel yelled as she rushed after her future beau.
A blonde watched from the above deck in the ship's "control room". Although there weren't exactly any actual walls or fancy equipment, but man, did Soos treat it like it was the center of a huge operation. He had signal flags lining the railings, instruction manuals and first aid kits stacked behind the steering wheel, and a captain's hat with enough golden braid to give a smaller man a sore neck just wearing the thing. It didn't matter how many times Soos went out on the lake- he always went all out.
But Paz's attention wasn't on Soos- it was on Mabel and Gideon bellow. It was hard to hear what Gideon was saying with the commotion of the wind and waves, but it sure looked like the Pines sister was bullying Gideon by playing keep away.
"Who does she think she is?" Paz demanded as she went toward the stairs to go below deck and give her a piece of her mind.
However, instead she found a book hurtling toward her back that almost knocked her down below. If she hadn't been quick to grab onto the rail, she probably would have been lying flat on the ground.
Turning behind her, she saw Dipper sitting on top of the railing with a smug look on his face. She hadn't even noticed he'd been there with how focused she'd been on Gideon and Mabel.
"You better not have made me risk the spine of a perfectly good book for nothing. It's a first edition." Dipper said as he walked over to pick up his copy of some occult looking book.
"What was that for?!" Paz demanded. Although even crazier was the book he was reading. All kinds of pentagrams and bones decorated the cover. "'Dr. Crackpot's Book of the Damned?' Who'd listen to a guy like that?"
"It's obviously a pseudonym." Dipper said rolling his eyes. He ran his finger across the spine to assess the damage. "And the injury to my poor book was necessary because you were about to do something very stupid."
"Help my friend?" Paz questioned
"Get in the way between my sister and one of her conquests. Trust me, I'm doing you both a favor." Dipper insisted.
Paz put her hands on her hips frustrated. "What, and I'm supposed just let him be the next in line of Mabel's long list of romantic casualties?"
Mabel was a notorious heartbreaker around town. Although with how her ex-boyfriends usually turned out, you had to wonder if the term was used in the literal sense. They'd look like they had the soul sucked out of them for the next few weeks… or months. Depends on how long Mabel had been with them before she got bored and tossed them out to the curb.
"It's better than him ending like those that snubbed her affections entirely." Dipper replied
Paz raised an eyebrow confused. Despite her own suspicions, Mabel was usually pretty popular with the guys.
"Huh? I've never heard of a guy that turned her down."
"Exactly."
A shiver ran through Paz's spine, not wanting to think about it. But was she really supposed to let Gideon sit through the wild ride that was a relationship with Mabel? It was not something he'd survive. At least, not in one piece.
"You're her brother. Shouldn't you already be trying to talk her out of it?" Paz asked.
But Dipper was already starting to get bored of the topic of his sister's love life.
"Why does that make it my problem?" He asked as he began to leaf through the pages of his book again.
"Don't you have some business with the Shack or want to run his family out of town or something? Kind of a conflict of interests there." Paz pointed out.
Dipper shrugged, not bothering to break away from his book. "Whether or not that's true, I couldn't talk Mabel out of it if I wanted to. She's a force of nature when it comes to matters of the heart. You either run for cover, or get blown away."
"Forget that. I'm shutting her down." Paz insisted.
Dipper looked up from his book, but his focus wasn't on Paz. His eyes widened as he seemed to notice something far behind her.
"Soos… shift into the fastest speed this vessel can go immediately." He calmly instructed. But he didn't turn to face him as he backed up towards the ship's speaker system.
Soos turned to Dipper confused. "Why? What's up? Plus, doesn't everyone need to be strapped down for that?"
The roar of a huge creature erupted all around them, answering Soos' question. They couldn't see or figure out where it had come from, but the noise enough was enough to send them into a panic.
"Top speed it is, dawg!" Soos yelled out as he pushed a lever forward.
If Paz thought they were going faster than a normal boat now, the speed the boat shifted into was more intense that she could hope to handle. The motors erupted to life, causing the boat to speed across the lake like a high octane race car. She had to grip onto the railings, and even then she found herself having a hard time keeping balance.
All the while, she tried to look for whatever it was that made the sound, or what Dipper may have seen, but there was nothing in sight.
What she did see was Mabel Pines flying over the boat's rail and crashing into the water.
"Stop the boat! Turn around! Evil twin overboard!" Paz yelled out. She didn't like Mabel, but she wasn't heartless enough to let her get turned into lake monster food.
Her brother didn't seem to share the same sentiment.
"Ignore her Soos. Keep going." Dipper insisted.
Soos wasn't ready to leave a friend behind "But Mabel-"
"-is safer than we are right now. That thing is going to be chasing us, not her. If you trust me, just keep going as far ahead as you can!" Dipper sternly instructed.
Soos kept looking back, but they were too far to even see her by now. He bit his lip, wanting to trust Dipper, but this just seemed too wrong.
"Sorry dude, I just can't leave her hanging like that!" Soos said immediately turning the wheel.
But just as he did, the head of a huge reptilian creature burst out of the water narrowly missing the boat by an inch.
"I told you, keep moving forward!" Dipper shouted angrily.
Soos didn't need to be told twice as he swerved the boat as best as he could out of the creature's attack range, doing his best to prevent looking back. Dipper kept an analyzing gaze on the creature.
"If my suspicions are correct, we're dealing with the Gobblewonker. We need to keep our distance." Dipper said as calmly as he could trying to regain his composure.
"Gobblewonker? You're just making that up." Paz insisted. It wasn't the monster that she was questioning. She could see very well that it was real and existed. But who would even come up with the name? Gobblewonker? That just sounded ridiculous.
"I didn't name it." Dipper shot back.
"Mabel! She was chasing me 'cross the deck! I wasn't looking, and then she just went flying off! What is that thing?!" Gideon shouted as he slid across the ship's railings trying to get closer to the others.
The creature let out another roar. Its bright glowing teal eyes were focused on the littlest one struggling to stay on. It dove beneath the lake once again, sending a rush of heavy waves toward the boat.
Gideon was launched high off of the ship deck, but managed to fly right into the flagpole. If he wasn't so small, it probably would have snapped in half from the impact.
"What's going on?!" Gideon shouted panicked as he clung onto the pole for dear life.
"That, is one of Gravity Falls many majestic residents." Dipper snickered as he held tight onto the ship's console himself. Despite the others panicking and fearing for their lives, Dipper still remained calm. Either he was just that used to facing these kind of things, or he simply didn't care about the outcome.
While this wasn't exactly Paz's first time being chased by a monster, it was the first time she wasn't able to run away on her own two feet. The boat was probably faster than she could swim or run, but that didn't make her feel any more comfortable.
"Then how do we stop it, genius?!" Paz shouted frustrated at Dipper.
"Ah yes, let me just open my mysterious book of supernatural secrets listing off mythical creatures and their weaknesses. Oh darn, I think I left mine at home." Dipper remarked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
Gideon on the other hand had exactly the sort of thing with him. He knew that Paz had been suspicious about what the Pines twins might want with it and bringing it out in front of them seemed like a stupid thing to do, but this was an emergency.
Saying a quick prayer, he took a chance and slid down onto the roof of the boat. He didn't have long from when he collided with the roof before he swung down below, smacking down into the captain's room with the others. But he was just more thankful he didn't end up in the water
Tucking himself in a corner, he pulled the tattered Journal out of his vest hoping it would have some sort of way out of this mess.
"I knew it." Dipper whispered under his breath with a confident smirk as he watched Gideon flip frantically though the Journal.
"Gobblewonker… Gobblewonker…" Gideon muttered as he kept looking through all the diagrams or anything on Lake Gravity Falls.
He found some kind of island head, but nothing on the Nessie-like lake monster that was chasing them now. Luckily, he did find something that could help them.
"Right there! The waterfall! There's supposed to be a secret passage! Maybe it won't be able to follow us in there!" Gideon said pointing at the structure up ahead.
Dipper smirked. Exactly the kind of information he could use. This trip was turning out to be extremely promising. Soos turned to Dipper, not sure if he should be taking orders from someone else a second time. But Dipper gave his employee a nod.
"You heard him- To the secret passage!" Dipper ordered.
The Stan O' War II sailed right beneath the water, soaking the vessel. Rather than a cliff's edge to crash into, the area opened up into a hidden tunnel. Unfortunately the distance between the boat and the shallow end and how fast the boat was going, they were quick to run aground.
While the four were already clutching onto the boat for dear life, the bump sent all of them flying at least a few feet.
Dipper's body curved around his chest, clutching his broach like it was a lifeline.
Soos was hunched over the steering wheel, even now still trying to keep control of the vessel even though there was no hope for it on land.
Gideon was hunched over the Journal, not knowing what he'd do with himself if he lost the thing on his first outing out with it.
Paz was shaken up, but was the first to recover from the crash impact. She knew that the monster would get them long before any sort of boat accident would.
Only, the Gobblewonker was just… gone.
It was hard to see beyond the waterfall, but there were no signs of the huge monstrous figure in the distance. The waves were beginning to settle, but it was if the creature had disappeared entirely.
Was there something magical about it not being able to cross waterfalls? Did it not think the opening was big enough to get through and just gave up? Was it not even after them in the first place?
Dipper brushed himself off, trying to look ahead to the cave they found. There wasn't much light in here. Perhaps it would be better to scope out this place when he was on his own later.
Although for now, he just needed to get the boat back in the water. With how far the boat slid in, they'd need much more than the 4 of them pushing. Dipper could manage it on his own, but he rather not do so with their guests. Besides, if this was really the location he was looking for, he didn't want to be snooping around here for long.
"Soos and I will stay with the ship and try and get it back in the water." Dipper instructed. "Northwest, Gleeful- Try and see if there's another exit from this cave in case the creature is waiting for us outside."
"Who elected you leader?" Paz demanded.
"Yeah! And why should you get the cushy job of staying with the boat while we go wandering in the dark 'n spooky cave with probably more monsters in it!" Gideon threw in.
"Because I'm the one that owns the boat." Dipper said rolling his eyes at the simple fact. "Well, my family does. Same thing really."
Paz glared at his snooty attitude, looking down on all of them. "Why don't you go into the cave? Or better yet, how about we all go?" Paz suggested with a bitter tone.
Dipper turned away from them, not caring about their little 'rebellion' as he looked for any sort of light source. "No… don't think I will."
"Alright, then we'll all stay and wait for the monster to get us!" Paz yelled back. This was a life or death situation here! Could he at least try and be a bit more helpful!?
"Uh… maybe if we all tried to calm down and think things through, we could figure out something that will help us all out of this mess." Gideon suggested trying to be helpful.
"Yeah, dudes!" Soos pitched in as well, trying to break apart the fight between Dipper and Paz before it got too heated. "If we start fighting each other, the monsters win!"
"Ah, there it is." Dipper said paying no attention as he pulled out an old gas lantern from bellow one of the floor boards.
"Here's how it's going to go." Dipper instructed flicking a switch, causing the lantern to burst to life. "I will graciously loan you this wonderfully functioning antique and light source for the service of scouting ahead."
"How kind of you." Paz spat out. "Or how about we not split up like idiots. It would be safer for all of us."
"Or… I could just throw you two overboard to fend for yourselves, without any sort of light in which you'll have to scout for a way out of the cave anyways, but this time without the promise of boarding once I have the Stan O' War seaworthy again just in case there is no way out of here."
Paz was ready to strangle Dipper with how stubborn was being. How could he be so calm and uncaring when there was a lake monster outside ready to kill them, and who knew what inside ready to do the same?!
"Fine!" Paz said snatching the lantern from Dipper's hand, resisting the urge not to smash it across his face. "See if we come back if we do find a way out!"
Storming down below deck, she hopped off the deck which was already at least 2-feet deep in the dirt and 3/4ths of the way on shore. How he even planned to get this boat running again was a mystery to her. She probably was better off looking ahead than sticking with this sinking ship. Expecting Gideon was right behind her, she started trying to get a better look at the cave around them.
Soos looked between the kids nervously. He didn't like the idea of sending Gideon and Paz off on their own, but Dipper's plans were usually good ones. All he could do was trust that it would work out better.
"Uh… maybe I should start figuring out if the motors survived the landing." Soos said hopping down to the back of the boat, mostly wanting to get away from this conflict as fast as possible.
Gideon was about to follow Paz, knowing that having a hot head about this wouldn't solve anything, but he could definitely understand what had sparked her temper.
Gideon turned to Dipper before he joined her. "Couldn't you at least try and get along? We're all in the same boat… well, not as much anymore, but you know what I mean."
Dipper eyed Gideon as well as the Journal in his hands. Perhaps he should be more open to adjustments in the plan.
"In this town, you need to know who you can trust. You need to choose your allies wisely." Dipper's gaze shifted to Paz who was waiting on the shore bellow for Gideon to join her.
"Northwest is reckless. It's a miracle she's survived around here this long off of whatever devil's luck keeps her alive. I doubt that it will extend to you. You'll get hurt. Or worse." Dipper warned.
"Well you're not being too kind of a friend yourself here." Gideon pointed out bluntly. What, he was supposed to accept the guy that was ordering him around like a servant over the person that had been nothing but nice to him all week?
"Kindness won't save you in this town. But perhaps a deal might." Dipper's index finger extended toward the Journal in Gideon's hand.
"You hand that over now, and not only can you stay on the boat, but I will ensure you will survive this entire ordeal. Better yet, I can make sure you won't have to worry about any sort of monster or supernatural threat all summer."
Gideon pulled the Journal back, tucking it into his jacket protectively. "How can you promise me that? You couldn't even deal with the Gobblewonker!"
Dipper let out a chuckle. "You really think some monster has been a threat to me? Your new friend has done nothing but panic since we saw it. I've been in control this entire time."
Gideon was nothing but suspicious already, but it didn't sound like pure confidence either. The threat of some huge reptilian undersea monster didn't seem to faze him. Especially considering that for all he knew, his sister just got gobbled up by it. What did he know that Gideon didn't? But it was more than just having a plan.
"What exactly do you have up your sleeve?" Gideon wondered.
He wasn't even considering taking Dipper's offer. But what made him so sure he had the power to fend off the kinds of threats in Gravity Falls?
Dipper's finger brushed against his broach. Was it worth it to show his hand for this chance at the Journal he'd been searching for? If he wanted to, he probably could easily snatch the Journal right out of his hands now. But earn his loyalty, and he might find out if that Journal was the only wonder the Mystery Shack held. No, not loyalty. Fear was much more effective. Better to put him in his place.
"Everything is stacked in my favor. I have knowledge. Wealth. Power. Ask yourself: Do you want to take this golden opportunity to get on my good side?"
The stone that rested on his chest began to glow an eerie teal. Gideon could feel the ground moving from beneath him. No… it wasn't the ground. It was the boat. The deck below began to take on a thin glow of the same color of Dipper's amulet.
The entire vessel shook as it rose above the water and cave's shore. The boat must have weighed at least two tons, and yet through some kind of unnatural power, Dipper Pines was causing it to rise.
"Or do you choose to stand in my way?"
Wkh dpxohwv duh txlwh wkh lqwhuhvwlqj wrro
Exw zlwk d ihz prglilfdwlrqv, L frxog xvh wkhlu srzhu wr uxoh
/ Φ \
Lmv gdrm xszmtvh gsv ylwb, gsv lgsvi gsv nrmw
Yfg rg'h sld gsvb xsllhv gl fhv gsrh kldvi gszg pvvkh gsvn xlmurmvw
Author's Note: 10 chapters already! Glad to have gotten this far! Also, this cipher may give a hint more of information than usual. I'm curious to see how many people figure out what Dipper and Mabel had planned behind the scenes.