Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Part Five

Wendy Corduroy and Dipper Pines left the posh Hearthmen Hotel, unsure of where their night would take them. A slight chill came over the pair as the cool early November air nipped at the young lovers. While Dipper had anticipated the weather being a bit on the cool side, he was still slightly underdressed for the season. "Holy shit it got cold out!" Wendy exclaimed as she buried her hands into the small pockets of the black leather jacket she was wearing. While the jacket looked cool, it offered little in the way of warmth. "Yeah… Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" Dipper replied as he blew into his hands in a feeble attempt to warm them up. "Let's find somewhere to get some warmer clothes…" the brown haired eighteen year old suggested as his teeth began to chatter. After walking in the brisk air for a few blocks, the couple stumbled upon a clothing store that was still open. Wendy removed her petite hands from the shelter that her pockets provided to grasp the door handle for the shop. The cold metal sent a shockwave through her body as she quickly pulled it open and the pair crossed the threshold into the much warmer store.

"Welcome to Willamette Outdoor Apparel!" a perky voice announced from behind a wooden counter on the far side of the showroom. "H-Hello…" Dipper tried to reply, as his shivering continued. "My name's Katie… I-Is there something you're looking for this evening?" the taller blonde woman inquired as she approached the couple. "Yeah… We were interested in some coats…" Dipper answered as he tried to rub some feeling into his flannel covered arms. "Out of towners, huh?" Katie observed as she led the pair to the outerwear section of the store. "How'd ya guess?" Wendy asked. "Well… I kinda figured that with the way you were dressed, that you had no idea it can get this chilly at night. It's the breeze coming off the river… It kinda forces out all the warm air that would normally settle into a valley like this one" the blonde informed the redhead and her companion. The newly hired park ranger was impressed at the knowledge that the saleswoman had when it came to the area. "Ooo! I like this one!" Wendy exclaimed as she held up a grey fleece zip up hoodie; feeling the soft texture of the material against her hands. Dipper, meanwhile, turned to the men's rack and removed a brown coat from it. After trying it on, he knew that it would keep him warm as the pair continued to explore the nightlife that the bustling city had to offer. The couple decided to select some light gloves to keep their hands warm and Dipper picked up a black beanie to keep his head warm. "Can we wear it out?" asked Wendy to the saleswoman as she picked up a grey and black scarf. "Of course you can!" Katie cheerfully replied as she walked the pair up to the register to check out. A few moments later, the pair exited the store and resumed their journey.

Dipper glanced over at his girlfriend, who was now adorned in her grey hoodie, with the black leather jacket layered on top of it. "I-I'm sorry I didn't check the weather before we left…" he began to apologize before being stopped by the slightly taller auburn haired woman he called his lover. "Dip… It's fine… By the way, thanks for the sweet clothes…" she said before planting her lips on his chilly cheek. Unsure of where they were, the couple decided to sit down on a bench and pull up the map app on their phones. Wanting to find a place to use the fake ID's that she had acquired from Nate, the young woman looked through a list of bars and restaurants. "Dip… I know where we're goin' tonight…" Wendy said as she looked up from her phone and held out her hand, which was covered by a black cotton glove. "And just where would that be?" the eighteen year old asked with curiosity. "Trust me… You're gonna dig it dude…" the redhead replied with a hint of mysteriousness in her voice. "Alright… I trust you…" the teenager said with a sigh, which hung in the chilly November air.

After a few minutes, the couple arrived at the establishment that Wendy had selected. 'Hamontlum Whiskey Library' the wooden sign said as the redhead opened the door and walked inside; her boyfriend Dipper in tow. Brick walls lined the corridor, which lead to a staircase. The couple could hear the sound of a restaurant at the summit of the stairs and began the ascent to it. Reaching the second floor, Dipper and Wendy took in the sight before them. Brick lined walls were adorned with countless shelves of liquor. The far right corner of the room had an oak bar, where a smartly dressed man was making drinks for thirsty patrons. The rest of the space was dotted by tables, where many people were enjoying their meals and beverages. The eighteen year old and his slightly older girlfriend sat down at the bar, which was adorned by small desk lamps. "What can I get for you?" a man with dark black hair and a handle bar mustache asked. "I'll take a glass of Jimeson Black Barrel neat" Wendy replied without hesitation. It was clear to Dipper that Wendy had experience in ordering a drink at a bar before. "What about for you?" the man asked as he twirled the end of his facial hair. "I-I'll take a…" he stuttered, unsure of what to drink. While he had opened his horizons both in Gravity Falls and Piedmont over the past few years, he hadn't reached the point where he ever had the opportunity to order a drink before. "He'll have a Headly's Birmingham Dry Neat please" the ginger woman interjected. "ID's… Of course…" the man requested. Wendy and Dipper both produced the fraudulent identification cards; the brown haired man's heart skipping a beat as the mustachioed man observed them. "Thanks… It'll be right up Ms. Terrace…" the bartender replied as he handed back the cards.

Sweat ran down the back of Dipper as he realized they had just bamboozled a man to get drinks at a bar. "I'll give him a good tip" the young man thought to himself in an effort to justify his illegal behavior. "So… What did you order me?" the brown haired eighteen year old asked as he glanced around the room, noting the crystal chandeliers that adorned the ceiling. "Oh… Nothing too harsh man… Just straight gin… You'll like it…" the redhead said with a comforting smile. A few minutes later, the bartender returned as promised, producing two glasses. One was full of an amber liquid; most likely a whisky of some kind Dipper deduced. His glass contained a liquid that could have been mistaken for water, if not for the fine bubbles that formed at the top of it. Wendy held up her glass and soon Dipper followed joined in. "Here's to keeping it weird!" she said as the glasses clanged together and she placed hers to welcoming lips. Dipper took a sip of the clear alcohol as he observed his girlfriend doing the same. The burning liquid made its way down his throat as he fought back the urge to gag. "So… What do you think?" Wendy asked brown haired man seated next to her. "I-It's different…" he said with a soft voice. A few more forced sips later, the man returned. A nervous sweat came over Dipper once again as he thought they had been found out. "Are you ready to order?" the man asked. "We still need a few…" Wendy interjected as a sense of calm came over the frazzled eighteen year old. He took a moment to grab a dinner menu and looked over the options. After a few minutes, the bartender returned. "I'll take the Kale Salad" Wendy informed the man, who had once again begun to play with his mustache. Glancing at the menu, Dipper noted that the meal consisted of Kale, Bacon, a Poached Egg, Apple, Hazelnut, Parrano, and an Apple Cider Vinaigrette. "A great choice… And for you sir?" the deep voice of the man asked. "I-I'll have the Wagyu Steak…" he hesitantly replied. A few months ago, spending twenty six dollars on a meal would have seemed highly overpriced, but with his newfound fortune, it was within reach. Besides, he was going all out for Wendy, so why not indulge himself as well. The auburn haired woman looked at the menu to see what her boyfriend ordered. A Steak with Foraged Mushrooms, Salsify, Pearl Onions, Parsley and Garnished with Duck Fat Hollandaise Sauce was what she read in the description.

Dipper hesitantly took yet another sip from the glass of gin which sat before him. He only drank the liquor because it was what Wendy had ordered for him, so he figured that it would be impolite not to finish it. "Dude… You alright?" asked Wendy with concern. "Yeah… Just not what I would have ordered…" he sheepishly replied to the redhead. "I-I'm sorry man… What do you want?" she apologetically asked. "Th-That's just it… I don't know Wen… I-I've just drank whatever was at a party…" he nervously stated. "Well… I think this might be more up your alley…" she said before calling the bartender back over. "He'll have a Moscow Mule my good man…" she said as a light shade of pink began to form on her freckled cheeks. Now that he had been with her for a few months, Dipper was able to pick up on the fact that the alcohol was starting to show up in her system, as Wendy's cheeks blushing was a dead giveaway. Dipper's drink arrived with the meals and soon the couple dug into their respective orders. Wendy was right; this drink was far less harsh. It even tasted like lemon-lime soda a bit. The couple enjoyed the rest of their meal, ordering a few more drinks along the way. After paying the check, Dipper and Wendy departed the restaurant and began the journey back to the hotel.

Wendy looked at her phone, which displayed '11:36pm' as the time. "How f-far… I-is it Wen?" Dipper asked in a slurred voice as he staggered down the concrete sidewalk. "I-I think… I-It's, like, a couple more blocks dude…" an equally drunk Wendy replied. In reality, the couple had started off heading in the opposite direction from their hotel. A short while later, the pair arrived at a stadium. 'Providence Park: Home of the Portland Lumbers' the marque read. "D-Dipper… I-I'm not sure where we are…" Wendy said as tears began to fill her eyes. The one thing the young woman hated about being drunk was that her emotions were often much more apparent than she would normally let them be. "Wen… I-I'll get us a Mega or something… Just stay calm…" the brown haired eighteen year old said as he pulled out his phone and opened the app. The couple found a stone wall to sit on while they waited for their ride. "I-I'm sorry if I freaked out a bit… I-It's just that I've usually just stayed in a completely different part of town before and didn't recognize my s-surroundings… like at all…" the young woman apologized to her boyfriend. "It's cool… It's not like we're out in the woods or anything like that… I mean, we could have walked into a bad neighborhood and been in real trouble…" Dipper tried to reassure the upset ginger.

Suddenly, a pair of scissor blades cut through the air and a bright light lit up the night as a blue colored round disc appeared above the sidewalk. A blonde woman and dark haired man emerged from what Dipper could best describe as some sort of portal. "Sorry… Wrong dimension!" the peppy voice of the blonde replied as she and her companion jumped back into the light, before it disappeared completely. "What the fuck was that?!" exclaimed Wendy. "I-I know I'm pretty drunk and all… B-But you saw that too? Right dude?" she turned and asked to a still shocked Dipper. "Y-Yeah…" was all he could reply with as he tried to figure out what he saw. The awkward situation was broken up when the ride Dipper had ordered showed up. "Hearthmen Hotel, right?" the driver asked. "Yeah…" was all the eighteen year old could muster as he tumbled into the car, followed by his girlfriend. Following the short car ride, the couple arrived back at the posh hotel, which was practically abandoned at the late hour. Dipper and Wendy tried their best to discretely make their way back to elevator, but were greeted mere moments after stepping foot into the lobby. "Mr. and Mrs. Pines! Somebody enjoy themselves a bit tonight?" the woman behind the check in counter asked. "You bet your ass we did!" Wendy exclaimed in a slurred voice. All the brunette behind the desk could do was chuckle at the clearly drunk couple as they made their way to the elevators on the far side of the room. "Have a good night Mr. and Mrs. Pines" she politely replied before returning to the game she was playing on her phone.

A few minutes later, the couple arrived at their room and upon entering it, quickly discarded their clothes. Dipper managed to lock the front door and shut off the lights as Wendy collapsed into the comfort of the bed. She was soon joined by her boyfriend. "Did you have a good night?" asked a weary Dipper to the auburn haired woman. "Y-Yeah…" she replied as her tiredness began to get the best of her. "We'll go for a run tomorrow morning…" Dipper stated as he set the alarm for seven thirty. "Okay…" the young woman uttered from beneath the comforter. "Goodnight Wendy… I love you…" the brown haired teen said with a yawn as he draped his arm over the body of his lover. Goodnight Mason… Love ya too…" she replied before succumbing to her exhaustion. A new day would soon dawn in Portland, Oregon for the pair of young lovers.

Author's Note: Sorry about the bit of a wait on this chapter, but it was convention week here in town and that took priority. Now I'm back to writing though, so updates should be a little more frequent. Day one is over for Wendy and Dipper in Portland, and it was adventurous to say the least. Any guesses on who briefly crossed over to the Shooting Star Falls AU? Also, I know that Dipper and Wendy kinda forgot about the journal, but rest assured that it was just a slight distraction. We'll find out what Mabel wrote in the journal shortly. As always, feel free to leave a review. I read every one and feel they provide good insight to what I'm writing. Also, I've begun preliminary writing of my next big story, but one more one-shot takes place between this and that story. Thanks for reading!

My Playlist while writing this chapter, which is comprised mostly of EDM and Dance songs…:

Alan Walker – "Alone"

The Strokes – "OBLIVIUS"

Cage The Elephant – "In One Ear"

Halsey – "Now Or Never"

Flo Rida/Sia – "Wild Ones"

Dillon Francis/Will Heard – "Anywhere"

Afrojack & David Guetta/Ester Dean – "Another Life"

Solano & WAO – "Lately"

Gareth Emery/Wayward Daughter – "Reckless"

Audien X MAX – "One More Weekend"

Grandtheft/Delaney Jane – "Easy Go (Shaun Frank Remix)"

DJ Snake/Lil Jon – "Turn Down For What" - What I imagined would be playing while Dipper and Wendy downed their drinks at the bar.

Galantis – "Hunter"

Major Lazer/Justin Bieber – "Cold Water (Lost Frequencies Remix)"

Autograf/Victoria Zaro – "Simple"

Clean Bandit/ Anne-Marie – "Rockabye (Lodato & Joseph Duveen Remix)"

Avicii – "Levels"