The Gleefuls' show was interesting to say the least.
Their costumes were beyond flashy, powder blue garments with dramatic touches. Dipper Gleeful wore a full length cape that swept across the floor with her every move, almost distracting from the birthmark of what appeared to be the Big Dipper on her forehead. While Abel Gleeful lacked a cape or a birthmark, he possessed flourishes of his own that more than compensated for them. With his tailored dress, his constant, sweeping gestures, and his way of looking out over the crowd as if he was addressing you, you specifically and alone, it was as if every part of him was curated to draw attention.
They performed multiple magic tricks, as well as making "psychic predictions", which were, in Pacific's opinion, absolutely fake. Unlike him, though, each trick made Gala scoot closer to the edge of her seat and her eyes impossibly wide.
Despite it being the tenth time for most of the audience, they still looked mesmerized. Abel had the urge to roll his eyes, but maintained his glinting stage smile. After making yet another prediction, he noticed someone.
A tallish blond dressed in bright, rather outdated clothes wasn't clapping. In fact, he seemed to be scoffing.
His smile grew tighter.
"Can't win everyone's heart, can we?" Dipper mouthed .
He let out a growl only she could hear before turning back to the crowd .
Wait.
Sitting next to the unimpressed boy was a pudgy girl, baseball cap pulled over a platinum ponytail. She wasn't anything out of the ordinary except...her eyes were wide, sparkling. Her mouth was agape , and she looked at him like he was her world.
He instantly fell in love with the feeling .
Here was an angel among swine. He skimmed her thoughts and found nothing but gushing amazement. To think he caused her to feel that way…
His heart skipped a beat.
"Abel." Dipper hissed from the side of her tightly smiling mouth.
God, had he frozen mid performance?
No one had ever made him do that before. The girl's expression had switched to one of amazement to confusion .
He cleared his throat. "And for the next trick…"
Gala was the last to leave her seat, her smile never leaving her face.
Pacific rolled his eyes from the tent entrance.
"That was amazing!" She trudged up to him.
He silently disagreed with her. "I'm going to go find Robbie. Coming?"
"Yeah, but I think I left my vest on my seat."
She ran back to the middle row, scouring the chairs for her vest.
"Looking for this?"
She looked up .
Abel Gleeful. He stood on the stage, several feet higher than her and dangling her vest from his fingers. The blue tinted lights cast upon him, and somehow he looked even more majestic. Strangely, she felt the urge to step back. It was one thing to admire him at a safe distance as a face in the crowd, like you do a painting at a gallery. Now, she felt terribly small and really wished she hadn't let Pacific embellish that particular vest with a bejeweled pine tree on the back. "Uh-thanks." Her jaw was stupidly slack.
Abel was beyond pleased. She was impressed even when he wasn't performing tricks, hm?
She was wearing her astonished expression again, and he had the urge to scoop her up and take her home.
"New in town?"
"Yeah, I'm staying with my stepfather, Bud Pines?" She began to walk up the stairs leading up to the stage .
"Yes, the owner of the Mystery Shack, the Tent of Telepathy's number one competitor." He winked. "But I won't hold it against you."
She smiled nervously .
She's so skittish, he mused.
She reached for vest , only for Abel's hands to encase hers.
She was blushing profusely by now, and he was about to say something before a voice behind them made them jump.
"Gal?"
She ripped her hands from his, turning towards Pacific.
"I-I got my vest," she squeaked.
"I can see that." He threw a suspicious look towards Abel.
Abel inwardly fumed. How dare he interrupt him?
"Abel Gleeful." He smiled, not offering his hand.
He nonchalantly swept his hand over his hair. "Pacific Northwest," he answered blandly. It would not occur to Pacific that it was odd for him to already know his name until later.
Abel's sapphire eyes turned back to the object of his interest. "And you are?"
"Gala Pines." She didn't dare offer her hand .
He grinned. "Pleasure. Allow me to introduce my sister." He gestured behind the curtains.
Standing there was Dipper, still in her cape. She smiled at them coolly, walking out on stage. While she had spent an even larger amount of time curating that smile than her brother, it did not manage to be nearly as convincing. "Dipper Gleeful."
Pacific then noticed their matching amulets: Dipper was wearing one around her neck while Abel had his in a subtle (for him) hairpiece. Pacific supposed he was too far away at his seat to have seen them before. His suspicions grew.
Dipper scanned them with steely eyes , then wrinkled her nose slightly. Abel seemed to forget about the other two in the tent, focusing completely on his newest object of affection.
"Gal, come on." Pacific tugged at her hand , dragging her away from the Gleefuls.
Abel's eyes flashed before his face relaxed into a grin. "Come back soon," he said in the sing-song voice he had used while performing.
It wasn't a request, but an order .
Gala spared them a quick glance before being dragged out of the tent.
"Well?" Abel glanced at his sister.
"I think." She rubbed her amulet. "They'll make interesting contribution to this town."
Abel visualized the angelic girl, pale skin turned pink .
"Definitely."